When housekeeper Dolores Claiborne is questioned in the death of her wealthy employer, a long-hidden dark secret from her past is revealed- as is the strength of her own will to survive...
Dolores Claiborne
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More of a mystery than a horror novel, Dolores Claiborne contains only the briefest glances at the supernatural. The novel presents Stephen King as a writer experimenting with style and narrative, time and perspective. Fans looking for a skin-crawling, page-turning fright or an undead bloodbath will be disappointed, but a patient reader willing to savor King's leisurely study of character and island life will find many rewards. And all of this is not to say that the book is without suspense.
The story unfolds in one continuous chapter, told in the first person by the cranky, 65-year-old housekeeper, Dolores, who is explaining to police officers and a stenographer how and why she killed her husband, Joe, 30 years ago. At the same time, in her rambling monologue, she insists that she did not kill her longtime employer, Vera Donovan--notwithstanding what the residents of Little Tall Island may be whispering. Joe was a drinker, and, as Dolores gradually argues, he deserved to die for the horrifying crimes he committed against his family. But Vera, despite her cantankerous disposition as a lady governing her decaying estate with her precise rules about even the most mundane household chore ("Six pins! Remember to use six pins! Don't you let the wind blow my good sheets down to the corner of the yard!"), was a good woman--or at least not an evil one. She was the woman who hired the young Dolores and kept her on even after Dolores got pregnant again. Dolores cleaned and cared for her even as the old matron faded into senility.
Dolores Claiborne is a rich novel that recalls the regionalist writing of the turn of the century. It is a fine place for a skeptical newcomer--put off by King's reputation for outright terror--to start. And for fans, it is a book that offers new insights into an author who's an old favorite. --Patrick O'Kelley
From Publishers Weekly
King's portrait of a Maine housekeeper accused of her employer's murder--a nine-week PW bestseller--shows him to be a magnificent storyteller.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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First Sentence
What did you ask, Andy Bissette? Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
What did you ask, Andy Bissette? Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
“An accident can sometimes be an unhappy woman's best friend” – Vera Donovan
Oct 21 2012
By Omnes
TOP 500 REVIEWER
Format:Mass Market Paperback
To all naysayers that accuse Stephen King of being a commercial-blockbuster machine, this novel is another proof that this artist is instead a great writer. Written as a long monologue, Dolores Claiborne covers the testimony the titular character gives to Sherrif Andy Bissette of Little Tall Island. Over nine hours - if you listen to the audiobook version - she tries to prove her innocence in Vera's recent death, but admits to the 1963 murder of her late husband, Joe St-George, which the Little Tall Island community accused her for years, but never had the proofs to send her to jail. So to put claims to rest, she narrates her relation with Vera Donovan, her husband, her children and the events that brought the death of her husband and Vera.
Apart from a connection Dolores feels from a little girl involved in Gerald's Game, and a newsarticle mentioning the town Derry, involved in the novel IT, this book is not a paranormal story, but a realistic story of a woman fighting a dangerous patriarchal force living in her house.
And unlike conventional novels, this experimental story is in two chapters, the first one is Dolores' testimony, and the last one is the epilogue. So for those who read their books in several sessions, a bookmark is obligatory. As for the Kindle users, don't expect the book to be divided in different forms of chapters, so remember this if you buy an e-book copy of Dolores Claiborne. About the electronic version, I did found a few little typographical mistakes, but they were insignificant details that did not stop me from enjoying this novel, which I heard is going to be soon shown into an opera in 2013.
As such, Dolores Claiborne is an excellent Stephen King novel for its fans and an excellent entry to newcomers.
Apart from a connection Dolores feels from a little girl involved in Gerald's Game, and a newsarticle mentioning the town Derry, involved in the novel IT, this book is not a paranormal story, but a realistic story of a woman fighting a dangerous patriarchal force living in her house.
And unlike conventional novels, this experimental story is in two chapters, the first one is Dolores' testimony, and the last one is the epilogue. So for those who read their books in several sessions, a bookmark is obligatory. As for the Kindle users, don't expect the book to be divided in different forms of chapters, so remember this if you buy an e-book copy of Dolores Claiborne. About the electronic version, I did found a few little typographical mistakes, but they were insignificant details that did not stop me from enjoying this novel, which I heard is going to be soon shown into an opera in 2013.
As such, Dolores Claiborne is an excellent Stephen King novel for its fans and an excellent entry to newcomers.
By Ila France Porcher
TOP 1000 REVIEWER
Format:Mass Market Paperback
Dolores Claiborne is a housewife with problems. Stephen King gives us a window into her thoughts, feelings and desperation in her efforts to find a way through each new crisis. The activities and advice of her employer and friend add a startling new dimension to the plot as Dolores is led down the path of her life by events out of her control.
So brilliant is the writing, that the reader is at her side, feeling what she feels, as she finds the ultimate solution to her problems.
The characters are so real one feels that one knows them. It is a wonderful story that you shouldn't miss!
So brilliant is the writing, that the reader is at her side, feeling what she feels, as she finds the ultimate solution to her problems.
The characters are so real one feels that one knows them. It is a wonderful story that you shouldn't miss!
Format:Mass Market Paperback
This is a great book, and the film is just as good, in a different way. This is one wife's struggle with domestic abuse at the hands of a drunken, insulting, violent husband. It leads to this desperate woman's disturbing scheme of retribution and murder. Powerfully chilling. In the book, Stephen King tells Delores' story from her own point-of-view, her own regional Maine dialect, her own voice. This gives the story an added realism that is most effective.
David Rehak
author of "Love and Madness"
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4.3 out of 5 stars
Most recent customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Compelling Look Into What Drives a Person To Kill.......
Dolores Claiborne(1993). Stephen King's 22nd Novel, Published Simultaneously With Gerald's Game.
Between the Late 80's and Early 90's, Stephen King was hard at work with the... Read more
Published on July 16 2004 by Will Culp
5.0 out of 5 stars
KEEPS YOU HOOKED!!!!
What would you do if you were accused of a murder? What if you were accused of two murders?
In the book Dolores Claiborne you go through the whole thinking process of what... Read more
Published on Jun 1 2004 by Vanity
5.0 out of 5 stars
"An accident is sometimes an unhappy woman's best friend."
The conventional street wisdom is that the best movies adapted from Stephen King novels are the ones that do not mention they are adapted from Stephen King novels. Read more
Published on Feb 17 2004 by Lawrance M. Bernabo
5.0 out of 5 stars
A King book That's Just About a Person. Awesome!
When I started reading this book, I was bracing myself for a bad experience--I'd just finished Heart of Darkness by Conrad, which is three big chapters and boring as all get out... Read more
Published on Jan 28 2004 by "uraniaapple"
4.0 out of 5 stars
This book is awesome!
I thought this book was very good! It gets very intense in the middle of the book when Dolores decides she's gunna go through with her plan of killing her husband. Read more
Published on Jan 21 2004 by Kiki Robinson
4.0 out of 5 stars
Gripped
Forget that Stephen King wrote this book, and leave your expectations at the door.
I was totally engrossed in the story of this poor, honest, hard-working woman and her husband... Read more
Published on Sep 4 2003 by tzefirah
2.0 out of 5 stars
Dull
I am a big King fan but this book isn't very good. It's written in a difficult to read one-long-chapter style and the plot is razor thin, yet he stretches it out for hundreds of... Read more
Published on Jun 5 2003
5.0 out of 5 stars
A different kind of horror
Stephen King may be famous for his horrific stories about demons and ghosts and other things that go bump in the night, but that's not always the case. Read more
Published on Jun 1 2003 by Kristin Dreyer Kramer
5.0 out of 5 stars
I love the plotlines. A must reader for any King fan!
This book is a reading experiance. It makes you feel like you've been chosen to read the best book ever. Read more
Published on May 15 2003
5.0 out of 5 stars
I love the plotlines. A must reader for any King fan!
This book is a reading experiance. It makes you feel like you've been chosen to read the best book ever. Read more
Published on May 15 2003
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