Well I got hold of this at Christmas with some trepidation, because I have been of the opinion that SK has moved away from what he does best - tell stories of a fantastical and often horrible nature - and as a result lost some of his... um... readability.
   I need not have worried Fairy Tale , while not exactly a horror story, is nevertheless a storyteller's story and it has enough horror riffs in it that, I'm sure, most readers will be happy with it. I certainly was.
   If I have one criticism, it is that I felt the pace of the overall novel wasn't quite right - an enormous build-up, and then lots of resolutions happening quickly and close together towards the end. But I am prepared to believe that this is just me. Who am I to question the pacing of a Stephen King book?
   So, if you are a Stephen King fan but have been slightly worried about whether this one is up to par, let me reassure you.
   It is.