My Favorite Book

I love this book. Stephen King is my favorite author, and I have read all of his books, not to mention quite a few of Peter Straub's, and this is the best of them all. It contains my favorite fictional character of all time, Jack Sawyer: the twelve year old lead who must journey across the country in an attempt to save his mother's life, and much more. He can travel in our world, and an alternate universe. In both worlds there are many dangers for a boy traveling alone, including his uncle, Morgan Sloat, who has more than a little vested in Jack's failure. He is also helped along the way by some friends, Richard and Wolf. I have always loved KING's kids, you know: strong, brave intelligent, SPECIAL, but still just kids under it all, still scared and lonely, and you can't help but be touched by them. If you feel the same, or if you like a good fantasy/adventure story, read this book. I've read it four times and it still makes me cry each time.

One of the finest!

Ever since I was twelve years old I have been a Stephen King fan. The first novel I ever read by "the master" was a novel he wrote in conjunction with another writer ny the name of Peter Straub. The Talisman hooked me from page one, I identified with the character of Jack Sawyer unlike any other character in the history of mainstream fiction. This novel, from it's fascinating beginning to it's terrifying conclusion, is everything any horror or fantasy or just fiction fan could want. Jack's strange and terrible journey across the Territories and 1980's America makes for wonderful storytelling. King and Straub(arguably the greatest writer in horror fiction) blend seamlessly together in a wonderfully hopeful and awe-inspiring tale. If you enjoy top-notch storytelling and believable characters (from Wolf to Sunlight Gardener) then this book is everything you could hope for.

Who Plays these Changes?

Of all of King's books, including the Dark Tower series, this one is my favorite. Once I got through the first few chapters, I was captivated. Something about the mythic atmosphere of this book, and the beautiful eeriness of the Territories world, did something to me. Jack Sawyer is half Tom Sawyer and half Frodo Baggins, a boy traveling across America because he must, even though he's afraid. My favorite character in this story was Wolf, an innocent and simple-minded teenage werewolf who accompanies Jack on part of his journey, and who is symbolic of what our world is capable of doing to the good world that we have left behind.
This book is good for everyone. Even if you are not a big King (or Straub) fan, I am sure that many people will consider this to be the exception.