Tentatively trying to be back here. How the hell do you navigate this place? dididave elsewhere
Tentatively trying to be back here. How the hell do you navigate this place? dididave elsewhere
Member since:08.03.2005
Reviews:124
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It is supposed to be Clay Riddell's day. A lucrative contract the type he has always dreamed of has finally come his way. However, when "The Pulse" hits all that he knows changes forever. He watches helplessly as a young girl tear out the throat of a businesswoman and her friend runs repeatedly into a lamppost. The whole of Boston has been taken over by madness and violence as men, women and children behave like savages. In the ensuing carnage Clay saves a man from the irrepressible onslaught of one of these lunatics. Together they begin to discover that only people left unaffected seem to be those without cell phones. A dawning realization strikes terror into Clay's heart. His son has a cell phone, it is rarely charged but what if it was at the time of "The Pulse"? Clay and his new found friends Tom and Alice escape across a burning Boston in a race against time to get to his son before he switches on his phone.
"Cell" is the long awaited novel for Stephen King fans as it is the first in many years to have no obvious association with his "Dark Tower" series. King has been so wrapped up in completing the series over the years that some of his constant readers have become disconsolate, longing for another
novel with which they can feel more at home. "Cell" appears to be King's way of appeasing those frustrated readers. Although there are still Dark Tower references there you would have be a major fan to notice them. This is an apocalyptic horror novel which nestles somewhere between "The Stand" and "Salem's Lot" in terms of style yet is really a modern reworking of the zombie movies made famous by George A.Romero. Indeed King's dedications include Romero and his characters are aware of the irony and similarity of their situation compared to movies such as "Dawn of the Dead".
As refreshing as it is to see King tackle something other than his "Dark Tower" series this is almost a "horror by numbers" novel for King. The premise of Cell phones being responsible for a mass madness that turns the population into zombies (known as "phoners") is certainly an original take in a much travelled genre. However, King's tenuous explanations rely a bit too much on leaps of faith in terms of logic. The presumption that human brains and computers are very similar is a handy plot device but leaves the reader a little bemused and non-believing. Something rare in a King novel. Clay, Tom and Alice's acceptance of this theory seems particularly suspect as none of them seem to have much in the way of understanding as to how computers work yet are all too eager to accept the theory of a fifteen year old computer nerd they happen to stumble across. King's novel often rely heavily on coincidence but at times King stretches this idea too far.
This does not mean "Cell" is a complete loss as and as a horror novel it is certainly effective in providing tension and a sense of fear. The violent and gory nature of the "phoners" makes this more "schlock" horror than many of King's other works. Synonymous with and an obvious homage to the zombie movie King does an excellent job of portraying the initial mindless violence yet it is in the later sections of the novel were the "phoners" begin to learn and work together that the fear really kicks in with there "flocking" to communal areas such as schools and football fields and eerie obsession with easy listening music being genuinely disturbing. King's characters are also an intriguing if unfathomable bunch. Once again a writer uses a creative type in the form of Clay Riddell as the hero of the piece (this time as an illustrator). His love for his son is what drives him and his unwilling stubbornness to accept his likely fate makes him a likeable, naïve character. However, his apparent survival instincts are a little questionable and at times you find it hard to suspend your disbelief as a supporting cast of characters fall by the wayside. Similarly there is something bizarre about initially meek companion Tom Mc Courts rise to cynical, wisecracking sidekick.
Nonetheless, if you can suspend disbelief over the course of "Cell" it is an enjoyable enough horror. King's writing is stripped back compared to his recent efforts and this allows the story to flow and the action to continue apace. It does however leave a lot of questions unanswered and some characters decisions are insufficiently explained for me. This novel does bare similarities with King's most successful apocalyptic novel "The Stand" but it pales in comparison in terms of characters and believable plot. However, many fans will be glad enough King has written something straightforward to forget all this and will enjoy "Cell". I am left disappointed despite enjoying it. It is the Stephen King equivalent of "Middle of the Road" music and I cannot help but feel that this was a rushed out effort to appease the impatient. At 426 easy to read pages you will find yourself reading this very quickly but you will also find you have forgotten about it not long after and will probably remain on your bookshelf without re-reading for years to come. Those who do not love King should wait for the paperback for an enjoyable, forgettable slice of horror. Those who do love King will have it or buy it regardless.
Available in hardcover for £8.08 at amazon.uk ISBN: 0340921447
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Mar 7th, 2006
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