The Eyes of the Dragon
Ratings215
Average rating3.9
This book was lots of fun to read. I am reading the Dark Tower series and read this in between book 2 and book 3, as was recommended by a few people. I would say you don't have to read any of the Dark Tower books to enjoy The Eyes of the Dragon, as it is a great standalone fantasy tale with Kings signature characters and vibe. Also it was pretty quick, you can probably knock it out in a couple of days, but I took my time with it.
King should venture further afield more often. I'm sure for fantasy fans this would count as a weak effort, but I found the story well told and effective, lacking in much King's usual weaknesses as a writer. Worth your time.
Pretty straightforward story (made me think of a bedtime story/fairy tale) but very enjoyable. Also Bronson Pinchot narrated the audiobook and did a phenomenal job!
This is a fairy tale from Mid-World, totally understandable without having read the Dark Tower books, but enhanced by the knowledge. It would make a great audiobook; it has the rhythm of an oral story.
3.5 stars
This book has short chapters which King never really does. Those short chapters make for a quick read. This was a simple story for King which makes sense since I am pretty sure he wrote this for his daughter. I was intrigued enough to want to read until the end. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator done a great job narrating especially Flaggs character. Very creepy sounding!!
I listened to the audiobook version of this, so I'm not sure if my opinion is based on the story or the performance, but this was excellent. An essentially simple story told well and presented with verve.
3.5 rounded up. A fun story and a good addition of of some more history of Flagg.
“He wanted what evil men always want: to have power and use that power to make mischief.”
― Stephen King, The Eyes of the Dragon
Stephen King takes on the sword-and-sorcery variety fantasy novel. That's the best way to sum up this book. The plot is very clever. I enjoyed the way the hero and his allies solved the problem of getting him out of his prison. The solution is unexpected and made for a delightful story, with elements from earlier in the book coming into play.
I was less fond of the Randall Flagg character, (name and maybe character recycled from The Stand) who didn't seem to have a good reason for his evil plot. Yes, he wanted to create chaos in the kingdom just for the sake of seeing the destruction. It wasn't enough for me. None of the characters in this story are very complex I suppose, but I'm always expecting more from a Stephen King villain.
It's a fun, easy read that you can share with your kids.
It's like the perfect bedtime story. A quick read and also a pretty predictable, but still interesting and entertaining. King doesn't write much fantasy but when he does, it's phenomenal (Dark tower is another example).
Un livre dans un genre et un style inhabituel pour Stephen King, avec ce roman en forme de conte dont je garde un très bon souvenir.
Let's go back. Back to when this bookworm was a 13 year old girl, and Stephen King was still new to her. I remember laying my hands on a beat up copy of Needful Things, and that was it for me. Suddenly I was devouring everything King that I could get my hands on. I loved it all, the delicious horror, the gruesome details, all of it. That is, until I read The Eyes of the Dragon. Stephen King writing Fantasy? Bah. Where was the terror? Now, at the age of 29, I re-read this book and fell utterly in love with it from the first few chapters. It's interesting how time changes your perspective of things, and also how what you're reading at the time dictates what you want to read next. I'm a much more eclectic reader than I was back then. This book was just waiting for me to be able to appreciate it.
Sorry for the lengthy intro paragraph, let's talk The Eyes of the Dragon. This book is as close to a “children's book” as I think King will ever get. It has its moments of naughty language, and cruelty, but overall it's honestly pretty tame. It's also beautifully written Fantasy. The reader is introduced to the kingdom of Delain. To it's ruler, King Roland, and his two young sons. The story is told as if a storyteller were sitting right next to you. I loved this. It gives him the ability to tell you different points of view, to break that fourth wall and talk straight at you, and even to throw in his own opinion. I don't think I appreciated it this before, but I absolutely do now.
What I couldn't get enough of though, were the characters. They feel like real people, just waiting for you to come and meet them. The good guys are perfectly good, the bad guys are deliciously bad, but then there are also those in between. The people who can be swayed one way or the other. We all know these people. We are these people. When you're at your weakest is when you're the most malleable, and Stephen King shows that in this story. On the flip side, he also shows how much strength and ferocity can be hidden inside us at the same time.
Honestly, if you'd let me, I could go on forever about this book. I read it the first time, and listened to the audio book this time around. If you have the time, definitely try the audio book! Although it took me a few chapters to get used to the narrator, I soon found myself unable to stop listening to him. He's a perfect storyteller, and you'll love his impression of the evil magician, I guarantee it. Don't go into this expecting King. Instead, go into expecting something amazing, and it just might deliver that for you.
Gli occhi del drago è un romanzo fantastico scritto da Stephen King e pubblicato nel 1984. Quest'opera è un classico fantasy, basato sulla battaglia tra il bene e il male e pervasa dalla costante presenza della magia, che ha un ruolo preminente nella storia. Le due figure cardinali vengono rappresentate da Flagg, il mago di corte che aspira al ruolo di re, e da Peter, accusato ingiustamente della morte di suo padre, il re Roland. La narrazione è accompagnata da illustrazioni di David Palladini.
La trama è presto scritta: nel regno di Delain, il vecchio re Roland vive serenamente i suoi ultimi giorni circondato dal rispetto dei sudditi e dall'affetto dei due figli. A ereditare il trono sarà il primogenito, il principe Peter, bello, valoroso e di sicura tempra regale. Ma il malvagio Flagg, mago di corte, aspetta da ormai quattrocento anni di impossessarsi del regno e non esita a mettere in atto un piano diabolico per realizzare finalmente il suo sogno. Così, quando Roland muore misteriosamente, Flagg riesce a far imprigionare Peter con l'orrenda accusa di aver avvelenato il padre. Diventa sovrano il secondogenito, il principe Thomas, un ragazzo debole e insicuro che il mago sa di poter manipolare a suo piacimento. Ma Flagg ignora la forza dell'orribile segreto che Thomas custodisce da anni e non ha previsto che Peter farà di tutto per fuggire dall'altissima torre in cima alla quale è stato rinchiuso...
Sì, avete letto bene, il libro è di Stephen King, Re dell'horror e no in questo libro non c'è assolutamente niente che assomiglia a quello che avete potuto leggere dell'autore se siete suoi fans o anche solo lettori occazioanali, ma a tutto c'è una spiegazione e per questo romanzo è racchiusa nella dedica che apre il libro: al tempo della pubblicazione sua figlia Noemi era troppo piccola per leggere le storie dell'orrore, e quindi il padre, come “regalo”, scrisse per lei questa che a tutti gli effetti è una fiaba.
In ogni caso se siete veri appassionati del Re potrete trovare sicuramente delle chicche come: in questo romanzo compare Randall Flagg, lo stesso personaggio de “L'ombra dello scorpione” e della saga della Torre Nera. Anche re Roland è un riferimento alla Torre Nera e al suo protagonista Roland di Gilead. Inoltre la fittizia città di Delain, a sua volta, è situata nell'entro mondo della serie della Torre Nera.
Bisogna dire che “Gli occhi del drago” ha ricevuto un'accoglienza negativa da alcuni fan dell'autore che ritenevano fosse un libro per bambini e questo portò Stephen King a scrivere “Misery” come una metafora del fatto che fosse obbligato a scrivere horror.
Non è certo il migliore di King, anzi, a mio parere non rientra nemmeno nella rosa dei possibili migliori di King, ma la trama, sebbene semplice e molto scarna è ben curata, la mano del Re comunque si “sente” nell'evolversi degli eventi e nella costruzione dei personaggi (anche se abbozzati), anche qui i colpi di scena abbondano e tengono incollato il lettore al libro.
Direi che è comunque errato parlare di libro fantasy: questa è una favola, simpatica e leggibile, sicuramente lontana dalle solite trame dei classici del genere ma comunque la lettura ne vale la pena sia per chi non ha mai letto King che chi colleziona tutte le sue storie.