Horror Aficionados discussion

Here's a place to discuss December's Group Read #2 winner, Revival by Stephen King.

Please be cautious of spoilers and enjoy!

Happy Reading!

I'm in! I just got to figure out which box I packed this in... it might take a few days lol.

Read this one a while back and am interested to see what people think of it.

I have already read this one, but I loved it so I'm probably going to join you guys! :)

I choose this one for December out of all the options. I have it on audio. I've been meaning to read this book for some time now but my stack of books are toppling over.

Read this one earlier this year. It now has the distinction of being my least favourite King book.

Kady wrote: "Read this one earlier this year. It now has the distinction of being my least favourite King book."


Don't want to post any spoilers this early on, but I am betting I know why.

I bought this sometime after release {I had not been encouraged by the sample}, read partway, and put it aside. Considered earlier this month reading it for a Christmas Spirit & Scary Readathon. Maybe the Universe is encouraging me to finally finish it. Maybe.:(

wow.. i found it on the clearance rack for 5$, hardcover. i bought it without even reading what it was about. maybe i should've seen if my library had it first?

K.L. wrote: "Kady wrote: "Read this one earlier this year. It now has the distinction of being my least favourite King book."


Don't want to post any spoilers this early on, but I am betting I know why."
yes, I know, I didn't want to add spoilers either ;) I'm sure there are readers who will like the book. Just wasn't for me.

I guess I am in the minority, as I LOVED this one, despite most people not liking it! I have the hardcover and I am excited to re-read it, having only read it the one time. --Jen from Quebec :0)

I'm enjoying this back-and-forth, I remember something similar with the group read of The Fisherman here and of I Am Legend in another group. I find it fascinating that different folks can take such different views of the same book.

I read this just after it was released and reheard it in audiobook earlier this year. I liked it very much :)

Latasha wrote: "wow.. i found it on the clearance rack for 5$, hardcover. i bought it without even reading what it was about. maybe i should've seen if my library had it first?"

My story is the same as yours, Latasha. Everyone has their own tastes so I am just going to wait and see. I might not get to it until later in the month but I do plan to read it.

Jennifer Lynn wrote: "I guess I am in the minority, as I LOVED this one, despite most people not liking it! I have the hardcover and I am excited to re-read it, having only read it the one time. --Jen from Quebec :0)"

I never said I didn't like it, I just can't wait to see what other people think. I definitely look forward to the end of the month when I don't have to worry too much about spoilers. I'd love to talk about this one, but no one else I know has read it.

Just picked it up at the library. Shocked I don’t own it, honestly. Also grabbed the talisman What have I gotten myself into!?

I am in on this one too as I was shocked my library had it and it was actually available. So I borrowed it.

Interesting comments. Perhaps it explains why I bought a hardback from eBay for £ 2.50?

Reminds me a lot of Boys World by Robert McCammon

I have only read this book the one initial time, when I got it brand new in 2014. I *recall* loving it, but let's see if that sentiment remains the same upon re-reading. My hardcover is in hand, and I am 56 pages in....--Jen from Quebec :0)

Jess wrote: "Reminds me a lot of Boys World by Robert McCammon"

Sorry Jess, have to correct you because it's one of my all time favorite books. Boy's Life, not Boys World.

Not sure I see the similarities....but now I feel like I want to reread Boy's Life yet again, lol.

@KL right, sorry. Started a new med today and am foggy. I’ll have to re read Boys Life, too.

So far I am really liking this book as it seems to be classic Stephen King. :)

I got to listen to a big chunk of this at work. It sure takes a long time for the horror part to kick in. I’m a lil over 50% but so far this isn’t going to be one of my favorites. Maybe the last half will blow me away? (view spoiler)[ They just found out about the Revival. Who knew! This is a mad scientist story!! (hide spoiler)]

Latasha wrote: "I got to listen to a big chunk of this at work. It sure takes a long time for the horror part to kick in. I’m a lil over 50% but so far this isn’t going to be one of my favorites. Maybe the last ha..."

(view spoiler)[ you have no idea (hide spoiler)]

!! That sounds promising & exciting!!🙌🏻

Almost finished my hardcover. Compulsively readable, imo. Also, I just love the name, "Jamie Morton"- it just sounds like a REAL name, whereas sometimes book monikers just seem fake. 'Jamie' also fits the character- a guy who has a hard time growing up, a guy perpetually adolescent. (NO OFFENSE to anyone reading this named Jamie IRL!) ---Jen from Quebec :0)

This makes me think of a certain Lovecraft story so much. I’ve ask else where for the name of it. I am never keep the titles& stories straight.

Latasha wrote: "This makes me think of a certain Lovecraft story so much. I’ve ask else where for the name of it. I am never keep the titles& stories straight."

No question about it, there is an insanely strong Lovecraft feel.

From Beyond is the one I was thinking of.

It seemed like it was going to be great, but it is just dragging along for me and it is just not grabbing me by the throat yet. :(

Marie wrote: "It seemed like it was going to be great, but it is just dragging along for me and it is just not grabbing me by the throat yet. :("

it is very slow.

ok, I borrowed the audiobook from overdrive and I'm on part 12 out of 13.
(view spoiler)[ I don't know about Charlie. he's healing all these people and some had after effects but not all, right? or did I hear him right and eventually everyone does? is what he is doing ok? he heals these people and gives credit to God. and for the majority everything is ok. so does that make it ok? I just don't know. I thought about that all day. I'm at the part were Charlie is planning something big and the storms are rolling in. what the heck is the ivy covered door and all that about?! oh! and another thing. Charlie's brother, the one he had the dream about- him dying of prostate cancer but he died of a stroke at the same age he said he died in the dream- that makes me wonder if all these after effects are fate and Charlie might have just changed it up some but the end results are the same. does that make sense? brother was going to die at 51(?) regardless of what Jamie told him and what they did. this book has a lot of deep questions to it but I'm still not sure if it will be one of my favorites (hide spoiler)]

Latasha wrote: "Marie wrote: "It seemed like it was going to be great, but it is just dragging along for me and it is just not grabbing me by the throat yet. :("

it is very slow."

I don't know that I agree with slow...mundane is the word I would choose, when I was reading it I felt that so much of what was happening seemed mundane, and yet I also found myself picking up the book almost as soon as I'd set I down. There is something about King's writing that only a few authors I've read can really do, he's able to make average everyday life somehow quite gripping. And Latasha if that you are just about at the end I can't wait to hear what you think of it.

K.L. wrote: "Latasha wrote: "Marie wrote: "It seemed like it was going to be great, but it is just dragging along for me and it is just not grabbing me by the throat yet. :("

it is very slow."

I don't know th..."

I should finish tomorrow.

I am one third the way through and loving it. I see my GR friends are 50:50 5 stars and 2-star reviews. So I guess I am either gonna love this or hate it.

Can't wait to see...

This is the first Stephen King book I remember being written in the first person. Are there others I have forgotten?

Maria wrote: "I am one third the way through and loving it. I see my GR friends are 50:50 5 stars and 2-star reviews. So I guess I am either gonna love this or hate it.

Can't wait to see...

This is the first ..."

He's written a fair number in 1st person. Ones that immediately jump to mind (hope I'm remembering these correctly) are Duma Key, 11/22/63, The Green Mile, and one of my all-time favorites Bag of Bones.

K.L. wrote: "He's written a fair number in 1st person. Ones that immediately jump to mind (hope I'm remembering these correctly) are Duma Key, 11/22/63, The Green Mile, and one of my all-time favorites Bag of Bones."

I have just checked my copy of 11/22/63 and the green mile and yes both are in the first person. How can I have forgotten! Thanks for that. I am doing a reread of all SK from the beginning and will take note of these things. My memory is obviously awful!

Oh and Joyland is in the first person - but I haven't read that yet.

Bag of Bones... one of the best king's written imo.

My copy of Revival arrived yesterday.

Will wrote: "Bag of Bones... one of the best king's written imo.

My copy of Revival arrived yesterday."

completely agree, though I had to restart it 3 times to really get into it. Once I did ....WOW. I've read it half a dozen times.

I am about 83% and enjoying this. Hoping to finish tomorrow.

I LOVE when King mentions other places/ppl from his own other works within his stories, you know? When they mentioned in Revival that Charlie had once 'worked at a place called JOYLAND' I freaked out! I love those 'King universe' connections! --Jen from Quebec :0)

I caught that too.

Well, I finished. While I loved this one I can clearly see how it is not for everyone!

K.L. wrote: "here is something about King's writing that only a few authors I've read can really do, he's able to make average everyday life somehow quite gripping."

I cannot agree more to that. I guess this is something which many people dislike about King: him writing about everyday life and how boring this is and how it doesn't add anything to the plot. But I really love this. :)

My husband got me this book last year for Christmas. I read it back in January. I really enjoyed the story.

I have this book and I planned to read it and join the discussion but AGAIN I expected too much of myself. I'm not sure when I will be able to get to it, but I will try to come back here when I am finished.

so for those that have finished

(view spoiler)[ who else was quite shocked by the radical twist at the end? At no point was I expecting it to turn Lovecraftian, and my initial feeling was disappointment. It seemed so out of left field. As much as I love King I think sometimes he blows the endings, which was my initial feeling, but after living it for a while it's grown on me. Still not exactly what I was expecting/hoping for, but I'm okay with it. I love Lovecraft but I wasn't expecting it given the rest of the journey King took us on. >/spoiler> (hide spoiler)]

I’m in on this one!

If it were a movie; who would you cast?
I have one perfect actor in mind for older CDJ, can’t help but reading it in his voice 😂