I enjoy reading. I love a good story; one that takes me to a different place and/or time. I'll read just about any non-fiction title on a topic that sounds remotely interesting as long as the author's writing is compelling. According to Stephen King's own criteria for what is considered a good story is that, above all, it should be entertaining.

Stephen King has been my favorite writer ever since I read "It" when I was sixteen (trust me - that was a while ago). I have always thought that he was pigeonholed as the "King of Horror" when there is so much more to his writing. King is actually quite the wordsmith and I have recognized this from the beginning:

"In the hands of a master storyteller, we willingly suspend our disbelief and accept the impossible as the ordinary."

At first glance, I thought this book would be right up my alley; delve into what makes a Stephen King novel a Stephen King novel and why do I think they are so great. Well, the book started off well, the author explaining different theories of writing style that King uses and how they are applied in various of his works. Each chapter focuses on a different novel or short story (a couple of stories I had no memory of) and by using modern literary theory explores the depth of King's writing.

So, I am not an English major and could care less about the academic definitions and theories about various writing styles or techniques. This book became too bogged down in references from other academics of linguistic studies. There also came a point when the author's discussion became repetitive in his descriptions. Also, the ebook edition which I was reading was riddled with errors that were in need of some editing. Sort of ironic for a critical examination on writing. Anyway, this book just wasn't for me.