Dolores Claiborne is an unusual novel, even by Stephen King standards.   There are no chapters and  there is no dialogue –  just a long tale told by the narrator/protagonist.    The whole book is a transcript of a police interview of Dolores,  who is suspected of killing her employer.   She tells her story in a single, long sitting.

Dolores is a 66 year old woman who has worked hard her whole life to support her children in spite of an abusive husband, a difficult (“bitchy”) employer, and many setbacks, but she soldiers on, working hard and trying to cope.

I’m just an old woman with a foul temper and a foul mouth, but that’s what happens more often than not, when you’ve had a foul life.”

There are two deaths in the book, one she is accused of, but didn’t do, and one she was responsible for, but was never charged with.    In a police interview room, she tells the full story behind both deaths.    By the end of the book the police and the readers know the whole story.    We are not provided with an aftermath and so we are left to speculate on Dolores’ future.

When we see an overview of the story,  we wonder if this is going to be a book we would enjoy.    I was skeptical, but chose to give it a try.   I was immediately intrigued and found the book to be rich and rewarding.    Dolores is now one of the people I will remember long after many people I have actually met.

A highly recommended book – 4.9 out of 5.0 stars4.9.