Stephen King: "Cell" - 1/24/06

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Book Description
Civilization doesn't end with a bang or a whimper. It ends with a call on your cell phone. What happens on the afternoon of October 1 came to be known as the Pulse, a signal sent though every operating cell phone that turns its user into something...well, something less than human. Savage, murderous, unthinking-and on a wanton rampage. Terrorist act? Cyber prank gone haywire? It really doesn't matter, not to the people who avoided the technological attack. What matters to them is surviving the aftermath. Before long a band of them-"normies" is how they think of themselves-have gathered on the grounds of Gaiten Academy, where the headmaster and one remaining student have something awesome and terrifying to show them on the school's moonlit soccer field. Clearly there can be no escape. The only option is to take them on. CELL is classic Stephen King, a story of gory horror and white-knuckling suspense that makes the unimaginable entirely plausible and totally fascinating.

From Publishers Weekly
What if a pulse sent out through cell phones turned every person using one of them into a zombie-like killing machine? That's what happens on page six of King's latest, a glib, technophobic but compelling look at the end of civilization—or at what may turn into a new, extreme, telepathically enforced fascism. Those who are not on a call at the time of the pulse (and who don't reach for their phones to find out what is going on) remain "normies." One such is Clayton Riddell, an illustrator from Kent Pond, Maine, who has just sold some work in Boston when the pulse hits. Clay's single-minded attempt to get back to Maine, where his estranged wife, Sharon, and young son, Johnny-Gee, may or may not have been turned into "phoners" (as those who have had their brains wiped by the pulse come to be called) comprises the rest of the plot. King's imagining of what is more or less post-Armageddon Boston is rich, and the sociological asides made by his characters along the way—Clay travels at first with two other refugees—are jaunty and witty. The novel's three long set pieces are all pretty gory, but not gratuitously so, and the book holds together in signature King style. Fans will be satisfied and will look forward to the next King release, Lisey's Story, slated for October. (Jan. 24)

[bishop2knight]

So much for retirement. Sounds like a good read, but King hasn't been the same since his accident. I'll wait for the reviews before I pick this one up.

[cultshock]

Sounds good. I agree that King's pre-accident books were better, but I still enjoy his stuff, and I'm glad he didn't retire. I'll be picking this up.

[Geofferson]

Can't wait to get my hands on this! :up:

[Michael Corvin]

Sounds interesting.

The cover leaves a bit to be desired. Is that supposed to be blood? Or Kool-Aid coming from the cup? It's a bit too red for blood, and it appears to have come out of the cup. Who knows. It's just silly looking. Although the reflection is kinda cool.

[auto]

IMHO, most King hardcovers have artwork that leaves a lot to be desired.

There have been some really cool covers though. Insomina, for instance. I also remember Bag of Bones being pretty cool.

[Michael Corvin]

He had a sweet run for a while with Bag of Bones, Everythings Eventual, Dreamcatcher & Hearts in Atlantis, cover-wise.

[The Valeyard]

Gonna have to Annie Wilkes this one.......and no, I don't mean keeping King hostage while he writes a new book!

[Trout]

Gonna have to Annie Wilkes this one.......and no, I don't mean keeping King hostage while he writes a new book!

Run over it with a lawnmower? :hscratch:

[cultshock]

Sounds interesting.

The cover leaves a bit to be desired. Is that supposed to be blood? Or Kool-Aid coming from the cup? It's a bit too red for blood, and it appears to have come out of the cup. Who knows. It's just silly looking. Although the reflection is kinda cool.

I assumed it was blood (albeit a bit too bright). The cup looks like it's supposed to be a Starbucks coffee cup or something, so I'm guessing it didn't contain Kool-Aid. :)

[The Valeyard]

Run over it with a lawnmower? :hscratch:

LOL!

I'm gonna wait for the paperback.



Or hobble him. I'm not entirely sure.

[Michael Corvin]

I assumed it was blood (albeit a bit too bright). The cup looks like it's supposed to be a Starbucks coffee cup or something, so I'm guessing it didn't contain Kool-Aid. :)

But it's in the cup. That's what throws it off. Not a small splash like it fell in the puddle.

Anyway, it is all trivial. Can't judge a book by its cover, right? :lol:

[12thmonkey]

But it's in the cup. That's what throws it off. Not a small splash like it fell in the puddle.

Maybe the pulse causes victims to vomit blood, hence the Starbucks-sipping cover victim zuked back into his/her mocha latte.

I'm looking forward to this one.

[Billyspunk]

What can I say...I am a King zombie, I buy everything that has Stephen King's name on it, I have yet to be disappointed with him....

[Metrodub]

But it's in the cup. That's what throws it off. Not a small splash like it fell in the puddle.

Anyway, it is all trivial. Can't judge a book by its cover, right? :lol:

The blood is actually flowing out of the cell phone as well.

[darkside]

Yeah, his retirement is really strange. Hasn't seemed to effect him releasing books. I'll definitely be interested in this, but I thought his last book "The Colorado Kid" was pitiful and him trying to defend the thing at end of the book was even worse. You know you screwed up when you actually print a defense for the book people just read at the end of it. He really has only been a shadow of himself after the accident.

[Michael Corvin]

I actually liked the Colorodo Kid. Just finished it this past weekend. However, I did not like the letter at the end. I can live with a mystery not being solved, not all of them are, but to defend it was pretty lame.

[Sierra Disc]

Wow, I've been completely out of the King loop, didn't even know this was coming out. Turning in my fanboy card. I do hope this is better than Colorado Kid, which is right up there with King's worst IMHO. Premise sounds quite fun. As a cell phone hater, I'm on board! ;)

[Fok]

Sounds interesting, I'll probably check it out

[The Bus]

I'm glad we're all following that ancient caveat, that socieatal tenet, of judging a book by its cover.

[Fincher Fan]

I heard he was writing a "zombie" book so it will be interesting to see where he takes it. He did an amazing job a long time ago on The Mist and sounds like it draws parallels now with Cell.

[Deke Rivers]

I like King but the plot on this sounds just as silly as the one in Christine (one of the few King books I didnt like)
this may be one to put on reserve at my library rather than plunk down bucks on it

[Xander]

Sounds like a cool concept. I'm still a big King fan, so I'll read this at some point. Don't know if I'll plunk down the green for hardcover or not. Probably will. :)

[TimeandTide]

Just read the first two chapters in this week's Entertainment Weekly. Somewhat gripping, but annoyingly way too similar to the first couple of scenes in the Dawn of the Dead remake. Will wait for the paperback.

[JesseCuster]

King is a very big fan of the zombie film 28 Days Later and to me the plot sounds rather similar to that, just a pulse instead of blood as the carrier. Though I'm ok with that as a well written King book is compulsively readable for me.

[Morf]

Entertainment Weekly had the first two chapters in their most recent issue. I can't wait to pick up the book. :up:

[Smithers]

When's the paperback coming out?

[Tom Banjo]

I'm about 200 pages in. FYI, this isn't your typical zombie rip-off like it appears on the surface. There's more to the story than that, once you really get going in the chaos of the storyline.

[Tom Banjo]

I just finished it. I give it 4 out of 5 stars. I would give it 5 stars if not for the fact that this is now the 3rd King book in a row that's left me feeling a little unfulfilled in the end (other 2 were Dark Tower VII and Colorado Kid) . Some of you may like the way it's ends, but it kinda bugged me a little. I think the story itself could actually turn out well if/when it makes it's into to the screen either as a movie or mini-series.

btw- the end of the book has got a nice treat: the first several pages of his next book Lisey's Story, written in short-hand.

[Quack]

I just finished it as well and felt a little bit of a letdown with the ending as well. I haven't read King's last couple books but it was just an awkward ending...hopefully more people can discuss this soon.

[Sierra Disc]

I liked it a lot, even the ending worked for me. I wrote a review that's too long to post here but you can read it on my <a href="http://spatulaforum.blogspot.com/2006/01/books-stephen-king-dials-up-cell-i.html">blog</a>

[Sirgey]

I'm going to add a thumbs up from someone who hasn't been able to finish a new king book since the Bachman/King twofor he put out almost a decade ago. Not the most original concept at this point, but it's a fast/easy read that let's up a bit near the end, but it's worth your time.

[JohnBeas]

I was in Sams Club today and they had the audiobook (12 CD's) for only $15.77. The list price is $50. I don't know if this is a price mistake (they had tons of them). This was in Kalamazoo, MI.

[Streusel]

I ordered this too (got it yesterday), my first book in english after leaving school. :)

[FantasticVSDoom]

Reading this now, and is my first Stephen King book...So far so good, as I am really enjoying it. The question I have since I have never read a King book before, is the bolding of words just because they are real places or a sponsorship kind of thing, or is there some other meaning behind it? I guess just wondering if this is something he normally does.

[SMB-IL]

I have been a HUGE King fan for YEARS and found Cell to be mostly a re-tread of some of his other novels like Salem's Lot, The Stand, The Talisman and a bit of Tommyknockers thrown in for flavor. I've seen all of the characters before in his other books too. I'm not sure I understand why King keeps writing -- he certainly can't need the money and it doesn't seem as though this is a story that he just HAD to get to paper since to me it seemed liked, as I said, he's told the story before in several other books. Unlike other books by King, I'm just glad that it was only 350-some pages. My advice is to skip this one or wait for the paperback and in the meantime, re-read some good, vintage King like It, Salem's Lot or The Shining.

[darkside]

Fortunately King is such a big draw to ebook stores that I can pick up this book for a paperback price. I'm going to start it this weekend.

[Michael Corvin]

Reading this now, and is my first Stephen King book...So far so good, as I am really enjoying it. The question I have since I have never read a King book before, is the bolding of words just because they are real places or a sponsorship kind of thing, or is there some other meaning behind it? I guess just wondering if this is something he normally does.

I don't have Cell yet so I'm not quite sure what you are referring to. In the list of all his works at the beginning a bunch are in bold. That refers to books that have direct ties to the Dark Tower series.

But I doubt that is what you are referring to.

[SMB-IL]

Reading this now, and is my first Stephen King book...So far so good, as I am really enjoying it. The question I have since I have never read a King book before, is the bolding of words just because they are real places or a sponsorship kind of thing, or is there some other meaning behind it? I guess just wondering if this is something he normally does.This is something he normally does, in addition to words and phrases in parantheses to denote thoughts or internal monologue, italics and many other literary typeface devices. As far as the bolding in Cell, it looks like it's to designate products and places in a typeface like the product or place he's talking about; so that you can more easily see it in your mind's eye. We've all seen panasonic, all lower case and bolded and small treasures, again lower case and bolded, but probably similar to many little boutique stores you might see in a mall, unless it's an actual store maybe in the northeast -- I've never heard of it, but I try not to do malls. :) He's also done diagrams or what looks like handwriting in his books, again to convey a better picture. I can't imagine it's product placement, but who knows?

[FantasticVSDoom]

This is something he normally does, in addition to words and phrases in parantheses to denote thoughts or internal monologue, italics and many other literary typeface devices. As far as the bolding in Cell, it looks like it's to designate products and places in a typeface like the product or place he's talking about; so that you can more easily see it in your mind's eye. We've all seen panasonic, all lower case and bolded and small treasures, again lower case and bolded, but probably similar to many little boutique stores you might see in a mall, unless it's an actual store maybe in the northeast -- I've never heard of it, but I try not to do malls. :) He's also done diagrams or what looks like handwriting in his books, again to convey a better picture. I can't imagine it's product placement, but who knows?
Got ya, thanks for the info...I didnt think it was a product placement type thing, bit just wasnt sure. You never know now a days.

[cerial442]

I just finished it and I agree about the ending. Although that ending would work good in a movie.

I also am glad King never really explained what caused the pulse. Sort of like what Romero does with his dead films. It makes you think and wonder for yourself.

Also I don't see this becoming a mini-series on ABC or anything. The makeup to do King Harvard probably wouldn't go over well on regular TV.

[AllHallowsEve]

Is it just me or has the writing been dumbed down in the past years?

I don't mean the stories, but the actual writing. It just seems simple. I used to be thrown off by seldom used words in certain Steven King novels years ago. Not that this was a bad thing since I was able to look them up and use them in context. Same with other books as well. It really prepared me for the Vocab SAT test at the time (770/800). Now, the writing just seems simplistic to me.

Is this just me or has the writing been dumbed down? Maybe my vocab went up, but I dont know.

I know many people don't want to be annoyed with needing a dictionary for pleasure reading. So, I understand it. I was just wondering.

[Fok]

okay guess I'll be waiting for this in paperback

[BigPete]

My only real complaint is that this book seems like it will be awfully dated in a few years. While King has always used songs and pop culture references, none of them have seemed as shallow as they do in this book. Then again, I read each of his other books well after they had been published so the references had time to mature. Perhaps at the time of publishing they too seemed just as shallow and hokey.

[JMLEWIS1]

FYI....I'm only 1/3 of the way through this book, so I don't know if the following will necessarily apply....

I love King for the first 2/3rds of of his books and will continue to read them for that reason BUT the last 1/3 is always a huge let down for me.

He will turn an excellent, gory, creepy, horror novel into a stupid ending that either has A) a weird telepathy angle, B) an evil man antagonist that doesn't really fit into the plot or C) one of the main characters has weird visions and the ending is resolved in some sort of dream.

Can't a scary story just end in a scary way? His best novels (in my opinion) do.

[FunkDaddy J]

I didn't like CELL at all. The characters felt flat, the villain was weak, the reliance on dreams was too strong, the climax seemed an afterthought, and you could too easily imagine King just lazily imagining everything as he goes along.

King needs to get hepped up on goofballs again.

[freudian-slip]

I personally enjoyed Cell. It was different (to me) than some of his recent work. There isn't a lot time spent up front on character development - the action just starts right away.

I actually found the end to be somewhat satisfying. And I agree, I could so see this as a movie.

As for as "dumbed down" writing... I'm no expert, but I would disagree with this accessment. Good writers can make writing look easy and words flow well. It didn't have the same literay flourishes of say, Bag of Bones, but then this is a totally different book. Good writing is supposed to feel easy (especially chewy junk food fiction!)

[JMLEWIS1]

FYI....I'm only 1/3 of the way through this book, so I don't know if the following will necessarily apply....

I love King for the first 2/3rds of of his books and will continue to read them for that reason BUT the last 1/3 is always a huge let down for me.

He will turn an excellent, gory, creepy, horror novel into a stupid ending that either has A) a weird telepathy angle, B) an evil man antagonist that doesn't really fit into the plot or C) one of the main characters has weird visions and the ending is resolved in some sort of dream.

Can't a scary story just end in a scary way? His best novels (in my opinion) do.

okay, I just finished it and even though it ended with a lot dreams etc...like I was complaining about above, it was still an okay ending. His next book seems really interesting and creepy....can't wait!

By the way, for those of you reading this as your first King book, go pick up Night Shift. In my opinion, that's his best work.

[Tommy Ceez]

I just finished it. I give it 4 out of 5 stars. I would give it 5 stars if not for the fact that this is now the 3rd King book in a row that's left me feeling a little unfulfilled in the end (other 2 were Dark Tower VII and Colorado Kid) . Some of you may like the way it's ends, but it kinda bugged me a little. I think the story itself could actually turn out well if/when it makes it's into to the screen either as a movie or mini-series.



It left you unfufilled and you gave it 4/5?

Im not even gonna read this, because at this point Im SOOOO negative going in to his books that Ill probably hate ANYTHING he writes these days...that fucking van driver and dog killed his talent

[Tommy Ceez]

Reading this now, and is my first Stephen King book...

Do yourself a BIG favor and read the old stuff...it will blow you away

[Tom Banjo]

It left you unfufilled and you gave it 4/5?

Im not even gonna read this, because at this point Im SOOOO negative going in to his books that Ill probably hate ANYTHING he writes these days...that fucking van driver and dog killed his talent

I gave the novel as a whole a 4 out of 5. But yes, the semi-cliffhanger ending left me a little unfulfilled. It was my only real complaint about an otherwise good book.

[Tarantino]

I read the first two chapters in Entertainment Weekly. Thought it was alright, but nothing that I'd want to read 500 pages of.

= J

[Fallacy]

Hello, I'm new around here and I am also a new Stephen King reader. I have been reading some of the comments about the book and I can guess that the reason why I like the book is exactly because I haven't read any of his other books.

Since the moment I started reading, I felt it was a plot that could easily turn into a movie (I have seen movies from his books).

I got hooked right away. I loved the idea of the cell phones turning our society into what King portrays. What I started disliking was the monotony, the lack of information. I still want to know what exactly caused the pulse (I might be sounding kind of ignorant here) but I feel the explanation was kind of shallow.

Finally, I felt, as many of you, not completely satisfied with the ending. I mean, I feel like it was easy to finish off the villain and then too complicated to end the way it did.

I still liked the book. Interesting premise and addictive plot! Definately, a page turner!

[Josh-da-man]

My g/f picked this up a Sam's a last week and read it over the weekend.

She said it was okay, and she liked that he was doing straight-up horror again. All of the pop-culture stuff in it sort of made it seem like King was an old fogey trying to be hip. And she hated the ending; the book just seemed to stop and it wasn't even a good or relevent ambiguous ending.

Not sure if I'll bother reading it or not.

[Tommy Ceez]

Hello, I'm new around here and I am also a new Stephen King reader. I have been reading some of the comments about the book and I can guess that the reason why I like the book is exactly because I haven't read any of his other books.

Since the moment I started reading, I felt it was a plot that could easily turn into a movie (I have seen movies from his books).

I got hooked right away. I loved the idea of the cell phones turning our society into what King portrays. What I started disliking was the monotony, the lack of information. I still want to know what exactly caused the pulse (I might be sounding kind of ignorant here) but I feel the explanation was kind of shallow.

Finally, I felt, as many of you, not completely satisfied with the ending. I mean, I feel like it was easy to finish off the villain and then too complicated to end the way it did.

I still liked the book. Interesting premise and addictive plot! Definately, a page turner!
Please read King's older work and post here...I would love to see your thoughts on the classics.

[The_Cube]

My g/f picked this up a Sam's a last week and read it over the weekend.

She said it was okay, and she liked that he was doing straight-up horror again. All of the pop-culture stuff in it sort of made it seem like King was an old fogey trying to be hip. And she hated the ending; the book just seemed to stop and it wasn't even a good or relevent ambiguous ending.

Not sure if I'll bother reading it or not.

I personally thought the ending was fantastic and ended at the right moment. Clay was looking for his son, Johnny, for most of the story. At the end he found Johnny in zombie mode. He took a risk to cure him of being a zombie, but turned into a zombie himself. The book ended right at that moment. How is that not a good time to end? What else could have happened? I guess Tom could have found them and cured them somehow. I am so glad the book didn't have the feel-good ending like many stories do.

[darkside]

I liked the book overall. Wasn't his best work by any means, but was a good read and worth the time. The book does kind of lose steam in hurry after the fantastic beginning, but I really had no issues with the ending. It didn't have the cheap and lazy feel the ending of Colorado Kid had. He told a complete story and the ending made sense though was kind of a ho hum way to finish.

I think its worth a read if you like King or zombie stuff. Its definitely a unique take on the zombie story.

[Morf]

Clay was looking for his son, Johnny, for most of the story. At the end he found Johnny in zombie mode. He took a risk to cure him of being a zombie, but turned into a zombie himself. The book ended right at that moment.

Wow, if Clay turned into a zombie at the close of the book, I completely missed that. I thought the book ended just as Clay dialed the number and put the phone up to his son's ear ... but maybe I mis-read? Anyone?

[12thmonkey]

Wow, if Clay turned into a zombie at the close of the book, I completely missed that. I thought the book ended just as Clay dialed the number and put the phone up to his son's ear ... but maybe I mis-read? Anyone?

I'm with you. I also thought the book ended with Clay dialing and then putting the phone to his son's ear

I'm thinking The_Cube may have misinterpreted/misread something.

[FantasticVSDoom]

I'm with you. I also thought the book ended with Clay dialing and then putting the phone to his son's ear

I'm thinking The_Cube may have misinterpreted/misread something.
This is exactly what I got as well...If it was the other way, then I was completly off base.

Please read King's older work and post here...I would love to see your thoughts on the classics.
Im in the same boat as this is the first King book Ive ever read as well...Recently started reading Salem's Lot as to go back and read what are considered some of his classics. Next up I think is going to be the Shinning, just because it is one of my all time fav movies.

[clappj]

I also thought the book ended with Clay dialing and then putting the phone to his son's ear

I'm thinking The_Cube may have misinterpreted/misread something.

That is how it ended. You just don't know if it worked or not.

[freudian-slip]

That is how it ended. You just don't know if it worked or not.

Agreed. That's what made it so neat - did it work? ... or???

[The_Cube]

I'm with you. I also thought the book ended with Clay dialing and then putting the phone to his son's ear

I'm thinking The_Cube may have misinterpreted/misread something.



Are you guys sure Clay didn't turn into a zombie. Right after he connected with the phone, he stated "Hey, Johnny-Gee," he said "Fo-fo-you-you." And pressed the cell against his son's ear.

The zombies mutated into being able to talk, but they didn't speak normally yet. Clay's last two lines at the end of the book sure make it sound like he was speaking like a zombie.

Can someone explain to me why he said "Fo-fo-you-you."? That just doesn't sound like something a sane human would say. That is what makes me think that the phone turned him into a zombie.

[JMLEWIS1]

Are you guys sure Clay didn't turn into a zombie. Right after he connected with the phone, he stated "Hey, Johnny-Gee," he said "Fo-fo-you-you." And pressed the cell against his son's ear.

The zombies mutated into being able to talk, but they didn't speak normally yet. Clay's last two lines at the end of the book sure make it sound like he was speaking like a zombie.

Can someone explain to me why he said "Fo-fo-you-you."? That just doesn't sound like something a sane human would say. That is what makes me think that the phone turned him into a zombie.


I was under the impression that he was just imitating the way they speak or the way you would speak to an infant (since that's the way he described Johnny). I didn't see where he would have done anything to turn himself into a vombie up to that point. The only time it said he dialed the phone was when he put it to Johnny's ear

[The_Cube]

I was under the impression that he was just imitating the way they speak or the way you would speak to an infant (since that's the way he described Johnny). I didn't see where he would have done anything to turn himself into a vombie up to that point. The only time it said he dialed the phone was when he put it to Johnny's ear


Another clue that points to him turning into a zombie is the sentence: "Clayton Riddell didn't allow himself time to think." This sentence occurs right after he dialed, so I was under the impression that the phone waves got to him before he could put the phone far enough away from his ear.

Remember in the beginning of the book, there were two girls who became a zombie from the same phone. So, you don't need to be right next to the phone to turn into a zombie. The girl who was further away from the phone turned into a semi-zombie, not a total zombie. I think Clay may have turned into a semi-zombie.

[funkyryno]

I like how one of the characters (Jordan) mentions the author Neal Stephenson. In his novel "Snow Crash," a virus spreads between computer users, which turns them into babbling idiots. Similar to what happen to people who are infected in "Cell." It seems as if King was influenced by that book and was giving Stephenson a nod.

Did anyone else notice that?

[Fincher Fan]

In his novel "Snow Crash," a virus spreads between computer users, which turns them into babbling idiots.

That's not a virus, it's called the Internet.

[darkside]

Another clue that points to him turning into a zombie is the sentence: "Clayton Riddell didn't allow himself time to think." This sentence occurs right after he dialed, so I was under the impression that the phone waves got to him before he could put the phone far enough away from his ear.

Remember in the beginning of the book, there were two girls who became a zombie from the same phone. So, you don't need to be right next to the phone to turn into a zombie. The girl who was further away from the phone turned into a semi-zombie, not a total zombie. I think Clay may have turned into a semi-zombie.




I will say I disagree on the ending, however, I kind of like endings that leave things open to though and conjecture. I certainly can't say what you suggested is impossible, but in my mind I didn't see it meaning that. Definitely could have happened though.

[Daveg27]

I'm gonna give it a 2/5 simply because I know how much better King can do. I didn't mind the ending so much, and that says a lot coming from someone that has NEVER been satisfied with Kings endings. He's very good with concepts and imagery, just can't ever seem to wrap it up well.

Dark Tower series is a perfect example.



Are you guys sure Clay didn't turn into a zombie. Right after he connected with the phone, he stated "Hey, Johnny-Gee," he said "Fo-fo-you-you." And pressed the cell against his son's ear.

The zombies mutated into being able to talk, but they didn't speak normally yet. Clay's last two lines at the end of the book sure make it sound like he was speaking like a zombie.

Can someone explain to me why he said "Fo-fo-you-you."? That just doesn't sound like something a sane human would say. That is what makes me think that the phone turned him into a zombie.

Yes, I'm sure that Clay didn't turn into a zombie. The "fo-fo-you-you" thing is referencing how Johnny used to talk on the phone when he was a toddler, it was referenced several times throughout the book. Clay was just handing the phone to his son the same way he would have done 10 years earlier.

I thought the villain(s) such as they were, were weak, this is one of the only books he's written where there really isn't an active good vs. evil component. The phonies were constantly referred to as unthinking. They didn't plan anything, they just followed some basic programming. Not very interesting. I didn't mind the lack of explanation of what the Pulse was, kinda puts you on the same level as the characters, you just have to fill in the blanks. The Jordan kid was annoying, he pulled a lot of stuff right out of the air that of course was 100% accurate every time. I did find it funny that computer viruses/worms were desribed as being able to mutate on their own. Any randomly self-modifying code just stops working, it doesn't degrade. And the whole "save to system" thing? WTF was that? If a system is wiped clean, it's wiped clean. No amount of re-infecting it with a "degraded" worm is gonna bring it back.

I've just started rereading The Stand, THAT is how an end of the world book should be written. Something that describes more than just a few small towns in the northeast. (Ok, Boston is pretty big I guess! ;) ) Rich in detail and lots of interesting characters, but again, not a very satisfying ending.

Oh well, if I could do better I would but I can't so I'll keep just keep forking over my money! :D

[Geofferson]

I like how one of the characters (Jordan) mentions the author Neal Stephenson. In his novel "Snow Crash," a virus spreads between computer users, which turns them into babbling idiots. Similar to what happen to people who are infected in "Cell." It seems as if King was influenced by that book and was giving Stephenson a nod.

Did anyone else notice that?
Yep - noticed that as well.

I also like the nod to Charles Ardai as the Headmaster. Mr. Ardai is the editor of Hard Case Crime who published King's The Colorado Kid last Fall.

[The_Cube]

Yes, I'm sure that Clay didn't turn into a zombie. The "fo-fo-you-you" thing is referencing how Johnny used to talk on the phone when he was a toddler, it was referenced several times throughout the book. Clay was just handing the phone to his son the same way he would have done 10 years earlier.

I'm still sticking with my ending. There is a good chance the book ended the way you thought it ended, but it just makes more sense to me the way I thought it ended.

I must have missed the part in the book where Clay said "fo-fo-you-you" to Johnny as a toddler. Sometimes I accidently read an entire paragraph without thinking.

I think the "fo-fo-you-you" is referencing the style of the zombie language such as the way the zombies write "KASHWAK=NO-FO" everywhere.


Overall, I'd give this book a 90%. It is better than 9 out of 10 books I have read in my lifetime.

[Morf]

I think the "fo-fo-you-you" is referencing the style of the zombie language such as the way the zombies write "KASHWAK=NO-FO" everywhere.

Sorry, but you are 100% wrong. That was indeed how his son spoke as a toddler, and was referenced several times turing the story. I agree with everyone else that Clay did NOT turn into a zombie, even moreso now because it seems your entire basis for that line of thinking has been officially disproven.

[The_Cube]

Sorry, but you are 100% wrong. That was indeed how his son spoke as a toddler, and was referenced several times turing the story. I agree with everyone else that Clay did NOT turn into a zombie, even moreso now because it seems your entire basis for that line of thinking has been officially disproven.

You still haven't convinced me. My entire basis wasn't on the one idea you think you proved wrong. I wasn't aware that you proved anything 100% wrong. Read my other idea in my above posts for why I think the way I do.


"KASHWAK=NO-FO" sure sounds quite a bit like the style of "fo-fo-you-you" to me. Maybe King is making it sound like the way Clay talked to Johnny as a toddler and the way the zombies talk. It leaves the ending open for the reader to decide if he was speaking like a zombie or talking to a toddler.

I think he was talking like a zombie because Johnny wasn't a toddler. I wouldn't speak to a kid who is almost a teenager in toddler language even if he did have a cognitive disability.

Morf, I'm not saying the way you thought the book ended is wrong. It could be right. There is a good chance it is right. However, there is still a chance it ended the way I believe it ended. I'd also appreciate it if you would quit being rude to me in your posts (You know the other thread you were rude to me in).

[Morf]

You read way too much into my comments; I'm not trying to be rude. I'm sorry if you are taking it that way. Methinks you need a thicker skin if you intend to hang around internet bulletin boards. :shrug:

All I'm stating is that it is 100% proven that the phrase was established as having been used by Clay's son as a toddler. We agree on that. It wasn't initially intended as "zombie speak," and although Clay could have been using it as zombie speak, I find that highly unlikely and, quite frankly, a far-fetched idea.

Clay's son was definitely a zombie, and the last several pages of the book showed how his son was acting like a deranged, subhuman or mentally deranged person. Like a person uses baby talk to speak to animals and, well, babies, Clay did this when speaking to his son. It was a father/son moment, not a zombie/zombie moment.

Anyway, how do you argue that Clay turned into a zombie? He never listened to the phone, did he?

[The_Cube]

You read way too much into my comments; I'm not trying to be rude. I'm sorry if you are taking it that way. Methinks you need a thicker skin if you intend to hang around internet bulletin boards. :shrug:

All I'm stating is that it is 100% proven that the phrase was established as having been used by Clay's son as a toddler. We agree on that. It wasn't initially intended as "zombie speak," and although Clay could have been using it as zombie speak, I find that highly unlikely and, quite frankly, a far-fetched idea.

Clay's son was definitely a zombie, and the last several pages of the book showed how his son was acting like a deranged, subhuman or mentally deranged person. Like a person uses baby talk to speak to animals and, well, babies, Clay did this when speaking to his son. It was a father/son moment, not a zombie/zombie moment.

Anyway, how do you argue that Clay turned into a zombie? He never listened to the phone, did he?



At least you finally admit that my idea for the ending is possible even it does seem far-fetched to you.

Just because this is an internet message board, doesn't mean that you shouldn't use some tact when you write to other people. The comment "Sorry, but you are 100% wrong." just isn't very nice. I basically took the comment as saying that I was a complete moron for comprehending the book the way I did. Also, the comment you made to me the other day made me feel insignificant. I'm a sensitive person.

[Daveg27]

The comment "Sorry, but you are 100% wrong." just isn't very nice. I basically took the comment as saying that I was a complete moron for comprehending the book the way I did. Also, the comment you made to me the other day made me feel insignificant. I'm a sensitive person.Just another example of where the internet loses a lot in translation. He wan't being rude, just disagreeing, 100%. ;)

I do find it a little ironic that you misinterpreted his post about your misinterpreting the ending of the book. ;)

Standard Internet Disclaimer:
That was just a joke and not meant to be rude.

[Morf]

The comment "Sorry, but you are 100% wrong." just isn't very nice. I basically took the comment as saying that I was a complete moron for comprehending the book the way I did.

Not at all. What I said was actually valid. It was in reference to one statement that you made and that I quoted in my reply: "I think the "fo-fo-you-you" is referencing the style of the zombie language such as the way the zombies write "KASHWAK=NO-FO" everywhere.". I pointed out that your theory, as others also mentioned, is not true. In fact, your theory was "100% false" as provided by proof in the text. Simple as that.

Sorry if you get overly sensitive, but you are going to have to learn how to take criticism, sarcasm, and off-handed joke comments, especially when internet/forum memes are concerned. You'll soon learn that many of us posting have our own personalities and will make what seem like snide comments when we are in fact trying to get a laugh out of others. You'll note that I refrain from personal attacks. Just live and learn, I guess. Consider my thoughts on the matter finished. :up:

[Tygan]

Actually, the "fo-fo you-you" deal was reference to when his son was younger, if the phone rang he would say something like "is it fo-fo-fo me-me?" He's just speaking like his son used to...I highly doubt the theories presented above.

[clappj]

Actually, the "fo-fo you-you" deal was reference to when his son was younger, if the phone rang he would say something like "is it fo-fo-fo me-me?" He's just speaking like his son used to...I highly doubt the theories presented above.

You're right on that one.
Clay dialed 911 and said that to his son as held the phone to his (son's) ear.
End of story...literally. :)

[Geofferson]

Variety is reporting that Dimension Films has aquired the rights to this and has tapped Eli Roth (Hostel) to direct.

[NatrlBornThrllr]

http://www.aint-it-cool-news.com/display.cgi?id=22663

[Tygan]

Saw that this morning...pretty funny considering that I finished the book last night. I thought it was a good read...but I think it might be difficult to adapt into a movie due to certain aspects of the plot.

[thecrazydude]

Just finished it and thought it was a pretty good "end of the world" read. I have no problem with the vague ending. It was actually refreshing to read a Stephen King novel thats under 700 pages. I finished the Cell in 6 days. Not too bad by my standards!

P.S. - I also love Kings "retirement"...We should be so productive when we retire. :)

[mdc3000]

Just read this. Thought it was highly entertaining and moved at a very quick pace. I haven't read much King, but I loved this book. Sure the ending was a slight disappointment, but it worked well with the overall flow of the novel and I like that nothing was tied in a neat little bow.

Shocked at all the back and forth in this thread about the ending... clearly Clay handed the phone to Johnny and was just talking to him like back when he was younger. A great summer read and I'm definitely interested to see what Roth will do with the movie. I think he's done some good horror work, but I hope he can raise his game to do this one some justice.

MATT
I don't own a cell phone.

[maxfisher]

In regards to the discussion on the ending, Stephen has a message up on his site saying he thinks the final third of the book makes it pretty clear that things turn out ok for Clay's son...

[Groucho]

Just finished this. Thought it was a good read, and a fresh take on zombie stories. I'm not a big Eli Roth fan, but I must admit he's a good choice to direct the film (although I'd prefer to see this as an HBO mini-series).

[crazyronin]

I'm gonna give it a 2/5 simply because I know how much better King can do. I didn't mind the ending so much, and that says a lot coming from someone that has NEVER been satisfied with Kings endings. He's very good with concepts and imagery, just can't ever seem to wrap it up well.



I think you're being generous. 1/5. Stephen King simply cannot finish a story satisfactorily. Last King book I will ever read unless I'm infected by a cell phone virus and turned into a mindless zombie.

[s}{ammer]

I think you're being generous. 1/5. Stephen King simply cannot finish a story satisfactorily. Last King book I will ever read unless I'm infected by a cell phone virus and turned into a mindless zombie.

Wow, that's so harsh. I read this a few months back and loved it. I couldn't put it down at the time. The ending, was perfect. You know what happens and yet he didn't have to spell it out for you. I thought it mixed the whole pulse idea with zombies very well and it was a great and easy read.

[maingon]

Just finished it today, Had the book for a while just never had the time to finish it, I liked it, The beginning was great. But the last half was so-so. I didnt care for the ending too much

[moorehed]

just finished the book. thought it was great. ending was good as well. don't most all zombie flicks end with a bit of uncertainty?

[Seantn]

I read most of the book last May and then just realized today that I had never finished the final 60 pages of it. I really liked this book a lot. I do think that the first half was better, before they started delving into the whole "phone crazies can fly and levetate and use telepathy" stuff, but I still liked the book overall and am looking forward to the movie. I'm also happy that Eli Roth is not writing the script, but just directing it. It'll be good to see what he can do with someone else's material, since his stuff up to this point is just directing his own stories.

[Fincher Fan]

I'd prefer to see this as an HBO mini-series.

There isn't enough to the story to warrant a mini-series. I think a decent film could be made of it, though.

[Xander]

Finally got this one read. Big SK fan, and I liked this one a lot. The ending did piss me off, but I'm one of those folks that likes a nice neat ending to my stories, though. :P The ending of the Dark Tower series pissed me off too, but I eventually kind of liked it after I thought about it for a while. May come around to this one too.

[NebSKFan]

Anyone have any idea what the dates meant at the very end? Someone mentioned the fo-fo thing above, and that helped clear that up. He was starting from scratch.

Thanks

[Abob Teff]

Read this just about a month ago . . . my two big criticisms of King stories are generally they are too long (and thus convoluted) and the endings.

The length of this may have been just a tad too long (the levitating and stuff was feeling out of place, which indicates it is droning on), but definitely glad it was not longer. It would not generate enough material to make a mini-series. I'd like to take a stab at the screenplay though (yes, lit is heavy on interior thought/monologue, but I was working it out in my head as I read).

As has been mentioned, the end falls back to what I call "Old King Familiars" -- but I think different ones than what was mentioned. Of course, one of the "OKFs" is to blow it all up . . . but it highly reminded me of one of the most chilling endings I have ever read: "Darling, it said."

At first I kept harkening to the disaster of a film (and it's remake) "Pulse." Luckily that stigma was shed early on. I liked that this novel was a little more simplistic than previous King works. It had its flaws, but was definitely one of my favorite King books in a while (tried to begin Lisey's Story -- can't get going.)

[Abob Teff]

Afterthought: Richard Dreyfus for Tom -- although that may be a thought 15-20 years too late.

[brainee]

Finally read this. I'm a bit disenfranchised with new King, but I have to say this is one of his newer books that I think is pretty good. I was worried that this would be a knock-off of 28 Days Later (and similar stories), but King took things in an original direction as the story went along. King still has a tendency to make his characters speak and act too cutesy at times, and seemingly can't resist going a whole book without slamming us with some profound mystical/religious significance. But overall solid stuff ... fast reading.

About the ending ... first about Clay's fate: don't be silly ... of course he didn't turn into a zombie! He dialed the number, put the phone to his kid's ear, in the hope of causing the "system re-install". What possible reason could he have for planning on becoming a zombie? And he's certainly well-aware of the right distance to keep from the phone to not accidentally hurt himself. It was baby talk he saying ... not zombie talk. You guys can argue all you want for the other position, but you'd just be wrong.

about the ending proper (and explanations): I was ok with it. As pointed out, zombie stories generally have ambiguous endings anyway. Like the Spielberg WotW, King wanted to show the apocalypse from the vantage point of ordinary people. That means not being filled in on the big picture. Yeah, it gets you thinking what the source of the Pulse was. Terrorists? A foreign government? Experiment gone wrong? Alien invasion? Surprised aliens weren't mentioned at all ... that was the first thing I thought of. The Pulse had high-tech alien invasion written all over it (especially with the reprogramming stuff). Worms in the program has deus ex machina written all over it (another flaw that King repeatedly has trouble with). But it didn't seem as bad as other books. At least he planted the worm stuff throughout the book. And it is adapted from an accepted deus ex machina ending from a classic - Welle's WotW. Though it seemed a bit silly to me how easily the gang was able to destroy the Raggedy Man and his flock. King already established how the phoners were smarter about putting guards around their "sleeping" flocks. But they neglect to do something similar for the most dangerous "normals" around the most critical flock? I didn't buy that - classic thriller stupidity of the brilliant villains acting like morons at just the right moment for the good guys to pull a victory out of nowhere.

[boredsilly]

I finished this recently and I have to say I absolutely loved the book. The first half was fantastic, with the latter half of the book falling a bit, but still managing to keep my interest. Maybe it wasn't the deepest story ever, but I was thoroughly entertained by this.

The first quarter of the book, with the outbreak and Clay forming his party and seeking shelter, rivaled any "zombie" books for sheer pulse pounding action/tense scenes I've ever read. It was unrelenting.

I did however have 2 problems.

The ending:


This I hated. When Clay actually found his son, this whole section took the book down a few solid notches for me. If King wanted to be ambiguous about the ending, I would have much preferred he end the book right when Clay parts with Jordan and Tom. That would have been much more satisfying for me.

The other problem I had, and this is just a personal one, was his killing off Alice. She was such a neat character, that I wish she could have stuck around to the end.


I'm another reader who is new to King, so I too can't wait to dig into the older stuff. Everything I've read so far has been really enjoyable.

[maingon]

Yeah i think the last half was kind of weak, still was interesting, but the first half was great.

[Elkabong57]

I just finished this book today. while i haven't read much king i am a "zombie" fan. This was an interesting take on the genre. I found it to be a bit dragged out for the last half but overall i enjoyed it. I would be interested in seeing it turned into a movie.

[redskull]

Just finished this as well. It was a great outline for a story... now SK just needs to sit down and write the actual novel ;-)

I agree that the first 1/4 or so of the book was amazing. The cars crashing, planes falling out of the sky, phoners tearing people limb from limb, no one knowing what the heck was going on--it was intense to say the least. Then apparently there was some mishap at the publishing company because someone pasted pages from a completely different book into my copy, because the last 3/4 of the book were a huge letdown for me.

For one thing, this book seemed like "The Stand Lite." The Stand is my all time favorite book, and all through Cell I couldn't help making comparisons. The Pulse is really the superflu, the survivors didn't have cell phones just like the Stand survivors had immunity to the flu, the Raggedy Man is Randall Flag, everyone is having the same dream, everyone is picturing the same place in the dreams, the Pulse survivors are to be put on trial in an arena just like in the Stand, the phoners and Flag's followers are both destroyed by an explosion... C'mon, SK

The whole change in the phoners seemed to come out of nowhere. It was jarring. One day they're insane feral creatures, murdering anything they see, and the next they're docile "flockers" who listen to elevator music on boomboxes (!) and inexpilcably develop telepathy (!!). It just didn't work for me.

The death of Alice was so clumsily handled that I was convinced until the final page that it was a phoner concocted "illusion" meant to fool the other characters. I guess SK was trying to be shocking by killing off a main character unexpectedly, but it just seemed poorly handled.

The phoners were defeated so easily it was almost laughable. The heroes blow up a flock in Gaiten, so the phoners want to put them on trial for doing so. But before they can do so, the heroes BLOW THEM UP AGAIN IN EXACTLY THE SAME WAY, killing all the "true" phoners & their hive mind (I guess?) and leaving only the "corrupted" ones. One again, a sequence so awkwardly handled that I thought it was another telepathic illusion, and Clay & the others would wake up in the arena, realizing they didn't win after all (now THAT would have been an ending!).

The ending was shocking in its abruptness and ambiguousness. My copy of the book had about 20 more pages of some new story by SK, written in longhand, so when I got to the "end," I saw all the extra pages left and was sure there had to be more to the story. I agree that if it had to end uncertainly, it should have ended when Clay left Tom & the others.

Anyway, I've always been a SK fan, but this is the first post-accident book of his I've read. I have to say, I'm not very impressed.

[basaro]

For anyone who doesn't have this yet, it's still on clearance at BN for like $6.99.

[DRG]

Stephen King simply cannot finish a story satisfactorily.

I do agree with this for a lot of his works. After reading his writing memoir/manual On Writing I understand why. His writing philosophy is that he doesn't agree with plotting his stories out, and instead takes a seed of an idea and just runs with it. He just writes and 'discovers' the story as he goes. While this method is great for a story's urgency and spontaneity, it also means he has no idea where he's going. I feel a lot of his stories have incredible buildup and just drop off at the end because the train has run out of track yet he has to end it *somehow*.

[JAA]

I do agree with this for a lot of his works. After reading his writing memoir/manual On Writing I understand why. His writing philosophy is that he doesn't agree with plotting his stories out, and instead takes a seed of an idea and just runs with it. He just writes and 'discovers' the story as he goes. While this method is great for a story's urgency and spontaneity, it also means he has no idea where he's going. I feel a lot of his stories have incredible buildup and just drop off at the end because the train has run out of track yet he has to end it *somehow*.

Excellent point. I still enjoy that journey, however. :)