''Rose Madder''- Book Review

Author: Stephen King
Published: 1995

Genres: Novel, Fantasy, Mystery, Thriller

Rating: 4 out of 5

Review

This is the first Stephen King book that I have read.

The protagonist of ''Rose Madder'', Rose Daniels, is the domestically abused wife of Norman Daniels, a cop. Rose faces domestic violence for fourteen years. And one day, she decides to run away from Norman. She takes his bank card, and runs away. She arrives in a distant city, and is sheltered by an organization, Daughters and Sisters. Eventually, she moves to a little apartment, and gets a job as an audiobook reader. 

However, Norman is still following her, and using his methods, he locates the city where she is living in.

Rose comes across a painting, named ''Rose Madder'',  at a pawnshop. She is strangely attracted to the painting, and buys it, in exchange of her cheap wedding ring. Shortly after that, strange things start happening centering the painting... the objects in the painting start changing their positions, and not only that, new things start appearing in the picture...

Norman is looking for Rose. Rose is being troubled by the creepy things about the painting...

''Rose Madder'' was such an intense, compelling and engrossing read! Rose is an excellently-developed protagonist. At first, she is really well-portrayed as a domestically abused, meek woman who has to run away from her abusive husband. And over the course of the novel, Rose's mind is explored in various ways. The things that happen over the course of the story makes Rose a protagonist with a lot of depth.

Norman was an excellently-developed villain. He was developed in such a way that the readers start to hate him.

The idea of the novel was itself very interesting. The other world, the world of Rose Madder, was so vividly described, and it became quite fascinating reading about the world of Rose Madder.

At first, I did think that the novel was a bit too slow paced. However, from the time Rose discovers Rose Madder's world, I was really fascinated by the story! I think the slow pace and vivid descriptions were really wonderful!

''Rose Madder'' is a suspenseful, fascinating, extremely engrossing novel. I really liked it. I know that this is not perhaps the best introduction to Stephen King, but I am looking forward to read his other novels like ''Carrie'' and ''The Shining''.

4 out of 5