Stations of the Bool

The 50th book I've read this year, Lisey's Story wasn't what I was expecting. I had heard it was kind of a romance novel, and I guess it is. I had also heard said romance had some supernatural elements -duh, it's Stephen King!-, and it certainly does too. Also, just by looking at the cover of the novel, I thought there would be a shovel involved, and I sure was right. I don't know. I guess I was expecting some kind of lover returned from the grave, but that is not what the book is about at all. There are some supernatural elements, yes, but if you've read the Dark Tower books, you'll recognize Boo'ya Moon for what it is. The DT connection was cool -even though it's never stated this is Midworld-, but more than a supernatural romance, Lisey's Story is a fantastic -as in fantasy- romance with flashbacks within flashbacks.
The story is interesting in the three different timelines we get to witness in the book, but the truth is that there's not a lot going on in either one of them. The one with the most action (and by that I mean "actions" as in people doing things and a story moving forward, not fist fights) is the one that's further away from the now of the main timeline, and still there's not much there either. As I said, they are all interesting and compelling, but the book is really slow-paced. The characters are great, and there's really not much that I would call pointless or that could be edited out: the story is cohesive and doesn't wander off too much. But I guess I would have liked some more action as opposed to so much reminiscing and remembering, and living in memory lane instead of the present. When discussing the use of flashbacks in his book On Writing, King says that, as a writer, he's more interested in what's gonna happen, than in what already has. However, Lisey's Story is a story about not one but two past stories. Yes, they're neatly intertwined, and the complex structure is enjoyable, nicely crafted, and well handled, no complains there. Also, the book doesn't seem to drag on or anything, even though the pace is not too fast. But still, I wish it would have been a little different.
So I liked it, no question about it. It was good and enjoyable. It's just that I won't be recommending it to anybody anytime soon. And if this sounds a bit contradictory, well, maybe it is. Maybe you should read it and tell us what you think. Oops! Did I just recommend it?

PS: To hear Stephen King talk about the book, go here and click on the first link (it says BBC Interview).