Category: Lists

Stephen King: #20 – Doctor Sleep

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#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

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#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.

 

Stephen King: #22 – The Regulators

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#22 – The Regulators

Plot

Peaceful suburbia on Poplar Street in Wentworth, Ohio, takes a turn for the ugly when four vans containing armed “regulators” terrorize the street’s residents, cold-bloodedly killing anyone foolish enough to step outside their homes. 

Review

If I only had one word to describe The Regulators, it would be – relentless.  This novel opens with a riveting action sequence, and then never lets up.  It reminded me of the movie, Captain Phillips.  In both, I was afraid to take a breath because of the furious pacing.

The Regulators was published in 1996 under the Richard Bachman pseudonym but by this time it was common knowledge that Stephen King and Richard Bachman were the same.  It was also published as a “twin-novel” to Desperation (ranked #58), but besides a character flashback to Desperation, Nevada – I did not notice too many similarities.  I also read these books more than eight years apart, so that probably didn’t help much on my end.

Despite the breakneck speed, The Regulators manages to effectively develop a colorful cast of characters.  Each one was completely unique and fully realized.  Truly a remarkable feat for just a 400-page book considering how much the plot was moving. 

The Regulators also dives head-first into the supernatural, but this time from a kid’s perspective – which was incredible.  I’ve mentioned this before, but King’s ability to narrate from differing point-of-views/ages/genders/etc. is unmatched.  The Regulators is a fine example of this as I was completely connected to Seth, an autistic eight-year-old.

Details

Pages: 400

Dates Read: August 21 – September 13, 2021

Quote: “When there’s no more room in hell, this artifact said, the dead will walk the earth.”

Best Part: Our introduction to the colorful vans slowly perusing the city streets.

Hint for #21: King co-wrote this book (the first of a trilogy), did not participate in the sequel, but helped co-write the third and final installment (previously seen on this list).

 

Until next time, peace be the journey.

 

Stephen King: #23 – Joyland

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#23 – Joyland

Plot

Set in a small-town North Carolina amusement park in 1973, Joyland tells the story of the summer in which college student Devin Jones comes to work as a carny and confronts the legacy of a vicious murder, the fate of a dying child, and the ways both will change his life forever. 

Review

I’ve spent most of the last six years in the food industry business.  Working with vendors, distributors, and restaurants to ensure supply and to help reduce costs (sadly, I’ve been little help there as of late).  The true nature of what I do isn’t in food, it’s in people.  I work in the people business.  Joyland isn’t a book about horror, about supernatural events, it’s a book about people.  And it’s absolutely fascinating.  

Of all the Stephen King books I’ve read, Joyland has the most deceiving cover, as it does nothing to explain the novel.  Yes, there is a murder of a young girl, but it honestly does not matter much to the main story at all.  For Joyland is about a young boy (Devin Jones) who spends a summer working at a North Carolina carnival and how he ventured into adulthood.

What I enjoyed most about Joyland was the incredible writing King showcases.  He takes a rather mundane plot but completely captures your attention due to his ability to beautifully capture the human spirit.  

Devin’s first job at Joyland is working as the carnival’s mascot – Howie the Happy Hound.  Despite battling intense heat inside the massive suit, Devin enjoys making little kids smile.  It reminded me of my first job after high school working for the local bank, where one day I had to don a squirrel costume and hand out nuts to customers.  There were plenty of kids screaming in terror because of me, but very little smiles. 

Details

Pages: 283

Dates Read: January – February 2015

Quote: “When it comes to the past, everyone writes fiction.”

Best Part: Mike’s first – and only – trip to Joyland.

Hint for #22: This was a mirror novel to another King book – one that appeared near the beginning of this journey.

 

Until next time, peace be the journey.

 

Stephen King: #24 – The Green Mile

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#24 – The Green Mile

Plot

Welcome to Cold Mountain Penitentiary, home to the Depression-worn men of E Block. Convicted killers all, each awaits his turn to walk the Green Mile, keeping a date with “Old Sparky,” Cold Mountain’s electric chair.

Prison guard Paul Edgecombe has seen his share of oddities in his years working the Mile. But he’s never seen anyone like John Coffey, a man with the body of a giant and the mind of a child, condemned for a crime terrifying in its violence and shocking in its depravity. In this place of ultimate retribution, Edgecombe is about to discover the terrible, wondrous truth about Coffey, a truth that will challenge his most cherished beliefs … and yours. 

Review

We’ve reached the first of my five-star Goodreads ratings, as The Green Mile and the next 23 books all received the highest praise I could give an online review.  For those math nerds with us, that means 37% of all Stephen King books garnered the prestigious five-stars.  I’m not sure what that means but it feels like a lot.

This is the only novel on this list that I had watched the movie prior to reading the book.  Because of this, the major twists and plot developments lacked surprise but the novel itself was obviously deeper and effectively further developed these known characters.  

The film is fantastic by the way, which typically goes against most Stephen King adaptations.  Tom Hanks, Michael Clarke Duncan, and Sam Rockwell all were excellent.  While it was nearly impossible not to picture these guys when reading the novel, it was not distracting.

The Green Mile was originally published as six short volumes, released in one-month increments.  Thankfully they have since published multiple versions that include the entire story.  I imagine it would be very difficult on Constant Readers to have to wait one month to continue this incredibly rich novel.  

Had I not seen the film, this would have ranked within the Top-15, because it perfectly encapsulates what King can do so well.  He creates memorable characters, sprinkles in some supernatural elements, and adds riveting plot developments.  

This is the highest rated Stephen King book on Goodreads, clocking in with an average rating of 4.46.  

Details

Pages: 399

Dates Read: June 29 – July 20, 2021

Quote: “We each owe a death, there are no exceptions, I know that, but sometimes, oh God, the Green Mile is so long.”

Best Part: Mr. Jingles.

Hint for #23: A common name for an amusement park. Wikipedia tells me there is one in Lubbock, Texas – and others in Kansas and Georgia.

 

Until next time, peace be the journey.