This seems to be one of Stephen King's less known and less liked novels.

However, I really liked it. It wasn't a 5-star, completely blown away kind of like, but a solid 4-star really liked.

I think my difference from the majority here is two-fold.

Firstly, I've noticed that many people expect the entire story to be excellent. If the ending disappoints, they feel the whole book is a waste of time. Well, the end did have its letdowns, but the story itself is filled with great elements. There were numerous scenes, characters, ideas, and descriptions that truly shone with the best of what King has to offer. I felt I got more than my money's worth.

Yes, it did fall apart a bit towards the end, and that did take away some of the shine. One way to think about it is like the TV series Lost. There were many great individual episodes, wonderful characters, and a fascinating and sometimes maddening mystery that kept building. But the ending made you go 'whuh?' Still, I never considered the time I spent watching those early episodes wasted. Of course, a great ending would have been even better.

Secondly, I read this at a time when I was deeply thinking about the mechanics and techniques of writing and storytelling. It was the first time I really remember being amazed not only by the story but also by the writing on a smaller and medium scale. I truly appreciated the magic that was being created and how it was done.

So, onto the book. In brief, it's similar to most other King books. He presents us with vividly realized real people, one of whom is usually a writer (as in this case), and one of whom (often the writer, as in this case) has some drug dependency (often alcohol, as in this case). And into the small town or rural community comes some very strange things (as in this case), which slowly unfold and develop (in this case, it is literally dug out of the ground over the course of the book).

The tale incorporates sci-fi rather than horror weirdness, and once again, King shows us through the eroding and changing relationships how a small community is subverted and transformed by the 'intruder/s' and how certain elements in that community (all richly presented with their own demons to battle before they can fight the demons/aliens/whatever) make their stand.

Recommended. Although it has been an alarmingly long time since I read it.

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\\n  \\"Late last night and the night before, Tommyknockers, Tommyknockers, knocking at the door.\\"\\n


In the quiet town of Haven, Maine, there lurks something truly strange within the woods. Bobbi Anderson, while out walking her dog, quite literally stumbles upon this mystery. A few weeks later, when Jim Gardener, a poet and a drunk, decides to visit Bobbi, his only true friend, he discovers a woman who has undergone a remarkable transformation. Obsessed and intense, she is now inventing things and making extraordinary events occur. She has even developed telepathic powers. However, the oddest and most foreboding of all is what she has unearthed buried deep beyond the end of her garden.


In my view, this is precisely the kind of story that Stephen King excels at telling, horror set in a small town. What I found most captivating about The Tommyknockers was its vast and intricate plot, filled with numerous gruesome images and a growing sense of anticipation regarding the meaning behind the mysterious object and the consequences that its discovery will bring.


The first half of this book is dedicated entirely to character development, while the second half is a non-stop action-packed thrill ride. Is it perhaps a bit overly written? Maybe, but I still thoroughly enjoyed it. It contains some extremely weird elements (I will never look at a Coke vending machine in the same way again), but that's precisely what I love about it. Small town residents going crazy, nastiness, extreme gore, and aliens! No one can devastate an entire town quite like Stephen King!


If you have a penchant for the strange and unusual, you are likely to enjoy this book. However, if you are a slow or impatient reader, I would not necessarily recommend this one.

I was approximately 12 years old when this book came out. At that time, my friend's mother was our personal expert consultant on all things related to Stephen King. Her opinion of this book was something along the lines of "meh." That's not the exact word she used, but it's pretty close. After that, I read some mediocre or even less flattering reviews in various magazines I was reading back then, like TIME, NEWSWEEK, and THE BERGEN RECORD. As a result, this book went on my permanent not-to-be-read-list. I even skipped the mini-series on TV because the so-called "almighty THEY" said that it basically sucked. Well, I was only 12 years old. Cut me some slack, Jack.

Surprisingly, I ended up liking it. Maybe it's because even the worst of 80's King is still quite good. Or perhaps it's because I read it in the context of what we knew about King at the time, including his BAC. A respected reviewer named Edward Lorn (Don't trust this guy; he's presumed to be dangerous) recently gave this book a 3-star rating and a really brilliant review. I admire his attempt to reconsider every King novel in the context of the Dark Tower. He convinced me. That tower seems to be everywhere. I won't go into details since he already did, but his review made me realize that I made a mistake when I passed this book up.

There were echoes of everything from 'Salem's Lot to Under the Dome in this book. Despite all of its imperfections, I'm glad I read it. It's better to read it now rather than when it was first released. That would have affected my rating back then, or would have if there had been something like Goodreads or the Internet. But I'm glad I finally got around to reading it.

If you're anywhere close to being a King completist, don't skip this one.

One thing is for sure.

I am never moving to a small town in Maine.

Strange things seem to happen there.

I picked up this particular story at Half Priced Books for just $1.

I've been working my way through King's older works, and it's been a fun ride.

Here's a word of advice: don't dig anything up in your backyard. Just leave it alone.

You never know what might be lurking beneath the surface.

King has a way of creating a sense of unease and mystery that keeps you on the edge of your seat.

His stories are filled with vivid descriptions and memorable characters.

As I read through this one, I couldn't help but imagine what it would be like to live in that small town.

The thought of strange occurrences and unknown secrets is both thrilling and a little bit terrifying.

But that's the beauty of King's writing. It makes you think and feel, and it keeps you coming back for more.

Yikes!

The writing in this book seems to be meandering, unrestrained, and uninteresting rambling. I truly liked the first 200 pages when it was centered around Bobbi and Gard in a small, focused, and constrained setting. That's exactly how it should have continued.

I have a great admiration for King's world-building abilities. However, it just doesn't work when a story starts off as a two-character, narrowly focused one and then suddenly explodes into a large ensemble out of nowhere. Why on earth are characters still being introduced in the third act? And what's with the chapters within chapters?

There is definitely a great novel hidden in here somewhere, but it requires some serious reworking. I was really hoping that this book would help me break out of a recent rough patch of reading, but unfortunately, it had the exact opposite effect. This is far from being a pallet cleanser. The bad taste it left in my mouth just lingers on and on.

The Tommyknockers is indeed an interesting work by Stephen King. He himself admits that it was the last book he wrote before getting his act together. He has reflected on it a lot lately and believes that beneath the false energy provided by cocaine, there lies a good book. The book is quite long, around 700 pages, and he thinks there might be a great 350-page novel hidden within. As much as I have a great affection for this book, King's self-assessment is rather accurate. It was just a touch on the long side, which is an unusual thing for me to say considering that some of his longest books, like The Stand and IT, are actually among my favorites. There's something about the length of The Tommyknockers that perhaps made it a bit of a challenge to fully engage with from start to finish.

Before delving into my second reading of The Tommyknockers, I was rather hesitant. In fact, I wasn't even certain if I truly desired to read it. Needful Things, Lisey's Story, or The Talisman would have been more appealing choices. These three novels had been constantly on my mind in recent times. The sole reason I elected to go with The Tommyknockers was that it emerged as the winner of the SK group read for September. I had never participated in a group read before and was eager to be a part of this one.

Having stated that, I am extremely glad that I did!

I completed the reading last night, and what can I express? For the most part, I adored every single word. Although, I do concede that it does drag a little here and there. However, that final scene with Hilly and David was like the perfect icing on the cake for me. It was such a tender and sweet moment.

Also, a significant number of readers don't have a particular fondness for Book II. But for me, it is my personal favorite. The history of the town is utterly fascinating. I relished the "now-let's-eavesdrop-on-our-fellow-neighbors" atmosphere it created, which strongly reminded me of Under the Dome. In all sincerity, I don't believe that the middle section is disjointed, clumsy, or otherwise disconnected from the rest of the novel. On the contrary, every aspect appears to be in direct (or indirect) relation to everything else.

Additionally, I have a penchant for intricate stories with a plethora of characters, and this novel is no exception. Especially Ruth McCausland and Hilly Brown. They are undoubtedly my two favorite characters. I really became engrossed in young Hilly as an individual, mainly because he and I share some similar traits. And he is outrageously hilarious. I actually laughed out loud at some of the predicaments he found himself in!

As King's epic work draws to a close, there are several scenes that stand out prominently, one of which I will not forget anytime soon. For example, the Shed People's various inventions or modifications. Then there's the classic Coke machine and the maniacal smoke detector, soaring through the woods like something straight out of Star Wars.

Finally, there's Gard's ascension, and most importantly, the dire circumstances surrounding it. I absolutely love how it is fueled by virtually everything and everyone around him. It is a truly powerful scene, in my opinion.

There are numerous other aspects of the novel that I could discuss at length, but I won't, for fear of spoiling the story for those who haven't read it yet.

Disclaimer: This review is overlong and a bit disjointed and possibly boring in places, just like the subject matter. Continue at your own discretion.

Keeping with my September/October obsession with the macabre, I decided to head for the bookstore and pick up a fresh copy of Stephen King’s “The Tommyknockers.” There is a new commercial interest in King as the theatrical version of “It” has now become the highest grossing horror film in cinema history. I loved reading “It,” but I'm also drawn to King's more obscure works. I remember reading “The Tommyknockers” not long after its release in 1987. Having read all of King’s output to that point, I was thrilled to get another thick slab of fright from a writer clearly on a roll. However, King was not at the top of his game. By his own admission, he was struggling with substance abuse, which became a central theme of the novel. King had attained celebrity status by then, and his lifestyle reflected those heady times. He described “The Tommyknockers” as an “awful” book, one he's ashamed of. Compared to the rest of the King canon, it does fall short in many areas, but we'll discuss those later. I have my own nostalgic reasons for coming back to this book at this particular juncture in my life, and I'll state up front that I enjoy the novel despite its flaws.

“Late last night and the night before, Tommyknockers, Tommyknockers, knocking at the door.”

“Tommyknockers” are supposed to be the ghosts of dead miners whose spirits still knock on the sides of the mine shafts, trying to gain attention to their plight. In some cases, they come out of the mines and knock on people’s doors to get them to come out and help. It's a scary folk definition that King adapts here.

In summary, pulp Western writer Bobbi Anderson stumbles over a piece of metal while cutting firewood on her rural Maine property. A quick exploration reveals it's not small or easy to remove, and she feels an odd “vibration” when she touches it. She leaves it and heads home to ponder. Meanwhile, her friend and occasional lover Jim Gardener is having a breakdown miles away due to falling off the wagon again. His drinking leads to a confrontation with a nuclear power company executive, and he ends up on a beach, despondent and suicidal. His only link to help is Bobbi, and he has a suspicion something is wrong with her. This prompts him to abandon his suicide plan and hitchhike to her home, where he finds things are very different.

Bobbi is acting strangely, emaciated, and has been making “improvements” around her home. Her water heater produces boiling hot steam, her typewriter seems to read her mind, and there are batteries everywhere. Her pet beagle is missing. She takes Gard to “the dig” and shows him her secret: a genuine flying saucer. Meanwhile, the people of Haven are experiencing odd creativity and changing mentally and physically. They're losing teeth and developing telepathy. Violence occurs, and a young boy makes his brother “disappear” at a magic show.

Gardener has a steel plate in his skull from a ski accident, which gives him some immunity from “the becoming.” But events are progressing dangerously. He reluctantly agrees to help Bobbi dig up the saucer, which drives him back to drink. As events coalesce, Bobbi and the townsfolk, now calling themselves the “Tommyknockers,” escalate their mutation, leading to an explosive climax. What's in Bobbi’s shed? What's with the dolls and the green light? There are tentacles, and it's all very strange.

“I want to go out, don’t know if I can, ‘cause I’m so afraid of the Tommyknocker man.”

I like “The Tommyknockers” for its premise. I have a soft spot for sci-fi/horror hybrids, and the basic plot is straight out of 1950s pulp novels and comics. It's not an original idea. King admits it was ripped off from H. P. Lovecraft’s “The Colour out of Space.” Fellow writer Kim Newman believes it's a rewrite of “Quatermass and the Pit/Five Million Years to Earth.” I can even see similarities to a Scooby-Doo episode. King pulls this derivative story together reasonably well, especially the parts focusing on Bobbi and Gard. Their relationship is the heart of the novel, and when it's on point, it's great. King spent time establishing the characters, and their shared history provides a framework for why Gardener helps Bobbi despite the changes. However, Gard is not as immune as he thinks, and by the time he realizes it, it's too late. King has to juggle many themes, including addiction, the effects of nuclear power, and distrust of the government.

When it's good, it's good. But “The Tommyknockers” isn't always good. After starting strong with Bobbi and Gard, King inexplicably turns the middle of the book to the town of Haven. While some of the stories are interesting, the narrative slows and becomes populated with marginally engaging characters. I would have preferred if King had interspersed these tales into the central plot. As a result, the narrative energy is drained by the time he returns to Bobbi and Gard. King tries to recapture the story's thrust, but the damage is done.

King also fails to draw a clear comparison between the dangers of nuclear power and the effects of the Tommyknockers. The similarities are sketchy, and I never really understood the message about addiction. It seemed like King was using Gardener's character to incorporate his own struggles, but I'm not sure what the point was.

In the end, “The Tommyknockers” is a mixed bag for fans. I'm of the “any Stephen King is good Stephen King” mindset. It's not his best writing, but it's still better than a lot of lesser authors. It's long, and I think it could have been cut by a hundred pages. I hope King reworks this book. The bones of a great story are there, but you have to dig through a lot of dirt to get to them.

There's one more thing to recommend “The Tommyknockers,” and that's the “easter-eggs” throughout the text. My favorite is the “It” reference, as Haven is close to Derry. It's fun to pick out these little nods to King's oeuvre and adds depth to an otherwise scattered plot.

“The Tommyknockers” read differently for me the second time around. 30 years is a long time, and a lot has happened to me and within King’s imagined universe. King seems to be tying everything back to “The Dark Tower,” which opens his older writing up to revisionism. On a personal level, I first read this book during a transitional time in my life, and my nostalgia gives it a fond glow. I was lucky to pick up a British pressing of the book a few weeks ago. It satisfied my yearning to reread it through the lens of 30 years of change. It was worth the trip back in time for me.

This is the one book of his that garners the most negative reviews from the fandom and has a reputation for being his worst novel.

While I can concur with a few specific complaints, such as the fact that it can seem a bit overly long and wordy, which is a fair assessment. The story, at times, appeared a bit clumsy.

Nevertheless, I still truly relished this story and was able to transport my mind back to simpler eras before the advancements of modern technology, back to the early 90s when people were filled with wonders and what-ifs. People were discussing UFO phenomena, spending more time outdoors, and witnessing things that couldn't quite be explained. Well, this is how I managed to still let the King himself spin his tale and capture my thought-provoking, childlike wonder of mysterious outer world creatures crash-landing in a small town called 'Haven'.

I particularly enjoyed the character development between two characters in particular - Gardner "Argle Bargle" and Bobbie. Their relationship seemed so genuine and felt real despite all its flaws. It was a delight to read about them and the "dig".

This was King's first foray into a science fiction novel while being under the influence of cocaine, which is where a lot of the nonsense and outright crazy elements originated. I still maintain that he did well with the genre.

I'm not certain if I can strongly recommend this book, however, as it is very diverse and can be a challenging read for many, including King fans. That being said, there are still numerous things to glean from this story if you allow your mind to wander to a place a few decades ago before iPhones and the constant barrage of entertainment in our faces and simply be curious.

I would rate this book at around 3.5 out of 5.0 stars, and I've rounded it up for this particular review.

The story is quite long, and there are times when it seems to drag on a bit. However, it definitely has that distinct Stephen King feel that I absolutely love.

There are numerous excellent, suspenseful moments that keep you on the edge of your seat. At the same time, there are also many moments that make you wonder why they were included in the story. But despite these little flaws, overall, I was quite satisfied with the book.

One of the things I really loved about it was all of the Easter eggs that were scattered throughout. They added an extra layer of fun and惊喜 for me as a reader.

All in all, it's not a perfect book, but it's definitely one that I would recommend to fans of Stephen King or anyone who enjoys a good, suspenseful read.

This was an OK story.

I've read other books by Stephen King such as Carrie, 'Salem's Lot, and The Shining, and I really enjoyed them.

I think I have a greater preference for Stephen King's horror genre compared to this particular type.

The story itself is not bad, but I had a difficult time getting fully engaged in it.

I also noticed that some parts were long and boring, and could have been resolved more quickly.

If anyone is looking to read a creepy story, I would highly recommend 'Salem's Lot or The Shining.

Thanks!

It may not hold up well today in some ways,

but I still had a fun time with this.

It did seem to drag on a bit though.

For example, some of the scenes felt a bit too long and could have been shortened to keep the pace more engaging.

However, over-all I enjoyed it.

The story had its interesting moments and the characters were somewhat likable.

The setting, which involved a fire, added an element of excitement and danger.

Although there were some flaws, I was still able to get lost in the story and have an enjoyable experience.

I would recommend it to others who are looking for a light-hearted read that doesn't take itself too seriously.

Despite its shortcomings, it still managed to bring a smile to my face and keep me entertained for a while.