Title: A Good Marriage
Author: Stephen King
First published September 1, 2014
4 pages, Audible Audio
Rating: 3.84
Overview
Have you ever wondered what happens when everything you thought was true suddenly falls apart? Darcy Anderson knew her husband of over two decades like the back of her hand.
But when she stumbled upon a stranger lurking in his garage, her entire world turned on its head. Stephen King’s A Good Marriage is a gripping tale of betrayal and horror that will leave you on the edge of your seat.
With a listening length of 3 hours and 33 minutes, this chilling story will make you question everything you thought you knew about trust and loyalty in a marriage.
About the Author
Stephen Edwin King was born as the second son of Donald and Nellie Ruth Pillsbury King. When Stephen was two, his father left the family, leaving his mother to raise him and his older brother, David.
They spent some of their childhood in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where their father’s family lived, and in Stratford, Connecticut. When Stephen was eleven, his mother decided to move them back to Durham, Maine because her parents, Guy and Nellie Pillsbury, needed physical care as they had become incapacitated due to old age.
Stephen’s other family members provided a small house in Durham and financial support for them. After his grandparents passed away, Mrs.
King found work in the kitchens of a nearby residential facility for the mentally challenged called Pineland.
Stephen attended grammar school in Durham and Lisbon Falls High School, where he graduated in 1966. During his sophomore year at the University of Maine at Orono, he wrote a weekly column for the school newspaper, THE MAINE CAMPUS, and was also involved in student politics as a member of the Student Senate.
He came to support the anti-war movement on the Orono campus and graduated in 1970 with a B.A. in English, which qualified him to teach on the high school level. However, a draft board examination found him 4-F due to high blood pressure, limited vision, flat feet, and punctured eardrums.
Stephen met Tabitha Spruce while they were both working as students at the Fogler Library at the University of Maine. They got married in January 1971, but Stephen was unable to find a job as a teacher right away.
The couple relied on his earnings as a laborer at an industrial laundry and her student loan and savings, with occasional financial support from short story sales to men’s magazines.
Stephen’s first professional short story sale, “The Glass Floor,” was made in 1967. Throughout the early years of his marriage, he continued to sell stories to men’s magazines, and many were later compiled into a collection or appeared in other anthologies.
In the fall of 1971, Stephen began teaching English at Hampden Academy, the public high school in Hampden, Maine. He continued to write in his free time, producing short stories and working on novels.
Editoral Review
In his novel A Good Marriage, Stephen King proves once again why he is considered the master of horror. First published in 2014, the book tells a compelling, slow-burning tale of a seemingly perfect marriage that turns into a nightmare.
King’s style is unmistakable from the first page, with his vivid descriptions, well-drawn characters, and eerie atmosphere. The author manages to weave multiple narratives together with ease, creating a complex and gripping story that keeps the reader on the edge of their seat.
At the heart of A Good Marriage is the tale of Darcy Anderson, a devoted wife and mother who discovers a dark secret about her husband Bob. From there, the plot takes a twisted turn, as the couple’s seemingly idyllic lives unravel before our eyes.
King does an excellent job of building tension and keeping the reader guessing, never giving away too much too soon. The characters in A Good Marriage are also well-drawn and believable.
Darcy is a sympathetic protagonist, while Bob is a chilling antagonist. King explores the boundaries of marriage and what it means to truly know someone, as well as the human capacity for evil.
One of the strengths of the book is the way it explores the psychological effects of trauma and abuse. King doesn’t shy away from difficult subject matter, but he handles it with sensitivity and nuance.
However, the book is not without its flaws. Some readers may find the pacing slow, particularly in the first half of the book.
Additionally, while the ending is satisfying, it may not be as shocking as some readers would have hoped for. Overall, A Good Marriage is a gripping and haunting novel that will leave readers unnerved.
While it may not be King’s strongest work, it is still a solid entry in the author’s canon. Fans of psychological horror and suspense will find much to enjoy here.
Rating: 3.5/5 stars.
