Desperation
Published: 24, September 1996
Author: Stephen King
Genre: Classic, Drama, Fiction, Ghost, Horror, Literary, Literature, Supernatural, Suspense, Thriller
Check the summary of this book here:
The Review
Stephen King wrote the horror-thriller Desperation. It was released at the same time as its mirror novel, The Regulators, which was also published under King's alias Richard Bachman. In 2006, it was also adapted into a TV film starring Ron Perlman, Tom Skerritt, and Steven Weber. The two novels depict parallel worlds in relation to one another, and the majority of the people in one novel's world also live in the other novel's reality, albeit under different circumstances.
A cross-country journey in 1991 inspired the author to write Desperation, during which he saw the little desert village of Ruth, Nevada, near U.S. 50. His initial assumption was that the town's residents were all dead. He then pondered who had killed them, and it occurred to him that it may have been the town's sheriff.
The author establishes the scene right away, and you, the reader, get to feel it. The powerlessness, the out-of-control paralysis that befalls these unfortunate people as they journey over Nevada's lonely, ancient stretch of roadway known simply as Interstate 50, or "the loneliest place on Earth."
Is it by chance that a chosen few become victims of the evil that masquerades as a savior in the shape of a cop? Do his victims have the destiny to meet in Desperation or do they have no choice?
Stephen King is a master at expressing how it feels to be so fragile and susceptible. In Desperation, he creates a one-of-a-kind thriller and page-turner that is sure to make you nervous!
Although the story reminds me a touch of Dean Koontz's "Phantoms," in which a wicked, age-old creature lurks beneath the ground, ready to wreak havoc and ruin on a little isolated village.
But that's where the similarity ends; Stephen King has built and developed compelling and realistic characters who entice you to read the novel as much as the narrative.
It's the sort of book that keeps you on the edge of your seat and makes you want to race through the pages to find out what happens next. I believe this is one of Stephen King's scarier books, ranking with It and Pet Cemetery.
I'm a huge admirer of Stephen King's and Dean Koontz's work, but it doesn't mean I think King isn't good.
In fact, I'm sure he's written works that would make Dean Koontz jump out of his skin! This one has a good chance. And, like "Phantoms," this novel may make the reader uncomfortable and jittery for several days.
So, if you're looking for anything to keep that nightlight on, read this book. However, this novel contains a lot of graphic violence, so if you're easily offended by blood and guts, you might want to skip it.
This novel was very appealing to me since it was set in such a remote location. I can fairly state that I can draw parallels between this and his other epic, The Stand, and I can understand why.
In Desperation, a tiny group of characters must make a stand, although it is on a much smaller scale. Aside from that, The Stand's characters were all over the place.
The wickedness shown in that book was enormous. I enjoyed how this really scary narrative took place in one specific location.
When you read this, you nearly feel as lonely and miserable as the folks you're reading about, and unlike The Stand, you don't feel like the rest of the world is continuing on while the six people in Desperation, Nevada are stuck in hell.
David Carver, who is ten or eleven years old, is without a doubt the most interesting character in the entire novel. Because he'd gone through so much, I felt sympathy for him when I read about him.
Few linkages to Stephen King's universe may be discovered here, since he usually always leaves hints and doors for a connection between his works, such as Cynthia Smith, who first appeared in Rose Madder.
Ellen Carver is shown reminiscing over a book called Misery in Paradise, which was authored by Stephen King's fictional character Paul Sheldon in his novel Misery.
Tom, one of the main characters, mentions the Tommyknockers. And Tak features prominently in The Regulators as well.
The Low Men in Yellow Coats, who are weird animal-human hybrids, are referred to as can-toi in the Dark Tower series. The vampiric Sisters employ this language in the Dark Tower short story "The Little Sisters of Eluria."
The context of the following few lines is basically what is printed on the back of the book, so I don't consider it a spoiler, but if you don't want to know the background of the narrative, go to Final Thoughts.
Desperation is a narrative about a group of individuals who are abducted while driving down Nevada's barren Highway 50 by Collie Entragian, the deputy of the fictitious mining town of Desperation.
Entragian utilizes a variety of pretexts for the abductions, ranging from a narcotics arrest to "rescuing" a family from a nonexistent shooter.
The hostages realize that Entragian has been possessed by an evil monster named Tak, who has influence over the surrounding desert fauna and must switch hosts to stay alive.
They continue to struggle for their freedom, sanity, and lives before concluding that if they are to ever leave Desperation, they must imprison Tak where he came from.
Final Thoughts
This was a nerve-racking read! I didn't want it to finish, and I certainly didn't want it to be put down! A thrilling page-turner! Stephen King had a lot going on in this story, and I liked how it all came together.
You're so engrossed in the plot that you can't stop reading to find out what happens next. Very well written!
If you're into religion, this book is obviously a religious experience of sorts for you, but if you're turned off by religion or just don't feel comfortable confronting your own views about God, you really shouldn't read it.
But, away from the religious component, this was one of those readings that, at least for me, had me wondering how these bunch of very diverse individuals were going to escape the misery they were in.
And I believe it is preferable to read it as a fantasy novel rather than delving deeply into religion and to simply have fun since that is what this book is all about.
Synopsis
“The terror is relentless” (Publishers Weekly) in Stephen King’s #1 national bestseller about a little mining town, Desperation, that many will enter on their way to somewhere else. But getting out is not easy as it would seem…
Located off a desolate stretch of Interstate 50, Desperation, Nevada, has few connections with the rest of the world. It is a place, though, where the seams between worlds are thin. And it is a place where several travelers are abducted by Collie Entragian, the maniacal police officer of Desperation. Entragian uses various ploys for the abductions, from an arrest for drug possession to “rescuing” a family from a nonexistent gunman. There’s something very wrong here, all right, and Entragian is only the surface of it.
The secrets embedded in Desperation’s landscape, and the evil that infects the town like some viral hot zone, are both awesome and terrifying. But as one of the travelers, young David Carver, seems to know—though it scares him nearly to death to realize it—so are the forces summoned to combat them. “Stephen King’s knack for turning the stray junk of pop culture into sick, darkly engrossing thrills has rarely been this much in evidence as in Desperation” (Salon).”
Useful Search Related Words & Keywords
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Rating: 90/100
Recommended: 100/100 Yes.
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