Book Review: Fairy Tale

It’s time for another Stephen King read! I figured with the prior books of his that I’ve read being horror-based, it was time for my next read of his to be something a little different.  One thing that I find so interesting about King as a writer is his ability to produce stories within a multitude of genres. The guy has written well-over 80 books so far in his long, prestigious career and is showing no signs of letting up even into his old age.  Speaking of old age, I do wonder if his own mortality and acceptance of the passage of time helped inspire the foundation for the next book of his I decided to pick up and read. 

Fairy Tale is a dark fantasy novel which was written and published by King in September 2022.  The narrative behind it follows a 17-year-old teenager by the name of Charlie Reade who lives in the town of Sentry’s Rest in Illinois with his widowed father who until recently had a drinking problem.  Living his life without a mother and being resentful towards his drunk father has made Charlie more self-dependant than most kids. Charlie one day comes across an elderly neighbour by the name of Mr. Bowditch and his loyal dog Radar.  Having fallen off his ladder and injuring himself, Mr. Bowditch ends up under the care of Charlie who helps look after his dog and maintain his house while he’s unable to walk.  During the term of his care, Charlie soon discovers there’s more to Mr. Bowditch than meets the eye and when he discovers a mysterious well locked away in his shed, Charlie literally finds himself in a whole new world beyond his wildest imagination.

I think it’s important to look at this book as essentially two stories merged together.  The first half, which I feel is arguably the better portion; serves as an honest and endearing story about Charlie’s kind nature and the tragic events that have influenced his life.  I find King is an amazing writer when he focuses on the genuine elements of human nature.  The first half of Fairy Tale is much about Charlie trying to do the right thing because of what he perceives to be a debt to a higher power for saving his fathers life from drinking.  We see how Charlie is motivated by the tragedy of his life and how he’s made a consistent effort to repay the kindness he was afforded by looking after a reluctant Mr. Bowditch. The relationship he develops with him is complicated but it feels real and filled with genuine emotional baggage.  I love how much this first half does to lay the foundation that defines Charlie as a character. 

I would love to say the second half of the book is able to deliver the same kind of impact as the first, but I sadly don’t feel it’s nearly as strong.  Without spoiling too much of the plot, the second half is where the dark fantasy element comes into play, with the setting and tone changing dramatically with Charlie entering a whole new world.  Concepts like these are not new, I’ve seen plenty of movies where kids or people step from the modern world into a magical world which serves as the core setting for the story so it can work.  I just feel in Fairy Tale’s case, the amount of time invested in the grounded and contemporary elements of the first half contrast heavily with the fantastical and magical elements of the second half.  It really does feel like you’re being asked to dive into a completely different story which makes the smallest of efforts to tie it to the first.  I don’t think there’s anything inherently wrong with the setting and tone of the fantasy stuff, in fact once you get over the initial whiplash and resistance, there’s likely enough here to get you invested. I just think sadly I’ll always have wondered if this would have been a stronger book if King has just stuck with it being a contemporary coming-of-age book about Charlie caring for Mr. Bowditch.

One other gripe I have with the book is in Charlie himself.  I think the way King writes him is good and he’s a lot more developed than most teenage characters in books I’ve read so far. I do however feel King projects himself into Charlie a little too much with the way his describes and references things.  Charlie feels like an interpretation of what King felt like to be a 17-year-old teenager and while there’s nothing wrong with that, when you’re basing the story in a modern setting like 2013, it does feel a little inconsistent. Charlie is a strong character when he draws on the tragedy of his life and hones in on his vulnerabilities, but he monologues like a 40-year-old man at times and I just don’t buy he’s a 17-year-old teenager with how intelligent and correct he always ends up being.  I think he’d have been a bit more relatable if King wrote him to be a little less on top of things and show that he is ultimately a young kid who isn’t always going to be able to overcome a situation or have the right answer.

Despite my issues with the story though, I can’t pretend I didn’t enjoy reading it from start to finish and that ultimately comes down to the way King writes.  The man is able to make a compelling story out of even the most mundane concepts and even if his stories have glaring flaws, it’s the way he writes and presents them that makes it so easy to engage with.  That’s no different in Fairy Tale as King is able to pace and structure the story to be thoroughly engrossing to read.  His ability to imagine the fantasy world in the second half helps establish the reader easily in what may have been a generic fantasy world with any other writer. I love how well King is able to mix emotions in the story too, the contemporary elements are easily the best bits as King knows how to mix tragedy and levity in a beautiful concoction that makes it feel truly human.

Fairy Tale is well worth picking up if you’re a fan of contemporary or dark fantasy stories.  I don’t quite think King is able to deliver on blending both of these stories together in a seamless fashion but even with their division, the book as a whole has a lot worth engaging with. It’s first half is definitely stronger than it’s second half but I don’t think the second half if completely devoid of quality.  It’s a story which does well to look at the way we let tragedy define our lives and how we are all capable of letting it mould us to be better people if we allow it. Even with its imperfections, it’s still a great addition to Stephen King’s portfolio of written work. 

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐