Monty Python is a British comedy group that became famous in the late 1960s and early 1970s for their TV show, Monty Python's Flying Circus. One of their most iconic sketches is the "Witch Scene," also known as the "Burn the Witch" scene. In this scene, a group of villagers accuses a woman named Mrs. Hargreaves of being a witch. They bring her to a trial where they try to prove her guilt. The scene is known for its absurd humor and satire.
5. Insomnia — An elderly man who begins having visions after losing the ability to sleep comes to learn about a mystical tower that stands for all the levels of reality — and the agents of the Crimson King who wishes to tear it down. Before this 1994 novel, the Tower saga was separate from King’s other novels. “Insomnia was the first place where I really understood [the links] consciously and I started to work all this stuff in there,” the author says.
Director and co-writer Nikolaj Arcel said he wanted someone who was older than Jake, someone who had been enslaved by the Man in Black for a long time. But to reach his goal, Jack must make his way not only across the breadth of the United States, but through the wondrous and menacing Territories as well.
The scene is known for its absurd humor and satire. The sketch begins with the villagers interrogating Mrs. Hargreaves about her "witch-like" behaviors.
The Stephen King Project – The Talisman (1984)
About the project
I will be reading all of Stephen King’s books in order of publication (with the exception of The Dark Tower series which I will read together, at the end of this adventure) and writing a review of each. I’ll be looking at the recurring themes, the tricks he likes to use, the way he develops character and the way that his craft has evolved in the 44 years since Carrie was first published.
The Talisman is a dark fantasy story that Stephen King co-wrote with Peter Straub, another acclaimed horror writer. On paper, it should be a great book, and again, as someone who loves both fantasy and horror, I would have expected to love it.
The problem is, it’s just not that great.
I’m sure, by now, you understand just how hard it is for me to say that. I guess we all want our heroes to stay on their pedestals, and I love so many of his other books, but this one just left me feeling ‘meh’ – after both times I’ve read it.
The Talisman tells us the story of Jack Sawyer, a 12-year-old boy with a lot on his mind. His father was killed in a hunting accident a couple of years before the book begins and now his mother has cancer and is clearly dying. Add to that a predatory business partner of his father’s and it’s no wonder Jack is struggling. When he meets Lester ‘Speedy’ Parker and is told that he can go on a grand adventure to save his mother, it’s not really surprising that he jumps at the chance. What I did find surprising, to the point of being unbelievable, was how easily his mother agrees to let him set off on his own to an unknown location for an unknown amount of time…
When Jack was younger, he used to daydream about another place, a cleaner, nicer place. Speedy tells him that not only was this place real, but that he can visit again by ‘flipping’. The Territories, that other place, are a sort of twin to this world and many people from this world have ‘twinners’ over there – people just like them who share their lifeline and moments of import. The Queen, Laura De Loessian, is the twinner of Jack’s mum and she too is dying. Jack has to travel to a place on the other side of the US (and the territories) and retrieve a talisman, which will heal both women.
Sounds interesting, I hear you think. So, what was the problem?
Well, to begin with, I think this book falls down in the area that you can usually rely on King to be on top of his game. I don’t think Jack is a particularly interesting character. Now, we know that King can write great kids – Danny Torrance in The Shining, Tad Trenton in Cujo, the entire cast of IT – so I don’t think the problem is the protagonist’s age. Perhaps it was the cowriting that resulted in such a lacklustre main character, but whatever it was, he didn’t really capture me.
I also felt like this book kind of recycled some of King’s previous characters. Speedy Parker reminds me a lot of Dick Halloran in The Shining. Both of these characters are black, and I fear that King may be relying on stereotypes, however I leave that to someone with more knowledge to judge. Wolf (who is, in my view, the best character in The Talisman) is so much like Tom Cullen from The Stand that I kept expecting him to say ‘M-O-O-N, that spells …’ and Morgan Sloat came very much to remind me of Flagg as he appears in The Stand, especially when Morgan and Jack face off for the final time. I guess over time, it’s to be expected that some recycling of characters will occur, but in this context, it just feels lazy.
My other complaint about this book is the pacing. In my opinion, it is far longer than it had to be. Jack’s journey to the black hotel really drags along at times, with side stories that seem to have little or no bearing on the main plot. This is the first time that I’ve ever felt that the criticism toward King of writing bloated works or being too wordy was accurate. I think this book could have been half the length and carried the plot just as well, if not better. When I was about two-thirds of the way through this book, I received a review copy of Starsight by Brandon Sanderson; if I hadn’t been reading The Talisman for this project, I’m fairly sure I would have put it aside for Starsight since I was struggling.
It really pains me to write a review like this, where I can’t point to any particular thing and say, all that might have been a disappointment, but this bit was really good. It might seem like the problem must be the cowriting, but I have previously read Black House, a sequel to The Talisman, and I found it to be far better.
Have you read The Talisman? What did you think of it? Am I the only one who found it disappointing?
Tags Dark FantasyPeter StraubStephen KingThe TalismanShona Kinsella
Shona Kinsella is a Scottish fantasy author who lives on the bonnie banks of Loch Lomond with her husband and three children. She is the author of Ashael Rising (Unbound, 2017), Petra McDonald and the Queen of the Fae (Fox Spirit, 2018) and Miranya’s Oath (an illustrated web serial). You can find out more about her work at www.shonakinsella.com and she loves talking to new people on Twitter www.twitter.com/shona_kinsella
3 comments
Shona 31 January, 2020 at 20:07 ReplyBob, I agree, Black House is far superior. I actually read that first, having not realised it was a sequel until I was a good chunk into it and when I finally got around to reading The Talisman, I was so disappointed because Black House had given me such high expectations. Sarah, I can understand the DNF. There are definitely elements in there that feel like King to me – Wolf for instance – but yeah, overall it doesn’t feel much like him
I remember reading The Talisman during my early King years, when I still felt he could do no wrong, and just feeling sort of ‘meh’ about it. Interesting story, and I love the mythology, but hardly a page-turner. Now, that said, I do think Black House was a far superior sequel and I’ll be first-in-line should they ever follow through on the 3rd book King has previously teased.
“You know, everything I’ve done kind of reflects back to The Dark Tower books,” King says, although that wasn’t exactly intentional.
They ask her questions like whether she can float in water, turn people into newts, or weigh the same as a duck. Each time she denies being a witch, but the villagers twist her words and use them as evidence against her. Eventually, the villagers decide to test if Mrs. Hargreaves is a witch by weighing her against a duck. If she weighs the same as the duck, it means she floats in water and is therefore a witch. They tie her to a large scale and bring in a duck. The absurdity of this situation is highlighted as the villagers struggle to balance the scale, with one of them even suggesting that the duck may be a bit buoyant. In the end, the sketch ends with the villagers concluding that Mrs. Hargreaves is indeed a witch as she weighs the same as a duck. They proceed to take her away to be burned at the stake, continuing the absurdity and satirical commentary on mob mentality and irrational beliefs. The Monty Python "Witch Scene" is a classic example of their unique style of comedy. It combines clever wordplay, over-the-top performances, and ridiculous situations to create a memorable and hilarious sketch. The scene also reflects the group's larger themes of social commentary and the exploration of human nature through comedy. Overall, the "Witch Scene" is a prime example of Monty Python's comedy genius and continues to be celebrated as one of their greatest sketches..
Reviews for "Monty Python's Witch Scene: A Lesson in the Power of Satire"
1. Jane - 2 stars
I found "Monty Python wutch svene" to be quite confusing and unfunny. The humor seemed forced and I struggled to understand what was going on. The plot was all over the place and the characters lacked depth. Overall, I was disappointed and would not recommend this film to others.
2. Michael - 1 star
I cannot comprehend why "Monty Python wutch svene" has such a cult following. I found it to be extremely chaotic and nonsensical. The humor was juvenile and often relied on shock value rather than clever wit. The constant yelling and overacting from the cast became grating after a while. I honestly do not understand why it is considered a classic comedy.
3. Emily - 2 stars
I must admit, I had high expectations for "Monty Python wutch svene" given its reputation. However, I found myself incredibly bored throughout the film. The jokes fell flat and the slapstick humor became repetitive. The film seemed to lack a coherent narrative and instead relied on random sketches strung together. I can see why some may enjoy it for its absurdity, but it just wasn't my cup of tea.
4. John - 2 stars
As a fan of British comedy, I was excited to watch "Monty Python wutch svene." However, I was left disappointed. While I appreciate the group's unique style of humor, I found this particular film to be convoluted and lacking substance. Many of the jokes were hit-or-miss, and the constant use of absurdity became tiresome. It's definitely an acquired taste, and unfortunately, it was not one that worked for me.