Customer Reviews

Gerald's Game [With Earbuds] (Playaway Adult Fiction)

5 star:		(97)
4 star:		(57)
3 star:		(41)
2 star:		(40)
1 star:		(38)

 

 

It was an old criticism of King's work, before "Gerald's Game" and "Dolores Claiborne" were published, that he couldn't write a convincing female character between the ages of 17 and 70. Given his penchant for writing about either young girls (Carrie White, for example, or the little girl Charlie from "Firestarter") or old women, it seemed to be a valid point for a long time.

This book, which is an excellent one for many reasons, seemed to be King's first direct response to that criticism. In it, he proves once and for all that he can write a female lead character as compelling and believeable as any of his other characters, and can tell a fine yarn at the same time.

The book starts out in surprising territory for King: a sexual game being played by Gerald Burlingame, who has just handcuffed his wife Jessie to the bed. This is not the first time this game has been played -- it's an old routine at this point, one which Jessie never particularly liked and has now grown quite bored with, to the point of frustration. She tells her husband that she doesn't want to do it this time, but he presses on. In the ensuing struggle, he has a heart attack and dies, leaving her handcuffed to the bed, in the middle of nowhere.

That's when the story really starts. King's real strength in this story is not just in telling what happens to Jessie in her predicament, but King uses this device to tell the story of how she got there in the first place. What sort of woman is Jessie? What events led her to this place, this man, this scenario? In the course of the story, as Jessie struggles to free herself from her bonds, we also find out why she is there.

Contrary to what some other reviewers have said, I found this book to be a page-turner. It kept me up very late finishing it, and once I was finished, I quite literally did not want to turn out the light. This does not happen to me often; in fact, this is the only King book that has had this effect on me. The effect is largely due to a very effective description, about halfway through the book, of something Jessie sees, or thinks she sees, in the corner of the darkened room in which she is trapped. The scene was so powerfully described that it bothered me for the next week, and inspired me to make a drawing called "Made of Moonlight," which was an attempt to exorcise the scene from my imagination. Even re-reading it now, I find that part absolutely chilling. It's one of the high points in the book, and one of King's most frightening moments in any of his work.

Bear in mind, this is not a supernatural horror novel. Its only supernatural element is a slight tie-in with events in his other "eclipse" novel, "Dolores Claiborne." "Gerald's Game" is mainly a character study, with elements of horror interspersed to keep the reader engaged. The fear, however, comes from a place that is all too real and believeable, and it comes because King has crafted such a powerful story, and such a sympathetic lead character in Jessie Burlingame.

In the end, "Gerald's Game" is not one of King's easier stories to read. It deals with some real issues, and its terrors are only too plausible. Unlike "The Shining" or "Cujo," it's difficult to put this book down at the end and convince oneself that the same thing couldn't happen to you. It's not a book about the scary monster that comes from under the bed. No, in the final analysis "Gerald's Game" is about the monsters who sleep in the bed with you, cleverly disguised, and about those monsters who were there to shape your past.

After finishing Gerald's Game, I feel like I have just fallen out of the visionary world Stephen King has written, and anybody can journey to it by picking up this book. From start to finish, this is psychological terror at its best, and if a person was entranced as I was they could finish this book in about 2 days if they felt the need to, because the reader just has to know the outcome to the story or he would go insane waiting to see what happens. Although Gerald's Game deals with some very controversial subject matter, such as child abuse and sex, this book is not overshadowed by the mature subject matter. This was once in fact supposed to be a movie, but the producers had no idea how to show somebody topless for the entire movie without recieving an NC-17 rating, so they just dropped the whole movie idea. Here below is a quick overview of the story and the writing:

Story: As the novel opens, we meet timid Housewife Jessie Burlingame, who is still haunted by an accident from the past, and her husband, Gerald Burlingame, the curious husband who has a slight heart problem. Both of them are vacationing at their Lake House when Gerald decides to pull out his handcuffs and test them out on Jessie. Jessie is then handcuffed to both of the bedposts, with only 6 inches of armroom allowed. With Jessie still locked up and the keys all the way across the room, Gerald suffers a fatal heart attack, leaving Jessie hopelessly handcuffed with no way to get out of the bed. As time passes, Gerald's body starts looking pretty scrumptious to a hungry stray, who ventures into the house and starts turning Gerald into Dogfood. All the while Jessie valiantly tries to get a water glass full of water off the shelf that is just barely out of her reach, but she has to try or else she fears she may just go insane. As her hunger and thirst deepens, Jessie begins having recurring dreams about her disturbing childhood that is tarnished by the memory of her father abusing her as a child. As she learns to deal with her inner demons, she soon notices demons aren't only in her dreams, but in the corner of her bedroom. A gaunt shadow stands there watching her throughout the night, and she realizes to her dismay the shadow is real. The only way Jessie can get out of her predicament is to overcome her inner demons and and try not to go mad, while at the same time she must figure out a way to get out of her impenetrable stronghold with all of her options gone except for an empty glass on the bedstand. Jessie learns to overcome fear and herself in the ultimate battle for survival.

Writing: Stephen King constantly amazes me at his always changing and everdevoloping writing styles, and with Gerald's Game, he once again he has done it. Although not as descriptive as say Cujo or The Shining, Gerald's Game describes things beautifully through similes and metaphors that are well-crafted and thought-out. What really amazes me about the writing is the relentlessness of the plot and how he sounds like the Camp Counselor telling ghost stories around the fire, increasing the tension and making you gasp once or twice for good measure. Stephen King is definitely writing in his "I Want to Tell You A Story" mode, never letting the plot lag and the story get muddled with needless subplots that have no basis. GREAT!

A lot of the people who didn't like this book didn't like it because they were expecting the typical King monster-story, and this isn't it. This book is a psychological thriller. If you expect monsters or evil forces to come crawling around, you'll be disappointed. This horror comes from the situation Jessie finds herself in, the things her mind goes through in that situation, and what she has to do to save herself. The scene where Jessie finally escapes the first handcuff is one of the few times I have actually cringed while reading a book. King does attempt to put in a more conventional boogeyman-type figure with the stranger, but all the while leaving the possibility that it's just Jessie's imagination. When this guy is finally explained, it's creepy but a bit over the top, and not really necessary in this book, but it didn't bother me either. You can probably tell whether you'd enjoy this book by reading the premise and if it scares you or interests you, then so will the book.

I am a huge Stephen King fan, my first novel was "Firestarter" when I was in Elementary school. Despite mixed reviews, I read "Gerald's Game" and loved it. I liked it because I was told beforehand that this is not a typical King-horror story. I think if you are looking for something really gross and horrific, try "It" or "Desperation". But if you want just plain ol' keep- you-up-all-night-suspense..you'll like this one. Psychic suspense is the best. The main character, Jessie is married to a man who loves to have kinky sex. You know the type, "anywhere, anytime"... Well, he chooses a remote house , pretty much out in the middle of NOWHERE to set the scene for his latest sexual adventure. At first Jessie is into this. It seems fun to be handcuffed and be dominated, but soon the control becomes frightening. Her husband stops listening to her yelps to stop, and she sees a an "evil" in his eyes. Jessie responds in anger by "kneeing" him in an unprotected area. He then falls to the ground. DEAD. Everything now begins to happen in REAL TIME over two days, so if you read the book in two days and literally put the book down when night falls and Jessie sleeps, you BECOME a real watcher of the action, almost a participant. Jessie's relief to get her husband off her leads to a series of scary events to save her life. She calls out for help...something happens. She finds personal items on the shelf over her head...... She hears strange noises...... It's kind of like playing "MYST". How do you use your wit and skills and items in the room to free yourself? All these dilemmas are nothing compared to Jessie's own mind fighting against her. She panics, sees and hears things. Are they real? I won't spoil the fun, but I strongly suggest thinking of the story as a game...what would you do If you were Jessie? By the way....The ending was one of the strangest endings I think I have ever encountered! This is a must read for all King's fans who appreciate his different styles.

Stephen King is a brilliant talent, but some of his novels are painfully tedious to read. I've heard a lot of bad things about GERALD'S GAME, and I'm here to tell you that all the bad reviews are on the mark.

GERALD'S GAME has a lot of problems, not the least of which is the lack of a plot. Most of this novel consists of the thought processes of a woman handcuffed to a bed, while her husband is lying dead on the floor. Unfortunately, this woman is an unhappy, neurotic person who is not particularly likable or interesting. I therefore found most of her endless ruminations to be quite grating and tiresome.

The pacing of GERALD'S GAME is plodding at best. There are definitely some gory moments in this novel, but little genuine suspense. King fills the book with so many flashbacks and digressions that he deprives the storyline of any real momentum. Some of King's books tend to go on and on, and this is definitely one of them.

GERALD'S GAME also features one of the strangest, most anti-climactic endings I've ever read in a King book. The last fifty pages of this story almost seem to be from a different book altogether. Needless to say, I was both confused and disappointed by the clumsy manner in which King chose to conclude this story.

In short, GERALD'S GAME is definitely on my "bad King" list, along with lesser novels like LISEY'S STORY and FROM A BUICK 8. My advice is to skip this book unless you're a King completist.

Taking a break from universe-expanding fare like The Tommyknockers and Insomnia, King strips down to one key character in a static situation, and takes us into a horrific (but human) world of guilt, helplessness, and fear.

Don't let the kinky premise -- husband dies while his wife is handcuffed to the bed for sex games -- scare you off. It's really just a device to get our protagonist alone and helpless. Unlike your average hack writer, however, King has something in mind for this helpless female other than voyeurism and violent exploitation. King's going for more than tittilation and cheap scares. He's going for deep psychological terror and dread, not just presenting them but exploring the hows and the whys.

The most interesting parts of the book aren't the fingernail-biting scary parts, of which there are plenty. The most intriguing is when our main character is alone with her internal dialogue. King makes the female voice utterly convincing; a difficult trick for a male writer, especially one with such a distinctive voice of his own.

If your average horror novel is a bucket of popcorn, this one is a four-course meal. Dig in, if you have the stomach for it.

I can see why some people might be turned off from Gerald's Game due to the kinky theme. But it's hard to deny that this is probably his most wickedly terrifying novel to date. An upper class lawyer's wife, chained to a bed, out in the middle of nowhere is forced to face her past. All the while, the sound of a chainsaw is heard in the distance, and a starving dog enters the house. She is hearing voices in her head, she thinks she sees an awful looking man in the shadowed corner, staring at her. There was one part in particular that grossed me out (it's towards the end, you'll see when you get there). Also, this is one of the best endings that King has ever come up with. It wrapped up nicely, not leaving me with any questions or doubts.

If you are into psycological horror, and are not bothered by the sexual content, then give this one a try. Chau.

I think this criminally underrated little potboiler is one of Stevie King's four best novels (the others being "The Stand", "Desperation", and Salem's Lot"), and just like the other books where the Master is at the top of his game, "Gerald's Game" cuts to the chase and gets about its bloody business right from the start.

Jessie Burlingame is the wife of successful corporate attorney Gerald, her husband of 20 years. Gerald has a little personality quirk, a kinky sex game he likes to play occasionally with his good and faithful wife: he likes to handcuff Jessie to a bed in the bedroom of the remote little cabin they own on the woodsy shore of Dark Score Lake, as a prelude---one supposes---to love.

He has even picked up a special set of police handcuffs for the occasion. And within the amount of time it takes for a set of handcuff lock tumblers to go 'snicker snack', Gerald's game takes a horrible, fatal twist, leaving Jessie manacled to a piece of heavy wood furniture, her only companions the stiffening corpse of her husband and a barking, unseen dog.

And of course, this being vintage Stephen King Country, those aren't the only companions Jessie has---there are Others, naturally, but they just prefer to make their appearance when the sun goes down, when Jessie's increasingly frenzied imagination has plenty of elbow room to do its frightful work.

King likes to write about modern American men and women who are placed in dire peril and whose faculties are stretched to the limits of sanity and beyond, but "Gerald's Game" ups the ante by burying the reader deep inside Jessie Burlingame's panicked mind; this is a book about interiors, not exteriors. The narrator never leaves Jessie's fevered and restive brain, and, with the exception of dreams and flights of fancy, what we have could easily be shot as a one-set play.

Because King is able to bring his considerable talents to bear on such an intimate canvas, "Gerald's Game" is a long, dark, wickedly sick joke, relentlessly creepy. Despite the spare and limited setting, there are lots of nasty visitors to this dark banquet, not least of which are the voices in Jessie's head, the corpse of her husband, her long dead father, a wandering and hungry (rabid?) dog, spooky sounds in the darkened cabin, and that chestnut of the terror tale: Something in the Woods that wants in.

"Gerald's Game" is the Master at his finest, a taut, brilliantly paced little page-turner with a harrowing twist that would make "Sixth Sense" director M. Night Shyamalan envious. Keep the night light on for this one.

JSG

First off, I'm not one easily frightened...and I've read all of King's work (including the vastly overrated THE STAND). GERALD'S GAME scared the bejabbers out of me! I'm deeply puzzled at all the criticism leveled at this exercise in sheer horror. The most common complaint, oddly enough, is that the book is BORING, of all things...but GERALD'S GAME is anything but dull. It is the story of Jessie, a woman handcuffed to the bedposts by her husband who, in the excitement of their kinky little sex game, literally drops dead, leaving her shackled miles away from any other human being. "Lucky to be alive," Jessie thinks at first. Then she becomes doubtful. Her doubt quickly turns to terror when the brutal hours swell into agonizing days and she begins to suffer...to grow weak...to die. I won't ruin the suspense by divulging any more of the gory, creepy details--you'll just have to go to your closest bookseller and buy the darned novel--but let me say two more things: Read the book after dark at your own risk...and if you do not want a truly terrifying, chilling experience, then do not read GERALD'S GAME.

Jessie Burlingame has become ever more tired of her husband Gerald's kinky sex games, but when he suddenly dies during a session, leaving her handcuffed to a bed in a remote house, the game becomes deadly. And now Jessie finds herself caught like a spider in a web, unable to move, afraid of the monster that may lie right outside the house (or inside for that matter!). However, listening to the voices in her own head, she begins to find that not all of the monsters are "out there," some are right inside her own mind!

This is an intense book, a book about horror, but not knife-wielding killers. Instead this is a deep and intense look at the horrors that people inflict on others and on themselves. I found this to be a challenging book - hard to keep reading, but impossible to put down. It's not a happy book, but it is a fascinating and horrifying read, one that will keep you on the edge of your seat!