STEPHEN
KING - THE GIRL WHO LOVED TOM GORDON
New English Library. 1999.
"The World had teeth and it could bite you with them anytime it wanted." So begins the tale of Trisha McFarland, a nine-year old kid lost in the woods. Blimey, she'd only gone for a wee whilst wishing that her elder brother and mum would stop arguing.
This is King at his descriptive best. There are moments throughout the narrative that the reader can smell the forest through which Trisha trawls, in search of the path home.
It
is a prophetic story that reminds us that we all have paths to choose
and that some will be right, some wrong, but all lead us somewhere.
Trisha's
only companions throughout her search, are her friend 'Pepsi' who lives
in her old home town (The McFarland's have recently divorced and Mom
has moved to Maine. If she'd read any of SK's books, she'd have known
that something bad would happen!!) and the legendary Baseball Closing
Pitcher, Tom Gordon, of the Boston Red Sox (Yes, Tom Gordon IS a real
player AND is Trisha's heart-throb hero).
Of
course, these only accompany Trisha in her head. She is quite alone
in the woods - except for "the thing" that watches from afar.
This
is vintage King. The quality with which he writes is consistently
impressive and arouses empathy at each paragraph. The reader shouts
from the sidelines like a real baseball fan (which is something you
don't need to be) 'don't do it Trisha' or 'way to go, lady' as Trisha
closes in or drifts away fro safety in turns and twists.
This allegorical tale is gripping and compelling and can rank amongst his best.
Order this book online - Linghams Booksellers
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