Wherein our hero Durfee reviews the new novel Fairy Tale by Stephen King. #FairyTale #StephenKing #BookReview see all of my Stephen King reviews here with this playlist • Stephen King Book Reviews
@@AmityvilleFan it starts off good with the kid, his trauma, and growing up with a needy Dad while being a suffering and needy son....it grows with his relationship with the old man. But, the portal, fantasy world, and its characters are not as interesting as the real world. So, if you picked this up because it's supposed to be fantasy, you will likely be disappointed.
@@Speed202 The portal-fantasy is supposed to be the book, before that is just fluff. But no matter why you would buy this, you'll be disappointed, because the portal-fantasy takes up a hugh chunk, and it is either needless for the small-town melodrama, or simply doesn't function as the marketed content of the book. #StephneKingSuck
I particularly loved the part in the audiobook where Stephen King plays the voice of the tape recording Mr. Bowditch left Charlie. Nice little easter egg. I also loved that the audiobook made that tape recording sound just like a real tape recording by having static and fuzz in it. Such a nice touch, I loved the detail. I liked the book overall, first half much more than the second, the middle just got a tad monotonous for me and went in a direction I didn't care for too much. LOVED the ending. 4/5 for me, great book.
My ADHD and a mild addiction to RU-vid have made it really hard for me to read or watch movies now days. Is it hard to retain the information from audiobooks? I miss reading so bad, but I'll need to get back into a psychiatrist and get to an optometrist before it would be really feasible.
@@CurieBohr The amazing thing is that he's actually _reading_ the books. Unlike other BookTubers who skim through it and throw up a terrible review, Durfee _ACTUALLY READS THE BOOKS_ and so fast too! I wish he'd do a better guide on how to improve your reading speed because I'm awful. (I have a short attention span too)
@@dustymetso at 300 wpm that book would take near 12 hours out of 48. Add sleep, work, video creation, preparing food etc, it’s dang near impossible. Might not be healthy. Maybe audiobook at 2.0 speed….
Hi Mr. Durfee. I really like your review. It’s nice that you didn’t spoil the book. I think for a Constant Reader, this latest novel of his is a return to form. The book starts out innocuously with sketches of characters in a small town with plucky young protagonist and later a wonderful dog too. The early half of the book despite no supernatural incidents is a joy to read / listen. Highly recommends. The audible voice narration is possibly one of the best I’ve heard. Not just a narration but a tour de force of a performance. With that great cameo by Stephen King.
Just finished it earlier today. Loved it! Like a mix between The Talisman and that old classic movie "Little Monsters". I've been putting every SK novel I've read into tiers, and I honestly have to throw this in the S-tier. King still has his fastball after all these years
I always enjoy when King writes a book that is EASY to read from the get-go... I find some of his books, (Misery, for example) require a lot more focus and feel like a bit of a slog to read. This one is everything I love about his books, including how he throws you right into the story from page one. Loving it so far. Thanks for the review.
I just finished this book the other day, and I really enjoyed it. Charlie and Radar make a great duo, and I loved the world King created. The world and denizens within seemed like a cross between Alice in Wonderland, and Return to Oz.
Thank you, Brian!! I was curious about this! It took me a while to be able to watch the video, and I'm glad you offered your thoughts about it!! YEAH!!
I bought the Audible version after watching your review. I’m very pleased so far. It is my first King book but I am familiar with much of his work in a passing sort of way. Lots of memorable lines and turns of phrase. I was really tickled by Charlie’s references to Cujo, having watched it as a kid. It is an intriguing thing to see King use his own famous creation (Cujo) as a now famous and somewhat primordial fear of his teenage character Charlie. King’s work is legendary even within his own stories. Fantastic stuff so far.
I know I'm late, and I even finished this on the 10th but I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Mike kinda bummed me out bc he didn't care for the fantasy half of the book, which to me was THE BOOK! Like you, I thought it was just an enjoyable experience with characters written in the way only King can do! Great review man as always!
Fabulous review--gave me an idea of what the book is like without diving in too far. Not always easy to do that. Been getting the urge to read another Stephen King novel. This one might be my next!
Thanks for your great reviews! I just finished The Forgetting Moon two days ago and absolutely loved it! I'm now about 200 pages into The Blackest Heart and its a fabulous follow up thus far. I'm so excited to see where the story goes.
Surprised me by reviewing the book I happen to be reading. Months ago I requested my local library get it and they called me the day it was released so I'm getting to read it for free. It reads faster than a Gray Man book, quite a feat.
You actually did the description of the fantasy land justice. Acid trippy weird lovecraftian alice in wonderland type fantasy land. I'm 50% in right now
I met Master King...at age 17 in 1979, at a book signing in the back of a shaker hts ohio book 📕 store...ill never forget our convo...or him..ive read every book hes ever written.
i'm so Jealous you've met him and so young too have you been up to Main ? he's got books at the library up there you can read that weren't finished and short stories too but i believe you have to have permission to read those and you can't take them out either they have to stay there. there is one book that is quite thick if Wikipedia is honest pretty thick that he wrote in (1970) that he never put out later in life cause he thinks it's simply dreadful.
Thanks for the review I am going to buy this book. The book sounds very interesting. Love all your reviews on your book thanks again take care Mr Durfee.
I am 33 percent into this. But I can't stop switching between it, the Forgetting moon, dark age, and the ninth rain. Can't wait for the final book in the your trilogy
Also! I too am a fast reader, and can't sleep without an audiobook. It's frustrating trying to get thru a book, when I read around 425 wpm, so I feel your pain. I hope your eyesight issue is going as well as it possibly can be going. Much love and respect, brian!
@@seanhalpin87 I am intrigued by fast readers and want to read faster. Do you actually ‘hear’ each word in your head as you read fast? I have been working really hard to stop ‘mouthing’ the words. Any tips? Drew
I read in a similar way. I’m switching between Fairytale(hard copy), The drawing of the three(audiobook), and the barrow(hard copy). How is the ninth rain? I just had my copy delivered.
I less hear the words than visualize the scene in my head, I think it may have to do with my thousands of hours of listening to audiobooks that helps me do that? I'm not sure. Ninth rain was a solid 4/5 for me, the characters weren't the most amazing I've ever read, but the unique twists on old tropes, and the absolutely bonkers world building really REALLY made it a super great read. I'm reading bitter twins now and I'm not sure how I feel thus far, I've heard it has awful case of middle book syndrome, but we'll see!
I'm on chapter 2 and for me it's somewhere between 112263 and It, with a little of Stand by Me mixed in. Not so much because of the horror element (althouth I might be too early in the book to tell) but because of the way King writes his child protagonists and the backa and forth they have in the scenes where they communicate with adults. Very Americana and very late 80s/early 90s Sandlot feel. Couldn't wait for it to arrive by mail so I downloaded it and started reading it on my phone. Better than scrolling Facebook and Instagram so far bya a long shot. 😁
Thank you for the review, I was wondering where this would fall on the King spectrum and if Inwould pick it up soon or wait until winter. I think I'll wait, I have some other new horror books it feels like the season for and also this wee fantasy called The Forgetting Moon that just came in the mail to get to first.
I just got this for Christmas. I've been looking at a ton of reviews for it and yours is the Best! Thanks, love your channel, I sub'd. Your a keeper!🤓 Happy new year!
Hope you enjoyed the novel. I finally got the opportunity to finish the book yesterday and enjoyed it. I'm a slow reader, but It was very nice characterization throughout that Stephen King knows how to do splendidly with the majority of his stories!
@@crazyconan28 I just started it last week, I was finishing up another book first. I'm a slower reader than I used to be lol I'm only in mid chapter 3, I love it so far! Glad you enjoyed it! xx
Completely unrelated to this video, but I picked up The Forgetting Moon on Audible during the summer end sale! Made a video about it! I will be reading it in November. Thanks for being a great BookTuber!
My favorite quote from the book: (pg 595-596) "You might as well ask who made the world." Ours and others. I'm sure there are others, maybe as many as there are stars in the sky. We sense them. They funnel down to us in all the old stories. Such a nice thread in fairy tale linking it to the dark tower. "Go then, there are other worlds than these." Another great Stephen King book is From a Buick 8, where the worlds are connected via the trunk of a car. Obviously the book was about a little kid whose cop dad died on a freeway where some guy driving a Buick rammed into him. From a Buick 8 was a coming of age story. I think the kids name was Jake. One can argue that fairy tale was a coming of age story where Charlie Reade develops into an adult by the end of it. I am glad to have read it. Maybe one day I'll read it again.
I like your Review of Stephen King’s new Novel Fairy Tale as you said Fantasy Adventure and much more in this novel definite read by me after watching your Review I like it 😃👌🏻💫👍🏻
i felt the same about the 1st half of FAIR TALE ...But once you get past the we'll say Caractor Building / Call Backs later... you get what you wanted and not bummed when that half of the story starts.
Man, just finished forgetting moon. Absolutely incredible. The characters are great, from the good and the bad. I read alot of fantasy and I was hooked. Can't wait to read Blackest heart. Sorry I know this video is about fairytale s king. Just thought I would mention.
Thanks for the review. I also prefer SK horror, do wish he would return to it. Horror, some post apoc would be a treat. He masters in these scenarios. Even a sprinkle of sci fi. Of cause there is some fantasy in a lot of his horror novel which makes the book more enjoyable.
It almost sounds similar to the world they go to in The Talisman. Would that be comparable? I’m going to binge a few classic King books this fall, I’m conflicted about buying this one though.
Great video Brian! I thought it was an eye on the front cover until you pointed out it’s a spiral staircase😂 Really excited to read this book. Hope you have a good day!
Like his fantasy the talisman with Peter straub was a favorite especially liked how it connected to the dark tower world Raymond E Fiest wrote a book of the same name and was amazing wished fiest had gone back to that world disappointed that the rift war saga isn't on a favorite list (if it is I apologize) pug or milamber is a favorite character of mine and the companion series cowritten with janny wurts that takes place on the other side of the rift tsuranuanni I think was awesome I was explaining to someone that I can't do audiobooks unless I'm doing something else i would estimate i read 50 plus pages an hour tsr books probably 100 and harry potter was so much dialogue I devoured those never thought of speeding it up From 95 to 99 I was in the USMC infantry and had a lot of time to read Someone asked why my pack was heavy when we head out to train in the okinawan jungle it was because I had books I was made fun of until we were sitting around base camp and my friends were bored and would read my fantasy outloud turned some jarheads onto reading and epic fantasy specifically also horror and scifi always loved me some dean koontz Sorry for my lengthy comment I get excited about books
Very good, I just bought this book today I haven't read any Stephen King since the Dark Tower series over 15 years ago, but this was recommended to me by Amazon when I opened up my Kindle this morning and the cover art and the novel title must have cast a magical spell over me because it got my imagination curiosity spinning before my 3am pot of coffee had finished brewing. Now I'm excited and can't wait to get off work to break into this ✌️
I am not a big fan of fairy tales, but do enjoy the historical aspect of how they change to fit the socialization of current societies. There is a lot more to this work than what is seen on the serface. For instance, go back to teh 50's and search for a film about GOG and MAGOG. There is a political angel here that is very interesting.
This book really is a tale of two -ish halves. I enjoyed it all. However some people didnt like the second half and some didnt like the first. The first being slice of life and the second being fantasy. I personally loved it.
@Upscaled & More I've already read it, I got it for Christmas lol, I really liked it (All of it, not just the first half). I will say it wasn't my favorite King book, but I enjoyed it. I'm a huge dog lover so maybe it was just Radar! 🤷🙂
yeah this was a weird one from SK - straight down the middle fantasy "fairy tale". He didn't get deep down any direction but name checked everything, from mythology theory to his other books. I would describe the world as reality adjacent - a sort of princess bridge type world with weird elements but otherwise recognizable. SK is a such a good writer that I inhaled the book in 4 days. what I realize is that I'm a sucker for his writing, but also for a story of a boy and his dog. I actually think he spent so much time flushing out Charlie and the dog, that the actual fantasy plot seemed to be sort of a tacked on - the moment he gets to his "destination", wham bam its all done - I was expecting more twists and turns like in the Dark Tower. Frankly I would like to see 10 more novels of Charlie and his dog exploring other worlds and having adventures (call it the "Charlie and the Good Boy" series) but it seems like a 1 and done.
From the Acknowledgements, page 599: Thanks are also due to Gabriel Rodríguez and Nicolas Delort, who dressed up my story with wonderful illustrations and made it look like the classic novels of mystery and adventure in days of old, from _Treasure Island_ to _Dracula._ 1:49.
