- Hardcover: 562 pages
- Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton (24 Oct 2006)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0340898933
- ISBN-13: 978-0340898932
- Product Dimensions: 23.6 x 15.6 x 5.2 cm
- Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (105 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 292,904 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
Lisey's Story
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Product Description
Review
'A wondrous novel of marriage, a love story steeped in strength and tenderness, and cast with the most vivid, touching and believable characters in recent literature . . . A dazzling novel that you'll thank yourself for reading long after the final page is turned.' (Nicholas Sparks, author of THE NOTEBOOK )
'Accomplished . . . unputdownable . . . his mesmerising best' (Observer on BAG OF BONES )
'An incredibly gifted storyteller' (Guardian )
'Accomplished . . . unputdownable . . . his mesmerising best' (Observer on BAG OF BONES )
'An incredibly gifted storyteller' (Guardian )
Review
'A wondrous novel of marriage, a love story steeped in strength and tenderness, and cast with the most vivid, touching and believable characters in recent literature ... A dazzling novel that you'll thank yourself for reading long after the final page is turned.' -- Nicholas Sparks, author of THE NOTEBOOK 'Accomplished ... unputdownable ... his mesmerising best' -- Observer on BAG OF BONES 'An incredibly gifted storyteller' -- Guardian
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Unlike many of the reviewers here, I finished the book, purely because I hate to leave something I've started. However, I can fully appreciate why so many failed to finish it.
It's DULL! Really, really, mind-numbingly, ponderously dull! I was reading it at work when I had some downtime and a colleague asked me many times how I was getting on with the book. I had to honestly reply that I didn't know as the narrative is so convoluted, with constant flashbacks and side-steps that I was left in a state of cognitive flux. I found it difficult to see what King was getting at (I knew nothing of the storyline when I started) and when the penny dropped, I found it hard to care.
The characters are mostly dislikeable and those who aren't are uninteresting. It reminded me in many ways of Rose Madder, which up till Lisey's Story was the King book I had had the most trouble liking. At least King had the excuse of being blitzed out of his mind while he was writing Rose Madder. There's no such excuse here. It seems to be a vanity project, existing solely for King to show just how literary he really is. There was really no need for him to do this. I know he's a good writer; God, I've read enough of his work.
This won't dissuade me from reading further King novels, but I'd advise others to think carefully before embarking on an exercise which is essentially sound and fury signifying nothing.
It's DULL! Really, really, mind-numbingly, ponderously dull! I was reading it at work when I had some downtime and a colleague asked me many times how I was getting on with the book. I had to honestly reply that I didn't know as the narrative is so convoluted, with constant flashbacks and side-steps that I was left in a state of cognitive flux. I found it difficult to see what King was getting at (I knew nothing of the storyline when I started) and when the penny dropped, I found it hard to care.
The characters are mostly dislikeable and those who aren't are uninteresting. It reminded me in many ways of Rose Madder, which up till Lisey's Story was the King book I had had the most trouble liking. At least King had the excuse of being blitzed out of his mind while he was writing Rose Madder. There's no such excuse here. It seems to be a vanity project, existing solely for King to show just how literary he really is. There was really no need for him to do this. I know he's a good writer; God, I've read enough of his work.
This won't dissuade me from reading further King novels, but I'd advise others to think carefully before embarking on an exercise which is essentially sound and fury signifying nothing.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
SK is a fantastic writer!
Sadly I found this book to be really sllllooooowwww, to the point I gave up reading it.
I used to think I should read every book I begin, but after seeing quite a few bad books to the tedious end, I gave up thinking I'd like to spend the time reading a decent story.
SK is brilliant, sadly this book (from what I read of it) isn't...
Sadly I found this book to be really sllllooooowwww, to the point I gave up reading it.
I used to think I should read every book I begin, but after seeing quite a few bad books to the tedious end, I gave up thinking I'd like to spend the time reading a decent story.
SK is brilliant, sadly this book (from what I read of it) isn't...
18 of 21 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
At first I had reservations about Lisey's story. Those others of King's books told from a female perspective (Gerald's Game, Dolores Claiborne, Rose Madder) are amongst my least favourite of his novels. Thus, I was prepared to be disappointed - and, initially, I was.
The story is told as two narrative threads - firstly, in the present day, secondly as a series of memories from the heroine of the story - Lisey Landon, wife of the deceased author Scott Landon. Scott Landon who had troubles of his own - many of which seem to mirror King in real life.
Ultimately, however, one starts to care about the characters, and age and near-death has certainly not dulled King's ability to describe the minutiae of life in such absorbing detail. By the end of the story, the characters - and the portrayal of the twenty-five year marriage - between Scott and Lisey seemed real, and the feelings - although not the events - described could mirror any long marriage.
There are also enough references to others of Kings works to keep the hardened fan happy. Deputies Ridgewick and Clutterbuck from Needful Things make appearances, the Territories are never far away, and there's also mention of a little place called Shooters Knob, Tennessee.
If there is a downside - and why I haven't given five stars for this review - it is because there is nothing entirely new here. There are shades of Rose Madder, The Talisman and at least one of the stories in Four Past Midnight... but King, at his literary best, is still the best around. Despite his so-called retirement after his near-fatal accident, King seems as prolific as ever and, with other books apparently in the pipeline, I hope that they are as enjoyable as this.
The story is told as two narrative threads - firstly, in the present day, secondly as a series of memories from the heroine of the story - Lisey Landon, wife of the deceased author Scott Landon. Scott Landon who had troubles of his own - many of which seem to mirror King in real life.
Ultimately, however, one starts to care about the characters, and age and near-death has certainly not dulled King's ability to describe the minutiae of life in such absorbing detail. By the end of the story, the characters - and the portrayal of the twenty-five year marriage - between Scott and Lisey seemed real, and the feelings - although not the events - described could mirror any long marriage.
There are also enough references to others of Kings works to keep the hardened fan happy. Deputies Ridgewick and Clutterbuck from Needful Things make appearances, the Territories are never far away, and there's also mention of a little place called Shooters Knob, Tennessee.
If there is a downside - and why I haven't given five stars for this review - it is because there is nothing entirely new here. There are shades of Rose Madder, The Talisman and at least one of the stories in Four Past Midnight... but King, at his literary best, is still the best around. Despite his so-called retirement after his near-fatal accident, King seems as prolific as ever and, with other books apparently in the pipeline, I hope that they are as enjoyable as this.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Glad I'm not the only one!
Everyone raves about Stephen King and the few that I've read I loved but I have to say this one was a chore! I couldn't wait to finish it.
Published 10 days ago by terry
Poetic horror
I'm really surprised this book has just three stars on Amazon. I think it's one of King's best. Lisey's Story for me was a poignant novel about love and obsession with fantasy... Read more
Published 20 days ago by Jack Heslop
Beautiful novel if you can get over the 'cringe factor '.
This novel is definatly a must for die hard King fans like myself. It is not a novel for us though. King wrote it for him and his wife also a novelist,Tabitha. Read more
Published 2 months ago by FluffyBONNET
Bool! A New Favourite!
As a relatively late addition to the legions of Stephen King fans, I probably don't suffer the same disappointment as many reviewers here, who found Lisey's Story a mixed-bag, or... Read more
Published 13 months ago by Sophie Houghton
Stephen King - Lisey's Story
This is a story about the 25 year long marriage between Scott and Lisey Landon. And more primarily, how Lisey is dealing with the death of her husband. Read more
Published 14 months ago by molko
depends whatyou are expecting
In my opinion there are two types of stephen king story - his general horror, which are very good, and books like this which in my opinon are very well written, quite subtle and... Read more
Published 17 months ago by J. A. Boler
Stepehn King Fan rates this as a slow slow burner...
Well, I can no longer say I love Stephen King, Lisey's Story is dull, written from a female perspective it is slow and melodramatic - I thought that the secret language they (Scott... Read more
Published 21 months ago by Kernow Girly
I guess even Stephen King can slip up sometimes.
I've always thought the comparisons of Stephen King's works to those by Charles Dickens to be no more than marketing hyperbole. Read more
Published 21 months ago by Gizmo
Classic King (love it or slate it)
Contains all the ingredients you expect to find, a bit of a writer from Maine (ok in this case a dead one), a pound of imaginary worlds linked to ours, a pinch of unpleasant death... Read more
Published 23 months ago by Mr. J. P. Shields
Not his best.
Well I finished my copy of this last night. I'd been reading it off and on for several weeks, hoping that it would get better and start to engage me. This is self indulgent King. Read more
Published 23 months ago by Super Drumkit Dominator
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