Popped back to see how everyone is doing. Only been on the site for 5 mins and am already frustrated...
Popped back to see how everyone is doing. Only been on the site for 5 mins and am already frustrated with how slow it STILL is! Hope everyone is well. x
Member since:15.07.2005
Reviews:81
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Interestingly enough, Stephen King believes this to be one of his weakest novels, though I have to say I found it difficult to put down. King has been criticised for his inability to create rounded female characters, but I believe this is the exception.
Having been beaten up again by her crooked cop of a husband, we meet Rosie as she prays that the baby she is carrying will survive. Norman is NOT a nice guy. Having had several years experience on the police force, he has learned to choreograph his beatings in order that bruising is not visible to the naked eye and he can blame injuries on his wife's clumsiness. Following his attack, Norman calmly rings the hospital to explain that his wife has fallen down the stairs and is pregnant. Despite their instruction not to move her, Norman carries her to the foot of the stairs, where she sits in a pool of blood while he makes himself a sandwich. She loses the baby, but is too afraid to leave her husband.
One day, several years later, she is changing the sheets on the bed when she sees a drop of her own blood on the top sheet. Realising that it will not do to simply change the sheet, as Norman will be angered by her laziness if things don't match, it suddenly occurs to her that she could run away. She tries to dismiss the idea before it settles, but realises that she is no longer afraid that Norman will kill her, but more frightened of the fact that he will not.
Plucking up every ounce of courage she has left, Rosie steals Norman's credit card and flees from the house, unable to believe she will get far before he finds her. With the help of a kind looking man, she manages to get directions for a woman's shelter and tries to begin a new life.
Astounded by his wife's betrayal, Norman beings to investigate her disappearance and he knows what he's doing. He's never more than a step behind her.
Rosie is helped to find work and a new flat. She meets a new man in a pawn shop where she tries to flog her worthless wedding ring and buys a painting called Rose Madder which seems to find her rather than the other way around.
The painting starts the beginning of the supernatural element of the novel. The picture begins to change and, whilst it is weird and wonderful and takes us into a different almost Narnia-like world, it doesn't really work all that well against the severity and reality of the abusive element of the novel. Having said that, it does have a fascintaing fairy-tale feel to it and the end of the novel is incredibly surprising as a result.
I really enjoyed this book as it was escapism in the extreme and effortless to read. It also made a change from the bog standard tales where the husband plays the villain and the wife the weak victim. Norman is terrifying, but not in a very conventional sense and the fact that there is a chase through the majority of the novel keeps the pace gripping and renders you unable to put it down.
It's a daring task to try and mix reality with fantasy and I'm not sure it's ever going to be 100% successful when a writer does this. But, for me the book is no poorer for the fantastical elements. They just prevent it from becoming predictable.
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This is one of King's I've yet to read. ~ A very good review. You outline the book well and have given me an intriguing taste for more. ~ Tony xx
baby_uk 16.08.2005 13:58
Oooh, this sounds really good, I'm going to get it from the library :)
Majiggy 24.07.2005 03:19
Good review of an interesting looking book. Only really read one Stephen King book. Story looks good. A really good chase scene in a book can be really gripping. :)
x maj x
Jul 21st, 2005
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