Gerald's Game

I’m not sure why, but I almost never see this book in reviews or recommendations from Russian-speaking book bloggers. That needs to be fixed immediately!

I’m only just starting to explore King’s work, and thanks to Mike Flanagan, this was the first Stephen King book on my list — and I haven’t regretted it for a second.

A few words about the film first: my (and apparently Flanagan’s) favourite cast, as always. The atmosphere, the scenes and the performances are all top-notch.

Now, the book. It has a really interesting and surprisingly realistic plot. I loved it for the themes it tackles: sexualised violence, trauma, abuse, and how all of it shapes our adult lives and choices when we try to run from our problems instead of facing them. Nothing goes unnoticed.

Another aspect I really enjoyed is King’s treatment of misogyny, which runs through the entire book like a red thread — a kind of unflinching reflection on male misogyny:

You didn’t hear that dark anger in all their jokes, but it was present in enough of them, and in some it was right out front, raw as a sore: What’s a woman? A life-support system for a cunt.

And the best part is that King doesn’t try to soften it or tone it down. The book is full of very harsh observations on this topic. What struck me most is the way King writes about men’s almost literal bloodthirstiness — how they’re drawn to girls of a very young age, from the moment their periods start, like dogs responding to a scent. It’s a comparison I’d never encountered before, but it’s accurate in a way that’s hard to shake. Showing men through the lens of a predator who can almost smell blood. Gerald’s Game reminded me of Steinar Bragi’s Kata — which genuinely surprised me, because I wasn’t expecting that at all.