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醿ａ儷醿樶儦醿浊儜醿�
醿♂儮醿樶儠醿斸儨 醿欋儤醿溼儝醿樶儭 醿犪儩醿涐儛醿溼儤 鈥濁儯醿儤醿氠冏莾戓儛鈥� 醿炨儤醿犪儠醿斸儦醿愥儞 1994 醿償醿氠儭 醿掅儛醿涐儩醿メ儠醿斸儳醿溼儞醿�. 醿愥儧醿愥儠醿� 醿償醿氠儭 醿儤醿掅儨醿� 醿戓儬醿斸儧 醿♂儮醿濁儥醿斸儬醿樶儭 醿炨儬醿斸儧醿樶儛醿栣償 醿儛醿犪儛醿撫儝醿樶儨醿斸儭.
醿犪儩醿涐儛醿溼儤醿� 醿涐儩醿メ儧醿斸儞醿斸儜醿� 醿掅儛醿涐儩醿掅儩醿溼儤醿� 醿メ儛醿氠儛醿� 醿撫償醿犪儤醿ㄡ儤 醿曖儤醿椺儛醿犪儞醿斸儜醿�. 醿涐儣醿愥儠醿愥儬醿� 醿掅儧醿樶儬醿�, 醿犪儛醿氠儰 醿犪儩醿戓償醿犪儮醿♂儤 醿ａ儷醿樶儦醿濁儜醿樶儣 醿樶儮醿愥儨醿償醿戓儛. 醿樶儝醿� 醿♂儺醿曖儛醿撫儛醿♂儺醿曖儛 醿♂儛醿ㄡ儯醿愥儦醿斸儜醿愥儭 醿涐儤醿涐儛醿犪儣醿愥儠醿�, 醿犪儛醿椺儛 醿撫儛醿儤醿溼償醿戓儛 醿ㄡ償醿儦醿濁儭, 醿椺儯醿涐儶醿� 醿曖償醿犪儛醿め儬醿樶儣 醿愥儺醿斸儬醿償醿戓儭. 醿♂儛醿戓儩醿氠儩醿濁儞, 醿犪儛醿氠儰醿� 醿ａ儶醿溼儛醿ａ儬醿� 醿儤醿氠儠醿斸儜醿� 醿斸儸醿п償醿戓儛. 醿樶儝醿� 醿償醿撫儛醿曖儭 醿樶儧醿愥儭, 醿犪儛醿♂儛醿� 醿┽儠醿斸儯醿氠償醿戓儬醿樶儠醿� 醿愥儞醿愥儧醿樶儛醿溼償醿戓儤 醿曖償醿� 醿愥儧醿┽儨醿斸儠醿斸儨.
鈥濁儯醿儤醿氠冏莾戓儛鈥� 醿♂儮醿樶儠醿斸儨 醿欋儤醿溼儝醿樶儭 醿椺儬醿樶儦醿斸儬醿斸儜醿� 醿ㄡ儩醿犪儤醿� 醿斸儬醿�-醿斸儬醿椺儤 醿掅儛醿涐儩醿犪儵醿斸儯醿氠儤醿� 醿撫儛 醿撫儲醿斸儧醿撫償 醿愥儧 醿熱儛醿溼儬醿樶儭 醿戓償醿♂儮醿♂償醿氠償醿犪償醿戓儤醿� 醿♂儤醿愥儴醿樶儛.
醿犪儩醿涐儛醿溼儤醿� 醿涐儩醿メ儧醿斸儞醿斸儜醿� 醿掅儛醿涐儩醿掅儩醿溼儤醿� 醿メ儛醿氠儛醿� 醿撫償醿犪儤醿ㄡ儤 醿曖儤醿椺儛醿犪儞醿斸儜醿�. 醿涐儣醿愥儠醿愥儬醿� 醿掅儧醿樶儬醿�, 醿犪儛醿氠儰 醿犪儩醿戓償醿犪儮醿♂儤 醿ａ儷醿樶儦醿濁儜醿樶儣 醿樶儮醿愥儨醿償醿戓儛. 醿樶儝醿� 醿♂儺醿曖儛醿撫儛醿♂儺醿曖儛 醿♂儛醿ㄡ儯醿愥儦醿斸儜醿愥儭 醿涐儤醿涐儛醿犪儣醿愥儠醿�, 醿犪儛醿椺儛 醿撫儛醿儤醿溼償醿戓儛 醿ㄡ償醿儦醿濁儭, 醿椺儯醿涐儶醿� 醿曖償醿犪儛醿め儬醿樶儣 醿愥儺醿斸儬醿償醿戓儭. 醿♂儛醿戓儩醿氠儩醿濁儞, 醿犪儛醿氠儰醿� 醿ａ儶醿溼儛醿ａ儬醿� 醿儤醿氠儠醿斸儜醿� 醿斸儸醿п償醿戓儛. 醿樶儝醿� 醿償醿撫儛醿曖儭 醿樶儧醿愥儭, 醿犪儛醿♂儛醿� 醿┽儠醿斸儯醿氠償醿戓儬醿樶儠醿� 醿愥儞醿愥儧醿樶儛醿溼償醿戓儤 醿曖償醿� 醿愥儧醿┽儨醿斸儠醿斸儨.
鈥濁儯醿儤醿氠冏莾戓儛鈥� 醿♂儮醿樶儠醿斸儨 醿欋儤醿溼儝醿樶儭 醿椺儬醿樶儦醿斸儬醿斸儜醿� 醿ㄡ儩醿犪儤醿� 醿斸儬醿�-醿斸儬醿椺儤 醿掅儛醿涐儩醿犪儵醿斸儯醿氠儤醿� 醿撫儛 醿撫儲醿斸儧醿撫償 醿愥儧 醿熱儛醿溼儬醿樶儭 醿戓償醿♂儮醿♂償醿氠償醿犪償醿戓儤醿� 醿♂儤醿愥儴醿樶儛.
924 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1994
4,844 people are currently reading
106k people want to read
About the author
Stephen King
2,575听books872k听followersStephen Edwin King was born the second son of Donald and Nellie Ruth Pillsbury King. After his father left them when Stephen was two, he and his older brother, David, were raised by his mother. Parts of his childhood were spent in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where his father's family was at the time, and in Stratford, Connecticut. When Stephen was eleven, his mother brought her children back to Durham, Maine, for good. Her parents, Guy and Nellie Pillsbury, had become incapacitated with old age, and Ruth King was persuaded by her sisters to take over the physical care of them. Other family members provided a small house in Durham and financial support. After Stephen's grandparents passed away, Mrs. King found work in the kitchens of Pineland, a nearby residential facility for the mentally challenged.
Stephen attended the grammar school in Durham and Lisbon Falls High School, graduating in 1966. From his sophomore year at the University of Maine at Orono, he wrote a weekly column for the school newspaper, THE MAINE CAMPUS. He was also active in student politics, serving as a member of the Student Senate. He came to support the anti-war movement on the Orono campus, arriving at his stance from a conservative view that the war in Vietnam was unconstitutional. He graduated in 1970, with a B.A. in English and qualified to teach on the high school level. A draft board examination immediately post-graduation found him 4-F on grounds of high blood pressure, limited vision, flat feet, and punctured eardrums.
He met Tabitha Spruce in the stacks of the Fogler Library at the University, where they both worked as students; they married in January of 1971. As Stephen was unable to find placement as a teacher immediately, the Kings lived on his earnings as a laborer at an industrial laundry, and her student loan and savings, with an occasional boost from a short story sale to men's magazines.
Stephen made his first professional short story sale ("The Glass Floor") to Startling Mystery Stories in 1967. Throughout the early years of his marriage, he continued to sell stories to men's magazines. Many were gathered into the Night Shift collection or appeared in other anthologies.
In the fall of 1971, Stephen began teaching English at Hampden Academy, the public high school in Hampden, Maine. Writing in the evenings and on the weekends, he continued to produce short stories and to work on novels.
Stephen attended the grammar school in Durham and Lisbon Falls High School, graduating in 1966. From his sophomore year at the University of Maine at Orono, he wrote a weekly column for the school newspaper, THE MAINE CAMPUS. He was also active in student politics, serving as a member of the Student Senate. He came to support the anti-war movement on the Orono campus, arriving at his stance from a conservative view that the war in Vietnam was unconstitutional. He graduated in 1970, with a B.A. in English and qualified to teach on the high school level. A draft board examination immediately post-graduation found him 4-F on grounds of high blood pressure, limited vision, flat feet, and punctured eardrums.
He met Tabitha Spruce in the stacks of the Fogler Library at the University, where they both worked as students; they married in January of 1971. As Stephen was unable to find placement as a teacher immediately, the Kings lived on his earnings as a laborer at an industrial laundry, and her student loan and savings, with an occasional boost from a short story sale to men's magazines.
Stephen made his first professional short story sale ("The Glass Floor") to Startling Mystery Stories in 1967. Throughout the early years of his marriage, he continued to sell stories to men's magazines. Many were gathered into the Night Shift collection or appeared in other anthologies.
In the fall of 1971, Stephen began teaching English at Hampden Academy, the public high school in Hampden, Maine. Writing in the evenings and on the weekends, he continued to produce short stories and to work on novels.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 5,395 reviews
March 24, 2025
INSOMNIA.
What can I even say, besides the fact that I completely fell in LOVE with this story?!
I have always been intimidated by this one and thus, put off reading it for years. I was scared to even try it.
It was the monster lurking on my bookshelves. Honestly, I don't even think I ever read the synopsis, so it had nothing to do with the content.
I tend not to for King's books, as I know I am going to pick them up regardless of what it says.
After reading it, I would recommend it to any Constant Reader. If you have been putting this one off, maybe intimidated by its size like I was, please don't be.
Insomnia is charming from the start; simultaneously, heart-warming and spine-chilling, with Kingverse connections galore.
As always, King's character work is just phenomenal; definitely my favorite aspect.
Our protagonist is Ralph Roberts, who after losing his wife, gradually develops severe insomnia. Not the low-key aggravating-kind, but the continuous, question what you're seeing while awake-kind.
We follow Ralph, a resident of the small town of Derry, Maine, as he grapples with facing life without his wife and tries to navigate the world with unrested eyes.
It was so great to be in Derry. There's a lot happening in that special little town and Ralph ends up right in the middle of it. Along with his closest companion, Lois, they battle terrifying forces wrecking havoc amongst their friends and neighbors.
There are numerous Dark Tower references, as well as tidbits connecting to the greater King-created world in general. I eat that up. Easter Eggs all day, baby. I can't get enough of them!
While I recommend this book, with confidence, to the Constant Readers out there...
I'm not sure it would be as impactful, or feel as extraordinary, to a Reader without the background knowledge to make the connections.
I could be wrong though, as there is still a lot of great stuff going on in this story outside of all that. There's serious social commentary, frightening villains and some intense action scenes; obviously a fantastic setting and believable, well-thought out characters.
I cannot say much more about it. I really can't say anything about the plot without spoiling things, so we'll leave it at this:
I loved it, I will read it again and I recommend it to any Stephen King fan!
What can I even say, besides the fact that I completely fell in LOVE with this story?!
I have always been intimidated by this one and thus, put off reading it for years. I was scared to even try it.
It was the monster lurking on my bookshelves. Honestly, I don't even think I ever read the synopsis, so it had nothing to do with the content.
I tend not to for King's books, as I know I am going to pick them up regardless of what it says.
After reading it, I would recommend it to any Constant Reader. If you have been putting this one off, maybe intimidated by its size like I was, please don't be.
Insomnia is charming from the start; simultaneously, heart-warming and spine-chilling, with Kingverse connections galore.
As always, King's character work is just phenomenal; definitely my favorite aspect.
Our protagonist is Ralph Roberts, who after losing his wife, gradually develops severe insomnia. Not the low-key aggravating-kind, but the continuous, question what you're seeing while awake-kind.
We follow Ralph, a resident of the small town of Derry, Maine, as he grapples with facing life without his wife and tries to navigate the world with unrested eyes.
It was so great to be in Derry. There's a lot happening in that special little town and Ralph ends up right in the middle of it. Along with his closest companion, Lois, they battle terrifying forces wrecking havoc amongst their friends and neighbors.
There are numerous Dark Tower references, as well as tidbits connecting to the greater King-created world in general. I eat that up. Easter Eggs all day, baby. I can't get enough of them!
While I recommend this book, with confidence, to the Constant Readers out there...
I'm not sure it would be as impactful, or feel as extraordinary, to a Reader without the background knowledge to make the connections.
I could be wrong though, as there is still a lot of great stuff going on in this story outside of all that. There's serious social commentary, frightening villains and some intense action scenes; obviously a fantastic setting and believable, well-thought out characters.
I cannot say much more about it. I really can't say anything about the plot without spoiling things, so we'll leave it at this:
I loved it, I will read it again and I recommend it to any Stephen King fan!
April 13, 2024
鈥淚nsomnia鈥� by Stephen King is the third book in my epic 17-book journey to The Dark Tower. After reading the incredible 鈥淭he Eyes of the Dragon鈥�, I was excited to read this novel. If you鈥檇 like to travel to The Dark Tower, after extensive research and speaking to some of the biggest Constant Readers I know here鈥檚 my exact reading journey...
The Stand
The Eyes of the Dragon
Insomnia
Hearts in Atlantis
鈥楽alem鈥檚 Lot
The Talisman
Black House
Everything's Eventual (The Little Sisters of Eluria)
The Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger
The Dark Tower II: The Drawing of the Three
The Dark Tower III: The Waste Lands
Charlie the Choo-Choo
The Dark Tower IV: Wizard and Glass
The Dark Tower: The Wind Through the Keyhole
The Dark Tower V: Wolves of the Calla
The Dark Tower VI: Song of Susannah
The Dark Tower VII: The Dark Tower
Before I fire up my review, here are the trigger warnings I found while reading this novel. They were鈥�
- Tumors
- Abortion
- Rape
- Domestic abuse (physical)
- Homophobic slurs
- Cancer
- Violence against animals (dogs)
If any of these trigger you, please do not read this novel. Moving along, I loved all the characters since they were older and not the usual ones I鈥檝e come to learn after reading a ton of King鈥檚 work. It added a nice new perspective to how elderly people would handle some of the craziest and weirdest situations anyone could ever think of even in their wildest dreams.
The horror mystery at the start was fantastic since I had no idea what was happening with another main character. As always with King, it came out of nowhere and crept up on me as I kept reading. Speaking of which, please note this is quite a slow burn of a novel until all the good stuff eventually happens later on.
It鈥檚 worth waiting for and being patient to let the story grab you and develop over time. King is extremely descriptive in this novel which I understand why and is something that I can see being a major turn-off to readers. Make no mistake about it, if you鈥檙e patient, let the story and horror play out, it鈥檚 worth it for a wild ride.
King elaborated heavily on all things involving insomnia and all sorts of remedies most people recommend to conquer it. I don鈥檛 have insomnia but I鈥檓 a night owl and enjoy reading horror deep into the night so this resonated with me.
鈥淚nsomnia鈥� wasn鈥檛 one of King鈥檚 scariest novels but for those who want to make the journey to The Dark Tower, this is imperative reading that will open things up and make a lot more sense later on. There is decent horror here, especially with everything involving the infamous 鈥淐rimson King鈥�.
I believe he鈥檚 going to play a huge role in The Dark Tower series so similar to how 鈥淭he Stand鈥� and 鈥淭he Eyes of the Dragon鈥� introduced me to Flagg, this novel did that with the Crimson King. The character development of him, Ralph, Ed, and all the others was fantastic. I also loved all the creepy moments involving each of these characters.
All the references in 鈥淚nsomnia鈥� were awesome and genuinely made me smile. I鈥檓 a huge fan of Greek mythology and extra points to King for having this story take place in Derry, Maine! For those of you who might not know, 鈥淚T鈥� is my all-time favorite King novel and to see this story take place there was such a delight. Besides that, King had many cool references from The Omen, Pet Sematary, The Dark Tower, The Gunslinger, and IT.
One of my favorite parts of horror here is what I call 鈥渄ream horror鈥� which was very well done and as I said, once you get to the 80% mark on, it鈥檚 off to the races to a crazy good and climactic ending. Don鈥檛 worry, I鈥檇 never spoil anything but it was fantastic and wrapped everything up nicely.
As I said a few times in this review, reading this before you head to The Dark Tower or even after you conquer it makes the most sense. I loved the brief intro and mention of The Dark Tower but if you鈥檙e reading this out of the blue, it might not be what you鈥檙e looking for in a usual King book. It鈥檚 a long book at over 700 pages so patience is needed from beginning to end.
There are some horror parts here but I鈥檇 consider this more descriptive supernatural horror, written as an aid before or after The Dark Tower series. I loved how it makes you think about what you see when you suffer from insomnia which makes it even freakier. Having worked in retail for over 15 years and working full shifts after a night of no sleep, I related to this on so many levels.
Another aspect of this novel I loved is that it opens the doors to theory craft on how this ties in with IT and everyone鈥檚 favorite clown, Pennywise. I can鈥檛 wait to discuss my theories with Constant Readers which opens up many other things in King鈥檚 multiverse.
I give 鈥淚nsomnia鈥� by Stephen King a perfect 5/5 since it did exactly what I was hoping for to help explain more things for my big trip. Prereading this was perfect since it helped explain more about The Dark Tower and another evil protagonist in The Crimson King. I鈥檓 more prepared now and will resume this epic journey. Now, if you鈥檒l excuse me, I鈥檓 going to bed to get a good night鈥檚 sleep and wake up fresh to take my heart to Atlantis.
The Stand
The Eyes of the Dragon
Insomnia
Hearts in Atlantis
鈥楽alem鈥檚 Lot
The Talisman
Black House
Everything's Eventual (The Little Sisters of Eluria)
The Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger
The Dark Tower II: The Drawing of the Three
The Dark Tower III: The Waste Lands
Charlie the Choo-Choo
The Dark Tower IV: Wizard and Glass
The Dark Tower: The Wind Through the Keyhole
The Dark Tower V: Wolves of the Calla
The Dark Tower VI: Song of Susannah
The Dark Tower VII: The Dark Tower
Before I fire up my review, here are the trigger warnings I found while reading this novel. They were鈥�
- Tumors
- Abortion
- Rape
- Domestic abuse (physical)
- Homophobic slurs
- Cancer
- Violence against animals (dogs)
If any of these trigger you, please do not read this novel. Moving along, I loved all the characters since they were older and not the usual ones I鈥檝e come to learn after reading a ton of King鈥檚 work. It added a nice new perspective to how elderly people would handle some of the craziest and weirdest situations anyone could ever think of even in their wildest dreams.
The horror mystery at the start was fantastic since I had no idea what was happening with another main character. As always with King, it came out of nowhere and crept up on me as I kept reading. Speaking of which, please note this is quite a slow burn of a novel until all the good stuff eventually happens later on.
It鈥檚 worth waiting for and being patient to let the story grab you and develop over time. King is extremely descriptive in this novel which I understand why and is something that I can see being a major turn-off to readers. Make no mistake about it, if you鈥檙e patient, let the story and horror play out, it鈥檚 worth it for a wild ride.
King elaborated heavily on all things involving insomnia and all sorts of remedies most people recommend to conquer it. I don鈥檛 have insomnia but I鈥檓 a night owl and enjoy reading horror deep into the night so this resonated with me.
鈥淚nsomnia鈥� wasn鈥檛 one of King鈥檚 scariest novels but for those who want to make the journey to The Dark Tower, this is imperative reading that will open things up and make a lot more sense later on. There is decent horror here, especially with everything involving the infamous 鈥淐rimson King鈥�.
I believe he鈥檚 going to play a huge role in The Dark Tower series so similar to how 鈥淭he Stand鈥� and 鈥淭he Eyes of the Dragon鈥� introduced me to Flagg, this novel did that with the Crimson King. The character development of him, Ralph, Ed, and all the others was fantastic. I also loved all the creepy moments involving each of these characters.
All the references in 鈥淚nsomnia鈥� were awesome and genuinely made me smile. I鈥檓 a huge fan of Greek mythology and extra points to King for having this story take place in Derry, Maine! For those of you who might not know, 鈥淚T鈥� is my all-time favorite King novel and to see this story take place there was such a delight. Besides that, King had many cool references from The Omen, Pet Sematary, The Dark Tower, The Gunslinger, and IT.
One of my favorite parts of horror here is what I call 鈥渄ream horror鈥� which was very well done and as I said, once you get to the 80% mark on, it鈥檚 off to the races to a crazy good and climactic ending. Don鈥檛 worry, I鈥檇 never spoil anything but it was fantastic and wrapped everything up nicely.
As I said a few times in this review, reading this before you head to The Dark Tower or even after you conquer it makes the most sense. I loved the brief intro and mention of The Dark Tower but if you鈥檙e reading this out of the blue, it might not be what you鈥檙e looking for in a usual King book. It鈥檚 a long book at over 700 pages so patience is needed from beginning to end.
There are some horror parts here but I鈥檇 consider this more descriptive supernatural horror, written as an aid before or after The Dark Tower series. I loved how it makes you think about what you see when you suffer from insomnia which makes it even freakier. Having worked in retail for over 15 years and working full shifts after a night of no sleep, I related to this on so many levels.
Another aspect of this novel I loved is that it opens the doors to theory craft on how this ties in with IT and everyone鈥檚 favorite clown, Pennywise. I can鈥檛 wait to discuss my theories with Constant Readers which opens up many other things in King鈥檚 multiverse.
I give 鈥淚nsomnia鈥� by Stephen King a perfect 5/5 since it did exactly what I was hoping for to help explain more things for my big trip. Prereading this was perfect since it helped explain more about The Dark Tower and another evil protagonist in The Crimson King. I鈥檓 more prepared now and will resume this epic journey. Now, if you鈥檒l excuse me, I鈥檓 going to bed to get a good night鈥檚 sleep and wake up fresh to take my heart to Atlantis.
April 25, 2008
If you find yourself with an afternoon to kill...read a magazine. If, however, you need to occupy yourself on a voyage to Mars, pick up "Insomnia."
It's long.
It is, however, quite good.
"Insomnia" begins as Ralph Roberts, a pleasant, not-too-cantankerous gentleman in his 70s, watches his beloved wife taken from him by cancer. Shortly after her death, he begins to experience "early waking" insomnia. Each night, it seems, he wakes earlier than the one before. Soon, he is awake all night.
In the deepest throes of this affliction, Ralph starts to see what he initially concludes are hallucinations, figments of the imagination of a sleep-deprived mind. Auras around people, animals, changing in shape and color to seemingly reflect that person's health, thoughts, mood and personality. He suffers, largely in silence, until the day where, almost by accident, he discovers that he is not alone in what he is experiencing.
It is here that King takes us into the world of the unseen. To say more might give away important plot points...suffice it to say that the reader must suspend reality for a bit and let their imagination steer the ship.
Meanwhile, all is not well in the sleepy Maine city of Derry, where the entire story takes place. A national pro-choice advocate, Susan Day, is scheduled to speak in support of a local woman's shelter which is also suspected of providing abortion counseling and referrals. In resoponse, a pro-life group begins to stage protests in the vicinity of the shelter and throughout Derry. One man, however, Edward Deepneau, plans to do much more than protest.
It falls to Ralph and his companion, to stop Ed at all costs, resulting in a battle that takes place both in this world, and the world of the auras.
As is typical of King, the character development is second to none. Ralph Roberts truly comes to life, and his world is painted with vivid colors. This is true of all of the characters in the story. Even an old stray dog, Rosalie, is described with such expert detail, that we feel every ache of her weary, arthritic old bones as she hobbles her way down the street looking for discarded scraps of food.
King takes his time in developing the story...nothing is rushed. This adds pages, to be sure, but the reader is treated to a much richer experience for it. A definite win for King.
It's long.
It is, however, quite good.
"Insomnia" begins as Ralph Roberts, a pleasant, not-too-cantankerous gentleman in his 70s, watches his beloved wife taken from him by cancer. Shortly after her death, he begins to experience "early waking" insomnia. Each night, it seems, he wakes earlier than the one before. Soon, he is awake all night.
In the deepest throes of this affliction, Ralph starts to see what he initially concludes are hallucinations, figments of the imagination of a sleep-deprived mind. Auras around people, animals, changing in shape and color to seemingly reflect that person's health, thoughts, mood and personality. He suffers, largely in silence, until the day where, almost by accident, he discovers that he is not alone in what he is experiencing.
It is here that King takes us into the world of the unseen. To say more might give away important plot points...suffice it to say that the reader must suspend reality for a bit and let their imagination steer the ship.
Meanwhile, all is not well in the sleepy Maine city of Derry, where the entire story takes place. A national pro-choice advocate, Susan Day, is scheduled to speak in support of a local woman's shelter which is also suspected of providing abortion counseling and referrals. In resoponse, a pro-life group begins to stage protests in the vicinity of the shelter and throughout Derry. One man, however, Edward Deepneau, plans to do much more than protest.
It falls to Ralph and his companion, to stop Ed at all costs, resulting in a battle that takes place both in this world, and the world of the auras.
As is typical of King, the character development is second to none. Ralph Roberts truly comes to life, and his world is painted with vivid colors. This is true of all of the characters in the story. Even an old stray dog, Rosalie, is described with such expert detail, that we feel every ache of her weary, arthritic old bones as she hobbles her way down the street looking for discarded scraps of food.
King takes his time in developing the story...nothing is rushed. This adds pages, to be sure, but the reader is treated to a much richer experience for it. A definite win for King.
October 24, 2024
鈥淸Ralph] fell asleep in his chair a little after midnight, and when he woke the next morning the air was cooler than it had been in weeks and [his wife] Carolyn was wide awake, coherent, and bright-eyed. She seemed, in fact, hardly to be sick at all. Ralph took her home and began the not-inconsiderable job of making her last months as comfortable as possible鈥s that summer became fall, and as that fall darkened down toward Carolyn鈥檚 final winter, Ralph鈥檚 thoughts were occupied more and more by the deathwatch, which seemed to tick louder and louder even as it slowed down. But he had no trouble sleeping. That came later鈥︹€�
- Stephen King, Insomnia
The thing about Stephen King 鈥� a veritable literary treasure 鈥� is that even when he鈥檚 bad, he鈥檚 usually still pretty good, and even at his worst, he is still interesting.
That鈥檚 sort of where I found myself with Insomnia. This is not a book in the upper tier of King鈥檚 works, the masterpieces like It, Pet Semetary, and The Shining. I don鈥檛 even think it鈥檚 second tier material. At times, in fact, I found myself rolling my eyes, or wondering when something was going to happen. Nevertheless, despite all my reservations, I got through 787 pages with relative ease. And that鈥檚 not nothing, especially with a novel that鈥檚 roughly the size of an amply-nourished pug.
King has a tendency towards deliberateness when it comes to setting his plots in motion. Many of his novels have a long leadup, as he introduces characters, fills in backstory, and carefully prepares his chess board (usually just to flip it over). Insomnia is no exception.
The main character here is Ralph Roberts, a man in his seventies who 鈥� when the book opens 鈥� is on the verge of losing his beloved wife to cancer. By the time the prologue ends, he is a widower. More than that, he has lost his ability to sleep through the night. He can fall asleep just fine, but staying that way till dawn has grown impossible. This begins to wear away at him.
For a time, King is content to mostly accompany Ralph as he goes about his business, desperately searching for a remedy as his symptoms worsen. Ralph does not really stand out as one of King鈥檚 memorable characters. Honestly, if you give me a couple more weeks, I鈥檒l probably forget his name. He is mostly defined by his age: lonely and wistful; always eating soup from single-serving packets; and sometimes watching other elderly people play chess. In other words, 鈥渙ld age鈥� as described by King resembles a grab bag of cliches that you鈥檇 get from a movie. (King was in his mid-forties when he wrote this, and is close to Ralph鈥檚 age now). Despite lacking any real charisma or magnetism, you can鈥檛 help but like Ralph, however, if only because King places us in such close proximity, and forces us to follow him all over town.
That town, it should be noted, is Derry, Maine, one of the prominent locations in King鈥檚 sprawling multiverse. In Derry, normal is a qualified state of being, and it is not surprising that Ralph鈥檚 sleeping issues gradually morph into something more sinister. He begins to see things that others can鈥檛 see, and it is hinted that he is getting a glimpse into an alternate world. Beyond that, Ralph鈥檚 younger neighbor Ed begins to act strange, even violent.
I won鈥檛 say much more about the plot, other than to note that it involves supernatural horror. Of course, to say that a Stephen King novel involves supernatural horror is a lot like saying a book contains words. The one thing I will add to my necessarily vague summation is that Insomnia is convoluted. In my opinion 鈥� having only read a fraction of King鈥檚 oeuvre 鈥� King does his best when he鈥檚 high concept. That is, his best novels can be boiled down to an easy-to-describe-yet-killer idea. Think cemetery that brings the dead back to life, or family stuck in a snowbound-and-haunted hotel. Here, King builds a really elaborate mechanism, one that requires a ton of explanation, and page after page of exposition. The more you explain a thing, the less scary this gets. Not only did Insomnia lack any chills, it kind of tired me out. Unfortunately, this is often more tedious than spine tingling.
To further complicate an uneven work, King makes the national debate about abortion a centerpiece of his storytelling. Specifically, much of Insomnia鈥檚 action swirls around a Planned Parenthood-like women鈥檚 health clinic, and the wild-eyed Christian zealots who oppose it.
Let鈥檚 first dispense with the question as to whether or not introducing such a fraught, real-life controversy into popular fiction is appropriate. Yes, it is. Fiction in general, and horror in particular, is a wonderful vehicle for exploring thorny social issues. This has been proven time and again. Furthermore, you don鈥檛 read Stephen King for appropriate; you read King because for him, the line between good and bad taste does not exist.
The problem is that King鈥檚 handling of this hot potato is pretty ham-fisted. Rather than nuance and insight, King attacks this issue with all the subtlety of a blowtorch-wielding madman in a gunpowder factory. This leads to caricatured villains 鈥� effective monsters can be one-dimensional, effective human characters cannot 鈥� pedantic speechifying, and ultimately, a somewhat disturbing climax that left me trying to psychoanalyze King鈥檚 motives.
As I indicated above, propriety has no place in the writings of Stephen King. After all, he once wrote a short story about a college killing spree that鈥檚 only purpose was describing what it would be like to engage in a college killing spree. Beyond propriety, though, is the reality that King鈥檚 choices are distracting. There is an extended scene of graphic violence toward the end of Insomnia that closely mirrors any number of domestic terrorism incidents you see on the news. To have this show up in the midst of a story that is otherwise occupied by quasi-mystical concerns, and beings that are not of this earth, is jarring. It鈥檚 also unnecessary, as King could easily have told this exact tale without this element.
(Sidenote: King has always shown himself willing to jump into political debates, and I respect his willingness to forgo potential book sales in order to speak his mind. It is also interesting that King wrote Insomnia between 1990 and 1993, at a time when Roe v. Wade seemed certain to be overturned. I鈥檓 assuming that this legal argument 鈥� which resulted in Planned Parenthood v. Casey being decided in 1992 鈥� had some influence on King鈥檚 choices).
By this point, butting up against my word count, I鈥檝e mostly either criticized or damned with faint praise. With the dwindling space I have remaining, I should say that I鈥檓 still glad I read Insomnia. For all its problems, it showed commitment to its bit. King can seldom be accused of phoning anything in, and his ambitions here are on display. He went big with Insomnia, and I appreciated that. There are clear themes 鈥� aging, grief 鈥� and spiritual meditations and an ending that works better than many of King鈥檚 more famous titles.
Insomnia also has merit simply for its place in the King canon. Having been a latecomer to King, the breadth of his genius has been slow to dawn on me. Yet genius he is. Not a great horror writer, but a great writer, full stop. If you draw your finger down a list of his books, you find yourself repeating: That鈥檚 a classic. That鈥檚 a classic. That鈥檚 a classic. When dealing with an author of such talent, prodigiousness, and impact, the failures can be as fascinating as the successes. Even though I don鈥檛 think Insomnia is very good, it is inferior in the very unique, very special way that only Stephen King can manage.
- Stephen King, Insomnia
The thing about Stephen King 鈥� a veritable literary treasure 鈥� is that even when he鈥檚 bad, he鈥檚 usually still pretty good, and even at his worst, he is still interesting.
That鈥檚 sort of where I found myself with Insomnia. This is not a book in the upper tier of King鈥檚 works, the masterpieces like It, Pet Semetary, and The Shining. I don鈥檛 even think it鈥檚 second tier material. At times, in fact, I found myself rolling my eyes, or wondering when something was going to happen. Nevertheless, despite all my reservations, I got through 787 pages with relative ease. And that鈥檚 not nothing, especially with a novel that鈥檚 roughly the size of an amply-nourished pug.
King has a tendency towards deliberateness when it comes to setting his plots in motion. Many of his novels have a long leadup, as he introduces characters, fills in backstory, and carefully prepares his chess board (usually just to flip it over). Insomnia is no exception.
The main character here is Ralph Roberts, a man in his seventies who 鈥� when the book opens 鈥� is on the verge of losing his beloved wife to cancer. By the time the prologue ends, he is a widower. More than that, he has lost his ability to sleep through the night. He can fall asleep just fine, but staying that way till dawn has grown impossible. This begins to wear away at him.
For a time, King is content to mostly accompany Ralph as he goes about his business, desperately searching for a remedy as his symptoms worsen. Ralph does not really stand out as one of King鈥檚 memorable characters. Honestly, if you give me a couple more weeks, I鈥檒l probably forget his name. He is mostly defined by his age: lonely and wistful; always eating soup from single-serving packets; and sometimes watching other elderly people play chess. In other words, 鈥渙ld age鈥� as described by King resembles a grab bag of cliches that you鈥檇 get from a movie. (King was in his mid-forties when he wrote this, and is close to Ralph鈥檚 age now). Despite lacking any real charisma or magnetism, you can鈥檛 help but like Ralph, however, if only because King places us in such close proximity, and forces us to follow him all over town.
That town, it should be noted, is Derry, Maine, one of the prominent locations in King鈥檚 sprawling multiverse. In Derry, normal is a qualified state of being, and it is not surprising that Ralph鈥檚 sleeping issues gradually morph into something more sinister. He begins to see things that others can鈥檛 see, and it is hinted that he is getting a glimpse into an alternate world. Beyond that, Ralph鈥檚 younger neighbor Ed begins to act strange, even violent.
I won鈥檛 say much more about the plot, other than to note that it involves supernatural horror. Of course, to say that a Stephen King novel involves supernatural horror is a lot like saying a book contains words. The one thing I will add to my necessarily vague summation is that Insomnia is convoluted. In my opinion 鈥� having only read a fraction of King鈥檚 oeuvre 鈥� King does his best when he鈥檚 high concept. That is, his best novels can be boiled down to an easy-to-describe-yet-killer idea. Think cemetery that brings the dead back to life, or family stuck in a snowbound-and-haunted hotel. Here, King builds a really elaborate mechanism, one that requires a ton of explanation, and page after page of exposition. The more you explain a thing, the less scary this gets. Not only did Insomnia lack any chills, it kind of tired me out. Unfortunately, this is often more tedious than spine tingling.
To further complicate an uneven work, King makes the national debate about abortion a centerpiece of his storytelling. Specifically, much of Insomnia鈥檚 action swirls around a Planned Parenthood-like women鈥檚 health clinic, and the wild-eyed Christian zealots who oppose it.
Let鈥檚 first dispense with the question as to whether or not introducing such a fraught, real-life controversy into popular fiction is appropriate. Yes, it is. Fiction in general, and horror in particular, is a wonderful vehicle for exploring thorny social issues. This has been proven time and again. Furthermore, you don鈥檛 read Stephen King for appropriate; you read King because for him, the line between good and bad taste does not exist.
The problem is that King鈥檚 handling of this hot potato is pretty ham-fisted. Rather than nuance and insight, King attacks this issue with all the subtlety of a blowtorch-wielding madman in a gunpowder factory. This leads to caricatured villains 鈥� effective monsters can be one-dimensional, effective human characters cannot 鈥� pedantic speechifying, and ultimately, a somewhat disturbing climax that left me trying to psychoanalyze King鈥檚 motives.
As I indicated above, propriety has no place in the writings of Stephen King. After all, he once wrote a short story about a college killing spree that鈥檚 only purpose was describing what it would be like to engage in a college killing spree. Beyond propriety, though, is the reality that King鈥檚 choices are distracting. There is an extended scene of graphic violence toward the end of Insomnia that closely mirrors any number of domestic terrorism incidents you see on the news. To have this show up in the midst of a story that is otherwise occupied by quasi-mystical concerns, and beings that are not of this earth, is jarring. It鈥檚 also unnecessary, as King could easily have told this exact tale without this element.
(Sidenote: King has always shown himself willing to jump into political debates, and I respect his willingness to forgo potential book sales in order to speak his mind. It is also interesting that King wrote Insomnia between 1990 and 1993, at a time when Roe v. Wade seemed certain to be overturned. I鈥檓 assuming that this legal argument 鈥� which resulted in Planned Parenthood v. Casey being decided in 1992 鈥� had some influence on King鈥檚 choices).
By this point, butting up against my word count, I鈥檝e mostly either criticized or damned with faint praise. With the dwindling space I have remaining, I should say that I鈥檓 still glad I read Insomnia. For all its problems, it showed commitment to its bit. King can seldom be accused of phoning anything in, and his ambitions here are on display. He went big with Insomnia, and I appreciated that. There are clear themes 鈥� aging, grief 鈥� and spiritual meditations and an ending that works better than many of King鈥檚 more famous titles.
Insomnia also has merit simply for its place in the King canon. Having been a latecomer to King, the breadth of his genius has been slow to dawn on me. Yet genius he is. Not a great horror writer, but a great writer, full stop. If you draw your finger down a list of his books, you find yourself repeating: That鈥檚 a classic. That鈥檚 a classic. That鈥檚 a classic. When dealing with an author of such talent, prodigiousness, and impact, the failures can be as fascinating as the successes. Even though I don鈥檛 think Insomnia is very good, it is inferior in the very unique, very special way that only Stephen King can manage.
January 11, 2018
鈥淚t was life, often unsatisfying, frequently cruel, usually boring, sometimes beautiful, once in a while exhilarating.鈥�
Following the death of his wife, Ralph Roberts has trouble sleeping. He finds himself waking up earlier and earlier each night. During his late night vigils, he observes weird goings on in his hometown of Derry, Maine. Pretty quickly he realises that the strange things he is seeing are not the result of sleep-deprived hallucinations, but something much more significant.
I got a lot of thoughts about this book鈥� and you鈥檙e gonna hear all about it! I honestly don鈥檛 think I鈥檝e ever felt so polarised reading a book before. At times I wanted to tear my hair out and scream 鈥淥MG JUST END ALREADY鈥� 鈥� which I expressed countless times on Instagram 鈥� and then at other points, I was legit fangirling over the Dark Tower connections and Derry references. Oh, and I absolutely ADORED Ralph Roberts. So I鈥檓 quite literally torn when it comes to this book.
The start is so strong, maybe it鈥檚 the pharmacist in me or maybe it鈥檚 because I鈥檓 not a great sleeper myself, but I loved reading about Ralph鈥檚 insomnia issues. Then the middle to end just drags on and on and on鈥nd on. Then it drags on a little more. But during these lulls where not much seems to happen, or the story moves at a snail鈥檚 pace, King throws in a Tolkien reference or some kind of Dark Tower connection and all of a sudden I鈥檓 LOVING the book again. King, you sly dog. Toying with my emotions like this!
Insomnia is an unusual book in that its main characters are elderly, and I don鈥檛 often come across books like this. But have no fear! Ralph and Lois are awesome. Ralph is one of those typical 鈥渆veryman鈥� characters that King loves to include in his works. An ordinary man who finds himself in extraordinary circumstances. And I was totally on board with this elderly romance, it鈥檚 the cutest!!
The storyline itself鈥� it gets pretty bonkers at times. If I didn鈥檛 know better, I鈥檇 have guessed King wrote this in a drugged up haze. The storyline is crazy, and it does work at points, but overall it鈥檚 definitely not my favourite. My biggest gripe with this book was, of course, the length. In no fucking world 鈥� or level of the tower 鈥� does Insomnia need to be the length it is. No. Freaking. Way. This book could easily be around 300 pages shorter. However, I do have to commend the ending, I thought it was perfectly executed. Absolutely brilliant. The tie-ins to the DT had me crying like a baby and reminded me why King is my fave author.
For those who have yet to read Insomnia, I strongly recommend leaving it until after you鈥檝e read the Dark Tower series. I鈥檓 sure plenty of people have read Insomnia without reading the DT, and have perhaps still enjoyed it, but I think to really understand and appreciate this book, the DT knowledge is necessary.
I鈥檝e been trying to think of a rating for this one for days鈥� CONFLICTED. I think I have to go for 3 stars, it seems to be the most fair rating for a love/hate experience, no??
Following the death of his wife, Ralph Roberts has trouble sleeping. He finds himself waking up earlier and earlier each night. During his late night vigils, he observes weird goings on in his hometown of Derry, Maine. Pretty quickly he realises that the strange things he is seeing are not the result of sleep-deprived hallucinations, but something much more significant.
I got a lot of thoughts about this book鈥� and you鈥檙e gonna hear all about it! I honestly don鈥檛 think I鈥檝e ever felt so polarised reading a book before. At times I wanted to tear my hair out and scream 鈥淥MG JUST END ALREADY鈥� 鈥� which I expressed countless times on Instagram 鈥� and then at other points, I was legit fangirling over the Dark Tower connections and Derry references. Oh, and I absolutely ADORED Ralph Roberts. So I鈥檓 quite literally torn when it comes to this book.
The start is so strong, maybe it鈥檚 the pharmacist in me or maybe it鈥檚 because I鈥檓 not a great sleeper myself, but I loved reading about Ralph鈥檚 insomnia issues. Then the middle to end just drags on and on and on鈥nd on. Then it drags on a little more. But during these lulls where not much seems to happen, or the story moves at a snail鈥檚 pace, King throws in a Tolkien reference or some kind of Dark Tower connection and all of a sudden I鈥檓 LOVING the book again. King, you sly dog. Toying with my emotions like this!
Insomnia is an unusual book in that its main characters are elderly, and I don鈥檛 often come across books like this. But have no fear! Ralph and Lois are awesome. Ralph is one of those typical 鈥渆veryman鈥� characters that King loves to include in his works. An ordinary man who finds himself in extraordinary circumstances. And I was totally on board with this elderly romance, it鈥檚 the cutest!!
The storyline itself鈥� it gets pretty bonkers at times. If I didn鈥檛 know better, I鈥檇 have guessed King wrote this in a drugged up haze. The storyline is crazy, and it does work at points, but overall it鈥檚 definitely not my favourite. My biggest gripe with this book was, of course, the length. In no fucking world 鈥� or level of the tower 鈥� does Insomnia need to be the length it is. No. Freaking. Way. This book could easily be around 300 pages shorter. However, I do have to commend the ending, I thought it was perfectly executed. Absolutely brilliant. The tie-ins to the DT had me crying like a baby and reminded me why King is my fave author.
For those who have yet to read Insomnia, I strongly recommend leaving it until after you鈥檝e read the Dark Tower series. I鈥檓 sure plenty of people have read Insomnia without reading the DT, and have perhaps still enjoyed it, but I think to really understand and appreciate this book, the DT knowledge is necessary.
I鈥檝e been trying to think of a rating for this one for days鈥� CONFLICTED. I think I have to go for 3 stars, it seems to be the most fair rating for a love/hate experience, no??
January 28, 2022
wields a wonderful tale around an older Derry man and his peer group of mostly retired older people. This main protagonist, Ralph Roberts, starts to get a rare type of Insomnia, that leads to a hyper reality and much more! Can't get no sleep?.
A clever 'The Dark Tower' warm-up / prologue with so much loving and well thought out detail giving to the life of Ralph and his peers and their ongoing/oncoming old age, as well as the nature of insomnia and sleeplessness, which were very interesting. Stephen King really captures each generation well in this book, and the interactions between the generations are key to stopping the evil that dwells amongst them. In addition, some of the antagonists in this book are a delight themselves, despite their malignity. On first read, this was one of my fave Stephen King reads and I still have a soft spot for it now. Beware the Crimson King! 8 out of 12.
2016 read, 2006 read and 2003 read
A clever 'The Dark Tower' warm-up / prologue with so much loving and well thought out detail giving to the life of Ralph and his peers and their ongoing/oncoming old age, as well as the nature of insomnia and sleeplessness, which were very interesting. Stephen King really captures each generation well in this book, and the interactions between the generations are key to stopping the evil that dwells amongst them. In addition, some of the antagonists in this book are a delight themselves, despite their malignity. On first read, this was one of my fave Stephen King reads and I still have a soft spot for it now. Beware the Crimson King! 8 out of 12.
2016 read, 2006 read and 2003 read
February 7, 2017
This was an official Pantless group side-read with those splendid cullys (a big shout-out to our newest member, baby Ryder!!!) of the Dark Tower Buddy read group鈥�
鈥nd that was pretty much the only thing that got me through this labored read.
This was a DNF the first time I tried to read it and it was almost a DNF the second time. Yes, I made more progress this time before I almost threw in the towel, but the anticipation of a tie-in to the Dark Tower series kept me going. And going.
And going.
A vague mention of the actual Dark Tower here, dropping in 鈥渒a鈥� and 鈥渒a-tet鈥� to make it part of Ralph and Lois鈥檚 lexicon there, that King Crimson fella, and finally a couple of mentions of Roland at the end.
Whew! Thanks, Mr. King!
Hey, wait a minute!! Did I just read a 663 page backstory for a character that King inserts into the final Dark Tower book?
Yes, Jeff. Yes, you did.
Thanks for the confirmation, random Goodreader and what are you doing here? Don鈥檛 you usually pop-up in my funny book reviews?
I鈥檓 with you always, Jeff. I secretly follow you around everywhere.
*shivers*
Doesn鈥檛 this book have any merits beyond being a kitty squishing set-up for volume seven, Jeff?
Well, before I alert the authorities my stalkerish, random friend, I鈥檒l address that point. It鈥檚 reminiscent of a lot King鈥檚 lengthy tomes. It gets off to a good start, spends too much time in Story-Stretch-town, Randomly-chosen-super-powers-burg and my favorite location 鈥� the plot-development cul-de-sac. And, yet, it characteristically ends on a high note.
That epilogue almost brought man-tears to my eyes.
It gets two stars from me for that, the fact that I genuinely liked Ralph, the main character (he was forspecial), and an extra star for me, Jeff, for spending the last two months whizzing (heh) through this book and finally finishing it.
Go me.
鈥nd that was pretty much the only thing that got me through this labored read.
This was a DNF the first time I tried to read it and it was almost a DNF the second time. Yes, I made more progress this time before I almost threw in the towel, but the anticipation of a tie-in to the Dark Tower series kept me going. And going.
And going.
A vague mention of the actual Dark Tower here, dropping in 鈥渒a鈥� and 鈥渒a-tet鈥� to make it part of Ralph and Lois鈥檚 lexicon there, that King Crimson fella, and finally a couple of mentions of Roland at the end.
Whew! Thanks, Mr. King!
Hey, wait a minute!! Did I just read a 663 page backstory for a character that King inserts into the final Dark Tower book?
Yes, Jeff. Yes, you did.
Thanks for the confirmation, random Goodreader and what are you doing here? Don鈥檛 you usually pop-up in my funny book reviews?
I鈥檓 with you always, Jeff. I secretly follow you around everywhere.
*shivers*
Doesn鈥檛 this book have any merits beyond being a kitty squishing set-up for volume seven, Jeff?
Well, before I alert the authorities my stalkerish, random friend, I鈥檒l address that point. It鈥檚 reminiscent of a lot King鈥檚 lengthy tomes. It gets off to a good start, spends too much time in Story-Stretch-town, Randomly-chosen-super-powers-burg and my favorite location 鈥� the plot-development cul-de-sac. And, yet, it characteristically ends on a high note.
That epilogue almost brought man-tears to my eyes.
It gets two stars from me for that, the fact that I genuinely liked Ralph, the main character (he was forspecial), and an extra star for me, Jeff, for spending the last two months whizzing (heh) through this book and finally finishing it.
Go me.
January 27, 2018
Weird book.
Remind me to never visit Derry Maine. This setting of a number of Stephen King鈥檚 novels is again center stage in this 1994 book about not sleeping and going crazy because of it.
I was drawn to this title as I have struggled off and on with insomnia most of my life. I wonder how many readers have stayed up all night reading, I know I have. I remember a haze of years when I averaged about 4-5 hours a sleep a night and recall visual hallucinations and waking dreams and just being tired all the time.
In this book, King describes how paranormal forces are alive and kicking and come out to play when our hero goes for weeks with poor sleep. Fans of Stephen King will be accustomed to his fantastic forays into the extraordinary and this fits into that genre, and there were more than passing references to his series. (There were also nods to his novel was well as a one liner that alluded to ).
This is also an exploration about the abortion debate in our society and King cranks up the nasty in this showdown in Derry between the polar opposites.
Even with King鈥檚 signature brilliance in characterization and dialogue, this buckled under its own weight 鈥� just too damn long. I liked the kinship with the Dark Tower books and to the recurring world myth of his creation, but some hefty editing down would have made this more enjoyable.
Remind me to never visit Derry Maine. This setting of a number of Stephen King鈥檚 novels is again center stage in this 1994 book about not sleeping and going crazy because of it.
I was drawn to this title as I have struggled off and on with insomnia most of my life. I wonder how many readers have stayed up all night reading, I know I have. I remember a haze of years when I averaged about 4-5 hours a sleep a night and recall visual hallucinations and waking dreams and just being tired all the time.
In this book, King describes how paranormal forces are alive and kicking and come out to play when our hero goes for weeks with poor sleep. Fans of Stephen King will be accustomed to his fantastic forays into the extraordinary and this fits into that genre, and there were more than passing references to his series. (There were also nods to his novel was well as a one liner that alluded to ).
This is also an exploration about the abortion debate in our society and King cranks up the nasty in this showdown in Derry between the polar opposites.
Even with King鈥檚 signature brilliance in characterization and dialogue, this buckled under its own weight 鈥� just too damn long. I liked the kinship with the Dark Tower books and to the recurring world myth of his creation, but some hefty editing down would have made this more enjoyable.
November 24, 2007
This book is not for everyone. For one its over 700 pages long. Another reason is that it deals with what some people say is uncomfortable topics:abortion, mental illness, domestic abuse and the afterlife and possible alternate worlds.
Another reason why this book is unique and different from other books is that the hero is a regular joe who happens to be in his 70's!
I loved this book. It took my mind to a place where few books can take me. I was not here reading the book-I was in Derry, Maine with Ralph and Lois and Bill. The sweet Natalie and her mother Helen. The insane Ed and the 3 little bald headed doctors: Clotho, Lacheses and the nasty Atropos.
Walk side by side with these characters as they battle each other and themselves through hard, insane times and insomnia. And always be aware of the Crimson King!
Another reason why this book is unique and different from other books is that the hero is a regular joe who happens to be in his 70's!
I loved this book. It took my mind to a place where few books can take me. I was not here reading the book-I was in Derry, Maine with Ralph and Lois and Bill. The sweet Natalie and her mother Helen. The insane Ed and the 3 little bald headed doctors: Clotho, Lacheses and the nasty Atropos.
Walk side by side with these characters as they battle each other and themselves through hard, insane times and insomnia. And always be aware of the Crimson King!
July 29, 2024
I was so happy to revisit Insomnia whilst on my journey reading/re-reading all of SK's books in order.
I was so worried this re-read wouldn't stand the test of time but if anything I love this book even more. This was my first ever Stephen King book and I remember falling in love with reading because of this book, it really kicked off my reading journey and I can't thank it enough.
Ralph is such a brilliant character, we follow him for the whole 700 pages and get to know exactly what kind of man he is. There aren't many books where the main character is 70 years old and it's a real shame because as a reader I think we can leave so much more from an older character and they are so often overlooked. One of the plot point in this book is how overlooked/underestimated.
Stephen King's ability to put himself in the characters shoes and make something so realistic it's scary. I feel like SK was shining (pardon the pun) throughout the 90s. I can see why people might think this book is too long but I think it's perfect it's a deep delve into the human mind, it's almost philosophical and it's not afraid to get into really serious subject matters. The topics in this book a heavy (really heavy), abortion, abuse, grief and death but I think all are handled with care.
Although this book is bleak in places and is about not being able to run away from the hands of time, it's also beautiful and shows why life is so precious, it's a celebration of life and death and everything in between. I have to mention the bumper sticker 'Support mental health or I'll kill Ya' what I perfect summary of mental health and why it's so important.
Reading SK's books in order has given me a new appreciation for his work, there are so many links and Easter eggs in this one The Dark Tower plays a huge role in this book but IT is mention of course as this book is also set in Derry (why would anyone live there!). Even Ben Hanscome get's a mention, I love watching out for the links in the SK world and this one has them in spades. In true King fashion there is also plenty of pop culture references The Hobbit is mentioned on more than one occasion.
I have always been and will always be creeped out by the little bald doctors with their scissors - but this book isn't really about a big bad villain it's just about life and how unfair it can be. The ending is very sad but it's so fitting and I think the perfect end to a perfect book. I can't say enough great things about this book - it will forever be one of my SK favourites and a favourite of all time.
I was so worried this re-read wouldn't stand the test of time but if anything I love this book even more. This was my first ever Stephen King book and I remember falling in love with reading because of this book, it really kicked off my reading journey and I can't thank it enough.
Ralph is such a brilliant character, we follow him for the whole 700 pages and get to know exactly what kind of man he is. There aren't many books where the main character is 70 years old and it's a real shame because as a reader I think we can leave so much more from an older character and they are so often overlooked. One of the plot point in this book is how overlooked/underestimated.
Stephen King's ability to put himself in the characters shoes and make something so realistic it's scary. I feel like SK was shining (pardon the pun) throughout the 90s. I can see why people might think this book is too long but I think it's perfect it's a deep delve into the human mind, it's almost philosophical and it's not afraid to get into really serious subject matters. The topics in this book a heavy (really heavy), abortion, abuse, grief and death but I think all are handled with care.
Although this book is bleak in places and is about not being able to run away from the hands of time, it's also beautiful and shows why life is so precious, it's a celebration of life and death and everything in between. I have to mention the bumper sticker 'Support mental health or I'll kill Ya' what I perfect summary of mental health and why it's so important.
Reading SK's books in order has given me a new appreciation for his work, there are so many links and Easter eggs in this one The Dark Tower plays a huge role in this book but IT is mention of course as this book is also set in Derry (why would anyone live there!). Even Ben Hanscome get's a mention, I love watching out for the links in the SK world and this one has them in spades. In true King fashion there is also plenty of pop culture references The Hobbit is mentioned on more than one occasion.
I have always been and will always be creeped out by the little bald doctors with their scissors - but this book isn't really about a big bad villain it's just about life and how unfair it can be. The ending is very sad but it's so fitting and I think the perfect end to a perfect book. I can't say enough great things about this book - it will forever be one of my SK favourites and a favourite of all time.
March 16, 2025
A long read but well worth it! 馃憦馃憦
鈥淩alph reflected for a moment on the similarities between loneliness and insomnia 鈥� how they were both insidious, cumulative, and divisive, the friends of despair and the enemies of love.鈥�
Loved Ralph and Lois! 馃挊
鈥淓verything lies in intent. There are few mistakes in this world鈥� and once you get to know your way around, maybe there are no mistakes at all. 鈥�
鈥淩alph reflected for a moment on the similarities between loneliness and insomnia 鈥� how they were both insidious, cumulative, and divisive, the friends of despair and the enemies of love.鈥�
Loved Ralph and Lois! 馃挊
鈥淓verything lies in intent. There are few mistakes in this world鈥� and once you get to know your way around, maybe there are no mistakes at all. 鈥�
January 3, 2022
Sopor铆fero, pesado, un completo tru帽o y terriblemente poco interesante la trama y sus personajes.
Luego de mucho pensar, el libro lejos de querer darme ganas de hacer una rese帽a en condiciones solo me ha dejado agotado de tal modo que solo mencionar茅 los aspectos que no me gustaron lo m谩s resumido posible, cosa que no pudo hacer este libro en sus casi 900 p谩ginas. Confieso que estoy en franca minor铆a con los que si le han gustado el libro y aclaro que esta solo es una opini贸n personal; totalmente subjetiva.
1. El personaje principal y la acompa帽ante de esta son probablemente los protagonistas m谩s aburridos con los que me he topado. Les falta malicia en la sangre, son demasiado buenecitos y repartiendo discursos morales al resto.
2. El libro tiene tres partes y las dos primeras son lo de lo m谩s aburrido. Da vueltas y vueltas sobre lo mismo: ver a trav茅s de un se帽or de casi setenta a帽os c贸mo es su vida y la de los otros viejos carcamales que le rodean. Que si me estoy envejeciendo, que si tengo artritis, que si tengo diabetes, que ya no soy el mismo de antes, que la salud, etc茅tera, etc茅tera.
3. Providas vs proabortos. Tambi茅n me cans贸 ese politiqueo y fuerzas contrarias. Fue algo cansino que no llev贸 a absolutamente nada.
4. S茅 que King se enrolla m谩s que una persiana pero aqu铆 se pas贸 con la parte fant谩stica: Ralph Roberts se toma su tiempo (much铆simo) para aceptar que puede ver auras de colores en las personas y que hay ciertas entidades por all铆 haciendo de las suyas. Como verosimilitud en la historia est谩 bien, pero para el lector se vuelve mat贸n seguir en lo mismo y lo mismo una y otra vez viendo la larga extensi贸n que tienen los cap铆tulos.
5. Y por 煤ltimo, los villanos que son calvos y bajitos me parecieron tan rid铆culos hasta el punto de ser c贸micos. Pero creo que eso fue hecho a prop贸sito.
Lo 煤nico bueno es la tercera parte que es la final con el encuentro entre Ralph y El Rey Carmes铆 (que me recuerda mucho a It) pero de resto, ni los personajes, ni los peque帽os villanos, ni la parte fant谩stica me gust贸. Mucho menos las reflexiones sobre el aborto, la vejez y la irracionalidad del ser humano que le lleva a cometer locuras. Todo se me hizo bola y muy cuesta arriba, pero por lo menos puedo darme el lujo de decir que termin茅 la novela (estuve a punto de abandonarla varias veces) y que ha sido literalmente la peor lectura del a帽o 2021 (A煤n no me hab铆a cruzado con una historia a la que darle una sola estrella). Un completo chasco porque cre铆 que ser铆a una gran lectura y no fue as铆 en lo m谩s m铆nimo, en vez de generarme insomnio ley茅ndolo ten铆a m谩s bien las propiedades de un buen somn铆fero que me dur贸 dos meses. Al final, yo es que soy el que m谩s me siento decepcionado por el estrell贸n que me he llevado.
Luego de mucho pensar, el libro lejos de querer darme ganas de hacer una rese帽a en condiciones solo me ha dejado agotado de tal modo que solo mencionar茅 los aspectos que no me gustaron lo m谩s resumido posible, cosa que no pudo hacer este libro en sus casi 900 p谩ginas. Confieso que estoy en franca minor铆a con los que si le han gustado el libro y aclaro que esta solo es una opini贸n personal; totalmente subjetiva.
1. El personaje principal y la acompa帽ante de esta son probablemente los protagonistas m谩s aburridos con los que me he topado. Les falta malicia en la sangre, son demasiado buenecitos y repartiendo discursos morales al resto.
2. El libro tiene tres partes y las dos primeras son lo de lo m谩s aburrido. Da vueltas y vueltas sobre lo mismo: ver a trav茅s de un se帽or de casi setenta a帽os c贸mo es su vida y la de los otros viejos carcamales que le rodean. Que si me estoy envejeciendo, que si tengo artritis, que si tengo diabetes, que ya no soy el mismo de antes, que la salud, etc茅tera, etc茅tera.
3. Providas vs proabortos. Tambi茅n me cans贸 ese politiqueo y fuerzas contrarias. Fue algo cansino que no llev贸 a absolutamente nada.
4. S茅 que King se enrolla m谩s que una persiana pero aqu铆 se pas贸 con la parte fant谩stica: Ralph Roberts se toma su tiempo (much铆simo) para aceptar que puede ver auras de colores en las personas y que hay ciertas entidades por all铆 haciendo de las suyas. Como verosimilitud en la historia est谩 bien, pero para el lector se vuelve mat贸n seguir en lo mismo y lo mismo una y otra vez viendo la larga extensi贸n que tienen los cap铆tulos.
5. Y por 煤ltimo, los villanos que son calvos y bajitos me parecieron tan rid铆culos hasta el punto de ser c贸micos. Pero creo que eso fue hecho a prop贸sito.
Lo 煤nico bueno es la tercera parte que es la final con el encuentro entre Ralph y El Rey Carmes铆 (que me recuerda mucho a It) pero de resto, ni los personajes, ni los peque帽os villanos, ni la parte fant谩stica me gust贸. Mucho menos las reflexiones sobre el aborto, la vejez y la irracionalidad del ser humano que le lleva a cometer locuras. Todo se me hizo bola y muy cuesta arriba, pero por lo menos puedo darme el lujo de decir que termin茅 la novela (estuve a punto de abandonarla varias veces) y que ha sido literalmente la peor lectura del a帽o 2021 (A煤n no me hab铆a cruzado con una historia a la que darle una sola estrella). Un completo chasco porque cre铆 que ser铆a una gran lectura y no fue as铆 en lo m谩s m铆nimo, en vez de generarme insomnio ley茅ndolo ten铆a m谩s bien las propiedades de un buen somn铆fero que me dur贸 dos meses. Al final, yo es que soy el que m谩s me siento decepcionado por el estrell贸n que me he llevado.
August 12, 2022
One of my least favorite things to do is give a bad review. To me, unless a book is truly unreadable and never should've been published, it shouldn't get only 1 star. 2 stars is for those books which just aren't a good fit for me and had too many issues to overlook (not often used by me either, and overused by other readers in my opinion... sometimes there's no accounting for personal taste)!
Insomnia by Stephen King was chosen with my buddy Medhat as our buddy read this month. We both like horror and Stephen King, and after tossing a few options in a hat, we wound up on this one. It ultimately falls between 2 and 3 stars, but because the writing is decent, I went with 3 stars for reasons I'll explain below. That said, I honestly had one of the most difficult times I've ever had digesting a book.
For one thing, it was twice as long as it needed to be. At ~900 pages, this book clearly contained so much filler, it'll fall apart from being too loose one day. There was significant repetition (not in a good way) and awful horrible topics. I blame myself for that last piece. I hadn't read the summary to know what it was about: religion, abortion, science-fiction alien visits, and a nose dive into just plain crazy. I thought it would be an insomniac's descent into crazy without the non-sense stuff leading the race. Personally, I don't want to read about abortion and religion, especially when a plot is supposed to be the sleep-deprived man or woman we all find ourselves at one point or another.
I avoid conflict and dislike when a book takes such a vulgar and vivid stance on something I disagree with. That said... I acknowledge I am at fault for choosing to read this book and pushed my rating to the higher side to accommodate that screw up. For another thing, OMG! I'm a smart guy, and I can deal with some vagueness in a story but the frequency of the aura discussion drove me bonkers. I had no connection and was lost too often. I think it was just a bad fit as I love some of his other books.
On the flip side, the writing is strong and the characters are very well described. Some leap off the pages. Other sit perfectly in the backdrop where they are intended to be. Had this been cut by 50% and the POV been less dramatic, it would've done better in my opinion. So... if you like political arguments, some of the nastiest language I've seen in a book for truly no reason (honestly, OVERKILL beyond belief)... I'm all for dozen of 4-letter words and sexual name-calling when it's 1 character and intended to show the personality... but here, it was just dropped in for the sake of it in the weirdest of spots. I took a shower when I finished the book.
Oh... sometimes things don't work out. I recognize the strength in this book. I liked several parts. It just wasn't a good fit for me, so I wouldn't recommend it for most regular readers. It's nothing like It, Dolores Claiborne, Misery, etc. Sorry!
Insomnia by Stephen King was chosen with my buddy Medhat as our buddy read this month. We both like horror and Stephen King, and after tossing a few options in a hat, we wound up on this one. It ultimately falls between 2 and 3 stars, but because the writing is decent, I went with 3 stars for reasons I'll explain below. That said, I honestly had one of the most difficult times I've ever had digesting a book.
For one thing, it was twice as long as it needed to be. At ~900 pages, this book clearly contained so much filler, it'll fall apart from being too loose one day. There was significant repetition (not in a good way) and awful horrible topics. I blame myself for that last piece. I hadn't read the summary to know what it was about: religion, abortion, science-fiction alien visits, and a nose dive into just plain crazy. I thought it would be an insomniac's descent into crazy without the non-sense stuff leading the race. Personally, I don't want to read about abortion and religion, especially when a plot is supposed to be the sleep-deprived man or woman we all find ourselves at one point or another.
I avoid conflict and dislike when a book takes such a vulgar and vivid stance on something I disagree with. That said... I acknowledge I am at fault for choosing to read this book and pushed my rating to the higher side to accommodate that screw up. For another thing, OMG! I'm a smart guy, and I can deal with some vagueness in a story but the frequency of the aura discussion drove me bonkers. I had no connection and was lost too often. I think it was just a bad fit as I love some of his other books.
On the flip side, the writing is strong and the characters are very well described. Some leap off the pages. Other sit perfectly in the backdrop where they are intended to be. Had this been cut by 50% and the POV been less dramatic, it would've done better in my opinion. So... if you like political arguments, some of the nastiest language I've seen in a book for truly no reason (honestly, OVERKILL beyond belief)... I'm all for dozen of 4-letter words and sexual name-calling when it's 1 character and intended to show the personality... but here, it was just dropped in for the sake of it in the weirdest of spots. I took a shower when I finished the book.
Oh... sometimes things don't work out. I recognize the strength in this book. I liked several parts. It just wasn't a good fit for me, so I wouldn't recommend it for most regular readers. It's nothing like It, Dolores Claiborne, Misery, etc. Sorry!
September 28, 2020
Insomnia, Stephen King
Insomnia is a 1994 horror/fantasy novel by American writer Stephen King. Since his wife died, Ralph Roberts has been having trouble sleeping. Each night he wakes up a bit earlier, until he鈥檚 barely sleeping at all.
During his late night walks, he observes some strange things going on in Derry, Maine. He sees colored ribbons streaming from people鈥檚 heads, two strange little men wandering around town after dark, and more. He begins to suspect that these visions are something more than hallucinations brought on by lack of sleep.
There鈥檚 a definite mean streak running through this small New England city; underneath its ordinary surface awesome and terrifying forces are at work. The dying has been going on in Derry for a long, long time.
Now Ralph is part of it鈥nd lack of sleep is the least of his worries. Returning to the same Maine town where It took place, a town that has haunted Stephen King for decades, Insomnia blends King鈥檚 trademark bone-chilling realism with supernatural terror to create yet another masterpiece of suspense.
鬲丕乇蹖禺 賳禺爻鬲蹖 禺賵丕賳卮 乇賵夭 亘蹖爻鬲 賵 賴賮鬲賲 賲丕賴 爻倬鬲丕賲亘乇 爻丕賱 2007賲蹖賱丕丿蹖
毓賳賵丕賳: 亘蹖鈥屫堌жㄛ屫� 丕爻鬲賮賳 (丕爻鬲蹖賵賳) 讴蹖賳诏貨 賲蹖賱丕丿 卮丕賱蹖讴丕乇蹖丕賳貨 鬲賴乇丕賳: 趩鬲乇賳诏鈥忊€� 鈥忊€�1394貨 丿乇 800氐貨 卮丕亘讴 9786009594238貨 賲賵囟賵毓 丿丕爻鬲丕賳賴丕蹖 賳賵蹖爻賳丿诏丕賳 丕蹖丕賱丕鬲 賲鬲丨丿賴 丌賲乇蹖讴丕 - 爻丿賴 20賲
鈥赌�
亘蹖 禺賵丕亘蹖貙 乇賲丕賳蹖 鬲乇爻賳丕讴 賵 賮丕賳鬲夭蹖貙 丕孬乇 賳賵蹖爻賳丿賴 丌賲乇蹖讴丕蹖蹖 芦丕爻鬲賮賳 讴蹖賳诏禄 丕爻鬲貨 芦乇丕賱賮 乇丕亘乇鬲夭禄 丕夭 夭賲丕賳蹖 讴賴 賴賲爻乇卮 丿乇诏匕卮鬲賴貙 丿乇 禺賵丕亘蹖丿賳 賲卮讴賱 丿丕卮鬲賴貙 丕賵 賴乇 卮亘貙 讴賲蹖 夭賵丿鬲乇 丕夭 禺賵丕亘 亘蹖丿丕乇 賲蹖卮賵丿貙 丿乇 胤蹖 倬蹖丕丿賴 乇賵蹖賴丕蹖 丕賵丕禺乇 卮亘貙 乇禺丿丕丿賴丕蹖 毓噩蹖亘 賵 睾乇蹖亘蹖貙 亘乇丕蹖卮 乇禺 賲蹖丿賴丿
鬲丕乇蹖禺 亘賴賳诏丕賲 乇爻丕賳蹖 06/07/1399賴噩乇蹖 禺賵乇卮蹖丿蹖貨 丕. 卮乇亘蹖丕賳蹖
Insomnia is a 1994 horror/fantasy novel by American writer Stephen King. Since his wife died, Ralph Roberts has been having trouble sleeping. Each night he wakes up a bit earlier, until he鈥檚 barely sleeping at all.
During his late night walks, he observes some strange things going on in Derry, Maine. He sees colored ribbons streaming from people鈥檚 heads, two strange little men wandering around town after dark, and more. He begins to suspect that these visions are something more than hallucinations brought on by lack of sleep.
There鈥檚 a definite mean streak running through this small New England city; underneath its ordinary surface awesome and terrifying forces are at work. The dying has been going on in Derry for a long, long time.
Now Ralph is part of it鈥nd lack of sleep is the least of his worries. Returning to the same Maine town where It took place, a town that has haunted Stephen King for decades, Insomnia blends King鈥檚 trademark bone-chilling realism with supernatural terror to create yet another masterpiece of suspense.
鬲丕乇蹖禺 賳禺爻鬲蹖 禺賵丕賳卮 乇賵夭 亘蹖爻鬲 賵 賴賮鬲賲 賲丕賴 爻倬鬲丕賲亘乇 爻丕賱 2007賲蹖賱丕丿蹖
毓賳賵丕賳: 亘蹖鈥屫堌жㄛ屫� 丕爻鬲賮賳 (丕爻鬲蹖賵賳) 讴蹖賳诏貨 賲蹖賱丕丿 卮丕賱蹖讴丕乇蹖丕賳貨 鬲賴乇丕賳: 趩鬲乇賳诏鈥忊€� 鈥忊€�1394貨 丿乇 800氐貨 卮丕亘讴 9786009594238貨 賲賵囟賵毓 丿丕爻鬲丕賳賴丕蹖 賳賵蹖爻賳丿诏丕賳 丕蹖丕賱丕鬲 賲鬲丨丿賴 丌賲乇蹖讴丕 - 爻丿賴 20賲
鈥赌�
亘蹖 禺賵丕亘蹖貙 乇賲丕賳蹖 鬲乇爻賳丕讴 賵 賮丕賳鬲夭蹖貙 丕孬乇 賳賵蹖爻賳丿賴 丌賲乇蹖讴丕蹖蹖 芦丕爻鬲賮賳 讴蹖賳诏禄 丕爻鬲貨 芦乇丕賱賮 乇丕亘乇鬲夭禄 丕夭 夭賲丕賳蹖 讴賴 賴賲爻乇卮 丿乇诏匕卮鬲賴貙 丿乇 禺賵丕亘蹖丿賳 賲卮讴賱 丿丕卮鬲賴貙 丕賵 賴乇 卮亘貙 讴賲蹖 夭賵丿鬲乇 丕夭 禺賵丕亘 亘蹖丿丕乇 賲蹖卮賵丿貙 丿乇 胤蹖 倬蹖丕丿賴 乇賵蹖賴丕蹖 丕賵丕禺乇 卮亘貙 乇禺丿丕丿賴丕蹖 毓噩蹖亘 賵 睾乇蹖亘蹖貙 亘乇丕蹖卮 乇禺 賲蹖丿賴丿
鬲丕乇蹖禺 亘賴賳诏丕賲 乇爻丕賳蹖 06/07/1399賴噩乇蹖 禺賵乇卮蹖丿蹖貨 丕. 卮乇亘蹖丕賳蹖
March 24, 2024
Wonderfully weird, but woefully wandering. This was a mixed bag for me. On one hand, I loved the characters. Ralph is one of my favorite SK protagonists yet. Lois is adorable, and the two of them together are a delight. The bald doctors are a bonkers addition, and I have a very specific image of them indelibly imprinted in my mind.
On the other hand, the storyline was all over the place, and while there were interesting individual elements, none of them hung together in any sort of coherent, pragmatic way. What I thought would be a descent into insomnia-driven madness (which is why I love the first quarter of the book) turned out to be an aura-seeing, astral-projecting, dark tower adjacent, overtly politically dramatized battle. There was a lot here that could be trimmed, but there is an amazing novel somewhere in here, a la Tommyknockers, but you have to squint really hard to see it.
As for the Dark Tower connections, they were fun and I love that we got to meet the Crimson King, but this wasn鈥檛 a Dark Tower novel. The connection felt shoe-horned in and forced in my opinion, like a blatant shot at franchise and multiverse establishment.
On the other hand, the storyline was all over the place, and while there were interesting individual elements, none of them hung together in any sort of coherent, pragmatic way. What I thought would be a descent into insomnia-driven madness (which is why I love the first quarter of the book) turned out to be an aura-seeing, astral-projecting, dark tower adjacent, overtly politically dramatized battle. There was a lot here that could be trimmed, but there is an amazing novel somewhere in here, a la Tommyknockers, but you have to squint really hard to see it.
As for the Dark Tower connections, they were fun and I love that we got to meet the Crimson King, but this wasn鈥檛 a Dark Tower novel. The connection felt shoe-horned in and forced in my opinion, like a blatant shot at franchise and multiverse establishment.
March 3, 2022
This was a weird one, even for the King. Did he have some random nightmare about people being Earth balloons with the strings reaching into the heavens? Was it too much whiskey one winter night? We will never know. Just like I will never know what this book was really supposed to be about. Recommend only if you come back to explain to me what is really happening in the book.
September 22, 2021
Ugg, just no! And I have only read one book in the Gunslinger series and didn鈥檛 like it. And I don鈥檛 care.
狈别虫迟!鈥�.
Mel 馃枻馃惗馃惡馃惥
狈别虫迟!鈥�.
Mel 馃枻馃惗馃惡馃惥
November 5, 2008
I HATED it. Extremely long-winded and convoluted. Horrible, absolutely horrible. Probably his most pointless story ever.
This is when I knew Stephen King had lost his awesome writing powers and I can't really bring myself to read him again. Bad enough I had to suffer through Black House, and then this.
He really should have quit while he ahead and still an icon in the writing world. As for me, I'd rather slit my own wrists than suffer through another one of his awful novels ever again.
This is when I knew Stephen King had lost his awesome writing powers and I can't really bring myself to read him again. Bad enough I had to suffer through Black House, and then this.
He really should have quit while he ahead and still an icon in the writing world. As for me, I'd rather slit my own wrists than suffer through another one of his awful novels ever again.
Shelved as 'abandoned'
September 30, 2015It's crazy I know. I mean I am over three quarters of the way through this book but if I am being honest, the chances of my ever going back to finish it are just about nil.
Why you may ask and I guess the answer would be that I was never truly invested in the story or it's characters. In fairness it started out reasonably well and I did enjoy the camaraderie between Ralph and Lois but once the little bald doctors started making their appearance my interest level began to diminish quickly.
So way too many pages later I set this down in favour of another book thinking I would finish it off quickly after a little break. Well that was many books ago now and any inclination I had to do so has long since disappeared.
Sorry Mr. King. Perhaps this could be successfully marketed as a remedy for Insomnia.
Why you may ask and I guess the answer would be that I was never truly invested in the story or it's characters. In fairness it started out reasonably well and I did enjoy the camaraderie between Ralph and Lois but once the little bald doctors started making their appearance my interest level began to diminish quickly.
So way too many pages later I set this down in favour of another book thinking I would finish it off quickly after a little break. Well that was many books ago now and any inclination I had to do so has long since disappeared.
Sorry Mr. King. Perhaps this could be successfully marketed as a remedy for Insomnia.
January 25, 2019
Qu茅 buen libro!! pr贸ximamente rese帽a!
September 23, 2023
2023 Reread:
Idk what I was on when I wrote that old review. No clue. Bumping this one鈥檚 rating up to a big shiny 5 stars. Insomnia is a masterpiece, I sobbed at the ending, and I have a new entry in my top 10 Stephen King books ranking, and that ranking currently looks like this:
1. The Stand (1978, 1990)
2. Wizard & Glass (1997)
3. Duma Key (2008)
4. Revival (2014)
5. Lisey鈥檚 Story (2006)
6. The Dead Zone (1979)
7. 11/22/63 (2011)
8. Insomnia (1994)
9. The Tommyknockers (1987)
10. Fairy Tale (2022)
Honorable mentions to From a Buick 8, Doctor Sleep, Pet Sematary, Dolores Claiborne etc etc.
2016 Review:
The most interesting thing about rereading Stephen King's works in chronological order is seeing how my opinions of them change in comparison to how I felt years ago. Experiencing his releases one after the other in publication order puts them in a new light, and that new light can often shine previously unnoticed brilliance or bring dark shadows to my attention.
Insomnia is a novel I used to number among my favorites; after this reread, I cannot, in good conscience, give it a higher rating than two stars. It's just such a deeply silly work. Yeah, the concept itself is one of King's coolest 鈥� Ralph Roberts, elderly Derry resident, begins to see strange auras and Little Bald Doctors after developing insomnia in the months following his wife's death 鈥� but I feel it's really bungled. Reading this man's novels in order has opened my eyes to this fact: post-drugs King rambles. A LOT. Entire chapters of this novel could have easily been cut; this thing is filled to the brim with exposition. And yeah, of course I want King to explain this strange concept he's come up with, but he holds the reader's hand. Nothing is left to the imagination. And what's more, not much is done with these crazy happenings 鈥� said happenings are merely talked about. It feels like the characters spin their wheels at times by ruminating on the same things. Something happens, and the main characters spend an entire chapter discussing it. Ridiculous. The worst offending scene that comes to mind is Ralph and Lois on the hospital roof. If you've read this book, you know what I'm talking about. So much of that chapter could have and should have been axed.
A large component of this 1994 tome is pro-life vs. pro-choice debate going on in Derry. It's almost tearing the town apart, though none of it feels particularly . . . vital? Energetic? Like, it feels as though the reader is really supposed to care about this issue, but King writes it so ho-hum. I dunno. As my friend Aaron pointed out, this plot line really doesn't go much of anywhere; it just gathers everyone up for the finale. Maybe I'm just burned out on politics as of late (despite it deeply annoying me, I stay in tune with the news every day); maybe that's why reading this grated my nerves a little. The entire political aspect of this work adds a cynical, unpleasant flavor to the dish. (And my god, what is up with everyone in Derry apparently owning a super specific political bumper sticker? Seriously. Like, nine or ten times King makes mention of bumper stickers. Weird.)
Laborious and so intricately plotted the energy is totally sapped from this doorstop, Insomnia is, unfortunately, the worst time I've had in the Stephen King reread yet. From the hokey, unrealistic dialogue to the laughably silly climax featuring the Kingfish, I cannot recommend this one. Though filled with cool references to several King novels 鈥� especially his magnum opus, The Dark Tower 鈥� this hefty volume is a chore to wade through.
No favorite quote or references today. I'm grumpy. Sad face.
Idk what I was on when I wrote that old review. No clue. Bumping this one鈥檚 rating up to a big shiny 5 stars. Insomnia is a masterpiece, I sobbed at the ending, and I have a new entry in my top 10 Stephen King books ranking, and that ranking currently looks like this:
1. The Stand (1978, 1990)
2. Wizard & Glass (1997)
3. Duma Key (2008)
4. Revival (2014)
5. Lisey鈥檚 Story (2006)
6. The Dead Zone (1979)
7. 11/22/63 (2011)
8. Insomnia (1994)
9. The Tommyknockers (1987)
10. Fairy Tale (2022)
Honorable mentions to From a Buick 8, Doctor Sleep, Pet Sematary, Dolores Claiborne etc etc.
2016 Review:
The most interesting thing about rereading Stephen King's works in chronological order is seeing how my opinions of them change in comparison to how I felt years ago. Experiencing his releases one after the other in publication order puts them in a new light, and that new light can often shine previously unnoticed brilliance or bring dark shadows to my attention.
Insomnia is a novel I used to number among my favorites; after this reread, I cannot, in good conscience, give it a higher rating than two stars. It's just such a deeply silly work. Yeah, the concept itself is one of King's coolest 鈥� Ralph Roberts, elderly Derry resident, begins to see strange auras and Little Bald Doctors after developing insomnia in the months following his wife's death 鈥� but I feel it's really bungled. Reading this man's novels in order has opened my eyes to this fact: post-drugs King rambles. A LOT. Entire chapters of this novel could have easily been cut; this thing is filled to the brim with exposition. And yeah, of course I want King to explain this strange concept he's come up with, but he holds the reader's hand. Nothing is left to the imagination. And what's more, not much is done with these crazy happenings 鈥� said happenings are merely talked about. It feels like the characters spin their wheels at times by ruminating on the same things. Something happens, and the main characters spend an entire chapter discussing it. Ridiculous. The worst offending scene that comes to mind is Ralph and Lois on the hospital roof. If you've read this book, you know what I'm talking about. So much of that chapter could have and should have been axed.
A large component of this 1994 tome is pro-life vs. pro-choice debate going on in Derry. It's almost tearing the town apart, though none of it feels particularly . . . vital? Energetic? Like, it feels as though the reader is really supposed to care about this issue, but King writes it so ho-hum. I dunno. As my friend Aaron pointed out, this plot line really doesn't go much of anywhere; it just gathers everyone up for the finale. Maybe I'm just burned out on politics as of late (despite it deeply annoying me, I stay in tune with the news every day); maybe that's why reading this grated my nerves a little. The entire political aspect of this work adds a cynical, unpleasant flavor to the dish. (And my god, what is up with everyone in Derry apparently owning a super specific political bumper sticker? Seriously. Like, nine or ten times King makes mention of bumper stickers. Weird.)
Laborious and so intricately plotted the energy is totally sapped from this doorstop, Insomnia is, unfortunately, the worst time I've had in the Stephen King reread yet. From the hokey, unrealistic dialogue to the laughably silly climax featuring the Kingfish, I cannot recommend this one. Though filled with cool references to several King novels 鈥� especially his magnum opus, The Dark Tower 鈥� this hefty volume is a chore to wade through.
No favorite quote or references today. I'm grumpy. Sad face.
September 11, 2024
This monster was book 3 of 17 in my Dark Tower journey.
This is another epic slow burn from SK where our main character, 70-year-old Ralph, experiences progressively worsening insomnia following the death of his wife. While Ralph sleeps a little less every night, things come to a head and shit gets real weird. This felt to me like kind of a fever dream. It is supernatural suspense, with a little horror sprinkled in. I think this really didn't need to be the almost 900 pages it was, and I thought the pacing was pretty off in the middle third.
What we do get in exchange for the length is the genius character work that SK brings to his novels. I absolutely loved Ralph as the protagonist. He might be one of my favorites so far. While his buddies are all curmudgeons, Ralph is just kind of a light. He's a bit crabby at times, but who can blame him? He hasn't slept in months! I thought the relationship between Ralph and Lois was the sweetest. The bizarro little bald doctors are never going to leave my head. And I am obsessed with all the little Easter eggs that are there for the Constant Readers. We return to Derry which is amazing.
Now, onto 鉂� in Atlantis as I continue my epic journey through the Dark Tower.
This is another epic slow burn from SK where our main character, 70-year-old Ralph, experiences progressively worsening insomnia following the death of his wife. While Ralph sleeps a little less every night, things come to a head and shit gets real weird. This felt to me like kind of a fever dream. It is supernatural suspense, with a little horror sprinkled in. I think this really didn't need to be the almost 900 pages it was, and I thought the pacing was pretty off in the middle third.
What we do get in exchange for the length is the genius character work that SK brings to his novels. I absolutely loved Ralph as the protagonist. He might be one of my favorites so far. While his buddies are all curmudgeons, Ralph is just kind of a light. He's a bit crabby at times, but who can blame him? He hasn't slept in months! I thought the relationship between Ralph and Lois was the sweetest. The bizarro little bald doctors are never going to leave my head. And I am obsessed with all the little Easter eggs that are there for the Constant Readers. We return to Derry which is amazing.
Now, onto 鉂� in Atlantis as I continue my epic journey through the Dark Tower.
September 14, 2022
Rating: 猸愨瓙猸� 陆
Genre: Horror + Fantasy
After the death of his wife, Ralph Roberts suffers from a terrible type of insomnia. This continues for some time until he starts seeing some kind of aura that emanates from the people. At first, he thinks all that he is seeing must be a kind of hallucination due to lack of sleep. However, as time passes, he believes that there are some dark forces responsible for all the horrible things that are happening.
The story is set in Derry, Maine, which connects it to Stephen King鈥檚 It. And of course, there are several references to the Dark Tower series, which makes it even more enthralling. The book has interesting characters. King always makes his characters complex with lots of layers that will integrate into the plot and make it even more amusing. I appreciate that this time his character is an old man in his seventies. Not many authors write about characters in that age bracket.
My gripe about 鈥淚t鈥� was that it was an overwritten book. Insomnia is not different. It suffers from the same thing. I don鈥檛 think the story needed to be that long. 200 - 300 pages could be removed from the book without affecting it much. Actually, it would've made a big difference. Like many of King鈥檚 stories, this book is not easy to read either, not because of its language but because of the subjects involved. And these subjects are common and relevant too, be it abortion, domestic abuse, insomnia, the loss of a loved one, sickness, and mental illness. Insomnia is not one of Stephen King鈥檚 best-written books, but it is definitely an entertaining one.
Note: Insomnia is a part of my reading of Stephen King鈥檚 The Dark Tower series. This is Book No.11 of the 24 books I am going to read for this series.
Genre: Horror + Fantasy
After the death of his wife, Ralph Roberts suffers from a terrible type of insomnia. This continues for some time until he starts seeing some kind of aura that emanates from the people. At first, he thinks all that he is seeing must be a kind of hallucination due to lack of sleep. However, as time passes, he believes that there are some dark forces responsible for all the horrible things that are happening.
The story is set in Derry, Maine, which connects it to Stephen King鈥檚 It. And of course, there are several references to the Dark Tower series, which makes it even more enthralling. The book has interesting characters. King always makes his characters complex with lots of layers that will integrate into the plot and make it even more amusing. I appreciate that this time his character is an old man in his seventies. Not many authors write about characters in that age bracket.
My gripe about 鈥淚t鈥� was that it was an overwritten book. Insomnia is not different. It suffers from the same thing. I don鈥檛 think the story needed to be that long. 200 - 300 pages could be removed from the book without affecting it much. Actually, it would've made a big difference. Like many of King鈥檚 stories, this book is not easy to read either, not because of its language but because of the subjects involved. And these subjects are common and relevant too, be it abortion, domestic abuse, insomnia, the loss of a loved one, sickness, and mental illness. Insomnia is not one of Stephen King鈥檚 best-written books, but it is definitely an entertaining one.
Note: Insomnia is a part of my reading of Stephen King鈥檚 The Dark Tower series. This is Book No.11 of the 24 books I am going to read for this series.
March 14, 2021
Well done, Ralph Roberts. Long days and pleasant nights.
September 5, 2021
鈥淚t was life, often unsatisfying, frequently cruel, usually boring, sometimes beautiful, once in a while exhilarating.鈥�
A few months after the death of his wife, Ralph Roberts starts having a problem: he can't sleep more than two or three hours each night. Exhausted and stressed because of this, he begins to notice a strangeness in his familiar surroundings, to experience visual phenomena that he can't quite believe are hallucinations. He quickly realises that something is going on in his hometown, Derry.
Where has this book been all my life??? Insomnia, a book that nobody ever recommended to me, is now one of my favorite King books!
It all starts with a recent widower who can't sleep and is trying to find a solution for his insomnia, and King goes into great details to describe his struggles and his attempts. I suffered from insomnia in the past, sometimes I still do, so it's a topic that I find really interesting and I have to say, it was also perfectly described.
Then the story slowly develops into something bigger and amazing, and it's honestly so great to have unconventional main characters: two ordinary people, elderly, fighting things that seem unreal and finding comfort and support in each other in this unconventional situation. I loved it!
The ending is honestly one of the best King has ever written in my opinion and I found myself tearing up and holding the book tight to my chest after turning the last page. It's so well written, so emotional, such an incredible story! I loved every single line of it.
Insomnia is heavily linked to the Dark Tower books and I'd strongly recommend to read it after you've completed the series. It can be read without reading the DT, it still makes sense, but a lot of references and a big slice of the story would lose its importance without knowing its context.
King is, as always, a master in describing town people and the story is beautiful and magic until the very end. I'm aware it's a long book but it's so worth the time... It's a book you'll never forget.
5 stars.
A few months after the death of his wife, Ralph Roberts starts having a problem: he can't sleep more than two or three hours each night. Exhausted and stressed because of this, he begins to notice a strangeness in his familiar surroundings, to experience visual phenomena that he can't quite believe are hallucinations. He quickly realises that something is going on in his hometown, Derry.
Where has this book been all my life??? Insomnia, a book that nobody ever recommended to me, is now one of my favorite King books!
It all starts with a recent widower who can't sleep and is trying to find a solution for his insomnia, and King goes into great details to describe his struggles and his attempts. I suffered from insomnia in the past, sometimes I still do, so it's a topic that I find really interesting and I have to say, it was also perfectly described.
Then the story slowly develops into something bigger and amazing, and it's honestly so great to have unconventional main characters: two ordinary people, elderly, fighting things that seem unreal and finding comfort and support in each other in this unconventional situation. I loved it!
The ending is honestly one of the best King has ever written in my opinion and I found myself tearing up and holding the book tight to my chest after turning the last page. It's so well written, so emotional, such an incredible story! I loved every single line of it.
Insomnia is heavily linked to the Dark Tower books and I'd strongly recommend to read it after you've completed the series. It can be read without reading the DT, it still makes sense, but a lot of references and a big slice of the story would lose its importance without knowing its context.
King is, as always, a master in describing town people and the story is beautiful and magic until the very end. I'm aware it's a long book but it's so worth the time... It's a book you'll never forget.
5 stars.
June 7, 2020
Oh dear, I am in the minority again so this will be a short review. The book started out well and even though I expected that supernatural things would soon raise their ugly heads, I could deal with that since most of King's stories are fantasy based.. But he went off the rails and he piled more and more ridiculous episodes and new directions and twists to the story that I was just shaking my head. I finished it although I don't know how. My apologies to the author and all his fans of this book, but I thought it was idiotic.
March 12, 2023
I鈥檓 not sure where I鈥檇 rank this among the Stephen King books I鈥檝e read.
I enjoyed the premise, enjoyed returning to Derry, and I loved some of the characters (Especially the older ones! Why aren鈥檛 there more books with older lead characters?). But something was missing. I鈥檝e been known to shed a tear at the end of a King book (The Green Mile!!) but found this ending a bit flat. And it lacked a truly sinister, scary baddie.
Not amongst his best, certainly, but it still kept me engaged for most of its 900 pages.
I enjoyed the premise, enjoyed returning to Derry, and I loved some of the characters (Especially the older ones! Why aren鈥檛 there more books with older lead characters?). But something was missing. I鈥檝e been known to shed a tear at the end of a King book (The Green Mile!!) but found this ending a bit flat. And it lacked a truly sinister, scary baddie.
Not amongst his best, certainly, but it still kept me engaged for most of its 900 pages.
April 7, 2020
If there is a better time for King, I don鈥檛 know of it!
鈥淚nsomnia鈥� is one of King鈥檚 standby classics, his 1990鈥檚 era of cult horror novels that gave him the legendary status he so rightly deserves.
When Ralph Roberts loses his wife to cancer, he begins to suffer bouts of insomnia. Waking earlier and earlier each night, Ralph attributes his wakefulness to grief and old age. However, during his nocturnal observations of his neighbourhood and its residents, Ralph begins to observe strange things. Colourful auras appear like balloon strings over people鈥檚 heads, and tiny bald men appear that no one else can see. But before Ralph can commit himself entirely to insanity, he soon takes on a far more important role than he ever thought existed, one that takes him to places outside of his current realm of knowledge and understanding, and it becomes crucial for him to come face to face with the mystery of death.
One of the great things about King is the connections he makes to his other novels. They help a reader feel connected to King鈥檚 other works, without even having to read them (although I highly recommend it!) and Insomnia is no different. The novel itself takes place in the always-present and ever-creepy town of Derry Maine, with references to and both present in subtle (and not-so-subtle) ways.
Ralph Roberts and his band of 鈥淥ld Crocks鈥� are the type of characters you expect to see in a King novel. An eccentric band of misfits who find kindred spirits and form bonds over coffee, chess games and memories from the past. Ralph鈥檚 grief opens him up to an entirely new plane of existence, and he is made to understand life and death on a much deeper level (be careful鈥攊f you aren鈥檛 ready for it, King will make you think, too!)
I am a devout, diehard fan of King and it is books like this that make me remember why. Nothing beats 1990s King, and there is no better time now to relive the experiences of hauntingly creepy Derry, Maine and its cast of haunted characters.
鈥淚nsomnia鈥� is one of King鈥檚 standby classics, his 1990鈥檚 era of cult horror novels that gave him the legendary status he so rightly deserves.
When Ralph Roberts loses his wife to cancer, he begins to suffer bouts of insomnia. Waking earlier and earlier each night, Ralph attributes his wakefulness to grief and old age. However, during his nocturnal observations of his neighbourhood and its residents, Ralph begins to observe strange things. Colourful auras appear like balloon strings over people鈥檚 heads, and tiny bald men appear that no one else can see. But before Ralph can commit himself entirely to insanity, he soon takes on a far more important role than he ever thought existed, one that takes him to places outside of his current realm of knowledge and understanding, and it becomes crucial for him to come face to face with the mystery of death.
One of the great things about King is the connections he makes to his other novels. They help a reader feel connected to King鈥檚 other works, without even having to read them (although I highly recommend it!) and Insomnia is no different. The novel itself takes place in the always-present and ever-creepy town of Derry Maine, with references to and both present in subtle (and not-so-subtle) ways.
Ralph Roberts and his band of 鈥淥ld Crocks鈥� are the type of characters you expect to see in a King novel. An eccentric band of misfits who find kindred spirits and form bonds over coffee, chess games and memories from the past. Ralph鈥檚 grief opens him up to an entirely new plane of existence, and he is made to understand life and death on a much deeper level (be careful鈥攊f you aren鈥檛 ready for it, King will make you think, too!)
I am a devout, diehard fan of King and it is books like this that make me remember why. Nothing beats 1990s King, and there is no better time now to relive the experiences of hauntingly creepy Derry, Maine and its cast of haunted characters.
August 21, 2022
When I read this book for the first time about 25 year ago, I remember loving it and it being one of my favorite King books. I've been reading through the Dark Tower series for the first time this year, so I've been reading some of King's books that are connected to the Dark Tower. Hence my reread of this book.
And..it wasn't quite what how I remembered it. There were times that I was glued to the page and found the story utterly captivating, particularly during the last two thirds of the book. The first part? The politics were really heavy-handed. It's funny because the ideas being discussed made it seem like King wrote this yesterday. It's a very current book.
It just felt a little too over the top for me. It was the same way I felt about Elevation or some of his other recent works. The mix of real world to supernatural felt a bit off to me. Almost like two different books were being written.
That being said, there were scenes that I've remembered and have stuck with me for decades that were just as chilling reading the second time around. They were exactly as I remembered. I think this was a genius work that needed a better edit.
But if you have read the Dark Tower, those parts of this book make it worth the read. It was SO cool to see those connections! I think you'll miss out if you don't pick up this book.
And..it wasn't quite what how I remembered it. There were times that I was glued to the page and found the story utterly captivating, particularly during the last two thirds of the book. The first part? The politics were really heavy-handed. It's funny because the ideas being discussed made it seem like King wrote this yesterday. It's a very current book.
It just felt a little too over the top for me. It was the same way I felt about Elevation or some of his other recent works. The mix of real world to supernatural felt a bit off to me. Almost like two different books were being written.
That being said, there were scenes that I've remembered and have stuck with me for decades that were just as chilling reading the second time around. They were exactly as I remembered. I think this was a genius work that needed a better edit.
But if you have read the Dark Tower, those parts of this book make it worth the read. It was SO cool to see those connections! I think you'll miss out if you don't pick up this book.
December 26, 2011
I saw somewhere that Insomnia is considered by some to be one of King's "problem" books. I'm not sure what's meant by that tag, though for me the "problem" eventually would become that I didn't think of the book as a horror novel. It started out strongly, with a likable 70 year old everyman, Ralph Roberts, adjusting to life without his beloved wife. King's focus on aging and loneliness is as good as anything I've read by him. And deftly slipped in, a hint of the supernatural and coming doom, as Roberts witnesses a friend's confrontation and near fight on a road.
Roberts' adjustment comes with an unwanted companion, a bad case of insomnia. Paralleling the insomnia is the growing controversy in Derry (King's favorite town) over a famous abortion rights advocate coming to speak at the local abortion clinic. I dreaded this part, largely because of King's earlier political tirade in Tommyknockers (a really bad novel that had me swearing off of King for years). To my surprise, King handled this divisive issue very well. The issue was part of the story, not a soapbox for the author to shout from (and King can be very shrill). But other novelistic breakdowns were coming. About a third of the way in, a warning sign came when Roberts starts looking for a pair of binoculars in the hall closet. Roberts has seen something sinister across the street, and wants a closer look. King clearly wants to ratchet things up in a Rear Window kind of way, but the result is instead a two page passage of over description that stands as a prime of example of King's writerly sins (in fairness, two pages is not that bad with King, I've read much worse). Soon to follow are the endless repetitions ("West Side Gardeners," "Hey, hey, Susan Dey," a recurring Panama hat, etc.) that have always struck me as padding rather than tension building writing.
In addition, fantastical plot elements start to multiply, crowding the story with a grab bag of new meaning(s). Roberts starts seeing auras around people, little bald doctors (not scary) in the night, he can fire little blue balls from his finger tips, read people's thoughts, etc. There's also a Dark Tower tie in that strikes me as more manufactured than organic. (The King "Mythos" is not to be confused with Horror's greater Mythos.) There are a number of cool scenes in the book, but if you've read King, you've probably encountered similar scenes in earlier books. He's cannibalizing himself here, again. Oh, and things blow up in the end, but not without a super sappy closing that would make Spielberg blush.
Roberts' adjustment comes with an unwanted companion, a bad case of insomnia. Paralleling the insomnia is the growing controversy in Derry (King's favorite town) over a famous abortion rights advocate coming to speak at the local abortion clinic. I dreaded this part, largely because of King's earlier political tirade in Tommyknockers (a really bad novel that had me swearing off of King for years). To my surprise, King handled this divisive issue very well. The issue was part of the story, not a soapbox for the author to shout from (and King can be very shrill). But other novelistic breakdowns were coming. About a third of the way in, a warning sign came when Roberts starts looking for a pair of binoculars in the hall closet. Roberts has seen something sinister across the street, and wants a closer look. King clearly wants to ratchet things up in a Rear Window kind of way, but the result is instead a two page passage of over description that stands as a prime of example of King's writerly sins (in fairness, two pages is not that bad with King, I've read much worse). Soon to follow are the endless repetitions ("West Side Gardeners," "Hey, hey, Susan Dey," a recurring Panama hat, etc.) that have always struck me as padding rather than tension building writing.
In addition, fantastical plot elements start to multiply, crowding the story with a grab bag of new meaning(s). Roberts starts seeing auras around people, little bald doctors (not scary) in the night, he can fire little blue balls from his finger tips, read people's thoughts, etc. There's also a Dark Tower tie in that strikes me as more manufactured than organic. (The King "Mythos" is not to be confused with Horror's greater Mythos.) There are a number of cool scenes in the book, but if you've read King, you've probably encountered similar scenes in earlier books. He's cannibalizing himself here, again. Oh, and things blow up in the end, but not without a super sappy closing that would make Spielberg blush.
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