Alan Pangborn -- Any Thoughts?

[Mercy Dagger]

I loved this book but considering it was one of my first stpehen king books I have an attachmnet to it, I need to read it again and see if I still think it's awesome or I have critique for it.

[Pucker]

This was another one where my main interest in the story was in watching the bad guy operate.

I felt there was not nearly enough Alexis Machine in this story.

[GNTLGNT]

I'm a car nut(O.K., say true-I'm just a nut-cashew probably), but I just wanted more of that bad old ride of Stark's!

[Mookie]

I am beginning to wonder how Alan Pangborn can partially believe that the alter ego of Thad Beaumont could be responsible for everything that has happened? I know he has his doubts about the Beaumont's story but if you related that to most authority figures you'd be in a white coat pretty quick. But I am only halfway through.....will have to see how it plays out.

[Mercy Dagger]

I simply agree! I would like to read the Alexis machine stories!

[Dull Dull Boy]

Def not his best book, but The Dark Half is an entertaining read none the less.

[strange]

I've literally just finished the Dark Half, so my memories are obviously extremely fresh but I do find some of the comments slightly unsettling for own taste. I'm not making these comments to argue but I personally see weakness in some of your comments. I think something I found was Pangborn's change of attitude is understandable, at the start he hates Thad then likes him, why? A townsman is dead, probably a friend and guy he knew well, why wouldn't he control his emotions? At the end he hates Thad again why, he see's what the man is and what he's done. Talking about Needful Things and saying there two different characters is right, experiences change characters the same way as they change us in real life, I'm not the same guy I was a two weeks ago because of circumstances let alone a year or so. Then at the end he sums up the situation the best, he see's Thad for what he was his creation.

The talk between them I admired, someone said it was like a beer commercial, but frankly when I talk with a friend I rarely ever talk formally and we talk with inside jokes and off the wall sorts of stuff and its something you don't see too much in many books, dialogue represented as it would be naturally.

This was my fourth King novel after the The Shining, Cell, Insomnia, so might not have experienced the greatest of King yet, but although yes I was never surprised by what happened and I knew what was happening you read for the ending. You watch a film like Indiana Jones or an adventure film, you no everything going to turn up roses and you no what the end result will be, but your there for the ride leading up to it? I enjoyed this novel a lot because as a 'wannabe' writer the inner conflict is something most writers suffer and the struggle between popular and literary which Thad faces if anything jumped out like Stephen's own experiences perhaps. As for a bigger thing than the writer its a conflict we all have, us vs the super ego, the dark side, the guy who wants to tell your boss to screw you I'm coming in when I want. Maybe I'm a bit too loyal to the King and everyone's got an opinion but I thought this book was still great, we got to see the monster's side of the story too with Stark's want for existence like we all want, its pure survival and I really enjoyed Rawlies cameo and there were some many scenes were I felt the blows given by Stark, its not my favorite King book but for what he does its definitely a 4/5.