Month: November 2022

Stephen King: #20 – Doctor Sleep

On By Luke FlorenceIn Books, Lists, Stephen King, Uncategorized, WritingLeave a comment

#20 – Doctor Sleep

Plot

Stephen King returns to the characters and territory of one of his most popular novels ever, The Shining, in this instantly riveting novel about the now middle-aged Dan Torrance (the boy protagonist of The Shining) and the very special 12-year-old girl he must save from a tribe of murderous paranormals.

Review

Despite my intention of reading all newly published Stephen King material during this journey, I did not read Doctor Sleep until nearly six years after it was available.  The reasoning was that since this was a sequel to The Shining, it would make sense to read it after I had finished The Shining.  Some decisions are better than others, but this was one of my better ones.  

The development of Danny (now Dan) Torrance was fascinating and resonated on a deep/emotional level for me since I had just completed The Shining.  Reading about his struggles – both immediately after The Shining – and now decades later, were as compelling as anything King has written.  

In perfect King-like fashion, once Dan starts moving past the events from The Shining he is thrown immediately into a new adventure that can’t help but bring up those old, horrible memories. 

And that adventure – is completely captivating.  King develops a tremendous plotline from a grounded storyline that has just the right amount of supernatural.  The fact that King can tell this tale from multiple points of view was another fascinating development from this undeniably terrific novel.

Details

Pages: 531

Dates Read: April – May 2019

Quote: “FEAR stands for fuck everything and run.”

Best Part: Dan revisits the Overlook Hotel.

Hint for #19: To my knowledge this is the only novel Stephen King co-wrote with his son.

 

Until next time, peace be the journey.

 

Stephen King: #21 – Gwendy’s Button Box

On By Luke FlorenceIn Books, Lists, Stephen King, Uncategorized, WritingLeave a comment

#21 – Gwendy’s Button Box

Plot

There are three ways up to Castle View from the town of Castle Rock: Route 117, Pleasant Road, and the Suicide Stairs. Every day in the summer of 1974, twelve-year-old Gwendy Peterson took the stairs, which are held by strong—if time-rusted—iron bolts and zigzag up the precarious cliffside. Then one day when Gwendy gets to the top of Castle View, after catching her breath and hearing the shouts of kids on the playground below, a stranger calls to her. There on a bench in the shade sits a man in black jeans, a black coat, and a white shirt unbuttoned at the top. On his head is a small, neat black hat. The time will come when Gwendy has nightmares about that hat.

Review

Previously I’ve talked about the importance of developing a strong protagonist and an equally strong antagonist to tell a compelling story.  But what if the protagonist and the antagonist were the same person, and the narrative was structured around this dichotomy.  King and Richard Chizmar tackle that conundrum in Gwendy’s Button Box.  

The premise is relatively straight-forward on the surface.  Gwendy Peterson has been given a magic box that has levers and buttons.  The levers release special chocolates or gold coins, and the buttons create mass destruction.  Essentially, Gwendy has unlimited power at her disposal.  How would you act if the box was in your hands?

That question is central to the plot of Gwendy’s Button Box.  Gwendy tackles addiction, guilt and paranoia throughout the 171-page novella, which makes for a fascinating read and look into our own humanity.

While King and Chizmar co-wrote this book, it’s completely seamless and impossible to tell where one author stopped writing, and another began.  I had never heard of Richard Chizmar prior to this book and was so enthralled with Gwendy’s Button Box that I decided to read his sequel, Gwendy’s Magic Feather (unfortunately that was a swing-and-a-miss).  Apparently having Stephen King involved with your book makes a little bit of a difference.  

Details

Pages: 171

Dates Read: November – December 2018

Quote: “Wanting to know things and do things is what the human race is all about. Exploration, Gwendy! Both the disease and the cure!”

Best Part: The secret box is no longer secret.

Hint for #20: A hypersomnia sleep specialist may also be more commonly referred to as this.

 

Until next time, peace be the journey.