Stephen King is hailed as one of the great horror writers of all time, and he absolutely is. Whether you like him or not, you cannot deny he has led a very successful career scaring us for decades. From Carrie to most recently an adaptation of his short story The Boogeyman, his stories have been adapted to film and television since he's been published. While he is certainly most known for his horrifying works, some of his more drama-centered stories have become almost more well-known. Frank Darabont's The Green Mile and The Shawshank Redemption are probably the best adaptations of his work ever, and they are dramas. King may always be known for horror, but his character work is why his horror is so effective. Thus, this is why Lisey's Story's central romance is his most romantic work that still does not stray far from the horrifying elements.
'Lisey's Story's Heart
Lisey's Story, published in 2006 and released as a 2021 Apple TV+ original show, is one of King's more interesting works. It follows Lisey Landon two years after the death of her husband Scott Landon. The wake of his death is still present in her life physically and mentally. Boxes of his unfinished works are still being cleaned out as she has a hard time moving on. Lisey's story is split up into two narratives. The present focuses on Lisey still dealing with her husband's death, turning away academics who want Scott's unpublished work, the rocky relationship with her two sisters, and being threatened by a mystery man who claims he will hurt her if she does not hand over Scott's documents. The other half of the story is interspersed between scenes in the present, often sparked by a thought in Lisey's head, which takes us into memories of her and Scott's relationship, revealing all is not what it seems in their relationship, and Lisey may just discover repressed secrets about herself.
Lisey's Story is no less horrifying than some of King's other works. There is the terrifying monster Long Boy in the world of Boo'ya-Moon, which Scott had the power to transport himself and others to0. There are real-life horrors as well, in the form of abusive fathers or the man who is threatening Lisey. The most terrifying part of this novel is probably the most mundane of all, losing the person you love most. Because first and foremost, Lisey's Story is a love story. It's tragic, and it is not all pretty, but that is why it is such a fantastic romance. They fight, they make up. Lisey finds herself remembering her and Scott talking about his childhood and the mental illness that runs in his family. While all these elements are heightened by the supernatural, they are rooted in reality where the reader can make connections in their own lives.
The Inspiration of the Story
The depth of Lisey and Scott's relationship goes deeper than just on the page, however. Connections can already be made from Scott being a bestselling horror author, but it's even more than that. A few years before the novel was published, King was hospitalized with a serious case of pneumonia. "I was really close to stepping out," King says. This was not King's first brush with a near-fatal incident either. Only a few years before his illness he was struck by a car and hospitalized. However, when he was in the hospital with pneumonia his wife, Tabitha King, cleaned out his study. Upon his return home from the hospital, seeing his work packed away, he thought "I’ve died, I’m a ghost." And thus, the beginning of Lisey's Story was born.
This book allowed King to not only reflect on his marriage with his wife but also on his mortality. What would the world look like after he is gone? Something that crosses everyone's mind at least once. He got to do it again too, as he penned the scripts for all eight episodes of the Apple TV+ adaptation that released in 2021. Authors rarely ever get to work on their own adaptations, but Stephen King is also Stephen King. He has done it before. Sometimes it can be a hindrance, but sometimes it can be fantastic. Lisey's Story is one of the better adaptations. Perhaps the only thing holding it back is its length and structure.
Like the novel, it is very different from anything he had done before. Yes, there are still nightmarish sequences, but it's also deeply romantic. That brings in a lot more downtime rather than action. To realistically grow the relationship, whether, on the page or screen, it has to be developed enough to be believable. The only downside with that is sometimes these shows can feel a little bloated with little to no action. It's nothing too bad, but the show could use some streamlining.
Still, it gave King the chance to revise his work into a new medium, for better or worse. For the most part, it is a faithful adaptation. A few moments are cut, and a few are new and original to the show. Names are changed. Particularly nearly goofy names from the novel that wouldn't work in tv like "the bad gunky" to just "the bad." It also has to juggle odd pacing due to the many flashbacks. But Julianne Moore and Clive Owen capture their respective characters greatly within the show.
There are many things the king of horror is great at. Yes, he can have you covering your eyes at vampires, terrified of an interdimensional evil that takes the form of a clown, and seeing the absolute worst in people like in Carrie. What King does not get enough credit for is his character work, particularly if he decides to tackle a romance. Horror does not give many chances for romance, not to end well anyway. Lisey's Story may have horror and supernatural elements tied to Scott's death, but it does not change the fact that is a fantastic mediation on grieving a spouse.
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July 04, 2023 at 04:45AM
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This Is the Most Romantic Stephen King Story - Collider
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