Stephen King is probably one of the more versatile writers of our time, having tried his hand at several different genres. This one takes the form of a child's fairy tale, told in the "Once upon a time" style of a fairy tale, but told to adults.

But whereas the Grimm brothers might have told the story in 10 pages, King takes over 400, and draws the story out to an extreme length.

It contains the usual matter of such fairy tales -- the good prince whose throne is usurped by his mediocre brother with the plotting of an evil sorcerer, and how the good prince and his supporters fight back. In some ways it is a typical story of political intrigue, what in South Africa today is called "state capture", and it describes the process fairly well.

A good book to read to your children by candlelight through long winter nights of load shedding as part of their political educatio0n. You might have to explain some of the sexual innuendos, though, or just skip them.