Gotta say Durfee, I appreciate your maturity in handling some of the controversial political topics. I am definitely more R than L, but I like your maturity in speaking, or not speaking about it. 😅😅😅
I absolutely love how King portrays these academics as gross aging serial killers. It’s kind of his way of showing his disdain for the pompous academic-types and I’m here for it 😂
I love the way you presented your review. I have not read nor will I purchase HOLLY. Because of the reasons you so cleverly presented. Not because I have one political view or another. Simply because I just don’t want to read about it much the same as I don’t want to read about the events of 9-11 constantly. Some of my IG followers villianized me for expressing that very point. But one point I’d like to make is that even by you having to hold up cue cards of the various things you shall not speak of, is quite frankly scarier than any Stephen King novel. Big Brother’s watching!
Great review! I just finished Holly and I thought it was great! I agree that the politics of the book will turn off many readers. I felt like the portrayals were pretty much true to life and I appreciated Kings honestly.
I'm about 40% done with the book. None of those "things" bother me, however I do hope the story picks up soon. It's been a bit on the slower side so far.
Can't wait to read this! You've made my day! Saying so much without saying anything! So glad I found this channel, as I'm an avid ready. I have always read quite fast myself. Nice to have a review before I read the book. Thanks✌️
Steve's TDS is off the charts. Its hard to enjoy anything of his nowadays without feeling like you're listening to a sermon from the church of the Latter Day Steve.
Thanks for the information Brian. I have read plenty of S.K. books, but will give this one a miss. When authors insert politics in their story lines it is a major turn-off for me. If I want political opinion I can read a paper or look up a website. I don't need an author to ram it down my throat, the minute I am reading fiction as form of entertainment. I think S.K. is running out of ideas, his Mr Mercedes series was probably his last good series of books.
Later, The Outsider, Fairy Tale, and If It Bleeds were all really good recent King works…and he didn’t inject much if any of his rabid politics into them.
Just finished it. The entire novel could have been condensed into one episode of The X Files or something. I have no idea how he managed to stretch such a basic idea (that went nowhere) across nearly 500 pages. It was worth a short story at best.
I think he's projecting his own insecurities onto others. It's absolutely ridiculous that he mentioned either side in a fictional story. The real world NEVER meshes with fiction. When the hell did this method become okay? This is almost gas lighting into preferential actions.
Honestly I appreciate the stuff about Mask since it makes things much more realistic(It is also in one of the recent Bosch novels). I love Stephen King because the guy keeps realistic characters in an unrealistic situation.
Yeah. And I find it pretty tiring to keep comparing authors or artists/entertainers with your own political views. As if only one side has eaten the wisdom. Above all: As if there are only two sides. Dividing things into good and bad is far too simple. There are a lot of authors out there. Some have a different opinion on one or two things, others on 8 or 9 things. Still others on 10 or 15 things, but sometimes change their minds. I don't read books by political friends or enemies, but primarily by humans.
My problem with King’s TDS and its insertion in his work is very simply that it takes me out of the story. It breaks the fictive dream, the fourth wall. As soon as I read the political asides, I picture King leaning back from his keyboard smiling smugly at how clever he is for doing so. It’s not like the good old days of King. We live in divisive political times, and one reason I read is to ESCAPE that madness, not wallow in it.
It's an amazingly important subject to address right now. Hopefully one day we'll read this book and laugh and remember Doofus Donald and his dreams of being Dictator. Until then...
@@imandan1966 You’re delusional if you think ANY politician is anything but a crooked scumbag. DT is just open about it. I’m done voting for any of them. None of them care about regular people, including Joe.
talking about politics is not a problem. Man, 1984 is one of my favourite novels : ) my problem is the preaching... when the author doesn't understand there is a line where they stop showing a character with a point of view and starts being character A that is the author... It's awful when that happens. Unfortunately, King doesn't know how to portray people who lean right (or republican for Americans). Oh well... But I will buy the book
I agree, King used to do politics or social commentary without it getting too heavy handed but Trump broke King like so many liberal celebrities and he gets way too far up his own a@@ now. Sadly, he just comes across as another rich white liberal that is disconnected from the real world and he leaves out that the black community was very much against wearing a mask or being forced to get a vaccine to keep their job or go to school.
1984 is opposed to King's politics. IN my city our schools aren't allowed to say he or she. Every teacher says 'they' for all sentences ! Did you catch the part on 1984 where they changed words in our language to socially engineer people? King supports fasciism. Fasciism is the nmerger iff corporations, government, ideology, and banks. In Canada people got their banks frozen for having political beliefs opposing our regime. Our leftist regime funds almost all media here and they have algorithmic control We'll Abe a hellhole when the states finally realizes people like King and Mao are sick and we're following fasciist sickness. Anti facsiists are fasciist or communist. They aren't against totalitarianism! I would never read a new king novel. He cheers the death of Ukrainians. 400 000 dead now for a nato war. Tehy are being annihilated for nato and Russian power. Both sides are evil, but king sides with one!
Agreed. Politics in books can be really interesting. But I like when they're written with realistic nuance and empathy, not portraying one side as cartoonishly heroic and the other side as cartoonishly evil.
King has absolutely no idea why anybody disagrees with him. He apparently was never even curious about it. Two dimensional characters are just a hallmark of bad writing, regardless of what your political views are.
Your review reminds me why I read sci fi and fantasy almost exclusively. I don’t see the need to read fiction that belabors for 50 pages about current events. Saving money avoiding this book. Thanks mr Durfee.
From what I've seen Stephen king is starting to really push away his readers he needs to stop going so hard with politics before it starts to hurt his book sales
I doubt he cares about book sales at this point in his career. It's not like he or his children could possibly spend all the money he's made in a single lifetime.
Ok, so SK is my favorite author and has been all my life. I began reading him when I was 11 and I’m 50 now. His political views always made their way into his books but they were pretty generic and mild….until Trump was elected. Since then, he’s so obsessed with Trump, Republicans etc and it’s ruined his books, imo. I can’t follow him on Twitter because it would outright ruin my love of his early work. I used to buy every book on release day but after Elevation, I stopped. I tried reading Billy Bummers but my goodness, it was yuck. I don’t mind a few political references but these days(Covid sent him over the edge) I just cannot with him anymore. That said, I keep reading his old stuff because it’s just so amazing. But I don’t need his pushing of his agenda down my throat…I get that everyday all over the place and there is no break from it. Politics suffuses everything these days and it’s gross. I like my books to be an ESCAPE from the nonsense. Also, SK seems angry all the time at a certain group of people, many of whom read his books. He’s an angry old man but given all that, he’s still a badass writer, esp when cocaine was his co-writer. With Holly, why not write a good story first and foremost and sure, go ahead and pepper in some mask stuff and Covid stuff…sure….but to have it go on for pages and pages? Ugh. No thanks.
Same. I'm neither a Trump supporter nor a Trump hater. I also don't really care if other people love him or hate him. I'm a strong believer in live and let live. That being said, I hate when authors blatantly insert giant preachy political monologues where the author is clearly just injecting their own prejudiced views into the narrative where it makes no logical or necessary sense to belong there.
Darn. I just got this in the mail. Was going to start it soon. I’m like you: I want to escape when I read, not have political crap thrown in my face for ~500 pages. I’ll be sending this one back to Amazon.
From your review of the Outsider, I did not know that Holly was a recurring character in other Stephen King novels. King has always talked about the times and been political in his novels. I recently listened to The Dead Zone and there's all kinds of political stuff from the 70's that I did not know about in it. I'm sort of glad that he's documenting this stuff, in his own way, whether I agree with it or not. Because otherwise we'd just forget about it. And it also gives his novels a reference point in time, so they don't feel outdated and weird if you read them DECADES LATER. Authors who don't establish a time setting, their work becomes laughably outdated when you read it decades later and they talk about the "Present Day" with VCRs, tapes, recorders, public telephones, answering machines, CB radios, typewriters, and other gadgets that are long gone. 😂
This is actually totally fair. I love the Dead Zone and I wasn't even born yet when it came out. It was actually really interesting to read about all the political drama going on at that point in time that I never knew about. I imagine young readers of future generations may feel the same way about these current books.
The funny thing is that King himself has said he didn't think that most of his books would last of the test of time because they vary much of the time they were written. That said I have read The Shining three times and loved each time and I wasn't even born when it came out.
Really enjoyed your video, and was pleasantly surprised by the direction it took. I find King very hard to read nowadays because of his politics, and I'm not even American, but Salems Lot is still my favorite novel so I may very well try HOLLY. Fifty pages you say? Damn 😮
If I only enjoyed artists and entertainers who agreed with my political views, I would have missed out on real masterpieces. We often forget that we share most of the basic beliefs and values with those around us. If King (or anyone else) just has a different opinion on something here and there, who cares. Then he's just wrong. Or am I? We all need to chill.
If you have disliked his politics before Holly will be very difficult to get through. I made it and I'm glad I did but I had to stop reading and roll my eyes so many times! It is a great book and would have been an even greater book without them.
11:31 YES! Some of the creepiest King writing… as a constant reader, this one chilled my bones however… I feel like covid was suppose to be another character but it was very one dimensional I also feel like it could of gone through 1 to 2 more edits But overall, it was a good horror. Great review!
I will never read this book. Little Steven has broken his brain. If I want to read a novel by him I'll go back to the 80's. When he could keep his own beliefs out of them. 😁
I’m reading this book now, very disappointed in all the political crap. As if we don’t get it enough already, why do I have to spend money to be subjected to it. You want to express your political views, do on your time not your readers.
So when King uses the book to voice his own opnion ( and he does that a lot ) thats cool yet the people who wont read the book because of all the Trump bashing needs to grow up???? LOL I have read Kings last three books and he bought up Trumps name about 15 times, I am not a Trump fan and I gave up on Kings book. Its just great how one is voicing his opinion and the other needs to grow up.
I think it's time for old man King to grow up because this book was so childish in how it went after Trump or basically anyone that doesn't agree with him and this is the first time that I felt like I'm done with King since he can't move the f@@k on from his girl Hillary losing in 2016.
It's so funny because he's always done it but these Trump heads are a different breed they'll put buddy over their spouse if the spouse ever bashed him lol
I’m almost done with the book and I certainly agree King has put a lot of his politics into this book. The story itself is great but the constant mention of all virus related stuff you didn’t mention really pulls me out of enjoying the story. It’s just way too much. Maybe it’s too soon and hopefully a reread in like 10 years will make me laugh, but right now it’s a huge problem for this book.
This is so true. There are some other authors who have inserted politics in their story lines (e.g. John Sandford and John Connelly) and for me it becomes very annoying. Thanks for the info - I will definitely skip the book.
@@carolkir agreed it is his story to tell. All that aside it still makes took me out of the story which was annoying. Otherwise a great story. It annoyed me too when Michael Connelly did it but I still love both authors.
@@carolkir no one said he didn't have the right.. others also have the right not to by his crap and be subjected to his opinions when they just want to read a good fiction book. Maybe he should write a non fiction book with all his opinions and political commentary and see how well that sells...
I may truly love your take on life, smooth and openminded. I loved King before in the 90s but tired of his formula, but he can write, no question about that. I just have to limit my spite, despair and degradation quota nowadays in my entertainment since Tesla´s Electrical Expo 1898 speech turned up prophetic(imo).
I would say his writing style has changed and developed again and again since the 90s. Read what you want but I think some of his novels from the last 30 years are very well worth reading.
Reading it now and past the part your are holding up signs for. No effect at all. Does not diminish the story as it is relatable to the historical time we just got beyond. Love this book so far. Politics have no effect on me. I read thrillers where the character are always watching Fox. The story is the important part. Great review.
Once you get passed the first 100 pages, it gets better. I’m actually center left and even I was struggling through it. I read good books to get away from politics and the real world. Hope he does not do this again.
I appreciate that he provides both sides to the masks stuff. Honestly, it makes the book feel much more real because during that time period all you heard about were masks and trump. I'm left leaning, similar to King, but I'd like him if he was R so long as the characters still felt real and nuanced. Spike Lee had one of his best written characters as a Trunp supporter so I definitely believe writers can have their cake and eat it too!!
King grew up a Republican until he became a Liberal in college. His recently deceased brother was an avid Trump supporter. So King probably understands both sides of the coin
Yeah proper took me out of this one. Normally I imagine he has the same views as his protagonists (stu redman etc) now I know better 😢. Unless he does a remake to claw it back set in twenty years time..... anthony fauci fled across the desert..... and the gunslinger followed 😂😂😂
Damn man, this review is the first I’ve seen for it/by your channel; but I don’t think aged actors are going to be fighting for the old couple role. It’s kind of a B horror that lets us see how the minor characters King loves continue on. Fun read, glad to see what they’re up to. Heavy on Covid but agree with King that it’s all that Holly would worry about
Great review. Question: I just began Mr. Mercedes. Goal is finish it and start Holly. Do I have to finish the entire Bill Hodges trilogy to read Holly? Or can it be a stand alone? PS: As a photographer and videographer I hope it’s OK to mention this, I get motion sickness so it’s difficult for me to watch your videos sometimes because there’s a lot of focus pulling back-and-forth. So I just listen. I recommend setting your camera to manual focus and just staying on your marks or getting a relatively inexpensive vlogging camera that is really good at product showcase/talking head videos like the Sony ZV1 series. Just my 2 cents. 😎
You enjoy Holly in Mr. Mercedes, but you won't be in love with her if you 'trim the fat'. And to actually answer your Q, Finders Keepers isn't exactly centered around Bill. (My opinion) You could honestly read MM and End of Watch and be fine. FK felt like a spin off that bridged MM and EoW together. I think FK is my favorite though, just cause I really enjoyed that plot line. Edit: Just saw this was a while ago. I hope you enjoyed the journey.
King is big on pop culture to make things relatable, so it makes sense he would bring in the virus and the face covering, which has been mostly ignored by movies and tv shows. I'm reading The Outsider, which Holly was in, and that occurred to me.
I enjoy the political stuff because I live in the deep south and it's been so hard here for years. One thing in particular is an employee of my grandma's nursing home refused vax and mask and hid being sick and came to work. Killed off half of the nursing home including my gran. Reading the first few pages felt like my pain being seen by my favorite author.
cardiovascular intensive care nurse at a big city hospital, it was a horrific, painful and very difficult time for patients and their families, and for the doctors and nurses who were on the front lines, as well as other hospital personnel..it was a time of great suffering not understood or appreciated by many, who lucky for them, did not see the worst of what covid could do..and did
I'm so sorry to hear what you and your family have been through. I'm from Ga... and my Politics don't align with Stephen King's... but, we all have to try to be respectful and not demonize each other. MOST of us are just doing our best and try to look out for each other... but there are a few, truly awful people. God bless you. 💜
Love the reviews. Got a book fair sale coming up. Got a big list from your channel. I have been training for all the old folks I'll be racing to the stacks. Think I'll steal those tennis balls off their walkers' maybe some spike strips for the ones in electric scooters. Wish me luck.
Appreciate the review, and the actual horror story part sounded good, however this being yet another vehicle for King's political views on the virus plus the kindle edition being priced at £13 means I will be giving this a miss.
Good review and now I know what to expect, I'm going to start the book later today, but I will skip some pages, I'm not even a Trump guy but I'm sick of liberal celebrities still whining about Trump nonstop and people like him just can't acknowledge that his side was also wrong about many things with covid. Kings' hero, Tony Boy Fauci was wrong or just flat out lied about so many things and he didn't follow the science.
For those who are not ignorant of science Fauci was right about a lot. He had a single misstep at the beginning but he was otherwise right. We had 1.2 million dead and only people with their tribal heads in the sand wouldn’t listen. And the reason why we can walk around without masks today is because of the millions of people helped create immunity with vaccines. No I as the son of scientists am exhausted by the idiocy that rejects science.
I remember reading Joyland by SK and seeing some anti-R sentiments woven (sometimes blatantly) into it. It wasn't a complete turn-off, but it is frustrating for those who lean more R than L. Politics can have a place in writing. However, when one side of the argument is not treated fairly, mainstream authors run the risk of making their work into propaganda and alienating fans/customers. It's one thing not to agree with the other side's political views. It's another thing to insult and misrepresent them.
Sounds a lot like leftist activists on Twitter lol. Joking aside though, both sides have a very small minority of radical psychos but neither represent the majority of either side. If you can't see that radical leftists are just as hateful, dishonest, delusional and toxic as radical right wingers, you need to pay more attention. Don't judge both sides by a small minority of jerks on either side.@@garlictyme2472
Thank you soo much for this review! The heads up about the politics...which I honestly can do without...but still I'm looking forward to reading this! 😉👍
I am a nurse, conservative, and King fan. I knew going into this book it was going to be him running his mouth and framing the lies the media sold us. However can anyone really complain about that? Yes, it is a little too much, but the summery of the book before it came out was Holly in the "c word" world. I knew King would not at all down play his TDS. This book is not has good as his older work, but next year I will buy his next book.
How come nobody ever brings up Rose Madder when it comes to the best psychopathic characters? Gonna read this for sure. I love king but so many of his novels get heavy into science fiction towards the middle and end.
Love King. Hate his politics. He is soooo L wing and that was great when L wings had GREAT politicians... significantly in the 60's. His book on the assassination of JFK is still one of my favorites. Masterfully written. Great Idea. But supposedly issuing TRUMP and MASKS ( Masks I agree ) as national death detonators is sorry stuff. I have family who are farmers and supermarket workers and restaurant owners who thrived under Trump monetary support and have since died under Biden's group. Gas prices and workers who don't work waiting for another check from DC and a country being run by a guy with no brains whatsoever....And grabbed a Presidency he never earned. Sorry. I love your channel and how expertly you broadcast (LOVE your written notes!) and your love for Mr. King's Works. There are VERY few of his delicious tomes I have passed on. This will be one of them.
Incredible. Thank you so much sir. You did a far better job than I could’ve done of explaining what the Stephen King reading experience is all about … what it’s really like. #1 You revealed the book had 50 pages of masks and Covid. Yep. I’ve checked out dozens of Stephen King books - and you just gave the perfect description of what it’s like to read a Stephen King novel. Another descriptor of the Stephen King experience is provided by the revelation that - I’ve never been able to complete a Stephen King book… Ever. Interesting item #1 above fully accounts for item #2.
I got to page 67. I don't like his recycled Twitter rants because his politics are pithy and uninteresting. Like warmed over Daily Show jokes. Tragically, he seems to have lost the gift of characterization. Holly's grief just seemed clunky and fake. It's like I'm watching Punch and Judy instead of reading a novel. Everything just seemed flat and bland and badly written. Also his attempts to write modern-speak is pure cringe. Maybe this would be a first draft from a lesser writer, maybe Twitter has finished the job coke and booze started. It's a rough go for me. Edit: I am vaxxed and wear a mask. It's not about that. I'm just shocked and appalled that the man who wrote The Stand could fall so low when tackling the. exact. thing. that. made. that. novel. relevant. again.
It is interesting that in the past few weeks since arrival, Holly has sunk from the #1 to the #4 slot on the NY Times Fiction Hardcover Bestseller List. I read the Bill Hodges Trilogy and The Outsider and saw Holly as a really kinda boring lackluster character. Plus, interestingly enough on the series streaming version of the Outsider, Holly Gibney is black. Now what is Holly's race in the new standalone novel?
I have not read a Stephen King book in ages, I have tried, but just cant get through them. Partly because he (in my opinion has lost his mojo), his subject matter has changed over the years and left me behind in interest. But also because of his obsession with a certain orange person living rent free in his head. injecting his politics and hatred of one specific person, and those who share that one specific persons worldview, largely serves to alienate and piss off half the country and of course half of his fan base. He is at a point in his career where he is totally ok with that decision, and this is still America, he has the right to spew his crap in his novels. And we of course have the right to ignore his work. It looks like King has come full circle though, and now his hatred of the orange guy and by proxy half of the country and fan base, has compelled him to write in those he hates as villain's in his new novel. I'm really not cool with that. This seems dangerous in light of our current social and political climate. I think Mr. King has crossed the Rubicon.
All the mask and COVID talk in the book is actually a good monument to the period and the time. It was a weird, alternative reality we all lived in for 2 years and are quickly forgetting.
@@wilthomashe's talking about the blue-haired cat lady Libtards who follow SK on twitter for his political commentary but aren't true fans of his fiction
@@ricksomething No, I do not but I'm careful because I care for my elderly parents. You obviously have other issues but this is not the place for it. Have a lovely evening.
I freakin loved this book. It was a great serial killer book. I just finished reading it, and I’m turning right around and reading it again. “Juicy” is gross! 😂😂
Best review haha
Gotta say Durfee, I appreciate your maturity in handling some of the controversial political topics. I am definitely more R than L, but I like your maturity in speaking, or not speaking about it. 😅😅😅
Same. I respect Mike's Book Reviews for the same reason.
Good response. I feel the same way.
I absolutely love how King portrays these academics as gross aging serial killers. It’s kind of his way of showing his disdain for the pompous academic-types and I’m here for it 😂
Yes, the pompous aging academics who vote Trump. Because that's a thing.
Really excited to read this, thanks for reviewing this so quickly (the notes were hilarious)
I love the way you presented your review. I have not read nor will I purchase HOLLY. Because of the reasons you so cleverly presented. Not because I have one political view or another. Simply because I just don’t want to read about it much the same as I don’t want to read about the events of 9-11 constantly. Some of my IG followers villianized me for expressing that very point. But one point I’d like to make is that even by you having to hold up cue cards of the various things you shall not speak of, is quite frankly scarier than any Stephen King novel. Big Brother’s watching!
Great review! I just finished Holly and I thought it was great! I agree that the politics of the book will turn off many readers. I felt like the portrayals were pretty much true to life and I appreciated Kings honestly.
Dude,...you give off some of the most amazing reviews on books.
This is definitely one if them.
🤘🏻😁
Thanks!!
I read books to escape politics and current events. Books, are my haven. I’d rather just step out of the world and into another.
I'm about 40% done with the book. None of those "things" bother me, however I do hope the story picks up soon. It's been a bit on the slower side so far.
It doesn't! It's like watching a Scooby-Doo mystery with the grandkids, lol. Very disappointing...
Hilarious sign show. Still smiling. I almost didn’t watch because I am about to read this and like going in blind. So glad I did. Thanks.
Can't wait to read this! You've made my day! Saying so much without saying anything! So glad I found this channel, as I'm an avid ready. I have always read quite fast myself. Nice to have a review before I read the book. Thanks✌️
Read it. I was shocked, I chuckled at parts, and was enthralled. All the elements of a good book!
That's great. I was planning on never giving little Stevie TDS any more of my money and now I know I was right.
Fully agreed. Billy Summers was the last straw for me. I was curious to see if he relaxed his bullshit, but it appears not.
Steve's TDS is off the charts. Its hard to enjoy anything of his nowadays without feeling like you're listening to a sermon from the church of the Latter Day Steve.
Thanks for the information Brian.
I have read plenty of S.K. books, but will give this one a miss.
When authors insert politics in their story lines it is a major turn-off for me.
If I want political opinion I can read a paper or look up a website.
I don't need an author to ram it down my throat, the minute I am reading fiction as form of entertainment.
I think S.K. is running out of ideas, his Mr Mercedes series was probably his last good series of books.
Later, The Outsider, Fairy Tale, and If It Bleeds were all really good recent King works…and he didn’t inject much if any of his rabid politics into them.
Just finished it. The entire novel could have been condensed into one episode of The X Files or something. I have no idea how he managed to stretch such a basic idea (that went nowhere) across nearly 500 pages. It was worth a short story at best.
I think he's projecting his own insecurities onto others. It's absolutely ridiculous that he mentioned either side in a fictional story. The real world NEVER meshes with fiction. When the hell did this method become okay? This is almost gas lighting into preferential actions.
Honestly I appreciate the stuff about Mask since it makes things much more realistic(It is also in one of the recent Bosch novels). I love Stephen King because the guy keeps realistic characters in an unrealistic situation.
Thats kinda my thought to. And I also noticed it in the Michael Connelly novel
Yeah. And I find it pretty tiring to keep comparing authors or artists/entertainers with your own political views.
As if only one side has eaten the wisdom.
Above all: As if there are only two sides.
Dividing things into good and bad is far too simple. There are a lot of authors out there. Some have a different opinion on one or two things, others on 8 or 9 things. Still others on 10 or 15 things, but sometimes change their minds.
I don't read books by political friends or enemies, but primarily by humans.
It was set in 2021 so it would be unrealistic to not include masks and COVID
It reads like a liberal porn fantasy, and I like King.
@@thegutto72 exactly I've said this more than once it's hard to write about covid and not add this in and king was never one to shy away from topics
My problem with King’s TDS and its insertion in his work is very simply that it takes me out of the story. It breaks the fictive dream, the fourth wall. As soon as I read the political asides, I picture King leaning back from his keyboard smiling smugly at how clever he is for doing so.
It’s not like the good old days of King. We live in divisive political times, and one reason I read is to ESCAPE that madness, not wallow in it.
Well said
It's an amazingly important subject to address right now. Hopefully one day we'll read this book and laugh and remember Doofus Donald and his dreams of being Dictator. Until then...
@@imandan1966 You’re delusional if you think ANY politician is anything but a crooked scumbag. DT is just open about it. I’m done voting for any of them. None of them care about regular people, including Joe.
@imandan1966 yeah right. You're brainwashed 😂 leftist socialist Marxist much ?
@@imandan1966it's amazingly unimportant all leaders in any power are backed by the same bankers , you're delusional to think otherwise
Got me chuckling all the way through! Great review. Cant wait to read this one!
talking about politics is not a problem. Man, 1984 is one of my favourite novels : ) my problem is the preaching... when the author doesn't understand there is a line where they stop showing a character with a point of view and starts being character A that is the author... It's awful when that happens. Unfortunately, King doesn't know how to portray people who lean right (or republican for Americans). Oh well... But I will buy the book
I agree, King used to do politics or social commentary without it getting too heavy handed but Trump broke King like so many liberal celebrities and he gets way too far up his own a@@ now. Sadly, he just comes across as another rich white liberal that is disconnected from the real world and he leaves out that the black community was very much against wearing a mask or being forced to get a vaccine to keep their job or go to school.
1984 is opposed to King's politics. IN my city our schools aren't allowed to say he or she. Every teacher says 'they' for all sentences ! Did you catch the part on 1984 where they changed words in our language to socially engineer people? King supports fasciism. Fasciism is the nmerger iff corporations, government, ideology, and banks. In Canada people got their banks frozen for having political beliefs opposing our regime. Our leftist regime funds almost all media here and they have algorithmic control We'll Abe a hellhole when the states finally realizes people like King and Mao are sick and we're following fasciist sickness. Anti facsiists are fasciist or communist. They aren't against totalitarianism!
I would never read a new king novel. He cheers the death of Ukrainians. 400 000 dead now for a nato war. Tehy are being annihilated for nato and Russian power. Both sides are evil, but king sides with one!
Agreed. Politics in books can be really interesting. But I like when they're written with realistic nuance and empathy, not portraying one side as cartoonishly heroic and the other side as cartoonishly evil.
King has absolutely no idea why anybody disagrees with him. He apparently was never even curious about it. Two dimensional characters are just a hallmark of bad writing, regardless of what your political views are.
Man, I love this guy. 😂 Fantastic review, Brian!
That's the kind of passionated badass review I like, my man!
Your review reminds me why I read sci fi and fantasy almost exclusively. I don’t see the need to read fiction that belabors for 50 pages about current events. Saving money avoiding this book. Thanks mr Durfee.
From what I've seen Stephen king is starting to really push away his readers he needs to stop going so hard with politics before it starts to hurt his book sales
lmao have you read dead zone? if you are too triggered there lots of right wingers writing books probably
I doubt he cares about book sales at this point in his career. It's not like he or his children could possibly spend all the money he's made in a single lifetime.
I agree totally!@@GlynDwr-d4h
I knew it, and beat Mike for his review again lol. The signs were a brilliant and hilarious touch
Ok, so SK is my favorite author and has been all my life. I began reading him when I was 11 and I’m 50 now. His political views always made their way into his books but they were pretty generic and mild….until Trump was elected. Since then, he’s so obsessed with Trump, Republicans etc and it’s ruined his books, imo. I can’t follow him on Twitter because it would outright ruin my love of his early work. I used to buy every book on release day but after Elevation, I stopped. I tried reading Billy Bummers but my goodness, it was yuck. I don’t mind a few political references but these days(Covid sent him over the edge) I just cannot with him anymore.
That said, I keep reading his old stuff because it’s just so amazing. But I don’t need his pushing of his agenda down my throat…I get that everyday all over the place and there is no break from it. Politics suffuses everything these days and it’s gross. I like my books to be an ESCAPE from the nonsense. Also, SK seems angry all the time at a certain group of people, many of whom read his books. He’s an angry old man but given all that, he’s still a badass writer, esp when cocaine was his co-writer. With Holly, why not write a good story first and foremost and sure, go ahead and pepper in some mask stuff and Covid stuff…sure….but to have it go on for pages and pages? Ugh. No thanks.
Wow said it perfect!
Same. I'm neither a Trump supporter nor a Trump hater. I also don't really care if other people love him or hate him. I'm a strong believer in live and let live. That being said, I hate when authors blatantly insert giant preachy political monologues where the author is clearly just injecting their own prejudiced views into the narrative where it makes no logical or necessary sense to belong there.
@@mikeprince6685 thank you!!❤️
Darn. I just got this in the mail. Was going to start it soon. I’m like you: I want to escape when I read, not have political crap thrown in my face for ~500 pages. I’ll be sending this one back to Amazon.
So true.
We live for 2 years with the Covid B.S. and now I will pay to get a novel to have it shoved down my throat again?
No thanks.
From your review of the Outsider, I did not know that Holly was a recurring character in other Stephen King novels.
King has always talked about the times and been political in his novels. I recently listened to The Dead Zone and there's all kinds of political stuff from the 70's that I did not know about in it. I'm sort of glad that he's documenting this stuff, in his own way, whether I agree with it or not. Because otherwise we'd just forget about it. And it also gives his novels a reference point in time, so they don't feel outdated and weird if you read them DECADES LATER. Authors who don't establish a time setting, their work becomes laughably outdated when you read it decades later and they talk about the "Present Day" with VCRs, tapes, recorders, public telephones, answering machines, CB radios, typewriters, and other gadgets that are long gone. 😂
agreed.
This is actually totally fair. I love the Dead Zone and I wasn't even born yet when it came out. It was actually really interesting to read about all the political drama going on at that point in time that I never knew about. I imagine young readers of future generations may feel the same way about these current books.
The funny thing is that King himself has said he didn't think that most of his books would last of the test of time because they vary much of the time they were written.
That said I have read The Shining three times and loved each time and I wasn't even born when it came out.
Used to love his books but I’m so sick of people shoving their political opinions in my face. Ruined the book for me
A lot of authors do that
Political undertones were in a lot of great books including Pale Fire and Gravity’s Rainbow, I wouldn’t dismiss an authors work solely based on that.
@@havefunbesafe I agree, and I’m fine with it to a certain extent. Just a little to front and center on this one in my opinion.
I'm anti-maga so I'll definitely be reading this one! Love Stephen King
Do I need to read any previous books to enjoy this one? I know it’s related to the Mr.Mercedes series, but would it be fine to read this one first?
Really enjoyed your video, and was pleasantly surprised by the direction it took. I find King very hard to read nowadays because of his politics, and I'm not even American, but Salems Lot is still my favorite novel so I may very well try HOLLY. Fifty pages you say? Damn 😮
Salem's Lot is a masterpiece
If I only enjoyed artists and entertainers who agreed with my political views, I would have missed out on real masterpieces.
We often forget that we share most of the basic beliefs and values with those around us. If King (or anyone else) just has a different opinion on something here and there, who cares. Then he's just wrong. Or am I? We all need to chill.
If you have disliked his politics before Holly will be very difficult to get through. I made it and I'm glad I did but I had to stop reading and roll my eyes so many times! It is a great book and would have been an even greater book without them.
You have my respect for finishing the book.
11:31 YES! Some of the creepiest King writing… as a constant reader, this one chilled my bones however…
I feel like covid was suppose to be another character but it was very one dimensional
I also feel like it could of gone through 1 to 2 more edits
But overall, it was a good horror.
Great review!
I will never read this book.
Little Steven has broken his brain.
If I want to read a novel by him I'll go back to the 80's. When he could keep his own beliefs out of them. 😁
I’m reading this book now, very disappointed in all the political crap. As if we don’t get it enough already, why do I have to spend money to be subjected to it. You want to express your political views, do on your time not your readers.
I've never been into politics but damn Stephen King seems to let Trump live in his head rent free.
maga not allowed to read king
only ben shapiro
The politics were too much for me, and I usually love Stephen King books…
So when King uses the book to voice his own opnion ( and he does that a lot ) thats cool yet the people who wont read the book because of all the Trump bashing needs to grow up???? LOL I have read Kings last three books and he bought up Trumps name about 15 times, I am not a Trump fan and I gave up on Kings book. Its just great how one is voicing his opinion and the other needs to grow up.
I think it's time for old man King to grow up because this book was so childish in how it went after Trump or basically anyone that doesn't agree with him and this is the first time that I felt like I'm done with King since he can't move the f@@k on from his girl Hillary losing in 2016.
It's so funny because he's always done it but these Trump heads are a different breed they'll put buddy over their spouse if the spouse ever bashed him lol
@@razorguy1114 Are you going to cry after Joey loses next year?
The book is waiting for me at home and can’t wait to read it!
What a great review. I thought this story was so awesome. I love Holly's sleuthing techniques and thought that these were such crazy villains.
I’m almost done with the book and I certainly agree King has put a lot of his politics into this book. The story itself is great but the constant mention of all virus related stuff you didn’t mention really pulls me out of enjoying the story. It’s just way too much. Maybe it’s too soon and hopefully a reread in like 10 years will make me laugh, but right now it’s a huge problem for this book.
thanks for the warning...I'll skip it
This is so true. There are some other authors who have inserted politics in their story lines (e.g. John Sandford and John Connelly) and for me it becomes very annoying. Thanks for the info - I will definitely skip the book.
It's his book, he's the author, and he has every right to speak his mind in it--including his politics. As it happens, I tend to agree with him.
@@carolkir agreed it is his story to tell. All that aside it still makes took me out of the story which was annoying. Otherwise a great story. It annoyed me too when Michael Connelly did it but I still love both authors.
@@carolkir no one said he didn't have the right.. others also have the right not to by his crap and be subjected to his opinions when they just want to read a good fiction book. Maybe he should write a non fiction book with all his opinions and political commentary and see how well that sells...
I may truly love your take on life, smooth and openminded.
I loved King before in the 90s but tired of his formula, but he can write, no question about that.
I just have to limit my spite, despair and degradation quota nowadays in my entertainment since Tesla´s Electrical Expo 1898 speech turned up prophetic(imo).
I would say his writing style has changed and developed again and again since the 90s. Read what you want but I think some of his novels from the last 30 years are very well worth reading.
Reading it now and past the part your are holding up signs for. No effect at all. Does not diminish the story as it is relatable to the historical time we just got beyond. Love this book so far. Politics have no effect on me. I read thrillers where the character are always watching Fox. The story is the important part. Great review.
Priceless, the execution of this review is top notch
I am currently reading "Fairy Tale", and am absolutely in awe of everything about it. My God what a genius.
It is great
love that book
The ending just wasn’t it for me. He spent all this time making her smart and capable and then she makes the dumbest decision. Thanks for review!
Once you get passed the first 100 pages, it gets better. I’m actually center left and even I was struggling through it. I read good books to get away from politics and the real world. Hope he does not do this again.
That’s his shit. He’s super left and always was.
@@TravelsTTG Trump broke King and he got way more heavy handed after 2016.
@@EddieHenderson92 He didn’t break him dude was a anti war and spoke about it a lot it’s just that now trump supports flip if you ever call them out.
I appreciate that he provides both sides to the masks stuff. Honestly, it makes the book feel much more real because during that time period all you heard about were masks and trump. I'm left leaning, similar to King, but I'd like him if he was R so long as the characters still felt real and nuanced.
Spike Lee had one of his best written characters as a Trunp supporter so I definitely believe writers can have their cake and eat it too!!
King grew up a Republican until he became a Liberal in college. His recently deceased brother was an avid Trump supporter. So King probably understands both sides of the coin
Left leaning? King is so far Left that he's laying down
Yeah proper took me out of this one. Normally I imagine he has the same views as his protagonists (stu redman etc) now I know better 😢. Unless he does a remake to claw it back set in twenty years time..... anthony fauci fled across the desert..... and the gunslinger followed 😂😂😂
@@Nova-fh2et Not really. He's got rightwing views too, like being pro gun ownership, for example
@@dm6905 when has he ever said this?
Damn man, this review is the first I’ve seen for it/by your channel; but I don’t think aged actors are going to be fighting for the old couple role. It’s kind of a B horror that lets us see how the minor characters King loves continue on. Fun read, glad to see what they’re up to. Heavy on Covid but agree with King that it’s all that Holly would worry about
Great review. Question: I just began Mr. Mercedes. Goal is finish it and start Holly. Do I have to finish the entire Bill Hodges trilogy to read Holly? Or can it be a stand alone?
PS: As a photographer and videographer I hope it’s OK to mention this, I get motion sickness so it’s difficult for me to watch your videos sometimes because there’s a lot of focus pulling back-and-forth. So I just listen. I recommend setting your camera to manual focus and just staying on your marks or getting a relatively inexpensive vlogging camera that is really good at product showcase/talking head videos like the Sony ZV1 series. Just my 2 cents. 😎
If it was me I'd read previous first.
@@paulflint6254 all of them? I can’t wait that long, lol. What about just Mr. Mercedes?
You'd get a rounder picture@@babyboy1971
You enjoy Holly in Mr. Mercedes, but you won't be in love with her if you 'trim the fat'. And to actually answer your Q, Finders Keepers isn't exactly centered around Bill. (My opinion) You could honestly read MM and End of Watch and be fine. FK felt like a spin off that bridged MM and EoW together. I think FK is my favorite though, just cause I really enjoyed that plot line.
Edit: Just saw this was a while ago. I hope you enjoyed the journey.
I was gonna read this regardless of the reviews, but if I'd have had doubts about it, the flash cards would have for sure sold me. 10/10 review
Just found your channel great review just order audio book and will be looking to order your books .I like the fact you kept it real 🥰
That stuff would really put me off this book. Good thing I've still got so many of his older works to get through.
Is this larger print version ? Or just regular one ? Barnes and nobles has one ( larger print ) just not sure if it’s hardcover or not
I can’t wait to listen to the audiobook...eek I’m so excited 🫨 Great Review.
King is big on pop culture to make things relatable, so it makes sense he would bring in the virus and the face covering, which has been mostly ignored by movies and tv shows. I'm reading The Outsider, which Holly was in, and that occurred to me.
I think I’m done with King’s new novels.
Great review Brian- love the signs
Great review. I've been wondering what this new novel was like I'm a big Stephen King fan as well, so will have to get this.
I enjoy the political stuff because I live in the deep south and it's been so hard here for years. One thing in particular is an employee of my grandma's nursing home refused vax and mask and hid being sick and came to work. Killed off half of the nursing home including my gran. Reading the first few pages felt like my pain being seen by my favorite author.
cardiovascular intensive care nurse at a big city hospital, it was a horrific, painful and very difficult time for patients and their families, and for the doctors and nurses who were on the front lines, as well as other hospital personnel..it was a time of great suffering not understood or appreciated by many, who lucky for them, did not see the worst of what covid could do..and did
@@charletteseaver5923 Too many nurses had the time to make dancing videos.
I'm so sorry to hear what you and your family have been through. I'm from Ga... and my Politics don't align with Stephen King's... but, we all have to try to be respectful and not demonize each other. MOST of us are just doing our best and try to look out for each other... but there are a few, truly awful people.
God bless you. 💜
Preachy King is the worst. Hard Pass on Holly.
Love the reviews. Got a book fair sale coming up. Got a big list from your channel. I have been training for all the old folks I'll be racing to the stacks. Think I'll steal those tennis balls off their walkers' maybe some spike strips for the ones in electric scooters. Wish me luck.
Appreciate the review, and the actual horror story part sounded good, however this being yet another vehicle for King's political views on the virus plus the kindle edition being priced at £13 means I will be giving this a miss.
Thanks for the review and I'll be buying the audio book! I got a laugh out of your signs! I hope you review my books someday.
Just finished it. So good! I am impressed you read it in an afternoon/evening.
Good review and now I know what to expect, I'm going to start the book later today, but I will skip some pages, I'm not even a Trump guy but I'm sick of liberal celebrities still whining about Trump nonstop and people like him just can't acknowledge that his side was also wrong about many things with covid. Kings' hero, Tony Boy Fauci was wrong or just flat out lied about so many things and he didn't follow the science.
Bingo. I'm not for or against either side but I'm definitely sick of the immature whining, demonizing and finger pointing going on.
For those who are not ignorant of science Fauci was right about a lot. He had a single misstep at the beginning but he was otherwise right. We had 1.2 million dead and only people with their tribal heads in the sand wouldn’t listen. And the reason why we can walk around without masks today is because of the millions of people helped create immunity with vaccines. No I as the son of scientists am exhausted by the idiocy that rejects science.
I remember reading Joyland by SK and seeing some anti-R sentiments woven (sometimes blatantly) into it. It wasn't a complete turn-off, but it is frustrating for those who lean more R than L.
Politics can have a place in writing. However, when one side of the argument is not treated fairly, mainstream authors run the risk of making their work into propaganda and alienating fans/customers. It's one thing not to agree with the other side's political views. It's another thing to insult and misrepresent them.
From what I've seen in politics, he isn't saying anything wrong about R at all. The new party of cult...hate, lies, and insults.
Cry more garlic
Sounds a lot like leftist activists on Twitter lol. Joking aside though, both sides have a very small minority of radical psychos but neither represent the majority of either side. If you can't see that radical leftists are just as hateful, dishonest, delusional and toxic as radical right wingers, you need to pay more attention. Don't judge both sides by a small minority of jerks on either side.@@garlictyme2472
Thank you soo much for this review! The heads up about the politics...which I honestly can do without...but still I'm looking forward to reading this! 😉👍
@@garlictyme2472 The leftist cult is still lying about covid, little man.
I am a nurse, conservative, and King fan. I knew going into this book it was going to be him running his mouth and framing the lies the media sold us. However can anyone really complain about that? Yes, it is a little too much, but the summery of the book before it came out was Holly in the "c word" world. I knew King would not at all down play his TDS. This book is not has good as his older work, but next year I will buy his next book.
How come nobody ever brings up Rose Madder when it comes to the best psychopathic characters?
Gonna read this for sure. I love king but so many of his novels get heavy into science fiction towards the middle and end.
The dreaded C word considered worse than swearing😂 will get Holly soon. Great review
Love King. Hate his politics. He is soooo L wing and that was great when L wings had GREAT politicians... significantly in the 60's. His book on the assassination of JFK is still one of my favorites. Masterfully written. Great Idea. But supposedly issuing TRUMP and MASKS ( Masks I agree ) as national death detonators is sorry stuff. I have family who are farmers and supermarket workers and restaurant owners who thrived under Trump monetary support and have since died under Biden's group. Gas prices and workers who don't work waiting for another check from DC and a country being run by a guy with no brains whatsoever....And grabbed a Presidency he never earned. Sorry. I love your channel and how expertly you broadcast (LOVE your written notes!) and your love for Mr. King's Works. There are VERY few of his delicious tomes I have passed on. This will be one of them.
Agreed, King needs to leave his politics on the toilet paper he wipes his ass with...not in his books. Just sayin...
Incredible. Thank you so much sir. You did a far better job than I could’ve done of explaining what the Stephen King reading experience is all about … what it’s really like. #1 You revealed the book had 50 pages of masks and Covid. Yep. I’ve checked out dozens of Stephen King books - and you just gave the perfect description of what it’s like to read a Stephen King novel. Another descriptor of the Stephen King experience is provided by the revelation that - I’ve never been able to complete a Stephen King book… Ever. Interesting item #1 above fully accounts for item #2.
Just got mine yesterday! The cover glows in the dark!
Brian, you’re a class act. Great review. I hope this video doesn’t get *notecard*
I got to page 67. I don't like his recycled Twitter rants because his politics are pithy and uninteresting. Like warmed over Daily Show jokes. Tragically, he seems to have lost the gift of characterization. Holly's grief just seemed clunky and fake. It's like I'm watching Punch and Judy instead of reading a novel. Everything just seemed flat and bland and badly written. Also his attempts to write modern-speak is pure cringe. Maybe this would be a first draft from a lesser writer, maybe Twitter has finished the job coke and booze started. It's a rough go for me.
Edit: I am vaxxed and wear a mask. It's not about that. I'm just shocked and appalled that the man who wrote The Stand could fall so low when tackling the. exact. thing. that. made. that. novel. relevant. again.
The two main characters in the book are Donald Trump and Covid-19. Holly is a distant third. Then, Black Lives Matter.
This is like that old Bob Dylan video! Stephenking Homesick Blues.
Good book. I like Holly character and how King has leaned into her.
Looks like we posted our reviews at the same time haha curious to see what you think
Glad to have discovered you. I’ve read a lot of King but no books that feature Holly. Can this book be read without knowing her backstory?
You could, but you’d be missing out on some of the references. I’d recommend at least reading the Hodge’s trilogy first.
@@mikesanders9267 Ok thanks. Looks like I have some more books to read.
I recommend you read all the previous Holly books first
It is interesting that in the past few weeks since arrival, Holly has sunk from the #1 to the #4 slot on the NY Times Fiction Hardcover Bestseller List. I read the Bill Hodges Trilogy and The Outsider and saw Holly as a really kinda boring lackluster character. Plus, interestingly enough on the series streaming version of the Outsider, Holly Gibney is black. Now what is Holly's race in the new standalone novel?
some people respect others for their choices.
Durfee! Where did you get the shirt?
The mask mandate sucks I will not comply I am sick of it 👎🏿😷🥳🤮
I have not read a Stephen King book in ages, I have tried, but just cant get through them. Partly because he (in my opinion has lost his mojo), his subject matter has changed over the years and left me behind in interest. But also because of his obsession with a certain orange person living rent free in his head. injecting his politics and hatred of one specific person, and those who share that one specific persons worldview, largely serves to alienate and piss off half the country and of course half of his fan base. He is at a point in his career where he is totally ok with that decision, and this is still America, he has the right to spew his crap in his novels. And we of course have the right to ignore his work. It looks like King has come full circle though, and now his hatred of the orange guy and by proxy half of the country and fan base, has compelled him to write in those he hates as villain's in his new novel. I'm really not cool with that. This seems dangerous in light of our current social and political climate. I think Mr. King has crossed the Rubicon.
What a wonderful and exuberant review , got me out of my mizzzable ( sic) self, THANK YOU!
I'm not sure if you noticed it but the cover doesn't sparkle... it glows in the dark.
I just watched a short interview with King on GMA. He was just lovely!
All the mask and COVID talk in the book is actually a good monument to the period and the time. It was a weird, alternative reality we all lived in for 2 years and are quickly forgetting.
Great review! I’m waiting for my copy (translation to swedish).
Would anyone say this is a stand-alone? I'm interested but the only two books from him I completed were Cujo and Pet Semetary.
Btw Emily Harris was the name of a key figure in the SLA.
You, Sir, DO NOT DISAPPOINT!!!
Thank you soo much for this Review! The heads up for all the politics...still I will read this!
Should I read any other books before reading Holly or could I go straight in with it?
You'd be best to read the Mr. Mercedes Trilogy, The Outsider, and Let It Bleed first.
@@loudoesreviews cheers dude
look at his weird leftist tweets first,
Yeah I had heard this. I’m so behind on King books
This book wasn't written for his constant readers. It was written for his Twitter followers. Constant tweeters. Haha.
pls explain
@@wilthomashe's talking about the blue-haired cat lady Libtards who follow SK on twitter for his political commentary but aren't true fans of his fiction
I've been a Constant Reader since I was 9. I am now 57. I absolutely loved this book.
@@lesliepowell-mccarty7067You probably wear a mask in your car and while swimming.
@@ricksomething No, I do not but I'm careful because I care for my elderly parents. You obviously have other issues but this is not the place for it. Have a lovely evening.
I don’t know about the US , but the UK version , the cover glows in the dark .
i know holly from the audiobooks i was disappointed they didnt let will patton read it holly is one of my very favorite characters of any book.
That you can't talk about ****** on TH-cam tells you what a sham it all is.
Just recently read holly it was good i wasn't bothered with the politics in the book 😊
I freakin loved this book. It was a great serial killer book. I just finished reading it, and I’m turning right around and reading it again. “Juicy” is gross! 😂😂