Insomnia
by Stephen King
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Book Reviews of Insomnia
Book Review: A perfect balance.
Summary: 5 Stars
Alright, I'll admit it, I'm not a big Stephen King fan. I usually find his horror books too long (Bag Of Bones), simplistic (Salem's Lot) and too reliant on unneccesary gore (check out the ending to the Tommyknockers). However, Insomnia seems like a perfect balance between characterisation, plot and ideas. Ralph Roberts is not a happy man (although if you live in the little town of Derry, you're just asking for it). He's been losing sleep, you see. Not just a little either, as each fretful night shaves a few minutes off the previous night's total. No matter how many pills he takes and how many old folklore remedies he tries, he loses more and more sleep. Gradually he begins to notice colours - auras - in the air. Soon he realises that his sleep depravation isn't natural and someone - or something wants him to do its bidding. That is, if the little bald doctors don't find him first...
Insomnia's biggest problem is that it has an unbearably slow start, as Ralph finds his neighbour Ed Deepnau acting a little oddly. However, stick with it and the plot picks up, with some of the best thought-out ideas seen in a novel for some time. The characterisation is superb too, as King creates a cast which you'll really feel for. Also, being a King book, there's an air of unpredictability about the plot and a feeling that not all of the characters will survive (which, incidentally, they don't).
Despite some cynical plot-mixing with King's so-so Dark Tower series (that's the reference to the little boy's drawing of a cowboy, fact-fans), this is definitely King's most mature and intelligent book to date. Let's hope he can keep it up.
Book Review: insomnia
Summary: 1 Stars
If you want to read a good book from Stephen King, do not pick Insomnia. This is not one of Stephen King's best book that he has published. The story takes place in a small town in Maine called Derry. Ralph Roberts is the main character in the book. Ralph suffers from insomnia after his wife dead of cancer throughout her whole body. That was the best part in the book because it kept my attention with the details he added during whole time while she was dying and what she had went through. Stephen King had a good point when he said "that every human being has a death watch in their head." Nobody knows when it will stop ticking. But then after her death, the story went down hill. Stephen King just dragged on the rest the story plot. There was lack of details in the chapters. Ralph was the only character that was talk about in any kind of details was is was still not enough to capture the moment. During the story, one little scene that would take so long to end I would forgot what started this scene. Then you have to go back and read it again to keep up the boring plot. I could not wait until a chapter was done thinking the next one would not be as bad as the previous one. I was wrong. They just kept getting worst and worst. Of course, this book has to be 663 pages long. On the cover of the book, it reads #1 bestseller and that must be a misprint. They have to be people like me that are very disappointed with this book after reading it. If you like to read a book that puts you to sleep I've got the one for you. RussBook Review: It's a long road to eden sweetheart. Stephen King just made it longer.
Summary: 2 Stars
I have read a lot of Stephen King's books. The Stand being one of my favourites, I am not averse to reading hundreds of pages. But those pages should mean something. There are bad writers with good stories, and good writers with bad ones, but in this disaster, the writing and the story are both horrendous. Stephen King is a good writer, but when he repeats a single line over 50 times ("long road to Eden", "done bun can't be undone") during the course of the book, it begins to grate on your nerves. Also character development is one of King's strongest suits. I believe his ability to richly define believable yet amazingly interesting characters, is one of the reasons for his success. But in this case, the characters are simply annoying. They are more spectators than participants in this Novella. Oh they have thoughts, and lots of them friends and neighbours, but it's the action they are lacking. Ralph Roberts is the only man I know who doubts everything he thinks, and I mean everything. He has the ability to imagine every possible outcome of any scenario, and Stephen King makes us read every one of them.
And Louis, "Our Louis"..."Oh Ralph....Oh Ralph...let's fight, we must save people...", "Oh Ralph...Oh Ralph...Let's get out of here....I am too scared....", "Oh Ralph...". WTF.
If King thinks, that old people are so indecisive, weak, annoying and uninteresting, then he is an ageist.
To prospective readers: Please do not judge King by this book alone. He is very gifted. Please read "The Stand", "It", "Dead Zone"...and any other book but this one.
Book Review: Not his best, but worth a look
Summary: 3 Stars
I say this book is worth a look, but it's not as simple as that. At almost 800 pages, this book kept me occupied for more than two weeks. While it kept me interested, it took so long to read that I felt like I could have read three other good books in the same time period. In my opinion, this book could have been trimmed to 400 pages and been no worse for the wear.Despite these criticisms, the book was entertaining. Ralph Roberts begins experiencing "early waking" insomnia after the death of his wife. He later learns that his widowed friend Lois Chasse has the same problem. They begin to detect auras and see "long-timers", beings that exist on a different plane and live much longer lives than human "short timers". All of this spiritual enlightenment is set amid the backdrop of an abortion rights convention and the extreme reactions of Derry townsfolk on either side of the debate.
This novel explored interesting themes of fate--whether we should tamper with it, whether it really exists, whether we can change it, whether a force known as "the random" can interfere with it. It also explores the theme of death--whether there is a preordained date certain for each human, whether we can change the date certain and whether we should try, and what happens next. These themes were interesting and required the reader to do a little more heavy lifting than other King books I have read. Which is probably a good thing, but I still question whether King needed 800 pages to accomplish this goal.
Book Review: Insomnia
Summary: 4 Stars
I am not a huge fan of reading. But Stephen King's book Insomnia was totally different. I was expecting a boring and uneventful book judging by the back cover and what not. But once I got some what deep into this book. I knew it was something special.
Stephen King has some of the best word choice I have read in a long time. He really knows how to paint a very unique and descriptive picture in your mind. I think that this man has a one of a kind gift. I might not have read very many books but I know a good one when I read it. He writes about things you would only think possible in dreams. How he thinks of his plots and ideas I can't understand. Like he starts losing sleep and it becomes worse and worse each night. And then he starts seeing colors around people which determine there mood they are in. And then he suspects these men that look like doctors but their faces have like no expressions are killing people. I don't think that there is any other author like him. At first this book started off kind of slow. But once I got to about the 5 chapter it totally took of instantly. It was a book that totally kept catching me off guard. He writes in a way that you think you know what's going to happen next then all of a sudden...BAM! Something totally crazy and new! Well in conclusion I think that if you like something that's not in the ordinary and is really intriguing and wont put you to sleep I would suggest this book. It has action, love, and fantasy and bundled up into one very unique and great book!