Bag of Bones (Continued)

            I have just finished Bag of Bones and was a little startled at how abruptly it ended.  The gore that I had mentioned earlier made an extra guest appearance as hammers flew and children were forcibly drowned.  Of course a happy ending lay on the horizon, but the way King was retelling the ghost’s stories from the past it seemed unlikely that any glimpse of daylight could be seen through the far end of the tunnel.  I read the ending of this book fairly quickly in anticipation for my next literature selection, but nevertheless found the ending much more conclusive than other books or even Stephen King movies such as It.  In the end, Max Devore, Kyra Devore’s grandfather who so desperately sought custody of her, committed suicide and left his assistant, Rogette Whitmore to run his little errand.  The ghosts that forever had haunted Sara Laughs unveiled themselves as the ghosts of the Sara and the Red Tops – a negro blues band who resided in the TR-90.  Sara was also haunting Kyra in order to manipulate Mike to kill her – for it was Kyra’s grandfather, Max who had savagely raped Sara and his accomplices who suffocated her son to death in front of their eyes.  In the pursuit of Kyra, there were many incidents, such as her mother’s death from a fatal shot.  However, in the end, Mike succeeds in pouring acidic lye over Sara’s remains shrivelling them up into a “Bag of Bones”, thus breaking the curse looming over the town.  In the epilogue, King writes about Mike Noonan’s life after that stormy and chaotic night.  Mike makes Sara Laughs his permanent residence and no longer writes novels.  Even though his wife and Mattie are dead, Mike looks at three-year old Kyra and her innocence and cannot help but smile.  The reader is left feeling that Mike will win the custody of Kyra that he is seeking.

            Overall, it is pretty difficult to sum up a book like Bag of Bones in one of these blogs.  Typical of Stephen King, there are many details in the book as well as many suspenseful twists and turns.  Stephen King certainly knows how to claim his title as the master of horror.  Unlike some other King novels, Bag of Bones ended rather like a fairytale – with rainbows and giddy elves dancing around after the thunder has dissipated and the storm has cleared.  I think that the fairy tale ending gives this book a conclusive, feel-good kind of closure that makes you forget entirely about the bags of bones that lie beneath the pot of gold.

Bag of Bones

            Currently, I am reading Bag of Bones by Stephen King.  At first, I was a little apprehensive to undertake the reading of the thick and seemingly cumbersome book.  However, I figured if the biggest King fan ever (Ms. Y) had highly recommended it for a novice King reader such as myself, I must be safe.  Turns out she was right!  Of course the usual King mystery and gore are quite prevalent throughout this book.  Yet, the simple and genuine emotions of the characters are very real.  Mike Noonan, a famous novelist who is grieving over the sudden loss of his wife, goes back four years later to their old summerhouse.  Being nearly immobilized from writer’s block and the bumps in the night, Mike stumbles upon a mother and daughter, Mattie and Kyra.  Mike immediately has sympathy for the single mother and her worries, particularly regarding her father-in-law, who is seeking custody of his granddaughter, her daughter Kyra.  Mike Noonan establishes a real connection with mother and daughter.  Could it be that Mike’s writer’s block has not only taken him back to his old summerhouse, but back to save the possible separation of a single mother from her most valued possession? 

            There certainly is much to be discussed with respect to this book.  Bag of Bones is one of those books that needs a continuous read, not setting the book down for long because all of the little details that make up the book would get lost, making the reader confused.  Much of the detailed, obnoxious ghostly business could have been reduced or even eliminated from the book.  The bumps in the night turn into a persistent buzzing sound in your ear that never seems to subside.  The realism of the story goes off track at times and the fictional novel sometimes becomes a little too difficult to accept.  Have you read any Stephen King books?  If so, did you find a similar experience?  Also, if you have read a Stephen King novel, do you believe it was worth the hours of reading in order to experience his story or would you have preferred watching a movie made from the book on the silver screen where your imagination does not have to be pushed to the limits?