Since this book is still fairly new, I’ll do my best to share my thoughts without divulging too much about the story, especially the ending.
My initial feeling upon finishing it is that it’s a perfectly decent novel, but nothing special. It is crisply written and a fast, easy read, but ultimately this is a fairly thin story that lacks a solid payoff. I hate to describe it that way, but given its intriguing premise and set-up, it’s hard to see it any other way.
The Outsider is not a scary novel. It's dark and grim, like much of King's work. It's disturbing, for sure, but not frightening. I didn't care that it didn't creep me out; that is a quality I always view as a bonus in King's writing, but hardly ever the primary thing I seek. The trouble for me is that the novel is also neither terribly thrilling nor emotional. This fact is a bit peculiar, especially given that the story is about a police investigation surrounding a child murder. You might think that King, so well versed in the elements of tragedy, would explore the devastation inherent in the boy’s murder with his unflinching eye for the horror and pain embedded in violent, wicked acts. But there isn’t as much of that as I expected. There are a few nicely observed moments of grief, but, weirdly, King gives them little more than a passing glance before shifting to something else.
The police elements of the story are generally well-handled and convincing, but I wouldn’t describe them as exciting. Save for a few big moments, the investigative stuff mostly amounts to a lot of traveling, checking things out, and conversing. What this novel does have is plenty of dialogue. It's a very “talky” book. Characters planning, debating, philosophizing. How you feel about that will depend, I suppose, on how much you appreciate the characters and King’s ear for dialogue.
I didn't mind this, because I liked the characters well enough, and thought King's dialogue was engaging. I liked Ralph, Samuels, Yune and the others, and I came to appreciate a certain character's presence in the novel very much. I'll keep that person's name a secret, but I will say that the story definitely picked up speed and interest for me when they arrived. What bummed me out, in hindsight, is that some of the characters most affected by the crime that starts the story are relegated to the margins for much of the novel. It's easy to see how much deeper and more trenchant King could have made the book if he'd focused more on them.
Speaking of the crime, I wish King had given us a prelude to the arrest which opens the book. We are meant to view Terry, the apparent suspect, as a good-natured, upstanding person, but I think it might have been more effective for King to give us some tangible example of his personality and behavior, rather than depending on the opinions and comments of other characters. Additionally, King could have given us a brief glimpse into Frank's life prior to being killed. As it stands, he is a kid we know nothing about. It doesn't make the crime any less heinous or devastating, but again, King could have wrung a little more emotion from his audience by making him an actual character. The way the opening of the novel plays out, I wasn't very invested in what was happening. The bleak child-murder scenario worked as a concept, but I wish it would have felt more personal. King is not averse to big novels with substantial character histories, so it's odd that he starts this one the way he does.
For fear that I am sounding overly critical, let me express that there are definitely good things in the novel as well.
· In the beginning of the book, there are descriptions of interviews held with various witnesses to the crime. Though they are only briefly glimpsed, King gives each of these characters a unique voice.
· The stuff with Jack Hoskins is prime King. Hoskins is a mean, grimy character--the sort of angry, unlikeable jerk King has perfected writing over the years. I suppose King isn't doing anything new with him, but he nails the attitude and thought process of the character, especially in conveying the anxiety Hoskins wrestles with after his "encounter." I'd like to say more, but I'll leave it at that. Some of those passages are, I think, among the book's best.
· Ralph's arc is a good one, especially in terms of representing the book's central philosophical idea.
· The section "the Arraignment" contains some legitimately intense passages.
Ultimately, the reason I find myself disappointed with The Outsider is that so much of the book hangs on the question of what is really happening. There is a tremendous amount of build-up and anticipation, so the whole enterprise really stands or falls on King's ability to achieve a substantial, gratifying ending. Alas, that is where I think the book fails. King does have a great idea here, but he does not capitalize on it the way I hoped he would. It is hard not to view what is revealed in the climax as a bit of a cop-out. One could even make the argument that this feels a lot like ground King has covered before.
In many cases, I defend King's work by noting that his endings—admittedly not the strongest parts of his stories, usually—don't bother me, because the journey in getting there is what I'm more invested in. That's true when it comes to the vast majority of King's writing—but not in this case. The ending of this book is simply too important, given what precedes it. Everything hinges on it. And it falls flat. Had King given us a richer, more engaging journey along the way, I'd probably rate the book as more of a success. But really, the investigative stuff feels fairly routine, and it's so dialogue-heavy there isn't much drama or suspense to sink your teeth into.
Don't get me wrong, though. This is not a bad book. It is just a weak entry in King's very impressive literary canon. It is a good job by King, but not a great one. The Outsider is a diverting, entertaining read, but lacks the depth, complexity, and creativity of King's best fiction.
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