Dolores Claiborne
Published: November 1992
Author: Stephen King
Genre: Drama, Fiction, Horror, Media Tie-In, Murder, Psychic, Psychological, Supernatural, Thriller
Check the summary of this book here:
The Review
Stephen King's novel Dolores Claiborne is a psychological thriller. The title character is the one who tells the story. It includes no chapters, double space between paragraphs, or other section breaks, which is unusual for a King novel; instead, the text is one continuous narrative that reads like a transcription of a spoken monologue.
In the United States, it was the best-selling novel of 1992. The narrative established the imaginary town of Little Tall Island, which Stephen King later utilized as the setting for the original TV miniseries Storm of the Century.
There is also a book version, which I own, however it is not a standard-sized book and hence cannot be placed on a shelf with other books.
It doesn't mean it won't fit on the shelf; rather, it won't fit with the other Stephen King books I have because its dimensions are 6.13 x 1.1 x 9.25 inches, and its full title is Storm of the Century: An Original Screenplay and its contents are printed as a screenplay or drama.
Unlike many of King's other writings, this one places minimal emphasis on the supernatural. Although various supernatural happenings are indicated, the only ones that are explicitly mentioned in the book are two psychic visions of an unnamed young girl, which, when combined with the solar eclipse background, establish a link to King's novel Gerald's Game.
It was adapted into a popular 1995 film starring Kathy Bates, which Time ranked one of the top ten best Stephen King film adaptations in 2013.
It is uncommon for me to declare that a book adaptation was good or that I liked it, but I did enjoy the film.
I think the book and movie are both excellent, and I was delighted to discover aspects in the book that were not included in the movie as expected, because you can't fit an entire normal-sized book into a single part movie, no matter how much you try.
In 2013, a two-act opera adaptation premiered in San Francisco, followed by a revised version in 2017.
This book is one lengthy monologue with brief breaks that serve merely to remind the reader that Delores Claiborne is speaking to someone.
Her narrative is heartbreaking, and I really liked the film version since it portrayed Vera Donovan in a more sympathetic light.
There are secrets that are worse than those that are whispered. Her shrewdness and ingenuity, as well as her unwavering drive, enabled her to accomplish the things she did to rescue herself and her children.
The plot is captivating, and I am a lover of this sort of literature, and Delores' voice is strong enough to overcome any flaws.
This novel was clearly an experiment for Stephen King, and that is what makes him so amazing: he is not afraid to experiment and take chances.
There are no chapters, only Dolores' voice; everything is narrated in flashback, and so on. By all rights, it shouldn't work, and the narrator's heavy Maine accent should have been the last element in a recipe for catastrophe.
Nonetheless, it works, and it works well. Dolores is a rough, slightly bitter old lady with some redeeming qualities. She works tirelessly, is fair-minded, and strives to be a good mother and wife.
Dolores Claiborne strikes me as more of a character study than a horror story. I used to think that was odd for a Stephen King work, but I'm beginning to realize that he doesn't produce nearly as many absolute horror novels as his public persona would suggest.
Still, there are exciting moments, and you rapidly begin to care about the people and what happens to them, though not all of them. The forward was also entertaining.
Non-horror fans should try Stephen King because he can write in any genre and can write fantastic non-horror stories as well as, if not better than, most of the authors you are familiar with.
The author is really good at a variety of things. He's terrifying and humorous, and he creates some fairly solid stories, but it's his characters that make his novels genuinely entertaining for me. Dolores Claiborne is just another of Stephen King's memorable characters.
What you get in this work is Dolores, who sits there and gives you her story. The entire work is written in dialect in the first person. "Of course," for example, becomes "Coss," while "crying so hard" becomes "cryin s'hard."
It takes some getting used to, but it's well worth it. I absolutely dislike this type of style when done by someone else or when it does not suit the tale and environment, but when done well, I like it, just as I adored it in this book, so just try a little to get used to it and I am sure you'll enjoy the way she speaks.
Delores seems authentic in ways that few other fictional charters do. She's tenacious, amusing, and has made some terrible judgments.
I would suggest the book whether you are a long-time admirer of the author or are seeking for something new to read.
Final Thoughts
The reason I mention so many of these things, such as awards and movie or drama adaptations, is to emphasize that while this story is supposed to be great and amazing to read for many people, I am confident that a few people will not enjoy it, even if it is the greatest book ever written by the greatest author.
I realized that I'm not writing these reviews for people who simply criticize something because others are criticizing it or who love something that others love just to follow a trend or to be a part of a popular group, such as buying the most expensive mobile phones or brands that are, in reality, just garbage that is expensive.
I'm not only talking about one book; I'm talking about all books and everything around us. So just have fun and remember one thing: anything I'm writing isn't about following a trend; it's about how I feel about a book that I've read and understood.
Another thing I've noticed is that after rereading most of Stephen King's works for the review, I'm rambling even more than before, much as he does, and I'm starting to like this new me.
Unless you've seen the movie first, the audiobook version read by Frances Sternhagen is excellent, and she brings the character to life flawlessly.
In that scenario, pretend you're listening to a new audiobook and ignore the movie so you can enjoy it too.
Dolores Claiborne is a work of character-driven literary fiction that is a joy to read. This work has some really frightening and graphic scenes, yet it is not a horror story.
Its relationship to its sibling novel "Gerald's Game" supplies the narrative's sole minor supernatural aspect.
I recommend this book to anyone who thinks Stephen King is too scary/gory for them.
Synopsis
“An unforgettable, unflinching glimpse into a mind driven to murder” (San Francisco Chronicle)—the #1 national bestseller from Stephen King about a housekeeper with a long-hidden secret from her past…one that tests her own will to survive.
Dolores Claiborne is suspected of killing Vera Donovan, her wealthy employer, and when the police question her, she tells the story of her life, harkening back to her disintegrating marriage and the suspicious death of her violent husband thirty years earlier. Dolores also tells of Vera’s physical and mental decline and how she became emotionally demanding in recent years.
Given a voice as compelling as any in contemporary fiction, the strange intimacy between Dolores and Vera—and the link that binds them—unfolds in Dolores’s account. It shows, finally, how fierce love can be, and how dreadful its consequences. And how the soul, harrowed by the hardest life, can achieve a kind of grace.
Hailed by Entertainment Weekly as a “tour de force, Dolores Claiborne is “a literary triumph. The finest of King novels…a plot of enormous energy…Read this book” (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel).”
Useful Search Related Words & Keywords
Charles Mulvehill, Christopher Plummer, David Strathairn, Eric Bogosian, Gerald Game, Jennifer Jason Leigh, John C. Reilly, Judy Parfitt, Kathy Bates, Little Tall, Main Character, Rose Madder, Tall Island, Taylor Hackford, Vera Donovan, Warner Bros
Rating: 95/100
Recommended: 100/100 Yes.
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