The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon
Published: 6, April 1999
Author: Stephen King
Genre: American, Coming Of Age, Fiction, Horror, Literature, Psychic, Psychological, Survival, Suspense, Thriller
Check the summary of this book here:
The Review
The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon by Stephen King is a psychological horror story. A pop-up book version, designed by Kees Moerbeek and illustrated by Alan Dingman, was released in 2004. A film adaptation, to be produced by Chris Romero, was announced in 2019. As of today, the day of writing the review (24, March 2022,) there has been no fresh news on the movie adaptation, but I will include it as soon as I discover it.
If you're a hiker or simply enjoy visiting parks and enjoying nature, you've certainly pondered at some time what it's like to be lost in the woods if you haven't already.
In any case, reading this novel will make you feel as if you've been lost in the woods with Trisha McFarland.
Stephen King's ability to offer a highly thorough depiction of what his characters see and feel is my favorite aspect of his writing.
I've read this book two times over the years because it's easy to become lost with Trisha as she makes decision after decision that leads her further and farther into solitary, wildland.
It's also motivating since she's quite resourceful in her frantic attempt to survive. The love of her family and a baseball team contributes to her mental power, therefore the title connection.
This narrative makes you consider what you would do if you suddenly lost access to all you know and love. Who is the first person you think of when you think about missing someone? What else do you believe you can't live without?
You want to cheer for Trisha to get back to her life, which, while imperfect like everyone else's, is clearly important to her.
The novel also begins to veer into the mysterious, as if you were staring into a funhouse mirror, and you wonder, along with the main character, if things are indeed what they appear to be or something altogether else, out of this world.
I like how there isn't a lot of gore in it, which allows Stephen King's skill at producing rich descriptive descriptions to stand on its own without much of a shock effect.
We all know and admire Stephen King for his terrifying stories, but I think it's also vital to appreciate his descriptions of atmosphere and mood on their own.
He makes literature more alive and tangible. That is what keeps me coming back to some of his works again and again. This would be a great book to read on a hiking trip or in forests!
Other works by the author with comparable characteristics highlighted in this review include The Long Walk, From a Buick 8, and Rose Madder.
People read in a variety of ways; for example, some prefer small anthology books, while others prefer to devour novels completely. Some readers, however, like to read in a certain genre, such as horror, romance, or anything else.
I enjoy reading. One of the wonderful pastimes that I never get tired of is sitting down or in bed and going for a really nice book, and I read practically any genre that I can find. To get away from places you can only see yourself in and attempt to be in. To genuinely dwell in the scene evoked by the author's words.
When I read Bag of Bones, the narrative grabbed me by the neck and held me utterly riveted throughout. The entire thing. I stood there, wondering how a man like King could have written such a masterpiece.
He was cast as a traditional horror writer, yet Bag of Bones had something that no other authors could replicate or draw from.
That work was so unlike all of his prior work that one could have been tempted to believe that the author was not King himself. I knew he could write something beautiful and unique again, but I didn't know when he would until I read this book and was blown away.
The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon is a short book by any measure, and it may even be a little short for some non-readers as well. A quick reader may finish it in one sitting, while an ordinary reader could keep it for around a week or if you read like me and that means reading around ten books at a time.
The novel continues in the footsteps of Bag of Bones, with King depending on his literary talent rather than his ability to frighten powers.
But it doesn't mean he doesn't have it in him. Oh my goodness! He simply has it more under control, and it's truly in there.
The concept of a girl being lost in the woods for who knows how long alone, and the reader feeling what she has to go through, is an accomplishment in and of itself.
The idea of a nine-year-old child being alone and terrified is simply too much to comprehend. Only King could have undertaken such a task, and he excels at it.
King's descriptive powers are so good that you'll feel like you're right there with Trisha, everywhere she goes, experiencing whatever she feels, and seeing what she sees. Her nightmares become reality, and even her delirious hallucinations make your skin crawl.
This book is a treasure, and while I won't go into detail about what I believe King was going for in the plot, I can assure you that you will be moved by it. By the tenacity of that courageous 9-year-old kid who appears to be older than her years.
Furthermore, I believe that every parent should let their children read this book, or at the very least read it to them with a few portions omitted for obvious reasons, so that the children can do a lot to keep themselves safe in scenarios similar to those represented in this book.
Final Thoughts
I can confidently state that this is my favorite Stephen King novel about survival, and it can benefit not just a child, but everyone who reads it and understands the power of believing, and I would wholeheartedly suggest it to be enjoyed again and again.
I'm going out on a limb here, no pun intended, but let's face it, sometimes we read to get lost and get away from the typical stresses of life; well, this book will let you get lost for a little while. so just Enjoy!
Synopsis
“From international bestseller Stephen King, a classic story that engages our emotions on the most primal level, a fairy tale grimmer than Grimm but aglow with a girl’s indomitable spirit.
What if the woods were full of them? And of course they were, the woods were full of everything you didn’t like, everything you were afraid of and instinctively loathed, everything that tried to overwhelm you with nasty, no-brain panic.
The brochure promised a “moderate-to-difficult” six-mile hike on the Maine-New Hampshire branch of the Appalachian Trail, where nine-year-old Trisha McFarland was to spend Saturday with her older brother Pete and her recently divorced mother. When she wanders off to escape their constant bickering, then tries to catch up by attempting a shortcut through the woods, Trisha strays deeper into a wilderness full of peril and terror. Especially when night falls.
Trisha has only her wits for navigation, only her ingenuity as a defense against the elements, only her courage and faith to withstand her mounting fear. For solace she tunes her Walkman to broadcasts of Boston Red Sox games and the gritty performances of her hero, number thirty-six, relief pitcher Tom Gordon. And when her radio’s reception begins to fade, Trisha imagines that Tom Gordon is with her—her key to surviving an enemy known only by the slaughtered animals and mangled trees in its wake.”
Useful Search Related Words & Keywords
Boston Red, Find Her Way, Gets Lost, Little Girl, Lost In The Woods, Main Character, Mother And Brother, Nine Year Old Girl, Red Sox, Tom Gordon, Trisha McFarland
Rating: 95/100
Recommended: 100/100 Yes.
Buy the Kindle Version Here
Free With Free Audible Trial
Cell (2016) (R)
Bag of Bones Season 1 (2012) (13+)
Dolores Claiborne (1995) (R)
It (1990) (R)
It (2017) (R)
It Chapter Two (2019) (R)
Needful Things (1993) (R)
Desperation (2006) (16+)
Silver Bullet (1985) (R)
The Tommyknockers (1993) (M)
Christine (1983) (R)
The Dead Zone (1983) (R)
Misery (1990) (R)
Carrie (1976) (R)
Firestarter (1984) (R)
Mr. Mercedes Season 01 (2017) (TV-MA)
Thinner (1996) (R)
The Running Man (1987) (R)
The Dark Half (1993) (R)
The Green Mile (1999) (16+)
Salem’s Lot (1979) (G)
Salem’s Lot: The Miniseries (2004) (NR)
The Dark Tower 8 Book Boxed Set (Paperback)
The Dark Tower (2017) (PG-13)
Compare Kindle E-readers on one page
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Any kind of support, even a simple 'like, thumbs up or a small comment' is enough and helps me grow, create and freely do more stuff and work on projects for the benefit of many.
Buy me a coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/namsu
Help me grow into a global force: https://www.patreon.com/namsu
Support with crypto coins/tokens: https://cointr.ee/namsu
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
