The visitor
The visitor -or The Outsider, by its original title in English— is a detective horror novel written by the American author, screenwriter, director, actor and musician Stephen King, a true classic of the genre. The work that concerns this review was first published on May 22, 2018 by the publishing house Charles Scribner's Sons, winning several awards.
This volume of the king of terror is the first belonging to the series Holly Gibney, and has an average rating ranging from 4.01 and 4.5 stars on platforms such as Goodreads and Amazon, respectively. The book has been so successful internationally that received its own adaptation in series format on January 12, 2020, from HBO.
Synopsis of The visitorby Stephen King
The book begins with the investigation of a brutal murder in the city of Flint City, where the body of an eleven-year-old boy is found in gruesome circumstances. All evidence points to baseball coach Terry Maitland, a respected member of the community, as the prime suspect. Despite the man's resistance, he is shamefully arrested, devastating his family.
However, what appears to be a closed case due to the overwhelming evidence —fingerprints, eyewitnesses and DNA— begins to crumble when it is discovered that Maitland has an alibi seemingly irrefutable. After investigating the information provided by the detainee, and another tragedy involving people known to Flint City, things get worse for the police.
Narrative structure of the work
The narrative of The visitor It is developed in two parts: the first one follows a more police style, with Detective Ralph Anderson leading the murder investigation. The agent is convinced of Maitland's guilt, but as new evidence emerges, certainty begins to erode. The second part of the book takes A turn towards the paranormal, with introduction by Holly Gibney.
This is a character that had already appeared in the trilogy of Mr. Mercedes. In The visitor, She brings with her the possibility that the inexplicable is real., and that the case is much more complex than it seems. Little by little, both approaches complement each other, blurring the lines between a heinous but humane crime and a monstrous alternative that lurks among ordinary people.
Themes explored in The visitor
King uses the novel to examine themes such as guilt, justice and the fragility of certainties.The central idea is that of duality, what is visible and what is hidden: the evidence is clear, but what happens if the reality we believed to be solid begins to fade? The work also explores the human fear of the unexplainable, presenting a villain who defies physical and psychological norms.
These elements turn the antagonist into a threat to both the mind and the body, calling into question the logic of the protagonists, who, before thinking about defeating evil, must understand that it can be found in planes they had not even imagined. Likewise, The nature of the villain is not accidental, because he represents masks, secrets.
About the main characters
Ralph Anderson is a detective who struggles between his duty as a police officer and his need for moral justice. His evolution throughout the book is significant, going from being a rational man to someone who must confront what he cannot understand. For her part, Holly Gibney, With his peculiar touch and ability to see beyond the logical, balances Ralph's skepticism, becoming one of King's most interesting and beloved protagonists.
Narrative style of The Visitor
The narrative style is classic King: agile, descriptive and full of suspense. His ability to create an atmosphere of constant unease keeps the reader on edge. The author blends the everyday with the terrifying in such a way that the supernatural elements seem to fit seamlessly into real life, adding a layer of disturbing realism to the story, as usual.
At the same time, another of Stephen King's strengths—both in this particular novel and in his general narrative—is the construction of characters. The king of terror has a great capacity for observation, being able to build actors who jump out of the role and sneak into the collective imagination. This is the reason why novels like Carrie, It y Salem's Lot.
A perfect book for the month of October
The visitor It is a work that captures the essence of psychological horror and fuses it with a solid detective story. King fans will love the mix of genres, Although those who seek a thriller Pure crime fans might be surprised by the turn towards the supernatural. Still, it's an entertaining read, well structured and with wonderfully developed characters.
This is a novel that invites us to question our perception of reality and to confront our most primitive fears. In short, The visitor is a book that, although it is based on a classic premise, offers more than just a mystery: urges the reader to enter a world where the unknown lurks, and no one is safe from facing the impossible.
About the Author
Stephen edwin king was born on September 1, 1947, in Portland, Maine, United States. What can be said about this master of fiction that hasn't already been said?: So far, he has published 65 novels, eleven collections of short stories and novellas, and seven non-fiction books, as well as a film script, selling around 500 million copies.
While it is true that not all the works he has written are worthy of mention, It is also true that the American is one of the most prolific in horror narrative., mysteries, science fiction and fantasy, and whose books have greatly influenced popular culture, being a reference for authors such as Mariana Enríquez, Joe Hill, CJ Tudor, Paul Tremblay and Alma Katsu.
Other novels by Stephen King
- Carrie (1974);
- Salem's Lot mystery (1975);
- The Shining (1977);
- The long march (1979);
- The dead zone (1979);
- Fire Eyes (1980);
- The Dark Tower I: The Devil's Herb (1982);
- animal graveyard (1983);
- That (1986);
- The Dark Tower II: The Summoning (1987);
- Misery (1987);
- The Dark Half (1989);
- The Dark Tower III: The Badlands (1991);
- Gerald's game (1992);
- The green Mile (1996);
- Despair (1006);
- The Dark Tower IV: The Crystal Ball (1997);
- a bag of bones (1998);
- The Dark Tower V: Wolves of the Calla (2003);
- The Dark Tower VI: Song of Susannah (2004);
- The Dark Tower VII: The Dark Tower (2004);
- The dome (2009);
- 22/11/63 (2011);
- The Dark Tower: The Wind Through the Keyhole (2012);
- Doctor sleep (2013);
- Mercedes (2014);
- Who loses pays (2015);
- End of watch (2016);
- The Institute (2019);
- Billy summers (2021);
- Holly (2023)