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Nodd's Ridge
The Book of Reuben
The fifth novel about Nodd's Ridge, Maine, chronicles the life of the popular Reuben Styles, who survives an abuse-filled childhood and seems to find the American dream, only to have it crumble away from him.
Reuben Styles tries to do everything right according to the standard American success story - but life in Nodd's Ridge, Maine, is not a straight line for him. He stars in sports, but has to abandon athletic ambitions to go to work. He works his way up to owning the local filling station, but is frustrated by obstacles. He meets a rich and beautiful older woman who takes him into her bed, and has the misfortune to witness her child's mysterious drowning. He marries his childhood sweetheart and is faced with the troubling aftermath.
While nothing turns out the way he expects, Reuben never caves in. When he meets the beautiful Pearl he is ready to try love again. And he never stops struggling to become the person he had envisioned. Filled with the intriguing mysteries of unexpected love and death... and the kind of secrets whose tellings change lives forever, this deeply moving novel touches a common nerve.
Reuben Styles tries to do everything right according to the standard American success story - but life in Nodd's Ridge, Maine, is not a straight line for him. He stars in sports, but has to abandon athletic ambitions to go to work. He works his way up to owning the local filling station, but is frustrated by obstacles. He meets a rich and beautiful older woman who takes him into her bed, and has the misfortune to witness her child's mysterious drowning. He marries his childhood sweetheart and is faced with the troubling aftermath.
While nothing turns out the way he expects, Reuben never caves in. When he meets the beautiful Pearl he is ready to try love again. And he never stops struggling to become the person he had envisioned. Filled with the intriguing mysteries of unexpected love and death... and the kind of secrets whose tellings change lives forever, this deeply moving novel touches a common nerve.
- GenresFictionContemporary
432 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1994
3 people are currently reading
620 people want to read
About the author
Tabitha King
33 books643 followersTabitha King is an American author. She is married to author Stephen King and is the mother of Joe Hill, Owen King, and Naomi King.
King was born Tabitha Jane-Frances Spruce in Old Town, Maine to Raymond George and Sarah Jane White Spruce and is one of eight children. Her primary education took place at St. Mary’s Grammar in Old Town, from which she graduated in 1963. She then attended John Bapst Memorial High School in Bangor until 1967, and earned her Bachelor’s degree in history in 1971 from the University of Maine in Orono.
King was born Tabitha Jane-Frances Spruce in Old Town, Maine to Raymond George and Sarah Jane White Spruce and is one of eight children. Her primary education took place at St. Mary’s Grammar in Old Town, from which she graduated in 1963. She then attended John Bapst Memorial High School in Bangor until 1967, and earned her Bachelor’s degree in history in 1971 from the University of Maine in Orono.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
August 27, 2016
I first read this book in early 2015 and did not care for it. By that point I'd read almost all of Tabitha King's catalogue and had grown to appreciate and enjoy her writing style. (No, she doesn't write like her husband at all, nor would I want her to.) Most of her books are set in the fictitious town of Nodd's Ridge, Maine, a small community where everyone knows each other and no local scandal goes unnoticed. The five Nodd's Ridge books — Caretakers, The Trap, Pearl, One on One, and The Book of Reuben — revolve around a set cast of characters with a few variables thrown in. King's books are very much character-oriented; she explores in depth the people of this town she's created. The reader gets up-close and personal looks at the happenings, both good and ugly.
When I read The Book of Reuben for the first time my life was pretty hectic. I was nearing the end of a stressful college semester and I was about to undergo surgery on my back. I simply was not in a positive or steady state of mind. I wasn't open to a book about ugly people with ugly problems, facing real life horrors like infidelity and the Vietnam War draft. Therefore, I had quite the adverse reaction to this one. I got 2/3 of the way in and couldn't take anymore. I gave up on it, and almost gave up on King's writing altogether. She paints pictures of struggle and fear so well . . . her novels are almost too much to take, sometimes.
Fast forward to the present. I am nearing the end of the initial stage of my college career, and plans for my future are much sturdier and clearer. I'm no longer making trips to Birmingham every other week for consultations with specialists. I've been in two serious relationships — one great, one horrible — and have put myself together after both. In short, I'm in a better place. So I decided to reread The Book of Reuben, and give it a fair shake. Am I glad I did; I enjoyed it much more this time around.
This book acts as the prequel to both Pearl and One On One, and takes place in roughly the same timeframe as Caretakers and The Trap. Reuben Styles, the protagonist of the story, wants nothing more than to find happiness, but he somehow always creates hurdles for himself. This is very much a coming-of-age story. Set against the backdrop of the tumultuous '60s and '70s and the reformation decade that is the '80s, the reader sees Reuben grow and work hard and fall in and out of love. He's an average, blue collar man in a small town where everyone knows him, for good or bad. I love this guy so much. I love him in every Tabitha King novel in which he appears, and I wish King would write again — if only to give us an update on how this man is doing after all these years.
This is a tough, raunchy, and real novel. It isn't for the faint of heart. It explores the joys and woes of sex, the pain of alcoholism, the dangers of fervent religiosity. There's divorce and physical altercations. There is heartbreak. There is financial ruin. It isn't pretty — these are rough, backwoods people who don't live easy lives — but it's a necessary and rewarding read. King's grasp of character is awe-inspiring, and her poetic prose is stunning. This is story worthy reading, and reading again. Highly recommended.
When I read The Book of Reuben for the first time my life was pretty hectic. I was nearing the end of a stressful college semester and I was about to undergo surgery on my back. I simply was not in a positive or steady state of mind. I wasn't open to a book about ugly people with ugly problems, facing real life horrors like infidelity and the Vietnam War draft. Therefore, I had quite the adverse reaction to this one. I got 2/3 of the way in and couldn't take anymore. I gave up on it, and almost gave up on King's writing altogether. She paints pictures of struggle and fear so well . . . her novels are almost too much to take, sometimes.
Fast forward to the present. I am nearing the end of the initial stage of my college career, and plans for my future are much sturdier and clearer. I'm no longer making trips to Birmingham every other week for consultations with specialists. I've been in two serious relationships — one great, one horrible — and have put myself together after both. In short, I'm in a better place. So I decided to reread The Book of Reuben, and give it a fair shake. Am I glad I did; I enjoyed it much more this time around.
This book acts as the prequel to both Pearl and One On One, and takes place in roughly the same timeframe as Caretakers and The Trap. Reuben Styles, the protagonist of the story, wants nothing more than to find happiness, but he somehow always creates hurdles for himself. This is very much a coming-of-age story. Set against the backdrop of the tumultuous '60s and '70s and the reformation decade that is the '80s, the reader sees Reuben grow and work hard and fall in and out of love. He's an average, blue collar man in a small town where everyone knows him, for good or bad. I love this guy so much. I love him in every Tabitha King novel in which he appears, and I wish King would write again — if only to give us an update on how this man is doing after all these years.
This is a tough, raunchy, and real novel. It isn't for the faint of heart. It explores the joys and woes of sex, the pain of alcoholism, the dangers of fervent religiosity. There's divorce and physical altercations. There is heartbreak. There is financial ruin. It isn't pretty — these are rough, backwoods people who don't live easy lives — but it's a necessary and rewarding read. King's grasp of character is awe-inspiring, and her poetic prose is stunning. This is story worthy reading, and reading again. Highly recommended.
December 25, 2018
This is the story of the life of Ruben. He was a very independent person; having his own business a age eighteen.
The story follows Ruben down the path of life. His marriage, children, divorce and getting custody of his children.
A somewhat sad and poignant tale.
I love the author's writing. It makes the reader feel very close to the story.
The story follows Ruben down the path of life. His marriage, children, divorce and getting custody of his children.
A somewhat sad and poignant tale.
I love the author's writing. It makes the reader feel very close to the story.
December 4, 2012
I was pleasantly suprised at Tabitha's talent. I have never read anything by "Mrs King" but wow, she's got a real way with words. She has her own style, rather hard hitting. The book basically told the story of Reuben from his childhood through his middle life. He witnessed the killing of a young girl and this is pivotal to the story. He grew up in a small town, and like many small towns, there are secrets, feuds, hatred. The story of his marriage is heart breaking. Sometimes I didn't like Reuben very much, but came to realize Tabitha King is just showing us what we humans are, warts and all.
Read
July 27, 2011This is the prequel to Pearl. Which I have read twice. I love Reuben. He is a modern day hero, flawed, and yet, tryingto do the right thing.
July 1, 2021
I recently read (re) One on One, set in Nodd's Ridge, Tabby's equivalent to Stephen King's Derry or Castle Rock. Actually, Nodd's Ridge is very close to both on the map. Chronologically, the events of this book take place before One on One, but this was published later. That may sound confusing, but I'm actually glad to have read One on One first. In that book we see Reuben as the main character's father, and we get very little insight into who he is, but Tabby makes us like him all the same. To get his backstory here, after the fact, makes me want to reread One on One. Clever little authoress!
Reuben Styles is a teenager at the beginning of the novel. America is becoming embroiled in Vietnam, and Reuben faces the possibility of the draft. His parents are much older than his friend's parents, and when his father is diagnosed with a fatal disease, the course of Reuben's life is set. Reuben is a good guy. He tries so hard to do what he thinks is right, but at the same time, within these pages, lives the life of a teen, young man, new husband, and father in a very relatable and realistic way. He has missteps, mishaps and regrets, but Tabby is very good at painting a realistic and detailed character study. Think Bob Ross's motto : No mistakes, just happy accidents. That's poor Reuben in a nutshell.
Because One on One came first, we know how things end up for Reuben. In some writer's hands, this could be anticlimactic, but in Tabby's I just wanted to know more. Why did Reuben react to this or that in such and such a way? How did he develop his patience? How did this good-hearted man become a single father, with that troubled daughter, and that basketball wiz son? How did he find the exotic love if his life in such a small, out of the way town? Who? What? Where? When? Why? We may not get every answer, but we get a lot, and the way in which the answers unfold is beautifully written. Tabby uses an impressive array of words, strung together to form a beautiful tapestry of human lives. A tapestry that I cannot wait to see finished. I will be working through all the Nodd's Ridge books, and I am certain I will mourn the last.
When I read One on One, not only was it riddled with mistakes, but it was out of print. This one doesn't seem to be either, which is good. It means the publisher realized Tabby could really write, and not just that she shared a bed and house with other writers. Over the last few months, I have learned so much about this wonderful woman. She is a supportive wife, even, if not especially, when the chips are down and in the shit, a cool mother, a fantastic philanthropist and humanitarian, and a magnificent writer!
Tabby reads one of my favorite Stephen King short stories, The House on Maple Street: and Other Stories, for the audiobook Nightmares and Dreamscapes, and her accent/diction is even more Maine drawl than his, if that's possible. I know there are those that can't stand to listen to him read his own work because of his voice, but I love it. His voice has become as recognizable to me as a relative's, and incredibly dear. Tabby's has as well. I'm very glad of that because I "heard" her read this book as I read, and I enjoyed it all the more because of that.
Reuben Styles is a teenager at the beginning of the novel. America is becoming embroiled in Vietnam, and Reuben faces the possibility of the draft. His parents are much older than his friend's parents, and when his father is diagnosed with a fatal disease, the course of Reuben's life is set. Reuben is a good guy. He tries so hard to do what he thinks is right, but at the same time, within these pages, lives the life of a teen, young man, new husband, and father in a very relatable and realistic way. He has missteps, mishaps and regrets, but Tabby is very good at painting a realistic and detailed character study. Think Bob Ross's motto : No mistakes, just happy accidents. That's poor Reuben in a nutshell.
Because One on One came first, we know how things end up for Reuben. In some writer's hands, this could be anticlimactic, but in Tabby's I just wanted to know more. Why did Reuben react to this or that in such and such a way? How did he develop his patience? How did this good-hearted man become a single father, with that troubled daughter, and that basketball wiz son? How did he find the exotic love if his life in such a small, out of the way town? Who? What? Where? When? Why? We may not get every answer, but we get a lot, and the way in which the answers unfold is beautifully written. Tabby uses an impressive array of words, strung together to form a beautiful tapestry of human lives. A tapestry that I cannot wait to see finished. I will be working through all the Nodd's Ridge books, and I am certain I will mourn the last.
When I read One on One, not only was it riddled with mistakes, but it was out of print. This one doesn't seem to be either, which is good. It means the publisher realized Tabby could really write, and not just that she shared a bed and house with other writers. Over the last few months, I have learned so much about this wonderful woman. She is a supportive wife, even, if not especially, when the chips are down and in the shit, a cool mother, a fantastic philanthropist and humanitarian, and a magnificent writer!
Tabby reads one of my favorite Stephen King short stories, The House on Maple Street: and Other Stories, for the audiobook Nightmares and Dreamscapes, and her accent/diction is even more Maine drawl than his, if that's possible. I know there are those that can't stand to listen to him read his own work because of his voice, but I love it. His voice has become as recognizable to me as a relative's, and incredibly dear. Tabby's has as well. I'm very glad of that because I "heard" her read this book as I read, and I enjoyed it all the more because of that.
February 23, 2017
Das Buch zu lesen war fuer mich wie ein Trip in die Vergangenheit. Damals, als sich meine Lektuere noch weitgehend auf King, Koontz & Co beschraenkte und mir jedes weitere Buch wie ein vertrauter Bekannter vorkam, in dem ich Details wie Namen, Orte, Songs oder den eigenen Schreibstil des Autors wiedererkannte. So war es auch ueberhaupt kein Problem, in das Buch Reuben einzutauchen und mich sofort zuhause zu fuehlen.
Nachdem man mit den Charakteren und ihrem Leben vertraut gemacht wird, schleppt sich das Buch im ersten Drittel leider dahin und wirkt an manchen Stellen wiederholend - deshalb auch ein Stern Abzug. Nachdem Reuben dann aber endlich seine Laura heiratet und diese sich von der Schoenen zum Biest verwandelt, nimmt das Buch wieder Fahrt auf. Wie Reuben an seiner unertraeglichen Frau festhaelt und alle Demuetigung und Schmerz irgendwie ertraegt - ich habe permanent zwischen Mitleid, Bewunderung und Verachtung fuer diesen Mann geschwankt. Immerhin endet das Buch mit einem Lichtblick, bei dem man aufatmen kann - denn den hat er wirklich verdient. Kein Reisser, aber eine mitreissende Geschichte, wenn man das erste Drittel durchaelt und mit dem Buch warm wird.
Nachdem man mit den Charakteren und ihrem Leben vertraut gemacht wird, schleppt sich das Buch im ersten Drittel leider dahin und wirkt an manchen Stellen wiederholend - deshalb auch ein Stern Abzug. Nachdem Reuben dann aber endlich seine Laura heiratet und diese sich von der Schoenen zum Biest verwandelt, nimmt das Buch wieder Fahrt auf. Wie Reuben an seiner unertraeglichen Frau festhaelt und alle Demuetigung und Schmerz irgendwie ertraegt - ich habe permanent zwischen Mitleid, Bewunderung und Verachtung fuer diesen Mann geschwankt. Immerhin endet das Buch mit einem Lichtblick, bei dem man aufatmen kann - denn den hat er wirklich verdient. Kein Reisser, aber eine mitreissende Geschichte, wenn man das erste Drittel durchaelt und mit dem Buch warm wird.
August 18, 2019
The more I read of Tabitha King, the more I like her. This novel was fantastic. Sad and realistic, the author narrates an immersive world around the complexities of human interaction. Life and death, marriage and divorce, love and hate - Nodd's Ridge is to Tabitha as Castle Rock is to Castle Rock is to Steven, although Tabitha's horrors are the kind that settle between people as opposed to storm drains or dark towers. Throughout the entirety of the story, nothing much good happens to anyone, especially between the titular Reuben and his wife. Normally this would turn me off, but there's an underlying beauty and stoicism to Tabitha King's writing that makes me impatient to read more of her work.
August 1, 2018
Stephen King's wife.
December 3, 2015
I like her writing way more than her husband, who I think has a mental illness or something...
November 11, 2017
This book was hard to put down - raw and true. I loved it!
November 30, 2011
This is not the first book I've read by Stephen King's wife, Tabitha, but I enjoyed this one much more. Some seriously dysfunctional families in a small town where everyone knows most of everyone else's business. More graphic sex scenes than I thought was necessary to get the point across and some juveniles seriously acting and speaking too old for their years and exposed to way too much adult drama (not that I don't know that happens). And I can't imagine why in the world Reuben was so attracted to Laura - she came across as extremely manipulative although his behavior was hardly stellar either. But it wasn't the kind of book where you know from chapter 1 pretty much what's likely to be the outcome and that kept it a page turner for me.
June 19, 2017
I love Tabitha King's writing so I own all of her books and they have a special place on my bookshelf. I read this book probably 20 years ago but decided to pick it up and read it again since I was in a book slump. It's like visiting with an old friend. It's like slipping into your favorite pair of sweatpants. The characters are well written and you become part of the story. It's a shame that Tabitha King has not written anything in a long time because she is a wonderful writer.
January 16, 2009
Despite there being so much S-E-X in this book, it was a moving story about a boy/man just trying to do the right thing against many odds. I liked that it ended on a hopeful note after all the depressing things happening along the way.
October 13, 2013
The writing reminds me of Richard Russo, in that it's a character driven book, a portrait of a man's life not romanticized but stunning. The life evoked by King's writing is beautiful and sad. I had a hard time putting it down.
Read
August 18, 2011A wonderful book...part of Tabatha King's series set in fictional Nodd's Ridge, Maine.
June 11, 2016
This is one of my all time favorite books. My husband loved it too. It was one of the books where you are so in to the story and characters, you never want it to end.
November 3, 2023
4.5 stars! Once I adjusted to the fact that this book was pretty explicit and definitely open door (which I had not expected since I went in knowing nothing about) I really enjoyed it. Reuben was a complex and compelling character and I liked watching him grow into a sensible and likable man. I thought he dealt with the hand life dealt him (the book opens with his Dad dying by suicide, for example) in believable and mostly sensible ways. The other characters too had depth and drew you to them, except when they infuriated you! Overall I was kinda sad when it ended because I had enjoyed hanging out with Rueben and was looking forward to watching him find some happiness at last.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 10, 2019
When reading On Writing by Stephen King I became interested in his recommended reading list. You would expect him to green light his wife's work - author Tabitha King. I found myself enjoying the first two-thirds of The Book of Reuben, but was scratching my head at the pacing of the final third.
Reuben is a good guy with a troubled past and simple expectations. Things don't go his way - a lot, but he keeps trying. He has a great work ethic and is a good father. The end of the book seemed rushed. I was confused by this.
Reuben is a good guy with a troubled past and simple expectations. Things don't go his way - a lot, but he keeps trying. He has a great work ethic and is a good father. The end of the book seemed rushed. I was confused by this.
July 11, 2021
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Don’t you just love when you pick up a book from your shelf that’s been sitting there for years and come away with a what took me so long to read this feeling! A thoroughly enjoyable coming-of-age (?) novel about a young man’s life. He becomes a hard working and honest mechanic but his personal life is pretty much a mess. I don’t want to give away the plot but if you come across a copy you should pick it up. Reuben will stay with me a long time. I think my next boy dog will be named Reuben!
Don’t you just love when you pick up a book from your shelf that’s been sitting there for years and come away with a what took me so long to read this feeling! A thoroughly enjoyable coming-of-age (?) novel about a young man’s life. He becomes a hard working and honest mechanic but his personal life is pretty much a mess. I don’t want to give away the plot but if you come across a copy you should pick it up. Reuben will stay with me a long time. I think my next boy dog will be named Reuben!
June 6, 2020
Good story but sad sad sad.
If you liked the book “The Story of Edgar Sawtelle” you would like this book.
If you liked the book “The Story of Edgar Sawtelle” you would like this book.
May 7, 2024
It was vividly sexual but the characters were incredibly thoughtfully written.
May 19, 2025
Treated myself to a used paperback of this for Christmas! After recently having read every other Nodd's Ridge book available, I have to say this is the one I've been dying for, looking forward to the most, like... lusting for... Reuben is my dude. Like, give me all the deets on my roobie-doobie, I'm dying for all the tea. When I first dove into this series, I was totally thinking Joe Nevers would be a continuous presence... but like, hot damn, firework in the night, he sparked and was gone, and boom, there was Reuben, who, from that first book I didn't think a whole lot about as a character, because his lil role in that one was so tiny, just a lil mention, but then here he is, showing up everywhere being awesome, stealing every scene he's in, like... Meow. Anyway, gotta get into this one, the compulsion to finish up this series, despite my reluctance to bring on the end, is too strong to resist. Deep breath, here I go!!
Ooooof! Just finished. I wanna shoot my mouth off real quick in a fast lil, insta-reaction to this one before I come back (hopefully) to elucidate, I mean, it is a school night, and it's after midnight, and I can't linger or I'll absolutely hate myself in the morning for staying up late, but... damn! This was a frustrating read, and totally, most definitely my first-at-bat feeling is, it's all so frustrating and irritating, etc, because... ugh... Laura! Like... ugh!!! From the jump, I was already set against her, because of everything I've learned of Reuben's story from the other books, but... omg. I thought what little I knew about her was bad enough, but this book just made me so... soooo... mad at that bish. And... it kinda seemed like she kept bringing it upon herself, my attitude, that is, because every time I'd start sympathising with her, or feeling for her, or even just kind of understanding her feelings, the beast would go and wipe away every lil smidge of good will I could begin to muster for her. Like... I couldn't hate her, but... every time I tried to see things from her side, she'd just go and piss me off again.
What in the everlasting holy hell did my Roobs ever seeeee in her!!!! Ugh. So much ugh. Like... from the jump when they were wee kids, she was a grumpy, prissy, bitchy little piece of snot in damn near every one of her appearances in the story. Her actions and, then her treatment of Reuben, not just during the tumultuous marriage, but, like, their whole four decades and change acquaintance... classmates, eventual courtship, and beyond, and not just him, but his friends, her friends, random townies... like, literally everyone. Such a nasty bish. And like I said, every time I'd start to maybe, kinda, see where she was coming from, or get an inkling of why she felt like she did... she'd turn around and go and ruin it for me. F that lady. I don't blame Karen and Sam, and Frankie, the eldest son who I only got to know in this volume, for their feelings now, at all.
I guess maybe Reuben had to suffer everything he suffered in order to fully free himself? To make him appreciate his kids and friends, and life itself, maybe, so that when Pearl finally came into his life he could embrace it all and give himself over and become who he really was all along? I don't know, but dang, while it was an excellent story, it, like Caretakers, was a lil frustrating. And I guess that's totally all down to the skill of the author, because she made me feel all this. She made these characters real, made them fully-fledged people that I felt for and rooted for, and got angry at, and all of those feels.
Alright, I said I was just making a quick note, and here I've run off at the mouth, so, while I have more to say, I gots to get to bed. Couple other lil quick notes to remind me of other things to mention if I remember to come back and ramble more:
Joe Nevahs! And Torie! Hello. Everything that dealt with events from that book. Hello!
Sonny! Got affection for that guy despite his... issues.
The kids, was nice 'meeting' Frankie, because he was only a mention before, and also, seeing Karen and Sam again as kiddos.
Obvs, all the lil, small town things. Characters I've seen before, mentions of things from other books, filling in backstory things... Mass love for this town.
Which leads me to my (for now?) conclusion... I'm super-bummed that this is the end of my residence in Nodd's Ridge! Like... I don't wanna leave! I want more! Sigh... Guess I'll just have to keep these books forever and just re-read them again and again to scratch the itch... unless the Ka of the universe ever perchance happens to gift us with more. (Hey, a girl can hold out every hope, no?)
Ooooof! Just finished. I wanna shoot my mouth off real quick in a fast lil, insta-reaction to this one before I come back (hopefully) to elucidate, I mean, it is a school night, and it's after midnight, and I can't linger or I'll absolutely hate myself in the morning for staying up late, but... damn! This was a frustrating read, and totally, most definitely my first-at-bat feeling is, it's all so frustrating and irritating, etc, because... ugh... Laura! Like... ugh!!! From the jump, I was already set against her, because of everything I've learned of Reuben's story from the other books, but... omg. I thought what little I knew about her was bad enough, but this book just made me so... soooo... mad at that bish. And... it kinda seemed like she kept bringing it upon herself, my attitude, that is, because every time I'd start sympathising with her, or feeling for her, or even just kind of understanding her feelings, the beast would go and wipe away every lil smidge of good will I could begin to muster for her. Like... I couldn't hate her, but... every time I tried to see things from her side, she'd just go and piss me off again.
What in the everlasting holy hell did my Roobs ever seeeee in her!!!! Ugh. So much ugh. Like... from the jump when they were wee kids, she was a grumpy, prissy, bitchy little piece of snot in damn near every one of her appearances in the story. Her actions and, then her treatment of Reuben, not just during the tumultuous marriage, but, like, their whole four decades and change acquaintance... classmates, eventual courtship, and beyond, and not just him, but his friends, her friends, random townies... like, literally everyone. Such a nasty bish. And like I said, every time I'd start to maybe, kinda, see where she was coming from, or get an inkling of why she felt like she did... she'd turn around and go and ruin it for me. F that lady. I don't blame Karen and Sam, and Frankie, the eldest son who I only got to know in this volume, for their feelings now, at all.
I guess maybe Reuben had to suffer everything he suffered in order to fully free himself? To make him appreciate his kids and friends, and life itself, maybe, so that when Pearl finally came into his life he could embrace it all and give himself over and become who he really was all along? I don't know, but dang, while it was an excellent story, it, like Caretakers, was a lil frustrating. And I guess that's totally all down to the skill of the author, because she made me feel all this. She made these characters real, made them fully-fledged people that I felt for and rooted for, and got angry at, and all of those feels.
Alright, I said I was just making a quick note, and here I've run off at the mouth, so, while I have more to say, I gots to get to bed. Couple other lil quick notes to remind me of other things to mention if I remember to come back and ramble more:
Joe Nevahs! And Torie! Hello. Everything that dealt with events from that book. Hello!
Sonny! Got affection for that guy despite his... issues.
The kids, was nice 'meeting' Frankie, because he was only a mention before, and also, seeing Karen and Sam again as kiddos.
Obvs, all the lil, small town things. Characters I've seen before, mentions of things from other books, filling in backstory things... Mass love for this town.
Which leads me to my (for now?) conclusion... I'm super-bummed that this is the end of my residence in Nodd's Ridge! Like... I don't wanna leave! I want more! Sigh... Guess I'll just have to keep these books forever and just re-read them again and again to scratch the itch... unless the Ka of the universe ever perchance happens to gift us with more. (Hey, a girl can hold out every hope, no?)
August 25, 2009
Wife of Stephen King
August 29, 2010
wasn't sure how if I even liked this book until I was about halfway finished with it. Good, interesting, but thought the ending wrapped up a little too quickly
May 4, 2018
This was a reread. I've been feeling the need to visit old friends.
May 22, 2013
Kind of depressing, but a really good novel.
September 13, 2013
A surprisingly good story, interesting & evocative & sexy, I recommend this tale=+=
August 10, 2014
I do love Tabitha King :-)
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