So this is most definitely NOT my favourite King book.

In fact, it was quite painful to read at times. The pace was so slow that it took me ages to get through.

Some parts were really interesting, but on the whole, this book was a huge drag to read.

It’s painful for me to give a King book such a low rating because I love his writing so much. However, this is some of his worst work in my opinion.

I think it could have done well as a short story. The ideas were there, but as a novel, it just didn’t have enough substance to keep me engaged.

Maybe if it had been shorter and more concise, it would have been a better read. But as it stands, I can’t recommend this book to other King fans.

It’s a real disappointment and I hope that his future work will be more in line with the high standards that I have come to expect from him.

Damn, I've been in such a slump because of this book.

Anyway, I'm back! Finally!

This was the very first book that managed to completely turn me off Stephen King.

The main reason for this was that it was approximately twice as long as it actually needed to be. It seemed as if the author had just filled the pages with excessive details and unnecessary fluff.

Moreover, it felt like "more of the same" - the same kind of storylines, the same writing style, and the same lack of innovation.

Overall, it was a long and tiresome read that I consider a complete waste of time. I had expected so much more from a renowned author like Stephen King, but this book really disappointed me and made me lose interest in his works for a while.

I hope that in the future, he will come up with something more original and engaging that doesn't feel like a never-ending slog.

I've always had a soft spot for "The Tommyknockers," even though it's not a perfect book. Maybe I'm not the most objective person to talk about it, but I'll do my best to share what I love about it and why I still don't think it deserves a full five stars.

There might be some "spoilers" ahead, so if you're sensitive, you might want to cover your eyes or skip to the end.

The book starts off really strong with the introduction of Gard and Bobbi, two interesting characters. When Bobbi discovers something that initially intrigues her and later affects her deeply, she starts digging it up and strange things begin to happen. Gard doesn't find out about this until later in the story, and when he does, the perspective changes, leaving us guessing about what's going on with the two characters. This is really engaging at first, but unfortunately, the "interlude" gets too long and the story loses some of its momentum.

Thankfully, the book then enters a brilliant phase, blending classic and new sci-fi and horror elements. The story accelerates from the initial fascination with the changes in people to the full-blown horror that's about to be revealed. There are also a ton of references and connections to other King books, which I love.

The ending is okay, but it's a bit too long and could have been tightened up. Overall, "The Tommyknockers" is a great book, but it does have a few slow passages.

Set in Maine, like the majority of King's books, this particular tale is centered around something诡异 hidden within the forest. The Tommyknockers, as the folks in the small town refer to it.

Bobbie and her friend Jim stumble upon an alien spaceship in the forest, and then strange things begin to occur in the town.

This book rates more around 2.5 - 2.7 stars. It's not awful; King rarely is. However, it wasn't great either. The ebook consisted of approximately 1300 pages, and I can't claim that I was eagerly racing through it out of pure enjoyment. Instead, it was more of a task to get it completed.

The story was just okay and didn't possess as much excitement as some of his other works. There were moments that held my interest, but overall, it didn't quite reach the level of his more renowned novels.

Perhaps it was the length that made it a bit of a slog at times. Or maybe the concept, while interesting, wasn't executed in the most engaging way. Nevertheless, it's still a King book, and there are elements within it that are characteristic of his unique style.

Despite its flaws, it's not a total loss, and for die-hard King fans, it might still hold some appeal.

The discovery of a semi-buried metal object in Haven town brings about a profound and irreversible change in the lives of its inhabitants. Bobbi Anderson, in her unwavering determination to free the object, finds herself not only physically altered but also, at first quietly, mentally. She is not alone in this transformation, and the entire town could soon fall under the almost magical influence of this mysterious object that defies identification and eludes any attempt to trace its roots.

My copy of this book is nearly 1,000 pages long. Although I thoroughly enjoyed my time with it, I couldn't help but feel that the story could have been told in a more concise manner. This seems to be a recurring theme in King's writing. A significant portion of what he includes could be removed from the novel without sacrificing the reader's understanding. However, even if he were to ramble on about nothing, his effortless writing style would still make it enjoyable for me.

In this story, much of the focus is on the consequences of whatever is happening in the town. The subtle changes in character and physicality make it a puzzling and engaging read, although at times they are so minute that they don't initially seem eerie or sinister. The addition of creepy dolls, talking Jesus paintings, and a host of other Kingesque creations, however, gives it a horrifying edge.

Overall, it remains a much quieter novel than I expected, but I still enjoyed it. The ongoing social commentary, which is relevant to the post-Cold War era in which it is set, and the strangeness that pervades all the events, kept me turning the pages, just like my love for King's writing.

Our dear King will never cease to surprise us.

Just by thinking for a few minutes about the overflowing imagination he has makes you just want to choose another one of his wonderful books to keep enjoying his stories.

This time we will encounter the Tommyknockers, beings from another world. Everything starts in Haven, when our protagonist Bobby, among many others, goes out for a walk with her dog and stumbles upon something. When she goes to look what she has fallen over, she discovers "something" of a grayish tone and starts to dig to unearth it, but... it doesn't come out and she digs, and digs and digs... until it starts to become a necessity.

On the other hand, we have Gard, Bobby's friend and lover, who will witness her decline and her "improvement" not only in her but in all the inhabitants of Haven.

Little by little, as the spaceship is uncovered, the Tommyknockers will take over the minds of Haven and they will start to experience new sensations and ideas, a new practical intelligence that will make them more skillful.

The town will become isolated until it becomes one, leaving them practically cut off from communication.

Poor those who try to approach Haven...

In general, I liked it. King endows us with good rough scenes and others quite disturbing, but I found the reading very dense. There are many scenes and chapters that are completely dispensable and add nothing to the story itself. We know that King likes to describe down to the life and work of the stones, but with a novel of more than 800 pages in hand, maybe it wasn't so necessary

Accidentally, THE TOMMYKNOCKERS happened to be the second in a row Stephen King's book about aliens. The first one was Dreamcatcher which I loved.

The books have a lot in common: crushed UFOs, a telepathic ability that spreads after the crush, and the desire of aliens to conquer the Earth. The difference lies in the point of view. While 'Dreamcatcher' is told from the perspective of those who oppose the invasion, the main characters of THE TOMMYKNOCKERS are on the side of the intruders, willingly or unwillingly.

Roberta \\"Bobbi\\" Anderson resembles King: she's a writer of Westerns who lives in Haven near Derry (again!), Maine, and stumbles upon a mysterious object hidden in the ground on her property. Her discovery is a pure accident - as well as the presence of the four friends, able to communicate telepathically, near a crushing site in 'Dreamcatcher.' As Roberta is digging out the spacecraft, people in Haven start to change, for better or worse. The only one unaffected by the poisonous gas emitted by the object is James Eric \\"Gard\\" Gardener, Bobbi's friend with benefits and helper in excavation works.

The story's first 100 pages or so are told from the POVs of Bobbi and Gard. For me, King's meticulousness in discussing these two characters' backgrounds and behavior prior to their meeting was excessive. Why did we have to know Gard's stance on atomic energy? Or Bobbi's relationship with her sister? (the author will explore that topic in greater detail later) After I got bored, tens of Haven's citizens entered the scene, many to be quickly killed. The perspective changed with every chapter until the end of the book, with timelines overlapping and side characters appearing and reappearing in a random order. Sometimes it was a struggle to remember who this or that character was.

I devoured the last 200 pages in one sitting because I was so eager to uncover the story's ending. All in all, due to the constant shifts in perspectives, THE TOMMYKNOCKERS earns three stars from me. 'Dreamcatcher' remains at the top.

My review of 'Dreamcatcher':
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

2020 -

I reread this with the "Chronological King" reads in the Stephen King Group here on Good Reads.

I reread my review and feel exactly the same way with two addendums.

1.) I hate to imagine what the Havenites would have gotten up to with Amazon Prime. I mean think of the (basically) unlimited battery supply!

2.) If King had left out the descriptions of the Havenites' physical becoming, this really would have been a five-star read for me. Unfairly, if I read those same descriptions in a 1950's novel, they wouldn't have bothered me. What does that say about me?

2019 -

I have always liked this book, but seem to be in the minority. People say that it’s flabby, over-indulgent, the product of too much alcohol, too much coke, and too little editing. All of that may be true, but this was the third-best-selling book of the 1980s. It’s as if King was locked in his study snorting cocaine, drinking, and automatic typing himself into a hallucinatory state. Funny enough, Bobbi Anderson does almost the same thing in the book. There is quite a bit more “magic” and a lot less substance abuse involved, but hey, we all have our addictions.

King finished the first draft of The Tommyknockers in 1983, while writing The Talisman and Eye of the Dragon. When he was finished, King didn’t write for a year. 1988 would be the first year, since the beginning of his career, without a Stephen King book. Sadly, this was the year I graduated high school and I really missed my “King fix.” Remember, we all have our addictions.

Bobbi Anderson, the main character (among a HUMONGOUS supporting cast), is a popular Western novelist living in Maine. Walking in the woods she stubs her toe on a piece of metal protruding from the ground. Curious, she begins to dig it up. The more she digs the more influence the thing has on her and the surrounding population. James Gardener, an alcoholic poet who has hit rock bottom, seeks refuge with Bobbi, his only friend. A metal plate in his head protects him from the effects of the slowly unearthed piece of metal. Effects that are turning Haven into a genius hive-mind able to create crazy machinery, improve what they already have and communicate telepathically. This may sound good, but believe me, it’s not. As a side note, we seem to find a collective or hive intelligence very frightening. Not only does King use this idea in more than one of his stories, but many other writers do as well.

This is absolutely a horror story containing nightmare imagery like Bobbi’s alien vagina eating her sister, and the lunatic machines the possessed townspeople create, a fever dream Sears catalogue of flying coke machines, laundry racks that spray fire, pickup truck-mounted death rays, dog-powered healing machines, and Bobbi’s writing machine that produces her books while she’s asleep, almost like King’s drug-fueled binge writing. This is actually the third time King has written about a magical writing machine (“Ballad of the Flexible Bullet,” “Word Processor of the Gods”). Like almost all of King’s stories, this is not only a horror story.

Tommyknockers is also about addiction, but not just King’s addiction. His tortured brain gives us an entire town locked in the sweaty, rhythms of addiction. Bobbi lapses into blackouts during which she’s incredibly productive, just like King, but that are burning her out, like a junkie. Just like King. Bobbi lies to Gardener, as addicts do. She lies about what’s happening to her body and about the Tommyknocker that possesses her. “It won’t do anything to me I don’t want it to,” she says, just like every addict. King must have lied and justified no end when he was at the height of his addiction. Write what you know after all.

It’s a scary account of his own addiction, a book about the curse of his own prolific output, about national addictions, about cancer, about the future, about our hunger for cheap energy, about our hunger for productivity, about our hunger to belong, about our hunger for transcendence, and a book about our hunger for hunger. It delves deep into the human psyche, exploring our darkest fears and desires, while also providing a thrilling and engaging story that keeps readers on the edge of their seats. King's masterful writing and vivid imagination bring this world to life, making it a must-read for any fan of horror or literature in general.

Story 4/5
Narration 5/5

The Tommyknockers is indeed a well-written piece, yet it fails to make it into my list of favorite Stephen King stories.

One of the main drawbacks is its excessive length. At times, the abundance of details can have a counterproductive effect, overshadowing the very essence that the details are meant to enhance. Additionally, I found myself not particularly fond of the main character. In my view, he seemed rather useless throughout most of the story and then, quite conveniently, "woke up" right at the end.

Nevertheless, I am still glad that I took the time to read it. After all, Stephen King remains one of my favorite authors. His unique storytelling ability and vivid imagination are evident even in this work that didn't quite resonate with me as strongly as some of his others.

Late last night and the night before, Tommyknockers, Tommyknockers, knocking at the door. I want to go out, don't know if I can, 'cause I'm so afraid of the Tommyknocker man. So that’s a little creepy. Ever heard that childhood poem? I had not. Nor have I read much of H.P. Lovecraft, the horror author who influenced King’s writing of The Tommyknockers. King has said that his idea for the novel was based from “The Colour Out of Space”, a short story by Lovecraft. Tommyknockers is not the only novel written by King, or many an author for that matter, that owe a debt to the man from the past.

Strange things happen (a very Stephen King statement if there ever was one) after Bobbi Thompson starts digging up her backyard. After tripping over, then touching a piece of metal, buried in the ground back there, she becomes consumed with unearthing the thing that seems to have no end. Whatever it is, it’s big, and really King doesn’t try to hide what it might be. He pretty much tells the reader right off. What he does hide is just why and how it has taken control of people’s lives. Oh yeah, and most importantly, what’s the end game. This is interesting, sometimes fun and a little wacky. Once again, things happen that personally I could not have thought up (that’s why I read folks). People do some of the craziest things here. At this point, I was reminded of books like The Invasion of the Body Snatchers and The Puppet Masters. But King’s take on the theme is unique, never a copy.

Like many of his books, subtly or not, King touches on the certain things affecting our world, whether it is war, or guns, or whatever. Here in The Tommyknockers, it is Nuclear Power. Is it good? Is it bad? The Chernobyl crisis had just occurred in Russia. Add to that the partial nuclear meltdown at Three Mile Island in 1979. It was on his mind, and shaped the story. Is that why the color green is used here? I don’t know, but green is everywhere.

The lowdown: Quite a number of fans have said that The Tommyknockers is among their least favorite King novels. Me, I liked it. It not his best and King uses up a lot of pages before the story gets to really rockin’. I found the final 150 pages to be an absolute thrill ride. From the point that Gard walks into the Tommyknocker shed to the last page was simply outstanding, and I experienced so many feelings for this character nicknamed Gard.

One of last thing. King has not-so-subtly hidden a load of “easter eggs” throughout the story. I can’t recall another book of King’s that has cross-referenced so many of his other works, and personal likes. Oh, and a buddy-read increases the fun of the egg hunt, as well as the terror of the dig. QED folks.

Shout out and a thanks to my buddies in the Eclectic Club!

Late last night and the night before, tommyknockers, tommyknockers knocking on my door. I wanna go out, don't know if I can 'cuz I'm so afraid of the tommyknocker man.

Well said Mr King! This quote really freaks me out! When I was a little child, I mumbled this quote at several times till my mother throws her slippers at me and screams at me to shut the hell up!

I chose one of my favorite and also the most underrated and unliked works of the king of the authors for this flashback Saturday reading!

The first time I read it, I was eleven. Interestingly, the main broken writer characters who have a special love-hate relationship, Bobbie Anderson’s obsession with the metal object she has found and the deterioration of her mental health as her longtime lover/friend/enemy Jim tries to save her as he is struggling with his own vices captivated me. My kid mind interpreted it as a real sad love story meets close encounters of the third kind.

As usual, there are nearly one hundred supporting characters and their perfectly crafted, detailed back stories are involved in this book like any other King stories. That’s why the book was thicker than Dostoevsky books. But interestingly, my 11 years old mind didn’t care because my mind was clearer at those days and I could catalog each character’s name and back stories easily without turning back to remember it.

When I read it again, I caught his past books’ references including Dead zone, Shining (at one chapter Jack Nicholson’s famous quote “Here’s Johnny! “ is also mentioned) IT by mentioning the town Derry. And I realized that we can catch the reflections of Mr. King’s delicate mental state and struggles via his Jim Gardner character. At the time SK wrote the novel, he was also suffering from drug addiction so he found the best realistic way to tell Jim’s inner fight with demons by his own experiences.

Most people might have disliked this book because of its dramatic ending. Maybe after investing in a book as long as encyclopedias, the readers wanted to see more light, less dark conclusion. But I think the eerie and foreboding sensation the author gave us at the beginning truly gave us how the story would conclude and to be honest that was the best ending choice.

I still insist this book is one of his greatest works and it deserves to be reread and it deserves to get another more objective chance from its readers!