Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon, The

Inhoud

The brochure promised a moderate-to-difficult six-mile hike on the Maine-New Hampshire branch of the Appalachian Trial, where nine-year-old Trisha McFarland was to spend Saturday with her older brother, Pete, and her recently divorced mother. When she wanders off to escape their constant bickering, then tries to catch up by attempting a shortcut through the woods, Trisha strays deeper into a wilderness full of peril and terror. Especially when night falls. Trisha has only her wits for navigation, only her ingenuity as a defence against the elements, only her courage and faith to withstand her mounting fear. For solace she tunes her Walkman to broadcasts of Boston Red Sox games and the gritty performances of her hero, number 36, relief pitcher Tom Gordon. And when her radio's reception begins to fade, Trisha imagines that Tom Gordon is with her - her key to survivng an enemy known only by the slaughtered animals and mangled trees in its wake.

Bespreking

An evil little throat grabber

Normally the nine-year-old Trisha McFarland really enjoys the Saturday outings her recently divorced mother organizes. Even this time the six-mile hike on the Main-New Hampshire branch of the Appalachian Trail promises to become an enjoyable first experience for Trisha. But when her brother Pete starts to squabble with his mother, Trisha starts to trail behind in the hope that the quarrel will soon come to an end. Then she makes a terribly bad decision: she leaves the path. The last words she can hear Pete say are "-don't know why we have to pay for what you guys did wrong!" It doesn't take long for Trisha to realize that she is lost. Lost in the woods.

The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon is a novel that stands out between the numerous other works of Stephen King for two reasons. First it is a small book; it only counts about 200 pages, which in itself is quite remarkable if you compare it to the sizes of King's later novels. Secondly, and most remarkable, is the straightforward story-line and small cast.

One girl gets lost in the woods and that's all it is. Not true!

Although the story is very simple, it goes directly for the throat of the reader. The powerful characterization of that little girl creates a deeply rooted involvement. It is as though the reader can feel the pain Trisha has to go through. At one point you even want to shout: "Don't go there! Don't do it!", just because you've been completely swallowed up by this emotional roller coaster. Although spared from real action scenes, this little fairy tail reads like a page turner.

Put it like this: The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon is an 'evil' book, just because you will get hit while reading it.