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. Soon they forge a deep bond, based on their fascination with simple experiments in electricity.
Decades later, Jamie is living a nomadic lifestyle of bar-band rock and roll. Now an addict, he sees Jacobs again - a showman on stage, creating dazzling 'portraits in lightning' - and their meeting has profound consequences for both men. Their bond becomes a pact beyond even the Devil's devising, and Jamie discovers that revival has many meanings.
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.
The King Goes Literary
There's something I can't quite put my finger on that I loved about this book.
This is King's tribute to the greats, both musical and literary, that came before him, including:
Mary Shelley
Bram Stoker
HP Lovecraft
Reference to their works, Shelley and Lovecraft especially are present throughout and added an old worldliness to the writing. I truly felt, towards the end more than anything, that I was reading classic gothic fiction.
I fear though that this will not be one of his fan favourites but rather a dark horse amongst his work. It is vastly different from his regular supernatural horror and gore, different again from the likes of the recent Mr Mercedes and doesn't snugly fit with anything he's written previously.
With all the references to Colorado, amusement parks and carnies, it could sit comfortably as a companion piece to Joyland, or more suitably, Joyland as a companion piece to Revival.
This was an enjoyable read and shows that King is capable of versatility and doesn't nearly fit into a genre box. My favourite of his 2014 releases.
Samantha, 09/02/2015
