While I was sick last week, I put down everything else I was reading in search of something easier. I don't mean something easier in the sense of a dumbed-down book, but something that would grab me quickly, suck me in, and keep my mind off my stomach. Fortunately for me, Ike left Rose Madder in the bathroom...where I was spending a good deal of my time.
Stephen King is hit or miss for me. I suspect he'll be more "hits" than "misses" now that I've read On Writing. This entry isn't about that particular book, but I do recommend it to any King fan or any person who enjoys writing. After reading it and getting a feel for his motivations, I look forward to King's novels (as if I now have an "in" on his thinking).
With Rose Madder, I experienced both hit and miss. Rosie McClendon spends fourteen years in an abusive relationship. One day she "wakes up" and leaves. No easy task for any abused woman, but her situation is particularly precarious because her husband is a police detective. In other words, a man who finds people for a living.
So without too much brain power, you can guess where this is going. But you might also guess (accurately) that we're reading Stephen King here, so this ain't no "I AM WOMAN" book. The abusive husband is above and beyond crazy--and he's a biter, which really got to me somehow. Blech. For her part, Rosie not only finds her independence in her new life, but she also finds her own special madness.
Oddly enough, the part of this novel that should have been most engaging (husband on the prowl, wife on the run) dragged for me. What I found most interesting was Rosie's transition. It didn't consist of the expected meek abused woman becomes strong go-getter. Yes, there was all that, but Rosie encounters her own unexpected rage as well. Unfortunately, this rage appears in the last short section of the book without enough pages to explore it. Bummer.
At any rate, I'm inspired now to try again with The Dark Tower series. The first two novels didn't grab me the way the series has so many others, but King refers to the concepts from the series enough in Rose Madderto make me curious.
And now, Ike, you can have your book back.
Posted by Becky at June 18, 2004 11:39 PM