Tag: Travellers

Stephen King – The Wind Through the Keyhole | Review

Title: The Wind Through the Keyhole

Author: Stephen King

Type: Fiction

Page Count/Review Word Count: 390

Rating: 7/10

 

Stephen King - The Wind Through the Keyhole

Stephen King – The Wind Through the Keyhole

 

This book is something of an anomaly, because it’s a late addition to Stephen King’s epic Dark Tower series. Even though the first seven books told the story in full, that hasn’t stopped King from revisiting it; here, we see a side of Roland and his ka-tet that we haven’t seen before, in a book that’s set between two of the earlier books in the series.

It uses a pretty simple plot device, and it’s similar to what Bram Stoker used in Snowbound, which was one of the first books I ever reviewed for the site. The travellers become trapped by the weather, and they while away the time by listening to Roland as he tells a story.

It’s actually interesting to note that there’s a story within a story within a story here, and it’s well done – I don’t want to tell you exactly what happens because I don’t want to spoil the surprise, but watch out for that, because it’s impressive and it works well. It also means that, overall, you get three stories in one here, and I’m fine with that.

 

Stephen King Quote

Stephen King Quote

 

It’s also important for me to mention that you can read this book without having read the others – it works just fine as a standalone, although you will still get a little more out of it if you’re already familiar with Roland and his band of followers. And it’s a cracking read, and one that keeps you turning the pages – in part, because the three stories make you feel as though you’re making serious progress.

So it’s a good place to start if you’re new to the world of the Dark Tower, although I’d still recommend just picking up a copy of The Gunslinger, because it was a great story and an easy way to get started, and that would mean that you’re beginning at the beginning, too. Other than that, this is the best place to start your journey for the Tower, and I’d definitely recommend doing that – you don’t even have to be a fan of Stephen King’s to enjoy it. In fact, The Wind Through the Keyhole (and the other Dark Tower books) are a different beast altogether. Crazy!

 

Stephen King Quote

Stephen King Quote

 

Click here to buy The Wind Through the Keyhole.


Michael Morpurgo – An Eagle in the Snow | Review

Title: An Eagle in the Snow

Author: Michael Morpurgo

Type: Fiction

Page Count/Review Word Count: 274

Rating: 9/10

 

Michael Morpurgo - An Eagle in the Snow

Michael Morpurgo – An Eagle in the Snow

 

Disclaimer: While I aim to be unbiased, I received a copy of this for free to review.

This book was cute, and a quick and easy read – I powered through it in a day. It’s set during the Second World War, when a young boy and his mother are leaving Coventry by train and they come under attack from German aircraft. The train pulls into a dark tunnel and stays there to wait for the attack to pass – in the meantime, a strange man tells the boy and his mother a story, about a young soldier in the First World War.

In many ways, this reminds me of a book that I read a little while back – Snowbound, by Bram Stoker. In that book, travellers pass the time by telling each other stories, in a similar plot device that we see here. In both cases, it was used to great effect, and although I didn’t give this a ten because I thought it was a little cliche in places, it was still technically very well written, as well as well executed with the incorporation of some fantastic illustrations. And besides, this book is designed to be read by parents and kids, and to teach them about the futility of war from an early age, without exposing them too much to its horrors. There’s a lot of history to be learned here, too.

So go out there and buy this book – it’s lots of fun, and you won’t regret it.

 

Michael Morpurgo

Michael Morpurgo

 

Click here to buy An Eagle in the Snow.