La petite fille qui aimait Tom Gordon

mass market paperback, 281 pages

French language

Published Nov. 30, 2007 by Albin Michel.

ISBN:: 978-2-253-15136-4

(1 review)

C'est exprès que Trisha s'est laissée distancer par sa mère et son frère, ce jour-là, au cours d'une excursion sur la piste des Appalaches. Lassée de leurs sempiternelles disputes depuis que Papa n'est plus là.

Ce qu'elle n'imaginait pas, c'est que quelques minutes plus tard elle serait réellement perdue dans ces forêts marécageuses. Qu'elle affronterait le froid, la faim, la nuit, les bruits et les rumeurs de la nature. Et deux personnages terrifiants acharnés à sa perte : la Teigne et la Chose. Il lui reste son baladeur, sur lequel elle peut suivre les exploits de son idole, Tom Gordon, le joueur de base-ball. Le seul qui peut l'aider, la sauver.

Après Sac d'os et La Tempête du siècle, le roi de l'épouvante offre à ses millions de fans une surprise. Un magnifique personnage de petite fille drôle, futée, énergique, capable de désespoir autant que de courage. Et puis une …

C'est exprès que Trisha s'est laissée distancer par sa mère et son frère, ce jour-là, au cours d'une excursion sur la piste des Appalaches. Lassée de leurs sempiternelles disputes depuis que Papa n'est plus là.

Ce qu'elle n'imaginait pas, c'est que quelques minutes plus tard elle serait réellement perdue dans ces forêts marécageuses. Qu'elle affronterait le froid, la faim, la nuit, les bruits et les rumeurs de la nature. Et deux personnages terrifiants acharnés à sa perte : la Teigne et la Chose. Il lui reste son baladeur, sur lequel elle peut suivre les exploits de son idole, Tom Gordon, le joueur de base-ball. Le seul qui peut l'aider, la sauver.

Après Sac d'os et La Tempête du siècle, le roi de l'épouvante offre à ses millions de fans une surprise. Un magnifique personnage de petite fille drôle, futée, énergique, capable de désespoir autant que de courage. Et puis une histoire très simple.

Une terreur très simple. --back cover

48 editions

Thom reviewed The girl who loved Tom Gordon by Stephen King

Review of 'The girl who loved Tom Gordon' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

Baseball metaphors and survival skills combine in this story of a nine year old who is "big for her age." It has been described as a psychological horror book, but it is really a confrontation with the self and the scary things in our own heads - or are they?

I liked the main character, though she seemed way more capable than nine-year-olds I have known. The story is believable, with some fantastic elements. The baseball metaphors may require some explaining - Tom Gordon was the "closer" for the Red Sox, and would come in late in the game to "save" the win. So in this book, the girl who loves Tom Gordon is looking for the "save" - in this case of her own life. All of these elements combine into a smash ending (the chapter is labeled "bottom of the ninth") which satisfies.

It has been said that …

Baseball metaphors and survival skills combine in this story of a nine year old who is "big for her age." It has been described as a psychological horror book, but it is really a confrontation with the self and the scary things in our own heads - or are they?

I liked the main character, though she seemed way more capable than nine-year-olds I have known. The story is believable, with some fantastic elements. The baseball metaphors may require some explaining - Tom Gordon was the "closer" for the Red Sox, and would come in late in the game to "save" the win. So in this book, the girl who loves Tom Gordon is looking for the "save" - in this case of her own life. All of these elements combine into a smash ending (the chapter is labeled "bottom of the ninth") which satisfies.

It has been said that King was angling towards "Lord of the Flies" with this novel, but to me it felt more like "The Old Man and the Sea". A lot of King fans were likely disappointed, because what horror is here is subtle, or perhaps non-existent. What we learn of the main character is first person train-of-thought, but this reverie is broken at times to describe what was going on the in real world - the hunt for a kidnapper, etc. Would it have been better without, or would fans have been screaming about no way the search would find nothing after a week?

So, I liked it, but I didn't love it. It was more than just OK, but quite a bit short of stellar. The writing is good, the survival stuff is accurate and the baseball is apt, but some spark was lacking.

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General
Fiction - General
Fiction