Author: Stephen King
Pages: 595 pages
Published: 1995 by Hodder and Stoughton
Source: Library
GoodReads Description: "Roused by a single drop of blood, Rosie Daniels wakes up to the chilling realisation that her husband is going to kill her. And she takes flight - with his credit card.
Alone in a strange city, Rosie begins to build a new life: she meets Bill Steiner and she finds an odd junk shop painting, 'Rose Madder', which strangely seems to want her as much as she wants it.
But it's hard for Rosie not to keep looking over her shoulder. Rose-maddened and on the rampage, Norman is a corrupt cop with a dog's instinct for tracking people. And he's getting close. Rosie can feel just how close he's getting... "
MY REVIEW:
4 You-Go-Girl Stars!
It ain't the blows we're dealt that matter, but the ones we survive.
Rose Madder is the story of a survivor of horrific abuse. I loved her story. I cried for her. I rooted for her. Rosie Real, she's a great big deal.
King is a master storyteller - of course - you don't need me to tell you that. The reason why he is a master storyteller is his characters. And he writes women so well, I always love his strong, resilient yet vulnerable female characters. Rosie was no different.
Norman (as in Bates) Daniels was horrifying. He was horrifying from the beginning of the story and he descended into darkness from there. He reminded me of the subhuman villain in Stephen King's The Dark Half, but the thing was he was.. human. So I wish that he would have had some kind of something that made him human. I understand he was mentally ill - a psychopath and as such perhaps not capable. I just wish it would have been that he thought he really loved Rosie - as some abusers do - or some other halfway redeeming human quality. Anyways, clearly he was a horrifying villain to root against.
I liked the idea of the painting being part of her story. I thought it didn't make that much sense in the middle, but cleared up a bit in the end.
I always love me some Stephen King - time to check this one back in at the library and pull out another of his marvelous books.
MY RATING:
4 stars
Here's some cool art inspired by the book as well (image source: alyssawaugh.com)
Other Books by Stephen King I've Reviewed:
Book Review: The Stand by Stephen King
Book Review: The Shining by Stephen King
Book Review: Misery by Stephen King
Book Review: 1922 and A Good Marriage by Stephen King
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