Book Review Tuesday: Lisey’s Story

This week, I’m taking another break from the theme of books listed in the BBC’s Big Read section to review a book I’ve been attempting to read for over a month.

Published in 2006, Lisey’s Story by Stephen King is a book I really expected to enjoy. I’m a big fan of his campfire-tales style of writing and imaginative use of language, so on taking delivery of Lisey’s Story I anticipated an evening of thrilling, chill-packed reading. That’s not what happened though.

The plot revolves around Lisey Landon, the widow of a successful author. There are two strands to the story: the present, in which Lisey undergoes the process of clearing out her late husband, Scott’s office, and the past, which is related through a series of flashbacks explaining the unusual talents possessed by Scott, and also his turbulent and troubled life. There is a supernatural element to the story which apparently plunges Lisey into great danger. However, I’m not entirely sure what form this takes, because, sadly, I just couldn’t read far enough to find out.

Usually, an unread Stephen King novel is a treat. I just know that when I crack it open I’m going to enjoy a roller-coaster ride in the company of great characters. The plot will hit the ground running, and even if the spooky danger isn’t immediately apparent, you can feel it there, lurking in the background, just waiting to pounce. To an extent, Lisey’s Story did have that lingering air of danger, but the plot moved so very slowly I found myself struggling to pay attention, and wondering, when, or if, anything would happen.

The character of Lisey was, well, annoying. I think she was supposed to be stoic and loyal, but she came across as judgemental and something of a martyr. It was hard to care about her fate, and I was rather hoping she’d bump into Barlow from Salem’s Lot who could convert her into one of the undead, making her marginally more interesting, and likeable.

I admire the way King is willing to experiment with different styles of writing, and his skill in mixing different genres, but this particular blending of horror and romance simply didn’t work for me. I really wanted to like Lisey’s Story, and night after night I tried to stick with it in the hope something, anything, would happen, but it didn’t. Eventually, I had to put the book down unfinished because I felt what I was reading was more akin to Mills and Boon on Mogadon, than the output of a master of the horror genre.

Should you read it? If you like romantic fiction with a supernatural twist, then you’ll probably enjoy this. If you’re the kind of die hard Stephen King fan who’d enjoy reading his shopping list, then it will probably appeal to you too. However, if you prefer the fast paced, grittier (and gorier) style of his earlier works, then Lisey’s Story is likely to be a big disappointment.