Dolores Claiborne - Stephen King > Reviews > A Tale of two women

Author's product rating:   

Would you listen to it again?	Absolutely
Story	Outstanding
Characters	Outstanding
Listenability	Once you start it, you won't be able to switch it off!
How does it compare to audio works by the same author?	Excellent

Advantages:	A shorter read to Srephen king's books .
Disadvantages:	none

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Introduction.......
Stephen King is the acknowledged "Master of Horror". With over thirty books to his name, all international best-sellers, his writing is synonynous with the horror genre.
There is a lot, however, to his writing, from down and out horror, to a blend of horror and the supernatural, he is a widely respected author, the quality of his writing, the characterization and the blend of horror with true life, puts him as an author, among the great writers. Sometimes his novels are a work of art, with little of true horror, this book is one of these. and so to the plot.............

This is a narrative storey, told by the main character Dolores Claiborne herself.
In the opening part of the novel, she is under suspicion of the murder of her employer, Vera Donovan, who she has been a companion of for the last ten years, when Vera has been for the past ten years almost totally bed-riden.
Dolores tells her story with little patience for the police, an outspoken woman of sixty-five, with an endearing quality of telling her story in a manner of the elderly, talking down to people she has known all her life, she can make you laugh or cry.
Vera was a wealthy woman, in her younger days, she and her family, had been summer visitors to the island of "Long Tall Island", her butterfly nature, the large parties she gave, were for Dolores a world away from her own life of poverty and degradation, beaten by her husband, Joe, looking after her three small children, her life was an endless round of making ends meet.
Joe, a heavy drinker, spending most of his money on drink and gambling, forced Dolores to work as a maid to Vera during the summer months.
Desperately in need of a job, she put up with Vera's bitchy nature and her predicication for doing things her way.
Initally, a part-time worker, Dolers went to work full-time after she murdered her husband in 1963. At this time, Vera had lost her own husband in a car accident and her children had abandoned her.
From the first few pages of her narrative, Dolores admits murdering her husband, but swears she did not murder Vera.
Her story of the events leading up to the murder, takes up a large part of her story.
The graduall unfolding of her long realationship with Vera, takes up the rest of the story.
Both women are tied into a mutual dependancy, with thier husbands long dead, their children long gone, the employer and employee realationship becomes far more.
Both women are haunted by the secrets of their past.
In some strange way, they need each other.
The day after Vera's death, Dolores finds she is the beneficiary of Vera's will, with a sum of 30 million left to her.
The evidence looks bad for Dolores, did she kill Vera? Why, when the old lay had not long to live?
To let out more of the plot, would spoil it for a potential reader.

Dialolouge........

Many of Stephen King's books are set round the area of Maine, America. Apologies to constant readers, but this area still has a lot of the local language, laid down through centuries of their ancestors.
The whole book is written with this language. Dolores speaks this language thoughout the book, a tribute to SK' s mastery of his roots.

Summary..............

This little gem of a book, has been vastly overlooked by critics and readers.
The topics of abuse, mentally , physically and the incest are sensetivly handled by SK.
There is allways a price to pay and both Dolores and Vera pay the price.
This little tale has an enormous impact,
For any aspiring writer, I would implore you to read it, SK's prose is an inspiration , evey word is a testament to a great authour.
It may not be one of sk's best books, but it leaves an inpact that you have to read it again.
The book has a lot to say about the olden days, but is still a fresh topic nowadays.
It is a realatively short book, so easy reading in one day. Try it and see- you will not be disap[pointed.