The Talisman

Stephen King Forum

I loved this book. Read it so long ago. I am a pretty old lady now, but would still jump at the chance to be able to "flip" into another dimension. Well, maybe that's what I was trying to do in the 60's.

erewhon

Heading to the territories, be back in a few. http://www.citynews.co.nz/images/newsphotos/2003-01-22-dope_smoker.jpg

Ahhh--I think the appropriate response back in '68 would have been "Far out, man."

Thanks for the smile, whidden!

erewhon

What did Jack drink to flip? Wasn't it some kind of bitter wine or drink?

I remember towards the end, he was flipping over without nothing, just the force of his mind.

Did you read the second book, Black House?

I liked the King parts of it, but Peter Straub is so brutal and mean, I didn't like his parts.

I'v read enough King, I can tell who wrote what.

Black House was written is a weird not quite third person narrative that took some getting used to, but you got used to it.

And I liked that is said Parkus was a gunslinger.

Yes, you remember it better than I do, whidden--it was a drink of some sort given to him by Speedy Parker. And Jack did flip by force of mind alone later on.

I read Black House (again, a while ago) and while I enjoyed it, I did not enjoy it as much as the Talisman.

They are making a movie of The Talisman. They have gone through 2 directors already and seem to be having all sorts of problems with getting a decent screenplay written that is faithful to the book but doable on screen. I believe Spielberg owns the rights and maybe it is Dreamworks trying to do this thing. But I would love to see The Talisman in movie form.

I think I read somewhere that Stephen King's mother was dying of cancer or had just died of cancer when he wrote The Talisman. I wonder if it was ironic but comforting to save her on paper.

erewhon

Cool, I hope the movie turns out good.

It'll suck to all who read the book. You know how it works, Bro. Funny post BTW. I loved this book, but like erewhon, it has been a while. I think it was my favorite. I did only read a handful however. Which is your favorite Whidden?

I think THE Stand is my favorite King book.

Salems Lot is good.

Dark Tower 3 and 4 are awesome.

I really liked the Tommyknockers.

Insomia was good.



I'm reading Dark Tower 7 right now, and it's turning out to be an awesome read. It will be in my top 3 King books I think.

Yeah, my mother is a huge fan and she also fancies the Stand. I suppose I should crack it. Isn't that a 4 incher? Good grief Steven, do we really need to know what kind of shoes and the history of the country from which the leather came?

I came here to make a thread about this book, but there was already one. Good deal.

I'm reading this at the moment, and I'm not really enjoying it as much as I probably should be. I guess its just not my cup of tea. But like any book, I'm gonna see it through 'til the end before I make up my mind.

What I want to know is how does this book interconnect with the Dark Tower series? Whidden, you got any clue, man? I'd be interested to know.

I don't like how the story is based on some 12 year old boy being conned into drink some funky jesus juice kind of thing by this weird loner fellow... it just ain't cool man, just ain't cool at all!

the book starts out odd, but it gets better man, trust me.

have you read Dark Tower?

Damn, I had a half hour post here, and the spell check erased it.

Oh well, will write it again.


To Gabofeller:



The first third of the Talisman was written by Peter Straub, who is a sucky author. His words fall off the page like old tree sap. I never could get into his writing. But many do, as he is a successful novelist. He just aint my style.

If I remember right, you are into the Peter Straub books, and I was going to read that one about the dragon, but never got around to it, so sorry if I'm cracking on your author, all I have read from him is the first part of the Talisman and one other book, can't remember the name right off, but I thought he was too mean, and too slow.


The middle third was written by him and King, and it starts picking up. Jack meets up with his werewolf friend, meets Sunny Gardner, the evil messed up sadistic preacher, the story starts to move a little bit.


The last third of the Book is all King, and it is a very satisfying read.



Minor spoilers ahead:

As for the Dark Tower connection, the Talisman is thought by many to be "Black Thirteen", the orb in Dark Tower five and six.

Parkus, the old black man who helps Jack, is revealed in Black House, as a Gunslinger, like Roland from the Dark Tower series.

Roland is a cowboy on a search for the Dark Tower, a black pylon that controls all wheres/all whens. A device that sustains and powers the INFINITY of universes.

(King wrote the first book after seeing the Good the Bad and the Ugly and wanted to make a hero in a sci fi supernatural thriller about Clint Eastwood's man with no name.)

There are 6 beams that come from the tower, the beams hold up and support all of creation. There is a Guardian at the end of each beam to protect it, so you have 12 Guardians. Likewise, there are 12 orbs, which are kind of like the Planitar (or however you spell them) from The Lord of the Rings.

Roland found one in Dark Tower 4 in a flashback sequence, it was pink, as they all have their own color. The pink orb showed him the Dark Tower, and it's what started him on his quest for it.

Where the beams intersect is the Dark Tower, and likewise, there is a black orb, named Black Thirteen, as it is the thirteenth orb.

Jacks dad thought the talisman was the hub or axle of all worlds, all wheres all whens, but as Jack holds it, he sees that it IS all worlds all whens.

So, the speculation goes, the Talisman is the Dark Tower in a way, as it is Black Thirteen from the Dark Tower series. I think it's there and if you read the books enough, it becomes really clear this is the case.

But it's not 100% proven fact. I'm curious to see if Dekka agrees with me.


Also, in the Talisman, the Sunny Gardner figure is the False Prophet, and Morgan Sloat is the Beast figure, while Jack is the Christ figure. It gets pretty heavy into this metaphor when Jack is fighting Morgan on the beach towards the end, while they dance around each other flipping between worlds.

That fighting and flipping between worlds sounds cool. Glad the book gets better (and both of you agree on that)

I do like Peter Straub, Ghost Story's a good book... but you're spot on when it comes to his writing style, Whidden.

yeah, I read the Talisman when I was young, around 17, and this guy kept asking me to read it, and I kept trying, but all this "jack was standing on the beach in so and so a year", then it got repeated later, the same crap,


I hated it and only read it because it was supposed to get better. I'm glad I did, wound up being a classic.

That's good. If by the end I like it, I'll move onto the Dark Tower series.

My only problem with those is I can get dark towers 1 through 4 with a similar spine, but the 5 and 6 books I always see are different... That bugs me

Or you can read my long winded Dark Tower synopsis.



But I would buy the books, and start with the third one, the Wastelands. It's the book both me and Larke2000 started on. Most people don't like the first book for some reason. I liked it fine myself, but it was short and quick and dirty. Had a lot of imagery in it.


Two was good, but 3 is where the story takes off. Each book has a synopsis at the beginning, so if you skip books, it catch's you up.

I'll start at the start and see it through. That's one of the reasons I haven't started yet... 'cause I know I'll keep going until I finish them all.

I like the character Wolf. He's good peoples.

Wolf reminded me of Tom Collins from the Stand . Both were slow, and involved with the moon.


M-O-O-N, that spells Tom Collins.


I guess Tom could have been wolf's Twinner.




Or it might be Tom Cullen. I never can remember that guys name.

Could be his Twinner. Dunno, though, do both you and your Twinner have to be human? I don't think Wolf is, exactly.

I doubt Wolf has a Twinner, that's why he could jump back and forth like Jack.

Can someone explain as best as possible Dark Tower and Talisman? Are they the same series? They sound interesting. Spanks a lot.

-HECK!

Basically, all Stephen King books are Dark Tower related, though on the front of Dark Tower Seven, it has all the official dark tower related books by him in bold.


Almost all are, though some slipped through the cracks. Some books are heavily linked, like Black House, which is the sequel to The Talisman.

And Insomnia.


Dark Tower is about a cowboy, (based on Clint Eastwoods man with no name from the Good the Bad and the Ugly) who is searching for a Dark Tower that controls the infinity of universes.

Sounds interesting... there are 7 Dark Tower books? How close are they to Talisman?

-HECK!

So you can't jump into the Territories (or back) if you have a Twinner???

it's different when you have a Twinner. People with Twinners kind of enter their Twinner's body when they flip. If the body is in a different location, they will be there, while people like Jack flip to the equivilent location in the other world.

i hope that made sense...


you'll get it as you read the book anyway.

Will someone give me the breakdown... I am thinking about getting Dark Tower or Talisman... don't know the whole deal behind them.

-HECK!

I get what you mean Dekka. Didn't realize it was like that just yet.

Heck, there's a character named Heck in the Talisman. Hope that sells you on it.

The story of the Talisman is easy enough. Young boy takes off across America to find a talisman to save his mother's life. Out to stop him is his deceased father's businses partner. The catch is that there are 2 worlds. The normal one, and another world that kind of mirrors our own, however a bit smaller. The Territories, this other world is called. I think the scale between this world and The Territories is like 10 to 1. But places in the Territories are usually the same or similar kinds of places as on this world. Things change however. Money changes to sticks, a small metal key turns into a lightning rod... that kind of stuff.

Anyway, its an interesting story. Not close to being brilliant, I think (though I haven't finished), but good.

I see. Is it a series?

-HECK!

Read the Dark Tower series. Then you will be in the club.


Whidden

Larke2000

Dekka

Shadow Stalker

Spaliznad

and plenty of other geeks worldwide.

If you really want the low down, I wrote a big long winded dark tower synopsis. But you are better off reading the books.

Though everyone is pissed at the ending when they first read it, then it grows on them. So get ready for some anger managment classes.

For the record, I've put the Talisman on hold because I bought 2 other books by authors I like more than King. I'll continue it soon.

I'm never talking to you again.

Lets boycott Gaboman for this. Gaboman, Divinci Code and French Wine, all boycotted!!!



---Whizzle, still sick, still tired, still kind of stupid.