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The Talisman by Stephen King
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The Talisman

by Stephen King

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3,56134588 (4.09)59
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I took a break from Stephen King for a while after finishing his brilliant Dark Tower heptalogy (yes, I had to look that word up). Having heard that The Talisman dealt with similar themes, I decided to give this King/Straub work a chance. It was quite interesting.

If you're new to these works, the theme centers on a plurality of worlds that some people can flip between. Traveling Jack, the hero of The Talisman is one such person.

There were moments that really shone, such as the depiction of ultimate evil as an evangelistic preacher and the sensation and subsequent rejection of being God.

As a stand alone book, it's a little weak—a bit of an overdone quest story. As someone in Dark Tower withdrawal, this novel brought me right back to the world of the gunslinger. ( )
StephenBarkley | May 17, 2009 |  
This is one of my favourite Stephen King books and is one that I have read often. It is a great read, dipping in and out of different worlds. King's ability to create likable characters is so pronounced here. You can't help but develop a strong affection for the main character - Jack Sawyer - and you root for him every step of the way of his dangerous quest. However my favourite character was Wolf...there is a poignancy to his and Jack's friendship! A must read for all! ( )
lostinabook3 | Apr 18, 2009 | 1 vote
The Talisman by Stephen King and Peter Straub was one of the most dazzling fantasy adenture story I've ever read.

The story is filled with the childish desire for adventure and at the same time dipped in a meaningful outlook on sacrifice, friendship, life, and death.

This is one book you shouldn't miss! ( )
postscriptum | Apr 17, 2009 |  
My favorite of King's books, in my top ten of favorite books.
The story is amazing, bringing in the quest and otherwordly aspects of so many previous great writers (I think there is a definate Tolkien feel to this) plus Mark Twain's influence is highly noted (Jack Sawyer and a purely American work).
King and Straub pair to tell a story that grabs you by the throat at the beginning, keeps you with it even when you aren't reading,a dn when it ends you cry with Jack and wish you knew this kid in life.
Sort of inspires you to want to hitch hike across country, heh, just stay away from guys with the name Sloat and sketchy homes for boys. ( )
hemlockclock | Mar 16, 2009 |  
One of my favorite Stephen King books ( )
furdog | Jan 24, 2009 |  
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Epigraph
Well, when Tom and me got to the edge of the hilltop, we looked away down into the village and could see three or four lights twinkling, where there was sick folks, may be; and stars over us was sparkling ever so fine; and down by the village was the river, a whole mile broad, and awful still and grand. -Mark Twain, Huckleberry Finn
My new clothes was all greased up and clayey, and I was dog-tired. -Mark Twain, Huckleberry Finn
Dedication
The book is for Ruth King, Elvena Straub
First words
On September 15th, 1981, a boy named Jack Sawyer stood where the water and land come together, hands in the pockets of his jeans, looking out at the steady Atlantic.
Quotations
Last words
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)
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Book description

Amazon.com Book Description (ISBN 0670691992, Hardcover)

The Talisman, MP3-CD Edition is for use only with audio devices that are compatable with MP3-encoded CDs.

On a brisk autumn day, a thirteen-year-old boy stands on the shores of the gray Atlantic, near a silent amusement park and a fading ocean resort called the Alhambra. The past has driven Jack Sawyer here: his father is gone, his mother is dying, and the world no longer makes sense. But for Jack everything is about to change. For he has been chosen to make a journey back across America--and into another realm.

One of the most influential and heralded works of fantasy ever written, The Talisman is an extraordinary novel of loyalty, awakening, terror, and mystery. Jack Sawyer, on a desperate quest to save his mother's life, must search for a prize across an epic landscape of innocents and monsters, of incredible dangers and even more incredible truths. The prize is essential, but the journey means even more. Let the quest begin...

(retrieved from Amazon Fri, 24 Apr 2009 07:58:01 -0400)

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