A blend of horrific reality and mythical fantasy, Rose Madder came out of the left field and surprised me in the best way! I've seen a lot of less-than-positive reviews of this particular King, but I loved it. I loved the Greek mythology references, I loved the main character Rosie McClendon, I loved the raw, brutal story, everything!

The prologue really sets the tone for the rest of the novel, it's one of the hardest things I've ever had to read. It's not for the fainthearted and there's a lot of scenes with graphic details of domestic and sexual abuse, so beware. As usual, I cannot fault King's writing; the style is sometimes repetitive especially near the beginning, but I think he perfectly captures the mindset of a terrified, paranoid victim of abuse and, again, shows that he's so much more than just a horror writer. Despite abuse being a prominent plot point, there are also some beautifully poignant passages about love that rival those in Lisey's Story.

Of course, there is a fair share of horror in Rose Madder! Norman Daniels is possibly King's worst creation. A despicable, violent, just all round fucked up man, the parts of the narrative told from his perspective are EXTREMELY unsettling and disturbing. There's also some great horror scenes through the painting, which I can see how they could be confusing, but I didn't have a problem with them!

As well as Rosie, my favourite part about this novel were all of the King easter eggs!! Constant readers will have an absolute field day here, with ties to Dark Tower, The Talisman, Misery, and maybe even Lisey's Story.