Fairy Tale': Stephen King puts dark twist on childhood classics

Fairy Tale': Stephen King puts dark twist on childhood classicsFrom the King of Horror' himself comes a thrilling new novel that puts a dark twist on our favourite childhood fairy tales.

by Carmen Coetsee

19-12-2022 12:37

in Books

Stephen King's latest novel, Fairy Tale, is a dark take on childhood classics. Image via Twitter @_Un_Libro_.

The King of Horror has outdone himself again with his latest novel, Fairy Tale. Stephen King has tackled the world's most well-known stories, namely fairy tales, and has put a deliciously dark spin on them.

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Fans of King's work will enjoy this modern but classic take on age-old stories, but don't be fooled into thinking this is a children's book!

Readers who love horror shouldn't be put off by the fantasy elements of Fairy Tale. This story is very dark, gory and will have you on the edge of your seat what else could you expect from Stephen King?

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KING'S FAIRY TALE' IS THE GROWN-UP, DARKER VERSION OF NARNIA' Look at this beauty Have you read this yet?#Gifted @JonathanBallPub #StephenKing #bookmail #books #FairyTaleStephenKing #jonathanballpublishers #BookShelf #readersoftwitter pic.twitter.com/GUD1Q1e2fK

Rozanne Visagie | Bookstagrammar (@rozanne_visagie) October 5, 2022

For those of us who grew up reading the Narnia Chronicles by C.S. Lewis, Fairy Tale by Stephen King works perfectly as the grown-up version of this magical fantasy.

King adds a new dimension to the characters we know and love: the hero, the villain and everyone in between. He puts a modern spin on these one-dimensional placeholder characters, making them so much more human.

Even though there were some elements of the story which were built-up but never really explored, the book is a must-read for the incredible writing, world building and classic King-esque darkness.

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FAIRY TALE' SYNOPSIS Be brave and start reading #FairyTale, from legendary storyteller @StephenKing!

Don t miss it! https://t.co/jucVMGyf7F pic.twitter.com/TNfAQtjanh

Scribner (@ScribnerBooks) September 12, 2022

Charlie Reade looks like a regular high school kid. He is great at baseball and football and is a decent student. But he carries a heavy load. His mom was killed in a hit-and-run accident when he was ten, and grief drove his dad to drink. Charlie learned how to take care of himself-and his dad. Then, when Charlie is seventeen, he meets Howard Bowditch, a recluse who lives in a mysterious house on a hill.

In the backyard of this house is a locked shed from which strange sounds emerge, as if some creature is trying to escape. When Mr. Bowditch dies, he leaves Charlie the house, a massive amount of gold, and a cassette tape telling a story that is impossible to believe.

FAIRY TALE has made it to the finals of the #GoodreadsChoice Awards! Head over to @Goodreads to cast your vote for the year s best books now. Voting closes in just a couple days.https://t.co/qg7CUbueqp pic.twitter.com/gALZKO5mgf

StephenKing.com (@skdotcom_news) December 2, 2022

Because within the shed is a portal to another world-one where the people are in peril and dark forces rule. In this parallel universe, where two moons race across the sky, and the grand towers of a sprawling palace pierce the clouds, there are exiled princesses and princes who suffer horrific punishments.

There are dungeons, games in which men and women must fight each other to the death for the amusement of the Fair One , and there is a magic sundial that can turn back time.

A story as old as myth, and as startling and iconic as the rest of King's work, Fairy Tale is about an ordinary guy forced into the hero's role by circumstance, and it is both spectacularly suspenseful and satisfying.

FOR MORE BOOK REVIEWS, CHECK OUT OUR BOOK PAGE

MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR I don t usually post pictures of myself, but today is an exception. pic.twitter.com/IvuiH3QVZv

Stephen King (@StephenKing) February 28, 2022

According to his website, Stephen King was born in Portland, Maine in 1947. He made his first professional short story sale in 1967 to Startling Mystery Stories. Writing in the evenings and on the weekends, he continued to produce short stories and to work on novels.

In the spring of 1973, Doubleday & Co., accepted the novel Carrie for publication. He has since published over 50 books and has become one of the world's most successful writers. King is the recipient of the 2003 National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to the American Letters and the 2014 National Medal of Arts.

Stephen lives in Maine and Florida with his wife, novelist Tabitha King.

Fairy Tale is published by Hodder and Stoughton and is available for purchase from Exclusive Books stores for R388.

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