Title: Laurie
Author: Stephen King
First published May 17, 2018
32 pages, ebook
Rating: 3.69
Overview
In the heartwarming short story, “A Home for Max,” a lonely retiree finds unexpected companionship when his neighbor’s dog, Max, comes to stay. Despite initial reluctance, the two quickly form a bond that brings joy and purpose to the retiree’s once-empty days.
But when Max’s owner returns, the retiree must face the possibility of losing his newfound friend. Will he be able to let go or find a way to keep Max by his side?
This touching tale explores the transformative power of friendship and the healing that can come from opening oneself up to love.
About the Author
Stephen Edwin King was born into a family with his father, Donald, and mother, Nellie Ruth Pillsbury King. However, when he was two years old, his father left them, leaving him and his older brother David to be raised by his mother.
He spent some of his childhood in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where his father’s family lived, and Stratford, Connecticut. Eventually, when Stephen was eleven years old, they moved back to Durham, Maine for good.
Stephen’s mother had to take care of her aging parents, so they moved in with them, and other family members provided them with a small house in Durham and financial support. After Stephen’s grandparents passed away, his mother found work in the kitchens of Pineland, a nearby residential facility.
Stephen attended grammar school in Durham and graduated from Lisbon Falls High School 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.
He was also involved in student politics, serving on the Student Senate. He became a supporter of the anti-war movement on the Orono campus, believing that the war in Vietnam was unconstitutional.
He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in English in 1970 and was qualified to teach at the high school level. However, he was deemed unfit for the draft due to high blood pressure, limited vision, flat feet, and punctured eardrums.
Stephen met his wife, Tabitha Spruce, while they were both working as students in the Fogler Library at the University. They got married in January 1971.
Stephen struggled to find a teaching job, so they relied on his earnings as a laundry worker and her student loan and savings, with occasional boosts from short story sales to men’s magazines.
Stephen’s first professional short story sale, “The Glass Floor,” was published in 1967. He continued to sell stories to men’s magazines throughout the early years of his marriage.
Many of these stories were later collected into a book or featured in other anthologies.
In the fall of 1971, Stephen began teaching English at Hampden Academy, a public high school in Hampden, Maine. Despite his teaching job, he continued to write in the evenings and on weekends, producing both short stories and novels.
Editoral Review
Stephen King, one of the most prolific writers of our time, published his latest novel Laurie on May 17, 2018. Like many of his other works, Laurie falls under the genre of horror, known for its suspenseful plots, supernatural elements, and often, gore.
The novel has received mixed reviews from critics and audiences alike, with some praising its fresh take on the genre while others found it lacking in originality. The novel follows the titular character, Laurie, a woman struggling to come to terms with a traumatic experience from her childhood.
As she begins to confront her past, she finds herself in the midst of a series of brutal murders, all seemingly connected to her. Along the way, she meets other characters, including a detective investigating the case, and an old friend who may hold the key to unraveling the mystery.
King’s writing is, as always, masterful, drawing the reader into the story and keeping them on the edge of their seat. His characters are complex and compelling, with Laurie herself serving as a particularly engaging protagonist.
The pacing of the novel is excellent, with tension building steadily throughout and culminating in a satisfying, if somewhat predictable, conclusion. That said, the novel is not without its flaws.
Some readers may find the horror elements less frightening than they were expecting, while others may take issue with certain plot points that strain credibility. Additionally, while the novel attempts to tackle themes of trauma and female empowerment, it does so in a somewhat surface-level way, falling short of making any truly meaningful statements on these issues.
Nevertheless, Laurie is an enjoyable read for fans of the horror genre and Stephen King in particular. While it may not be his strongest work, it is still a well-written and engaging novel that is sure to keep readers hooked.
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
