Stephen King - Joyland

Joyland - Stephen King

College studen Devin Jones took the summer job at Joyland hoping to forget the girl who broke his heart. But he wound up facing something far more terrible: the legacy of a vicious murder, the fate of a dying child, and dark thruths about life - and what comes after - that would change his world forever.

I really liked the premise of this book - a murder in an amusement park, at least that’s what I thought it was about. It was more about Jonesy (that’s what the ‘carnies’ call him) and how he found his place among the Joyland people and what happens after the summer business is over.

What kept me reading was not necessarily the story itself, but I really, really liked the setting and the atmosphere that Stephen King created with this book. The main character was thrown into all that stuff and what was going on beyond the neon lights of the amusement park and I really liked those insights that I got. I also liked the characters, they were well-created and well-described. I just didn’t care for them as much as I did with other characters in other boooks - for example I didn’t cry at the end.

As for the murdered girl - the story didn’t really much revolve around her as I’d thought it would. She was more of a seldom-mentioned character that didn’t necessarily have a great part in the story. Even when her storyline ended (that’s about all I can say without spoilering anything) it wasn’t that big of a deal. Just gone.

Joyland had aspects of a crime/mystery book, I guess, because in the end - you can guess - they found the killer (which isn’t very surprising in a crime novel). And that’s all there was to it.
I’m not sure if I’d read this book again, but if so, I’d read it just for the atmosphere. And for the humour that was brought across. Stephen King did a very good job at this one. All in all, I thought it was a little slow-paced and long at times, but then again I’m not really sure. Let’s just go with this:
Many, many Stephen King tropes (main character from Maine, psychic kid, creepy and wise old men… you get it), but nevertheless it was an original story, although some of the characters had a familiar touch to them.

E.T.A. Hoffmann - The Sandman

The Sandman - E.T.A. Hoffmann (short story)

Finals are coming. I have decided not to hide but go for it and re-read all the books that I was required to read during the last two years of my senior period, I guess you could call it. Those Germans are crazy.

Nathanael finds himself losing his mind. He has had a very traumatic childhood having lost his father at a very young age. He, like his mother, thinks that the advocat Coppelius is responsible for his father’s death, because he is a very mean character and tried to scare the children away. Nathanael falls in love with a kind of robot and pushes everyone that loves him away from him because of his irrational fear of the ‘sandman’ that wanted to steal his eyes when he was just a small boy sneaking into his father’s office to see what was going on there.

I quite liked the story a little more when I read it a second time. Having learned about all those different types of German literature depending on the century I think I got an even better understanding for this particular period.

It is very interesting how Nathanael loses his sanity and how his character can be interpreted. His girlfriend, Clara, clearly stands for sanity and rationality, while he himself is an abundance of emotions and misconceptions. The story becomes even more dramatic when he meets Coppelius again and when he reveals his true identity Nathanael cannot be saved.

(originally posted March 2016)

JK Rowling - Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Harry Potter #2)

Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets - JK Rowling

It’s been a while, folks! I finished reading this book about three days ago - and I had such a bad book hangover afterwards!

Not long ago, I read The Philosopher’s Stone as well, and I have to say I liked this one better than the first in the series. The friendship between Harry, Ron and Hermione has intensified, and you can actually see that in the second book.

I know, most people wouldn’t mark this book as the best in the whole series, but for now, I’d mark it down as my favourite.

Shirley Jackson - The Haunting of Hill House

Shirley Jackson - The Haunting of Hill House (Penguin Classics)

One of the books I urgently wanted to read after I brought a fair amount back home from my trip to London was The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson.
The story is set in a haunted house where four people - a doctor, two women and the heir to the house want to explore what the haunting is about.

That’s all I can say without spoiling anything of the story. I thought it brilliant, not only for the magnificent style of writing, but also for the story itself. It is beautifully evaluated and outstanding! Shirley Jackson writes in such a manner that everyone can feel for her characters when they experience pain, anger and true horror.

(originally posted July 2015)