United States Authors Series: Stephen King, First Decade (Twayne's United States Authors Series) [Hardcover]

Joseph Reino (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 184 pages
• Publisher: Twayne Publishers; 1 edition (February 1, 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805775129
• ISBN-13: 978-0805775129
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.7 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,881,488 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars points off for typos, March 5, 2004

By 

Bryant Burnette "Bryant Burnette" (Tuscaloosa, AL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: United States Authors Series: Stephen King, First Decade (Twayne's United States Authors Series) (Hardcover)

This is a good effort at a serious exploration of King's first few novels, but I am seriously vexed by the large number of typos. When you spell a character's name two different ways within the span of the same chapter (it's Charlie McGee, not Charlie Magee!), something is seriously amiss. Quite frankly, that sort of thing does not inspire confidence in the author's knowledge of his subject.

As for the actual analysis itself, it is hit-or-miss. The author's chapter on "Carrie" largely rehashes Douglas Winter's argument (from the excellent "Stephen King: The Art of Darkness") that "Carrie" is essentially a reworking of the Cinderella legend. Beyond that, Reino has very little to offer on "Carrie," a complex novel that deserves better treatment. On the other hand, Reino does an excellent job with his chapter on "Salem's Lot," wherein he uncovers a good bit of sexual symbolism and metaphor that places the novel even more squarely in line with "Dracula," and he also serves up excellent chapters on both "Night Shift" and "Pet Sematary."

Overall, if you are a serious King fan or student, then you should by all means give Reino's book a read. There are a lot of good ideas here.