My review of Revival by Stephen King
Blurb from the back cover
A spectacularly dark and electrifying novel about addiction,
religion, music and what might exist on the other side of life.
In a small New England town in the early 60s, a shadow falls
over a small boy playing with his toy soldiers. Jamie Morton looks up to see a
striking man, the new minister. Charles Jacobs, along with his beautiful wife,
will transform the local church. The men and boys are all a bit in love with
Mrs Jacobs; the women and girls – including Jamie’s mother ad beloved sister –
feel the same about Reverend Jacobs. With Jamie, the Reverend shares a deeper
bond, based on their fascination with simple experiments in electricity.
Then tragedy strikes the Jacobs family; the preacher curses
God, mocking all religious belief, and is banished from the shocked town.
Jamie has demons of his own. In his mid-thirties he is
living a nomadic lifestyle of bar-band rock and roll. Addicted to heroin,
stranded, desperate, he sees Jacobs again – a showman on stage, creating
dazzling “portraits in lightning”- and their meeting has profound consequences
for both men. Their bind becomes a pact beyond even the Devil’s devising, and
Jamie discovers that revival has many meanings. Because for every cure there is
a price…
This rich and disturbing novel spans five decades on its way
to the most terrifying conclusion Stephen King has ever written. It’s a
masterpiece from King, in the great American tradition of Nathaniel Hawthorne
and Edgar Allan Poe.
My thoughts on the book
I'm a massive Stephen King fan, so I might be a little biased here, but I really enjoyed the book. It was very dark and well written. I emphasised with Jamie a lot and found myself really immersed in his life. There is a great lead up to the conclusion and a nice little twist towards the end.
Conclusion and rating
Although I wouldn't say this is my favourite Stephen King book, it's still very much worth a read. I thoroughly enjoyed it. 4/5
Have you read this book? What did you think?
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