Rose Madder

I've never been much of a horror fan, especially of the hack-n-slash genre, but Stephen King's works are generally different because of the plausibility factor. The characters are (generally speaking) normal people involved in something with otherworldly origins.
Founding the story in reality serves to heighten the impact of the supernatural, turning the contrast knob all the way over. In Rose Madder's picture, the reader finds it opens a door in Rosie's heart and mind as much as it does her body, carrying her out of herself into a world where she can overcome her limitations.
In keeping with many of Mr. King's other works, the antagonist is a creature of pure evil who appears normal at first (to the world at large!) but degenerates into the loathsome beast it truly is as the story moves inexorably forward. (Leland Gaunt of Needful Things comes to mind).
One facet of King's works that I particularly enjoy is his ability to let the reader in on what's going to happen in the future (generally something horrible), just to set the hook, and then drag the reader toward the conclusion, terrified and excited to see how it will all transpire (Wilma Jerzik and Nettie Cobb, Needful Things).
Rose Madder is an exemplary novel in King's formidable body of work, and I highly recommend it.

Boring, boring, boring. No character development. Stilted dialog. Interminable passages about nothing of interest. This book is in need of serious editing. It would probably still be annoying, but more tolerable. I kept on thinking it would get better. I wanted to quit it, but I had put so much effort in that I pushed myself to finish it. This is the worst Stephen King book I've read.

This is an excellent escaping domestic violence, evil villain tracking down his victim, will she escape story. It is probably the best of this genre I have read until you get near the end of the book. Strange supernatural world and transformation from human character to an animal character - What the f...? This book didn't need the far fetched ending, it was probably King's greatest achievement up until then. The end chapters do taint the beginning of the book as you are gripped into the lives of the characters and Norman is a brilliantly put together evil character, probably one of the greatest villains of all time! I especially liked his Talk to you Up Close saying which made him seem particularly evil. His dealings with other characters in the book while tracking down Rose are exceptional in turning this book into an edge of your seat can't put down thriller.

You just want to read a realistic ending than this cheapened one, and see Norman either get his comeuppance from Rose or have Rose escape forever or whatever the ending will be, you just want it to be realistic! You should still buy this book as the majority of it is brilliant but just be prepared for an ending which is different to the way the rest of this brilliant story is going. I realise King is a horror, supernatural world writer, I've read and enjoyed practically everything he has ever written but I didn't think there was a need to introduce the supernatural element in this book. It was already his most terrifying thriller without it.

If you like this plot also check out Lisa Gardner's fleeing cop domestic violence husband novel The Perfect Husband.

Another breath taking story of one of Stephen King's finest horror stories. One might say different from the occasional `monster next door', but this tale is truly a winner. After escaping from her `bull' cop husband, Rose McCleadon is all alone in a strange town without a friend to comfort her on her terrible life story living with Norman Daniells. After finding a framed picture in an old store and being moved and drawn by its `power', she purchases it and realizes it may as well be the best thing that has happened in her life.
The story leads on with an edge on your seat experience and the path Rose must take in order to free herself from her past and Norman who is slowly tracking her down. Will he find her and `talk to her up close' or will she escape him and perhaps find the man she should have been with a long time ago? Read and find out for your self.
Enojy.

This is one of my top 3 favorite Stephen King novels - heck favorite novel - of all time. The story is about Rose Daniels being abused for 15 years by her monster of a husband Norman Daniels. She finally gets courage to leave and change her name and Norman - being a cop- uses hsi resources to track her down. It is a powerful story against absue as well as a great book overall. Norman Daniels is one of the scariest characters because he coudl be a real person and he gets darker and more terrying the deeper the book goes.

"It's best to be ruthless with the past. It aint the blows we're dealt that matter, but the ones we survive."
Stephen King never ceases to amaze me. It's quotes like one one above that display his talent as a writer.
Rose Madder was a...interesting book. I'll admit I didn't see the major twist in the book coming. I guess it was alluded to on the sleve, but I didn't quite understand at the time what it meant.
Anyway, I enjoyed the majority of this book. There was one small section that I couldn't get into (I can't say what, without giving something away), but the rest of the book was good.
I gave the book only 3 stars (it was between 3 & 4), just because there were some things that I just didn't get into. If you know King, you know he deals a lot with supernatural things, and sometimes I just want some reality. This wasn't his best, but it was worth the read.

.... All in all this is a good book, although the thing with Norman's rubber bull's mask was a little stupid, appeared to be to me at least, but the story about Rose, who her character unfolds during the development of the novel, who she enters the mystical world of Rose Madder - that's great, really great. In my eyes this is a very classic Stephen King, very classic writing, very classic elements of story, but on the other hand it is not. It is a wonderful story of love, lost, and pain, a story that has its own mythology, its own pace and most of all a character made out of flesh and blood, not of ink and paper. Rose is a woman you can see, hear, feel, touch ... she is as true, as this story is - because it is true to the most important thing about a book: the story itself.

I loved this book! I read the first 30 or 40 pages, then put it down and could never have the time to pick it back up again, but once I did, I was captured and was literally reading it almost non-stop to find out what was going to happen next! What was Norman going to do? What exactly did Rose have in store for him for when they got face to face again? What was going to happen with the picture that Rose bought?
All these questions and more were going through my mind and every time something happened that would bring me closer to the answer, it would then get further away and then more suspenseful.
Of course, there are some humerous anecdotes in the book as most Stephen King fans know he likes to put in his books it seems more often.
This book had me laughing out loud at some times (i.e. when Gerdie [i think that was her name] "met" with Norman) but then also had me white knuckling the book trying read as much as I possibly could just to find out if Norman get's it in the end! I totally recommend this book for anyone! Stephen King has done it again!

Between the publication of The Wastelands and Wizard and Glass, Stephen King's career was in a sort of a queer doldrom. It seems obvious that he wanted to write another Dark Tower book--he admitted to as much in his forward to the latter piece--but he was afraid to continue the series from the point at which he'd left off. The end result was a short series of books that were ostensibly stand-alone titles, that unfortunately became mired in his rather obvious desire to write about something else. It is from that period, unfortunately, that Rose Madder comes.
The book itself shows some obvious high points. Now, I'm sure that anybody who's ever been battered (or a woman, for that matter) will find some errors in King's depiction of Rose, but overall, I think it comes out okay. The characters are all pretty well developed, and all are believable. Gretta (the Refrigerator Perry lookalike who teaches the women self-defense) may well be the most accurately written female character Stephen King has ever created. More importantly, King finally seems to have washed himself of most of the borderline misogynistic tendencies in his writing (quite apparent in It) and the queer, and utterly false, association between battered women and lesbianism that showed up in Insomnia. The good, then, is that Stephen King has managed to transcend some of the views and tendencies that held his previous work back, to create a much more realistic and accurate depiction of the issue he tries to deal with.
Unfortunately, this book has a rather substantial downside as well, and that downside is the Dark Tower. Stephen King is well known for leaving little literary Easter Eggs sitting in his books for the attentive reader, but this amounts to much more than simple egg dropping. If you haven't read the Dark Tower books, I can personally guarantee that you WILL be confused at some point, and the plot and character motivations will become exquisitely obtuse and difficult to understand. This'll happen right around the time that supernatural things start creeping in (the section entitled The Temple of the Bull). It WILL detract from the experience.
This problem is only compounded by King's rather ham-fisted handling of symbolism throughout this piece. In most of his writing, you won't find too much in the way of abstract symbolism. Steve tries to break that pattern here, and he doesn't do it very well. I was personally sick of reading the phrase "Rose Madder" (used to refer to an actual color) around the time I was two thirds of the way through, and some of the symbols he introduces (notably the fox and the tree) are too obscure for even me to understand. Indeed, this would have been a much better novel if the entire epilogue had simply been sheared off--I can find no discernible purpose behind its inclusion other than confusing the reader. The character change that he induces in Rosie near the end of the book seems arbitrary and disturbing--an attempt to say something about something, but just what either of those somethings are escapes me.
All the same, read superficially, this is still a good book. The plot is realistic where it should be, and fantastic where it should be, and the whole is spun together into a fairly coherent story. While the plot may leave those who aren't familiar with King's magnum opus a little confused at points, it's still a good way to pass a few hours, even if it does fail as a conveyer for any message.

The above words are the most frequent spoken by the character Norman Daniels, Rosie's MONSTER of a husband! Rosie has been with her cop husband Norman for 14 years too long, when the abuse became way too much to bear. So one day finally, early in the book, she escapes from the house with Norman's ATM card in hand,fetching the nearest cab to the bus depot. She draws $750.00 out of the bank first though, and throws the ATM card in the trash. She ends up about 750 miles away, at a shleter for abused women like herself. It is there that she makes a new life for herself, though she is still scared.
When Norman discovers her escape, he's FURIOUS, and manages to track her down. He catches up to her eventually, and what happens next-well I won't tell. You have to read to find out.
This was one of my favorite King stories which I have read twice.

This is a great book. If you like being scared, read this! Although the language and situations aren't for everyone, I can almost assure you it will be hard to put down. The setting is brillant. Stephen King really knows how to keep his reader's attention! In this story a lady named Rosie leaves her abusive husband, who just happens to be a police officer. All her actions are contributed to a small dot of blood she finds on her bed. This book goes along with Rosie's fight to a new life without her husband. She meets many new friends who help a lot in her fight. Rose Madder has many flips, turns, and awfully weird situations that will keep you reading for hours. Overall, I enjoyed this book a lot and would love to read it again. It is a great horror.

Hey, you win a lot, lose a few...but others seemed to have loved it, so more power to you. I was thrilled by the beginning, irritated by the end. Nevertheless, it was a creative attempt, and I always admire that in any artist. I just wish King had stayed with reality instead of suddenly jumping into fantasy. Nothing wrong with fantasy, but it just didn't "go" here, at least for me. I finished it, but it was a grueling experience. I kept hoping it would get good again. Also - the ending was a feminist tract. And I am a dyed-in-the-wool feminist. I just don't love blatant politics with my fiction. Now, for a subtle feminist novel, one that really packs a punch in that area, read Deloris Claiborne - it's a masterpiece of courageous womanhood against the odds.

ROSE MADDER has everything. It's:
a real life thriller, with real life horror
a story of courage and survival
a fantasy adventure
a love story
a dark comedy
a satirical look at the left liberal political community
I'm sure I could come up with more, given the time.
Rosie McClendon is a heroine who gains the reader's utmost sympathy with the insane horror of the abuse she has endured, and her courage in leaving despite her terror. As she builds a new life and digs out her true character, long buried by subjugation to her brutal husband, we admire her and enjoy her humor and spunk.
Norman Daniels, the viciously abusive husband she leaves, is one of the most terrifying, compelling, horrifyingly likeable, and darkly funny villians I can imagine. The sections written from his point of view are chilingly enjoyable. He sets out to find her by getting inside her head, "trolling," as he calls it. He imagines he is her, and does everything she would do, tracing her every step with deadly accuracy, leaving a trail of mutilated corpses in his wake.
When Norman acquires a hokey rubber bull mask at a carnival, uses it as a hand puppet and begins having conversations with it, well, we know he has really lost it. I found these scenes quite funny.
When the painting Rosie bought at a pawn shop turns out to be a doorway into a secret world, the novel takes a disconcerting leap from gritty reality to mythic fantasy. When Norman follows Rosie and new boyfriend Bill into the painting, Norm merges with the mask to become a sort of Minotaur.
Norman's crimes, and the cunning with which he stalks his prey, are only too believable. In a fully realistic novel, his end would be predictable - lifelong incarceration in a prison for the criminally insane, or getting killed somehow. Only in a fantasy world with the aid of supernatural figures is it possible to wreak satisfying vengeance for such crimes.

I am a big fan of King's older material ("The Shining" being one of the BEST novels ever written), and this novel is good too. It contains characters that are well fleshed-out, including the villain! It was eerie to get that *close* to the mind of a psychopathic sadist like Norman, King's writing shines here. Rosie's mind is pretty well delved into as well, although I would have liked to have read more background into BOTH their minds. For instance, what made Norman so appealing in the first place? How long did they date? How could he not show ANY signs of being insane, when he was obviously completely so?
What made Norman so crazy? He was abused yes, but lots of people are and they don't grow up to bite people to pieces or beat their wives' noses in. More background would have been better.
But Norman does chill, and is a villain not easily forgotten.
My other complaint matches others' up here: The painting subplot seems out of place somehow. I imagine King was trying to find a supernatural way of dealing with a violent husband, and that's a refreshing spin on the tale.
But it just didn't really work. The dialogue between Rose Madder and Rosie just seemed muddled, and Norman/Rose Madder part while apt seemed rushed.
And the epilogue was terrible. It almost ruined the story, Rose became an unsympathetic character and not a triumphant heroine. A couple of pages sketching Rose's life afterwards would have been a good way to end it.
A very decent read, most King fans will like it.

The first Stephen King book I've ever read was "Christine" in sixth grade. I was instantly hooked, and I've been reading King's works for more than ten years now. Call me morbid, but I absolutely love what's going on inside the guy's head!

It's popular misconception that Stephen King is just a horror writer. Au contraire; most of King's work spans across genres. Rose Madder is one such example - while it has signature Stephen King gory scenes in it, I wouldn't exactly classify this as a horror novel. Psychological suspense? Applicable. A story of love and hope? It is that as well.

Rose McClendon-Daniels has endured fourteen years of abuse from her cop husband Norman. She's been through a miscarriage (prompted by Normie, of course), and endless beatings, but it takes one drop of blood on the bed sheets to make her realize that she has had enough. She takes a little of her husband's money and runs off to start a new life of her own.

However, being shut up in Norman's world for fourteen years has made our Ramblin' Rosie as innocent as a newborn babe. With very little money and nobody to run to, Rose is lucky enough to meet a string of kind strangers who helps her on her way to a new life. In just a few months, she has landed a decent-paying job, got a place of her own, lost weight, healed both physically and emotionally, and has started to fall in love again.

However, she can't stop looking over her shoulder, expecting to see him there. And right she is, for Norman, who can't get over the fact that Rose got away from him, is obsessively bent on hunting her down. And this is one cop that is very good at finding people.

One day, Rose finds a painting in a pawn shop. It depicts a woman in a rose-colored chiton, looking towards the horizon. It actually isn't even a very good painting, but Rose finds herself strangely drawn to it. She is inspired by the woman in the painting, and is empowered by this mysterious figure. Rosie finds strength she doesn't even know she possessed.

Meanwhile, Norman is closing in on her. His insane rage leaves a string of violent deaths- of people who has helped Rosie- in its wake. Rose McClendon, determined that nothing would destroy her life again, must stand against what terrifies her most: her husband.

Nobody tells a story like Stephen King does, and nobody creates living, breathing characters better than he does. Each character not only has a unique voice, but different accents as well. And this book screams women empowerment as well, which would definitely appeal to a feminist like yours truly.

The only thing that didn't sit right with me were the EXTREMELY long exchanges between the woman in the painting (whom I have baptized as Foxy) and Rose. Foxy plays a bigger role in eliminating Rose's problems than you might expect. I mean, magic and reality could go hand in hand pretty well in stories, but I just couldn't help feeling that all that mythological crap went way *shwing!* off the storyline.
I must admit, though, that picturing Normie as a minotaur (half-bull, half man) is just... so appropriate :P

This book is one of the few books that have struck a chord in me and made my normally stoic self go haywire with a rollercoaster of emotions. I wanted to strangle Rose for being such a pathetic idiot, but I couldn't help cheering her on as well. I felt mushy in the scenes with gentleman biker Bill, and I felt suffocated by Norman's presence in the story. I am disgusted yet fascinated with Psycho Norman who is the main character in the gory scenes. *chomp chomp chomp* I particularly loved the scene where Gert, the big momma self-defense teacher of Daughters and Sisters leaves a lasting mark on our Normie dearest. *grin*

Rose Madder is a beautiful story. It is a story of desperation, madness and death, but also of hope, kindness and the celebration of life. And that is what I loved most about the book - the striking contrast between the elements of the story. After all, the deepest, darkest desperation only serves to tremendously emphasize the tiniest ray of hope.

This book had me captured within the very 1st page. I was my 4th King novel, and it is a very different turn from his horror genre. It was a "realistic" story line but then quickly turns fantasy. But I do think it ties in very nicely to the story. If you have an open imagination, which I think you have to if you are a King reader you will like this book. I myself started out believeing the painting to be Rosie's "imagination", her sub-consious escape from Norman and her horrible reality of her past. But as the book goes on, it really dosn't seem that way. But I still liked it. It could have maybe been helpfull if King explained a little more about this part of the plot. All in all I thought it was a great book. He keeps you wondering what will happen next, and the characters are very captivating. Rose is a very deeply created character.

I love Stephen King. I think he has a way of capturing the essence of a scene and putting you wholly into the environment of his story. This book does not seem to hold that same magic. The plot is simple enough and interesting, the characters are not. As I read through the book, I found myself scanning sections for relevant paragraphs and doing my best to skip the rest. It felt disheartening to me because I often feel like I am starved for each new sentence and never able to get my fill when I am reading his work. This is a book I would recommend when you are looking for something of his to read and you've ran out of other options. He does tie in some of his dark tower connections here, which was pleasant although scant.

I am a huge Stephen King fan, but I found this book to be one of his weaker efforts. The story centers on a woman named Rose Daniels, who escapes the wrath of her husband, Norman, after being subjected to extreme abuse for 14 years. She moves to a new city, and falls in with a group of women at a halfway house while Norman hunts her down with murder on his mind.

In my opinion, the best parts of the book were told from Norman's point of view. He is one sick individual, and King masterfully intertwines Norman's inhumanity with black humor. Norman's thoughts will make you laugh and cringe at the same time.

All the characters in the book, including the minor ones, have their own personality and depth, which is one of King's many great talents. The suspenseful and terrifying climax of the story(when Norman finally catches up to Rose) was excellent, and Norman's gradual degradation into pure insanity is both believable and horrifying.

Despite all this, "Rose Madder" is a very flawed book. King does an overall good job at portraying how inept Rose is at interacting with others after being kept prisoner at her house with Norman for so long, except for the fact that she so readily dives into a relationship with another man.

My main complaint however, is the magical/haunted/cursed painting, which is one of the main factors in the story. There is a large chunk in the book where Rose goes into the painting, and I found this to be tedious and dull. I thought the book could have done without the painting side story, as it seemed to be hastily tacked on the the rest of the story so that the book could have a supernatural aspect. Frankly, I thought Norman was much creepier than the painting.

Yeah, Stephen King has written some awesome books. But 'Rose Madder' certainly isn't one of them. Like a number of his books, 'Rose Madder' starts of well and has interesting characters. But then the author throws in a kooky supernatural twist that turns what was an interesting book into a bore. This is a shame because a story about domestic abuse could have been compelling.

Bottom line: a wasted opportunity. Not recommended.

"Relentlessly paced and brilliantly orchestrated, this cat-and-mouse game of a novel is one of King's most engrossing and topical horror stories. At the center of the action is heroine Rose McClendon, a battered wife who starts life anew by leaving her police officer husband, a consummately cruel man depicted by King as a paragon of evil. Crowded with character and incident, the novel builds to a nearly apocalyptic conclusion that combines the best of King's long novels -the breadth of vision of 'The Stand', for example - with the focused plot and careful psychological portraiture of 'Dolores Claiborne'. The story of Rose's joyous growth from tortured wife (her persecution gruesomely but realistically portrayed) to independent woman alternates with the terrifying details of her husband's deliberate pursuit to create unflagging tension. The book is a phantasmagorical roller-coaster ride, peopled by a broad array of indelibly characterized men and women and fueled by an air of danger that is immediate and overwhelming." - This a dark-hued fable of the gender wars, a haunting love story, and a hold-your-breath-until- you gasp from the suspense

After years of mental and physical abuse by her husband, Rosie Daniels is shocked into making a stand when seeing a single drop of blood. With no contacts, no skills, and nowhere to go Rosie finds strength in a peculiar painting she finds in a pawn shop. Slowly she begins creating a new life. But she knows her husband Norman is searching for her with instincts developed from being a career cop. If this story had been written by just about any other writer of horror it would be considered a success. But King has always proved himself a cut above the rest and ROSE MADDER is run of the mill by his standards. However, he still does a great job developing the two main characters. Watching Rosie blossom and Norman regress is a real treat...

King has written a masterpiece with "Rose Madder". The tale involves a woman pursued by a monster much more terrifying than any vampire or werewolf, namely the woman's abusive police officer husband who's weak grip on sanity breaks as he trails his runaway wife. King's great characters shine as does the realistic plot. I had read many King novels that came out before "Rose Madder" and had noticed that some of them started to repeat themselves plot-wise (basically small town people tackling a monster of some sort). I had thought King himself had run out of ideas until I read this book. King has once again proved himself a great storyteller.

Susan Maze
Book Review-Rose Madder

I really enjoyed reading the book Rose Madder written by Stephen King. In Rose Madder the main character Rose, has been abused and tortured physically and sexually for many years. She wakes up out of her dream world and decides to change her life; all it took was one drop of blood.
It was very easy to keep turning the page. King writes as Rose and as her husband, Norman. While writing as Rose he tells of her new life and how she is trying to put it back together, even though her fear of her husband finding her is always first in her mind. While writing as Norman he switches completely to a very deranged man who happens to be a cop with animal like instincts on the hunt for his wife. I felt that King did a great job at switching back and forth between the two personalities.
Once Rose moves on with her life in a new city, with a new job, she finds a painting that seemed to be calling her name. There is a woman in the painting standing on a hill in a rose madder colored robe. She is standing with her back to the viewer. Rose realizes that the painting seems to be changing, getting bigger. She takes the back off of the painting and finds it is filled with different items out of the painting, something is not right. When she wakes up that night the painting has turned in to some kind of gateway into another world. When she entered the painting everything symbolized some past event in her life. King did a wonderful job connecting Rose's life to the painting. The switch between reality and the supernatural world was a huge surprise to me.
Rose is trying to forget about Norman, but his hunt for her has proven successful. She has no other option than to enter the painting and try to hide from him. The beginning of this book is very realistic, but that changes. This book has a very supernatural ending but one that is very enjoyable. I would recommend this book to anyone Stephen King fan or not.

Rose Madder was the first King's book I read. It was two weeks ago. Ealier I only heard many times on TV that King is a real American KING of horror. I'm a curious person so I wanted to check what this guy write indeed. I took Rose Madder. And I've simply felt in love with his style, his ideas, his way of showing people, things and situations... Now I,m in the middle of "Insomnia" and insomnia became a state of my mind - i can't sleep when unreaded King's book lie at my bed. My schedule for the next weeks ? To read all books by King available in Poland. Mr King -I,m the new soul and mind belonging to your KINGdom. Thank you. Alice Radej, Poland

Sttephen Kings book "Rose Madder" is a book that combines, fantasy, reality, gore, and humor. This is the first Stephen King book I've ever read, and it scared me. It is one of the most chilling books on the market. The book takes off right from the beginning. The two main characters; Rose McClendon- Daniels, and Norman Daniels are definetly another couple having problems. What scared me the most about this book is how inhuman Norman Daniels seemed to be. I mean..laughing as your wife has a miscarrage..come on..thats sick.In some places this is a major grossout book, and in some places, scary, but funny, especially the confrontation between a hefty black woman named Gert, and the villian, Norman. Hilarious! I must say this; Stephen king has created a story that will chill you right down to the bone. Go buy this book today and prepare yourself to laugh, cry, hate, and be absolutely terrified.

Well, since this is the first time I've ever read a King novel I have to say that my opinion will be a little slighted but after I read "Rose Madder", I immediately went online and ordered "IT". I absolutely loved this book. I usually stick to the classics but I happened upon "Rose Madder" and could NOT put it down. The characters were very real and likeable, although the dialogue was sometimes forced. The story line really kept my pages turnng but I have to admit that I was a little disapointed at the end. However, I really did enjoy the book and it seems that now Stephen King has one more fan among the many. Cheers!!

I used to like King's novels, but as I grew older, I found some of the themes he choses for his stories to be on the childish side. With Rose Madder, King seems to want to grow up and tackle a serious subject-that of spousal abuse. However, he fails miserably for the simple reason that the book is damn boring. Moreover, King's patented stupidity creeps in here and there, mixing fantasy and other boring silliness, when the subject of spousal abuse itself would have been enough to provide serious horror and drama. Also, the villain (norman something) is too one-sided and cartoon-like to be ever taken seriously. In short, the book is a phony mixture of melodrama and silliness. that'll put most readers to sleep.

no matter how i look at this work, ican't be satisfied. a wife runs from an abusive husband. she must create a new life. her husband begins to hunt for her. but that is part A. part B is that there is another world welcoming rose, trying to protect here. here is where the real goodies are. good descriptions, though not that great in concept. pretty bad actually. but this is where it gets interesting. actually the book may not be so bad, but it got abit confusing. was i supposed to experience thrills? horror? drama? this seemed to be a mix. the synthesis isn't healthy. some of the stuff here gets...corny. especially between rose and her "admirer". this could have been a good read, but it's so mixed i'm having problems digesting it. it just seemed incomplete, confusing, or a bit amateurish.

This book was excellent. It kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the whole thing! The beginning did start off a little bit slow, but for all those Stephen King fans out there, you all know that it's usually how it goes but Stephen King seems to always make it up to us by putting us on the edge of our seats before too long! At first it was seeming like this could be an actual event that could happen, but then as soon as Ms. McClendon started experiencing some odd things :) and ze bool.. I realized that this was definately a novel made by the master of horror :) Oddly enough though, the ending was a little surprising .. definately not something I was expecting :) I do recommend this book though.. once ya get by the first chapter it pretty much takes off and doesn't let go till the end :)

I really thought that this book was excellent! i don't really know if this is a book for everyone, I mean many men probably wouldn't like this book because in my opinion it TOTALLY trashes the male character, this is only a book that i would recomend for DIEHARD king fans, some books are better for the older women who like horror stories and this is defintely a novel that I would only recommend for people who don't really like many of kings othr novels becuase this is a MUCH MUCH different type of book than some other types of scary novels and its MUCH MUCH different than any of the others that i read b4! ! ! ! ! !!!!! ! the DeadZone being an example i fuond these books to be profoundly different
Well i 'd just like to say that this book is mych better than say Hearts In Atlantis, i found that nostalgic and DULL but not very good at all, i found elements the same in that book and in Rose Maddr however, for instance he uses crazy and unbeleivable supernatural powers to make both books remotley intersesting and as an afterthought i'm going to decide to change my original 4 star rating to a 2 star, i alluded to things that i hadn't tought of b4 and i ralizedthat this book isn' t original at all!
ONLY FOR DIE HARD KING FANS AND THE OLDER WOMEN!

Yet another great Stephen King book, I'll tell you a little about it
Rose Daniels is a abused wife, that it afraid to do anything that make her husband angry, especially to try and leave him. But after fourteen years and one miscarriage later, Rose finally gets up the courage to leave, and goes to a battered woman shelter. Finally, she hopes to have a better life, without her husband, Norman. But is she really free from Norman's shadow? Because Norman is a cop with the instincts of a predator, and he will go to any lengths to teach Rose a lesson. And Rose's only hope may lay in a strange, spell-binding picture.

Rose Daniels is a frightened, abused creepmouse of a woman living with her abusive cop husband, Norman. He's spanked her, bit her, cut her, threatened to kill her, raped her, and he even beat her baby girl out of her one night. Nevertheless she stays with him until fourteen years later she realizes she has to run away while he's at work. Just leave. Fast. She steals his bank card and takes a train to a city hundreds of miles away where she begins to rebuild and repair her life. But Norman is searching for her. Norman is furious. And he's determined to make her pay. My favorite Stephen King book, next to Pet Sematary and Misery. Don't miss it, but feel free to miss Carrie, that one stunk.

I know I'm the only dissenting voice here, but I found the first 100 pages so thickly padded and overwritten that I couldn't continue. King does here as he does in CHRISTINE: he provides EVERY SINGLE THOUGHT the main character thinks as she's going through her day when all King has to do (as he does in his masterpieces, THE SHINING, CARRIE and THE STAND) is say the idea once, then move on with the action. He has entire pages or sections of pages of thoughts so thoroughly masticated that I kept yearning for the plot to start to move. As I said, I'm the only dissenting voice here, but I just don't have the time to wade through over-written prose from a writer who clearly knows better.

I would say secondarily that the picture of Rose's husband, a cop and a detective, is drawn so monstrously that I found myself thinking that a man like that would have long since gotten thrown off the police force. And Rose, of course, lingers for 14 years in a horrible marriage that she should have abandoned long ago. These days it's hard for any woman to go unnoticed walking around with broken bones, bruised faces and crushed kidneys. I just couldn't accept that conceit. I've known women like Rose before and they leave well short of 14 years or their husbands finally get around to killing them. A man that abusive is a sociopath and his sociopathology exhibits itself early on. Yes, it's true that there are good cops and bad cops, but this guy isn't believable being on the force for so long and being a monster at home.

But, then, this is Stephen King and his readers will forgive him anything. I have the time to forgive him for writing this book; I just don't have the time to finish reading it.

Brilliant storytelling by a master writer. This begins as a story we can all relate to for women such as Rose are shown regularly on the evening news, victims of domestic violence pursued by violent husbands... Only this work is by Stephen King and that is where the story changes form what you hear about on the news. Read it, it is powerful. I loved it.

My absolute favorite Steven King book. I've owned this title for a few years and have read it at least 4 times. I've passed it to coworkers and friends who have loved it also. This isn't his most famous book but in my opinion one of his best.

From the moment I picked up the book and read the first sentence I was captivated. Stephen King outdid himself with this novel and immediately I felt that I could feel Rose's pain. I felt as though I could feel her paranoia, her anxiety, and her fear. The realism of her life was mind rattling. Through Kings words I felt nervous with her as she decided to move on with her life. I cheered with her when she was at her highs and felt her pain when she was at her lows. I wanted her to get far and be happy. I wanted her husband to fail.

The negative side to this novel was the sudden turn of realism. I found it disappointing, and didn't understand why Stephen decided to turn this perfect storyline into a toy that was being played by fantasy. The book took a turn and the story became bleak, slow, and all the heartfelt emotion was drained away. The ending also left me disappointed because I felt that many things in Rose didn't improve, actually may have even gotten worse, and pulled her back.

Despite the negative I still find this novel to be amazing. I would and do recommend it to anyone since this has become my favorite book.

Rose Madder is another one of King's best novels. Everyone has heard of someone in an abusive relationship, but King shows how frightening it can be. King uses very vivid descriptions to show how abusive some people can get. When the wife decides it must stop, things get worse.
What would you do if you had a cop that would rather see you dead as to look at you? I recommend this book to anyone who likes suspense and action. This book is loaded with action from the start. Few authors could make so many number one best sellers but King has done it. This was a great action packed book.

I love books by Stephen King and some of them like The Stand, Misery, It, The Green Mile etc. stand out as some of my best ever reads. Unfortunately, Rose Madder, whilst enjoyable enough, didn't grip me like some of his others. Good but not great.

I started reading Stephen King novels when he was first publishing them in 1974. With the novel "Carrie", I was hooked!
I somehow missed "Rose Madder" in the reading order, but when I did get to read it, it has haunted me.
This book has become one of my favorites!!!

While reading Rose Madder, I was utterly mesmirized by the story's content. Rose was a character that you knew. Someone, somewhere in our deep, dark vast pshche (or for some the physical realm) we can identify or be identified as Rose Daniels. Although walking through the picture was a bit fantasy, isn't that what the author is trying to project as a release for Rose to escape to. I feel that the fantasy sequence was a methaphor to what so many abuse victims do, they escape to reality into another world. It has been two years since I read Rose Madder; I still think about her often.

One of my all time favorite stories. In typical King fashion, we get deep into the hearts and minds of the characters. We can totally empathize with Rose, the terror she feels towards her brutal husband, her paralyzing fear as she goes out into the world all alone. We cheer for her as she begins her new life, finds friends, finds herself, and maybe even love.
This was the first audio book I ever purchased, and I have to admit, it's been hard to find ones that measure up to this. The story is written from two perspectives - the villain, Norman, and his wife, Rosie, who finally leaves him after years of violent abuse. At first I thought it was odd that there were "Rose chapters" and "Norman chapters", but as the story progressed, I found that it really enhanced the story. As Norman goes 'trolling' for Rose, their stories begin to overlap. As he closes is on her, the chapters seems to close in on each other as well - it really adds to the tension. It's actually quite brilliant.
The story is read by Stephen King (who reads the Norman chapters) and Blair Underwood (who reads the Rosie chapters). Although I am not usually a big fan of Stephen King's audio reading (I find his voice kind of annoying), in this case it suits the story. And Blair Underwood is absolutely amazing. Since hearing her read this book, I've purchased other works she's read, just for her reading.
This is definitely an audio book worth getting!

The book, Rose Madder, is an excellent work of art. It is one of many Stephen King books I've read. He has a great ability. His books are the most frightning books. The only book that is any scarier is The Hot Zone by Richard Preston. This book is realistic in the way that a wife, Rosie, is being beaten by her husband, Norman. The only thing that is not so real is the fact she walks into a painting and has a twin on that side. My favorite book by this author is Carrie. It is a horrifying book. This book is also great. I recomend it to anyone who wants a good book to read.

Rose Madder is a haunting tale of violent, decades-long domestic violence and the magic of freedom.

Rose is married to Norman, who is a detective for the local police department. Rose is a gentle, peace loving woman who's wedding night saw her bitten, branded. She has been beaten, raped repeatedly over the years, and mentally cowered into a daze that holds her under his thumb for years. Even after she gets pregnant and punches her in the stomach, she stays. Until the single drop of blood on her pillow helps her see if she doesn't get out, he'll kill her.

Rose runs. That very day, with Normans credit card. She hits the bus station and leaves town and it's the theft of the credit card that angers her husband, more than her running.

Up to this point, the story is all Rose and Norman and their past. It is told with King's usual suspense and the reader immediately loves someone and loathes someone.

Rose finds refuge at a women's shelter and makes friends. She settles in, finding a good job and thought she fears Norman will follow her, she begins seeing someone.

While Rose is building her new life, Norman is looking for her. During this time, the reader is filled in on how violent and potentially crazy her husband really is. Norman will never stop looking and when he gets a break, his card turns up, he uses brute force to make the witness give him information. Then he heads off to find his missing wife.

Rose has found a painting in a local pawn shop, a mystic picture featuring a mostly cloaked woman and observations reveal the things in it change. Each day, a bit more of the mysterious female is revealed and Rose's dreams are full of danger as they try to warn her Norman is coming.

Norman's first night in town is a bloody one, where definite signs of insanity are clear and he kills a shelter friend to gain information on Rose. He goes to the shelter but only for reconnaissance and sets his plans. Rose, meanwhile, has fallen in love. Her new man is everything Norman is not and her happiness allows her to accept the odd things happening with her painting. Her happiness is complete. Until Norman tracks her down and follows her and the new man home. Then it's a fight her life.

This is a great book and much better than the usual horror Stephen King produces. It has been suggested he would have a great career in 'real' literature and while I love all his work, I agree. He's better than what he currently writes.
Out of five stars, Rose Madder gets four.

These three stories are not King's best works, but they are indeed great works. King's books are always interesting and fun to read. He has made an art of horror in modern literature.
The first story, Dolores Claiborne, is really a story about the trying times between a mother and a daughter. Dolores has been accused of killing the elderly lady she has taken care of for years. Her daughter, who she has not seen in years, comes to help her with the her legal problems. Soon the story takes a turn, going back 20 years to another murder that might have been done by Dolores. It was the murder of her husband...This is a very interesting story that takes wild turns and twist until the dramatic end.

Insomnia is the second novel included in this collection. This is a longer story about a man whose bad case of insomnia drives him near madness. But is his sleep problems all mental, or is there an outside force working on him and the town he inhabits? This story won't put you to sleep.

The last story in this collection is Rose Madder. Rose's husband, a small town cop, seemed like a good man when she decided to marry him, but she soon finds out she is wrong. He turns out to be a monsterious wife beater. She lives in hell with him for 10 years before finally walking out on him while he is at work. With nothing to her name she heads to the big city. But still she is not safe from her maniac husband, who begins a killing spree across the country to find his wife, Rose, and to make sure she knows that no one ever leaves him.

This is a great collection of Stephen King's novels. So get it, turn off all the lights in your house, and enter King's nightmare world of horror.

ROSE MADDER is one of the best books that I have read that has made my stomach cramp up in pain of the thought that somthing so terrible could happen to a human living creature. This unexpected feeling of fear is going to drive you to the edge of your seat. You will want to skip a head to find out what happens next. From the picture on the wall turning into reality to the women with the hideous face, that you dare not look into, you will fall in love with another one of Stephen King's novels. If you love unexpected things, then you will love ROSE MADDER by Stephen King.

...a touch of The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe!!

I enjoyed (if that's the right word) the concept of the story and felt that King seemed to have remarkable insight into what the main character, Rose was feeling. He rather scarily manages to get into the head of a psychotic abuser too.

However I just didn't feel very happy with the ending. I felt it had kind of lost it's way from the stark reality of most of the book to a vague unsatisfying surreal feel.

I would still recommend reading it, but the ending just left me feeling a little cheated.

Rose Daniels is a very unlucky woman. Her husband, Norman, beats her constantly, causing her to suffer a miscarriage. Rose considers leaving Norman but dismisses the idea as he is a policeman, and is excellent at finding people. Norman also has been accused of assaulting another woman while on duty. The subsequent lawsuit and Internal Affairs investigation has made him even more volatile.

Rose does eventually run, and then she buys a strange painting with no signature from a pawn shop...then her life starts improving. Of course, nothing in a King book is what it seems, and the painting is like a "looking glass" that Rose can enter to explore. But what she meets in the other world is not what she expects. There is danger for Rose in both worlds now, and she must use her wits to save not only her life, but also her soul.

This is a deep and magical read, penned by the master, and it should be let cross into your world, if only for a few hours.

Relic113

Steven King has done it again. He has managed to keep me in suspense with every turning of the page. Rose Madder is about Rose, an abused wife who has been in fear of her husband Norman Daniels for fourteen years. Norman Daniels is a dedicated cop and is an abusive husband. Rose then notices one morning a drop of blood on her plain white bed spread and she is then persuaded to flee from her home in search of a new life. She managed to escape, but Rose fails to realize that because Norman is a cop he can easily track anyone down. The entire book is excellent to read when you have too much time on your hands.

I'm a huge Stephen King fan!! However, I don't blindly love all of his work. Rose Madder is an excellent story. An abused woman goes on the run from her abusive cop husband. She runs far away and is taken in by an excellent women's shelter, called Daughter's and Sister's. Her husband has gone completely nuts and is hot on her trail. The woman has a new outlook and good new friends, but are they strong enough to go up against a killer with nothing to lose? Add in a magical painting that opens into another world, and boom! Magic!!

To paraphrase Homer Simpson: Boooooooooring!! Jesus H. Christ! Makes you wonder what the Hell is King taking us for. Are we Constant Readers, or are we Absolute Idiots to buy this kind of thing?? Not that it doesn't have it's good part here or there, I am not saying that, but I'll say this: King becoming moralistic?? Writing about "real life dramas of wives being beaten"??? Ooooh come on Mr. King! We are tired of being cheated out anymore! Do us a favour and re-write the good old stuff. Who knows, re-read Pet Sematary or The Shining and get your cogs oiled.

This book was absolutely the worst book that I have ever read in my life, including all of the little teeny-bopper novels I reveled in in my teen years. Nora, the main character, was sadly also the most irritating and flattest character, and I almost ripped the book into shreds when I reached the final chapters. I can't believe that I forced myself to finish reading this book and that I wasted my 5.95 or however much it was on it. I hope Stephen King gets himself together after writing one of his most mundane, predictable, and silliest novels ever. I feel sorry for whoever takes the time out to read this,

After reading Stephen King's Rose Madder, I found that I liked the book, however, it was very strange. First of all, it was a very well written book. The character descriptions were amazing. Stephen King's writing enables you to actually draw a picture in your head of what is going on.
While this book was good, it did have a lot of supernatural strangeness. The picture that Rose buys is the strangest part of the story. This picture gives her courage and strength to try and live on her own, away from her abusive husband. If you read this story pay attention to the picture and what happens to it throughout the story.
The husband, who is absolutely determined to find Rose, brings an exciting conflict to the story. He is a crazed husband who uses vulgar language, violent acts, and overpowering moods to frighten everyone he comes across. As the story progresses he becomes a killer on the prowl for his prey.
Although I thought this book was very good overall, the one thing I did not really like was that sometimes Stephen King got a somewhat over descriptive. Even though the descriptions were amazing, there were a few instances where he went so into detail that it could bore you. For instance, King describes exactly what everyone is wearing, which would be fine accept by the end you did not want to know what they were wearing but rather, what was going on in the background.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I would highly recommend this book to anyone, especially those who enjoy somewhat weird science fiction stories.

Stephen King is a writer, one that I enjoy reading almost all he has written. This book is a good one.

The plot involves Rosie Daniels who flees from her husband after fourteen years of marriage. She tries to hide from him but as he is a policeman and has good instincts for finding people and is a little crazy may help him find her.

It is typical Stephen King. A read good read.

J. Robert Ewbank author "John Wesley, Natural Man, and the 'Isms'"

I love Rose Madder, it is my all time favorite book. I needed to buy a new copy because I wore my old one out, and I wanted another hard cover copy. I found a really great deal on one, it was only $1 and shipping was like $5. So, I waited and waited and finally it came in the mail. The dealer I purchased it from had wrapped it in flimsy Christmas wrapping paper and half the wrapping paper was gone and the book was all torn up! Instead of putting it in a box or padded envelope, the seller chose to pocket the shipping and handling money. I was so angry, no book should endure that kind of damage. I will never buy from this seller again! Beware!

...a touch of The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe!!

I enjoyed (if that's the right word) the concept of the story and felt that King seemed to have remarkable insight into what the main character, Rose was feeling. He rather scarily manages to get into the head of a psychotic abuser too.

However I just didn't feel very happy with the ending. I felt it had kind of lost it's way from the stark reality of most of the book to a vague unsatisfying surreal feel.

I would still recommend reading it, but the ending just left me feeling a little cheated.

Rose Madder begins as Rosie leaves her abusive husband after 14 years of violence. What a great start! The characters are King's most real and 3 dimentional ever. Rosie exibits all the classic signs of an abused woman. She show the strength to leave and try to begin her life again. Norman, her husband, is the scariest villain in any King novel. This is because he is belivable. He is driven by human emotions: hate, pride, lust, insanity. Norman could give Hanibal Lector a run for his money. Which brings me to why I gave 3 stars instead of 5. Just when things start to get interesting King introduces a supernatural element. I know, I know, I'm reading a Stephen King novel, but I feel this one could have done without his usual ghosts and demons. The supernatural elements felt forced and out of place. The characters alone could have driven this novel to a satisfing conclusion. Good but could have been better.

Like many of the other reveiwers found, this book started good! But the fantasy ending just didn't quite work. I'm a lover of his fantasy novels (for a real treat, read Insomnia), but this book proved, in the end, to be 150 pages too long. The 'dream' sequence halfway through was wasteful, as it was just repeated 'for real' later, and the book would have been better with just one trip 'through the woods'. Some very good unsettling parts, and the painting being an interesting and encouraging metaphore for Rose was a great idea, but it just went too far, maybe king decided he wanted to play it safe and stick with the tried and tested methods of his usual works? Not as refreshingly new as i thought it would be.

Rose Madder is the story of a woman who has been abused by her husband for fifteen years and decides enough is enough and leaves while he is away at work.
I felt this book was a fantastic piece of literature up until King made it into a fantasy type of story. It was really believable at first, both the story and the characters. I was hooked into it the moment I picked it up and through most of it I could not put it down. I was curious to see what would happen to Rose on her quest to escape her horrible life and her husband, Norman, was one of King's best villians.
I know King is a horror writer and tends to add a bit of the supernatural to his novels but I think this one should have been the exception. I feel he ruined a perfect story by adding the silly stuff at the end.
But overall, I would still recommend this book. It was one of his best.
P.S. Please read my other reviews.

Two things that spoilt this story. First is the length. The story could easily have been done in under 350 pages. King is renowned for he's attention to detail; however, the detail presented was overkill and many times didn't add value to the storyline. Secondly, the ending was disappointing. I found the fantasy ending a bit disjointed from the original storyline, (suspense thriller ending on a fantasy fairy tale?).

Rose Madder by Stephen King is an excellent book, although I will admit that it is not necessarily the best. (If you are looking for excellence, read the Dark Tower series.) But, it's a complex, intricate tale that only a brilliant mind such as Stephen King could put together.

Rosie, the main character, is probably my favourite female character from any of King's books. She almost seems to jump off the page, she's so realistic. And Norman is almost just as believable. The way Norman will talk to himself is slightly humorous. He's the kind of guy you just have to hate.

The plot alone makes this book worth reading. It's a completely normal tale of an abused woman, up until a certain point. (It all began with finding a cricket...) Suddenly, it takes a sudden turn into that lovely Stephen King world we all know and love.

So, should you read this book? Yes. It's a worthwhile read, but don't expect it to become your new favourite. Most Stephen King fans should enjoy Rose Madder. It's an engrossing, compelling read. But, don't just take MY word for it, read it for yourself!

Most people who read this book and give 1 star ratings fail to miss the underlying meaning of this book, as other books of king. If any of you have ever read the Dark Tower series you would notice the connection with the painting and Roland's (the protagonist) world. And you would know who rose madder really is, why the child had to be rescued despite the risks, what the painting represents (see Insomnia), and a whole lot of other things. And the importance of the bull most of all.

From start to finish this was suspenseful, scary and I actually cried at a point.

Rose is an abused wife that one day finds what she needs to get up and out of her horror of a marriage. She starts a new life with friends at a shelter, but her bull of a husband does not give up on finding her and "talking to her real good". Excellent climax. This is an everything book. Love, romance, humour, horror, mystery and all very well written.

I TRULY LOVED THIS BOOK.

Rose Madder is a touching tale of a woman whose husband; also a police chief, abuses her and how she manages to escape his obsession and resources to find her. As the reader, you find you are with Rose in spirit as she breaks free of Norman and leaves the town he has authority over. I felt empowered as a woman to see another take control of her life however, I was disappointed to find she meets another man and falls in love. I wanted to see Rose build a life without a man to validate it and protect her. The details of the painting that Rose purchases are hard to grasp and a little repetitive however, very original that it should have such a consistency throughout the novel. Some points of the novel are told from Norman's perspective; his narrative almost makes you feel sympathetic towards him, a very interesting touch and a classic writing style of Stephen King's. My copy of the novel has a picture of the painting, I hope that yours does too because it makes the novel even more eerie. This novel reminds me of a Shakespearian tragic-comedy (an ironic genre). Rose Madder is a romantic-horror; it touches the heart but makes the spine tingle.

While reading this book, I couldn't help but be drawn by the fact that a man wrote this book. I'm still not sure I really believe it.
Stephen has managed to not only get into the mechanics of a female brain, but MANY female brains, all the while having the paradoxically chauvinistic Norman shadow the pages.
This is a book to be relished; both beautiful and painful, it is often an overlooked story (much like Gerald's Game by SK)you should take your time to appreciate every layer of the story, not just what's written.

Stephen King has really taken it away with this one. He keeps you on your toes as you turn from one page to the next. Once you start turning those pages it is really hard to stop. You yurn for more and more and have to fight yourself to put the book down. The book starts out with a very dramatic scene of a woman being battered for 14 years who finally decides she has had enough. She has been beaten since about a month after the wedding but after having her own baby beaten out of her, finds the courage to leave. However as the book continues this tough journey away from her husband, Norman, is going to be a bigger battle than Rose thought. She almost bets this is a battle that she will lose.
King really keeps you on your toes and uses great details throughout the entire book really letting you feel like you are there. You can feel the wind blowing or hear the man creeping up on you. sometimes you can even fell Norman whispering in your head, like he is talking to you and not Rose. He never leaves you in the dark with whats going on, but keeps you in the dark about what is getting ready to happen. It keeps you intensified and keeps the book in your hand. From harsh language to even worse beatings, King gives you enough details to help you visualize that you are really there.
As King takes you on a thrill filled roller coaster, the chase down of Rose Daniels gets more intense. At moments you will think the book is coming to end and another adventure will just be beginning. It is one thrill right after the next. And the thrills get more exciting as the book goes on.
However throughout the book King also makes it easy for a person to put theirself in that situation, and as one begins to put themself in that position that fear only becomes more exciting and real. it alomost becomes personal. While reading the book one might become scared for Rose's life but when a person puts theirself in that mind set they begin to fear for their own life and might even forget that they are only reading a book.
King does not avoid confusing you in this book however. There are times when the reader might think that they are never going to figure out what he is talking about but within time it will be very clear.
That is another great point about this book is that things that might seem unclear at first, but they always explain themselves later.
This book is overall about a young bride who lives in a world of hell for fourteen years. Her husband is a cop so she has noone to run to. Her family is gone and she feels alone in this world. The book takes you through her long journey that she must face if she wishes to become a free woman. A woman that will no longer be beaten by a man who can not possibly really love her. But will she realy ever escape him and find new love and be allowed to live a happy life? Read this one of a kind, spine chilling, mind boggling, Stephen King thriller and find out for yourself. Live Rose's life through this book and experience the battles lost and the battles won.

This book is GREAT! It told of spousal abuse, and revenge. They part about the paint world was weird, but after I thought about it I kinda liked it. The bull that Norman Daniels turns into I believe shows what Rosie thought of her husband, it was all the hatred, fear, and anger she saw in him, and she symbolized it as a bull. I might only be twelve, but I have read about ten Stephen King books, and I have to believe I am mature enough to understand the parts of spousal abuse.

I almost wanted to give it 5 stars, just becuz to ME, it's Stephen King's writing at it's best. His WRITING. Not necessarily his storytelling. I personally happen to love his writing just as much as his stories themselves. I didnt want to miss a WORD of this book. There is no author like him, to me - and i read many, many other authors also.

It did get a little long to me...and i'm not big on "suspense," but when he's writing it, i'll eat it up...his style makes everything fun to read. I wouldnt tell anyone who loves Stephen King to "skip this one." I loved it!!

A good idea ruined by Stephen King-stupidness. In my opinion, the last good novel this guy wrote was Misery. Since trying to stay awake through Insomnia and loathing Regulators, I've decided to give the rest of his novels 100 pages before I decide to trash it or stay with it. Life is just too short to waste time when there are so many far superior authors out there. If I didn't keep getting these Stephen Kings as gifts I probably wouldn't bother at all. On to the review: I have to admit, by page 80 I was very hooked. Everything went along quite nicely until around page 300, when the patented Stephen King-stupidness kicked in. You know what I mean: the villian starts spewing that gawd-awful baby-talk...."Anna-Anna-bo-Banna, banna-fanna-fo-Fanna". Give me a break. When is King going to grow up with his readers? He's writing for 16 year-olds. I've lost all desire to read any more King.

This book must have been published due to the past glories of the author. It almost seems like he farmed it out to a hired team to write. For me, it was basically a short story that has been elongated with incredibly boring details to over 400 pages. A hundred pages could possibly have done this idea justice. The characters are fairly shallow. The main antagonist, Norman Daniels, is such a perfectly bad guy that he becomes laughable and funny.

When our man Daniels is finally overcome, you see that there's quite a few pages to go and you wonder WTH else can be added to this tedium. The supernatural details, a painting that becomes a portal to another dimension, seems to have been added to the story deep within the book as an afterthought. Of course King hates happy endings, and this book has one that's not that; this ending possibly came to him from a seven year old kid. It's stupid and makes little sense.

This is like a "Night Gallery" or "Twilight Zone" episode that goes on way longer than it has to. I'll take Dean R. Koontz any day for this genre.

Rose Madder is a great read. The book is like an exciting lifetime battered woman movie, with the battered spouse escaping the hellish situation. The friends that Rose makes at the shelter are realistic depictions of women, and Rose is such a sympathetic likeable character. The supernatural elements involving the painting, fox, etc are so fabulous and surreal. The supernatural used here in my opinion really really works and is just great. Don't Miss Rose Madder.

The more I read by Stephen King, the more entranced I become by his work as a whole. In particular, I have come to seek out the various threads of the Dark Tower that are woven through many of his books. Rose Madder, which does indeed weave itself into King's masterwork (while maintaining its viability as a "stand-alone" novel) is a masterpiece.
Norman Daniels, though thoroughly human, is a monster more horrible that many of King's worst beasts. Cujo has nothing on him when it comes to ferocity. Annie Wilkes looks downright domestic when compared to Normie.
Yet evil is not the whole name of the game in Rose Madder. It is more of a story about finding life-even in the shadow of death. Norman's wife Rose is a character for the ages (one of King's greatest creations)-and in spite of Norman-this is her story.
I don't want to give away too much of this wonderful story. Rose Madder is a masterpiece of gradual revelation. So rather than sucking the life out of it, I'll just make a few random comments:
First, I give this book my full recommendation. There are scenes of horrid nastiness here...yet there are also moments of great hope and beauty. King captures a great truth of life in this.
Rose Madder has some wonderfully developed minor characters (one of which becomes a big character in one of King's later novels-Desperation). One character-Gert, is my all time favorite "King" minor character. She sends Norman a great "message."
I must finally note that the audio version of this book is wonderfully done by both King (Norman's Perspective) and Blair Brown (Rose's Perspective). Rose Madder is certainly not King's most "important" or even representative novel. That said--it still gets my five stars.

Stephen King is a writer I enjoyed a lot in my 20s. I loved his ability to summon up likeable and believable characters and put them into credible, detailed - though often horrendous - environments. While his little literary tricks were sometimes annnoying, they usually avoided standing out to such a degree that you wanted to give a book up in frustration and move onto something more substantial instead. But not here.

Not here at all.

Yeah, like that one.

My belief is that Stephen King needs to keep himself away from his typewriter/computer if he he is going to find himself reduced to destroying a reasonable read half way through because he simply *must* add some pointless, vague fantasy to the mix. The two "dream sequences" succeed only in slapping the reader about the face with some of the most pointless, self-indulgent twaddle it has ever been my misfortune to read. Then there is the little matter of Norman Daniels being the most idiotically over the top villain he has yet created. How did his wife ("Rosie... Rosie Real" - yawn) live with such a nutter for 14 days never mind 14 years? His madness and vileness are so one-dimensional that they beggar belief. A good villain has conflicts and grey areas, not the monotony of endless racist, misogynistic and cannibalistic (!) ramblings and deeds. Norman Daniels is a poor excuse for a villain due to this utterly unbelievability. Meanwhile, we lose sight of Rosie's personality the moment she steps inside the picture (until then she was wriiten in a nice clear-eyed manner), and boyfriend Bill is never fleshed out at all, and is seemingly used only to demonstrate to Rosie that not all men are monsters.

Then there is the ridiculous convenience of *The Most Incompetent Policemen In The World* guarding Rosie's apartment block. This must have taken King all of ten minutes to write... and he must have surely written it as a beta version to improve later: sadly not! Come on, it's cheap, it's silly and it really needed thinking through better. I exagerate not when I say that this one small but important section made me view King in a poorer light. To be so lazy and uncreative suggests King has contempt for the reader's intelligence.

Had King steered clear of cheap plot developments and the needless trips into the boring "dreamworld" we may have been looking at a good book here. Unfortunately, King appears to be his own worst enemy at times, and rather than realising simplicity is an endearing trait, he lets his ego get the better of him, and a study of a woman escaping a lifetime of physical and mental abuse becomes a pretentious tale of half baked fantasy and poor character development.

I would give Rose Madder three stars for the first 250 pages, and one star for the rest.

A missed opportunity.

I am so glad that I read Rose Madder. I borrowed it from a man at work who said it was good but it was great! King delves into the messy world of marital abuse and pulls out Rose, a beautifully developed character, so realistic I could feel my heart pound when she had a close-call with Norman and I could almost feel her pain, feel every hit,every bite....It's a long book but you won't know it as you're reading it so enjoy!

Rose Madder, by Stephen King, is a wonderfully realistic book. The book is about a women who is being horribly abused by her psychotic husband and how she attempts to escape him. Rose is the battered wife and Norman is the villainous husband who ironically is also a respected police officer. King does and brilliant job at describing every detail of the environment and what each character is emotionally and physically feeling. It helps give the reader a great perspective of what is happening. So many times over the years has her husband beat her and got away with it and that makes the reader feel helpless with her. After many years she finally gets up the courage to leave him and the painful memories behind. Rose leaves the house with very little in her possession and attempts to start her life over again. Her journey is literally running from the law and a potential murderer at the same time. The book continues to keep you guessing as the journey goes on. The book is full of surprises and as realistic as the book is Stephen King adds a fantasy element to help in Rose's fight. I definitely recommend this book. Anyone who likes action and mystery will enjoy this book.

As usual, Stephen King aligns you with the main character, Rose McClendon, and you read and read, hoping her life takes a turn for the better. No one should have to endure the evil that she has been dealt by her husband.

I love this book. Definitely one to read and then come back later and read it again. I could just feel his obsession as it became him. And her fear. And her strength. It's all so real. Like you're right there with them. This is still my favorite Stephen king and I have almost read them all.

This is definatly one of the greatest books I've read. I would like to take this opertunity to warn any hard core horror fans that read stricktly for the thrills and chills that this books is probably not for you, however. The book doesn't even show mild suspense until two-thirds the way through the book, and it doesn't exede medium suspense at any point, but it is still a great read. It also has it's moments where you find your self rolling on the floor with laughter, and unable to stop (King definately shows he has a sense of humor in this book).

This book is excellent. I can really relate with the life of the main character. The book starts out with a wife Rose Daniels of an abusive husband. She can't get the courage to leave him and she has been taking these beatings for around fourteen years. Finally one day she gets the courage to leave him and she moves away. It seems that everything will be all right from here on out but what she doesn't know is that her husband can't live with out her and is looking for her. This book is written from what seems like a person who has been in an abusive relationship there self. Stephen King puts you in this book he makes you feel like you are the one doing all the actions through out the book. I would definitely recommend this book but I would have to say it should be read by a more mature reader. There are a few dry parts in the book but over all it is great and you wont be able to put it down from the time you pick it up or at least I had a hard time putting it down.

At first I was very discouraged to read this book because of it size. I wasn't used to reading books over 400 pgs. long, but once I started reading I couldn't put it down. What I loved about this book was the characters and the way he described them. Very detailed. The most favorite part of my reading was from one of the main characters, Norman. Stephen King not only gave a description of Norman, but described the roots of his thoughts as well, which led me to know more about this character than any other character in the book. As I read this book I found myself laughing at some parts and sad at other parts of the book. To me this book was like an all in one. Suspense, drama, comedy, and horror. Truly this book was a great enjoyment to me. This was the first Stephen King book I have ever read and I have to admit it has been one of the best books I've read so far. This is definetly a book worth reading.

Rose Madder is definitely worth purchasing!! Stephen King's tale of an abused woman on the run from her psychotic cop-husband is one of his best. King follows in the tradition of The Talisman and The Dark Tower series with the other-world concept and fuses it with a shocking, explicit domestic violence storyline. How it all comes together is surprising and very pleasing. You will not be dissapointed.

Rose Madder by Stephen King is all right. I chose to rate this a three because I have read much better books by King than this. Rose McClendon-Daniel's is an abused wife. Her husband is a strong, smart police officer. When Rose decides she has had enough, she walks out of his life. He is outraged and humiliated. He sets out to find her in the new city where she has started her new life with the help from a few kind strangers. There are many twists and surprises that keep you reading, and you want to see what's going to happen next. There are some really funny parts in this book, for example the confrontation between Norman and a large lady named Gert. This book is a light read, even though it looks big. Some parts may require some thought, but most read easily. It does not take long to read, I finished in a weekend. I recommend it to those that like Stephen King and are looking for something quick to read.

"I'm really Rosie, and I'm Rosie real... you better believe me, I'm a great big deal." Stepehn King has done it again. I have read almost everyone of King's novels and i would have to say that this ranks near #1. This is a great story of a woman named Rose Daniels/Rosie McClendon. She's a wife of fourteen years and has been abused by her husband almost since day one. Rosie finally gained enough courage to leave the abusive relationship and finds herself in a strange, new world. As her life is moving at a very good pace, she has no idea that her husband has begun a search. The way that King writes his characters in this novel makes them easy to love or to hate. Rosie's outgoing personality makes her prone to meet new people and find new experiences. Overall I would say that this book is a very good read,it keeps you in the book from day one, you never want to put it down. I would recommend reading this book to anyone.

if you have ever been or know someone who has suffered domestic abuse this is a great book about the revenge you hope these abusers could suffer in a just world done in a typical stephen king way that gives you nightmares and hope all in one.

I agree with many reviewers that the fantastical elements of this novel are somewhat jarring, at least at first, and disruptive of the narrative flow, but this IS a Stephen King novel, for heaven's sake, and I wouldn't have expected they would be left out. Definitely one of King's ten best novels and worthy of a five star rating.

This rates right up there with the *movie* Titanic. Its bloody and murderous theme along with the horror of being followed really makes this book my top choice to get.
Also try: Pet Cemetary I & II Tommy Knockers
Dean Koontz: Whispers Shattered
So buy it NOW!!!!
What are you waiting for?
(Not for young readers. Contains sex, violence, and obscene language)

"Really Rosie" is a brilliant character. It may not be the usual King horror, but it is twice as good. This is a story of hope. I have never read a story and cheered as much as I did for Rose. It is better than Wally Lamb's She's Come Undone. Lots of books have been written about female charcters fighting to get control of what is their's...but Rosie does it the best.

Stephen King has a nasty habit of introducing supernatural events into his books, without explaining them adequately. Rose Madder is no exception, with a supernatural sequence weaved into the plot which leaves the reader astounded. The character development is terrific, and up until a picture comes to life, the book has a lot of potential. While Rose walks through her recently purchased picture, you keep on expecting the Easter Bunny to appear! From this point the book goes downhill. Rose's already psychotic husband (Norman) goes completely over the edge, but his insanity is not even remotely realistic. He still has control over what he does, even though his psychosis is driven by pure rage. Rose goes within two months from a timid mouse to a ferocious woman, ready to protect everything close to her, including her wimp of a boyfriend. The book is definately readable, but only with an extremely open mind, a good dose of humour and nothing better to do. Rather read "The picture of Dorian Grey", it is much better.

I found this book at a goodwill and it's amazing. This book had me connecting with the characters. It'd your usual story of a battered woman but there's a HUGE twist! One of my favorites by Stephen King.

My friends, I read this novel when it came out and was completely stunned at what I read.. This is one of the few Stephen King books that will make you truly care about the character. Rose is a fighter. You want her to be ok and you feel sorry for her for being a victim. I just cant put into words how great this book is. I loved every minute of it and think it is definently worth checking out. ;o)

Rose Madder was one the first books that got me hooked on Stephen King. This story is phenomenal, in my opinion. I have to admit the first time I read it I was a little confused. I was not one to be to much into "sci fi" fantasy type stuff. This, like any good story or movie is best when it is read a few times. Then you really get to pick up the subtle hints that you may have missed before. Then again I am a bit biased. Rose Madder is right at the top of my list of most favorites (just below Bag of Bones)

Thirty pages into this book my heart was pounding and my palms were sweating. Talk about starting off with a bang...ROSE MADDER starts off with an explosion. This is the most unique book I have ever read....and in a few years I plan on reading it again. Needless to say, Steven King is quite unconventional. Yet this book is even unconventional for him. It will frighten you, play with your mind, and make you laugh out loud. What more could you want from a book???!!!

Rose Madder is a mix of many other elements of King novels, battered spouse, psychotic husband, images of spiders, and a fantasy realm all adding up to one of King's worst novels. The characters are caricatures rather than well drawn personalities. (usually a major strength of King)There is not one surprise in this book as the husband gets crazier, Rose gets more frightened and Greek mythology becomes a factor. I generally enjoy the works of this author and I found this book an anomaly in a career filled with excellent work.

This book was incredible!!! I read it, then my mother read it then two or three of my friends read it and all of them thought the best of this book. I was a little disapointed, though, because some of the people who left reviews were quite harsh when giving their opinions on the book. Stephen King never ceases to amaze me with his page-turning thrillers!!!!!

This extraordinary book, rose madder is a terrific book written by Stephen king.
Just another one of Stephen kings classic horror novels. From start to finish an amazing thrill ride. Rose Daniels is in an abusive relationship with her husband and feels as if she can't escape. But escapes with herself and a bankcard to a big city. And from there everything spirals out of control for rose. Overall, I really enjoyed this book. A terrific beginning and end making this book a must read.

Rose Madder is the thrilling, suspenseful story of a woman, Rose McClendon, running away from her abusive husband. She is scared to do so because he's a police officer who knows how to hide his mistakes well. One day, she is pushed too far and leaves while her husband is at work. He follows her to Kansas City and the suspense begins.
This book compares to other books written by King in its gripping manner. It gives colorful descriptions for the reader to picture. I reccomend this to anyone who is a King fan.
The book has many high points, and it was very well written. The vivid descriptions really help you picture what exactly is going on. One thing that, in my opinion, could be changed is the first chapter or two. This part of the book drags out and you wait and wait for something to happen.

Any person that has ever been where they don't want to be or in a situation that they don't want to be in can appreciate ROSE MADDER.It was a very sensitive story about a woman who was in a bad relationship with a bad person.Any woman that has ever been in an abusive relationship has often wished for an escape from her tormentor.Rose found her escape in a painting;She had tried escaping from her husband by leaving him and moving away to another city and another life only to find that he wasn't ready to let her go and tracked her down in order to continue his torture. The painting helped her to not only escape from him but also to get rid of her problems once and for all without breaking the law that helped him persue her.

Steven King is the undesputed god of intense thrillers... This book only adds credence to that fact.
This book will enrapture you from the start. The dark, mysterous setting of the haunted world in which this takes place sents the precedent for the rest of the book. The thrilling roller-coaster ride pauses for the kaboom and then moves on to the next terror. This book is simply engrossing. The characters fueled by King's own unhinged is borderline disturbed. The utter fear and insanity that surrounds all characters and the world that they interact with is simply shocking. But perhaps the most amazing thing about this book is that King does not make the world any darker than it already is, he just takes the worst aspects of it and turns it into a brillantly orchestrated work of dread.

When this book first came out. I looked at it because I had read over 18 of king's book. I read the back and said who want to read a book about a husband that beats his wife. I only looked for king's book with monster,vampire,aliens, or something evil. boy was I wrong about Rose madder. Froom the first page king take you into the lives of Rose and norman. Rose who can take no more pain see a drop of blood on her side of the bed after another beating from norman leaves never to return.Norman a cop who can never let his wife go. He want to find her so that he can talk to her up close. Rose with a new life and hopes finds a picture she most have in her new home away and free of her husband,and she also find true love. Norman using his skills as a cop to hunt Rose. The horror start. Norman want to hurt Rose he wants her dead. The picture that rose has hold the answer to her horror. It is the only hope she has. It is more than just a picture. This is just a little bit about the book. You must read. Don't let this go by.

This is the novel that made me stop reading Stephen King. It starts off with a poor woman having a miscarriage, a gift from a sparatic beating of her husband. I was holding my lunch at page three. Page three!

This is clearly a stereotipical Stephen King book. It has powers, schitsophrenia, monsters, oh, and Stephen King wouldn't DARE leave out those sex parts. You see, this is the kind of book that drives you so crazy that you don't even care how it ends. Speaking of an ending, can you say "It"?

Please, save your money and do something better with your time, like watching "The Best of Lucy".

Stephen King at his best. Rose Madder is a rip-roaring crime thriller, an updated version of ancient myths, a realistically romantic love story AND the heartrending account of one woman's hellish nightmare at the hands of one of the cruelest, most misogynistic, rascist, homophobic sadists i have ever encountered in fiction. Full of subtle nuances and symbolism, as well as thought provoking and emotionally powerful scenes, this novel is awesome stuff!

As usual, King's character descriptions are vivid and dead on. The story is engaging and readers who like the old King "scary stuff" won't be disappointed. A bit predictable and the love story is a little corny for my tastes, but wait til you see Rose Madder - she's definitely a show-stopper. And the movie's coming out when?

Stephen King alarms his readers by forcing them to continue reading at every moment and upcoming chapter. Rose Madder depicts a horrific story of a woman who cannot continue life with her savage, psychotic husband. As horrific as Annie Wilkes, Norman Daniels will become your worst nightmare. If you're lucky, you won't fall asleep..

The book was a great read for me. I was entranced during this story all the way til it started getting weird. I reminded myself that the person at the reighns was Stephen King, so surely good things were in store....and they were for certain. The last 200 or so pages of the book took a turn down a fictional highway that sort of had me scratching my head maybe because I so far have only read selectively that which King has spun. The outcome was satisfying if not at all the drama I had expected was taking course. I definitely enjoyed Norman. King made me hate that bas**** yet I found myself highly amused at the way the character talked to himself in his demented vision...for example "fresh hot rolls....they better be hot and fresh pal or god help you" completely nuts...loved it!! Overall a good read and I believe if one has read the stephen King catalog...perhaps the bull, the maze, and other weird things might make more sense.

I'm glad to say my confidence in King was restored after reading Rose Madder. I was beginning to doubt his writing ability, based on
some of his more recent works.
It's amazing how King could take the rather unpleasant issue of spousal abuse and give it

a supernatural twist, making it one his most

suspenseful and fascinating works yet. No, I would

not rank it among his top 5, but I highly recommend it. Now, if they could make this into

a movie- wow!!!

This was bad and way too long. It certainly left me feeling like I wasted my time and that hasn't happened with King;s books before. There are so many other good ones to read, why bother with this dog?

As this book goes on one comes to appreciate it quite well. The terrifying serial killing husband is well depicted and described in a thrilling way. The one thing that shadows this piece is the out-of-this-world travelling through a painting. In the dreamsequence this is acceptable, as for the return in the end it's just a dissapointment. Rosie's double (..or is it..?) could be intervened some other way. The painting could still have the encouraging effect on her without being a portal. All in all it's a readable story...the true King reader are after all most likely to find the supernatural ingredients all too few.

Rose Madder was a wonderful story about a women who escapes an abusive relationship. During her course of self discovery, her husband is on a course of his own discovery... insanity.
This book is great for readers who are not fans of horror books. It is a story about a women's journey and her will to live.

Every time I pick up a Stephen King novel I feel a little nervous, because, surely, eventually he's going to disappoint me. But it hasn't happened yet. Rose Madder was a long novel that felt short. If there were boring parts, I must have missed them. I loved it. Maybe the characters could have been more complex, but it was a compelling novel nevertheless. It was moving and disturbing and thoughtful. For sure five stars.

While I may be a little late in reading this book, "Rose Madder" kept me on the edge of my seat just wanting to know what was going to happen next. Mr. King's use of writing has always allowed me to use some imagination and, let me tell you, I pictured Rose's husband getting exactly what he deserved. It is a book that should be read by people in situations where they feel they can't get out of. Although hard at the beginning, Rose became the woman she had always had in her. Thank you Mr. King for making a book that I was glad to give one of my friends in the hope that she gets out of where she is and grows to be what she was meant to be all along.

During the period from 1992 to 1996, Stephen King's Constant Readers had one helluva a time dealing with the world. With the exception of Delores Claiborne, those 4 years were a literary living hell as far as Stephen King books went. Gerald's Game. Insomnia. Rose Madder. Desperation. The Regulator. Sounds like torture to me. Nightmares & Dreamscapes was okay, the older stuff being cool, but there were a lot of yawners and stinkers in there as well. Bringing me to Rose Madder. Now, we had the kinky sex freak turned prisoner in Gerald's Game. The abused wife who took revenge in Delores Claiborne. The abused women's shelter in Insomnia. Enter Rose Daniels, abused wife extraordinaire. (Don't get me wrong, spousal abuse sux, and all that, but are we seeing a trend here?) Her husband Norman is a friggin' psycho and has popped her upside the head for the last time. She leaves. Constantly looking over her shoulder after that because Norman is Jeffrey Dahmer and Charlie Manson and Ted Bundy all rolled into one. A predator. Fascinating, right? Wrong. One, this book drags. Two, I could care less about the characters because they've been overused by King already. Three, Steve-O, like he did in Insomnia, gets weird here and it's not a good kind of weird. He ends up way out in left field all alone as far as I'm concerned because I had to trudge through this purile bit of rubbish. God, those years and those books were so bad that Bag Of Bones felt like The Shining or 'Salem's Lot all over again. You can read Rose Madder. Hell, you can even like it a little, but if you think this is great Stephen King, well...you....like Norman Daniels.....are friggin' insane. This is crap wrapped in a dark and slightly clever package. But it's still crap.

Deal with it.

Rose Madder was, a interesting novel the audiobook had good music, Stephen King did a good job reading there was, lot of swearing Norman was a weird, monster Rosie was a interesting charter so was Bill, the book is good and interesting, you'll like it. The audiobook, is hard to find!

King is great. As in his latest books he takes a typical thing and turns it into hell. He has proved what a great writer he is. After using all the worn out themes in his books (vampires, aliens, demons, ghosts, etc.) he creates an explosive story out of daily live. Also, he has improved a lot with his women characterization (Jessie Burlingame, Dolores Claiborne, Lois Chasse and now Rose "Madder" Daniels); they just get better and better. He symbolisms fo the painting, the Bull and the end (although a little predictable by the title) were great. A beaten wife fleeing on his husband. GREAT!!

I read this book in three days thats how exciting it was and its about 500 Pages long!!! I Couldn't put it down. This book really puts you into the life of Rose. You feel apart of her life. Its mysterious,romantic,and scary. If I had to recommend any book this would be the one!

A single drop of blood changes the life of an emotionally and a physically battered woman from the throes of an unrealistic life into a new world of vision.

Only...hope comes from the realm of turbulent dreams - through the most unusual painting she discovers while she's busy coming in terms with her freedom.

But sooner or later, whether you want it or not, past knocks on your door seeking your blood.What do you do? How do you face it?

This King novel explores the plethora of misery and independence through a woman's plight to gain recognition for herself.

Rose Madder is strength.

I've enjoyed other King books (The Shining, Gerald's Game) but Rose Madder is, well, terrible. With *two* lethally boring "dream sequences" that inexplicably go on for dozens of pages, numbing you until you start begging aloud for them to end. Like others who've reviewed the book here, I found myself reduced to skimming these sections.

My other problem with the book is the excessive and equally numbing vileness of the wife-abuser Norman. King seems to relish, in some weird self-indulgent way, his chance to embody this repellant character. It's all overwritten. When one vile, mysognist fantasy would do, we're treated to fifteen. Reading Norman's thoughts is like being forced to endure rancid, neo-nazi heavy metal music.

Avoid this book.

out of all of the king books that i have read this was the most spellbinding,unforgetable,and emotional book yet. when reading the book i could feel rose's pain and heartache. ROSE MADDER is by far one of the greatest books i've read.

this was the first stephen king book i read and it got me hooked. granted, not all of his books are as good as this one. i thought the story was thrilling if not a little bit confusing near the end. and i loved the theme of the battered housewife taking revenge on her husband.

I have been reading the Kindle Edition of the novel and am dismayed at the large amount of typographical and grammatical errors found within the text. I am thoroughly enjoying the story's plot but am appalled by the misspellings and incorrect word usage littered through out the text. I am surprised the publisher has allowed the book to be released with so many errors. It's upsetting and frustrating to read a published novel that is full of mistakes.

Let Stephen King lead your imagination into another world. You don't even have to think about the scenes and landscapes in this story, somehow King uses his magic to slide the images directly into his readers minds. Rose Daniels is by far one of the best characters ever created in Kings world and i hope that all SK fans will give this book a chance.

Oh goodness, I periodically had to lock this book away and turn on ALL the lights and turn ALL my paintings so they'd face the wall and sing many happy tunes so I woulnd't be scared! ROSE MADDER was terrifying to me. I suggest you read it with a big cup of latte but better make it a decaf! Not too hot because you might spill it on a new pair of pants. I want to tell you what happened but I better not! Oh, I need some Rolaids! This book gave me hives! And a beehive hairdo! Rose dies in the end. No she doesn't . Just kidding. Maybe. Ha ha ha.

I enjoy Stephen King on the whole, but does anybody else get tired of all of the descriptions? It takes a chapter of adjectives to describe how Rose felt about something. Also, PLEASE, no music, it was very painful. Everytime Rose's chapters would begin or end I had to put the volume down A LOT to get past it. Norman's chapters weren't bad, but the pitch was lower. Rose's were so high pitched, I'm surprised dogs didn't run away howling.

I recommend this book to teens and adults because most teens and adults are intereseted in Stephan King's work. This book is basically about a women who thought she met the love of her life when she was a teenager, but she did not know that she would be stuck with him for years beaten, abused, and told what to do, she was scared out of her mind to leave him, because she knows that he would just find her and beat her even more, but she knew out of one of those beatings she would most likely be murdered. Thats why I recommend this book because the book is a good insight on abusive relationships.

This book picks up at the beginning but lacks with the whole picture ordeal. Just goes to show you nobody is perfect. This is a companion to both Gerald's Game and Dolores Claiborne. If you are a women and love King's stories, pick those two up and this one anyway.

I was surprised it took so long for Stephen King to step away from the reality. I hated Norman Daniels but I loved how well developed he was. I loved the use of "The Name Game." as for comments on his dialogue it's an age old thing you can't have great dialogue and great description.when I read King i want his detail. This book wasn't his greatest plot nor did it have his greatest heroine but the end was pretty good it showed that ones past resonates throughout their lives. Rose proved at the end to be much more complex than she seemed to be.

Ahhh, I love this book. Probably my favorite King book yet. It was so beautiful. The mental imagery that I was able to picture through reading this book was breathtaking and new. I am always excited when an author is able to reach such a mental utopia with me. I think the reason why I really realted to this book so much was his insane ability in making his characters so real and understandable. You are able to relate to them. His characters become as complex as Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice, remarkable.

This book didn't start off really exciting, nor did it end exciting. I think that this was because it's also kind of romantic at the same time. There wasn't a lot of description involved either. I did like how her husband turned into the bull though - that was an interesting part.

I started this book about 3 times earlier, and I guess the time wasn't right. When I finally read it last year, I got so hooked I couldn't put it down. I've been a "Constant Reader" since I read Carrie in the '70's. This story, about a severely abused wife,married to a cop from hell who finally after years of beatings which included a miscarriage, saw one dime-sized drop of blood on her pillow from the night before and walked away. Literally. She started a new identity in a new state, made many friends, worked,and most important to poor Rose, she finally found true love. But a very mysterious painting she feels she HAS to buy at a pawn shop,suddenly turns the story into pure Stephen King. I LOVED it!!

kings strength has always beens characterization but in this over wrought novel i found myself caring little for the protagonist and being annoyed rather than disturbed by the antagonist. predictable and surprisingly uninventive. sorry to say. just read geralds game instead.

I deeply admire Stephen King for his intelligence and contribution to society. I really enjoyed this book, especially the reality-based part. In fact, I read a straight 12 hours one day in order to finish the book. Both main characters kept my undivided attention throughout the story. However, on page 322 there was an editing error that had Norman shooting people without a gun in his pocket. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the reading, and I would recommend this book to others.

I thought Insomnia was bad. Oooooooh was I wrong. With a thin plot, fantasy like settings that don't work out as a good horror book. It was long and easy to put down. Infact it was so easy to put down it took me four months to read it. I understand that a lot of people liked it but it wasn't that good. Although it started out good with a battered women running from her abusive husband. With good characters and a original plot (Unlike 'Salem's Lot, The Shining, and The Dark Tower) King should have done better.

I thought this book was going to be another fantastic King work. It was just ok, and the whole idea was kind of hokey. There weren't that many times when I stoped reading for a moment only to find myself biting my nails in sheer nervousness. I gave it a three for a decent effort.

That's all it takes to awaken Rose Daniels from her 14 year long nightmare. But how can she escape her abusive husband, the man who will stop at nothing to find her? Can a fresh start and a new identity save her from the man who wants her dead? A new life, a new love, and a mysterious painting just might hold the key to saving her life.

Rose Madder
I enjoyed this book and read it fairly quickly but I think it could have been a bit less "out there". If you enjoy less then realistic fiction edging more on fantasy,magical places youll enjoy this book more than I did.I loved the characters in the book but it just didnt draw me in as much as Id have liked it to.

Rose Madder by Stephen King brings to life a dream for anyone who has ever been belittled...revenge. In this book Rose gets even with her abusive husband in a strangely beautiful picture purchased at a pawn shop. She ultimately kills him in a fantasy world which carries over into reality. One complaint-King transports us into this world with no explanation, which can be puzzling. But it all ends up well as the "bad guy" dies, and Rose lives happily (?) ever after.

this was the 2nd book that I read by him and I thought it was fantastic. This book not only went into detail but It built up suspence and it also made you think. Not to mention that it had some crusom parts which Stephen King is good for...

Why does Mr King get involved into areas unknown to him? As a Greek reader I am offended by his latest works, especially Rose Madder and Insomnia, where Greek mythology undergoes a Hercules and Xena rendition! Please spare us your miniscule education on foreign matters, Mr King... and stick to American horror. Obviously getting involved with ancient civilisations is too much for you. I am offended, to say theleast... and so is Minotaur, Klotho, Lachesis and Atropos!

Rose Madder was one of the best books King has ever written! Rose was a beaten and perhaps paranoid housewife living with her abusive husband, Norman. After seeing one single drop of blood on the sheets one day she takes her husband's bank card and flees the city to search out a new life, but Norman begins to hunt her down, destroying anybody that gets in his way. He wants to take his revenge. The greatest book I have EVER read by any author.

Rose Madder
This was another one of king's great books,I love every one of his books.This one just shows women living like that can get out and survive.Some women die in those situations,They dont have to.I'm used to his horror stories(of course this is one in it's own way).I didnt think it would be as good but I was entranced to finish every word.He is truly one of the best Authors,I've been reading his books since i was a teen.I have not found one i dont like.

This book tore at my heartstrings and kept me reading until 2 am. It happens to be one of my favorite reads of all time. So much that I have to keep a copy of this one cause I tend to wear the pages out fast from reading it too much...This just happens to be a story that you just can't get sick of. Way to go Mr. King!

This was by far my favorite S.K. book. I have wondered if his wife wrote it. Rose is a great character and her development is astonishing. The constant chatter in her husband's head is very insightful and at times comical. It was completely riveting and often very exciting. Great book.

Stephan king has always produced great books. I bought this one for my 12 year old who has an interest in mystery book, having read it myself years ago. This book keeps your attention. If you ever been in an abusive relationship or know someone know has, you can relate to this book.Keeps your interest to the last page.

I've read tons of Mr. King and I'm rarely disappointed. This is no exception. You think for a moment it will be more of a mystery along the lines of Misery, but then some creepy supernatural stuff begins to appear. A very good character-driven thriller.

I feel that Rose Madder is indeed an interesting book. It gets you really involved with the main character Rose and the horrible life she lived until she found a picture in a pawn shop. Although interesting it's not one of Stephen Kings best books. I feel that the story was a little too fairy tale like for me. It's not a horror book, it's more emotional then it is scary.

This book was touching, violent, but had a sense of serenity to it...Truly, it was the best novel that Stephen King has ever written and one of my all-time favorites. I don't want to spoil it for you...check it out for yourselves and I assure that you will never think about battered women in the same way.

It has been awhile since I have read anything by Stephen King, but the title of the book made me curious. Well, after reading "Rose Madder," I have come to the conclusion that this wasn't one of his better books (nothing can top MISERY), but overall, it wasn't too bad of a read. Enjoy!

I don't want to give anything away, in case you do read the book, but I really couldn't connect to this book the way I always have with Kings earlier works. I usually love his work, but Rose Madder seemed forced, stunted and at times confusing.When I was done I felt empty, without any closure. Save your money for one of his better works.

Why incorporate supernatural events into a book without explaining them adequately? Rose Madder has a supernatural sequence weaved into the plot which leaves the reader astounded. The character development is terrific, and up until a picture comes to life, the book has a lot of potential, but bombs completely thereafter.

This book started out great but lost the intrigue for me. It has a great premise. How do you start a new life when your abusive husband is a respected cop and police resources at his finger tips?
But Norman gets on Rose's tail with really very little effort and then violently kills and mutilates everyone in his path.
This book could have been so much better.

This was the only King book I couldn't finish.The characters are flat and to much like characters from other King novels. The violence and gore is really way to much and is a way over the top. He also makes this book Dark Tower related which was the last straw and made me return it, The Dark Tower thing just didn't work. Over all this book is too much a combination of his other books to work well as one book. It's Cujo combined with the Shining and a dash of Desperation. The end result isn't pretty.

I David, havn't read this yet, but have read numerous opinions of it. I have read all of SK's novels xcept for 5. IT was my 1st novel & favorite. I hope this gives relations to his Dark Tower series, The Talisman, IT, The Dead Zone, Black House or The Tommyknockers.

When in the 1996 I bought this book, I didn't finish it. Well, two weeks ago I restarted it, and i finished in 5 days. It was creepy, and very good. The story is very interesting, and I think it's one of the best book written by mister King, maybe one of the best in the world. But, sincerely, until now I didn't found bad books of the master.

I am writing this review to try and save others from wasting any time on this book. I really should have put Rose Madder away after the first couple hundred pages (which were passable), but I just kept hoping that things would improve. They don't.

Rose's forays into the alternate dimension that exists behind the picture that she picks up in a pawn shop (where she finds new love) are ridiculous and boring. I've read a lot of Stephen King, and appreciate the supernatural elements that are always injected into his writing, but I can't help but think that this concept was dreamed up under extreme deadline pressure.

Don't waste one cent buying a used copy of this book, or a minute of your time reading it.

ROSE MADDER was the best book I've ever read. My sister and I read the book along with the audio cassette recordings. We totally got into the story. The closer Norman got to finding her, the more we got scared for Rose. I could even see the world that Rose stepped into through the painting, right down to the smell of the river. Absolutely brillient!

In writing about domestic violence, King takes a turn from most of his other novels. This book is engaging, but somewhat of a dissapointment. It can get confusing, and, yes, frustrating to read. It is worth the read, though, because of the beautiful way King writes, and how vividly Norman, the abuser, is portrayed.

In the beginning, this book is more of an adventure, I guess you would say...not typical Stephen King writing. However, as the story proceeds, so does the excitement and uniqueness that is King. This book kept me on the edge of my seat, I just couldn't put it down. Highly recommended.

I really enjoyed this book. I am only fouteen years old and this is the first HUGE novel I have ever read and my choice - I think - was spectacular. Stephen King has a peerless imagination. This book was witty and intriguing. I loved the way women's feelings were expressed and introduced.

not since GERALD'S GAME have I felt compelled to get in the pages and help the charactors. SK's development of Rosie is so indepth that I felt every high and low, every kidney punch and even the lonliness of the bus ride as if I were Rosie.One of King's best efforts-couldn't put it down!!!

This is my first Stephen King book. I have wondered why he is such a popular author. I found it disappointing and too long. I had to skim through it hoping for it to get better. It never did. Guess I will not try any more of his books.

Rose Madder is one of the best books to come along in a long time. Your eyes are glued to the pages wondering what will happen next. You also begin to sympathize with some of the charcter's, such as Rose, who are taking the most important step of their lives while being fearful of their lives. I recommend it to anyone who wants a non-police invovled type of suspense story. .

First I'd like to state that i really love almost everything by king. This book is a real stupid one. Nothing speacial about it, it has only two real simple plots that innonate nothing. Maybe the heberw translater was a real bad one, or king just wrote a stupid book.

Well what can I say? Im not really that much of a SK fan as all his novels seem to be about writers with writing blocks but this was excellent, it didnt really posses the SK flavour but i loved it all the same..you MUST read this

I love this book. I've read it 3 or 4 times. It's like an epic fairy tale, but with modern, adult issues... and the dragon is in the form of a man who gets more violent and dangerous the more pissed off he gets. I recommend it to everyone!

I own every novel Stephen King has every written and this one was one of my favorites. I couldn't put it down. It was liberating as a read for a woman and suspenseful a novel written by the most gothic author as well.

I generally do not do reviews. That said, I have read just about everything King has written and this one is at the bottom of my list. And most of you know there are a few of his that just do not make it do to poor plot, too long, or not that creative. In some ways he has developed a formula (many authors have) and King sticks to it too much; or in this case gets so far off that the story is very forgetable.
Dr. Tox.

The kindle version of this book was obviously scanned with text recognition software, but not proofread. There are misspellings or symbol errors on almost every page. I can usually deal with a typo now and again without complaint, but the errors are so frequent in this case that it affected my ability to really immerse myself in the story. Kind of like listening to a favorite LP with a big scratch all the way throgh it. Great story, though. On par with some of King`s betterr work.

this was one of my first books of stephen king well im hooked for life . amazing ,the detail was incredible, rose made a wonderful triumph.STEPHEN KING i comend you!!!!!!!!I recomend this book to everyone,you wont be able to put it down!