Review: A Good Marriage

Author: Stephen King

Started reading: November 10th 2021

Finished the book: November 17th 2021

Pages: 253

Genres: Fiction, Thriller

Published: September 30th 2014

Source: Storytel

Goodreads score: 3.83

My score:

Synopsis

What happens when, on a perfectly ordinary evening, all the things you believed in and took for granted are turned upside down?

When her husband of more than 20 years is away on one of his business trips, Darcy Anderson looks for batteries in the garage. Her toe knocks up against a box under a worktable and she discovers the stranger inside her husband. It's a horrifying discovery, rendered with bristling intensity, and it definitively ends a good marriage.

My thoughts

Recently I've been listening to a lot of Stephen King books. I'm surprised every time at how different his stories and characters are. It's so much fun to read a book where you definitely recognize King's voice, but with a different story, plot and characters. This book was a nice, fast-paced thriller. So very different from Later and Billy Summers which I recently reviewed. This book is a quick read and I'm sure thriller lovers can read it in one sitting.

Pros

• Suspense: In this book you get thrown in the story right away. In the first chapter, it's undeniable that something is going on. The suspense is real high all through the story. Something is happening in every chapter. That also makes this book easy and quick to read. It was not hard for me to keep a high pace. Sometimes, when listening to audiobooks, I take a break or listen to some music, but not with this book. From the start till the end the suspense is real high.
• Disbelieve: I always love how Stephen King isn't afraid to write subjects and stories that just have your mouth hanging open every now and then. It was a really strong point in this book that you're together with the main character and are in some state of disbelieve. I found myself wondering while listening to this book; "HOW?!" The main character is trying to find a way out of this situation, but sadly for her, it get's all the more real.
• Ending: YES. The ending was so strong, in my opinion. You never know how a book is going to end with Stephen King. He's not afraid to kill of characters or deliver you an ending that you DID NOT wish for. With this book I did not even know that I wanted this ending, but I think it was very strong and not something I could've come up with.

Cons

• Short: I did feel that the story was cut a bit short in some parts, like the characters and the start of the story. I do love being thrown into a story, but I would've loved a bit more of a start of the book. Maybe getting to know the characters and this good marriage that they have. I also felt like the cast of characters was meager. I would've loved for Darcy to interact more with her children and maybe some friends too?

Overall

This book really made me want to watch the movie, because I feel, after watching the trailer, that my cons are not in the movie. There is more build-up and the cast of characters is bigger.

This book was a really good, short thriller by Stephen King. I'm sure I'll never get enough of his stories and I hope he keeps pumping out books for many, many more years.

Other opinions on this book

"Combines the complexity of a legal thriller with the emotional resonance of domestic suspense."

- Lisa Scottoline, Author of Someone Knows

"A smart, provocative, insightful page-turner. I couldn't put it down."

- Harlan Coben, Author of The Boy From the Woods

Thanks for reading!

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