Cell by Stephen King (A Novel)

[Killer Bees]

I just finished reading this last night and I must say I enjoyed it immensely.  A pulse is sent through the mobile phone network which turns everyone using their phones into gibbering homidical zombie maniacs.  Only a handful of "normies" survive and the main character Clay Riddell must make his way back to Maine from Boston to find his son.

I haven't read any of King's stuff since the mid 90s.  I read heaps prior to that but I got sick of him.  This is King being a little different. 

Ash read the book and said he hated it.  But I thought it was entertaining.  Like Ash, I didn't get emotionally involved with the characters, but I didn't hate them either.  I was just an observer.  This novel is very simply written, lots of dialogue and descriptive prose without being verbose.  The thing that makes this a different kind of King novel is the characters didn't go into endless navel gazing and internal monologues like a lot of King's characters do.

I was satisfied with the ending but it didn't leave me feeling one way or another about the book as  a whole.  This is literary candy at it's best without being crass or shallow.  I think in the right director's hands, it would be an awesome movie.  King even dedicates the the book to Richard Matheson and George Romero.

Whilst not exactly an airport novel  a la Joan Collins or Jeffrey Archer, this book will keep you interested without sucking the very soul out of you.

I give it 3/5 stars.

[indianasmith]

I've enjoyed King's recent works . . . . he is more introspective than he once was, but I find his characters engaging. FROM A BUICK 8 was incredible, and LISEY'S STORY was one of the best, and saddest, novels I have ever read.

[Torgo]

I read Cell a little while back expecting to fully hate it as the person who I was borrowing it from hated it.

It starts out kind of bumpy but once it gets going I thought that it was actually one of his more enjoyable recent works if far from being one of his best.

Eli Roth (Cabin Fever, Hostel Parts 1 & 2) is supposed to be turning it into a movie at some point soon BTW.

[Killer Bees]

That's good news, Torgo.

I think Christopher Smith (Creep, Severance) would do it justice.  He's the newest fave director in our house.

[Mr_Vindictive]

I LOVED 'Cell'.  I read the book about two years ago or so and I sat down and read the entire thing in a night.  I got sick of King a while back after reading most everything that he had written.  This book was a nice departure from his norm.  I really really enjoyed it.

My favorite portion is at the football stadium.  Fantastic stuff.  By far one of my favorites from King

[Torgo]

My favorite portion is at the football stadium.  Fantastic stuff. 

I have to agree with you there on that section. 

[Dennis]

This is the last Stephen King novel that I've read, enjoyed it immensely, almost as much as "From a Buick Eight". One thing I must say about him, he can take the most ordinary circumstances and things and make them quite frightening in a way that makes the unbelievably impossible seem to be logical and real.

[BoyScoutKevin]

As I understand it, soon to be a major motion picture, or so I have heard.

[Mr_Vindictive]

Kevin, you are correct.  Word in the industry is that Eli Roth of "Cabin Fever" and "Hostel" fame will be directing it.

[Ed, Ego and Superego]

I loved this book... from a shocking start through the whole story.  Post-Dark Tower, I was worried about his books.  But this was relly enjoyable. Awesome horror fiction.
-Ed