I read it a few weeks ago. It was the first Stephen King book I've actually read cover to cover in a long time. I'm one of those who truly enjoyed his earlier fiction but don't particularly care for his later work. Dreamcatcher was one I didn't finish.

I agree that it was a fairly quick read and did keep my attention, although it's not on my list to recommend to anyone. I thought the plot was interesting and even a little thought provoking. However, I thought the ending was a cop out in a way, and there were so many unanswered questions that were never addressed that I felt tricked, for lack of a better word. Why tricked? I guess because I felt it was a rehash of The Stand and a few of his older books along with a generous dollop of the movie 28 Days Later. There was never an explanation as to who or why this pulse occurred.

I honestly came out of it feeling like Mr. King fulfilled page three of his book contract. Don't get me wrong. I admire him and his writing abilities, but in the end, I felt it was mostly fantasy fluff.

However, sometimes I DO wish people who have no cell-phone etiquette would get some sort of eletric pulsing shock from their phones. :-)

I hadn't realized the "cell" was a reference to what you lot across the pond call cellphones. Over here in the UK, "cellphone" sounds incredibly old-fashioned - like referring to a wireless. They are called mobile phones or, more usually, mobiles. The kids use "mobe" or "mobey".

Perhaps I'm being a bit trivial, but I slightly resent the assumption that US slang is international - and for that reason alone, I won't be reading the book.

Well, Martin - The novel is set in the U.S. so I think the use of "US slang" is pretty appropriate. Besides, I'm not sure "cellphone" is all that old-fashioned. The last I checked, they still make use of "cells" for their wireless transmission...except for sat-phones of course...which very few people even have. So, it actually sounds to me like "this lot" over here is using a more accurate term than you limeys. :D

colormeconfused - Good thoughts, and I totally agree that the ending felt like a cop out for me too. It was far too abrupt and left too many things outstanding. For example, why go through the trouble of describing all the way-markers Clay's friends were going to leave him if they never were to be used? I felt like the novel ended 50-100 pages too short.

Plus, I could buy the evolved telepathy to an extent, but the levitation was just a bit too hard to believe. Further, the "phone-crazies" were short-term by design anyway...what with their hygeine and all, not to mention their lack of viable reproduction (eventually they would run out of converts)...so the entire concept was a little flawed, unless King was imagining that they would be the last "humans" on earth, only to die out themselves due to their own ineptness.

Appreciate the thoughts...

Not disputing the accuracy of the slang. It's just that we evolved away to the more generic "mobile" over here.

(I don't dispute I'm being a bit petty here...!)

Martin - Not a prob...

Martin, in case you missed it in the "scariest books" thread, I sincerely thank you for your recommendation of Susan Hill's The Woman in Black. I was fortunate to find a copy at the local library. I absolutely loved it. It was one of the few books that I actually had goosebumps at the end. I've ordered it from Amazon, but it's out of print and they're having difficulty getting it, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Mrsig, if you haven't read some of Stephen King's earlier work and you like post-apocalyptic fiction, you might want to try The Stand. I remember that when I read it lo these many years ago, the subject matter really got under my skin as something that could conceivably happen. The Dead Zone is one of my favorite King books, although it doesn't fit into that category, but it is well written and engrossing. My father, who is a retired English professor, read it several years ago after I recommended it and was very surprised by how much he liked it.

colormeconfused - no problem!

I'd recommend ABE books for the book. You should have no difficulty finding a copy.

Here is a link that might be useful: Woman in Black on ABE books (US booksellers only)

I read it last week. I thought it was weak. I wanted to know who started the pulse and why, what the result was supposed to accomplish and for whom. I didn't think the levitation part made ANY sense or added to the story whatsoever and the ending was FLAT. Overall, I would rate this book as one of King's lesser works. Maybe his least. Denise

Thanks, Martin. Amen, Denise.

Denise - I think leaving the origin of the pulse vague was King's nod to Romero and Matheson. A common tenet of Zombie thrillers is that the "cause" of the zombies' uprising is never explained. They just...are.

I didn't have as much of a problem with this aspect of the novel as I did the other areas mentioned above. I rolled my eyes at the levitation parts...

I thought this book was "okay", but had hoped, when I read about it beforehand, that it might possibly go back to being as good as his earlier books (i.e Pet Sematary, Christine, It, etc.). I've noted the book above "The Woman in Black" and plan to see if my library carries it. I'd like a good goosebump book! I don't need gore, but I remember reading books that were so good, and that I was so into, I stayed up way too late reading them! At any rate, I was disappointed in this book.

I HATE when books end the way this one did. Really, its like you wait the entire book to see what's going to happen... they get to that point, press call..... AND THE BOOK ENDS?!?!?!?! Seriously I started flipping around like a mad woman looking for more pages to read. I was convinced someone tore out the last few pages or something. But no... Stephen King decided to leave us hanging... not divulging if the plan worked or failed. I don't like when movies or books leave us to decide the ending. I just want to know how it ends... I don't want to guess!

But I'm forced to guess. So what do I think happened? Well I think Clay presses send and this time the pulse turns Johnny into a complete phoner and he ends up killing his dad and himself. Of course, the plan could have worked and Johnny could be saved, but then what happened to Dan, Jordan, Tom and Denise? What about all the other phoners throughout the world that were still around? What about all the other flocks? Do they all get infected w/the worm and just die? See!? See! I'm left guessing and I hate that. I can run about 5 different endings through my head, but what I really want to know is what Stephen King thinks happened! AAAACK!!!

What does everyong else think happens at the end?

It's driving me crazy, too! Who initiated "The Pulse"? I also never got the meaning of the pink Nike. The whole thing makes my head spin. I took the book (hard cover) to the coffee shop next door and gave it to the first person who wanted it. I demand an explanation!

I agree that the ending is rather abrupt, and as an earlier commenter pointed out why all the detail in the trail to catch up with his allies? It seems like Steve got tired of the story and decided to just cut it short. This did seem like a standard King vehicle ; a disparate group of ragtag refugees fight against the forces of evil and prevail.

I listened to Cell on my iPod and enjoyed it for the most part. It made my work day go ever so quickly!
I certainly felt cheated at the end though!

Have you guys been listening to --I mean, reading to-- yourselves. A book that ends like this leaves nothing but discussion to be had. That's the beauty of it.

As for my personal take, I thought it was a little tame for King, which made me enjoy it more. It had a higher realistic feeling than any other I've read, making it easier to believe.

The ending, however, couldn't have been more of a cliffhanger. I don't like when books don't at least give you the explanations. I'm fine with King not telling us what happens to Johnny-Gee, let alone everyone else. I am a little upset, though, that we never found out why it all started. Maybe there's another book to follow. One can only hope.

The end was terrible!!! I shouted at the car stereo (got it on Audiobook). Stephen king is now in my bad books.

A cliffhanger ending is great, but the ending left me feeling a bit lost to say the least. (I found this forum to see if I was the only one - gland to see I'm not)

I described more in detail about this on my blog page

Here is a link that might be useful: Motor Family's Random Bloggetry

Glad I don't want to read this, 'cause there wasn't a Spoiler Alert anywhere on the thread-please remember, if you are going to give away plot details, announce that and leave a space before typing said details so readers who want to avoid having their reading experience ruined can dodge.

Just finished The Cell - any significance to the dates at the end? I keep racking my brain trying to figure what the ending was. It was like the book just stopped. Very disappointing to say the least.