Stephen King’s ‘Cell’ downright silly, drawn-out
“Cell”
by Stephen King (Scribner, 384 pages, $27)
The premise of Stephen King’s apocalyptic new novel initially sounds so contrived and far-fetched – so downright silly, really – that it makes you wonder if the scarily prolific author has finally run out of ideas.
The setup is this: On the afternoon of Oct. 1 at exactly 3:03 p.m., anyone who happens to be talking on their cell phone is instantly rendered into a snarling, murderous lunatic by a mysterious signal that comes to be known as “the pulse.”
Naturally, as mayhem starts to break out, people respond by using their cell phones to call for help, which only renders them into snarling, murderous … well, you get the idea.
It’s not long before the world’s population – at least in the northeastern United States, where the novel is set – is divided in two: ordinary people and “phone crazies.” And it’s only a matter of time before one side outnumbers the other.
Turning benign technology against mankind is one of the oldest tricks in the sci-fi/horror playbook, and King has mined it countless times, from the haunted car of “Christine” to a vicious fire extinguisher in “The Shining.”
And “Cell,” despite its intrinsic hokeyness, is immediately arresting, because King sets up the nightmarish scenario so quickly and deftly, the reader doesn’t have time to stop and ponder how ridiculous it all is.
The first half of the book, in which protagonist Clayton Riddell and a handful of fellow survivors band together and begin a dangerous trek toward Riddell’s home in Maine to find out whether his wife and son are still alive, is a lowbrow, page-turning blast.
It’s only as “Cell” progresses and the phone-crazies start to develop additional powers – including telepathy and the ability to float in the air – that the more ridiculous aspects of the story take over and the plot becomes mired in dull, explanatory exposition.
The further Clayton and his fellow travelers get along on their journey, the sillier “Cell” becomes and the more drawn-out the book feels – like a short story that’s been stretched out to novel length for no good reason other than King wanted to stretch it.