I have always been partial to fairy stories. From my earliest memories, tales of princesses, magic, evil stepparents, and mythical creatures have captivated me and left me perseverating on memorable scenes long after turning the final page. As a little girl, I was particularly fascinated by the story of Rumpelstiltskin. To this day, I can't tell you exactly why, although I'm sure my parents could vividly recall my insistence on renting a very specific animated rendition of it every time we went to Blockbuster when I was a pre-schooler. My guess is that it had something to do with the bizarre nature of the whole thing -- you know, the kind of spookiness that delights us at Halloween. I mean, take king/husband of the protagonist, for instance. This asshole threatens to kill the young girl on three separate occasions if she doesn't spin mountains of straw into gold. Her only salvation? A mysterious little man who keeps appearing to hustle her into giving up her valuables in exchange for completing the impossible task set before her. It's downright weird. And I loved it.
So it came as no surprise to me that I enjoyed Fairy Tale as much as I did. In fact, there are some very heavy Rumplstiltskin influences to be found within this novel. (Color me thrilled.) Often touted as a (the?) "Master of Horror", I feel that Stephen King is more meritorious of a less limiting moniker. Sure, books like The Shining and It evoke a certain level of terror. I have heard that it is less than desirous to listen to the audiobook of It while camping in the woods on a dark night with nothing but a tent to separate you from whatever lurks outside. (I said I have heard...) Nevertheless, I would argue that King is more of a Master of Character Development, or even a Master of Character Relationships. Again, using It as an example, the relationships of the characters are what truly drive the story and make it so unforgettable. Clowns are just a backdrop.
Like It, and so many of his other works, Fairy Tale is a marvelous presentation of dynamic and unforgettable characters from the mind of Stephen King. Centered around the life and experiences of high school athlete Charlie Reade, the story takes us on a journey that begins with an act of altruism in our world, then leads us into a series of adventures in another. Fans of King's 11/22/63 (one of my all-time favorite books) may notice some parallels in terms of plot points, but with a great deal more fantasy and fairy tale tropes woven throughout. Charlie is a lovable character whose life circumstances have forced him to mature before his time, but King offers gentle reminders throughout that he (Charlie) is indeed still a child in many ways. Accompanied by his faithful and aging dog Radar (don't worry, she's fine!), images of Dorothy and Toto are called to mind. Along the way, Charlie makes a great deal of friends and allies whose loyalty, sacrifice, and love tug at the heartstrings. Meanwhile, the villains are villainous -in every sense of the word!- and just as wicked as their original fairy tale counterparts. (Think greedy dwarves, man-eating giants, and evil wizards.) Devotees will appreciate the Easter eggs tucked into the corners of this novel ("There are other worlds than these"), but it can certainly be enjoyed as a stand alone read for folks new to King's multiverse.
Alongside beautifully crafted character development, readers of this modern fantasy can expect all of the classic fairy tale elements: bravery, princesses, swords, spells, humor, tragedy, love, animosity, loss, mystery, adventure, and -most importantly- magic. After all, without magic, is it even a Fairy Tale?
For additional Stephen King reviews: The Dark Tower series
