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Desperation
En route to Lake Tahoe for a much anticipated vacation, the Carver family is arrested for blowing out all four tires on their camper. Collie Entragian is the arresting officer, the self-made sheriff of a town called Desperation, Nevada, and the quintessential bad cop. Unbeknownst to the Carvers, Entragian regularly sniffs out passersby on this stretch of road, and in fact has done in nearly every resident of his hometown. He can also change form and summon the help of creepy creatures, including scorpions, snakes and spiders. Though the family seems doomed, an unlikely hero emerges—11-year-old David Carver—who finds his own way to get around the Law.
Desperation is the companion novel to King's The Regulators, which was published simultaneously under the pseudonym Richard Bachman. Forget the more-or-less literary novels of recent years, like Dolores Claiborne. These books mark the return of the Stephen King of The Stand and Pet Sematary, where King's main concerns where whether good could defeat evil and how much gore could be squeezed into (or out of) one book. In each novel, the characters and situations are altered as King plays with questions of identity and form. But both really center around a new personification of evil that goes by the name of Tak. Tak wants to rule the world. Somebody has to stop him. Somebody's eyes have to pop out. Somebody's head has to explode. Now that's Stephen King!
656 pages, Hardcover
First published September 24, 1996
3362 people are currently reading
84698 people want to read
About the author
Stephen King
2,260 books894k followersStephen Edwin King was born the second son of Donald and Nellie Ruth Pillsbury King. After his father left them when Stephen was two, he and his older brother, David, were raised by his mother. Parts of his childhood were spent in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where his father's family was at the time, and in Stratford, Connecticut. When Stephen was eleven, his mother brought her children back to Durham, Maine, for good. Her parents, Guy and Nellie Pillsbury, had become incapacitated with old age, and Ruth King was persuaded by her sisters to take over the physical care of them. Other family members provided a small house in Durham and financial support. After Stephen's grandparents passed away, Mrs. King found work in the kitchens of Pineland, a nearby residential facility for the mentally challenged.
Stephen attended the grammar school in Durham and Lisbon Falls High School, graduating in 1966. From his sophomore year at the University of Maine at Orono, he wrote a weekly column for the school newspaper, THE MAINE CAMPUS. He was also active in student politics, serving as a member of the Student Senate. He came to support the anti-war movement on the Orono campus, arriving at his stance from a conservative view that the war in Vietnam was unconstitutional. He graduated in 1970, with a B.A. in English and qualified to teach on the high school level. A draft board examination immediately post-graduation found him 4-F on grounds of high blood pressure, limited vision, flat feet, and punctured eardrums.
He met Tabitha Spruce in the stacks of the Fogler Library at the University, where they both worked as students; they married in January of 1971. As Stephen was unable to find placement as a teacher immediately, the Kings lived on his earnings as a laborer at an industrial laundry, and her student loan and savings, with an occasional boost from a short story sale to men's magazines.
Stephen made his first professional short story sale ("The Glass Floor") to Startling Mystery Stories in 1967. Throughout the early years of his marriage, he continued to sell stories to men's magazines. Many were gathered into the Night Shift collection or appeared in other anthologies.
In the fall of 1971, Stephen began teaching English at Hampden Academy, the public high school in Hampden, Maine. Writing in the evenings and on the weekends, he continued to produce short stories and to work on novels.
Stephen attended the grammar school in Durham and Lisbon Falls High School, graduating in 1966. From his sophomore year at the University of Maine at Orono, he wrote a weekly column for the school newspaper, THE MAINE CAMPUS. He was also active in student politics, serving as a member of the Student Senate. He came to support the anti-war movement on the Orono campus, arriving at his stance from a conservative view that the war in Vietnam was unconstitutional. He graduated in 1970, with a B.A. in English and qualified to teach on the high school level. A draft board examination immediately post-graduation found him 4-F on grounds of high blood pressure, limited vision, flat feet, and punctured eardrums.
He met Tabitha Spruce in the stacks of the Fogler Library at the University, where they both worked as students; they married in January of 1971. As Stephen was unable to find placement as a teacher immediately, the Kings lived on his earnings as a laborer at an industrial laundry, and her student loan and savings, with an occasional boost from a short story sale to men's magazines.
Stephen made his first professional short story sale ("The Glass Floor") to Startling Mystery Stories in 1967. Throughout the early years of his marriage, he continued to sell stories to men's magazines. Many were gathered into the Night Shift collection or appeared in other anthologies.
In the fall of 1971, Stephen began teaching English at Hampden Academy, the public high school in Hampden, Maine. Writing in the evenings and on the weekends, he continued to produce short stories and to work on novels.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 4,822 reviews
March 16, 2026
**4.5-stars rounded up**
Stephen King's Desperation follows a bizarre cast of characters who come together to fight an ancient evil force.
That would be my single-sentence synopsis if someone were to ask me what this book is about.
If you have ever read a Stephen King novel, however, you realize the actual answer is way more complicated than that.
I first read Desperation around 2001. I had just finished my time in undergrad and was excited to have time to read just for fun.
What I remember from that initial time through is that although I enjoyed the premise, I didn't really get it. If I had been rating books at that time, I probably would have settled on 3.5-stars.
Now, close to 20-years later, this is pretty damn close to a perfect read for me!!!
What changed?
I'm not really sure. This time through I became invested very quickly. The characters were a huge part of the enjoyment factor for me.
King is a master of developing every aspect of a character's personality and their backstory. You never wonder what the motivation is.
In my very humble opinion, no one does character development quite like the King. But a lot of it had to do with just settling into another one of his stories.
He has a very distinct style that is hella nostalgic for me; it feels like home.
Desperation also has one of my all-time favorite tropes: a mix-matched group of characters, placed into extraordinary circumstances, who band together, no matter their differences, to fight against the forces of evil.
Good versus Evil. I'm here for it every damn time.
This novel is extremely graphic with gore and violence on page. Some of the scenes made my toes curl and my stomach lurch. The use of creepy crawlers to instill fear was expertly-crafted.
If this is not your thing, you'll most likely want to give a hard pass to this one. Otherwise, if you are a seasoned King, or Horror reader, get ready to jump into a bloody, brilliant good time!
My one slight critique is that the final showdown felt a little rushed, hence the 4.5-star rating, as opposed to a full 5.
This book has a nice, long build-up, and I could definitely have read some more substance at the end. It was great, but I still wanted more!
Overall, I am beyond happy that I took the plunge and reread this 706-page beast of modern Horror. I am currently rereading The Regulators and digging the many connections I missed the first time around.
I would definitely recommend reading these two back-to-back for maximum enjoyment!
Stephen King's Desperation follows a bizarre cast of characters who come together to fight an ancient evil force.
That would be my single-sentence synopsis if someone were to ask me what this book is about.
If you have ever read a Stephen King novel, however, you realize the actual answer is way more complicated than that.
I first read Desperation around 2001. I had just finished my time in undergrad and was excited to have time to read just for fun.
What I remember from that initial time through is that although I enjoyed the premise, I didn't really get it. If I had been rating books at that time, I probably would have settled on 3.5-stars.
Now, close to 20-years later, this is pretty damn close to a perfect read for me!!!
What changed?
I'm not really sure. This time through I became invested very quickly. The characters were a huge part of the enjoyment factor for me.
King is a master of developing every aspect of a character's personality and their backstory. You never wonder what the motivation is.
In my very humble opinion, no one does character development quite like the King. But a lot of it had to do with just settling into another one of his stories.
He has a very distinct style that is hella nostalgic for me; it feels like home.
Desperation also has one of my all-time favorite tropes: a mix-matched group of characters, placed into extraordinary circumstances, who band together, no matter their differences, to fight against the forces of evil.
Good versus Evil. I'm here for it every damn time.
This novel is extremely graphic with gore and violence on page. Some of the scenes made my toes curl and my stomach lurch. The use of creepy crawlers to instill fear was expertly-crafted.
If this is not your thing, you'll most likely want to give a hard pass to this one. Otherwise, if you are a seasoned King, or Horror reader, get ready to jump into a bloody, brilliant good time!
My one slight critique is that the final showdown felt a little rushed, hence the 4.5-star rating, as opposed to a full 5.
This book has a nice, long build-up, and I could definitely have read some more substance at the end. It was great, but I still wanted more!
Overall, I am beyond happy that I took the plunge and reread this 706-page beast of modern Horror. I am currently rereading The Regulators and digging the many connections I missed the first time around.
I would definitely recommend reading these two back-to-back for maximum enjoyment!
January 9, 2022
Once you start, you won’t be able to stop. “Desperation” by Stephen King will take you on such a rollercoaster to the very end that you’ll genuinely be unable to put this novel down once you begin. From incredible characters to truly horrific scenes that will make you look away, everything you’d expect from King is here and then some.
Don’t worry, no spoilers here or anything but this novel truly takes you to a place of horror with the main protagonist who will easily get under your skin as you read. The main characters all add such a dimension to this novel as it unfolds that I often found myself in awe at the incredible attention to personalities, detail, and of course, the horrific things that transpire.
Quite a few times my jaw was on the floor from how creepy and well, disgusting some situations are. I loved how at first, things felt normal and then hits you with surreal moments you’d hate to ever have to deal with in real life. It really hits you where you’ll feel the vulnerability of these characters as yeah, it can happen to anyone when traveling to places you’ve never been to before.
I give “Desperation” by Stephen King a 5/5 and would recommend this to anyone who is either a fan of his work or looking for a great novel to read with all sorts of thrills, surprises, and terror. The ending left me satisfied as it’s the perfect way to end such a novel where it just makes sense but leaves a bit to wonder and think about. Perfect for group discussions!
“Desperation” doesn’t disappoint but keep in mind, you should probably read “The Regulators” next by King under his pseudonym Richard Bachman as it’s not a sequel or anything but came out around the same time as this novel. Many readers suggest reading this first then that or that first then this but either way, it’s worth reading them together as it was done on purpose by King. Tak!
Don’t worry, no spoilers here or anything but this novel truly takes you to a place of horror with the main protagonist who will easily get under your skin as you read. The main characters all add such a dimension to this novel as it unfolds that I often found myself in awe at the incredible attention to personalities, detail, and of course, the horrific things that transpire.
Quite a few times my jaw was on the floor from how creepy and well, disgusting some situations are. I loved how at first, things felt normal and then hits you with surreal moments you’d hate to ever have to deal with in real life. It really hits you where you’ll feel the vulnerability of these characters as yeah, it can happen to anyone when traveling to places you’ve never been to before.
I give “Desperation” by Stephen King a 5/5 and would recommend this to anyone who is either a fan of his work or looking for a great novel to read with all sorts of thrills, surprises, and terror. The ending left me satisfied as it’s the perfect way to end such a novel where it just makes sense but leaves a bit to wonder and think about. Perfect for group discussions!
“Desperation” doesn’t disappoint but keep in mind, you should probably read “The Regulators” next by King under his pseudonym Richard Bachman as it’s not a sequel or anything but came out around the same time as this novel. Many readers suggest reading this first then that or that first then this but either way, it’s worth reading them together as it was done on purpose by King. Tak!
July 30, 2024
Another re-read on my journey of reading all Stephen Kings books in publication order, as soon as I started this book it felt like yesterday I last read it even though it was years ago. TAK. This is a SK book that manages to stay with me.
I am reminded why I am on this journey reading Desperation because there are so many Easter Eggs in this book including, The Dark Tower, The Tommyknockers and Rose Madder. The fact that this book has a mirror book The Regulators is really fun and I can't wait to read it. As far as I am aware the Regulators and Desperation are the same story told on different paths on the beam (The Dark Tower), like a parallel universe.
Jonny is such an unlikeable character but his has a redemption story which I thought was really well done, you go from thinking Jonny is a bit of an ass to hoping he makes it. TAK. As villains go the cop is really well done, he's a complete mad man and brutal. There is a lot of body horror in this book and plenty of moments to make the reader squirm, because the cop is so unpredictable it's quickly apparent that everyone is expendable. Even people who you think are main characters never feel safe, there is no safety net.
David is such an interesting characters too, I think the flashbacks he has give him real depth and personality. The reason that this book doesn't get full marks from me is for a few reasons but the main one is the lack of character depth for everyone other than David and Jonny. TAK. Steve and Cynthia didn't need to be in this book at all, they didn't bring anything extra to it, just a waste of page. Cynthia is actually from Rose Madder too and her character made no sense, she immediately jumps into Steve's care even thought she doesn't know him and if you have read Rose Madder you'll know how flawed that is.
I am really looking forward to the difference in The Regulators and I am interested in how SK writes differently as Richard Bachman, I think I am expected less detail and a little more freedom when it comes to Bachman. TAK.
I am reminded why I am on this journey reading Desperation because there are so many Easter Eggs in this book including, The Dark Tower, The Tommyknockers and Rose Madder. The fact that this book has a mirror book The Regulators is really fun and I can't wait to read it. As far as I am aware the Regulators and Desperation are the same story told on different paths on the beam (The Dark Tower), like a parallel universe.
Jonny is such an unlikeable character but his has a redemption story which I thought was really well done, you go from thinking Jonny is a bit of an ass to hoping he makes it. TAK. As villains go the cop is really well done, he's a complete mad man and brutal. There is a lot of body horror in this book and plenty of moments to make the reader squirm, because the cop is so unpredictable it's quickly apparent that everyone is expendable. Even people who you think are main characters never feel safe, there is no safety net.
David is such an interesting characters too, I think the flashbacks he has give him real depth and personality. The reason that this book doesn't get full marks from me is for a few reasons but the main one is the lack of character depth for everyone other than David and Jonny. TAK. Steve and Cynthia didn't need to be in this book at all, they didn't bring anything extra to it, just a waste of page. Cynthia is actually from Rose Madder too and her character made no sense, she immediately jumps into Steve's care even thought she doesn't know him and if you have read Rose Madder you'll know how flawed that is.
I am really looking forward to the difference in The Regulators and I am interested in how SK writes differently as Richard Bachman, I think I am expected less detail and a little more freedom when it comes to Bachman. TAK.
August 16, 2018
Yikes! U.S. 50 is much more than "the loneliest highway in America" when you end up in DESPERATION!
It all begins with a monstrosity of a 6' 7" police officer from hell and a scary trip into town for one unwary traveler after another; and once you do make it to town, well, the deadly creep-fest begins.
This chunkster of a novel is filled with really icky creepy crawlers, horrific & gruesome death, and enough blood and gore to fill a movie theatre, but when eleven year old David Carver enters the picture, (and steals the show) you'll also hear about friend Brian's miracle, a promise made to GOD and the power of prayer.
I admit it, this is one of those horror reads that made me want to scream at the characters (more than once) to get the hell out of dodge while the getting was good, but, of course, they don't......they prolong the reader's misery by waiting out a blustery sand storm in the dark, share scary stories of the supernatural (while worrying about the "thing" outside) and then still enter the evil pit of hell! Tak!
Update: August 16, 2018 - The movie version is super creepy too! It closely follows the novel with the GIANT sheriff setting up and terrorizing unsuspecting travelers and leading them to the desolate town of DESPERATION where dead bodies litter the streets. There's blood and gore as in the book.....and ewwww the evil presence!
January 5, 2019
Why, what a splendid book. Gosh! Tak.
”I see holes like eyes.”
Desperation is one of the downright scariest books I’ve read, and the scares come early. King manages, for the most part, to keep the tension up throughout the novel, which makes it one hell of an uneasy read. Some sequences are somewhat bizarre, and others are bluntly offensive, although this is only what you’d expect from a novel such as this: it’s not meant to be easy reading after all.
Something about this bothered [him], but for now he paid no attention. His fright had grown into a sense of foreboding so strong and yet so diffuse that he felt a little as if he’d eaten something laced with poison.
The story is definitely reminiscent of King’s earlier output and 1980s horror in general. Parallels can be drawn, not only with King’s own work, but also with novels like Floating Dragon and Phantoms. The nature of the supernatural antagonist is somewhat vague, but purposely so. Is it Demonic? Extraterrestrial? Biological?
Dolls with no little girls around to mind them were sort of creepy under any conditions, that was his opinion, at least, and to come upon one abandoned by the roadside, half-buried in blowing sand—
It’s a visual novel, and King makes very effective use of imagery. The abandoned RV with its door banging in the wind, the doll by the roadside… it’s enough to raise hackles. The desert in this novel isn’t as much majestic as it is creepy in its desolation. And always menacing.
”Tell you what, pilgrim—this smells bad.”
On the face of it, it’s typical King fare: very small town, multiple POV characters, supernatural evil, a healthy dose of Americana et al…. but Desperation does have one or two aces up its sleeve. It has some novelty value, having been released alongside The Regulators. It also has an epic and mythical sweep that can at least partly be attributed to the setting. Have I mentioned just how scary it gets?
“What’s that?” she whimpered. “Oh my God, what is it?”
There is an overt religious theme present here and King tackles themes like the nature of God (“God is cruel.” Vs “God is love.”), the nature of Divine Intervention, and Redemption etc. Just how much of this will appeal to the reader would probably depend. I can’t speak for others, but I enjoyed the book.
”My head is full of blackbirds.”
”I see holes like eyes.”
Desperation is one of the downright scariest books I’ve read, and the scares come early. King manages, for the most part, to keep the tension up throughout the novel, which makes it one hell of an uneasy read. Some sequences are somewhat bizarre, and others are bluntly offensive, although this is only what you’d expect from a novel such as this: it’s not meant to be easy reading after all.
Something about this bothered [him], but for now he paid no attention. His fright had grown into a sense of foreboding so strong and yet so diffuse that he felt a little as if he’d eaten something laced with poison.
The story is definitely reminiscent of King’s earlier output and 1980s horror in general. Parallels can be drawn, not only with King’s own work, but also with novels like Floating Dragon and Phantoms. The nature of the supernatural antagonist is somewhat vague, but purposely so. Is it Demonic? Extraterrestrial? Biological?
Dolls with no little girls around to mind them were sort of creepy under any conditions, that was his opinion, at least, and to come upon one abandoned by the roadside, half-buried in blowing sand—
It’s a visual novel, and King makes very effective use of imagery. The abandoned RV with its door banging in the wind, the doll by the roadside… it’s enough to raise hackles. The desert in this novel isn’t as much majestic as it is creepy in its desolation. And always menacing.
”Tell you what, pilgrim—this smells bad.”
On the face of it, it’s typical King fare: very small town, multiple POV characters, supernatural evil, a healthy dose of Americana et al…. but Desperation does have one or two aces up its sleeve. It has some novelty value, having been released alongside The Regulators. It also has an epic and mythical sweep that can at least partly be attributed to the setting. Have I mentioned just how scary it gets?
“What’s that?” she whimpered. “Oh my God, what is it?”
There is an overt religious theme present here and King tackles themes like the nature of God (“God is cruel.” Vs “God is love.”), the nature of Divine Intervention, and Redemption etc. Just how much of this will appeal to the reader would probably depend. I can’t speak for others, but I enjoyed the book.
”My head is full of blackbirds.”
January 21, 2010
I'm an indecisive rater and my rating on this will probably fluctuate with mood and memory but regardless of that this is a great read.
What I always found insulting was how easily critics, snobs, and pretentious twits write-off Stephen King because he writes stories about realistic people in fantastic situations. So what? Seriously, he writes amazingly so why give a damn what he writes about? Desperation is a perfect example of horror and fantastic writing and anyone who doesn't think so can go stick their nose in some classics of literature and sip wine and think about how superior they are.
The first thing that gripped me in this book was how goddamn creepy it really was. There are few things that scare me, really, but cops are one of them. Cops scare me because I'm terrified of prison. I have no reason to go but dammit if I haven't read and seen things that have convinced me that sometimes innocent people get put away and horrible, horrible things happen to them. So the opening scenes of Desperation which show a sheriff who is seemingly innocent had me gripped and on the edge of my seat already. The characters were tense because of the bizarre way the cop pulls them over and the fact that they do have pot on them. This is probably my favorite part of the book but that does not mean it is the only good part. King's use of repetition of the senses here really astounded me. I never knew how powerful repetition could be until I read this book and this scene and I begin to sweat as hard as I thought the characters were. As their paranoia grew I could feel my own paranoia growing until I wanted to shout at the book "Are you a good guy? Is this going to turn out as horrible as it feels?" I don't know how many other authors use this method or have used it successfully but this was my first book that exhibited it noticeably and it blew me away. King's literary tools and knowledge of how to use them really awes me at times.
From there the tension never slows and never stops. The characters are filled with real emotions, memories, and personalities. The woman (whose name I forget) is badass. Seriously, her and the writer were my two favorite characters, flaws and all.
Yes, this is a horror. Yes, it is not filled with symbolism or a greater cultural message which we all probably know. Despite all of this it is still remarkably well-written and any author that makes me feel what the characters are feeling and the absolute hopelessness of a situation gets a thumbs up.
Thumbs up King. Screw the snobs.
What I always found insulting was how easily critics, snobs, and pretentious twits write-off Stephen King because he writes stories about realistic people in fantastic situations. So what? Seriously, he writes amazingly so why give a damn what he writes about? Desperation is a perfect example of horror and fantastic writing and anyone who doesn't think so can go stick their nose in some classics of literature and sip wine and think about how superior they are.
The first thing that gripped me in this book was how goddamn creepy it really was. There are few things that scare me, really, but cops are one of them. Cops scare me because I'm terrified of prison. I have no reason to go but dammit if I haven't read and seen things that have convinced me that sometimes innocent people get put away and horrible, horrible things happen to them. So the opening scenes of Desperation which show a sheriff who is seemingly innocent had me gripped and on the edge of my seat already. The characters were tense because of the bizarre way the cop pulls them over and the fact that they do have pot on them. This is probably my favorite part of the book but that does not mean it is the only good part. King's use of repetition of the senses here really astounded me. I never knew how powerful repetition could be until I read this book and this scene and I begin to sweat as hard as I thought the characters were. As their paranoia grew I could feel my own paranoia growing until I wanted to shout at the book "Are you a good guy? Is this going to turn out as horrible as it feels?" I don't know how many other authors use this method or have used it successfully but this was my first book that exhibited it noticeably and it blew me away. King's literary tools and knowledge of how to use them really awes me at times.
From there the tension never slows and never stops. The characters are filled with real emotions, memories, and personalities. The woman (whose name I forget) is badass. Seriously, her and the writer were my two favorite characters, flaws and all.
Yes, this is a horror. Yes, it is not filled with symbolism or a greater cultural message which we all probably know. Despite all of this it is still remarkably well-written and any author that makes me feel what the characters are feeling and the absolute hopelessness of a situation gets a thumbs up.
Thumbs up King. Screw the snobs.
June 28, 2022
Un libro entretenido, con personajes bien perfilados, un villano decente y la ambientación bastante lograda del oeste americano pero con un tono religioso que a mí me sobró bastante.
En realidad 3.5★
«Reza todo lo que quieras, David, pero no esperes ayuda. Dios no está aquí, como tampoco estaba al lado de Jesús mientras este agonizaba en la cruz con moscas en los ojos.»
Desde que empieza la historia las cosas se ponen extrañas enseguida. En medio de la carretera una pareja se encuentran una muñeca abandonada, un gato clavado en un cartel al comienzo del pueblo, estacas por doquier, bicicletas y caravanas abandonadas y una tira metálica de malla recubierta de cientos de clavos que espichan las llantas de carros, justo como les ha pasado a ellos. Pero lo mejor viene cuando se encuentran con un sujeto del caos que disfruta matando y secuestrando gente. Dicho ser es un policía ido de la olla que ha pasado por el pueblo de Desesperación como un ciclón dejando a casi nadie sin vida, matando a cuantos habitantes le salían al paso. ¿Pero ahora qué pretende con las personas que poco a poco ha ido atrapando en la interestatal 50?
Para empezar, he decir que la sinopsis del libro prometía toda una historia de supervivencia en la que ilusamente creía que la intriga y el suspenso iban a jugar un papel importante, pero no fue así del todo. Y es que una de las cosas que siempre me juegan una mala pasada es suponer algo de un libro y encontrarme con algo distinto. Creía que la trama se iría puramente por cómo le harían frente los personajes a este policía sanguinario y aunque resultó en algo parecido la verdad es que tomó otros derroteros que solo pudieron proporcionarme menos diversión ante lo predecible que podía resultar el desenlace de la historia.
«Porque así se hacían las cosas en la casa del lobo, en la casa del escorpión, porque eso entendían por amor en Desesperación.»
Si bien creo que este es un libro muy entretenido de inicio a fin para mí hay un elemento que personalmente le quitó toda la tensión a la trama que se venía construyendo sobre el villano que protagoniza la historia. Y eso se resume en el factor religioso que aborda temáticas como la fe, la voluntad de Dios, la misión de sus seguidores y el escepticismo de algunos ante él; porque justo eso hace que el tema sobrenatural, la magia oscura y el tono macabro y escalofriante pierda fuerza ante la posibilidad de que dos fuerzas opuestas interactúen y se enfrenten (el bien y el mal). Uno puede hacerse a la idea que al final la fe y la templanza sea mayor que la maldad de un pueblo tan desértico y árido cómo Desesperación con un ser que se alimenta de la muerte y de los cuerpos utilizándolos como vasija.
Porque sí, en medio del gran diverso cast de personajes un niño parece ser la especie de elegido por Dios para cumplir cierto objetivo, ya que este comparte una estrecha relación por medio de rezos, conversaciones y una gran templanza que solo le lleva a ser guiado y protegido por este mismo ser Todopoderoso. Y aunque el mensaje es sobre la crueldad y cómo Dios hace milagros y sacrificios en el mismo paquete, la historia pudo ser más que solo guiños y referencias bíblicas con un fuerte contenido religioso y moralizador. O al menos es algo que yo hubiera preferido tuviera menos presencia y fuerza en el libro.
«¿Qué Dios es ese? Reniega de Él y abraza al mío. Al menos el mío no disimula su crueldad.»
Sin embargo, por el otro lado me ha gustado muchísimo que en esa misma ambientación del oeste americano hayan animales de los que cuidarse, porque se ven buitres comiendo cadáveres y coyotes acechando y aullando en ese lugar hostil, árido y abandonado, perfecto para no encontrar la ayuda que necesitas y el escondite para resguardarte. Y no solo se deben cuidar de ellos sino de escorpiones escondidos en la arena, serpientes cascabel, arañas, ratas, murciélagos, pumas y lobos.
Desesperación a veces es una historia sobre la magia, la malevolencia, dioses menores y mayores y sobre un ser sin forma que tiene ojos en todos lados y sobre el que se construye una cosmogonía muy interesante y escalofriante; sobre una fuerza del mal que por medio de leyendas, mitos y supersticiones se forma su origen en un agujero oscuro y profundo. Otras veces es una crítica ambientalista sobre la contaminación de la tierra y los animales, de la muerte y la podredumbre de una tierra que solo es explotada por los mineros y el capitalismo. Pero en la mayor parte del tiempo es sobre la fe y la crueldad de Dios que a veces tiene justa razón, y en la que se ve sumergida la voluntad, una misión relevante y la idea de que todo lo malo y lo bueno que ocurre es porque así tenía que ser y sus motivos habría de tener el señor del cielo. Sobra decir que lo primero es lo que más me gustó y lo último fue lo que más me fastidió la lectura, pero lo puse en negrilla por si las moscas.
Y aunque el final tiene un mensaje crudo y duro los hechos finales que conducen al desenlace y la confrontación entre el bien y el mal es de lo más flojo que he leído. Pero no me extraña, con King ya no suele ser sorpresa que empieza bien y luego flaquea en el último tercio. Aunque también agradezco ciertos paralelismos a It y La Tienda, con algunas referencias notables a Misery. Es un gusto encontrarte cosas así si eres fiel seguidor de este señor.
En realidad 3.5★
«Reza todo lo que quieras, David, pero no esperes ayuda. Dios no está aquí, como tampoco estaba al lado de Jesús mientras este agonizaba en la cruz con moscas en los ojos.»
Desde que empieza la historia las cosas se ponen extrañas enseguida. En medio de la carretera una pareja se encuentran una muñeca abandonada, un gato clavado en un cartel al comienzo del pueblo, estacas por doquier, bicicletas y caravanas abandonadas y una tira metálica de malla recubierta de cientos de clavos que espichan las llantas de carros, justo como les ha pasado a ellos. Pero lo mejor viene cuando se encuentran con un sujeto del caos que disfruta matando y secuestrando gente. Dicho ser es un policía ido de la olla que ha pasado por el pueblo de Desesperación como un ciclón dejando a casi nadie sin vida, matando a cuantos habitantes le salían al paso. ¿Pero ahora qué pretende con las personas que poco a poco ha ido atrapando en la interestatal 50?
Para empezar, he decir que la sinopsis del libro prometía toda una historia de supervivencia en la que ilusamente creía que la intriga y el suspenso iban a jugar un papel importante, pero no fue así del todo. Y es que una de las cosas que siempre me juegan una mala pasada es suponer algo de un libro y encontrarme con algo distinto. Creía que la trama se iría puramente por cómo le harían frente los personajes a este policía sanguinario y aunque resultó en algo parecido la verdad es que tomó otros derroteros que solo pudieron proporcionarme menos diversión ante lo predecible que podía resultar el desenlace de la historia.
«Porque así se hacían las cosas en la casa del lobo, en la casa del escorpión, porque eso entendían por amor en Desesperación.»
Si bien creo que este es un libro muy entretenido de inicio a fin para mí hay un elemento que personalmente le quitó toda la tensión a la trama que se venía construyendo sobre el villano que protagoniza la historia. Y eso se resume en el factor religioso que aborda temáticas como la fe, la voluntad de Dios, la misión de sus seguidores y el escepticismo de algunos ante él; porque justo eso hace que el tema sobrenatural, la magia oscura y el tono macabro y escalofriante pierda fuerza ante la posibilidad de que dos fuerzas opuestas interactúen y se enfrenten (el bien y el mal). Uno puede hacerse a la idea que al final la fe y la templanza sea mayor que la maldad de un pueblo tan desértico y árido cómo Desesperación con un ser que se alimenta de la muerte y de los cuerpos utilizándolos como vasija.
Porque sí, en medio del gran diverso cast de personajes un niño parece ser la especie de elegido por Dios para cumplir cierto objetivo, ya que este comparte una estrecha relación por medio de rezos, conversaciones y una gran templanza que solo le lleva a ser guiado y protegido por este mismo ser Todopoderoso. Y aunque el mensaje es sobre la crueldad y cómo Dios hace milagros y sacrificios en el mismo paquete, la historia pudo ser más que solo guiños y referencias bíblicas con un fuerte contenido religioso y moralizador. O al menos es algo que yo hubiera preferido tuviera menos presencia y fuerza en el libro.
«¿Qué Dios es ese? Reniega de Él y abraza al mío. Al menos el mío no disimula su crueldad.»
Sin embargo, por el otro lado me ha gustado muchísimo que en esa misma ambientación del oeste americano hayan animales de los que cuidarse, porque se ven buitres comiendo cadáveres y coyotes acechando y aullando en ese lugar hostil, árido y abandonado, perfecto para no encontrar la ayuda que necesitas y el escondite para resguardarte. Y no solo se deben cuidar de ellos sino de escorpiones escondidos en la arena, serpientes cascabel, arañas, ratas, murciélagos, pumas y lobos.
Desesperación a veces es una historia sobre la magia, la malevolencia, dioses menores y mayores y sobre un ser sin forma que tiene ojos en todos lados y sobre el que se construye una cosmogonía muy interesante y escalofriante; sobre una fuerza del mal que por medio de leyendas, mitos y supersticiones se forma su origen en un agujero oscuro y profundo. Otras veces es una crítica ambientalista sobre la contaminación de la tierra y los animales, de la muerte y la podredumbre de una tierra que solo es explotada por los mineros y el capitalismo. Pero en la mayor parte del tiempo es sobre la fe y la crueldad de Dios que a veces tiene justa razón, y en la que se ve sumergida la voluntad, una misión relevante y la idea de que todo lo malo y lo bueno que ocurre es porque así tenía que ser y sus motivos habría de tener el señor del cielo. Sobra decir que lo primero es lo que más me gustó y lo último fue lo que más me fastidió la lectura, pero lo puse en negrilla por si las moscas.
Y aunque el final tiene un mensaje crudo y duro los hechos finales que conducen al desenlace y la confrontación entre el bien y el mal es de lo más flojo que he leído. Pero no me extraña, con King ya no suele ser sorpresa que empieza bien y luego flaquea en el último tercio. Aunque también agradezco ciertos paralelismos a It y La Tienda, con algunas referencias notables a Misery. Es un gusto encontrarte cosas así si eres fiel seguidor de este señor.
June 5, 2024
I read this book back when I was in 7th grade. I remember distinctly putting it off until the weekend, right before it was due, which was a bad move. I then had to speed through it and do a report, all over a single weekend. Ok, enough about me…so it’s been 25 years since I read this, but distinctly remember Collie Entragian fascinating me. He was just a bizarre character, and everything he did and said just irked me. I get that he was possessed, but still. The initial introduction when he pulled over the couple in the dessert was uncomfortable and set the stage for what would surely be a nasty voyage for these people. So King did a great job keeping things tense, especially in the prison, as you begin to learn more about the sheriff’s intentions, bringing in the viewpoints of several unique characters. Much like with IT and the sewers under Derry, I recall having a tough time sticking with the history of the old mine, but I read on. The links between God and Tak, using the captured people all for a greater purpose, all kept my interest, as I do something very similar in my Preternatural trilogy. I know this wasn’t one of King’s highly acclaimed novels, but I remember enjoying it quite a bit.
October 16, 2016
"In these silences something may rise."
What a book! What a ride! Tak!
This is a story about the little mining town of Desperation. Regulating the traffic on the nearby Route 50 is Collie Entragian, who is an absolutely giant madman. If you're caught with a license plate number missing or you've got a flat tire...tough luck. Collie brings passers-by into Desperation where the real nightmare begins.
I loved this book from beginning to end, I was hooked from the very first page. It's an apocalyptic drama of God and evil, madness and revelation. There is a constant sense of tension that King holds over you relentlessly.
It's true horror as the amount of gore and blood and guts is enough to last you for a lifetime. There's scary animals everywhere from coyotes to scorpions to buzzards to recluse spiders...with vivid imagery and descriptions. You could not wish for any more!
People appear to have issues with the religious undertone of the book, but I personally enjoyed this aspect. I felt like it was necessary in order for this story to progress and make sense. It allowed for the character David Carver to really shine. A young boy with the weight of everyone's survival on his shoulders.
The other characters were equally awesome. Steve and Cynthia...Johnny...the rest of the Carver family, Mary. King really developed each with their own unique characterisation and this is truly why he is the King.
One of my top King books. An addictive read with a relentless pace.
What a book! What a ride! Tak!
This is a story about the little mining town of Desperation. Regulating the traffic on the nearby Route 50 is Collie Entragian, who is an absolutely giant madman. If you're caught with a license plate number missing or you've got a flat tire...tough luck. Collie brings passers-by into Desperation where the real nightmare begins.
I loved this book from beginning to end, I was hooked from the very first page. It's an apocalyptic drama of God and evil, madness and revelation. There is a constant sense of tension that King holds over you relentlessly.
It's true horror as the amount of gore and blood and guts is enough to last you for a lifetime. There's scary animals everywhere from coyotes to scorpions to buzzards to recluse spiders...with vivid imagery and descriptions. You could not wish for any more!
People appear to have issues with the religious undertone of the book, but I personally enjoyed this aspect. I felt like it was necessary in order for this story to progress and make sense. It allowed for the character David Carver to really shine. A young boy with the weight of everyone's survival on his shoulders.
The other characters were equally awesome. Steve and Cynthia...Johnny...the rest of the Carver family, Mary. King really developed each with their own unique characterisation and this is truly why he is the King.
One of my top King books. An addictive read with a relentless pace.
November 2, 2020
While there is no doubt Stephen King is a great author with an incredible ability to write, he still needs an editor. Obviously, no one bothered to edit this novel from way, way, way, way, way, way, way, way, way, way too long. Are King’s editors too intimidated to do their jobs? It certainly appears so in this exceedingly unnecessarily long wordy work. Not even close to his best work. 2 out of 10 stars for this never ending yarn.
February 4, 2021
4,5. Como me alegro cada vez que doy con una de esas joyitas del rey Stephen King. Es uno de mis autores favoritos de todos los tiempos, pero una persona con un ritmo de escritura tan frenético como el de este señor, no siempre puede mantener el nivel. Por eso suelo dividir sus libros en tres categorias: joyitas, los que no están mal y los muy regulares. Y este es de los buenos buenos. En la interestatal 50, una desierta carretera que cruza nevada, nos vamos a encontrar con Collie Entragian, un enorme agente de policia. Este hombre se dedica a parar a los pocos viajeros que cruzan dicha carretera y los lleva hacia Desesperación, un pueblo cercano. Y no lo hará precisamente con buenas intenciones.
Lo primero que destaca es el villano de la historia. Original, personal, característico y con fuerza. Me flipa cuando King hace personajes antagonistas tan potentes como este, Annie Wilkis, Pennywise o Jack Torrance. Siento que Stephen King es uno de los mejores creando villanos, que es uno de sus puntos fuertes. Y el villano de esta historia es tan bueno, que me ha mantenido con los ojos pegados a la novela todo el tiempo. La tensión va en aumento todo el tiempo, esa sensación de desconcierto y de miedo constante por los personajes hacía tiempo que no la sentía con King. Desde que leí Cementerio de animales, quizás.
Otra cosa que me ha gustado mucho es la ambietación. Tanto la que hace referencia al pueblo y lo destrozado que está, como a la que gira entorno al misterio de este curioso mal que está azotando "Deseperación". El origen de este ser y todo lo que envuelve su existencia me ha parecido muy bien traido y, en parte, me ha recordado a "It", cosa que siempre es una alegría. El grupo de superviventes que tienen que enfretarlo también me ha gustado un montón y de hecho no he podido dejar ver cierta similitud con los perdedores de "It" también, pero en su versión adulta. Me ha gustado mucho leer como iban llegando al pueblo, como algunos iban cayendo poco a poco. Sobre todo me han gustado mucho Cynthia, Mary, Johnny y, por supuesto, el villano.
Y para rematar una buena lectura de King, nos encontramos con un final potente, tenso y bien llevado. Amo profundamente a este autor, pero la pega que muchas veces suelo encontrar en sus libros son sus finales, así que me he llevado una alegría al descubrir que el de "Desesperación" es de los muy buenos. La único que no me ha gustado tanto y que me ha llevado a dejarlo en 4,5 estrellas y no las cinco es el tema religioso, con el Dios todopoderoso que todo lo puede. Si el tema religión hubiera estado un pelín relajado se hubiera llevado las cinco. Aún así ha entrado en mi top 5 libros de King. Ahora a por su hermano mellizo "Posesión".
Lo primero que destaca es el villano de la historia. Original, personal, característico y con fuerza. Me flipa cuando King hace personajes antagonistas tan potentes como este, Annie Wilkis, Pennywise o Jack Torrance. Siento que Stephen King es uno de los mejores creando villanos, que es uno de sus puntos fuertes. Y el villano de esta historia es tan bueno, que me ha mantenido con los ojos pegados a la novela todo el tiempo. La tensión va en aumento todo el tiempo, esa sensación de desconcierto y de miedo constante por los personajes hacía tiempo que no la sentía con King. Desde que leí Cementerio de animales, quizás.
Otra cosa que me ha gustado mucho es la ambietación. Tanto la que hace referencia al pueblo y lo destrozado que está, como a la que gira entorno al misterio de este curioso mal que está azotando "Deseperación". El origen de este ser y todo lo que envuelve su existencia me ha parecido muy bien traido y, en parte, me ha recordado a "It", cosa que siempre es una alegría. El grupo de superviventes que tienen que enfretarlo también me ha gustado un montón y de hecho no he podido dejar ver cierta similitud con los perdedores de "It" también, pero en su versión adulta. Me ha gustado mucho leer como iban llegando al pueblo, como algunos iban cayendo poco a poco. Sobre todo me han gustado mucho Cynthia, Mary, Johnny y, por supuesto, el villano.
Y para rematar una buena lectura de King, nos encontramos con un final potente, tenso y bien llevado. Amo profundamente a este autor, pero la pega que muchas veces suelo encontrar en sus libros son sus finales, así que me he llevado una alegría al descubrir que el de "Desesperación" es de los muy buenos. La único que no me ha gustado tanto y que me ha llevado a dejarlo en 4,5 estrellas y no las cinco es el tema religioso, con el Dios todopoderoso que todo lo puede. Si el tema religión hubiera estado un pelín relajado se hubiera llevado las cinco. Aún así ha entrado en mi top 5 libros de King. Ahora a por su hermano mellizo "Posesión".
January 16, 2019
Say what you will about Stephen King, but you've got to hand it to our man in Maine: sitting down with one of his novels is never a struggle. Having read a number of his books, I've gradually come to think of him as being a bit like an old friend: a charming, chatty old friend who, for the price of a paperback, will happily sit down with you and tell you one of his numerous stories, stories whose occasional nastiness seems quite at odds with their mild-mannered narrator. On this level, Desperation does not disappoint; you're likely to be hooked from the very first page. And, yes, it really is pretty nasty – but then I have got a slight phobia of creepy little towns, so I would say that.
Highway 50 in Nevada is apparently (being a Brit I'd hardly know) "The Loneliest Highway in America" – not the kind of place where you'd want to run out of petrol, have an accident or, indeed, meet a seemingly psychopathic policeman, as a random group of travellers are about to find out to their cost. In fact, the policeman is just the tip of the iceberg, as the actual source of the horror is something bigger, older and considerably more deadly than one man. The small mining town of Desperation, once a small but safe and friendly place, has been devastated by an ancient evil, and it falls to a ragged group of survivors to do battle with that evil.
It's astounding how many of our primal fears King works on, and with what apparent ease: the fear of being possessed, the fear of bodily degeneration and decay, the dark, being alone, not being alone, wide open spaces, confined spaces, and of course what horrors might lurk in those spaces. In many ways this is not for the easily-upset: it's genuinely horrific on occasion, and most certainly gory. King was never the man to spare us sickening physical details, and he's on form here, disgusting us with every dribble of blood, every rotten lump of flesh and every putrid corpse. The foulness can get a bit much on occasion, and yes, it does begin to feel a bit gratuitous, but it's a compelling story, so you can overlook that.
There are one or two gripes: as is so often the case with King, he starts off so well, and with such an intriguing premise, that he actually sort of writes himself into a corner; the ending is a disappointment, not to mention unintentionally mildly funny. And of course there are the recycled characters, the characters who have made numerous appearances in other King novels – the young boy with strange powers, the weary, cynical writer, the slightly downtrodden woman who has to struggle against the odds – but then again the fact that they keep coming back only really testifies to how successful they were to begin with. If ever a writer was a victim of his own success, it's SK; but then, in accordance with one of the major themes of the novel, God is cruel. Recommended, if not for the faint of heart.
Highway 50 in Nevada is apparently (being a Brit I'd hardly know) "The Loneliest Highway in America" – not the kind of place where you'd want to run out of petrol, have an accident or, indeed, meet a seemingly psychopathic policeman, as a random group of travellers are about to find out to their cost. In fact, the policeman is just the tip of the iceberg, as the actual source of the horror is something bigger, older and considerably more deadly than one man. The small mining town of Desperation, once a small but safe and friendly place, has been devastated by an ancient evil, and it falls to a ragged group of survivors to do battle with that evil.
It's astounding how many of our primal fears King works on, and with what apparent ease: the fear of being possessed, the fear of bodily degeneration and decay, the dark, being alone, not being alone, wide open spaces, confined spaces, and of course what horrors might lurk in those spaces. In many ways this is not for the easily-upset: it's genuinely horrific on occasion, and most certainly gory. King was never the man to spare us sickening physical details, and he's on form here, disgusting us with every dribble of blood, every rotten lump of flesh and every putrid corpse. The foulness can get a bit much on occasion, and yes, it does begin to feel a bit gratuitous, but it's a compelling story, so you can overlook that.
There are one or two gripes: as is so often the case with King, he starts off so well, and with such an intriguing premise, that he actually sort of writes himself into a corner; the ending is a disappointment, not to mention unintentionally mildly funny. And of course there are the recycled characters, the characters who have made numerous appearances in other King novels – the young boy with strange powers, the weary, cynical writer, the slightly downtrodden woman who has to struggle against the odds – but then again the fact that they keep coming back only really testifies to how successful they were to begin with. If ever a writer was a victim of his own success, it's SK; but then, in accordance with one of the major themes of the novel, God is cruel. Recommended, if not for the faint of heart.
October 3, 2019
What I learned from this book: tall people are The Devil. *lol*
This was … not the most excellent King I’ve read so far, but pretty good nonetheless.
There are four groups of people: a young couple (Mary and Peter Jackson), a family of four (father, mother, an 11-year-old boy and his younger sister), a washed-up writer, the writer’s assistant (who has to follow him at a little distance while his boss is crossing the USofA on his motorcycle) and a hitchhiker he’s picked up not too long ago.
These four groups have one thing in common: they are each either stopped by a cop out on the highway or are connected to the people who have been arrested and thus end up in the small town of Desperation.
The problem is that there is something profoundly wrong with the cop. From supposedly planted weed, to eerie phrases that steal into his speech pattern, unnerving the people he’s talking to.
Also unnerving is the fact that the town is empty. From the recently re-opened mines to the main street. Not a soul to be seen.
And here’s a third unnerving fact: the animals (from coyotes to buzzards and scorpions) seem to have been instrumentalized too.
But why / how?
Well, that is exactly what the people are trying to find out after shit hits the fan and they realize they’ve pretty much landed in hell.
One thing I was definitely not into was the whole religion schtick. I know King isn’t religious himself, so that makes it a little better, but the pious message is strong in this one (or King’s sarcasm is too weak here). I honestly hoped . Alas.
For those of you who are reading Stephen King, regularly even, this will be one of those rewarding stories that have some slight connection to others, telling us of .
I really liked the atmosphere in the little town, when we didn’t know quite what was wrong though we could already be sure that something was VERY wrong indeed. The origin story itself was cool as well though how they found out … I don’t know. Not to mention that I hated all the instrumentalized animals .
Like I said, very enjoyable, but not King’s best.
By the way, my audiobook was narrated by King himself and let me tell you: the man is a darn good audiobook narrator!
P.S.:
This was … not the most excellent King I’ve read so far, but pretty good nonetheless.
There are four groups of people: a young couple (Mary and Peter Jackson), a family of four (father, mother, an 11-year-old boy and his younger sister), a washed-up writer, the writer’s assistant (who has to follow him at a little distance while his boss is crossing the USofA on his motorcycle) and a hitchhiker he’s picked up not too long ago.
These four groups have one thing in common: they are each either stopped by a cop out on the highway or are connected to the people who have been arrested and thus end up in the small town of Desperation.
The problem is that there is something profoundly wrong with the cop. From supposedly planted weed, to eerie phrases that steal into his speech pattern, unnerving the people he’s talking to.
Also unnerving is the fact that the town is empty. From the recently re-opened mines to the main street. Not a soul to be seen.
And here’s a third unnerving fact: the animals (from coyotes to buzzards and scorpions) seem to have been instrumentalized too.
But why / how?
Well, that is exactly what the people are trying to find out after shit hits the fan and they realize they’ve pretty much landed in hell.
One thing I was definitely not into was the whole religion schtick. I know King isn’t religious himself, so that makes it a little better, but the pious message is strong in this one (or King’s sarcasm is too weak here). I honestly hoped . Alas.
For those of you who are reading Stephen King, regularly even, this will be one of those rewarding stories that have some slight connection to others, telling us of .
I really liked the atmosphere in the little town, when we didn’t know quite what was wrong though we could already be sure that something was VERY wrong indeed. The origin story itself was cool as well though how they found out … I don’t know. Not to mention that I hated all the instrumentalized animals .
Like I said, very enjoyable, but not King’s best.
By the way, my audiobook was narrated by King himself and let me tell you: the man is a darn good audiobook narrator!
P.S.:
February 4, 2021
A one time thriving town in the Nevada desert Desperation is about to give up its secrets. An average King read in that it starts so well and the middle's so good, that comes to an end that can't live up to the expectation built!
DESPERATION by STEPHEN KING - My terrible Instagram review:
I gave it a W...
W for delightfully Weird covers of most editions.
W for Wild start that takes you on a demented first third of the book.
W for Weak finish in comparison to the intense and gripping earlier parts of the book, and W for Weak characterisation compared to the very high standard King has set.
W for Will probably never read again, but Worth this reread.
DESPERATION by STEPHEN KING - My terrible Instagram review:
I gave it a W...
W for delightfully Weird covers of most editions.
W for Wild start that takes you on a demented first third of the book.
W for Weak finish in comparison to the intense and gripping earlier parts of the book, and W for Weak characterisation compared to the very high standard King has set.
W for Will probably never read again, but Worth this reread.
September 11, 2007
So, I dropped the pretention and read a Stephen King novel. True, I read several of King's works...in middle school...but I thought that it was time to give him another chance. After all, King's popularity is eclipsed only by, oh, I don't know...Jesus? Well, not Jesus...but someone popular.
I'll admit, the story was engaging. King has a way with propelling his story-lines over hundreds of pages without taking a breath. Or so it would seem. Unfortunately, the mediocrity of his prose is, at best, distracting and at worst infuriating. How many internal monologues can one author insert haphazardly into a single paragraph? I don't know, but King sure does: twenty-seven. Seriously though, King's writing suffers from a lack of ingenuity. Metaphors are ham-fisted and cliched, character development is superficial at best, and the dialogue is trite and unconvincing. The upshot to King's fast-paced, yet uninspired, novel? It only took a few hours to finish.
I'll admit, the story was engaging. King has a way with propelling his story-lines over hundreds of pages without taking a breath. Or so it would seem. Unfortunately, the mediocrity of his prose is, at best, distracting and at worst infuriating. How many internal monologues can one author insert haphazardly into a single paragraph? I don't know, but King sure does: twenty-seven. Seriously though, King's writing suffers from a lack of ingenuity. Metaphors are ham-fisted and cliched, character development is superficial at best, and the dialogue is trite and unconvincing. The upshot to King's fast-paced, yet uninspired, novel? It only took a few hours to finish.
January 23, 2021
"Those who do not learn the lessons of the past are condemned to repeat it."
This one is about a bunch people who, while traveling along 'Lonely' Highway 50 in Nevada, get tricked and abducted by a huge 6'7" town deputy who is clearly absolutely insane and get taken to the mining town of Desperation and thrown into cells.....
It's a good verus evil story which I absolutely loved, I just couldn't put it down, when I had to go and do something I was always looking forward to getting straight back to it - it's one of those addictive reads.
I've read most of Stephen King's books and he's still blowing my mind, I've put Desperation off for years and now that I've finally read it - it's one of the best one I've read for years!
Must read!! Tak!
This one is about a bunch people who, while traveling along 'Lonely' Highway 50 in Nevada, get tricked and abducted by a huge 6'7" town deputy who is clearly absolutely insane and get taken to the mining town of Desperation and thrown into cells.....
It's a good verus evil story which I absolutely loved, I just couldn't put it down, when I had to go and do something I was always looking forward to getting straight back to it - it's one of those addictive reads.
I've read most of Stephen King's books and he's still blowing my mind, I've put Desperation off for years and now that I've finally read it - it's one of the best one I've read for years!
Must read!! Tak!
January 16, 2015
Awesomesauce!!
I closed the book with a wicked smile across my face.
First, the boy character made this book.
Second, the way this story makes you feel like you're right there. Third, how can you not love a 600+ page King novel. The bigger the better in my opinion. One of his best for sure.
I closed the book with a wicked smile across my face.
First, the boy character made this book.
Second, the way this story makes you feel like you're right there. Third, how can you not love a 600+ page King novel. The bigger the better in my opinion. One of his best for sure.
October 16, 2024
Another 500 page dud from King. King did not just write short duds. He wrote long epic duds with multiple sub plots, numerous boring characters and terrible long epic endings.
January 5, 2024
Gory, old school King.
It’s always a great set up - strangers thrown together by “chance” must survive or fall as a group - and in King’s hands it is of course wholly frightening, bizarre, and horrifying.
Unlike King’s other books which feature ultimate showdowns between Good and Evil, this one puts an actual name on Good and runs with it. I’m not enough of a King scholar to know why he chose to include God here, when that is not usually a feature of his story telling, but of course, because it’s King it’s no kindly fellow you get.
Next month I’ll be reading the novel written as the twin to Desperation: The Regulators by Richard Bachman. It will be interesting to see how they compare.
It’s always a great set up - strangers thrown together by “chance” must survive or fall as a group - and in King’s hands it is of course wholly frightening, bizarre, and horrifying.
Unlike King’s other books which feature ultimate showdowns between Good and Evil, this one puts an actual name on Good and runs with it. I’m not enough of a King scholar to know why he chose to include God here, when that is not usually a feature of his story telling, but of course, because it’s King it’s no kindly fellow you get.
Next month I’ll be reading the novel written as the twin to Desperation: The Regulators by Richard Bachman. It will be interesting to see how they compare.
November 22, 2022
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Genre: Horror
In a deserted mining town called Desperation, a group of people has had their lives changed forever. The terror and evil that they face in Desperation are unprecedented. All these characters are stopped by a crazy police officer, but what appeared at first to be a normal routine thing turns out to be a far more sinister thing than what they thought. In this town, the war between the forces of good and evil will start. God has the final say, though!
This is the first time I've read this novel. I remember watching the television movie adaptation a long time ago and not liking it at the time. I can’t remember a thing from that movie either. But this book is everything I love about Stephen King’s stories. Like many of his other stories, it has horror, intrigue, religion, mystery, and thrills that are combined together to create a marvelous story that will keep you on the edge of your seat from start to finish.
All the characters in this book were fantastically developed. It felt like I was on a journey with them, experiencing all the fear they felt and the terrible things they had to go through. David was such an amazing character. I can’t remember when it was the last time I read a child character that was written so beautifully and who had such an important role in a story. The impact each of these characters has is huge. This review will spoil nothing for you. My advice is just to read this amazing story. I LOVED IT.
Note: Desperation is a part of my reading of Stephen King’s The Dark Tower series. This is Book No.13 of the 24 books I am going to read for this series.
Genre: Horror
In a deserted mining town called Desperation, a group of people has had their lives changed forever. The terror and evil that they face in Desperation are unprecedented. All these characters are stopped by a crazy police officer, but what appeared at first to be a normal routine thing turns out to be a far more sinister thing than what they thought. In this town, the war between the forces of good and evil will start. God has the final say, though!
This is the first time I've read this novel. I remember watching the television movie adaptation a long time ago and not liking it at the time. I can’t remember a thing from that movie either. But this book is everything I love about Stephen King’s stories. Like many of his other stories, it has horror, intrigue, religion, mystery, and thrills that are combined together to create a marvelous story that will keep you on the edge of your seat from start to finish.
All the characters in this book were fantastically developed. It felt like I was on a journey with them, experiencing all the fear they felt and the terrible things they had to go through. David was such an amazing character. I can’t remember when it was the last time I read a child character that was written so beautifully and who had such an important role in a story. The impact each of these characters has is huge. This review will spoil nothing for you. My advice is just to read this amazing story. I LOVED IT.
Note: Desperation is a part of my reading of Stephen King’s The Dark Tower series. This is Book No.13 of the 24 books I am going to read for this series.
January 3, 2025
There were a LOT of interesting social issues tied into the paranormal and religion here. Stephen King is notorious for his love/hate relationship with God and religion in many of his novels, and that held true here as well.
I loved the way that he used the "power of prayer" as an actual powerful force. The overall premise of an old mining town and people
Overall, the characters are well defined. However, only one facet of the villain is made as real and clear, which was a bit of a disappointment. Entragian was the strength in character on this one. he was so brilliantly terrible. Being stuck on one a few words of a language got a bit annoying and repetitive. I was also a bit confused at the mudding of the Vietnamese and Chinese cultures that could have been done more clearly.
Worth a read, and was interesting. Not the strongest of King's novels for me, but definitely happy to have finally read this one.
Quotes that stood out to me:
“Oh shit, the mummy's after us, let's all walk a little faster”
“Life is more than just steering a course around pain.”
“The trouble with sobriety, Johnny had found, was that you remembered all the things you had to be scared of.”
3.5 Stars rounded up to 4.
I loved the way that he used the "power of prayer" as an actual powerful force. The overall premise of an old mining town and people
Overall, the characters are well defined. However, only one facet of the villain is made as real and clear, which was a bit of a disappointment. Entragian was the strength in character on this one. he was so brilliantly terrible. Being stuck on one a few words of a language got a bit annoying and repetitive. I was also a bit confused at the mudding of the Vietnamese and Chinese cultures that could have been done more clearly.
Worth a read, and was interesting. Not the strongest of King's novels for me, but definitely happy to have finally read this one.
Quotes that stood out to me:
“Oh shit, the mummy's after us, let's all walk a little faster”
“Life is more than just steering a course around pain.”
“The trouble with sobriety, Johnny had found, was that you remembered all the things you had to be scared of.”
3.5 Stars rounded up to 4.
October 30, 2017
Μονο και μονο για εκεινο το πρωτο 1/3 που υποσχεθηκε πολλα, αλλα δεν...
ποσο απογοητευτικο οταν ενα βιβλιο ξεκινα πολλα υποσχομενο και πολυυυυ δυνατα και τελικα καταληγεις να κοιτας ποσες σελιδες μενουν ως το τελος....
Εεεεεεμμμμ τι γινεται? εχω φρικαρει !!!
Για να δουμε, τι λεει και αυτος ο..δρομος..
ποσο απογοητευτικο οταν ενα βιβλιο ξεκινα πολλα υποσχομενο και πολυυυυ δυνατα και τελικα καταληγεις να κοιτας ποσες σελιδες μενουν ως το τελος....
Εεεεεεμμμμ τι γινεται? εχω φρικαρει !!!
Για να δουμε, τι λεει και αυτος ο..δρομος..
August 23, 2017
“Dolls with no little girls around to mind them were sort of creepy under any conditions.”
Tak
As a constant King reader, I was looking forward to diving into his twisted mindset again, for believe it or not this was my first King book this year and immediately from page one it felt like home. The whole setting for this book lends itself well to the extreme creepy factor from the ghost town in the middle of a desert to the long stretches of highway that just give this unsettling feeling like something bad is about happen.
“You said 'God is cruel' the way a person who's lived his whole life on Tahiti might say 'Snow is cold'. You knew , but you didn't understand." He stepped close to David and put his palms on the boy's cold cheeks. "Do you know how cruel your God can be, David. How fantastically cruel?”
The plot revolves around this isolated town called Desperation which is located in Nevada, it seems deserted and the only inhabitant is the sheriff who patrols Highway 50 where a bunch of outsiders will, unfortunately, cross paths with the devil himself. Somehow, they get pulled over for some sort of technicality with the law and are brought to Desperation and all hell breaks loose.
My experience reading this polarizing, before starting this I read that the book was too heavy on the religiousness or “preachy” and I was still not put off by that because The Stand also drew some inspiration from the Bible and used that to explore the Good vs Evil trope it was done smartly and the characters didn’t feel like biblical prophets but when it came to this book it felt like I was literally being talked down at. The plot was steady and the suspense was incredible as one would expect with a King but the second half the religious ideologies overtook the storyline.
“In these silences, something may rise”
The characters had a similar effect with the plot, at the beginning each individual had such a strong presence but they slowly dwindled… The whole idea of free will in regards to religion was touched on but once the characters started losing their own personal belief and started making really dumb decisions my enjoyment level started plummeting.
Apart from all that the book is really fast paced, devouring the 700pages in a weeks time and the gore factor was top notch. Exploring addiction and alcoholism was well done as the subject hits close to home for Stephen King. I would definitely still recommend it for the sharp writing and atmosphere but it isn’t like my favorite King book, I have read better. Still, you sound check it out if the premise sounds interesting or if you are King addict.
I would definitely check out The Regulators to see how the narratives pair together.
Have you read it what are your thoughts on it?
___________________________________________________
Really conflicted about this I need to get thoughts my order
September 29, 2025
After introducing David, a 12-year old devout Christian, Stephen King moves on to his more usual spooky territory: various people are traveling on a lonely Nevada highway and are picked off for minor traffic infractions by a local town cop. One car is driven by a young professor and his wife, another target is an RV with a couple and their two young children, including David. And for good measure he stops a motorcyclist who happens to be a world famous author. (King describes this world famous author as a bit of an a-hole as an inside joke for his readers.) Things rapidly go downhill as the cop delivers his captives to the town jailhouse. Just for the hell of it he kills two of the people and hangs them on hooks in his office.
King used the plot device he's used in other novels - Good vs. Evil. It is similar to The Stand in that a group of good people band together to battle the forces of evil. If I remember correctly the good power was embodied in an old lady sitting on a porch. In Desperation, King goes straight to the top for his "good power" - the Christian God, bypassing Jesus and any other spiritual humans. God talks to David, the young boy, quite a bit; almost as much as he talked to Moses in the Old Testament. I got curious and googled "Is Stephen King an atheist?" Google AI said that when interviewed King said, "I choose to believe in God." He does not practice any formal religion. I mention this because I found it unsettling that King uses God as a character in this story. Other authors have done it so I suppose why not King?
Desperation almost squeaked in as a 5-star read for me. I've noticed in other reviews that readers loved the beginning and middle but complained that the ending was weak. I liked the ending. But then again I liked the ending of the HBO series "Game of Thrones" and I was really an outlier on that one.
King used the plot device he's used in other novels - Good vs. Evil. It is similar to The Stand in that a group of good people band together to battle the forces of evil. If I remember correctly the good power was embodied in an old lady sitting on a porch. In Desperation, King goes straight to the top for his "good power" - the Christian God, bypassing Jesus and any other spiritual humans. God talks to David, the young boy, quite a bit; almost as much as he talked to Moses in the Old Testament. I got curious and googled "Is Stephen King an atheist?" Google AI said that when interviewed King said, "I choose to believe in God." He does not practice any formal religion. I mention this because I found it unsettling that King uses God as a character in this story. Other authors have done it so I suppose why not King?
Desperation almost squeaked in as a 5-star read for me. I've noticed in other reviews that readers loved the beginning and middle but complained that the ending was weak. I liked the ending. But then again I liked the ending of the HBO series "Game of Thrones" and I was really an outlier on that one.
September 19, 2017
It has ups and downs and definitely could have trimmed at least 75 pages or so with better editing, I think, but a good read. Heavy on the religious aspects, for a King novel. After reading this one, though, I ALWAYS have to then immediately read 'The Regulators', which is the 'other side of the story' written by King's friend, 'Richard Bachman'...--Jen from Quebec :0)
December 21, 2019
Great connections between lust and death. Must read!!
May 17, 2020
4.5
Es, sin duda alguna, uno de los libros más sanguinario, crudo y violento que pudo escribir S.K.
Los personajes están muy bien la verdad, y la trama no es mala para ser un libro de 718 páginas.
¿Qué si lo recomiendo? Sí, para los que han leído libros así de largos. Para alguien que apenas comienza, no.
Una frase: "la mentira es ficción, la ficción es arte, y por consiguiente todo arte es mentira".
Es, sin duda alguna, uno de los libros más sanguinario, crudo y violento que pudo escribir S.K.
Los personajes están muy bien la verdad, y la trama no es mala para ser un libro de 718 páginas.
¿Qué si lo recomiendo? Sí, para los que han leído libros así de largos. Para alguien que apenas comienza, no.
Una frase: "la mentira es ficción, la ficción es arte, y por consiguiente todo arte es mentira".
April 19, 2024
He quedado “traumada” con este libro, es muy impactante. Si bien el título hace referencia al nombre del pueblo donde transcurre la historia, también es la sensación que le produce al lector desde que empieza a leer hasta el final.
Lo sentí como estar dentro de una película, todo muy visual sensitivo. El temor, la angustia, el horror se te pega en la piel. Es un libro que tiene mucho gore (muertes sangrientas), las escenas repulsivas aparecen una y otra vez.
Es una historia en la que los personajes pasan a ser peones en un juego de ajedrez de alguien más, y llega un momento en que son conscientes de ello pero no pueden impedirlo. Eso me generó como lectora angustia y te lleva a preguntarte el sentido de nuestra existencia.
Esta novela te va llevando de la mano, adentrándose cada vez en una capa mas profunda de los hechos. Al inicio podríamos pensar que lo que acontece es realista, pero luego nos vamos dando cuenta, a la par que los personajes, que hay algo sobrenatural implicado. La tensión va permanentemente en aumento, sin un momento de pausa.
Finalmente aparecen todas las explicaciones, todo tiene su lógica, no hay un hilo fuera del ovillo. Esta cuidado todo detalle y la complejidad que presenta es deliciosa.
Les dejo un video sobre el decálogo de King (por si les interesa): https://bit.ly/48YnNaa
Lo sentí como estar dentro de una película, todo muy visual sensitivo. El temor, la angustia, el horror se te pega en la piel. Es un libro que tiene mucho gore (muertes sangrientas), las escenas repulsivas aparecen una y otra vez.
Es una historia en la que los personajes pasan a ser peones en un juego de ajedrez de alguien más, y llega un momento en que son conscientes de ello pero no pueden impedirlo. Eso me generó como lectora angustia y te lleva a preguntarte el sentido de nuestra existencia.
Esta novela te va llevando de la mano, adentrándose cada vez en una capa mas profunda de los hechos. Al inicio podríamos pensar que lo que acontece es realista, pero luego nos vamos dando cuenta, a la par que los personajes, que hay algo sobrenatural implicado. La tensión va permanentemente en aumento, sin un momento de pausa.
Finalmente aparecen todas las explicaciones, todo tiene su lógica, no hay un hilo fuera del ovillo. Esta cuidado todo detalle y la complejidad que presenta es deliciosa.
Les dejo un video sobre el decálogo de King (por si les interesa): https://bit.ly/48YnNaa
June 4, 2014
UUUUUUUUUUGGGHHHH I FEEL SO BETRAYED BY THIS DUMB BOOK.
The first half, maybe even two thirds and I was all HEY THIS MIGHT BE MY FAVORITE KING NOVEL. A creepy rural Nevada cop starts kidnapping innocent travelers!? Like all post-AA King, they're all thinly veiled representations of parts of his personality/personal history!? THE COP IS POSSESSED BY AN ANCIENT EARTH-GOD WITH POWER OVER THE LOWER BEASTS OF THE DESERT?@?!!? DUDE!
There's a movie adaptation where RON PERLMAN PLAYS THE COP!? DOUBLE DUDE!!
And then... I mean. You know how King can't write an ending? (And neither can his son for that matter, file that away for later...) How every single novel ends with a MAJOR deus ex machina??
Usually he can come up with a better name for his 'deus' than God.
The entire second half of Desperation is a pile of proselytizing garbage. Literally every single obstacle encountered in the latter 300 pages is resolved by a character praying. PRAYING.
PRAYING.
I am so upset. So upset. This got two stars for each hundred pages I could stand.
So upset.
The first half, maybe even two thirds and I was all HEY THIS MIGHT BE MY FAVORITE KING NOVEL. A creepy rural Nevada cop starts kidnapping innocent travelers!? Like all post-AA King, they're all thinly veiled representations of parts of his personality/personal history!? THE COP IS POSSESSED BY AN ANCIENT EARTH-GOD WITH POWER OVER THE LOWER BEASTS OF THE DESERT?@?!!? DUDE!
There's a movie adaptation where RON PERLMAN PLAYS THE COP!? DOUBLE DUDE!!
And then... I mean. You know how King can't write an ending? (And neither can his son for that matter, file that away for later...) How every single novel ends with a MAJOR deus ex machina??
Usually he can come up with a better name for his 'deus' than God.
The entire second half of Desperation is a pile of proselytizing garbage. Literally every single obstacle encountered in the latter 300 pages is resolved by a character praying. PRAYING.
PRAYING.
I am so upset. So upset. This got two stars for each hundred pages I could stand.
So upset.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 17, 2024
Mr. King i bow down to you for such a masterpiece you’ve created!
Love love love
5/5
Love love love
5/5
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