Desperation

By Stephen King

There's a place alone Interstate 50 that some call the loneliest place on Earth. It's not a very nice place to live. It's an even worse place to die. It's known as Desperation, Nevada...

• Language: English
• Publisher: Penguin Group
• Release date: Aug 1, 1997
• ISBN: 9781101137994

Stephen King

Stephen King is the author of more than sixty books, all of them worldwide bestsellers. His recent work includes the short story collection You Like It Darker, Holly, Fairy Tale, Billy Summers, If It Bleeds, The Institute, Elevation, The Outsider, Sleeping Beauties (cowritten with his son Owen King), and the Bill Hodges trilogy: End of Watch, Finders Keepers, and Mr. Mercedes (an Edgar Award winner for Best Novel and a television series streaming on Peacock). His novel 11/22/63 was named a top ten book of 2011 by The New York Times Book Review and won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Mystery/Thriller. His epic works The Dark Tower, It, Pet Sematary, Doctor Sleep, and Firestarter are the basis for major motion pictures, with It now the highest-grossing horror film of all time. He is the recipient of the 2020 Audio Publishers Association Lifetime Achievement Award, the 2018 PEN America Literary Service Award, the 2014 National Medal of Arts, and the 2003 National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. He lives in Bangor, Maine, with his wife, novelist Tabitha King. 

Reviews for Desperation

[djupstrom · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I think King might have been in a slump with this one. I had just read The Regulators and they are the same characters. Just ok.

[bookwormteri · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Bad cop, ghost town, unlawful arrests and detainment. Decomposing meat suits.

[lauriegienapp · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

as always, a good read. But this is certainly one of his more intense works. I frequently had to put the book down because I just couldn't read any more.

[eppish · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

King at a low point is much better than most horror writers. Would likely be a "horror classic" if written by McCammon or Simmons, but one of King's missteps.

[justablondemoment · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Not my favorite by king. I was pretty confused through the whole thing. King has mad imagination skills and mostly what I've read by him I was able to keep up but this one seemed like a chore trying to make sense of what I was reading.Even through the confusion I still found myself on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen next. Almost a 4 but had to go with 3 for all the times I said "wait...what??..."

[br13geva · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book is truly amazing. It shows how multiple people can band together to not only save themselves, but to save others in the process. Of course, every good book has to have a criminal, an antagonist, a 'dirty cop'. Well, we found that dirty cop in the form of Entragian. Sure, he is a 'dirty cop', and is pretty mean in his self too. And he does have a knack for shooting people about their religion...Alright, I admit it. This was one of the very violent novels that King wrote, and I'm pretty darn sure that it was enjoyable. I like to read horror book, some by King, and others by respectable authors, such as Lovecraft and Horowitz. But this was better then most of his books, only losing to Carrie, The Stand, and salem's Lot. I hope he can continue writing, and I hope that Tabitha can as well.

[ribson_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Scary but amazing.

[ctmsludu · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Desperation was a book full of blood, gore, and God. This book is a great read but not recommended to children and those with a weak stomach. Overall the book is full of action and suspense that also gives you a fright. This book is an utter gore-fest or even sea of blood but a great book anyway.

[kingfreak432 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

amazing book, great detail, gruesome.. i loved it!!!

[stahl2ricco · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Kick ass, creepy as hell first chapter! I was freaked, even more so when I wondered what I would do in the same situation! The bad guy in this tale is Entragian/Tak, "the Bram Stoker version of Doctor Dolittle"! The place, Desperation, Nevada, a copper mining town. The situation - evil. And a boy shall lead them! God is cruel, God is love! Tak!

[mainrun · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I had a hard time giving a voice to the bad guy cop. If the dialog was more menacing, it would have worked for me. The "YEE HAW" "GOSH DARN" phrases disrupted the story. He reminded me of Andy the Robot in Wolves of the Calla. That is favorable, as Andy's cool. Once the cop's story line finished, and the new bad people took over, I thought the story worked better. Reading reviews has made me want to read the Regulators.

[urthwild · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

1996 - The Regulators by Richard Bachman
1996 - Desperation by Stephen King

These 2 were meant to be companion books by King using as they did the same character names, in a similar sort of peril from the same monster. A lot of reviewers said it was lazy writing at the time but I personally loved it. It added rather to my enjoyment of both rather than detracting.

Good Times.

[oxlena · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I think this has to be my favorite SK book (right alongside Rose Madder). It wasn't all that hard to follow like some King novels can be, and it was weird in a way that's good but totally disgusting at the same time. I think everyone has a different impression of every SK book, so reviews don't usually mean much. However, I appreciated this book very much. 5/5 very impressive kills.

[truebrewfan11 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Very good book. similar to regulators with different plot

[hardyr4 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The first Stephen King book I read. During the summer between my junior and senior years of high school, we were required to read a couple books. I found this one and thought it would be interesting because it takes place in Nevada, my home state. I was instantly hooked by the story and finished the book in two days; I couldn't put it down. This is a great read.

[ctmsalve · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Demon possession is no new topic in the world of literature, hundreds if not thousands of books have been written about exorcisms and human "hosts". The way Stephen King artfully crafts Desperation is entirely new and creative.Desperation, Nevada in the middle of a barren desert on the edge of abandoned Highway 50, something is very different about this small town. From the very beginning those traveling along this rural highway knew something was very very wrong, with a dead cat nailed to the speed limit sign. It only got worse for the 9 traveling into the town. Each one was framed, arrested, held captive, and then many were executed by a crazed cop possessed by an evil demon, Tak, their only hope being a child savior David Carver. They all suffer great loses throughout but David's perseverance keeps them all together in a common goal of survival.Stephen King incorporating a largely theological story-line greatly enhanced the plot. The idea of both a cruel but just God allowed David to continue and lead the others from a certain doom. This also allowed a point for which the characters could unify in a higher belief, both the readers and the characters knowing that without such a point much of the book would have been even more unbelievable. God vs a god is also an aspect unique to this book and made it much more interesting by having humans almost as pawns in a much larger and more important game.Multiple point of views gave a much more in-depth description of the events occurring in the story. Since there is no "fly on the wall" narrator, events are in a real world perspective. However no specific character is telling the story either but every character speaks for themselves, which may seem confusing but greatly enhances the story.It is no surprise that this story is so incredible being that Stephen King is completely surrounded by literature, meeting his wife, and fellow author, Tabitha Spruce inside a University library. This is why I rate Desperation 5 out of 5 stars.

[chromiumdomium · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Very enjoyable, but somehow predictable. I enjoy Stephen Kings writing very much but struggled to complete this book for some reason. Nonetheless, it's a good read and quite the page turner. I wonder if it's just me beginning to predict endings too easily, that made me get a little jaded with this one!

[csweder · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I think my favorite part of this book was that it took place in Desperation, Nevada?

[rdexter_8 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I couldn't put it down. Lost lots of sleep reading this deep into the night. Another excellent story by Mr. King!

[sturlington_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Travelers are waylaid to the mining town of Desperation, Nevada, where they are imprisoned and slaughtered by a monstrous entity wearing the skin of a traffic cop.This is a parallel novel to The Regulators, published under King's pseudonym of Richard Bachman, in that it has the same characters and premise but the story unfolds very differently. I liked The Regulators more because it was different from King's usual fare, but this is a terrific read as well. In the venerable Stephen King tradition, a small group of ordinary people must work together to battle an extraordinary evil and make a stand for the white.Read upon release (1996) because King is one of my favorite authors.

[paperbackpirate · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It's been awhile since I've read an actual horror story, which is what Desperation is. It begins with an unsuspecting couple driving down a highway in Nevada through "the loneliest place on earth" and getting pulled over by a crazy police officer who seems to have the power to summon and communicate with coyotes, vultures, and any other animal that crosses his path. WTF?! The police officer continues making up reasons to arrest people, beating them up, randomly killing but mostly collecting them up and taking them to jail in the mining town of Desperation.It is up to the prisoners to band together and fight the police officer and the evil entity that has overwhelmed the town. Right away you feel as though Desperation is shrouded in some kind of dark force that has been uncovered in the mine. The only one who seems to be stronger than the dark force is a little boy who is able to pray to God and receive instant miracles throughout the story. Handy!For a Stephen King story it dragged a little for me, but if you're looking to be grossed out, creeped out, and freaked out this book is a good choice for you.

[thessaly_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Not bad, not great. I don't mind King's characters, but sometimes the way he phrases things can be a bit repetitive and by the end I was skimming.

[barpurple · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Not going to be one of all time favourites, but not a terrible book. There's something about the setting of a desert and long roads that forces a horror writer into a certain type of story. The problem with that is it gets a little dull for the readers. This tale of an acient evil lucking in an old mine should have been creepy, but it fell short for me.

[jefware · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Another evil man in charge of a small isolated town. Yawn...

[watertiger_1 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Stephen King had a brain fart. It turned out to be this book. Even if you are a die-hard fan... this will be disappointing.

[srboone · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The flipside of The Regulators with King displaying his knack for character creation. This is what keeps the bstory going through its lulls. I enjoyed it more by reading it in conjuction with The Regulators.

[wispywillow · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Like Insomnia, this one started out amazing and then began to peter out. When it at first looked like everyone was being held captive by a psychotic cop, that was creepy because it is in the realm of possibility. (This is what makes Cujo a favorite of mine.) Not to say that I don't like the paranormal or supernatural--because I do. But it has to be done in a certain way for me to really like it. Stephen King can do it at times, but Desperation fell a little flat for me.

The most annoying part to me is the strong current of prayer and God and whatnot. And even worse is that when a character prays for something, voila--it happens. *sigh*

A friend told me that The Regulators is this story's twin, and I remember hearing Stephen King talking about it. He wrote Desperation as Stephen King, then wrote the same story as Richard Bachman. I'm rather looking forward to reading The Regulators. The story is good, it's just overwhelmed by the annoying religious bits. Perhaps writing as Bachman, King can bring the true grit out in this story.

[sebastianhagelstein · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I preferred this book to it's companion, The Regulators. It didn't rely as much on action though it still had a good amount when necessary.

[bridgey_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Desperation - Stephen King ****Another offering from King that follows brilliantly in the Stands shadow of showcasing Good vs Evil. However, Desperation does not have the arduous journey across desolate and ruined lands. Instead it all takes place in a small town just off the loneliest highway in America. The theme of Good vs Evil runs throughout the novel but as usual, nothing is entirely clean cut, as a number of the characters agree 'God is Cruel'. King treats us to what he does best, assembling a rag tag bunch of characters and throwing them into a life or death situation. I won't go into the storyline any more than that as I wouldn't want to spoil any of the twists and turns of the plot.In my opinion this ranks up there with his best works such as the Shining and Salem's Lot. The way the story starts makes the reader feel that this could easily happen to them, and when the supernatural side kicks in you just get sucked into turning every page until you reach the end. A large book, but the pages just disappear. TAK!

[darkonelh3730 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

From cover to cover, I couldn't stop. This was just...incredible! King really blows my mind, and really can throw you right into the characters and their surroundings.