Review of Secret Window, Secret Garden

By: Stephen King

            Author Mort Rainey is living at the lake house he and his Ex-wife, Amy, bought years ago, but Mort is experiencing writer’s block due his anger toward her.  A man, John Shooter, shows up accusing Mort of plagiarizing and starts to threaten him if he doesn’t admit that he stole his story. 

            Secret Window Secret Garden deals with the themes of divorce and plagiarizing.  Mort’s marriage felt apart and because he is alone it allows his other fears to pile on and take center stage.  He is accused of stealing this guy, John Shooter’s story around the time of his divorce.  The story, though it was written before reflects the rage and pain Mort feels.  Mort Rainey isn’t a great person, but he is a sympathetic character with him being betrayed by his wife when he didn’t expect it.  He is also forced to question his actions seeing how is responsible for the failure of his marriage.  A lot of writer’s, especially male writers as loving their work more than their spouse/partner and connecting more with their characters ruining their relationship.  John Shooter is creepy and an unsettling character and you don’t know at first if he is justified or is he disllusional?