Stephen King's works have been called everything from scary to boring. They're "macabre," "horrific" and "gruesome." But his latest works have added a surprising new word to this list -- feminist.
Known for horror classics Carrie and Pet Sematary, King is trying his hand at an entirely different topic, which started with Gerald's Game and flowed into his newest book Dolores Claiborne. Narrating both books from a female point of view, King touches on sensitive topics such as child molestation and the psychological oppression of women.
Dolores Claiborne is a book-long confession of a woman who has murdered her husband and is accused of murdering her employer. Because the whole book is supposed to be a transcription of Dolores' confession, there are no chapters and no breaks of any kind in the entire book.
At times, the format makes the book seem insurmountable, but at other times (especially during the good parts), it makes it very difficult to put the book down. Dolores' memories flow into each other, leaving no place for the reader to finish one of Dolores' thoughts and stop reading.
True to his nature, King doesn't totally abandon horror in this book. There are surreal scenes where the narrator deals with her employer's spooky nightmares that don't seem to stop when she awakens. Also, the murder scene is dripping with suspense and gore.
The fact that there is some unexplained psychic connection between Dolores and the young girl in Gerald's Game -- a couple quick scenes in both books -- is a little hokey but adds that supernatural twist common to King's books.
The most important factor in Dolores Claiborne, and Gerald's Game for that matter, is the fact that these women are in their predicaments because they once suffered abuse at the hands of a man. That feminist twist is emphasized as Dolores continually asks the stenographer, the only woman in the room, if she understands what Dolores is saying.
Both books are interesting, but King is not at his best writing in a female persona. Sometimes Dolores doesn't seem to be a completely rounded character. On the surface, she is supposed to be a stone-cold bitch, but she is suddenly, and too easily, moved to tears at a scene that doesn't seem to warrant it.
On a broad, cultural level, the books provide a refreshing change from the usually male-dominated horror genre. Topics concerning women's issues definitely must be addressed, and even though King has a little trouble pulling it off, at the risk of being cliche, the ends justify the means.
Dolores Claiborne is worth the time investment necessary to read it (305 pages, big print). There are some interesting twists in the plot and a few surprises at the end that make for a good read.
