Finally a new King book – and what a book it is!
When I say new, I don’t mean new new, but new for me (though I honestly thought this was his most recent one). But it’s been a while since I read something by Stephen King, and I heard great things about this, so I threw myself over it as soon as I renewed my Audible subscription after New Year’s .
The plot, in short: Teenager Charlie Reade decides to take care of an old neighbor and his ailing dog when he finds the old man lying outside in the cold with a broken leg. What follows is the start of a beautiful friendship and an absolutely incredible adventure full of mysteries, magic and mayhem.
Honestly, this hooked me from the beginning (as Stephen King often does), and for the first time ever, I was struck with a sense of awe as I realized that I was reading Stephen King in the present. If that doesn’t make sense, let me explain – before this book, the most recent King book I’d read was the last in the Dark Tower series, and before that I’ve read mainly his big classics, the best sellers, like The Stand, IT, The Shining and Carrie, to name a few. So to me, King has never been a contemporary author per se, he’s been this sort of mysterious, almost mythological super-author who everyone just knows about and have read and loves. But now, with Fairy Tale, I was suddenly reading something… recent. And a thought struck me: is this what it was like to pick up The Stand or The Shining back in the day? There was this feeling of being part of something big, part of something that you just know is going to be great, because it’s been so great before, back in the day, and here’s my chance to take part of it as it happens.
Anyway.
King’s writing is always captivating, but I particularly love his ability (or should I say tendency) to write much about the small stuff, and little about the big important scenes. I think I mention it every time I review one of his books, because often they seem so long and daunting, and then you realize it flows and reads so easily, and it just sweeps you away. And I think that’s because of all those small scenes that make up so much of King’s books. The long conversations after the big fight or the scary reveal, the drawn out moments that almost seem like they don’t matter, but somehow end up becoming the tear-jerking, pivotal scenes. It’s difficult to explain, but it’s those things that make King’s books so unique to me. I remember noticing it for the first time in The Dark Tower, I think, then again in The Stand. Fairy Tale is no exception, and I just love this type of writing.
Following Charlie’s adventure is incredible, and delightfully magical (the book is called fairy tale after all) and I love how King has drawn in so many references to stories we might know from other stories (some of his own included, but we’ll let that slide). At first, I thought I was picking up on some small, unimportant reference, but by the end I realized that that was his whole point all along. By the end, I was mesmerized by how he managed to pull in so many other stories, stories that I almost don’t know why I recognize or remember. In a way, this book is a fairy tale about fairy tales, a story about stories, and it’s lovely.
A fairy tale about fairy tales. A story about stories.
I particularly liked the first third of the book, the build-up and the anticipation. It is incredibly exciting, and I almost wouldn’t mind if it never progressed. King could have just built it up to a peak, and left me hanging right there at the top, the end, finito, done, and I’d be happy. Bu of course, the show must go on. The middle part dipped a bit, for a moment I found it a bit too silly, I think is the closest word to how I experienced it, but luckily, that passed quickly and the ending is as incredible as the rest of it. Honestly, the whole book is as incredible as the rest of them.
For anyone still wondering, Fairy Tale is a terrific book and right at the top there with King’s best. I’m very happy I decided to pick up a new King book this year, and I’m glad it was this one. I’d probably recommended it a little extra if you’re an fan of The Dark Tower especially, but I think you’ll like this no matter what. In fact, if you haven’t read any of King’s stuff before, and you’re not fussed about starting with the old big ones, this might be a good place to start.
Have you read Fairy Tale? Any other King books that caught your attention lately? Let me know in the comments! I love hearing your thoughts and I’d love to strike up a conversation!
And as always, I’d love it if you checked out my books. If you’re into crime thrillers, psychological horror, or fantasy and science-fiction short stories, I’ve got you covered.
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Trey Stone, Author 
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