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The Talisman
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Read The Talisman
Jack Sawyer: Book 1

The Talisman (1984) (edit title/settings)

by Stephen King (Author), Peter Straub (Author) (edit contributors)

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Description edit see section history

On a brisk autumn day, a thirteen-year-old boy stands on the shores of the gray Atlantic, near a silent amusement park and a fading ocean resort called the Alhambra. The past has driven Jack Sawyer here: his father is gone, his mother is dying, and the world no longer makes sense. But for Jack... read more

Summary edit see section history

This book charts the adventure of a twelve year old boy named Jack Sawyer. The adolescent hero sets out from Arcadia Beach, New Hampshire in a bid to save his mother, who is dying from cancer, by finding an enchanted crystal called "the Talisman."

The premise of the novel involves the... read more (warning: may contain spoilers)

This book charts the adventure of a twelve year old boy named Jack Sawyer. The adolescent hero sets out from Arcadia Beach, New Hampshire in a bid to save his mother, who is dying from cancer, by finding an enchanted crystal called "the Talisman."

The premise of the novel involves the existence of a parallel world to Earth, called "the Territories", a strange fantasy world with ties (though these ties did not exist at the time of publication) to King's The Dark Tower. Individuals in the Territories have "twinners," or parallel individuals, in our world. Twinners' births, deaths, and (it is intimated) other major life events are usually paralleled. Twinners can also flip, but only share the body of their alternate universe's analogue.

In rare instances (such as Jack Sawyer's), a person may die in one world but not the other, making them "single-natured" and giving them the ability to switch back and forth between the two worlds if taught how. Jack is taught how to "flip" by a mysterious figure known as Speedy Parker, who may be a gunslinger named Parkus in the Territories. In his world the beloved Queen Laura DeLoessian, the twinner of Jack's mother (a movie actress known as the "Queen of the B Movies") is also dying.

Various people help or hinder Jack in his quest. Of particular importance are the Werewolves, known simply as Wolfs, who inhabit the Territories. These are not the savage killers of tradition. They serve as royal herdsmen or bodyguards, and can sometimes under stress voluntarily change to wolf form. A sixteen-year-old Wolf, simply named Wolf, is accidentally pulled into America by Jack Sawyer and adopts Jack as his herd, serving as his companion. Wolf is extremely likeable, kind, loyal and friendly, much like a dog, though his wolf nature shows through on occasion. On the other hand, some have joined the antagonists who are trying to stop Jack.

As the story goes back and forth between the Territories and the familiar United States, or "American Territories" as Jack comes to call them, Jack escapes from one life-threatening situation after another. Accompanied by Wolf and later by his childhood friend Richard, Jack must retrieve the Talisman before it falls into the hands of evil schemer Morgan Sloat, Richard's father, who, we later learn, was Jack's father's business partner before arranging to have the latter murdered. He wants to seize their business from Jack's mother. Morgan Sloats's twinner, Morgan of Orris, also plans to seize the Territories in the event of Queen Laura's death.

Characters/People edit see section history

  • Jack Sawyer: This 13 year old is in for an adventure of his lifetime. He cares deeply for his ailing mother and must find The Talisman in order to save her. He travels to an altenate universe where he is greater than he would have ever thought.
  • Richard Sloat: Jack's best (human) friend, and the son of his worst enemy. His nickname is "Rational Richard" because he does not like fantastic and impossible things. He is quite blown away when Jack shows up at his boarding school and takes him on a fantastic, impossible adventure.
  • Wolf: Jack meets Wolf early in the book, in the Territories. They are not friends for long, but they go through great trials, and Wolf consistently proves himself to be honest, loyal, and helpful to Jack. Wolf is actually a werewolf, but not like any werewolf you have ever read about before! Jack rips him from his world of tending "creep" (cow/sheep hybrid, in Jack's eyes) into a world of harrowing adventures, popcorn, and bad smells!
  • Osmond: He worked for Morgan of Oris, Morgan Sloat’s twinner.
  • Jason: Jack’s twinner.
  • Smokey Updike: Owner of Oatley's Tap bar where Jack worked.
  • Sonny Singer: Steward In Reverend Gardiner's Home for Wayward Boys.
  • Anders: Depot Keeper in the Territories
  • Lori: Girlfriend of Smokey Updike
  • Phil Sawyer: Deceased father of Jack
  • Etheridge: In Thayer School.
  • Casey: Worked in Reverend Gardiner's Home for Wayward Boys.
  • Elroy: A nasty pedophilic shape-changer with hooves.
  • Buddy Parkins: A man Jack hitches a ride with.
  • Jerry Bledsoe: Service station attendant and handyman for Sawyer and Sloat.
  • Randolph Scott: Old Western movie star
  • Warwick: Add a description of this character.
  • Lily Cavanaugh: Jack's mother
  • Donny Keegan
  • Farrell
  • Laura Deloessian: The Queen of the Territories
  • Speedy Parker: A worker in an amusement park and Jack's friend
  • Pedersen
  • Morgan Sloat: Partner of the Philip Sawyer. He's the antagonist of the novel.
  • Rushton: he was the son of Morgan of Oris.he died in when he was young.
  • Albert
  • Morton
  • Jack Parker
  • Kiger
  • Ferd Janklow: He was one of the ward in the Sunlight Home.
  • Farren
Show all 31 characters
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First Sentence edit see section history

On September 15th, 1981, a boy named Jack Sawyer stood where the water and land come together, hands in the pockets of his jeans, looking out at the steady Atlantic.

Table of Contents edit see section history

I: Jack Lights Out
1. The Alhambra Inn and Gardens
2. The Funnel Opens
3. Speedy Parker
4. Jack Goes Over
5. Jack and Lily
Interlude. Sloat in This World (I)

II: The Road of Trials
6. The Queen's Pavillion
7. Farren
8. The Oatley Tunnel
9. Jack in the Pitcher Plant
10. Elroy
11. The Death of Jerry Bledsoe
12. Jack Goes to the Market
13. The Men in the Sky
14. Buddy Parkins
15. Snowball Sings
16. Wolf
Interlude. Sloat in This World (II)
17. Wolf and the Herd
18. Wolf Goes to the Movies
19. Jack in the Box

III: A Collision of Worlds
20. Taken by the Law
21. The Sunlight Home
22. The Sermon
23. Ferd Janklow
24. Jack Names the Planets
25. Jack and Wolf Goes to Hell
26. Wolf in the Box
27. Jack Lights Out Again
28. Jack's Dream
29. Richard at Thayer
30. Thayer Gets Weird
31. Thayer Goes to Hell
32. "Send Out Your Passenger!"
33. Richard in the Dark
Interlude. Sloat in This World / Orris in the Territories (III)

IV: The Talisman
34. Anders
Interlude. Sloat in This World (IV)
35. The Blasted Lands
36. Jack and Richard Go to War
37. Richard Remembers
38. The End of the Road
39. Point Venuti
40. Speedy on teh Beach
Interlude. Sloat in This World (V)
41. The Black Hotel
42. Jack and the Talisman
43. News from Everywhere
44. The Earthquake
45. In Which Many Things Are Resolved on the Beach
46. Another Journey
47. Journey's End

Epilogue

Conclusion

Glossary edit see section history

  • juvenescence: 1. being or becoming youthful; young. 2. young in appearance. 3. having the power to make young or youthful.
  • columnar: 1. shaped like a column. 2. characterized by columns.

Series & Lists edit see section history

This is book 1 of 2 in Jack Sawyer. (standard series)

Followed by Black House.

This is book 1 of 10 in Publishers Weekly Bestselling Novels In 1984. (authoritative list)
This book is in Big Fat Books. (community list)
This is book 6 of 24 in Dark Tower Universe. (universe)

Authors & Contributors edit see section history

  1. Stephen King (Author)
  2. Peter Straub (Author)

First Edition edit see section history

Original Language: English
Publisher: Viking : Putnam
Country: USA
Publication Date: 1984
ISBN: 0670691992
Page Count: 830

Awards edit see section history

Classification edit see section history

  • Library of Congress: PS3561.I483 T3 1984
  • Dewey: 813.54

Notes for Parents edit see section history

Reading Level: Adults

Violence and horror

More Books Like This edit see section history

   
  • Bodyswitch

Books with Additional Background Information edit see section history

   
  • The Dark Tower Boxed Set (Books 1-4)

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