The Talisman by Peter Straub and Stephen King is a horror-based portal fantasy.
The Talisman brings two horror legends together to create an adventure that is part The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, part Of Mice and Men, and a mix of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, The Chronicles of Narnia, and Alice in Wonderland, all wrapped in horror. It features doppelgangers, werewolves, killer trees, magical artifacts, and other were-creatures.
The basic plot follows a boy who discovers another world that mirrors ours. In that world, his mother is a queen who is sick, just like his mother in our world. But he can save them both by finding a magical Talisman in the other land, called the Territories.
Having read both authors, The Talisman feels more like King than Straub in style. There are a lot of Kingisms in the word choices, the inclusion of a magical Black man, and the music references and lyrics used. Straub’s writing comes through more in the descriptions, especially the fantasy landscapes.
The pacing is that of a fantasy, which runs a little slower compared to what most horror readers are used to. This novel does suffer from having scenes that don’t add to the plot but enrich the characters instead. I feel 50 pages could have been cut easily, and nothing would have been lost. The first half has a lot of setup and is slower, but once the 50% mark hits, the story gets scary and hard to put down.
This is a story full of some great characters, both good and bad. Jack Sawyer is the lead character who is in over his head, like so many fantasy characters, but answers the call to partake in a quest.
Wolf is going to be the standout character, a werewolf from the Territories who is pulled into our world. The character is a reference to Lennie from Of Mice and Men. Speedy Parker, a magical man in both worlds, feels like he could be related to Dick Hallorann from The Shining. Morgan Sloat is the main villain and has an interesting duality in both worlds. Sunlight Gardener is the worst of the worst, a terrifying man in both worlds.
The first half of the book is pretty tame in regard to horror, but everything after the 50% mark gets scary. The horror is mainly creeping dread and body horror. But oh, man, is there some body horror! I’m not a big body horror person, but the descriptions of a body becoming infected gave me that ick factor.
The Talisman is the first book in the recently completed Talisman trilogy. The books in the trilogy are The Talisman, Black House, and Other Worlds Than These.
The Talisman was first published on November 8, 1984.
Why did I read The Talisman?
The Talisman is a reread for me. I read it over 20 years ago and wanted to refresh my knowledge of it because Stephen King has written the final book in the trilogy, Other Worlds Than These. He sadly had to do it without Peter Straub, who passed away.
I wanted to read the first two books before the final book.
Plot Summary:
Jack Sawyer lives with his mother, Lily Sawyer, in a New Jersey hotel. Lily wants to get far away from Morgan Sloat, her late husband’s business partner. He wants her to sign papers making him fully in charge of the business. He is a ruthless businessman whom Lily and Jack have never trusted.
Jack knows his mother is sick but does not know she has cancer. He spends his time giving his mother space and befriends an amusement park mechanic, Speedy Parker, who seems to have a little magic.
Speedy explains that he has met Jack before and that Jack must go on a quest to save his mother and the queen of another world. He gives Jack a magical drink that lets him slip into another world called the Territories, which mirrors our world but is magical and not as advanced.
Jack takes up the quest to retrieve the Talisman from the opposite coast in California.
What I Liked:
The last 50% of this book is an incredible, wild, horrific ride. What is funny is that when I read it 20 years ago, I enjoyed the first half more.
The ending was satisfying and action-packed. The action was intense, and every character got to have a good scene, both the good guys and the bad guys.
The body horror of the werewolf changing and the horrible disease picked up in the Territories was fantastic. Both were described so well that you could almost experience the changes yourself.
The boys’ home scene was and still is my favorite scene. It is wild and totally 80s, but I loved it.
Wolf was both annoying and kickass, but I loved his character so much.
What I Disliked:
There was too much fluff, especially at the beginning, but also throughout the novel.
I wanted more stories about Jack’s dad since he discovered the other world.
The final battle was a little lame in how it ended. It was epic up to that point, but I did not enjoy the final battle or how it was resolved.
Recommendation:
The Talisman is an interesting collaboration novel. I’ve read a couple of collaborations, and I feel like this might be the best blend because I can’t always tell when Straub took over, since King’s language is so distinct.
For Dark Tower fans, there are very subtle references to a tower and a man in dark clothing connecting the worlds.
The story is pretty good, and I had a good time. It is not either author’s best work, but it is a good, mostly compelling story.
I recommend reading it if you’re looking for a fantasy with horror elements. I enjoyed it more the first time I read it than I did this time. My rating slipped a star.
Rating:
The Talisman by Peter Straub and Stephen King
4 out of 5 stars
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