King truly establishes himself as a writer when he does well at what a lot of male authors won't even attempt - he makes the main character a woman and really gets deep into the problems that women have. Books like Dolores Claiborne and Gerald's Game and this one, are the books that really make me adore Stephen King. He deals with the tough issues these women face or have faced. Most of the time it is some form of abuse that they had to go through, but that's fine. Those are really tough and serious issues and I admire Stephen for having the guts to write all that. Rose Madder is a brilliant tale of a woman who has had enough. She leaves her abusive husband in the middle of the day, and embarks on a life changing journey. The descriptions are vivid and flavorful, the characters believeable and likable, and the story line is one that only King could think of. I don't want to ruin it for you, so I'll just say that it is a very well written and enticing story. You won't be disappointed.