Stephen King is a master of horror and thriller, so I never expected that he would turn to the genre of fantasy in his new book Fairy Tale. The 607 page novel tells an enchanting story of 17-year-old Charlie Reade and his coincidental encounter with Mr. Bowditch and his German Shepherd, Radar, that changed the course of his life and all he has known.
Charlie Reade had a troubled childhood: his mother was killed by an irresponsible driver, which caused his father to fall into the tumult of alcoholism. Charlie started hanging out with the wrong crowd, committing harmful acts and pulling pranks that he—now as a young adult—regrets. As a young kid, Charlie was forced to grow up and assume the role of the responsible adult, taking care of his father and trying to get him back up on his feet. After things took a turn for the worse: Charlie’s father was fired from his job, and on the brink of homelessness, Charlie (furtively) asked God to help his father, and in exchange, he would return the favor. Interestingly enough, Charlie’s bargain presented itself in the form of an elderly man, his dog, and another world.
Mr. Bowditch was the town’s mysterious legend. Everyone knew it was best to stay away from him, as he was anti-social and unpleasant to talk to. The only love Bowditch had was his dog, Radar, who was a legend herself; she was known as a large, terrifying beast with red eyes. The eldritch surrounding the house and those who lived there, standing on the corner of Pine and Sycamore Street, is what lured Charlie into his fairy-tale-like adventure.
Driving passed Mr. Bowditch’s house on his way back from school, Charlie hears the cries of a dog. The cries became persistent, long whines, urging Charlie to investigate. His curiosity got the best of him as he saw Mr. Bowditch lying on the ground in pain, with Radar whining at his side. Charlie calls an ambulance (as it turns out, Mr. Bowditch fell off his ladder while cleaning his gutters and seriously broke some bones). This incident brings Mr. Bowditch and Charlie closer together as Charlie begins taking care of Radar while Bowditch is in the hospital. Charlie realizes that Mr. Bowditch and Radar are nothing like the rumors claim, and he grows fond of his new-found friend and becomes obsessed with Radar; Radar is an old dog who is slowly dying due to severe arthritis. These events led to the discovery of an ominous shed in Mr. Bowditch’s backyard, which Bowditch later reveals is a portal to another world: one filled with magic and is a fairy-tale in of itself.
Mr. Bowditch refuses Charlie when asked any questions about the shed, and Charlie is not fond of the idea of entering it after hearing unusual noises coming from it. After Mr. Bowditch passes due to a heart attack, he leaves a message for Charlie: to go into the other world and save Radar by placing her on a sundial that will make her young again. Reluctant, Charlie nevertheless sets out on the adventure with Radar because of his immense love for her.
As Charlie and Radar pursue their quest, Charlie discovers that this other world, Empis, is plagued and desolate. The royal family of Empis was overthrown and cursed, and their people were cursed with a painful disease called the “gray.” Charlie met the remaining members of the royal family and noticed that they were immune to the gray but had one cognitive sense taken away from them: taste, vision, or hearing. Meeting them along with some other Empis citizens brought the responsibility upon Charlie not just to save Radar but the kingdom of Empis as well.
