Product Description

When Mike Noonan's wife dies, he suffers from writer's block, until he goes to his retreat, Sara Laughs. It's a community run by tyrannical Devore, who is hell-bent to obtain custody of his grandchild, Kyra. Her mother turns to Mike for help. But there are others determined to prevent his success.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #344543 in Books
• Published on: 1999-06-17
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 736 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
Bag of Bones is partly inspired by Daphne du Maurier's classic Rebecca, but there's more than homage in this novel of horror and romance. Like du Maurier's Manderley, King's scary old place (on the shore of Maine's remote Dark Score Lake) is haunted by the late lady of the manor. There are many gory ghosts afoot though: men, women and wailing kids. The hero, a thriller novelist, stirs up hell's angry shades while investigating his wife's death. It turns out she either had a dark secret herself or was onto some dread scandal lurking in Dark Score Lake. As in King's previous book, Wizard and Glass, the fabric of reality is thin and nosy narrators are in peril of plunging right out of this world and into a rather hostile otherworld.

Bag of Bones is a writer-haunted book, too. The spirits of Herman Melville and Ray Bradbury are deeply felt, and so are the tale's two romances (the hero muses on his marriage and falls for a young single mum with a marvellous psychic daughter). There is also good- humoured satire of the real bestseller book world--the hero complains that "the publicity process is like going to a sushi bar where you're the sushi." In its deep concerns with love, sprawling families, the writer's life, endangered children and good old-fashioned storytelling, the book resembles a John Irving novel. It is also absolutely classic Stephen King, packed with nifty turns of phrase, irreverent wit and lurid ghouls who grab you from beneath the bed while you cower under the covers. --Tim Appelo, Amazon.com

Frances Fyfield, Express
‘Splendid entertainment'

Guardian
'An incredibly gifted writer...so fluid that you often forget that you're reading'

Customer Reviews

Bag of Bones
I was up until midnight last night finishing off this book, which has taken me ten years since it's original release - but unfortuneatly it was one of King's books that passed me by. However, I recently decided to go through all of King's work again, starting with Carrie, and Bag of Bones was next in line. I think the reason I delayed reading this book, was because it wasn't King's typical early "horror" style of writing - but a more developed of late King style, where he incroporates more of a supernatural, psychadelic thriller atmosphere, rather than going for all out horror and gore. This, however, isn't a bad thing, and to be honest, after reading this book, I have come to realise that King's more developed style is his best--and Bag of Bones, in my oppinion, is also his best.

Never before have I felt so involved with the characters--not to the same degree as I did with this book. It follows the story of Mike Noonan, and Irish writer living in Derry, America, who's mourning the sudden death of his wife Jo. So much so, that he encounters writers block--a writers worst nightmare. After confronting his fears of returning to his holiday home where they shared so many wonderful memories together, Mike encounters a young woman called Mattie, and her three year old daughter Kyra. Ironically enough, Mattie has problems of her own, after the death of her husband, now her extremely wealthy father-in-law is seeking custody of Kyra claiming that Mattie is not fit to be a mother. And so, the story unfolds as Mike gets involved with the case, and eventually finds the two girls irresistable.

Romance, horror, thriller, dark comedy--there's a lot of genres incorporated into one, and although my synopsis of the story makes it sound like a romance story, it's so much more than that. The story is well told, nicely paced, and the ending (although some have stated is a bit of an anti-climax) is superb. I really can't understand any of the complaints with this book, but I guess each to their own. The book leaves you satisfied, with everything that needed to be answered, answered, but leaving just enough questions to make you want to read it all again. I feel quite sad in a way to have finished this book, because the character are so real, that it's easy to get tied up in the problems that surround them. Amazingly enough, the book that surpassed me previously has ended up being possily my favourite book on my shelf. I really couldn't recommend this book enough.

Hauntingly tear-jerking.
This book is a classic. It is haunting and very compelling in a way that is original and inspiring. I read this book in a few days and I have to say that those few days were full of feelings of horror, sorrow, pure shock, tears and awe.

This novel tells the story of a writer (Mike Noonan) whose wife died of what seems to be natural causes, but there is a surprising twist to this which is revealed at the end. Years later he goes back to their summer house called 'Sara Laughs' to try and be inspired to write again after suffering writers block ever since his wife's death. In this house strange and sinister things begin to happen and they are all centered on Mike's wife, Sara (a woman who used to live in the house), Mattie (a young woman who Mike fall's for), Mattie's remarkable daughter Kyra and Kyra's mean and vengeful grandfather Max Devore. These people all play a part in the final showdown between good and evil, and there is a surprising, heart racing and tear jerking ending.

I loved this book for it's pace, characters, storyline and not to mention the distinctive and original style of Mr King. If you are a King fan then I highly reccomend this book to you. This is one of those King books that cannot be missed.

You have got to read this book! Well done to Mr King!

A King of a ghost story
A nice ghost story with the usual King detail touches (Ralph Roberts from Insomnia gets a brief mention) that allude to the greater King World of Horror, this book is definately a good page turner, if a little anti-climatic toward the end. Certainly a better read than some of his books from the early 90's, and far better than the dismal Rose Madder, you find yourself wondering if there isn't an element of autobiography in the story (with the storing of manuscripts). I hope not. The idea of Stephen King's pen running dry would be a truly miserable one.