Let’s put it in a way that people might argue with but a lot of authors might be able to agree with: authors don’t owe their readers anything. The fact that this is a big part of Lisey’s Story is something that might burn a few authors that have watched it, but it’s fair to say that unless a person feels that strongly about it, they won’t care. The point is that some fans take things way too far and think that the authors they enjoy, those that change their lives, their way of thinking, and pretty every fundamental part of their existence, owe them everything. That’s kind of an odd thing to think when trying to understand the love that a fan has for an author. Personally, I really like Stephen King’s delve into madness at times, but there are moments when pulling back is necessary to remember that as skilled as he is, and he is, don’t doubt that, he does have moments in his writing that make it clear that he has faults as well. Those that don’t see faults in their favorite authors might need to take a big step back and take a deep breath.
But for the sake of this story, it’s great to see how psychotic Dooley, played by Dane DeHaan, really is since he’s the type of fan that goes off the deep end when his love of an author isn’t reciprocated, and when anyone decides to contradict him when it comes to his beliefs. The story goes that two years after the death of Lisey’s husband, Scott Landon, she’s still mourning as she struggles to cope without him. The particulars of Scott’s life come into play as the limited series rolls along, showing how Scott and Lisey live, and how Scott shows her throughout their time together the strange world that he used to escape to when he was younger.
There are differences between the book and the series, that was to be expected, but the manner in which this story was allowed to roll forward might appear insanely confusing to a lot of people, especially when Lisey is sent on the Bool hunt, which might not make a lot of sense to those that haven’t read the book. The general feel of the series is that it’s attempting to be provocative, mysterious, fantastical, and at the same time show Lisey’s attempt to deal with her grief. The interactions with her sisters are meaningful, but at times this is where the acting feels as though it breaks down a bit. Dooley is the kind of overbearing individual that is more like a bull in a China shop, especially when it comes to being confronted in any way, shape, or form about the works of Landon, which he feels belong to everyone and should take precedence over anything else. This is the type of fan that a lot of authors and even celebrities dread since they’re so single-minded in their pursuits that one can’t reason with them at all, as they don’t often compromise and aren’t bound to listen to anyone that isn’t ready to agree with their psychotic way of looking at things.
But to be sure, the series does capture the ethereal nature of the world that Scott and Lisey escape to, where being quiet and still is of great importance, lest someone gain the attention of the monstrous creature that roams the multi-hued forest beyond the water’s edge where the dead and the traveling gather. King managed to create a world that felt savage but also calm in a very realistic manner, a place where one might find themselves in a dream, or upon their passing. This world no doubt meant something different to each person as it was shown, but at the end of the day, it was a place that wasn’t so much sought out as discovered initially, since it’s not the type of place one might want to go if they had a choice. But it does play a big part in the series, and for a good reason, since it serves as a major setting for much of the story.
When all is said and done, Lisey’s Story is one of those that manage to convey a great deal of what the author penned in the novel. Too often it’s been seen that King’s stories have been mangled and mishandled in a big way. But like several others that have come along throughout the years, Lisey’s Story managed to become a haunting yet beautiful look at something that many creators might agree is a world where imagination is raw and unfettered, but also mysterious and definitely wondrous at the same time. Turning this into a limited series instead of a movie was a great idea as well since it allowed more of the story to shine through in a very effective manner.
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