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44-421: Dolores Claiborne ( / ˈ k l eɪ b ɔːr n / ) is a 1992 psychological thriller novel by Stephen King . The novel is narrated by the title character. Atypically for a King novel, it has no chapters, double-spacing between paragraphs, or other section breaks; thus, the text is a single continuous narrative , which reads like the transcription of a spoken monologue . It was the best-selling novel of 1992 in

88-567: A cat and mouse game. Sensation novels , examples of early psychological thrillers, were considered to be socially irresponsible due to their themes of sex and violence. These novels, among others, were inspired by the exploits of real-life detective Jack Whicher . Water, especially floods, is frequently used to represent the unconscious mind, such as in What Lies Beneath and In Dreams . Psychological thrillers may not always be concerned with plausibility. Peter Hutchings defines

132-421: A flight of stairs. As she falls, Dolores has a terrifying vision of Joe's ghost, covered in dust. Somehow alive and lucid despite her injuries, Vera begs Dolores to help end her suffering. Dolores fetches a rolling pin, but Vera dies before she can use it. The incriminating scene is discovered by the local mailman, who suspects Dolores of killing the old woman and forces her to call the police. That night, Dolores

176-486: A massive viewing party on the island ferry. Knowing the island will be mostly empty at that time, Dolores ensures Selena is sent to camp, and Joe Jr. and Pete are sent on to visit family on the mainland. Dolores marks the location of a dried-up well in a patch of brambles on the edge of their property. When it becomes clear her children will not be joining her for the eclipse, Vera becomes despondent and lashes out at her hired help, calming only after Dolores confronts her over

220-501: A narrow path across Earth's surface, with a partial solar eclipse visible over the surrounding region thousands of kilometres wide. Occurring about 4.1 days after perigee (on July 16, 1963, at 19:20 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter was larger. Astronomer Charles H. Smiley observed the eclipse from a U.S. Air Force F-104D Starfighter supersonic aircraft that was "racing the Moon's shadow" at 1,300 mph (2,100 km/h) extending

264-523: A psychological thriller. The same situation can occur when critics label a work to be a psychological thriller in order to elevate its perceived literary value. Many psychological thrillers have emerged over the past years, all in various media (film, literature, radio, etc.). Despite these very different forms of representation, general trends have appeared throughout the narratives. Some of these consistent themes include: In psychological thrillers, characters often have to battle an inner struggle. Amnesia

308-621: A scientist. Scientists from the Dominion Observatory , University of Oxford , National Research Council Canada and University of Saskatchewan flew a Royal Canadian Air Force aircraft to observe the total eclipse at 30,000 feet (9,100 m) above the Great Slave Lake area. Due to the lack of navigation system in the area, the plane had to fly directly from Ottawa to Fort Simpson and then back to Ottawa, taking about 13 hours in total. On July 20, thin clouds in

352-509: A summer home on Little Tall Island in 1949 and hired Dolores as a maid. Able to cope with Vera's brutally exacting standards, Dolores rises from maid to housekeeper at the Donovan home. After Vera's husband dies in a car crash in 1960, she spends increasing time at her island house, eventually moving there permanently. Vera suffers a series of strokes in the 1980s, whereupon Dolores becomes the woman's live-in caretaker and reluctant companion. As

396-534: Is a subgenre of the broader ranging thriller narrative structure, with similarities to Gothic and detective fiction in the sense of sometimes having a "dissolving sense of reality". It is often told through the viewpoint of psychologically stressed characters, revealing their distorted mental perceptions and focusing on the complex and often tortured relationships between obsessive and pathological characters. Psychological thrillers often incorporate elements of mystery , drama , action , and paranoia . The genre

440-406: Is a common plot device used to explore these questions. Character may be threatened with death, be forced to deal with the deaths of others, or fake their own deaths. Psychological thrillers can be complex, and reviewers may recommend a second or third viewing to "decipher its secrets." Common elements may include stock characters , such as a hardboiled detective and serial killer , involved in

484-452: Is a part of Saros series 145 , repeating every 18 years, 11 days, and containing 77 events. The series started with a partial solar eclipse on January 4, 1639 . It contains an annular eclipse on June 6, 1891; a hybrid eclipse on June 17, 1909 ; and total eclipses from June 29, 1927 through September 9, 2648. The series ends at member 77 as a partial eclipse on April 17, 3009. Its eclipses are tabulated in three columns; every third eclipse in

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528-469: Is closely related to and sometimes overlaps with the psychological drama and psychological horror genres, the latter generally involving more horror and terror elements and themes and more disturbing or frightening scenarios. Peter Hutchings states varied films have been labeled psychological thrillers, but it usually refers to "narratives with domesticated settings in which action is suppressed and where thrills are provided instead via investigations of

572-430: Is free of Joe, but her actions damage her relationship with Selena, who also suspects her mother, and rumors begin to circulate that she has gotten away with murder. The narration finally comes to the circumstances of Vera's death, an incident which has led Dolores to tell her story. She confesses that Vera, in one of her hallucinations, managed to exit her wheelchair and fled in terror from "the dust bunnies", falling down

616-416: Is harassed by members of the community who believe she has already escaped punishment for murder in the past. The next day, she receives a phone call from Vera's lawyer, who informs a shocked Dolores that she has inherited Vera's entire fortune—nearly $ 30 million. Dolores initially refuses the money in favor of Vera's estranged children, but then learns they were killed in a car crash in 1961, and Vera had spent

660-544: Is presented as a transcript of her statement, told to the local constable and a stenographer . Dolores wants to make clear to the police that she did not kill Vera, whom she has looked after for years, but does confess to orchestrating the death of her husband, Joe St. George, almost thirty years before. Dolores's confession develops into the story of her life, her troubled marriage, and her relationship with her employer. Dolores first describes her relationship with Vera, which began when she and her millionaire husband purchased

704-569: The New York City Opera performed the world premiere of a new chamber version of the opera at the 59E59 Theater , directed by Michael Capasso . In 2019, it was produced by the Boston University Opera Institute. Dolores Claiborne, an opinionated 65-year-old widow living on the tiny Maine community of Little Tall Island, is suspected of murdering her wealthy, elderly employer, Vera Donovan. The novel

748-562: The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada also made radio observations in Grand-Mère, Quebec . The eclipse was featured in the comic strip Peanuts (July 15–20, 1963), with Linus demonstrating a safe way of observing the eclipse as opposed to looking directly at the eclipse. On the day the eclipse passed over his area, Linus was left helplessly standing in the rain with cloud cover entirely too thick to witness

792-590: The United States and also Canada on July 20. A partial eclipse was visible for parts of the eastern Soviet Union , North America , Central America , the Caribbean , far northern Europe , and northern South America . Mamoru Mohri , Japanese scientist and former NASDA astronaut, who was 15 years old and living in Hokkaido at the time, said that seeing this total solar eclipse made him want to become

836-402: The anomalistic month (period of perigee), but groupings of 3 tritos cycles (≈ 33 years minus 3 months) come close (≈ 434.044 anomalistic months), so eclipses are similar in these groupings. The partial solar eclipses on December 7, 2170 (part of Saros 164) and November 7, 2181 (part of Saros 165) are also a part of this series but are not included in the table below. This eclipse is a part of

880-462: The giallo , an Italian subgenre of psychological thrillers, as violent murder mysteries that focus on style and spectacle over rationality. According to Peter B. Flint of The New York Times , detractors of Alfred Hitchcock accused him of "relying on slick tricks, illogical story lines and wild coincidences". The most popular Psychological Thriller Author is Jodi Picoult Solar eclipse of July 20, 1963 A total solar eclipse occurred at

924-481: The Great Slave Lake area expanded to an altitude of 40,000 feet (12,000 m), so no results were got from optical observations, but the instruments installed on the aircraft still recorded data. In addition, wind speeds of nearly 100 knots (190 km/h; 120 mph) also caused the aircraft to enter the Moon's umbra one minute ahead of schedule, west of the planned location. In addition, scientists from

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968-617: The Moon's ascending node of orbit between Saturday, July 20 and Sunday, July 21, 1963, with a magnitude of 1.0224. A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun , thereby totally or partly obscuring the image of the Sun for a viewer on Earth. A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon's apparent diameter is at least the same size as the Sun's or larger, blocking all direct sunlight, turning day into darkness. Totality occurs in

1012-536: The New England Home for Little Wanderers . The final article implies Dolores and Selena have reconciled and that Selena will be coming home for the first time in twenty years. Unlike many other works by King, little focus is given to the supernatural . Although several supernatural occurrences are implied, the only such events that clearly occur in the book are two telepathic visions of a nameless young girl sexually victimized by her father, which, along with

1056-682: The United States. The story introduced the fictional community of Little Tall Island, which Stephen King later used as the setting for the original TV mini-series Storm of the Century . The novel was highly successful in 1992 and received overall positive reviews. It led to a successful 1995 movie adaptation starring Kathy Bates that Time named among the top 10 greatest Stephen King film adaptations in 2013. A two-act opera adaptation premiered in San Francisco in 2013. In 2017,

1100-418: The abuse. The marriage problems escalate one night in 1960 when Joe viciously hits Dolores in the back with a piece of stove wood over a perceived slight. In retaliation, Dolores smashes a ceramic cream pot over his head and threatens him with a hatchet, swearing she will kill him if he ever strikes her again. This confrontation is witnessed by Selena. Joe stops beating Dolores, but Selena does not realize Dolores

1144-424: The car crash that killed her own husband and advises Dolores that "sometimes, an accident can be an unhappy woman's best friend." Dolores begins plotting Joe's death, but she does not find an opportunity to execute her plan until the following summer. Vera becomes obsessed with a total solar eclipse that will be visible from the island, insisting the event will convince her estranged children to visit her. She plans

1188-457: The characters; guilty characters may suffer similar distress by virtue of their knowledge. However, James N. Frey defines psychological thrillers as a style, rather than a subgenre; Frey states good thrillers focus on the psychology of their antagonists and build suspense slowly through ambiguity. Creators and/or film distributors or publishers who seek to distance themselves from the negative connotations of horror often categorize their work as

1232-819: The duration of totality to 4 minutes 3 seconds. The Moon's apparent diameter was 4.8 arcseconds smaller than the January 25, 1963 annular solar eclipse . This was a total solar eclipse because it occurred in July when the Earth is near aphelion (furthest from the Sun). The Moon's apparent diameter was just over 2.2% larger than the Sun's. Totality was visible from Hokkaido in Japan and Kuril Islands in Soviet Union (now belonging to Russia ) on July 21, and Alaska , and Maine in

1276-573: The eclipse. This particular eclipse event plays an important part in two of Stephen King 's novels, Gerald's Game (1992) and Dolores Claiborne (1992). The eclipse is mentioned in passing in John Updike' s novel Couples (1968) in relation to Piet and Foxy. The eclipse was featured in the season 3 episode of Mad Men entitled "Seven Twenty Three" (2009, S03E07). Shown below are two tables displaying details about this particular solar eclipse. The first table outlines times at which

1320-523: The last thirty years of her life only pretending they were still alive. Knowing the inheritance will be seen as a motive and worsen the case against her, Dolores convinces herself the only way to clear her name is to confess everything. Feeling at peace with herself at long last, she ends her statement. Several newspaper articles provide an epilogue to the story, revealing Dolores was cleared of any blame in Vera's death and anonymously donated Vera's fortune to

1364-470: The majority of psychological thrillers have happy endings. Madden stated their lack of spectacle and strong emphasis on character led to their decline in Hollywood popularity. Psychological thrillers are suspenseful by exploiting uncertainty over characters' motives, honesty, and how they see the world. Films can also cause discomfort in audiences by privileging them with information they wish to share with

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1408-402: The money he had stolen, provoking him into attacking her. She flees into the brambles, leading Joe to the well and tricking him into stepping on the rotted boards that cover it. The planks break and Joe falls into the well, severely injured. Joe calls out for help for some time before eventually losing consciousness. Dolores returns to the house and falls asleep. She has a nightmare, then checks

1452-520: The moon's penumbra or umbra attains the specific parameter, and the second table describes various other parameters pertaining to this eclipse. This eclipse is part of an eclipse season , a period, roughly every six months, when eclipses occur. Only two (or occasionally three) eclipse seasons occur each year, and each season lasts about 35 days and repeats just short of six months (173 days) later; thus two full eclipse seasons always occur each year. Either two or three eclipses happen each eclipse season. In

1496-450: The operatic adaptation of the novel composed by Tobias Picker to a libretto by J. D. McClatchy , premiered at San Francisco Opera on September 18, 2013, with Patricia Racette in the title role. The play has also been made into a couple of Finnish plays both called Doloreksen tunnustus : in 2009 presented by Tukkateatteri, and in 2012 presented by Ad Astra Teatteri. Psychological thriller In terms of context and convention, it

1540-454: The psychologies of the principal characters." A distinguishing characteristic of a psychological thriller is it emphasizes the mental states of its characters: their perceptions, thoughts, distortions, and general struggle to grasp reality. According to director John Madden , psychological thrillers focus on story, character development, choice, and moral conflict; fear and anxiety drive the psychological tension in unpredictable ways. However,

1584-406: The same calendar date. In addition, the octon subseries repeats 1/5 of that or every 3.8 years (1387.94 days). All eclipses in this table occur at the Moon's ascending node. This eclipse is a part of a tritos cycle, repeating at alternating nodes every 135 synodic months (≈ 3986.63 days, or 11 years minus 1 month). Their appearance and longitude are irregular due to a lack of synchronization with

1628-576: The same column is one exeligmos apart, so they all cast shadows over approximately the same parts of the Earth. The longest duration of annularity was produced by member 15 at 6 seconds (by default) on June 6, 1891, and the longest duration of totality will be produced by member 50 at 7 minutes, 12 seconds on June 25, 2522. All eclipses in this series occur at the Moon’s ascending node of orbit. The metonic series repeats eclipses every 19 years (6939.69 days), lasting about 5 cycles. Eclipses occur in nearly

1672-399: The sequence below, each eclipse is separated by a fortnight . This eclipse is a member of a semester series . An eclipse in a semester series of solar eclipses repeats approximately every 177 days and 4 hours (a semester) at alternating nodes of the Moon's orbit. The partial solar eclipses on June 10, 1964 and December 4, 1964 occur in the next lunar year eclipse set. This eclipse

1716-503: The solar eclipse backdrop, form a link to King's novel Gerald's Game . The novel was adapted into a 1995 film directed by Taylor Hackford . It starred Kathy Bates as Dolores, with Jennifer Jason Leigh as her daughter Selena, and Judy Parfitt as Vera Donovan. David Joss Buckley adapted the novel for the stage. It was produced in Germany and France and nominated for Globe De Crystal by Paris Premiere, 2007. Dolores Claiborne ,

1760-882: The truth of the hatchet incident and Selena reluctantly admits that Joe molested her. Overwhelmed, Selena nearly jumps off the side of the ferry, but Dolores stops her and vows to protect her. That night, she considers murdering Joe, describing the urge to kill him as the opening of an "inside eye." Instead, she confronts him, promising to have him arrested if he ever touches Selena again. Dolores resolves to protect her children by leaving Joe. When she attempts to withdraw her children's savings accounts to fund their escape, she discovers Joe has stolen everything. In despair, she breaks down crying at work, confiding in Vera. An unusually sympathetic Vera reveals she has had some sort of experience with Dolores's "inside eye", and casually remarks that men like Joe often die in accidents, leaving their wives everything. As she departs, she implies she arranged

1804-473: The unjust firing of one of the maids. On the day of the eclipse, Dolores buys Joe a bottle of scotch and makes him a sandwich, lowering his guard, and they share their first moment of physical affection in many years. As the eclipse begins, Dolores has a vision of a young girl in the path of the eclipse who is being sexually abused by her father at that same moment . Reminded of what she has set out to do, she deliberately enrages Joe by claiming she has recovered

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1848-443: The wealthy woman slips into dementia , Dolores comforts her from terrifying hallucinations of a force she calls "the dust bunnies." When Vera is lucid, Dolores combats a series of mind games and power plays. Dolores further reveals that when she began working at the Donovan house, her marriage to Joe was already in distress due to his alcoholism, temper, and domestic violence . Their children, Selena, Joe Jr. and Pete, are unaware of

1892-408: The well. She arrives to discover Joe has regained consciousness and has nearly managed to climb out. He grabs at Dolores and attempts to pull her in with him. She hits him in the face with a rock, and he falls back into the well, dead. Dolores reports Joe missing, and his body is found after several days of searching. His death is ruled an accident despite the suspicions of the local coroner . Dolores

1936-426: Was abused and acted in self-defense , and Joe uses the hatchet incident to gain sympathy from her. A rift grows between mother and daughter. In 1962, Dolores notices Selena has become increasingly withdrawn, frightened, unsociable and neglectful of her appearance. After speculating she has met a boy or become involved in drugs, Dolores finally confronts her daughter as they return home on the island ferry. She explains

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