Bag of Bones 
asked by soulful on November 8, 2006 9:00 AM
Bag of Bones is partly inspired by Daphne du Maurier's classic Rebecca, but there's more than homage in this novel of horror and romance. Like du Maurier's Manderley, King's scary old place (on the shore of Maine's remote Dark Score Lake) is haunted by the late lady of the manor. There are many gory ghosts afoot, though: men, women, and wailing kids. The hero, a thriller novelist, stirs up hell's plenty of angry shades while investigating his wife's death. It turns out she either had a dark secret herself or was onto some dread scandal lurking in Dark Score Lake. As in King's previous book, Wizard and Glass, the fabric of reality is thin, and nosy narrators are in peril of plunging right out of this world and into a rather hostile otherworld.
Bag of Bones is a writer-haunted book, too. The spirits of Herman Melville and Ray Bradbury are deeply felt, and so are the tale's two romances (the hero muses on his marriage and falls for a young single mom with a marvelous, psychic daughter). There is also good-humored satire of the real bestseller book world--the hero complains that "the publicity process is like going to a sushi bar where you're the sushi." In its deep concerns with love, sprawling families, the writer's life, endangered children, and good old-fashioned storytelling, the book resembles a John Irving novel. It is also absolutely classic Stephen King, packed with nifty turns of phrase, irreverent wit, and lurid ghouls who grab you from beneath the bed while you cower under the covers. --Tim Appelo
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All else aside for a moment, the first thing the observant reader is likely to notice about Bag of Bones, in comparison to other King novels, is that unlike most, if not all, this one is written in the first person. King is hardly in need of my advice, but if asked, I would recommend wholeheartedly that he continue the practice whenever it's feasible. Anyone who's read any of King's work that uses his own voice (the autobiographical On Writing, for instance) already knows how strong that voice is; it has a familiar, personable quality that makes it difficult for the reader to extricate himself. These aspects of King's personality are readily transferred to novelist Mike Noonan, the protagonist of Bag of Bones, who speaks very much in King's voice. Let's face it; most or all of King's novels are written in that voice. But the idiosyncrasies of his style are much less grating and seem much more natural when issuing from a character's mouth or pen than when they are the products of an incorporeal, omniscient narrator. Likewise, allowing Noonan to dictate the narrative makes that character instantly likable; one of the benefits of first-person is that very little of Noonan is hidden from us.
To make a rather long story short (no spoilers here; this is essentially what you would find on the cover), Noonan, plagued with writer's block since his wife's death, retreats to his cabin, where he gets mixed up with a young widow, her daughter, and her wealthy and vindictive father-in-law. In the meantime, he must deal with a haunting, or hauntings, the cover-up of a long-past sin on the part of the townspeople, and a series of mysteries regarding his dead wife. I don't think I would be ruining anything if I pointed out that it all winds up being connected. The question, of course, is how, and don't think for a second that you've got a chance of figuring it out much sooner than Noonan. The boon (or curse) of the first-person narration is that his thoughts are the only ones to which we are privy; if he overlooks something, we overlook it as well, which is not to say it isn't great fun watching it all come together. In fact, there are quite a few little observations and coincidences (such as the similarities between the names of widow Mattie's daughter and Noonan's own, once-hoped-for, little girl) that seem silly or extraneous; I must advise you to keep them in mind, as I promise you they will ultimately be resolved.
If there is any quibble with the way in which the plot unfolds and the revelations proceed, it might be that the novel is too heavily dependent on the supernatural (i.e. the imparting of vital information by means of dreams or communication with the beyond), especially considering that, absent those elements, this is essentially a mystery story. If Noonan seems too much at the mercy of powers beyond his control, all I can say is that that seems to be the thesis of the major body of King's work: the things we consider markers of power (money, social standing, even physical strength) are of no use when the familiar drops away and we are confronted with the way King's world really works; when that happens, we must marshal powers we never knew we had, or didn't think existed, if we are to prevail. Noonan has unearthly help; that seems fair. The other side certainly has it share of unearthly power, and we get the feeling that Noonan wouldn't have any aid if he didn't deserve it. Mike Noonan, in fact, is an excellent exemplar of the philosophy undergirding King's universe; he has wit, intelligence, and resources--is, in fact, a millionaire, which would seem to put him on an even keel early on, when he believes that a court battle with a vengeful industrialist is his biggest problem. Suffice it to say that by book's end he learns exactly what money is worth.
As it happens, I really have no quibble with Bag of Bones; for a King novel, even (or especially) a good one, that is saying something. Some take issue with the novel's length; I submit that its length is necessary to tell this story in this particular way. Some call it confusing; it is, but it's supposed to be. Even that broadest and deepest of pitfalls--trying to write useful dialogue for a sharp three-year-old without having her seem unrealistically wise or irritatingly precocious--is for the most part avoided, and here King succeeds where others have failed. No matter how much Bag of Bones appears to meander, be aware that it is slowly building to something; and when it reaches the point of no return, you will put the book down only with great difficulty. And if it happens to be dark and stormy outside when you reach the book's climax, then God help you.
To make a rather long story short (no spoilers here; this is essentially what you would find on the cover), Noonan, plagued with writer's block since his wife's death, retreats to his cabin, where he gets mixed up with a young widow, her daughter, and her wealthy and vindictive father-in-law. In the meantime, he must deal with a haunting, or hauntings, the cover-up of a long-past sin on the part of the townspeople, and a series of mysteries regarding his dead wife. I don't think I would be ruining anything if I pointed out that it all winds up being connected. The question, of course, is how, and don't think for a second that you've got a chance of figuring it out much sooner than Noonan. The boon (or curse) of the first-person narration is that his thoughts are the only ones to which we are privy; if he overlooks something, we overlook it as well, which is not to say it isn't great fun watching it all come together. In fact, there are quite a few little observations and coincidences (such as the similarities between the names of widow Mattie's daughter and Noonan's own, once-hoped-for, little girl) that seem silly or extraneous; I must advise you to keep them in mind, as I promise you they will ultimately be resolved.
If there is any quibble with the way in which the plot unfolds and the revelations proceed, it might be that the novel is too heavily dependent on the supernatural (i.e. the imparting of vital information by means of dreams or communication with the beyond), especially considering that, absent those elements, this is essentially a mystery story. If Noonan seems too much at the mercy of powers beyond his control, all I can say is that that seems to be the thesis of the major body of King's work: the things we consider markers of power (money, social standing, even physical strength) are of no use when the familiar drops away and we are confronted with the way King's world really works; when that happens, we must marshal powers we never knew we had, or didn't think existed, if we are to prevail. Noonan has unearthly help; that seems fair. The other side certainly has it share of unearthly power, and we get the feeling that Noonan wouldn't have any aid if he didn't deserve it. Mike Noonan, in fact, is an excellent exemplar of the philosophy undergirding King's universe; he has wit, intelligence, and resources--is, in fact, a millionaire, which would seem to put him on an even keel early on, when he believes that a court battle with a vengeful industrialist is his biggest problem. Suffice it to say that by book's end he learns exactly what money is worth.
As it happens, I really have no quibble with Bag of Bones; for a King novel, even (or especially) a good one, that is saying something. Some take issue with the novel's length; I submit that its length is necessary to tell this story in this particular way. Some call it confusing; it is, but it's supposed to be. Even that broadest and deepest of pitfalls--trying to write useful dialogue for a sharp three-year-old without having her seem unrealistically wise or irritatingly precocious--is for the most part avoided, and here King succeeds where others have failed. No matter how much Bag of Bones appears to meander, be aware that it is slowly building to something; and when it reaches the point of no return, you will put the book down only with great difficulty. And if it happens to be dark and stormy outside when you reach the book's climax, then God help you.
reviewed by pits on November 20, 2006 7:05 AM
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This book is creepy.
If you like ghost stories, with a twist its pretty good.
I enjoyed this book , however its not my favorite.
The reason I gave it a 4 star is because it maintained my interest.
If you like ghost stories, with a twist its pretty good.
I enjoyed this book , however its not my favorite.
The reason I gave it a 4 star is because it maintained my interest.
reviewed by geri1956 on November 20, 2006 4:03 PM
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Ask a King fan what book is his best, and you will most likely hear "It" or "The Stand" as the answer. Maybe the occasional "The Shining", or you may have asked a Dark Tower fan who puts those books above and beyond the rest of the canon.
As for me, I'd simply say "Bag of Bones". I've read almost everything King's done, and a lot of it is great. Really great. He's easily my favorite author, but in my opinion nothing he's written has topped Bag of Bones.
I don't want to say much about the story, as you really need to just experience it yourself, but it is poignant, scary, and somehow awe-inspiringly beautiful.
Read it. You won't be disappointed. Then read his new one, Lisey's Story, which is in more than one way a kind of "mirror piece" when compared to Bag of Bones. By the way, I actually think I read once that King himself believes Bag of Bones to be his best. If so, he and I agree.
As for me, I'd simply say "Bag of Bones". I've read almost everything King's done, and a lot of it is great. Really great. He's easily my favorite author, but in my opinion nothing he's written has topped Bag of Bones.
I don't want to say much about the story, as you really need to just experience it yourself, but it is poignant, scary, and somehow awe-inspiringly beautiful.
Read it. You won't be disappointed. Then read his new one, Lisey's Story, which is in more than one way a kind of "mirror piece" when compared to Bag of Bones. By the way, I actually think I read once that King himself believes Bag of Bones to be his best. If so, he and I agree.
reviewed by rafit on November 22, 2006 4:31 PM