Literary Doubles, Doubling and Doppelgängers At this point though, I was very glad I was listening to it on audiobook instead of just reading it, since I could multitask while working my way through to the conclusion of the book. If it was a book that had more substance beyond the plot, I think maybe it could have sustained my interest more. There’s a number of logical jumps that the characters make in the second half that don’t make a ton of sense to me, but I didn’t dwell on it. Stuff happens, but ultimately you know where it’s all going to wind up. As a result, the plot rides along more or less as you’d expect. In my mind, there was only one way this could end, and predictably that’s pretty much what happens. Having to ride this out for nearly 300 pages is precisely why I’ve occasionally avoided horror/thrillers in the past. We understand what was happening in the first half and why, and it’s just a matter of riding out this conclusion to its final resolution. At this point, the investigation portion resolves. Each chapter moves the plot forward and introduces new and intriguing complications to the already delightfully complicated investigation.Ī little past the halfway point though, things start to come apart a little. In this part of the book, it proceeds along so purposefully that I marveled to myself that I really should have been reading Stephen King novels all along. It was strange and interesting, with a mix of mystery and horror. The first half or so of The Outsider was exactly what I’d been hoping for with this book. The problem is, cracks in the case begin to appear when it seems that perhaps Maitland has an equally airtight alibi.Īs tensions rise and the investigation proceeds, the bit and pieces of information Ralph uncovers are equal parts horrifying and intriguing.Īuthor Stephen King (via Stephen Schofield) Book Review It’s an easy arrest and their evidence is airtight. Ralph Anderson is the detective on the case, and he arrests a local man, Terry Maitland. In The Outsider, an unspeakable crime takes place involving the murder and violation of a small boy. Plot Summaryįor the Detailed Plot Summary, click here or scroll all the way down. So, for lack of a better entry point to his works, I figured I’d just pick up the most recent one and dive in. I had no idea where to start and the length made each one seem like a big commitment. To be totally honest, part of the reason I’ve avoided reading Stephen King books is that they’re just so long and there’s so many of them. I have no recollection of it, and I don’t exactly remember which book it was (I think maybe it was Bag of Bones?). The last time I read a Stephen King novel, I must have been in high school. I mostly decided to read The Outsider by Stephen King because it seemed long overdue for me to read one of his books.