It’s been too long? Not.
Can you believe that A Fairy Tale is the first fantasy novel since the Dark Tower series ? Indeed. A novel about light and darkness, a bit of a fairy tale, a bit of a myth. As we can imagine, a treat for fans of Stephen King’s work – full of motifs characteristic of the King of Horror novels and references to classic fairy tales, addictive, filled with anecdotes and notes, spectacular in its essence. Or maybe an ordinary story about a no less ordinary boy to whom heroic deeds are written? In the background, the fight between good and evil – that’s for sure! One side’s victory will be determined by the will of the combatants, not their strength.
Fabulous
As a child, Charlie Reade experienced a trauma, which had an impact on his further fate. Now he is in high school and to his surprise – as a senior student – he sees an opportunity to fulfill his temporarily dormant obligations. The non-human Howard Bowditch and his dog appear in young Reade’s life seemingly entirely by accident, but their presence has a significant impact on the boy’s future – and more. In the land of Empis ruled by the tyrant, he will meet people who need help. Reluctant to assume the role of a savior, Charlie initially focuses solely on his needs. Over time, however, while learning about the extraordinary world, she begins to discover a man in herself. Will he be able to protect the inhabitants of Empis from the cruel ruler with the help of his friends? Or maybe he is not the greatest threat? You will surely find the answers to these questions inA fairy tale . The sooner the better!
The king does not lose his vigor
King’s fairy-tale creation will undoubtedly surprise those who are used to horror stories, starting somewhat biased, usually with many twists and numerous flashbacks. The beginning of the Fairy Tale slightly differs from the previous proposals of the King of Horror – there is a small town, the protagonist around which the action and descriptions, reflections, multi-page delineation of the situation and … the silence before the storm are concentrated. The author does not give up the storytelling style, but enriches it with some flavors – we can easily imagine the fabulous journeys of Charlie, the inhabitants of the land of Empis, hear the sounds, smell the smells. We can somehow take part in this story. King’s undoubted talent for building characters and atmosphere does not allow you to break away from a fairy talefor a long time – hungry for sensations, we devour the novel in question piece by piece. At the same time, it is worth emphasizing that the most intense experiences await us in the last part of the book – everything is gradually explained, we rush through the pages with the characters and we are committed to the development of the plot. Then there is only silence – soothing. The reader may get the impression that the Fairy Tale is composed of several separate stories that can charm the reader. There is something about it. In addition, the similarities to other popular songs are also interesting, but the questions of possible inspiration should be discussed in a separate article / review.
Fresh and beautiful
The readers undoubtedly differ. There are those who will love King for his achievements so far and those whose first encounter with his work will be a Fairy Tale . Faithful readers will have to open up to a slightly different perspective, freshmen – I think they will gladly drink from this literary source and then decide whether they want to explore this world further. The Albatros publishing house offers two editions: in paperback and hardcover, with illustrations by Gabriel Rodriguez and Nicolas Delort (available only in Empik stores and at Empik.com until the end of this year). A great translation by Janusz Ochab ( Cthulhu Madness , Song of the goddess Kali , Rosemara’s Child , Begging for Death ,There was a war once. Bombs gone ) is an additional advantage. To sum up, a fairy tale is worth having, especially the illustrated edition.
