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More Information About Stephen King’s New Novel, Revival

Old 02-05-14, 11:53 PM
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More Information About Stephen King’s New Novel, Revival

Revival by Stephen King, another brand new 500+ page novel from the King of Horror is due from Scribner later this year! This new book is in addition to Mr. Mercedes which will be published in June 2014.

About the Book:

From master storyteller Stephen King comes Revival, a spectacularly dark and riveting novel about addiction, religion, fanaticism, and what might exist on the other side of life.

In a small New England town more than half a century ago, a boy is playing with his new toy soldiers in the dirt in front of his house when a shadow falls over him. He looks up to see a striking man, the new minister, Jamie learns later, who with his beautiful wife, will transform the church and the town. The men and boys are a bit in love with Mrs. Jacobs; the women and girls, with the Reverend Jacobs — including Jamie’s sisters and mother. Then tragedy strikes, and this charismatic preacher curses God, and is banished from the shocked town.

Jamie has demons of his own. Wed to his guitar from age 13, he plays in bands across the country, running from his own family tragedies, losing one job after another when his addictions get the better of him. Decades later, sober and living a decent life, he and Reverend Charles Jacobs meet again in a pact beyond even the Devil’s devising, and the many terrifying meanings of Revival are revealed.

King imbues this spectacularly rich and dark novel with everything he knows about music, addiction, and religious fanaticism, and every nightmare we ever had about death. This is a masterpiece from King, in the great American tradition of Frank Norris, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Edgar Allan Poe.

Revival will be published in November 2014.



http://firewireblog.com/2014/01/31/m...novel-revival/
Old 02-07-14, 10:24 AM
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Re: More Information About Stephen King’s New Novel, Revival

I'm always in for a King novel... this sounds very good.
Old 02-07-14, 09:08 PM
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Re: More Information About Stephen King’s New Novel, Revival

Sounds like a good novel for hatetheists like myself!
Old 10-30-14, 08:35 AM
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Re: More Information About Stephen King’s New Novel, Revival

So, I keep seeing countdowns to Revival coming out on November 11th. However, I just can't seem to get excited.

I continue to buy his books to keep my collection complete, but the last time I remember being excited to read one of his books was probably when the Dark Tower series ended in 2004.

I still enjoyed a few of his later books when I read them, like The Colorado Kid [2005], Cell [2006], and Blaze [2007]. However, most of his other books have alternated in varying degrees between okay (Duma Key [2008]) and boring (11/22/63 [2011]).

I enjoyed the The Wind Through the Keyhole [2012]. It was a refreshingly short book with 3 separate story layers, but is a Dark Tower story so can't really be thoroughly enjoyed outside of that story cycle.

Other books like Under The Dome [2009] started out okay but turned to complete shit by the end, almost as though the man cannot write a good ending to save his life. Lisey's Story [2006] was apparently written for a different audience than me as I've heard some people love it, but I could barely stomach it because of the ridiculous lover-talk dialect that dominated the entire book. It didn't make me like the characters. It made me loath them.

After The Wind Through the Keyhole, I continued to buy the books but no longer felt the desire to start reading them right away. I started reading Joyland [2013] a few weeks after I bought it when it first came out, and have gone back to it a couple of times, but am still not even half way through it. It's not exactly bad. It's just that I keep looking for a reason to give a shit about the main character and can't find one. It's really hard to keep reading a story that's following a single character when you really don't care about them.

After that I haven't even started reading Doctor Sleep [2013] or Mr. Mercedes [2014] although they're on my bookshelf. I just don't read nearly as much as I probably should and have books by much better authors sitting around wanting to be read or read again. When I feel like reading, it also seems like a waste of time to pick up a recent Stephen King novel since I'll probably be disappointed.

On the other hand, I've read most of his short stories as they've come out in various publications, and still really enjoy them. They're usually interesting character studies, and since they're short works, he doesn't have time to layer on his contrived twists and overused plot devices.

He's had two recent collections (Just After Sunset [2008] and Full Dark, No Stars [2010]). I enjoyed both and would recommend them. I'm actually excited for his new untitled short story collection coming out sometime in 2015. I've read most of the stories that will probably be in it, but there may be some new stories added to it as well.

Perhaps my reading tastes, as small as they may be, have evolved and matured, or maybe I'm just growing more pessimistic and his contrived endings and cardboard characters are starting to bore me. It's also possible that he's lost his ability to write a good novel and I'm just no longer willing to turn a blind eye.
Old 11-13-14, 11:09 AM
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Re: More Information About Stephen King’s New Novel, Revival

You're probably used to his original style of writing. He has changed over the years, and although I respect his writing immensely, I've passed on his works over the last decade like yourself. It's probably because I want a long and complicated novel, with so many twists and characters that I have to read the chapter again--which I like doing for some reason, as it's fun.
Old 11-20-14, 06:24 AM
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Re: More Information About Stephen King’s New Novel, Revival

This book is getting rave reviews. I'm about a third of the way through it and have no idea why. This is one of the more dull books he's ever written, at least thus far.

I keep reading about how it's his "darkest novel to date"...thus far, I absolutely don't see it. Hopefully it gets better. I own every book he's ever published.
Old 11-20-14, 07:05 AM
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Re: More Information About Stephen King’s New Novel, Revival

Originally Posted by argh923
I own every book he's ever published.
Even Six Stories?
Old 11-20-14, 07:09 AM
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Re: More Information About Stephen King’s New Novel, Revival

.....almost every book.
Old 11-20-14, 11:27 AM
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Re: More Information About Stephen King’s New Novel, Revival

I have all his novels too. The problem with Stephen King, is that his very best books are light years better than most anything out there at the time, That a medicore book released, will still get rave reviews just for being decently good. Sort of like Michael Jordan in his twilight years.
I think his built in audience is so large that, they are almost automatic bestsellers at this point.
We can test this theory if a Stephen King's Maine Lobster cookbook comes out!
Old 11-20-14, 01:10 PM
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Re: More Information About Stephen King’s New Novel, Revival

Going to start this next I think. I definitely wouldn't describe myself as a big fan, but I've read a number of his books, and kind of feel compelled to read what he releases.
Old 11-21-14, 07:19 AM
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Re: More Information About Stephen King’s New Novel, Revival

Starting to pick up a little bit. I still wouldn't call it dark...but the story is more interesting. I think I'm right around page #200, when

Spoiler:
Jamie Morton and his boss are about to go watch Jacobs perform
Old 11-24-14, 09:33 AM
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Re: More Information About Stephen King’s New Novel, Revival

It is a very dark book, but it really takes
Spoiler:
getting all the way through to the ending
to realize it. It was certainly an enjoyable read, but I can't see myself ever reading it again.
Old 11-25-14, 02:47 AM
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Re: More Information About Stephen King’s New Novel, Revival

Can't wait to get my hands on this one, probably this weekend. Loved his 2008 book, Duma Key.
Old 11-25-14, 06:44 AM
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Re: More Information About Stephen King’s New Novel, Revival

After finishing it, I agree with Tom Banjo. It really picks up as it gets closer to the finale, and does have a satisfying conclusion. I liked it overall. Just takes a lot longer to realize where he's going with the story than his usual books.
Old 12-05-14, 02:29 PM
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Re: More Information About Stephen King’s New Novel, Revival

I hope it picks up, because so far I'm having a hard time in sticking to it. I'm probably about halfway through, and it's taking me a lot longer than it typically takes me, just because of my lack of interest.
Old 01-12-15, 07:37 PM
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Re: More Information About Stephen King’s New Novel, Revival

I just tore through this one this weekend. I really enjoyed it but it definitely felt 'light' and almost meandering until the final 100 or so pages. Pretty damn dark ending too. King did an amazing job giving us a feel for C.D. Jacobs falling from grace over the years despite him not being the main character.

Also since I just read Joyland, it was fun having ties to that novel in this one.

As for spoilery thoughts::
Spoiler:

First, despite thanking Mary Shelley at the outset I never put 2 and 2 together until the final reveal that this was a modern Frankenstein story. He basically pulled off an "I see dead people" right from the first page and with the cover design. lol

I thought the ending was pretty cool, but man it could have gone so many ways. First I thought of Jacobs trying to open a doorway to heaven to see Patsy and Morrie, which would have been different for King. Of course, having just read 11/22/63, being able to access heaven could have wrought all kinds of detrimental 'butterfly' like effects.

However this book could have played amazingly as a prequel to the Mist. Since the Mist is vague enough (not sure if a year was given) with how the tears in reality happened (just thinking the military caused it, never confirmed, IIRC), Jacobs being the originator would have been interesting but maybe a little too 'inside baseball' for a casual reader.

Along those same lines, Jacob being able to access the Dark Tower universe is another path it could have gone.


Overall definitely satisfied.

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