Dreamcatcher - Stephen King

Stephen King has never been an author I have sought out, but if I happen to come across a book of his which appeals from the blurb on the back then I'll take a look. Some of his books I have enjoyed immensely and others I've hated, he is my Marmite. I bought Dreamcatcher from the charity shop some time ago and decided to start reading it last week, I can honestly say this is the best Stephen King book I've ever read; from the first I cared about the characters and empathised with all they went through. While I found the novel gory in places it's certainly from a more humane angle than his earlier works such as Pet Sematary or Salem's Lot, it has a ...  Read the complete review

I'll read anything - and I mean anything, from encyclopaedias to the back of cornflake packets (although I'm not over keen on historical novels).I don't really feel complete without a book in my hand.Yet as much as I read, some things remain sacred - particularly what is known in our household as the "Kingfest". Ever since Stephen King published his first novel, Carrie, back in the days when I was a mere slip of a teenager, the publication of a new Stephen King novel has evolved into a personal ritual. I buy in chocolate - lots of it - and I switch of the 'phone and I indulge myself. I wallow in Stephen King, continuing to read until ...  Read the complete review

Pick up a Stephen King novel and you're guaranteed a mind-bending jaunt into a wonderful parallel universe. Until Dreamcatcher, I would have agreed with that. One just needs to read Dolores Claiborne or the like in order to observe his pure talent. So what happened this time? Was it the effects of alcoholism on the author, or perhaps blame should be levied at his tendency to become over familiar with his special. . Hahumm. . ciggies, or maybe he is still recovering from his own near-death experience?. . . But talk about dragging it out. 200 of the whopping 599 pages could have been lopped off this novel. Then, and only then, would the usual ...  Read the complete review

Stephen King is one of my favourite authors. I have read every fiction title that he has written and l have never been disappointed. Perhaps my only criticism is that l have difficulty putting his books down and end up loosing sleep until l have finished the current read. Dreamcatcher is a story about four friends who are now in their mid thirties, but have been friends since they first started school. As usual with Stephen King (SK), things are not straightforward. When the friends were young they helped save 'Duddits', a downs syndrome sufferer from, bullying bordering on torture by older boys. Duddits has a special psychic gift that his new ...  Read the complete review

The day Dreamcatcher was released I faced a challenge. I couldn't buy it on the net because I didn't want to wait that long, and the same went for waiting till the paperback edition came out - but how could I avoid the hefty £17.99 price tag? A trip around every bookshop in town (W H Smiths (who sometimes slash the prices of new hardbacks), Ottakars, James Thin, and even in desperation Just Books (long shot) and Book Sale (even longer shot) came out with one clear winner. James Thin £12.99 WH Smiths £14.99 Ottakars £14.99 So clutching my huge hard bundle of the bizarre in both sweaty hands, I headed home. ...  Read the complete review