Hello everyone and welcome to the Stephen King cast, one man's musings on the works of Stephen King.

Each week I'll review one entry in the bibliography of Stephen King in the chronological order of publication.

This week, I examine the first of a phase in King's career in which he examines the female perspective,

the nail-biting thriller Gerald's game. He'll follow

it up with the interconnected Dolores Claiborne and will examine the terror of domestic abuse

in insomnia and later in Rose Matter. And well over a decade later, he will write what

he feels is his best novel, Lee C's story. Going back to insomnia, King makes the threat of domestic abuse

so all-consuming,

it threatens the entire multiverse.

Likewise, here there is an incredible use of symbolism

when our main character, Jesse,

as a girl is abused,

the sun goes out.

It's a very simple premise, a woman handcuffed to a bed, but within that simple premise

resides a huge storytelling challenge.

How do you make it compelling?

Think about it.

During the course of this novel, Jesse is trapped by herself, with only the voices to keep

herself company.

It would have been very easy to let this story derail itself,

but thankfully, King knows exactly how to keep it chugging along smoothly along the track.

Before I get any further, I want to read a listener email.

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