by Michelle Harper Davies

Created on: August 31, 2008

Cell: Stephen King

I'd never read a Stephen King novel until "Cell". In all the years, through all the cases of books, there isn't a complete King novel in my memory. I encountered his short stories once, somewhere along the way ("The Langoliers" has etched itself in my mind as one of the most disturbing stories ever). I started "It", "Rose Madder" and "Insomnia" but none of these readings went past the first thirty pages. Therefore, my preconceptions of "Cell" were that it was going to be a short read about thirty pages.

The opening scene crushed my negative preconceptions. The surrealistic nature of the situation in which lead character Clay finds himself, combined with the grotesque images that King pours on to the page, caught my attention immediately. This was short-lived, however. By page 60, my interest had begun to wane despite Clay and Tom's encounter with Alice, a character who becomes an integral part of the story. I was at the point of giving up and moving on when a discussion topic on CGN.com led me to realise that this was a common occurrence amongst readers of "Cell". It was suggested by a fan of the book that I should persevere and I did.

Following the initial excitement, the story of Clay's adventure does lull; in fact, it slows to the point of standstill. However, if you can get past this point, say, to page 100, when the new-found friends seek refuge in Tom's house, you won't be disappointed for a while, at least.

King's moral/ zombie tale of the effects of modern technology takes us on a journey across New Hampshire and Maine (King's regular stomping ground) with Clay, Tom and Alice, as the trio go in search of sanctuary and, more importantly for him, his son and estranged wife. Along the way, you will read of meetings with other survivors, near disastrous crossing of paths with phone crazies' and the group's struggle to survive in a new world where everything is turned upside down- even night and day- all brilliantly woven together with King's clever storytelling and vivid imagination.

By the final section of the novel, I was completely enthralled to the point of not wanting to do anything but read "Cell". I eagerly anticipated the end (in a positive way, of course) and the answers to my questions about the phoners'. I was, however, to be bitterly disappointed. King's ending was extremely unfulfilling, leaving me wanting and somewhat unconvinced that he is the literary genius everyone believes him to be. Okayperhaps that's a little harsh. Maybe his other novels are as amazing as I am told, but I am simply feeling bitter following the novel's poor conclusion.

There are certainly moments of originality and near-brilliance in this book; the characters are real enough for you to feel their plight. But, be prepared for elements of the extreme and the unbelievable, and a not so rewarding finale.

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