#7 – Insomnia

Plot

Ralph Roberts has a problem: he isn’t sleeping so well these days. In fact, he’s hardly sleeping at all. Each morning, the news conveyed by the bedside clock is a little worse: 3:15…3:02…2:45…2:15. The books call it “premature waking”; Ralph, who is still learning to be a widower, calls it a season in hell. He’s noticed a strangeness in his familiar surroundings, to experience visual phenomena that he can’t quite believe are hallucinations. Soon, Ralph thinks he won’t be sleeping at all, and what then?

Review

For Constant Readers, this ranking may likely come as a surprise.  Insomnia is not a highly-rated Stephen King book, as it currently has a 3.83 rating on Goodreads.  King himself has said that Insomnia is one of his least favorite creations.  I however loved every single aspect of the story.

First, the protagonist – Ralph Roberts – is 70-years old, which was unique and allowed for an interesting perspective on events.  Felt like my father in a lot of ways, especially with Ralph’s regular group of “buddies.”

Second – the connections.  As a huge fan of The Dark Tower series, the abundance of references to The Crimson King, Roland, and other characters from that epic series was a welcome sight.  And when Patrick Danville gets mentioned, I don’t think a bigger smile on my face could have been possible.

Third – the little bald doctors.  I loved everything about those guys.  They were special, but also unquestionably flawed.  They also serviced as a catalyst to move the story forward and every interaction with them was memorable.

Finally – the story.  It’s multi-faceted but never overtly complex.  It has good vs evil connotations throughout and both sides are extremely well-developed.  Once the stakes are set, Insomnia takes you to an epic climax with a beautiful epilogue.

I understand the common flaws with Insomnia: the length, long periods of set-up, and consistent over-describing on King’s part.  However, Insomnia resonated with me in ways most books don’t.  These lists are deeply personal, and I’ll take my love of Insomnia to the very end.  

Details

Pages: 787

Dates Read: May 8 – May 28, 2021

Quote: “It was life, often unsatisfying, frequently cruel, usually boring, sometimes beautiful, once in a while exhilarating.”

Best Part: We are introduced to Patrick. 

Hint for #6: I’d imagine if you were on Game of Thrones you wouldn’t want to get too close to these.

 

Until next time, peace be the journey.