Review: Dolores Claiborne
Gaby Meares
This is a very unusual story by Stephen King. It’s a monologue by the titular Dolores Claiborne, recounting her life story to the local sheriff after being arrested for the suspected murder of her employer Vera Donovan. There are no chapters and no other perspectives. I think it could be hard work to physically read, but to listen to as narrated by Frances Sternhagen was absolutely perfect. I was totally mesmerised, and felt such compassion for Dolores. As Dolores says, ‘Sometimes you have to be a high riding bitch to survive, sometimes, being a bitch is all a woman has to hang on to.’