Lisey's Story by Stephen King

I just finished the new Stephen King book, "Lisey's Story". Stephen King has always been one of my favorite authors, but lately, I find myself liking his old stuff better - kind of like I don't like anything Elton John did after about 1975. I find I like Stephen King best when he is just writing about normal, day-to-day stuff - he has a real eye for detail and dialogue. When his books inevitably veer into the supernatural (I know, I know, that's his genre), I lose interest a little. But to get back to Lisey's Story, it is a good book, and a fast read (even at over 500 pages, it's one of his shorter books). Should you buy it? If you are a diehard Stephen King fan, you will anyway. Otherwise, I would read it first (you can get it at the library, like I did, although there will probably be a waiting list), and then decide whether you want it for your bookshelf.

By the way, I think the critics tend to be much too harsh on poor Mr. King, so I was glad to see that this book has been pretty much well received. In my opinion, his best book, and the one you may want to start with if you are new to Stephen King, is "The Stand". Even if you saw the miniseries, the book goes into much more detail and is really an enjoyable read.

Oh and also by the way, I sincerely hope that never uses the word "smucking" in any of his books, ever again. I thought it was going to drive me nuts, and all I could think of was Smucker's Jam. If you read the book, you'll know what I'm talking about.

As always, all comments - positive, negative or otherwise - are welcomed! Let me know what you think!