He had been brought up to firmly believe that God was love. However, one couldn't help but wonder just how loving a God could truly be. After all, He had made men and women intelligent enough to achieve the remarkable feat of landing on the moon. But at the same time, they seemed so stupid that they had to repeatedly learn the harsh truth that there was no such thing as forever.

This book, unfortunately, is a bit of a mess. The story line itself was something that I thoroughly relished. It had its own charm and kept me engaged. But the problem was the excessive bloat. There were just too many unnecessary details and tangents that detracted from the overall experience.

Because of this, I have to give this book a rating of 3 out of 5. It had the potential to be so much better if the author had been more discerning in editing and trimming down the excess. As it stands, it's an enjoyable read, but not without its flaws.

I read this book when it first came out. However, when I saw an audible version performed by Edward Hermann, I knew I had to get it. And I was right. Edward Hermann does a truly fantastic job performing this captivating story.

It's about a woman named Bobbie Anderson who is in the woods walking her dog. She stumbles upon something metallic. Soon, she and the whole town of Haven, Maine, fall under the control of The Tommyknockers. The only one who is somewhat immune is her boyfriend, Gard (James Gardner). Gard is an alcoholic. While away touring for one of his poetry books, he falls off the wagon and decides to end it. But he wants to talk to Bobbie one more time. When he does, he senses something is wrong and heads to her house to investigate.

Gard turns out to be an unlikely hero in this story. A metal plate he got in his head as a kid keeps him from "becoming" and probably ends up saving humanity. But he loses a great deal in the process. Nevertheless, he does manage to save a little boy everyone thought was long dead and missing.

This is a great example of story-telling by one of the masters of suspense, horror, and science-fiction.

The lesson learned from this book? Wear a metal plate in your head if you want your mind to be safe!

Supposedly, this is the least-beloved book by Stephen King. He himself doesn't speak too favourably about it either - perhaps due to the fact that he wrote it while his drug addiction peaked. I'm told that many elements in here are a result of that same drug consumption. To me, it's amazing what a positive effect a drug-induced mental state can have, because I just loved this book.

We are in Haven, a small town in Maine (where else). Bobby, a woman my age and a writer, has found something on her property and is furiously trying to dig it up. Her friend "Grant" (a nickname), a fellow writer (though of poetry) and a drunk, is visiting her after deciding he better kill himself. But when he arrives, he notices something VERY wrong with his friend and, in fact, the entire area around the dig site.

Eventually, our point of view changes to a kaleidoscope of short stories, each portraying certain inhabitants of Haven. All of them nicely illustrate the slow but sure descent into madness, the hell the changes create - and show us people vital to the progression of the story as well as the resolution.

All of the above come clashing down in the end, of course. Whether the ending is as you'd have expected or not probably depends on what kind of reader you are. As usual, however, it's not so much the ending as the story along the way that is most important.

I loved this. Really. It's not my favourite SK book, but it is firmly in my top 5, maybe even top 3. It just had this old-time King feel to it.

The recipe is simple: mix foreboding, creeping suspicion, casual cruelty turning into fully-blown nastiness and flat-out terror to guarantee a wonderfully atmospheric reading experience. Then gradually stir in truly unpleasant people in the way you mostly only get in small towns. Lastly, liberally sprinkle pop culture references on top. Voilà!

And yes, that is and always has been King's forte. Every element compliments the respective others perfectly. If you're unsure whether the real-life people or the supernatural element is creepier, the writer did everything right.

The reason this book didn't make it higher on my list of favorite King books is that I usually either hate absolutely everyone with a passion or have one person/animal I'm severely rooting for. Neither really happened here. I liked Ruth a lot and Peter, too, but my feelings for them weren't as deep as I'm used to. Certain events also didn't shock me as much as back when I was witnessing a certain little boy getting his arm ripped off by a "clown". Which is not to say that I wasn't sorry when David's/Hilly's grandpa didn't make it or that the fate of people left me cold - the feelings just weren't as deep. With King, we're splitting hairs, but I have to mention it.

Stephen King is one of the most renowned and influential authors in the horror and thriller genres. His body of work is extensive and filled with many masterpieces.

One of the best books of King that I have read is truly captivating. It takes the reader on a thrilling journey filled with suspense and unexpected twists.

The reference to "It" in this context adds an extra layer of excitement. "It" is one of King's most iconic and terrifying creations.

The story of "It" has become a classic, and just the mention of it can send shivers down the spine.

Overall, reading this book has been an absolute delight, and I can't wait to explore more of King's works.

Happy Reading!

Mel

Wow. Just wow.

I was already aware that this book was considered one of King's worst, and I had read it before, perhaps twice in my life. But now, as I'm re-reading King's works in publication order, deep within his office party period, its character truly stands out. Especially after reading the tightly-edited masterpiece that was Misery.

It's not that The Tommyknockers is completely bad. It is fully coherent, the story unfolds logically, and the themes are entirely valid. The story reflects the explicit national anxiety of its time regarding nuclear war, nuclear meltdown, and general world collapse. It undeniably has King's style, and although the man can write, at every turn it was simply excessive.

Virtually every segment overstayed its welcome. It is bloated, overly long, self-indulgent, unhinged, and an under-edited monstrosity. It was pure King without any sense of when to hold back. Any good taste he had about his own writing seemed to have vanished. Of course, it's no secret that alcohol and cocaine don't exactly produce good judgment. So many side characters could have been cut, so many scenes shortened, so much fat trimmed, and what remained would have been ten times more bearable. It wasn't the worst for me (so far that honor goes to The Talisman), but it certainly earned its place among his low points.

The most memorable low point for me is the entire character of Anne, Bobbi's domineering sister. She is mentioned several times early in the book, so it was inevitable that she would show up. But she was such a wretched, irredeemable character and was disposed of so easily that I hardly understand why King bothered. Anne is a prototypical uber-Karen (sorry to the Karens I know and love), a bullish harridan and a curse to all who have ever crossed her path. Her character was not helped at all by the following passage:

Cityscape Hotel was full.

That was no trouble for sister Anne.

She got herself a double, then bullied the harried manager [I swear I came up with "bullish harridan" by myself before I started transcribing this passage] into giving her another because the air conditioner in the first rattled and because the color on the TV was so bad, she said, that all the actors looked they had just eaten shit and would soon die.

She unpacked, masturbated to a grim-and-cheerless climax with a vibrator nearly the size of one of the mutant carrots in Bobbi's garden (the only climaxes she had were of the grim-and-cheerless type; she's never been with a man in bed and never intended to), showered, napped, then went to dinner.

This was completely unnecessary and further fuel for my wife's usual complaint about King adding weird sex stuff to every book. Of course, sex and horror have always gone hand in hand, with terror and titillation being vital bedfellows, but there's nothing even remotely resembling titillation here.

I almost forgot to mention Grady Hendrix's phenomenal Great Stephen King Re-Read article series, which was published years ago on Tor.com (now rebranded as Reactor mag). Grady places the books in excellent social and biographical context. His report on The Tommyknockers can be found here: https://reactormag.com/the-great-step...

Reread - June 2022.

I'm downgrading from four to three stars. It's still a good read, and has a solid idea. However, it's just so weighty. In my opinion, about 400 pages could be cut from this and it would be fine.

"Late last night and the night before, tommyknockers tommyknockers knocking at your door"

I can make a couple of guesses to explain why this book only has a rating of 3.46, which I think it doesn't deserve. I thought it was great. It's interesting and very different from King's usual books. That being said, all the elements of a King book are here - great characters, an unusual story, and great dialogue.

I've read a few reviews saying that the ending is rubbish. I don't agree with this. There are definitely worse King endings out there *cough*Under the dome*cough cough*.

It is a bit long, but I don't think that can be helped. It does suffer a bit in the middle while King builds the blocks for the latter stages of the book. So, I can see people losing interest, but I didn't think it was that bad.

Above all, this is a King fanboy book. The references to his other works (if you've read a lot of King) make this book worth reading.

Another solid story from the King of Kings :)

Well, I just completed reading The Tommyknockers, and to be quite honest, I'm truly disappointed.

The beginning of the book was indeed good. It was entertaining and in some parts, even hilarious. However, once I reached Book II, it really started to feel like a drag for me. By drag, I mean that as I was reading, I kept thinking in my head, "GET ON WITH IT ALREADY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!". Additionally, I felt that the story was a bit disorganized. I consider myself to be someone with at least half a brain (after all, I have a Master's degree, so I hope I do have a functioning brain), and I usually pay close attention when I read. But at times, I found myself feeling lost and my mind would wander away from the story. I even put the book down a few times and walked away, thinking that perhaps I was reading it in the wrong environment or at the wrong time. But unfortunately, this feeling persisted throughout Book II.

Book III did pick up a bit, but then I'm not sure if it was because of the disappointment from Book II, but it just seemed to go on and on and on. I was really starting to get tired of it. Have you had enough now? I certainly have.

I guess I had higher expectations for this story. Maybe I didn't enjoy it because I didn't feel any connection to the characters, the story, or just anything about it. I think this story could have been simplified, and it would have made for a more enjoyable read for me. And perhaps, this particular book just wasn't meant for me. I absolutely love anything related to aliens. I'm a huge X-Files fan. But The Tommyknockers, it seems, just wasn't my cup of tea.

This is King’s first foray with aliens. Surprisingly, it reminded me of Pet Semetary. It has a really dark, depressing, misanthropic feel to it that I quite love. There are a number of interesting easter eggs regarding other novels he’s written.

The town of Haven is similar to Derry. There’s plenty of weird body horror. The book starts off so strongly that I was amazed at the negative reaction it receives. Jimmy and Bobbi’s characters and their relationship is really strong. I like the way they are introduced and develop throughout the story.

One scene with Jimmy, where he’s drunk, at a party, spouting an angry diatribe about the dangers of Nuclear Energy is so good. The first 200 pages fly by. However, the second part is where the problems start to occur. The shift in the plot from isolated mystery and character piece in the woods, to Invasion of the Body Snatchers-style shenanigans is not very smooth or focused.

It just suddenly happens, like the book has been butchered in editing, and the writing is quite weak. We are introduced to many characters. Some are fine, others totally forgettable. It has its moments but overall it’s a mess. Part 3 makes the error of introducing yet more characters and spending too long with them when all I wanted was the plot to move forward.

I couldn’t care for the journalists, or thinly written inhabitants of Haven. I wanted more scenes with Jimmy, Bobbi, and the ship. Instead, we get a flying killer coke machine (why, Steve, why?!). In the last 100 pages we get even more characters introduced, including some cringy Spanish “you make thee joke I theenk, senor” and African American stereotypes.

This is the type of writing people think of when criticising King’s talent. Sloppy and misguided. At this point I was ready for it to end. I can’t tell you how much I loved the first part. King has talked about going back to the book and I’d be curious to see what he does with it.

It’s true when people say there is a great book somewhere amongst the text. To summerise, part 1 is excellent, part 2 is messy but compelling, part 3 is insane. If King cut a hundred pages, and re-wrote some of the dialogue, it might’ve made my top 10, but as it stands it’s a very flawed but fascinating experience.

King Ranked: 1. The Stand 2. Pet Semetary 3. Salem’s Lot 4. The Dead Zone 5. Misery 6. The Shining 7. The Long Walk 8. Night Shift 9. Different Seasons 10. The Eyes of the Dragon 11. The Drawing of the Three 12. Cycle of the Werewolf 13. Thinner 14. Christine 15. Roadwork 16. Skeleton Crew 17. Cujo 18. Firestarter 19. The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon 20. Carrie 21. Rage 22. The Tommyknockers* 23. The Running Man 24. Hearts in Atlantis 25. The Gunslinger 26. The Talisman 27. IT

I'm an unapologetic enthusiast of this book. From cover to cover. In fact, I firmly believe it ranks among the very best of his works that I've had the pleasure of reading. Yes, I'm completely earnest in my assessment.

The pacing is delightfully measured, incrementally building tension in a series of waves and layers, rather than in sporadic bursts. The cosmic horror is intriguingly ambiguous, yet the essence and rationale behind its mechanisms hold some truly spine-chilling implications. And what about the characters? Oh, don't even begin to ask...but, since I've already started, they are simply remarkable. Every single named character is a fully-fledged, three-dimensional individual. The red-haired girl who offers a lift to a particular main character who is hitchhiking over a long distance was especially poignant, and someone I truly hope King revisits in a future story.

Before, during, and after reading this book, I was fully cognizant of its somewhat controversial reputation. Nevertheless, I delved into it without a second thought...and I was utterly captivated by it, right up until its final, haunting images. As I see it - if you failed to perceive the true allure of this book...well, it's a pity you won't be able to engage in the thrilling discussions about it with me. :)

This book is definitely on the top of my re-read list for Stephen King's works. King is my all-time favorite author, and I can truly remember the main points and plot lines of his novels after just one reading. Even his short stories have a significant impact on me, with about 70% of them staying in my memory. However, for this particular book, I had to read the comments to jog my memory.

I remember really enjoying this book. It's a Stephen King novel that combines elements of sci-fi and horror, so what's not to like? Reading the comments helped me recall certain aspects, but I'm really looking forward to reading it again.

On 12/25/22, I completed the re-read. WOW! I really can't understand why this book gets such a bad reputation, not only from critics but also from King's fans. Okay, it may not be a sci-fi masterpiece, but it's one hell of a fun ride. Plus, as a die-hard King fan, you'll notice a lot of interesting easter eggs and references to other King novels in this book.

This isn't just straight horror; it's a very good and well-paced sci-fi thriller. There are also some underlying themes of the Cold War as it describes the fallout from the uncovered spaceship that is transforming the inhabitants of the town of Haven.

The novel is a substantial 700-plus pages. Once the ship is uncovered and the fallout and "becoming" occur, we are introduced to various Haven citizens and get to see a lot of short stories based on their experiences with the alien transition. King is a master at hopping between different characters, which really makes the reader feel like they are part of the small community in this New England town.

The horror in this book comes from some body horror elements. Teeth falling out, skin becoming transparent, and humans slowly morphing into the "tommyknocker" mole. We also get to see what the original knockers look like when the main characters, Gard and Bobby, open the hatchway into the ship. There's also a bit of an "Under The Dome" feel, as the Havenites get sick when they try to leave Haven because they've been exposed to the polluted fallout air. The same goes for any visitors to Haven; they get sick and vomit up teeth. Yikes!

The Shed scenes are great, as they show the true energy source and supply for some of the more violent inventions. The descriptive writing here is really top-notch.

I liked the ending, with Gard saving the people living outside and close to Haven, and David Brown returning to Altair-4 to rejoin his brother Hilly.

Some honorable mentions for the King easter eggs include Gard mentioning "The Shining" when he thinks about grabbing an axe. A character also speaks to a columnist who worked with Johnny Smith from "The Dead Zone," and IT and the sewer laughing from "IT" are mentioned twice. The Big Injun Woods and the town of Ludlow from "Pet Semetary" are also mentioned, and The Shop makes an appearance at the end to clean up the situation in Haven. They also mention that The Shop takes a few survivors back to their headquarters in VA, which was previously burnt down by a little girl in "Firestarter."

Overall, I give this book 4.5 stars. It's a great read that combines elements of sci-fi, horror, and King's unique storytelling style.

I was rather hesitant to approach this book.

On one hand, the German edition consists of over 1000 pages, which seemed quite intimidating.

On the other hand, the numerous not-so-favorable reviews also made me a bit cautious.

However, it turns out that I need not have worried at all.

The Tommyknockers truly showcases King's talent with its typical small town atmosphere.

Even though this time he treats his protagonists rather mercilessly, it doesn't take away from the overall charm of the story.

In fact, the book could potentially have been around 300 pages shorter without sacrificing any of its substance, yet I never once felt bored while reading it.

It is said that King wrote this book during the peak of his alcohol addiction.

When one reads how skillfully and poignantly he describes Jim Gardener's alcohol problems, there is no doubt that he is drawing from his own experiences.

Some aspects of the story might sound a bit far-fetched, such as the flying coke machine or the incident with the tentacles.

But overall, I was able to clearly understand what was happening and how it all unfolded.

As is typical of King, a great deal of imagination went into the events of this novel.

I also appreciated the fact that he deviated from the classic horror monsters like vampires and werewolves and instead created a horror of a completely different, yet equally terrifying nature.

Therefore, I am firmly on the side of the fans when it comes to this novel and I am awarding it 4.5 stars, which I will round up.