She is the main protagonist of the book and film adaptation of the same name. On page one, dolores claiborne has already been advised of her rights. In a small new england town, dolores claiborne kathy bates works as a housekeeper for the rich but heartless vera donovan judy parfitt. Its funny, gripping, moving, and utterly spellbinding in its depiction of a working wife and mother. 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 psychological thriller with horror elements by stephen edwin king. The woman who confesses to the murder of her husband joe st.
The book takes place between the years of 1965 and 1980, we know this because of dolores talk with the police. Kathy bates as dolores claiborne in taylor hackfords 1995 adaptation of kings novel. Dolores has a struggle with her elderly, paralyzed employer, vera donovan, in her mansion. Shes been working as a maid for an elderly woman called vera donovan since 1949. The book is one of kings most popular works and its. Will do it her way, sparing neither details nor feelings. The story of dolores is told by her to three police officers and it covers the entire book. Dolores claiborne is the 32nd book published by stephen king. Because without your guts, dolores claiborne, youre just another stupid old woman. This is the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. She was employed by the wealthy vera donovan, and was later accused of killing her.
With dolores claiborne, i didnt understand why i was reading this boring story about a woman who killed her husband. 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. Immediately download the dolores claiborne summary, chapterbychapter analysis, book notes, essays, quotes, character descriptions, lesson plans, and more. When she is indicted for the elderly womans murder, dolores daughter selena returns. Dolores claiborne has a confession to make she will take her time. Dolores claiborne by king, stephen and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Dolores claiborne is a telling choice for the name of his heroine. Stephen kings dolores claiborne is unique among his works, a novel told as an elderly womans lengthy confession. 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 a haunting novel, but not in the way you might expect given the author is the great king. In dolores claiborne, dolores narrates her lifes history for the last thirty years to the police of little tall island, maine.
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. More of a mystery than a horror novel, dolores claiborne contains only the briefest glances at the supernatural. Its horrors all have human origins and no good deed goes unpunished. 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. 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. Dolores claiborne by stephen king, first edition, signed abebooks passion for books.
On top of that, dolores claiborne feels like a book thats been written by. When she is indicted for the elderly womans murder, dolores daughter selena returns from new york, where she has become a bigshot reporter. For novel makeup part 7, i chose dolores claiborne by stephen king. Dolores has more on her mind than merely setting the record. Revisiting the film of stephen kings dolores claiborne. Dolores claiborne was recommended by my friend, and i had no real idea what it was about. Shes bold and opinionated, and shes well known across the island. I read one king book a month in my journey through all his books, junes choice was dolores claiborne. Dolores claiborne project gutenberg selfpublishing. Dolores claiborne works as a maid for a wealthy woman in remote maine. In the beginning i had a hard time making up what kind of setting it was and what was going on. The book was released by viking in november of 1992. Claiborne, her maiden name which she reassumes after joes death, is derived from old english, meaning born of clay.
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. 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. She is being questioned for a murder she claims she didnt commit but in. I found this vintage first signet printing from 1993 at half price books earlier this year. 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. Hardcover paperback audio movie dvd first edition release date. Aside from a brief ghostly encounter, the story doesnt revolve around supernatural phenomena or evil beings. In the course of working out the details of what has happened, as well as some shady questions from. Dolores claiborne by stephen king, first edition, signed. This is a narrative of suffering and of weakness or, referring to. In 1995, dolores claiborne works as a domestic servant on little tall island in maine. Dolores is thought to have killed her wealthy employer, vera donovan, for whom dolores. Dolores claiborne is not a horror book like stephen king would typically do.
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. 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. 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. Dolores claiborne is not a typical piece of sk work but it is a very good read. Vera falls down the staircase and dolores ransacks the kitchen.
The protagonist is a woman called dolores claiborne. Reminded of what she has set out to do, she deliberately enrages joe by claiming she has recovered the. When the book begins, veras died, and the local police believe that dolores is responsible. 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. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of dolores claiborne by stephen king. 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 kathy bates is found looming with a rolling pin over her employer, vera donovan judy parfitt, a frail old woman who has. The novel is presented as a transcript of her statement, told to the local constable and a stenographer. 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. Complete summary of stephen kings dolores claiborne. 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 is a stephen king novel for people who think they dont like stephen king novels. 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.
It feels more like a psychological thriller and is more character driven with touches of anxiety, evil and humor thrown in the mix. She is being questioned for a murder she claims she didnt commit but in the process cops to one she did commit decades earlier. 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. I miss half price books and thrift shopping for books so much. An extended monologue told in a rural maine dialect, dolores claiborne is a departure for king stylistically, though thematically it travels familiar ground. By stephen king he has written around 70 books and short stories.
Dolores claiborne setting this book takes place on a small island off the eastern coast of maine. Dolores had worked for the recently deceased vera donovan. 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. Buy a cheap copy of dolores claiborne book by stephen king. In this book, stephen king creates one of his most memorable characters, and her voice elevates this book from good to great. Kyle muehlberger dolores claiborne stephen king dolores claiborne takes place on a little island called little tall hill.
461 1173 280 1163 167 749 378 819 1348 1512 1316 173 654 605 183 1441 737 1039 307 488 40 77 1080 1391 630 1447 100 1 281 924 445 1418 389