Book Review: The Eyes of the Dragon

The Eyes of the Dragon by Stephen King
Release Date: February 1987
Publisher: Viking (now owned by Penguin)
Audience: Everyone
Pages: 384
Buy the Book: Amazon
Book Rating: 3/5








Day four of Stephen King week!

Today I am going to cheat a little bit and review The Eyes of the Dragon. A departure from most of his oeuvre, this book, while straight fantasy, still harbors that Stephen King flair.

The Eyes of the Dragon follows two brothers, princes, who are to inherit the kingdom. However, the older brother, Peter, is framed for the murder of the King by Flagg (our villain and stereotypical evil advisor) and the younger brother, Thomas, is placed on the throne. Flagg, knowing Thomas is only 12, offers his services and advice and Thomas, not knowing any better, gives him more and more power, despite knowing Flagg framed Peter and killed his father. The brunt of the novel follows both Peter's attempts to escape prison and kill Flagg along with the decay of the kingdom, the throne, and Thomas.

I think the main reason I enjoy this novel is that the novel, while including many tropes from the fantasy genre, focuses not on the kingdom per se but the two brothers. It is interesting to see how Peter and Thomas, through chance and circumstance, become two completely different individuals. By the end of the novel Thomas, under Flagg's influence, has become a obese, dunk, shamble of a man while Peter is almost the complete opposite. For me, the compelling elements of this novel is seeing the passage of time and affects of entropy on the two princes.

However, beyond that you do not get much other than the general plot of: good king replaced by inept king ruled by evil advisor via murder and rightful king is banished. I am sure you all can guess as to the novels outcome from there. Yet again, perhaps not one of his strongest novels, and not a dystopian novel (unless you count the dark potential we all share given the effects of entropy, decay, and the passage of time on the human frame) It is worth checking out from your local library. Stephen King offers nothing new in this book as far as the fantasy genre is concerned, but it somehow feels fresh.

Book Review: The Long Walk

The Long Walk by Stephen King
Release Date: July 1979
Publisher: Signet
Audience: Everyone
Pages: 384
Buy the Book: Amazon
Book Rating: 3.5/5









Stephen King week continues at Dystopian Reviews!!! Why? Because the world won't end if I include a little horror.

The Long Walk initially published under his Richard Bachman pen name, follows Garraty as he enters into a contest known, as the title implies, only as 'The Long Walk'. One hundred people enter the contest, the winner is the last person still walking. The rules are simple: keep walking at a pace of four miles an hour; fall under that pace, get a warning; while the warnings can be dropped off, if you get three warnings you die. If you win you get The Prize: anything you want for the rest of your life. The book follows Garraty and the friends he makes on 'The Long Walk'.

While this book isn't one of Stephen Kings' better known books, I still find myself retuning to it every so often to read it. The premise is fairly simple, everyone is walking until only one of them is left alive. However, as the group dynamics begin to emerge and the walkers become disillusioned to a number of things, the book becomes compelling as you wonder who will emerge as the winner, and what each walker can be said to represent. While not specifically stated, it is implied that this takes place in the future and the American government is more despotic, 'The Long Walk' being almost gladiatorial a la Battle Royale or The Hunger Games (though entry in 'The Long Walk' is primarily voluntary).

Stephen King has admitted that this is one of his earliest books, and it is interesting to see the elements and ideas that often come to the fore in his later novels being explored in this book. Perhaps not the best example of Stephen King's oeuvre, I still find it has its own charm and, while not for all, I recommend giving it a chance and walking to your nearest library or bookstore to check it out.