Rose Madder
Published: June 1995
Author: Stephen King
Genre: American, Classic, Fairy Tale, Fantasy, Fiction, Folk Tales, Ghost, Horror, Mythology, Psychic, Psychological, Thriller
Check the summary of this book here:
The Review
Stephen King's Rose Madder is a horror fantasy book and It deals with the ramifications of domestic abuse, something King has previously addressed in his novels Dolores Claiborne, Insomnia, It, Needful Things, and a few others, and, unusually for a King story, depends on Greek mythology for its fantastic aspect. Rose Madder and Insomnia, according to King's memoir On Writing, are "stiff, trying-too-hard novels."
The novel features a few ties to earlier works by Stephen King, such as Cynthia Smith, who first appeared in Desperation.
Rose is reading Misery's Journey in the prologue, which is part of a fictional series of novels written by the main character in King's novel Misery.
This tale features the city of Lud from The Dark Tower and I adore how he connects that city to this story; I can't describe or tell you how because of spoilers, but you can read the summary from the link I provided; however, I recommend reading the entire book instead for good pleasure.
The first part of this book is excellent. There were a few unexpected plot changes, such as a fast love interest for the lady who is beaten by her husband, but the characters and tale mostly pull you along and keep you reading the book and turning page after page.
Unsurprisingly, the sequences in which Norman searches for Rose are the most engrossing and terrifying in the novel.
He's a sick and twisted person, and King is a master at extracting tension and humor from such characters.
The tale then kicks into high gear and you find yourself in a lengthy interlude that transports Rose to the world of Greek mythology in an unexpected way.
I appreciate supernatural aspects in horror stories, but in this instance, they felt entirely out of place, and I found myself checking the book cover and prior pages to be sure I was reading the same book as before.
Even I was surprised, but I enjoyed this wild twist; nevertheless, this may not be the case for every reader; thus, keep in mind that you are reading Stephen King's work, and everything is conceivable within these pages.
Overall, Rose Madder is a great book, but you can't give it one of the top spots because some parts are captivating but I found some parts hard to read just because of some of the stuff that was going on in the book but I am sure I would have loved the same parts if I wasn't as tired or bored of some other books that I was reading at the same time plus some of the second half was predictable due to the knowledge I already had from reading so many books.
This book captures the emotional characteristics of an abused woman with ease, and it was done as thoughtfully as one can with this subject matter.
Throughout, you'll be pulling for the character of Rosie, and it had me guessing. I liked how the magical aspect was woven throughout, and it was a refreshing difference from other stories with a similar theme.
Stephen King demonstrates once more why he is a superb storyteller, yet I believe that reading this book initially is not a smart idea. If you've never read one of Stephen King's books before, start with one of his finer works, such as The Shining or Misery, and then read this book to understand his brilliance; otherwise, you might not like this book.
If you're a long-time fan, go ahead and give it a shot, but keep your expectations in check or you'll be disappointed.
I believe that the best approach to reading this book is to forget who wrote it, and I am confident that you will like it much more and consider it to be one of the greatest written novels on the subject, with a surprising element of mythology and magic.
The plot is remarkable in that the villain's spouse is exposed as evil incarnate page by page until you have such a clear image of him that you begin to believe he is in the room with you or ready to knock on your door.
My favorite part is when he gets a taste of his own medicine from one of his wife's friends, who will fight tooth and nail to protect her fellow tortured women. I like that the author included this section in the book, and I hope I could hit this man in the nose at least once.
Blair Brown's portrayal of the abused wife has an odd quality that makes me want to help the abused wife even more, plus she is very good at just reading the story in her own style, and the way her voice and tone change is great as well; I highly recommend the audio version with Blair Brown as the narrator.
Final Thoughts
Stephen King was at his peak at the time. Rose Madder is a fantastic combination of suspense, romance, and just enough supernatural to blur the boundary between our reality and one of King's slightly distorted otherworlds.
Another of King's famous struggles of good vs. evil, this time between protagonist Rosie McClendon and her husband Norman Daniels.
Norman is on the lookout for Rosie as she struggles to adjust to life on her own, free of Norman's cruel grip.
Rosie is a really appealing protagonist, much more weak and frightened than King's normal female leads, but more endearing as she progresses from an abused housewife to a woman on her own - an angry woman.
Norman is an extremely clear antagonist to loathe, with enough loose screws to elevate him to the horrifying level.
The supporting characters are well-written and appealing, and the pacing is excellent. Another pillar in the vast universe of King's peculiar mind.
I was able to easily connect with Rosie because I have witnessed a lot of abuse, domestic violence, and bullying and I despise everyone involved in it.
I was very young when I witnessed the first-ever domestic violence, and it was happening to my aunt, her husband was beating her like she was just a carpet, and I felt so much hatred for this man that I came in between him and her and told him to stop.
I'm not sure how or why he stopped, but I believe he saw the fury in my eyes and realized how much respect he would lose if a child like me attacked him. But he never beat her again after that.
I was already prepared to fight him if he didn't stop when I warned him, and I was capable of doing some really awful stuff to him even at that early age since I had been well trained to defend myself against bullies of all ages and sizes.
So essentially, he retained his dignity that day or he was going to wind up in a hospital or worse, which I don't want to discuss here, but yeah, I felt very connected to the battered woman in this story and had a lot of hatred for the husband.
Stephen King has the ability to make a reader participate in the tale in a way that few authors can, owing to the fact that he writes both close to and far from reality.
Synopsis
“The #1 national bestseller about a woman who escapes an abusive marriage is “one of Stephen King’s most engrossing horror novels. Relentlessly paced and brilliantly orchestrated...fueled by an air of danger immediate and overwhelming” (Publishers Weekly).
Rosie Daniels leaves her husband, Norman, after fourteen years in an abusive marriage. She is determined to lose herself in a place where he won’t find her. She’ll worry about all the rest later.
Alone in a strange city, she begins to make a new life, and good things finally start to happen. Meeting Bill is one; and getting an apartment is another. Still, it’s hard for Rosie not to keep looking over her shoulder, and with good reason. Norman is a cop, with the instincts of a predator. He’s very good at finding people, even if he is losing his mind.
Fixed on revenge, Norman Daniels becomes a force of relentless terror and savageness, a man almost mythic in his monstrosity. For Rosie to survive, she must enter her own myth and become a woman she never knew she could be: Rose Madder.
“Riveting, engrossing...packed with suspense” (People), Stephen King infuses this novel with an edge-of-your-seat, chilling atmosphere. Rose Madder is “an eerie, remarkably mature and moving novel” (The Washington Post).”
Useful Search Related Words & Keywords
Abusive Husband, Dark Tower, Domestic Violence, Drop Of Blood, Edge Of Your Seat, Geralds Game, Husband Norman, New Life, Pawn Shop, Tower Series
Rating: 90/100
Recommended: 95/100 Yes.
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