Dolores claiborne there was a story about the eclipse on the front page of the american just about every day that july, but i think that, for all his newspaperreadin, joe had only the fuzziest idear anything out of the ordinary was gonna happen later in the month. Aside from a brief ghostly encounter, the story doesnt revolve around supernatural phenomena or evil beings. On a hot july day in 1963,while a total eclipse of the sun darkened the skies over the central portion of the state of maine, dolores claibornes drunkard, abusive husband mysteriously plunged into. Dolores claiborne by king, stephen and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Dolores claiborne was recommended by my friend, and i had no real idea what it was about. In the course of working out the details of what has happened, as well as some shady questions from. Reminded of what she has set out to do, she deliberately enrages joe by claiming she has recovered the. By stephen king he has written around 70 books and short stories. Dolores claiborne project gutenberg selfpublishing. Complete summary of stephen kings dolores claiborne. The novel, along with geralds game, was originally conceived as part of a larger work intended to be titled in the path of the eclipse. Dolores has a struggle with her elderly, paralyzed employer, vera donovan, in her mansion. When she is indicted for the elderly womans murder, dolores daughter selena returns from new york, where she has become a bigshot reporter. Kathy bates as dolores claiborne in taylor hackfords 1995 adaptation of kings novel.
Stephen kings dolores claiborne is unique among his works, a novel told as an elderly womans lengthy confession. I read one king book a month in my journey through all his books, junes choice was dolores claiborne. This is a narrative of suffering and of weakness or, referring to. Hardcover paperback audio movie dvd first edition release date.
Because without your guts, dolores claiborne, youre just another stupid old woman. The novel is presented as a transcript of her statement, told to the local constable and a stenographer. This is the story of a hardened island woman off the coast of maine and what she had. Dolores claiborne radiates phenomenal visual potency by juxtaposing the eclipse marvel with the accentuated action set piece, only when the sun is blocked by the moon, as if it symbolizes, thats the time the coldblooded retribution can. Dolores claiborne has a confession to make she will take her time. When vera turns up dead, dolores is accused of killing her elderly employer so her estranged daughter, selena jennifer jason leigh, a wellrespected new york city journalist, decides to visit her. On page one, dolores claiborne has already been advised of her rights. She is being questioned for a murder she claims she didnt commit but in. Vera falls down the staircase and dolores ransacks the kitchen. Dolores is thought to have killed her wealthy employer, vera donovan, for whom dolores. The book is written in monologue form, its protagonist dolores, is being interviewed by the police regarding the death of her employer, and the words are entirely her own.
I found this vintage first signet printing from 1993 at half price books earlier this year. She is being questioned for a murder she claims she didnt commit but in the process cops to one she did commit decades earlier. In a small new england town, dolores claiborne kathy bates works as a housekeeper for the rich but heartless vera donovan judy parfitt. Dolores claiborne is not a typical piece of sk work but it is a very good read. Will do it her way, sparing neither details nor feelings. In this book, stephen king creates one of his most memorable characters, and her voice elevates this book from good to great. More of a mystery than a horror novel, dolores claiborne contains only the briefest glances at the supernatural. Dolores claiborne and geralds game were written in tandem, so to speak, and were intended to be a twovolume set called in the path of the eclipse. I miss half price books and thrift shopping for books so much. Claiborne, her maiden name which she reassumes after joes death, is derived from old english, meaning born of clay. The protagonist is a woman called dolores claiborne. For novel makeup part 7, i chose dolores claiborne by stephen king.
When she is indicted for the elderly womans murder, dolores daughter selena returns. As jessie burlingame lies handcuffed to her bed in geralds game p. Dolores claiborne is linked to kings previous 1992 novel, geralds game, by a psychic flash that takes place during the 1963 solar eclipse when dolores kills. Dolores claiborne has apparently been hauled into the local police station of little tall island, a small island off the coast of maine and where dolores has lived her entire life. Dolores claiborne is a psychological thriller with horror elements by stephen edwin king. The woman who confesses to the murder of her husband joe st. Dolores had worked for the recently deceased vera donovan. Shes been working as a maid for an elderly woman called vera donovan since 1949. Dolores claiborne kathy bates is found looming with a rolling pin over her employer, vera donovan judy parfitt, a frail old woman who has. Written as a book length harangue from its heroines point of view, and directed efficiently by taylor hackford, dolores claiborne has become a vivid film that revolves around ms. Buy a cheap copy of dolores claiborne book by stephen king. Suspected of killing vera donovan, her wealthy employer, dolores claiborne tells police the story of her life, harkening back to her disintegrating marriage and the suspicious death of her violent husband, joe st. Dolores claiborne is a stephen king novel for people who think they dont like stephen king novels.
Explore our amazing collection of both new and preloved books at lowest prices in india and be a part of our amazing readers community. Dolores claiborne is a 1992 psychological thriller novel by stephen king. Milt gross the picture of the dark house and clothes waving on a clothesline at night at the bottom of the. Its funny, gripping, moving, and utterly spellbinding in its depiction of a working wife and mother. Dolores claiborne by stephen king, first edition, signed abebooks passion for books. The story of dolores is told by her to three police officers and it covers the entire book. In dolores claiborne, dolores narrates her lifes history for the last thirty years to the police of little tall island, maine. Dolores has more on her mind than merely setting the record. Shes bold and opinionated, and shes well known across the island.
The book is one of kings most popular works and its. In 1995, dolores claiborne works as a domestic servant on little tall island in maine. Its horrors all have human origins and no good deed goes unpunished. The book takes place between the years of 1965 and 1980, we know this because of dolores talk with the police. Described by the publisher as a companion piece to kings last book, geralds game, this new novel surpasses it in every way, and shows that king, even without the trappings of horror and suspense, i.
Dolores claiborne, an opinionated 65yearold widow living on the tiny maine community of little tall island, is suspected of murdering her wealthy, elderly employer, vera donovan. The book was released by viking in november of 1992. When the book begins, veras died, and the local police believe that dolores is responsible. With dolores claiborne, i didnt understand why i was reading this boring story about a woman who killed her husband. Dolores claiborne is the woman, and her story of how she killed her husband, and the consequences, proves a seductively suspenseful, if quieter, complement to jessies shrieklest of a tale. Immediately download the dolores claiborne summary, chapterbychapter analysis, book notes, essays, quotes, character descriptions, lesson plans, and more. This is the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. It feels more like a psychological thriller and is more character driven with touches of anxiety, evil and humor thrown in the mix.
Revisiting the film of stephen kings dolores claiborne. Suspected of killing vera donovan, her wealthy employer, dolores claiborne tells police the story of her life, harkening back to her disintegrating. Dolores claiborne is the 32nd book published by stephen king. She was employed by the wealthy vera donovan, and was later accused of killing her. An extended monologue told in a rural maine dialect, dolores claiborne is a departure for king stylistically, though thematically it travels familiar ground. She is the main protagonist of the book and film adaptation of the same name. First published in 1992, and now a major motion picture, the book follows a woman trying to clear her name after shes accused of murdering her wealthy employer. Dolores claiborne is a haunting novel, but not in the way you might expect given the author is the great king.
This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of dolores claiborne by stephen king. Now youve got a bunch of your own to deal with, but if youve lost the guts you had on the day when you told me that firing the jolander girl was a boogery thing to do, go on. Dolores claiborne kathy bates has spent nearly a quarter of a century looking after a meanspirited woman named vera donovan judy parfitt on a small island off the coast of maine. Dolores claiborne setting this book takes place on a small island off the eastern coast of maine. Dolores claiborne is not a horror book like stephen king would typically do. On top of that, dolores claiborne feels like a book thats been written by. Dolores claiborne by stephen king, first edition, signed. On a hot july day in 1963,while a total eclipse of the sun darkened the skies over the central portion of the state of maine, dolores claibornes drunkard, abusive husband mysteriously plunged into a well and was killed. In the beginning i had a hard time making up what kind of setting it was and what was going on.