Yikes! U.S. 50 is far more than just \\"the loneliest highway in America\\" when one finds oneself in DESPERATION!

It all starts with a huge 6' 7\\" police officer from hell and a terrifying trip into town for one unsuspecting traveler after another. And once you do reach the town, well, the deadly creepy events begin.

This hefty novel is filled with truly repulsive creepy crawlers, horrific and gruesome deaths, and enough blood and gore to fill a movie theater. But when eleven-year-old David Carver enters the scene, (and steals the show) you'll also hear about friend Brian's miracle, a promise made to GOD, and the power of prayer.

I confess, this is one of those horror reads that made me want to shout at the characters (more than once) to flee the place while they still could. But, of course, they don't. They prolong the reader's agony by waiting out a blustery sandstorm in the dark, sharing scary stories of the supernatural (while fretting about the \\"thing\\" outside) and then still entering the evil pit of hell! Tak!

Update: August 16, 2018 - The movie version is extremely creepy as well! It closely adheres to the novel, with the GIANT sheriff setting up and terrorizing unsuspecting travelers and leading them to the desolate town of DESPERATION where dead bodies are strewn about the streets. There's blood and gore just like in the book.....and ewwww the evil presence!

3.5

Better than Regulators but not as good as it could have been. The beginning was truly stellar. I absolutely loved the fast pace and was so deeply invested and intrigued. It was captivating from the start.

However, around 60% of the way through, it started to drag for me. This was around the time when everyone came together in the theater. I don't believe it's an issue with the writing itself. Instead, I'm realizing that it's a personal trope that I just don't like in horror.

I'm not a fan of ancient demons such as those in The Relic or Baal. The story just gets too religious for my taste. It kind of takes away from the overall enjoyment for me.

Despite this, there were still some good aspects to the movie. The special effects were decent, and the acting was okay. But overall, it didn't quite live up to my expectations.

Μονο και μονο για εκεινο το πρωτο 1/3 που υποσχεθηκε πολλα, αλλα δεν τα διεκδίκησε.

Ποσο απογοητευτικο οταν ενα βιβλιο ξεκινα πολλα υποσχομενο και πολυυυυ δυνατα και τελικα καταληγεις να κοιτας ποσες σελιδες μενουν ως το τελος. Είναι σαν να αρχίζεις μια συναρμολόγηση με μεγάλες προσδοκίες και μετά καταλήγεις να παρακολουθεις ένα κουκέντο.

Εεεεεεμμμμ τι γινεται; εχω φρικαρει !!! Δεν μπορω να καταλάβω γιατί το βιβλίο δεν συνεχίζει όπως υποσχέθηκε στο πρώτο τρίτο του. Είναι σαν να έχουμε μια αρχή που είναι πολύ ενδιαφέρουσα και μετά όλα γίνονται άχρηστα.

Για να δουμε, τι λεει και αυτος ο... δρομος... Ίσως να υπάρχει κάποια λογική πίσω από αυτό το φαινόμενο, αλλά για το λόγο αυτό πρέπει να συνεχίσουμε να διαβάζουμε για να βρούμε την απάντηση.

  
    “Dolls with no little girls around to mind them were sort of creepy under any conditions.”
  

  Tak

As a die-hard King fan, I was eagerly anticipating delving into his warped mind once more. Believe it or not, this was my first King book of the year, and from page one, it felt like I was back in my comfort zone. The entire setting of this book is perfect for creating an extremely creepy atmosphere, from the ghost town in the middle of the desert to the long stretches of highway that give an unsettling feeling that something terrible is about to occur.

  
    “You said 'God is cruel' the way a person who's lived his whole life on Tahiti might say 'Snow is cold'. You
    knew
    , but you didn't understand.” He stepped close to David and put his palms on the boy's cold cheeks. “Do you know how cruel your God can be, David. How fantastically cruel?”
  

The plot centers around an isolated town called Desperation in Nevada. It appears deserted, and the only inhabitant is the sheriff who patrols Highway 50. Unfortunately, a group of outsiders will cross paths with the devil himself. Somehow, they are pulled over for a technicality with the law and are brought to Desperation, and all hell breaks loose.

My experience reading this book was rather polarizing. Before starting, I had read that the book was too religious or “preachy,” but I wasn't deterred. After all, The Stand also drew inspiration from the Bible and explored the Good vs Evil trope in a smart way, with the characters not feeling like biblical prophets. However, in this book, it felt like I was being talked down to. The plot was steady, and the suspense was incredible, as expected from King, but in the second half, the religious ideologies overtook the storyline.

  
    “In these silences, something may rise”
  

The characters had a similar effect as the plot. At the beginning, each individual had a strong presence, but they gradually diminished. The whole idea of free will in relation to religion was touched upon, but once the characters started losing their personal beliefs and making really dumb decisions, my enjoyment level started to decline.

Apart from all that, the book is really fast-paced, and I devoured the 700 pages in a week. The gore factor was also top-notch. Exploring addiction and alcoholism was well done as the subject hits close to home for Stephen King. I would still recommend it for the sharp writing and atmosphere, but it's not my favorite King book. I have read better. Still, you should check it out if the premise sounds interesting or if you're a King addict.

I would definitely check out The Regulators to see how the narratives pair together.

Have you read it? What are your thoughts on it?

___________________________________________________


Really conflicted about this. I need to get some thoughts in order.

Desperation is an extremely thought-provoking novel, and this is especially true when it is paired with its companion volume, the shorter The Regulators.

The Regulators was the penultimate novel to be published under the renowned Richard Bachman pseudonym. On the other hand, Desperation was released under King's own name. By that time, it was no longer a secret that Richard Bachman and Stephen King were the same person, perhaps two sides of the same coin, just like the two novels themselves.

Both novels feature numerous of the same characters, settings, and themes. They are also elegant illustrations of the many worlds/alternate realities concepts found in works such as The Dark Tower books and Hearts in Atlantis. I believe that Desperation has a stronger horror slant, while The Regulators leans more towards being a suspenseful thriller. However, many other readers hold the opposite view.

There have also been some interesting debates regarding which of the two books (which were published on the same date) should be read first. I suggest going alphabetically. But should it be by title or author? They are both quite different from (and yet eerily similar to) King's more famous classic early horrors or his later dark fantasy epics. Nevertheless, he does an excellent job of maintaining internal consistency between the two and incorporating elements and themes from many other works. Trying to spot the references adds an extra layer of doubled fun. In fact, the first editions even share a cover when viewed in the right way.

For me, reading something by King is always like a prize that I save for super special occasions. That's why I read him very occasionally. To that is added the fact that I have already read several of his books, and I don't always feel like reading the themes addressed in those that I have pending in his work. But when the opportunity finally arises to come across one of his books, I feel as if I am returning to an old love, and I swear to read it again soon to prolong that feeling of being in love that his books provoke in me. I already know that all this sounds too much like Annie Wilkes (because maybe I'm a bit like Annie Wilkes), but it's like this: reading him will always be a pleasure.

And "Desperation" was an enormous prize, a much dreamed-of reunion with an old-school King who creates cosmic and terrifying villains.

If you like to know my opinion about the book in more depth, here I leave you my video review: https://youtu.be/rEDdURKHOvA

3.5 stars.

In the beginning, I was really enjoying this. However, as it went on, I ended up getting bored. I have the feeling that King has a tendency to focus on things that perhaps he doesn't truly need to.

I did like that this was weird, and in fact, I really liked this group of characters. It had a feel similar to a slasher movie, where sometimes there will be an unlikely group of people that you end up loving.

I do wish we could have learned more about Tak because I thought that was really cool. This book delves into religion quite a bit, and I actually kind of like it when Stephen King does that in his novels.

ALSO... this book mentions Tommyknockers!! Oh my God, I can't wait to read that!

Overall, while there were parts that I really liked, the pacing and some of the focuses did cause me to lose a bit of interest towards the end. But still, there were enough elements that kept me engaged and looking forward to seeing what else King has in store with this story and his other works.

There were an abundance of fascinating social issues intertwined with the paranormal and religion in this work. Stephen King is widely known for his complex and often love/hate relationship with God and religion, which was evident here as well.

I was particularly intrigued by the way he presented the "power of prayer" as a truly potent force. The overall concept of an old mining town and its people added an interesting backdrop.

Generally speaking, the characters were well-developed. However, it was a bit disappointing that only one aspect of the villain was made truly vivid and clear. Entragian, on the other hand, was a strong character. He was brilliantly awful. The repetition of being stuck on a few words of a language became a bit tiresome. I was also slightly confused by the muddled portrayal of the Vietnamese and Chinese cultures, which could have been more distinct.

All in all, it was worth reading and held my interest. While it may not be the strongest of King's novels for me, I'm definitely glad to have finally read it.

Some quotes that really stood out to me were: “Oh shit, the mummy's after us, let's all walk a little faster.”

“Life is more than just steering a course around pain.”

“The trouble with sobriety, Johnny had found, was that you remembered all the things you had to be scared of.”

I would rate this book 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.

Gory, old school King.

It's always a great setup - strangers thrown together by "chance" must survive or fall as a group. And in King's hands, it is of course wholly frightening, bizarre, and horrifying. The way he weaves the story, creating an atmosphere of palpable dread, is truly masterful.

Unlike King's other books which feature ultimate showdowns between Good and Evil, this one puts an actual name on Good and runs with it. I'm not enough of a King scholar to know why he chose to include God here, when that is not usually a feature of his story telling. But of course, because it's King, it's no kindly fellow you get. His portrayal of the divine is complex and perhaps a bit unexpected, adding another layer of depth to the already intense narrative.

Next month I'll be reading the novel written as the twin to Desperation: The Regulators by Richard Bachman. It will be interesting to see how they compare. Will they have similar themes, characters, or plotlines? Or will they be completely different, yet still share some underlying connection? I can't wait to find out.

"In these silences something may rise."

What an amazing book! What a thrilling ride! Tak!

This is a captivating story set in the small mining town of Desperation. Collie Entragian, a colossal madman, regulates the traffic on the nearby Route 50. If you're unlucky enough to be caught with a missing license plate number or a flat tire, tough luck. Collie brings passers-by into Desperation, where the real nightmare commences.

I adored this book from start to finish. I was completely hooked from the very first page. It's an apocalyptic drama that delves into the themes of God and evil, madness and revelation. There is a continuous sense of tension that King maintains over you without mercy.

It's true horror, with a copious amount of gore, blood, and guts that is sufficient to last a lifetime. There are scary animals everywhere, from coyotes to scorpions to buzzards to recluse spiders, all vividly imagined and described. You couldn't ask for more!

Some people seem to have issues with the religious undertone of the book, but I, personally, relished this aspect. I felt that it was essential for the story to progress and make sense. It enabled the character David Carver to truly shine. A young boy burdened with the weight of everyone's survival on his shoulders.

The other characters were equally outstanding. Steve and Cynthia, Johnny, the rest of the Carver family, and Mary. King really developed each one with their own unique characterization, and this is precisely why he is the King.

One of my top King books. An addictive read with a relentless pace.

While I did thoroughly enjoy this story, it’s definitely not my favourite King. It’s good, but I didn’t think it was great nor nearly as good as The Regulators. The story was interesting and captivating, with a unique concept that really drew me in. However, what fell a tad bit short for me was the characters. I didn’t feel any connection to them, and as a result, I wasn’t rooting for them. This lack of emotional investment in the characters made the story a bit less engaging for me. Despite this, I still gave this story 4 stars rather than 3 because of the interesting concept. It had enough going for it to keep me interested throughout, but it just didn’t quite reach the level of my absolute favourites.

Stephen King is undoubtedly a great author, renowned for his incredible writing ability.

However, it is evident that even he requires the services of an editor. In this particular novel, it seems that no one took the trouble to edit it properly. The length of the text is simply excessive, going on and on without any real purpose.

One has to wonder if King's editors are too intimidated to perform their duties effectively. This appears to be the case in this extremely wordy and unnecessarily long work.

It falls far short of being his best work. In fact, it can only be rated a 2 out of 10 stars for this never-ending yarn that fails to engage the reader and keep their interest.

Perhaps King and his editors need to have a serious discussion about the importance of editing and ensuring that his works are presented in the best possible light.