The Talisman (by Stephen King and Peter Straub)

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Written By Natalie

Revisiting Jack Sawyer's journey before Other Worlds Than These

In anticipation of Other Worlds Than These (the third Talisman book) arriving in October, the Constant Reader book club is reading The Talisman trilogy. We started, of course, with The Talisman by Stephen King and Peter Straub as the August and September selection. It’s a chunky book, so the facilitator split it across two months to give everyone time. I missed the August meeting and the discussion of the first half. I’m looking forward to joining the conversation later this month.

The novel follows twelve-year-old Jack Sawyer, who sets out on a cross-country journey to find a mystical object called the Talisman—the only thing that can save his dying mother. Along the way, Jack discovers he can “flip” between our world and a parallel realm called the Territories, a medieval-feeling land populated with echoes and twinners of people from his own world. He is pursued by dark forces and helped by unlikely allies, most memorably a shape-shifting friend named Wolf. The book blends coming-of-age with horror, fantasy, and Americana road-trip storytelling.

I first read The Talisman in 2018. When I learned King was writing a third volume, I hoped the club would get to this one soon. I knew I needed a reread before the final installment. Try as I might, I couldn’t remember anything about Jack’s story.

I really enjoyed this one. Jack Sawyer is twelve, and that age is the whole engine of the story. A kid that young walking away from a dying mother, with almost no map and a job that sounds like a fairy tale, pulled at my heartstrings the whole way. I was secretly hoping he wouldn’t leave her. Then I was hoping he’d turn around when he ran into the abusive bar owner. He didn’t. He stayed the course and trusted the process even when everything in me wanted to protect him from what came next. He’s the toughest twelve-year-old I’ve ever met on the page.

The farther he goes, the worse the world gets. Each new situation is more frightening and more horrific than the last. Meeting Wolf is the gift in the middle of that. Wolf gives Jack a partner, someone to help him through the next obstacle, and the emotional support he desperately needs. Wolf is a wonderful character: unexpected fears, real kindness, fierce loyalty. The bond that grows between them is the most special thing in the book. I still think about it.

I won’t pretend the whole novel held me equally. Sometimes I struggled to keep my attention on the story. There were stretches that dragged while I waited for the pace to pick back up, and a few times I was simply bored. That didn’t ruin it for me, but it’s honest: this is a long road, and not every mile is equally alive.

The last seventy-five pages or so made good on the wait. The authors close the many threads of the narrative with real care. The ending is intense, suspenseful, and emotional. It felt like it paid off for the size of the book, which is not something I take for granted in a book this big.

I’m looking forward to discussing this one at book club later this month, and I’m already itching to dive into a reread of Black House—especially with anticipation for the third book only growing.

As fall approaches, I'll leave you with these final photos of my sunflowers this season — a little golden goodbye before the garden shifts into autumn. Makes me appreciate this kind of stillness even more after following Jack's chaotic ride across the country.

Feel free to explore my reviews of other Stephen King books below.

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Natalie
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The Caretaker (by Marcus Kliewer)