Fairy Tale

If it's a Stephen King book, I'm going to find something to enjoy. Something about his writing style is magnetic. Conversational, but not dumbed down. Down to earth, but out of this world. Frankly, I consider him a national treasure.

Fairy Tale, however, is not among my favorites. The first half, was outstanding. Really drew me in, and I couldn't put it down. About half-way when things ... changed? ... I started to lose interest. There were parts that felt extremely drawn out. Maybe some aggressive editing could have helped? I wonder if there was an opportunity to split this into two books and stretch out each half to its own book? We'll never know.

All in all - I enjoyed it, but this took me a while to finish as some parts felt like a slog. Not his best, but still Stephen King.

It was pretty solid I don't think I'd reccomend it but if I ever need to just pick up a book and read I can always trust Stephen king to write something decent. I like how the plot comes together and the slow build up. I like the world he imagines and I feel like I am exposed to just the right amount of it. I kept thinking that it would've been more interesting to just have read about Bowditch's adventures back in his prime vs Charlie's ones currently but by the end I was rlly satisfied and it had me yearning to read some true eldritch horror, something that I never thought I would be interested in. The writing style is okay and very digestible so I liked it but I wasn't wowed. Overall not bad and a good book but not recommending any time soon.

This is a treatise on disability, how we treat others, and how we treat ourselves. Does the inner self match the outer self (again, back to disability)? As a disabled person, I completely embraced it. It made me cry more than once.

It's also a treatise on how we change everyone we meet, for better for worse. The choice of how is ours.

You'll be wondering (and if you're like me, worrying) does the dog die? Click here if it's bothering you: no, no worries—or rather, worry not.

Wonder Pet Radar.


If you know me then you know three things are true. I love coffee I love books and I love anything penned by Stephen King. That being said, this is a slow start. But the slow was interesting enough, because so much of it revolved around Radar, who is the best girl, and the people who love her, that I didn't mind the slow. And then there was a point, about halfway, where I stopped to consider the beginning and how slow it was and how much lead up and space it took and I had to concede that most of it was necessary. Was all of it? Maybe not. But the parts that weren't, I think I've ignored.

Also, as a fun time, this book isn't set in Maine. It's set somewhere in Illinois near Chicago. Which was a pleasant surprise. And also, Cujo got a shoutout. Which made my head hurt in the logistics of the meta. Its definitely unlike any Stephen King story I've encountered; different than any fairy tale ever told; and is absolutely and uniquely brilliant!! I don't even know what to say about the plot development, the characters, the setting, or anything else about it without revealing more than a review should say!! But if you love a great story about a boy and his dying dog —except its not that; its not really his dog, at least at first, but ... well, and it doesn't die ... ( can't say why without revealing the magic that is Stephen King.

So imagine a bit of every fairytale you know as a child just slightly twisted with a bit of quotes that don't really but make sense and you have the joy of a story about a boy and his dog that's not really his dog and a cast of magical people who give you a heartwarming sense of dysfunctional family and you have this 5 star read in a nutshell.

3½ stars.
Yes, it took a long time, but life got in the way.
The first 350 pages or so were amazing, but at that point the story began to draaaag on, and a gazillion new characters were introduced, who were hard to keep track of.
Around page 500 it started to pick up again, and that is the reason I gave it that extra ½ star.

Stephen King's “Fairy Tale” combines his familiar touch for horror with an exploration into the realm of high fantasy. The story centers around Charlie Reade, a boy who has experienced more than his fair share of hardships, and his journey into a parallel world hidden deep within his neighbor's shed.

Despite King's immersive storytelling and unique blend of genres, “Fairy Tale” fails to weave its various plot points into a cohesive whole. The book's structure often feels disjointed, with each event serving only to propel the narrative to the next, and leaving the reader with a sense of untied loose ends.

Though it may not rank among King's most impressive works, “Fairy Tale” is an enjoyable and brisk read. Readers who can look past its structural issues will find an engaging story about a boy who is thrust into a world that is at once magical and terrifying.

Outstanding audiobook. A bit long, but highly entertaining.

Fairy Tale is a coming-of-age story, narrated by Charlie, a 17-year-old who discovers a passage to a fantasy world, parallel to our own. I found it entertaining enough with an adequate if not staggering story and mildly likable hero. Charlie narrates the story in the first person and when he gets to the other world, he mentions the fictional stories from our world that are similar to what he's experiencing, making this a meta comment on fairy tales/fantasy. I would have preferred it without this element and would rather make my own associations and connections.

As other reviewers pointed out, the beginning setup of the story goes very slowly. The backstory of his mother's death/father's drinking, Charlie's “deal with God,” and his friendship with Bowdtich and Radar are laid out. I don't mind a long Stephen King book or taking the time to develop characters but somehow these relationships in Fairy Tale are lacking conflict and depth. Yes, Bowditch is difficult and Charlie's reasons for helping him are complicated, but it still feels mundane. Charlie's motivation of saving Radar wasn't the most compelling but it was relatable for any of us that have ever watched a pet age and slowly pass on.

Once Charlie made the decision to go on a magical journey, my curiosity was piqued for the fairy tale world which had some interesting elements. There was some tension as Charlie reached his goal of helping Radar and then paid the price for it. I enjoyed the concepts of the Night Soldiers (and the solution for stopping them), the Fair One, and the Gray. I wish the “science” of the Night Soldiers and the Gray had been fleshed out (no pun intended) but that's no big thing. I appreciated seeing Charlie's development in terms of problem solving and taking responsibility. The final beast battle was unfortunately anticlimactic, as often happens with King. (I am still not over the final Dark Tower battle.)

Generally though, Fairy Tale was a bit bland and mild. It's similar to The Talisman, Eyes of the Dragon, or The Dark Tower but not as deep and intense. Stephen King Lite?

Para ser sinceros este libro lo leí por curiosidad hacia el autor y el contenido.
Mas allá de que tristemente la fantasía (de este tipo) esta dejando de ser de mi gusto (espero y no pase), creo estuvo bien, logre terminarlo sin pausar y normal, no llego a ser tan tedioso como para dejarlo, en algunas partes me daba curiosidad que seguía o pasaría. Si de repente me desesperaba algunos puntos, como el que quiera justificar ciertos aspectos haciendo referencia a otros cuentos y tienen que gustarte mucho los animales para entender como piensa/razona el personaje principal... bueno en fin, es solo un cuento de hadas, no hay que tomarlo tan en serio para disfrutarlo.

Take the first 200 Pages, toss the remaining 400

4.75/5

Stephen King's “Fairy Tales” is a collection of twisted retellings of classic fairy tales. While the stories are well-written and easy to read, they lack depth and complexity, with one-dimensional characters and predictable plots. Some of the stories have interesting twists, but overall, the book feels repetitive and shallow.

If you're a fan of Stephen King's writing style and enjoy simple, straightforward stories, “Fairy Tales” may be worth a read. However, if you're looking for something more substantial or complex, you may want to look elsewhere. While the book has its moments, it ultimately falls short of King's usual standards.

Overall, “Fairy Tales” is a quick and easy read, but don't expect too much from it. It's an entertaining enough diversion for fans of King's work, but not his best effort. If you're looking for something truly scary or thought-provoking, you may want to pick up one of his other books instead.

It's not groundbreaking, it didn't blow my mind, it didn't make my heart ache or my eyes tear up, but I enjoyed it.

Far from King's best work, I'm sure (though I've only ever read one other). It scratched the same itch in my brain that reading Shounen Manga does.

There was a lot of bullshittery towards the end (both teenage boy bullshittery and less than stellar writing bullshittery) but overall, I had a lot of fun.

It was very fun :)

I haven't read an ending like Fairy Tale in some time. And I haven't savored
the words quite as much as I did for the last fifty pages of this book.

This is vintage King–his strengths are evident as are his weaknesses. The
story flows and King wraps us in the life of Charlie Reade until the
fantastical elements King hints at in the first 300 pages or so finally become
our milieu.

The next 400 pages are an action adventure novel to match the best
of Edgar Rice Burroughs–but with King's fine touch of character and his deft
ability to make his story exciting and complex and founded in the history of
classical fantasy as well as SF and horror. It's a tour de force. The only
caveat I have is King's penchant for true, grisly horror which at times is a
little much for me.

But it is the final 50 pages that make the book and leave me feeling satisfied
and full and, yes, happy. I savored those pages and didn't want them to end.
And I loved that King told me the happy ending was coming.

King is a master of what he does. Many times he is simply a master. I will
always wonder what could have been if he had been able to tame the nasty demons
within himself that more often than not overwhelmed the immense talent he has
for writing stories about people we care about with ichor and gore.

Too much criticism on this book, and I'm not really understand why!
I loved this book, It's a beautiful story with great characters and if you like fantasy and want something beautiful and inspiring, this is it.
If you're a diehard fanatic of King's origins you may not be completely sold on it. But, from a fantasy lover, this book is beautiful and I strongly recommend to people who want fantasy and hope together, you'll find it in Fairy Tale by Stephen King.

Puur vakmanschap. King weet als geen ander de lezer mee te nemen in een compleet andere wereld, met karakters waarvan je gaat houden, met spanning maar bovenal met fantasie. Vriendschap, hoop, verlies, doorzettingsvermogen, zo maar even wat begrippen waar dit sprookje (want dat is het) vol mee zit. Ergens hoop ik op een vervolg, op misschien wel een nieuw soort ‘Donkere Toren' saga. Maar dat is misschien teveel lof.

Starts out as a familiar slice-of-life SK book that turns into a fantasy adventure. There were a couple build ups that got to feel long, but definitely paid off in their climaxes for me.

With a drawn-out first third, that though I did not dislike, was a door shielding the rest of this book; and the world within it. Transported to a beautiful fantastical realm with eldritch horrors and curses that remind you you're reading a King novel.

Stephen King can still weave a good tale, in my humble opinion. I enjoyed this book, but then, I've always been a sucker for a book with a dog as one of its central characters.

Mr. King, I have a bone to pick with you. If you are going to set a book partially in suburban Chicago, be good enough to research that we do not have turnpikes (we have expressways and tollways). Also, please add some of the local vernacular (example: “over by the Jewels”) as you do so well with books set in Maine.

“Fairy Tale” has received a lot of hype (of the positive flavor) since it was released. I took a long break from Mr. King's books after the exponentially awful 1993 “Tommyknockers,” which was so bad King went from one of my favorite authors to one I avoided almost entirely until the impeccable “11/22/63.“. Read that book instead!

This book seems to be two different stories jammed together. The first part of the book focuses on family trauma after the mother is suddenly killed. The main character, Charlie Reade, then goes down a do-gooder path to “pay“ for his dad being saved from alcoholism. The most interesting character in all of this is the old codger, Mr. Bowditch, and his elderly dog, Radar.

Another bone I have to pick with Mr. King is choosing to run “Fairy Tale” through a supposed teenager. Charlie doesn't act or think like a teenage boy other than maybe two references to being slightly hot for some girl at school. The story would have been far more interesting if told from Mr. Bowditch's perspective vs Charlie's (such as using Charlie's caretaking as a vehicle for flashbacks).

A single father would typically be proud of his son for wanting to help a nearby neighbor after a serious and unfortunate accident. However, I found it hard to believe that the elder Mr. Reade would allow his teenage son to be at said old codger's house every night, including sleeping over something like a month. Where was Charlie's industriousness and caring at home? Is this even supposed to be the same kid? He knew his Dad struggled and needed help, but didn't seem to help at home (I refer to the period after his father was on the path of recovery-totally understandable that Charlie would withdraw after the complete loss of his mother and partial loss of his father). Not to mention Charlie's awful (by awful, I mean rude AF) note to his Dad when he planned to go into Empis.

Unfortunately, most of the Empis section was disappointing. A few characters had potential, but weren't drawn well enough to be more than so much cardboard. I appreciate callbacks to one of my favorite fantasy classics, “The Wizard of Oz,” but they really fell flat.

It's rare that a Stephen King book would disappoint. And Fairy Tale follows that pattern. King know how to tug at heart strings and makes you go from swing between extremes of emotion. The story is now so common that it can be called a trope but it's still haunting. Balanced by the standard King repulsiveness of description, this one is another recommend read from the king. All aboard to the train to Emphis though that's what not what I really said

So here we are, two very different things going on here.

Pre-hole and post-hole.

Pre-hole is classic coming of age King. Boy meets grumpy, sweary man and forms a friendship and it's beautiful, and there's a dog and at times it gets you in the feels. It's as good as anything King has written.

Post-hole, we enter the realm of fantasy and it's an unashamed love letter to the Brothers Grimm and there's giants and Punzel and Stiltskins and all that gubbins. Up to a point I'm still really enjoying it. BUT once the dog's story is resolved (about 2 3rds of the way through), for me it's done and the rest of it is just so so, I knew how it was going to end because in fairy tale land, good always trumps evil and that's how it should be.

This book is both classic King and King clearly branching out. Teen protagonist + magical world just like in The Talisman, but not set in Maine, and with a fantasy style that still doesn't miss King's signature gross-outs or hideous details. It lives up to all three of the authors he thanks in the dedication: Robert E. Howard, Edgar Rice Burroughs, and H.P. Lovecraft. Although I love King's style (especially because it's unmistakably his), it is usually somewhat dry compared to my favorite fantasy authors. Not so here. I also like that although King did a great job of setting a story in the era of smartphones and YouTube, he still did it his way, and didn't make his protagonist as annoying as the real thing. As a commentary on fairy tales, this book was fun to read, with King not only mentioning Lovecraft and Clark Ashton Smith, but himself, Piers Anthony, and R.L. Stine. Highly recommended.

This is a homage to the classic fairy tale. My first non horror King book and I admit I was still expecting there to be some horror thrown in, but there really isn't (outside of the traditional fairy tale type “horror”).
So if you are expecting that type of book, then look elsewhere.
However this is a typically beautifully written book by King with great characters, dialogue and world building, and it did take me back to my childhood a little with the wonder that came from reading those old books.

As a fan of Stephen King's previous fantasy work, The Dark Tower specifically, I was excited to pick up his latest novel, Fairy Tale. Overall, I really enjoyed the book. The characters of Charlie, Mr. Bowditch, and Radar were particularly well-written and their relationships with each other added a lot to the story.

One of the things I liked most about the book was the way it blended elements of magic and the supernatural with everyday life. The story felt both whimsical and spooky at the same time, which is something King does incredibly well.

However, there was one section of the book that didn't quite work for me. About two thirds of the way through, the story took a turn that felt a bit out of place and derailed the overall flow of the book. Despite this, I still thoroughly enjoyed Fairy Tale and would definitely recommend it to fans of Stephen King's work.