Written during Covid-19 Stephen King's
Fairy Tale bears all the markings of a literal escapist fantasy, and that's why I found it perfect to read when I did. It beings with the troubled early life of Charlie Reade who is 17 when the novel is set, though the first 100 pages concern his childhood - the death of his mother and the consequent alcoholism of Charlie's father. Charlie's dad eventually escapes the cycle of alcoholism, and puts himself back on the straight and narrow, but the fear of a relapse haunts Charlie, whose efforts in the schoolroom and on the athletic field seem to be attempts to atone for his father's behaviour and some unsavoury childhood rebellion of his own.
But it is when Charlie meets Howard Bowditch, and elderly, reclusive and very rude neighbour that things enter the fantastical. It turns out that Bowditch, who becomes Charlie's friend and mentor, is the guardian of a gateway to a fairy tale world, but its a world attacked by evil, while has begun to disintegrate. As it's a fairy tale land the former royal family are actually rather nice people, rather than those at the top of a system of oppression and exploitation. Charlie sets out to restore the throne, and save the life of Bowditch's beloved dog.It is actually a fairly classic fairy tale, though Charlie spends a lot of it in prison, forced to compete in violent gladiatorial combat with other prisoners. There is a satisfactory ending, and reconciliation with his father, and the dog lives.
As with much of King's writings, Fairy Tale is at its best when describing the mundane parts of his character's lives. The first third, focusing on Charlie and the relationship with the two adults - his father and Bowditch is the best. The reader is carried along on a sort of soap opera. By the time we get to the fairy tale, it feels a little like King has spent his imagination a little and the the rest of the story is cobbled together. It feels more like a computer game brought to the page, than a fully rounded novel. That said, there's plenty of vintage King here, some blood and guts, lots of excitement and a host of weird and wonderful fantasy characters.
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