Scan barcode
kelseyr713's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I really enjoyed both halves of this tome by Stephen King. I’ve seen a lot of reviewers who say they lost interest when Charlie goes down the well, but I’m not sure what they were expecting since the book is called Fairy Tale. Stephen King shares in his author’s note that he wrote this as a comfort during COVID, and I definitely got swept away by the characters and world building. He did a fantastic job building up my love for both Charlie and Radar. I would love to read more stories set in this little corner of the King-iverse.
I was hoping for an Eyes of the Dragon reference, since that’s one of my favorite books ever, but didn’t notice any.
I took a star off for some pacing issues and the fact that Charlie does NOT sound like a teenager from the present day.
I was hoping for an Eyes of the Dragon reference, since that’s one of my favorite books ever, but didn’t notice any.
I took a star off for some pacing issues and the fact that Charlie does NOT sound like a teenager from the present day.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Physical abuse, Violence, and Death of parent
Moderate: Alcoholism, Cursing, Death, Gore, Slavery, Torture, Kidnapping, Murder, and War
Minor: Animal cruelty, Bullying, Child death, and Sexual content
billyjepma's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
As far as Stephen King goes, this is pretty mid-tier. It's advertised as the book he wrote in quarantine to bring himself some enjoyment, and it shows, in good and less-than-good ways. The positive stuff includes King's usual strengths: excellent foreshadowing, endearing characterization, enticing ideas, you get the gist. And that stuff rules! It's been a minute since I've picked up a King book, and this was a wonderful reminder of why he's the best at what he does. Watching him develop the relationship between protagonist Charlie and old-man Mr. Bowditch and his aging dog, Radar, is a treat, especially once he begins teasing the dark, fantastical mysteries that are coming. Those first 150+ pages are all about that relationship, and it's the anchor that keeps the rest of the story from unmooring (although there are some close calls).
Bowditch is the book's highlight, arguably, and viewing him as King's self-insert character (as I did) gives the story some potentially meta-commentary elements that I liked. I doubt this is intentional, as the book doesn't explore those elements, so take my assessment with a grain of salt. King isn't interested in interrogating or subverting the fairy tale ideas he's using, opting instead to enjoy them as toys for a relatively by-the-numbers tale that's content to be a soft remix of the greatest hits. On those terms, Fairy Tale is an easy, enjoyable read, even though I kept waiting for it to become something more.
Ironically, the most effective parts of this book take place outside of the fantasy world, as it's there that King's writing is most touching and memorable. After the fantasy starts, things regrettably grow a little dull. King's characterization and pacing falter, as does his plotting. We're introduced to some wonderful supporting characters and big, exciting ideas; they just don't go anywhere. Charlie becomes a less interesting protagonist, too, as his role in the traditional fantasy adventure is as by-the-numbers as they come. King's attempts at giving it some teeth are more monotonous than anything, too, and eventually, my earlier investment in Charlie took a nosedive.
Still, despite its shortcoming, I love a good fairy tale and getting to read one of the best storytellers of a generation tell one was a ride I'm glad I took. The ending wraps things up on the kind of nostalgia-tinged note I'm always a sucker for and nails the balance between bitter and sweet like all fantasies should. I won't be running back to this one, but the vibes and visuals will happily linger in my head for a while. The book gets a 3.5/5 from me, but Radar the Very Good Dog™️ gets a 12/5.
Bowditch is the book's highlight, arguably, and viewing him as King's self-insert character (as I did) gives the story some potentially meta-commentary elements that I liked. I doubt this is intentional, as the book doesn't explore those elements, so take my assessment with a grain of salt. King isn't interested in interrogating or subverting the fairy tale ideas he's using, opting instead to enjoy them as toys for a relatively by-the-numbers tale that's content to be a soft remix of the greatest hits. On those terms, Fairy Tale is an easy, enjoyable read, even though I kept waiting for it to become something more.
Ironically, the most effective parts of this book take place outside of the fantasy world, as it's there that King's writing is most touching and memorable. After the fantasy starts, things regrettably grow a little dull. King's characterization and pacing falter, as does his plotting. We're introduced to some wonderful supporting characters and big, exciting ideas; they just don't go anywhere. Charlie becomes a less interesting protagonist, too, as his role in the traditional fantasy adventure is as by-the-numbers as they come. King's attempts at giving it some teeth are more monotonous than anything, too, and eventually, my earlier investment in Charlie took a nosedive.
Still, despite its shortcoming, I love a good fairy tale and getting to read one of the best storytellers of a generation tell one was a ride I'm glad I took. The ending wraps things up on the kind of nostalgia-tinged note I'm always a sucker for and nails the balance between bitter and sweet like all fantasies should. I won't be running back to this one, but the vibes and visuals will happily linger in my head for a while. The book gets a 3.5/5 from me, but Radar the Very Good Dog™️ gets a 12/5.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Gore, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Car accident, and Murder
Minor: Bullying, Cancer, Racial slurs, Torture, and Abandonment