Having wandered away from her arguing family during a hike on New England's Appalachian Trail, a young girl discovers that she is lost in the menacing woods with only her personal... more...stereo and the Red Sox game for comfort.
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that it is salutary to be reminded of the quieter writer of shorter, tighter stories that he also is. His new novella could hardly be simpler--a nine-year-old girl...
that it is salutary to be reminded of the quieter writer of shorter, tighter stories that he also is. His new novella could hardly be simpler--a nine-year-old girl...
the woods. The only thing that keeps her going is her Walkman on which she listens avidly to Red Sox baseball games, creating an imaginary friendship with...
that it is salutary to be reminded of the quieter writer of shorter, tighter stories that he also is. His new novella could hardly be simpler--a nine-year-old girl, smart and resourceful, gets herself lost in the deep woods when she strays off the path for a moment and struggles to survive with a little food, not especially sensible clothing and a Walkman. One of the threats dogging Trisha is her imagination--she is an smart enough child to know how much trouble she is in and gradually to personify the wasps, and midges and dangerous animals, as a God of the Lost. And that imagination is also her strongest resource--she has a baseball cap signed by the Red Sox pitcher Tom Gordon, which becomes her talisman. This is a story of almost pure sentiment and suspense; King has always had fascinating insight into the minds of children and a command of detail that makes him the ideal writer of certain sorts of shipwreck. Thealmost minimal material here--a single character, what she has on her, and deep woods--make this one of his most gripping and compulsive tales. --Roz Kaveney
A review by marmiladey on The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon - Stephen King July 14th, 2005
Author's product rating:
Would you read it again?
Yes
Story
Outstanding
Characters
Good
Readability
Excellent
How does it compare to other works by the same author?
Very good
Advantages:
Intriuging . . . . subtle hidden depths .
Disadvantages:
Difficult to put down .
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
I have long been an avid fan of Stephen king. Enjoying his use of words and his flair for knowing the secrets of human frailty and the workings of the mind . King seems to understand our most private fears . From "bumps" in the dark to Childhood threats , that even as adults we can't quite shake off. He recognises them all, shapes them and uses them to reach his audience with superb effect. I have read and in the main enjoyed his work immensely . "The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon ." Is in my opinion exceptional. No hint of gratutitous violence, minimal "bad language" , this tale takes you on a tour of the "survival instinct" . Through the eyes and mind of a nine year old girl. Her name , Trisha McFarland.
Current as always, King opens his tale centered around a sad phenominon in this day and age , the effect of marital break-up on the family unit . He paints the "Mcfarlands" life , in emotinal detail. The absent father, the mother who inspite of "everything" embarkson being friend ,educator, provider and both parents to give her children a "normal" life. The children a girl and boy , both recenting and challenging thier new home , new life and coming to terms with the absenting father . Typical you may say . But even here King begins his tale with a subtle prelude to the main character and her thought processes.
Trisha Mcfarland a nine year girl is in my opinion most disturbed by the marital break-up. It is she who retreats into fantasy to escape the bickering between her mother and older brother. Her father had introduced her to the"Boston Red Sox a baseball team. Where she encountered and admired her idol Tom Gordon. She and Tom spent a great deal of time together . Especially when she needs to escape .
Desperate to educate and fulfil her childrens needs (as she sees them ) Mom arranges a weekend jaunt to a local beauty spot. For a "walking" day out . Before they even reach thier destination "war" breaks out , Trisha runs to her imaginary world to escape. Walking on a pre-planned route Trisha needs to "pee" . She deviates from the track, looses her mother and brother, they are so engrossed in thier latest battle of wills they don't even realise she has vanished . Here the story begins, an awesome tale of courage fortitude and and personal survival against the odds .
King uses words and descriptors to paint a most eloquent view of the young girls plight. She learns about hunger first hand . She meets the elements and nature at thier cruelest. Finds a deep well of strength within the fibres of her young being. When full of fever , her body and mind bruised and battered her saviour is Tom Gordon. He inspires , encourages and praises her. The other most significant asset that Trisha leans heavily upon is her "walkman" . Throughout her trials and endurance Trisha "feels she is being watched. However she has no idea of who or what is stalking her .
Instincts guide , supplimented what what she has learnt about nature to select food and water to sustain her . She adapts the meagre contents of her pre-packed rucksack to sustain the needs of her body and to help her catch a small trout . All very ingenious. King describes in detail how Trisha guts cleans and finally eats the prized catch. A poignant well described momment which had all my empathy willing little Trisha to do what she needed to do to survive.
Does she survive? Does her mother and brother finally realise she is lost ? Well ..... the book needs to be not only read but savoured. Savoured because on the surface the tale is plausible and well written. Scratch the surface , let your imagination soar and the subtle intracasies of the tale are quite astonishing. There are so many trials and tribulations , some of them very "key" to the whole tale. It would spoil the book if more details were given. I hope if nothing else , that your appetite is whet and that curiosity leads you towards reading the book for yourself .
Book information.
Publisher: Hodder and Stoughton. (my copy was published in 2000)
ISBN: 0340765593.
Available at all good book stores £6.99.
Available from : Amazon book and ebay from 0.1p used.
Advantages: Simplistic, suspenseful storytelling. Empathy with lead character. Disadvantages: Disturbing reading at times.
...for a toilet break in the woods manages to lose them altogether. "Good", she thinks. Unfortunately, as she tries to find her way back to the trail she ends up disorientated and deep in the woods. With no sign of the trail and only a stream to guide her Trisha starts to see horrific visions in the deep, disquiet of the woods. Are they part of her imagination or is the creature she imagines stalking her real? Good job she has her companion Baseball ... ...by Stephen King. King takes the old Brothers Grimm style fairytale of the child lost in the woods to a new level in this desperate tale of a young girls attempts at survival. As a horror novel King plays on our most primal fears, those of the dark and isolation to create a despairing tale of a girl helpless in the woods. Her stumbling journey through the woods is an altogether disturbing as King describe mosquitoes as "blood sucking parasites feeding ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: Decent lead character Disadvantages: Not King's best work
...baseball player who closes for the Boston Red Sox, so in the U.K he is almost completely unknown. Unsurprisingly, Stephen King's novel is not based around a baseball season, but a young girls desperate struggle for survival.
Trisha McFarland is off on a day-trip to the woods with her mother and brother. The two are arguing as usual due to the mother and father breaking up and having to move to a new area. Trisha has had enough and so leaves the ... ...as she tries to rejoin the trail, she manages to get lost in the woods. What follows is a tough battle for survival against a variety of nasty obstacles.
As Trisha wonders further away from the perimeter of search and rescue parties, she has to survive in the wild on her own by scrounging for food and water, plus creating a suitable shelter at night. As time passes and hope of a rescue all but diminishes completely, Trisha's last remaining motivation ...
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Would you read it again?
Story
Characters
Readability
How does it compare to ...
very helpful
12.07.2003
Just one more page Review ofThe Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon - Stephen Kingby
cheesyfreak
Advantages: very very good Disadvantages: none
I coveted this book from the day it came out, but only recently persuaded myself to buy it. I was in no way disapointed. The story is simple, and on reading the summary, it seemed it could drag on a bit - the story of a young girl lost in the woods. Far from this, the story became more and more compelling the further into it I got. The only character you are really involved with is Trisha, and this in itself shows how well the book is written. You ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: Streamline plot Disadvantages: You won't want to put it down
...got to be one of the shortest books that Stephen King has ever written at a mere 292 pages, however he has not scrimped on the writing style and his sheer story telling ability. As with all Stephen King books that I have ever read, you get the feeling you are actually there and can almost visualise what is happening.
The story revolves around a 9 year old girl called Trisha McFarland. Her parents had got divorced a year ago, and their mother had ... ...local woods, where she plans the route they will take along the Appalachian Trail. Whilst they walked Trisha's mother and brother Pete walked up ahead bickering all the while. Later on during their walk they come to a "Y" in the road and their mother decides they need to take the fork on the left. Shortly after taking this turning Trisha needs to go to the toilet, and keeps shouting to her mum and brother to let them know, but they don't hear her.
...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: Not too thick so you will finish it pretty quickly. Disadvantages: Loads....
...a while ago; it’s not the “thickest” book I’ve ever read, little fewer than 300 pages. To say I thoroughly enjoyed this book would be a lie but it was entertaining enough to keep my interest to some degree. I had wondered before, after reading Hearts In Atlantis, whether Stephen King had lost his flair and run out of his really good ideas, and this book actually confirmed it for me. I may be wrong he may have a little something ... ...all but three of all the books he has ever written and enjoying all of them, some more than others, I found myself feeling cheated after reading the final chapter. I’m used to (9 times out of 10) being left feeling refreshed and wanting more after reading a book by Stephen King, and this book just didn’t cut it with me. The book explains the situation of 9-year-old Trisha who is the sister of Pete, daughter of Quilla and Larry McFarland. ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: first part of the book is mildly engaging Disadvantages: too much American politics, not 'horror' enough, a bit hard to follow.
...I've only just really started to move away from teenage books into adults books so I thought a horror book would be quite a gentle ease into adult fiction. I read 'The GirlWhoLovedTomGordon' and thought it was OK and decided to borrow The Dead Zone by StephenKing, thinking it might be more like a horror story. It was also one of the shortest of his I could find at the library, being 467 pages long. I had heard a bit about StephenKing and knew he was a popular horror writer, confirmed by the popularity of the book at the library.
~Plot~ (contains some spoilers)
The prologue basically introduces the characters using the past for the reader to get a feel for them. Johnny Smith is 6 and has a fall on ice and starts to get 'hunches'. The other character introduced at this point is Greg Stillson, a travelling saleman...
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helpful 24.10.2007
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