Title: Dolores Claiborne
Author: Stephen King
Publication Date: December 1, 1993
Publisher: Signet Books
Pages: 384
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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. George, thirty years earlier. Dolores also tells of Vera’s physical and mental decline and of her loyalty to an employer who has become emotionally demanding in recent years.
Dolores Claiborne definitely was not a typical Stephen King book. I wasn’t really sure what to expect. I picked it up because I needed an audiobook for my commute to work and school, but I ended up making up excuses to listen to it longer than that.
Stephen King really brought all of the characters to life. At first, I didn’t think I’d like Dolores, but halfway through the book I wanted her to succeed. I hated Joe to the point that I found myself scowling while driving down the road – hopefully not too many people saw it. I felt terrible for Vera. King made me so uncomfortable when he described how she was on her bad days. But at the same time, I loved her as a feisty younger woman. At any rate, I felt invested in all of the characters.
The only thing that I thought was weird was that Dolores sat there for 6+ hours talking and drinking and never had to take a bathroom break… AMIRITE???
Overall, great book! I would definitely recommend it.
