Customer Reviews

The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon : A Novel

5 star:		(342)
4 star:		(223)
3 star:		(140)
2 star:		(92)
1 star:		(78)

 

 

On one of my bookshelves, next to a series of large tomes by Stephen King, there now stands a small, 200-page book that looks out of place. Between Gerald's Game and Insomnia, King's new book is tucked away, seeming as if it doesn't belong there at all. Yet although The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon is a departure from his normal method of storytelling, it is still vintage King.

The title character is Trisha McFarland, a nine year-old girl (but big for her age), daughter of divorced parents, and the glue that has been holding together her feuding mother and older brother. As they set out for a hike through the woods in Maine (where else?), Trisha stops for a moment to go off the trail in an effort to get away from the family bickering. Separated from her mother and brother, Trisha attempts to find her way back to the trail only to discover that she is completely lost.

With a stoic resolve that King manages to make completely believable, Trisha sets off on an adventure, trying to find her way home. Her only link to civilization is her Walkman radio, which she cares for with a reverence. As she listens to the Boston Red Sox game, she begins to fantasize that closing pitcher Tom "Flash" Gordon is talking to her.

As the hours turn to days, Trisha comes to the realization that something else is in the woods with her, too. She doesn't have a name for it, but she begins thinking of it as "the thing" in the woods and later knows it as The God of the Lost. Little by little, Trisha slips between reality and the dark place where King likes to play. She sees things in the night, feels the breath of it on her neck, but the reader is never sure if it's real or merely the imaginings of a young girl whose stress level is beyond the breaking point.

Soon the barrier between reality and hallucination is gone, and Tom Gordon becomes not just an idle fantasy to pass the time, but a "real" person helping her through this nightmare. Tom gives her the strength she needs and comes to her when everything is all but lost. Through it all, Trisha tries desperately to discover what she believes and what she can believe in.

King does a wonderful job of telling the story almost entirely from Trisha's point of view. He does cheat once or twice to tell the reader what is happening in the search for the missing girl, but these breaks are few and far between. The audience is stuck with Trisha, lost in the woods, and unsure if she will ever be saved.

While The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon often seems out of character for King. More than a horror novel, it is a tale of survival and humanity fighting against nature. But there are still moments that mirror his past work, too. This is not to say that he is repeating himself, but rather that fans will see that this is a a King novel after all.

The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon may never be considered King's best (or best selling) novel, but it is intimate and inviting. There is no real horror, but it is a compelling tale wonderfully told.

Stephen King, through the mind of a young girl, gives a graphic picture of the terror one might feel alone and lost in the woods. I would think that anyone who enjoyed The Blair Witch Project would find this book appealing, because it fleshes out the feelings and emotions that were only hinted at in that movie. If your idea of a great Stephen King book is The Regulators, then you will probably want to pass on this one, but if you enjoyed his more thoughtful works, such as the recent Bag of Bones, The Stand, etc. then this should be a good read for you. I will admit, I was starting to worry that maybe my favorite author had lost some of his touch, but my faith has been restored. The things that scare us most are the things we create in our own minds, and The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon chillingly exemplifies that.

Trisha is out for a hike in the vast woods of Maine with her mom and brother when she finds herself lost and alone. What follows is a trek that covers more miles than this nine year old should have to face alone, with only a pittance of food and a walkman on which she is lulled to normality by listening to the exploits of her favorite baseball team and pitcher, Tom Gordon. What starts out as a little girl trying to cope with a difficult situation ends up being a horrifying expedition leading to hallucinations. Along the way she finds the bloody remains of mauled animal carcasses, and there is this ever-present feeling that she is being stalked.

I admit it was a page-turner, I wanted to know what would happen next, but it was mild compared to some of King's books. I enjoyed how the author developed the main character's change in mentation; we slowly watch her get weaker. The more time that passed the more Trisha's thought process and fears became warped and out of proportion. This book is a short quick read you can probably finish in a day. ....

This book is yet another strong blow to those who blindly undervalue King as merely a popular horror writer. King is perhaps one the few writers of our time that will endure the filtering effect of time. A heart-wrenching and fast-paced adventure without any compromise and told in the language of great simplicity and sheer power. The Girl is a great piece of literature reminiscent of Hemingway's The Old Man and The Sea. The story of the nine year old Patricia McFarland and her struggle against the nature is inspirational and heart-warming, I guarantee you it will linger with you long after you have finished reading the book. Many people dislike King's later works because they no longer offer the gruesome scenes and supernatural elements which were King's bread and butter back in the seventies and the eighties. Every writer has to grow, to mature. King's later, non-supernatural works show a great sign of maturity and mastery. For those who are still obsessed with King's early works, this is perhaps a time to recognize the fact that King is taking a turn into a bolder and wilder yet at the same time more simplistic literary realm.

While Stephen King continually gains respect from literary critics, his work remains controversial to many. People often dismiss him out of hand as a crass horror author. Rather than being so narrow minded, I would suggest reading this book. I will freely admit to being a fan of his work since I was in junior high, and as a fan, I felt that this novel took me places that even King's work sometimes misses. I was IN those woods, feeling every bug bite and painful bodily function that Trisha went through. I held my breath and read non-stop to see if she would make it out. And most importantly, I totally bought into her faith in Tom Gordon--if she could just believe enough, he would be her savior. Yet, he was also a part of her own mind, so in essence, she was her own savior. This work displays King's ability to leap outside of the horror pigeon-hole in which so many place him. His writing ascends to the lyric, while retaining its everyman feel. I think that this book could convert even King-haters into his camp. I've recommended it to a few that I know and the results have been completely positive. Even if you do not usually read Stephen King's work, try this--I think that you'll find it hard to put down.

This book has revived my faith in Stephen King. After reading Bag of Bones and being bored to death (Well, I only made it through about 150 pages. After reading this I may take another whack at it), I thought King may have lost his touch. I was dead wrong. The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon rates up there with The Green Mile, and even comes close to touching what I like to call the "untouchable" "Stand." I read this book in less than 2 days, and during those two days I had several distractions that took me away from the book much longre than I would have liked. It is refreshing to read a King novel that is less than 500 pages long. I went into the book thinking it would be boring (considering the storyline, how exciting could it be?). But, once again I was dead wrong. This was THE most suspenseful novel I have ever read. I was on the edge of my seat through the entire journey. I got to know the character more than I ever got to know any character, movie or book. Thank you, Mr. King... for another great book.

This story has that new psychological twist that I have seen more and more in Stephen King's writing. It isn't so much the gory "blood & guts" anymore. I think that's great. Don't get me wrong, I like gore, but I like a good thriller better. And as always, Mr. King has the ability to draw you in and make you feel like you're a part of the tale. A must read!

I began reading Stephen King's books when I was not much older than the protagonist, Trisha. Twenty some years later, I think I can still remember what it was like to be her age. Unlike many other readers, I do not think she is terribly precocious. It is a bit of a stretch that she is equipped with basic wilderness survial skills, but if she wasn't, there would be no story.

It is all too apparent that Stephen King researched the effects of hunger & dehydration, in places it feels almost like reading a case study in the affects of deprivation on the preadolescent child.

While I enjoyed the change from his horror novels,(lately these seem same old-same old- as if he is just played out in this vein) this book seems transitional. About halfway through the pace picks up; as if King had lost interest & was in a hurry to finish. I feel the slower pace at the beginning ratchets up the tension and puts the reader more in sync with Trisha. Panic and just the fact of being alone in the woods can make minutes drag on interminably.

I hope Stephen King further explores new territory and doesn't give in to demands from fans for more of the same old stuff. Hopefully, he will become more comfortable writing outside his usual genre and future novels will be the equal of his best in the horror realm.

I am no fan of baseball, and I don't even know what a"closer" is. But I do know little girls (having been oneeons ago) and Tricia was the most real little girl I've read about in a very long time. This is King's genius -- getting into the minds of kids and knowing all the funny little alleys down which their thoughts travel. How on earth does he do this SO WELL? For those who complain this book isn't scary, I agree. It's simply not a horror novel. It's a story of faith and optimism and the incredible strength of the human spirit. I still don't much care for baseball. But he's made me a believer in the sub-audible.

"The Girl who Loved Tom Gordon" is an excellent novel. Stephen King has done a great job with this one. It isn't the typical horror story, rather, it is... Unnerving. It gave me an uneasy feeling as I read it. This story is about a girl who gets lost in the woods during a hike because she had to pee. Her constantly arguing mom and brother didn't take notice of her momentary leave. When she is finished, she begins walking but never finds the path. Now her only connection to the outside world is her walkman, which she uses to listen to baseball games where Tom Gordon is up. She is forced to survive the horrors of the woods - deadly snakes, swarms of stinging wasps, thousands of biting misquitoes, thick murky bogs, and many other dangers. The story was worded to strike horror the the reader's heart. The story's ending will leave you thinking for days. This book is MOVING, and it was very enjoyable to read. I may even read it again some day. The effect is a grand one.