Amazon.com info for 'Talisman'

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Back to reviews and details of Talisman

Amazon.com reviews:

Rating: 5 Summary: Worth Every Page
Comment I was completely blown away with this book. I happened to read Black House before the Talisman, which I now wish was the other way around. While I sometimes like the darker, more gruesome side of King, I really respect this novel for the fact that it's not ridiculously over the top.
One of the strongest moments in the book for me was when jack saw a gull tearing at a clam and he could swear he heard it scream. I fell in love with that line. Jack Sawyer is an amazing character due to the fact that his life is surrounded in death, and he needs to stop the thing that's consuming his life for the sake of his mother.
I remember the first reaction of my friend, who couldn't believe it was 768 pages long. But when I look back on it now, it was worth every single page. The novel has a great view of boy becoming a man, what it means to have goals, and how things never leave you.
I never really cared for fictional stories like Harry Potter, although there are one or two far-fetched things about the story, the realism of the text makes you believe. This book is all your daydreams coming to life while dragging along all thoughts of reality: sexuality, swearing,
common sense.
Only character that consistently bugged me was Wolf. Just for the fact that I couldn't imagine if he'd look like an exact replica of a werewolf, or just a hairy man. I could visualize when he went rabid during the moon, but normally his image kept shifting in and out for me.
Overall, a truely stunning novel. I picked this up at Half Price Books for $2.50. If that's the case, I think everyone should read this. I can guarantee it will make an impact on your life as it did mine.

Rating: 5 Summary: When you're just a young boy, carrying the burden of saving your mother both in this world, and another...you are the only hope
Comment Simply a brilliant book.. I've re-read this book over five times..and love it each and every time..always in tears at the end..
The story follows a young boy all alone, through two worlds, across the country in order to save his dying mother...all while his 'uncle' tries to stop him from reaching his destination by killing him..
You get sucked into the boy's journey, and feel for him...for his loneliness for his despair..when it looks like there's no hope left..he always picks himself up and takes another step down his path..because if he doesn't, his mother will die, and there will be no one else to save her.

Rating: 4 Summary: Great for my friend's Stephen King's collection
Comment As always, Amazon provides the best service. Thank you. The book, another success of "the King."

Rating: 5 Summary: Excellent!
Comment Two great minds come together to make this GREAT book. I was a little worried that this wouldn't have the "Stephen King" feel since he was writting along side Peter Straub in this book. However it was actually very good. I strongly recomend this book along with the next one Black House. This is easily one of my favorite Stephen King books.

Rating: 4 Summary: A Fantastic Tale of Multiple Universes
Comment In this work by Stephen King and Peter Straub, a young boy's quest to find a cure for his dying mother leads him into another dimension. This book grabs on tight and won't let go. The character of Jack is a wonderful everyman, and with a name like Jack, it only lends itself to this idea. Any good book will take its protagonist and transform itself into its reader and this is no exception. The Talisman is a great quest story, and like any of its kind, the hero of it does not only search for a boon, but learns a great deal about themselves along the way. The thing that sets this apart from most fantasy novel writing is that it tends to not shy away from the darker aspects of things and as Jack learns, he begins to listen to his instincts when it comes to trusting certain people. A good lesson to be gleaned from this book for young readers would be to learn to become discerning as the world is latent with ambiguity as you get older.

Jack's encounters with evil are well written and the scenes with the religious zealots come to mind, as they were chilling to read. I loved the whole conclusion as it really felt like you went on the journey with this young boy. I thoroughly enjoyed The Talisman and recommend it to any who are looking for a darker and edgier type of fantasy novel.