I`d forgotten why I'd skipped this one the first time and I dove in again decided to finish. It's a screenplay. I hate reading plays. I slugged through several of Shakespeare's and a couple of other authors' and managed to enjoy myself through on the brillancy of their dialogue alone, but I can't help the want to enjoy them in their meant form each time.

This lacked the nuanced lines that could make it worth reading as it is, and I didn't much care for the story line either. The idea is interesting, bad choices all around, comunity, greater good, "paying as you go", and the resolution was unexpectedly mercyful (it could have gotten a lot more uggly, either choice taken, but it works with the idea of good type of comunity). It still fell a bit short for me. Flat. As in, I didn't much care. Which could well be the format delivery, so thus the title.

I watched the miniseries a long time ago (on VHS, to give you an idea), so I had a vague idea of what Storm of the Century was about going into this, but when I saw a copy in the Little Free Lending Library, I felt like I had to give it a try.

This was just mediocre for me. I have only read one other book by King (The Green Mile), but I feel like the screenplay format didn't work as well as King's novels. It was really drawn out, but not all that suspenseful. By the end, I was just pushing through to finish it rather than because I really cared what happened (which ended up being kind of predictable anyway). I think this format didn't allow King to do what he does best, actually write and describe and create. It fell flat for me.

The story itself was alright. And the characters were pretty well-developed, which King said in the introduction that he was nervous about in his attempt to create a whole community. So that was a success.

The biggest issue for me was the format. King just wasn't able to describe scenes in a way to make them horrific or suspenseful. I was able to visualize them, but in the end they fell flat.

A gigantic storm is heading for Little Tall Island, a close-knitted community of about 200 people in Maine. But the storm isn´t the only thing, that is heading for the island and the islanders. Andre Linoge is coming to town and he has one claim: "Give me what I want and I will go away".

My feelings upon finishing this screenplay: Dread, despair, nausea. The islanders are people, who have lived over generations on the island and they are used to stick together and keeping each others secrets, no matter what. As soon as Andre Linoge enters the picture, this slowly changes. He knows the deepest and darkest secrets of everybody and he starts his mind-games with the islanders. And Andre Linoge is one creepy guy. He is pure evil, the inevitable nagging in the back of the head and the reminder for the islanders that they have sinned and deep down are despicable people. Linoge is simply put another great evil character that Stephen King has created in this story.  

I truly enjoyed this book in all its creepiness, eventhough the last couple of pages have been some rough reading and I basically loathed everybody towards the end. And I have to admit that at some point is has been pretty clear where the story is heading. It´s still a recommendable read and I´m glad that I read another one of Kings stories (I think I would have preferred a novel, though).

I have choosen this book for the "dark and stormy night" halloween bingo square, but it could be used for "Supernatural", "Horror" and "Set in New England" as well.

Andre Linoge really gives me the willies.

[Source]

"Born in lust, turn to dust. Born in sin, come on in."

(Andre Linoge)