This seems to be one of Stephen King's less known and less liked novels. 
 I really liked it. Not 5* blown away liked, but a good solid 4* really liked. 
 I think my difference from the majority here is two-fold: 
 Firstly, I've discovered many people want all of a story to be good. If the end lets it down, they feel the whole book is a waste of time. Well... the end did let it down, but the story itself is packed with good stuff. There were so many scenes, characters, ideas and descriptions that all shone with the best that King has to offer that I felt I got my money's worth and more. 
 Yes it fell apart a bit - yes, that took the shine off. I guess one way of looking at it is if you saw the series Lost. Loads of great individual episodes, great characters, a fascinating/maddening mystery relentlessly building ... and an ending that made you go 'whuh?' - I never counted the time I spent watching those early episodes wasted. But yes, a good ending would have been wonderful. 
 Secondly, I read this at a time when I was thinking a lot about the mechanics and techniques of writing and story telling. It's the first time I really remember marveling not only at a story, but at the writing on the small and medium scale, and truly appreciating what magic was being worked, and how. 
 So - to the book. In brief it's like most other King books. He presents you with brilliantly realized real people, one of who is generally a writer (and is in this case), one of whom (often the writer - as in this case) has some drug dependency (often alcohol - as in this case) and into the small town /rural community comes some very weird shit (as in this case) which slowly unfolds and develops (in this case it is literally dug out of the ground over the course of the book). 
 The tale encompasses sci-fi rather than horror weirdness and once again King shows us through the eroding and changing relationships how a small community is subverted and transformed by the 'intruder/s' and how particular elements in that community (all richly presented with their own demons to battle before they can fight the demons/aliens/wotnot) make their stand. 
 Recommended. Although it has been a frighteningly long time since I read it. 
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