Fairytale and Irish Afternoon Tea

Who loves a good fairytale?  I sure do but it looks like our favourite horror writer, Stephen King does too.  In one of his newest novels, Stephen King takes us on a fantastical adventure that is worthy of a read from horror and fantasy fans alike.  A young hero who is looking to save his dog in a magical world but instead he must save that world as well.  I mean…come on!  Need I say more?

Stephen King writes Fairytales? Wha…?

The Story

17-year-old Charlie Reade has a lot on his shoulders.  He is on the baseball and football team, is a pretty good student, and does everything he can to keep his recovering alcoholic father from relapsing.  However, when the local recluse Howard Bowditch has a fall and his trusty dog Radar barks for help, Charlie’s world is turned upside down (and later on inside out).  The elderly eccentric has been injured and Charlie answered the call.  So, what does Charlie do?  He does odd chores for Howard while the poor guy recovers in the hospital, takes care of Radar that he has an almost immediate bond with, and ends up befriending the both of them.  So much so that he inherits everything that Howard owns from his somewhat dilapidated house, to Radar (whom Charlie loves more than anything), and the odd shed that has “funny” noises coming out of it. 

When Howard passes away, Charlie learns that this mysterious old man not only has chunks of gold hidden in parts of his house but a portal to a magical world called Empis in that shed he was told to, “never to go in.”  Of course: When does the hero ever listen to the no trespassing signs?  He finds himself in a place where toil and trouble are a way of life.  Luckily it isn’t all that bad.  He finds out that this is where Howard gets all of his gold, and he meets some interesting people, including a beautiful girl who happens to be a princess. 

Sadly, Radar is dying and it isn’t long for her to rest in peace as well.  According to Howard’s instructions, there is a time machine in Empis that can save Radar by making her young again.  As Charlie is not ready to say good-bye to her yet.  He goes on an amazing adventure to save her.  In the end, he finds out that this world is in bigger peril than he had thought.  So, it is not just a short jaunt to save his dog but a mission to lift a curse off this land from a tormented villain.  The question is: Can he, do it?

Getting our snack on!

 My Review

 Wow!  Once again, Stephen King delivers on a truly impressive story.  How he can create complex yet ordinary characters that anyone can relate to and put them in extraordinary circumstances that should be impossible to handle is mind-blowing.  I really liked Charlie.  He is a good kid albeit not a perfect one.  He has made his share of mistakes which he regrets deeply but also, he has learned from them and strives to do better.  You can see that everything he does is to improve himself. 

There are many interesting characters in the book as well.  Unfortunately, to list them all would require at least two more blog posts.  So, to save a little time, I would like to talk about my other two favourite characters.  They are Charlie’s Father, George and Mr. Bowditch aka Howard.  George is an alcoholic who was completely lost in himself and the hardships that had hit him after his wife died.  But he is resolved to be a better father and man, if not for himself, for Charlie.  He goes to A.A. Meetings, is more present, and listens to Charlie especially when he needs to talk. Even at his worst, he never was a cruel man to his son. If anything, you felt his pain that ran pretty deep but also see that alcoholism is no excuse for causing pain to others.

Mr. Bowditch was a man who was grumpy, solitary, and only seemed to be out for himself but after bonding with Charlie, he manages to make a few positive changes in himself.  He comes to be a little more pleasant and even protective of Charlie to whom he gives some sound advice to from time to time.  Although he admitted he was a coward, he didn’t want young Charlie to make the same mistakes he did.  His words have been a guide to Charlie which you will see throughout the book.  It is awesome to see such character work in these kinds of books.

The theme of the story is just as the title says, “fairytales.”  King makes a lot of references to the Brothers Grimm, Hans Christian Anderson, and even H.P. Lovecraft.  There are parts of the story that remind you of certain fairytales that we have heard at some point in our lives.  King almost does a retelling of these traditional tales in his own unique way.  Don’t worry, I won’t say which fables otherwise it will be a huge spoiler.  Never-the-less, it was fun to pick them out and read them again.  Which brings me to the story-line

The book itself is absolutely marvelous.  I love how King weaves folktales into the everyday life of his protagonist and how Charlie uses his own knowledge of legends and myths to navigate Empis.  I will admit that the descriptions Stephen King had of this world were pretty good.  Good but not great.  I think he mainly wanted the readers to focus on the people (which is understandable) but I would have loved to have a little more description on how the other world was different from ours.  And not just because it has two moons instead of one. 

Another thing about this book is that the back story tends to drone on and can be a little long.  I understand that he wants us to understand what Charlie has gone through and how it made him the person he is today.  It just makes for a longer read and sometimes there were events told in there that just didn’t seem necessary.  But that is just my opinion      

All kinds of Dainties

The Pairings

What goes better with a fairytale than a tea party with some afternoon treats?  The only snacks I can think of to go with this book is an Irish-themed afternoon tea.  I chose an Irish theme because many great tales of the fey come from Ireland that they still recite and believe in today especially about stories taking place in alternate realms.  The food of an authentic Irish tea seemed to match with what the characters would eat in this book.  The kind where you have soda bread sandwiches, Yorkshire puddings, black currant scones, and bailey’s chocolate mousse.  Things like the black currants/dark chocolate to describe the hardships of the magical realm, sandwiches and cookies were Charlie’s favourite thing to eat, and Baileys due to the alcoholism mentioned in it.  Like this book, some items in this afternoon tea are sweet, others a little tart, but all-and-all a well-rounded experience.

The Rating/Final Thoughts

8/10

Brilliant!  I am a huge SK fan and have loved his work since I have read “the Shining.”  King knows how to use words to paint a picture and you are never disappointed after reading his novels.   It’s only draw back is that it can be long with information that does not necessarily have to do with the story.  But (again) that is just my opinion.  Thanks, Stephan King, for this brilliant read and many more to come.  

Have some tea?