Stephen King's new novel 'Revival' is garnering strong reviews 鈥� with a few exceptions
Critics are calling 'Revival' 'spellbinding' and 'dark and haunting,' though the Monitor's own reviewer said the novel is not as fun as recent King work 'Mr. Mercedes' and one critic called the book's ending 'rushed and unbalanced.'
Critics are calling 'Revival' 'spellbinding' and 'dark and haunting,' though the Monitor's own reviewer said the novel is not as fun as recent King work 'Mr. Mercedes' and one critic called the book's ending 'rushed and unbalanced.'
Stephen King鈥檚 new novel 鈥淩evival鈥� is receiving mostly positive reviews.
The new book by the legendary author, which was released on Nov. 11, centers on Jamie Morton, who first meets Methodist minister Charles Jacobs as a child. After Charles鈥檚 family is affected by tragedy, Charles says he no longer believes in God and is forced to leave town. But Jamie encounters Charles again years later.聽
Monitor critic Erik Spanberg wrote that he thinks the work compares unfavorably to the author鈥檚 recent book 鈥淢r. Mercedes鈥� although he still finds it satisfying.
鈥淭his book isn鈥檛 as much fun as 鈥楳r. Mercedes,鈥欌�� he wrote. 鈥淏ut King fans won鈥檛 lose any faith in his powers while breezing through 鈥淩evival.鈥澛�
Meanwhile, Amazon named the title as one of its best books of November.
鈥淗e's such a great storyteller," Amazon editorial director Sara Nelson said of the book. "[There are] universal themes of good and evil and 'Is there a God?鈥欌�澛�
Publishers Weekly gave the book a starred review, calling it a 鈥渟pellbinding supernatural thriller.鈥�
鈥淜ing (鈥楳r. Mercedes鈥�) is a master at invoking the supernatural through the powerful emotions of his characters, and his depiction of Jacobs as a man unhinged by grief but driven by insatiable scientific curiosity is as believable as it is frightening,鈥� PW wrote. 鈥淭he novel鈥檚 ending 鈥� one of King鈥檚 best 鈥� stuns like lightning.鈥�
Washington Post critic Elizabeth Hand called the new book 鈥渟plendid" saying that it "offers the atavistic pleasure of drawing closer to a campfire in the dark to hear a tale recounted by someone who knows exactly how to make every listener鈥檚 flesh crawl.鈥� Brian Truitt of USA Today predicted that "Revival" will have readers 鈥渟inging King鈥檚 praises.鈥�
鈥淲orshippers at the Universal Church of Stephen King have a lot to rejoice about with his latest literary sermon,鈥� he wrote. 鈥淩evival聽is a dark and haunting tale鈥�. At the same time it's an emotional and spectacular coming-of-age tale.鈥�
However, James Kidd of The Independent had problems with the book鈥檚 ending.
鈥淲here 'Revival' falls down, if not quite apart, is in its climax,鈥� he wrote. 鈥淏ut after Revival鈥檚 finely judged first 5/6ths, the conclusion feels rushed and unbalanced鈥�. 'Revival' is fine if not vintage King, but that still makes it tastier than most bestsellers out there.鈥�