Book
The Stephen King companion : forty years of fear from the master of horror / George Beahm ; illustrated by Michael Whelan and Glenn Chadbourne.
Record details
- ISBN: 9781250054128
- ISBN: 1250054125
- ISBN: 9781250081315
- ISBN: 1250081319
- Physical Description: xxxii, 588 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations (some color) ; 24 cm
- Edition: First edition.
- Publisher: New York : Thomas Dunne Books/St. Martin's Griffin, 2015.
Content descriptions
| General Note: | Color portfolio by Michael Whelan. |
| Formatted Contents Note: | Maine roots -- Pre-Carrie: a hardscrabble life -- Doubleday Books: magic time-the making of the Master of Horror -- "The Bestsellasaurus Rex" stomps over to New American Library -- Scribner: building bridges -- Movies: screamplays -- The critics' corner -- Stephen King in cyberspace. |
| Summary, etc.: | Profusely illustrated with nearly 200 photos, color illustrations by celebrated "Dark Tower" artist Michael Whelan, and black-and-white drawings by Maine artist Glenn Chadbourne; supplemented with interviews with friends, colleagues, and mentors who knew King well; looking at King's formative years in Durham, when he began writing fiction as a young teen, his college years in the turbulent sixties, his struggles with early poverty, working full-time as an English teacher while writing part-time, the long road to the publication of his first novel, Carrie, and the dozens of bestselling books and major screen adaptations that followed; covering his varied and prodigious output--this book is a comprehensive guide to the imaginative world of Stephen King. |
Search for related items by subject
| Subject: | King, Stephen, 1947- > Criticism and interpretation. Horror tales, American > Criticism and interpretation. Horror tales > Criticism and interpretation. |
Available copies
- 1 of 1 copy available at GRPL.
Library Journal Review
The Stephen King Companion : Four Decades of Fear from the Master of Horror
Library Journal
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
This is the third edition (the first was published in 1989, the second in 1995) of Beahm's look at the life and work of seminal author Stephen King (b. 1947). Beahm (Steve Jobs' Life By Design; The Stephen King Story) is a prolific, best-selling author of literary companions, and his expertise and thoroughness are clearly displayed here. This book is not literary criticism but rather a chronological exploration of the experience and achievements of King. This approach allows the reader to get to know the subject as person, which leads to a better understanding of his fiction. For example, the section on the novel Cycle of the Werewolf is more about the events that point to its creation then about the book itself. -VERDICT The completeness of Beahm's analysis coupled with his accessible writing style make this book extremely absorbing. Owing to its tone and format, this title will appeal most to fans of King, who will find that its insights lend a new light to their favorite tales.-Matthew Gallagher, Victoria, BC © Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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BookList Review
The Stephen King Companion : Four Decades of Fear from the Master of Horror
Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
If you own the 1989 edition of Beahm's text who could forget the cover featuring King at his creepy wrought-iron fence? burn that sucker. More than 200 pages have been added to accommodate King's oeuvre of 50-plus books. The cursory handling throughout of King's alcohol and drug addictions is an indicator that strict biography isn't the goal here (though King's hardscrabble early years are vividly portrayed). So what is this? It's absolutely everything else, boned by looks at every single one of his works from background, artistic, and commercial perspectives, and fleshed by esoterica so esoteric King's Constant Reader will blow a gasket. To wit: excerpts from brother Dave's childhood newspaper ; sidebars on obscure special editions; interviews with King's secretary and the guy who constructed the aforementioned fence (no kidding!); tips on how to speak like a Mainah ; and take this seriously, now lots more. Generally organized by King's eras with certain publishers, this is for the Cujo-level rabid fan who is less interested in Firestarter and more interested in Sword in the Darkness. (Look it up.) The carnivalesque sketches, meanwhile, set the mood.--Kraus, Daniel Copyright 2015 Booklist
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