|
Loading... Dolores Claiborne (1993)by Stephen King
Dolores Claiborne is an exceptional piece of modern fiction. Structured as one long monologue from the title character confessing to the murder she's committed (and more importantly, explaining that she hasn't committed another murder), King takes you into the heart of Dolores in a way few authors do with their characters. Knowing she's telling the absolute, unvarnished truth throughout creates a portal into the character's soul that shows just how far a mother's love will go. What I enjoyed most was that Dolores felt like a real person, warts and all. I know that some of King's fans don't love this book because it doesn't involve his trademark horror, but I personally found it to be King stepping outside his comfort zone in a way that shows he's not just a wonderful horror writer, but a great writer in general. (  )1   Raven9167 | Apr 13, 2013 |  King's experiment in having no chapter/section breaks makes for a near-breathless narrative. His love for the New England dialect is evident and he creates a most memorable character in Delores Claiborne. But, in the fanal analysis, the predictability of the scenario and an heavy dose of tired horror convention make this the weaker of his two eclipse novels. (  ) srboone | Apr 3, 2013 | Non leggevo libri di SK dai tempi del liceo... quasi 25 anni fa!! Mi �� piaciuto molto e, secondo me, vale la pena leggerlo ( ) david-e | Apr 1, 2013 | After her employer is killed in a fall down the stairs, Dolores Claiborne is brought in for questioning by the police and finally tells the story of what happened to her abusive husband, who disappeared on the day of the full eclipse many years ago. Of the shorter "feminist" King novels published around this time -- Gerald's Game, Rose Madder and this one -- Dolores Claiborne is the one I like the most. For one thing, King is trying something new by writing the book as one long narrative, completely in Dolores's voice, with no chapter breaks. And Dolores has a good voice. She is a strong woman, doing what she can in a world where everything is stacked against her. As she gradually reveals the events leading up to the disappearance of her husband, we become so caught up in her story that we can't put the book down, and despite her bizarre mannerisms and coarse language, we like and sympathize with Dolores. Read upon release because I like the author (1993). ( ) sturlington | Mar 12, 2013 | It's been a while since I've read a Stephen King book and this one was on my list for awhile. I saw the movie with Kathy Bates way back when I was a little kid and for the longest time had been trying to find it cause I didn't know the title. I don't remember how I found out it was Dolores Claiborne. Anyway it was a good book - a bit different than others I've read by King, but I liked the way it was all written like it was an interrogation or interview. I loved the mouth on her! Very funny! (  ) briannad84 | Oct 30, 2012 | no reviews | add a review
Amazon.com Amazon.com Review (ISBN 0451177096, Paperback)More of a mystery than a horror novel, Dolores Claiborne contains only the briefest glances at the supernatural. The novel presents Stephen King as a writer experimenting with style and narrative, time and perspective. Fans looking for a skin-crawling, page-turning fright or an undead bloodbath will be disappointed, but a patient reader willing to savor King's leisurely study of character and island life will find many rewards. And all of this is not to say that the book is without suspense.The story unfolds in one continuous chapter, told in the first person by the cranky, 65-year-old housekeeper, Dolores, who is explaining to police officers and a stenographer how and why she killed her husband, Joe, 30 years ago. At the same time, in her rambling monologue, she insists that she did not kill her longtime employer, Vera Donovan--notwithstanding what the residents of Little Tall Island may be whispering. Joe was a drinker, and, as Dolores gradually argues, he deserved to die for the horrifying crimes he committed against his family. But Vera, despite her cantankerous disposition as a lady governing her decaying estate with her precise rules about even the most mundane household chore ("Six pins! Remember to use six pins! Don't you let the wind blow my good sheets down to the corner of the yard!"), was a good woman--or at least not an evil one. She was the woman who hired the young Dolores and kept her on even after Dolores got pregnant again. Dolores cleaned and cared for her even as the old matron faded into senility. Dolores Claiborne is a rich novel that recalls the regionalist writing of the turn of the century. It is a fine place for a skeptical newcomer--put off by King's reputation for outright terror--to start. And for fans, it is a book that offers new insights into an author who's an old favorite. --Patrick O'Kelley (retrieved from Amazon Mon, 06 Sep 2010 20:04:44 -0400) Forced by overwhelming evidence to confess her life of crime, Dolores Claiborne, a foul-tempered New Englander, describes how her disintegrating marriage years before caused her heart to turn murderous. |
 Google Books — Loading...
Popular coversRatingAverage: (3.61)
 Audible.comAn edition of this book was published by Audible.com.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2
Wikipedia in English (1)
3