September 2011's SK Flavor of the Month - Insomnia

This month's read is Insomnia. Odd that I'm posting this I am yawning and blinking my eyes because I didn't sleep well last night.

I remember not really caring for this one on my first read. The synopsis sounded excellent. But I was disappointed to find that it was basically a Dark tower spin-off. We'll see how it goes this time I guess.

One of my favourite King books, probably partly due to the fact that it was the first one I ever bought. I was amazed to find how much I was able to identify with Ralph even though he was seventy something and I was eighteen!

Maybe because I hadn't read any DT books at that point, I didn't find it disappointing in that particular way that you mentioned.

Ahh a good one. I'll have to go find this one at the library.

Hi peeps. I'm going to sit this one out. I never did finish this Insomnia, which until Under the Dome came along, was the only ostensibly non-DT book I didn't finish from King. It did the opposite of its title; it put me to sleep. Besides, I've got a lot going with reading On the Origin of Species and The Count of Monte Cristo at the same time.

I am enjoying insomnia. I have forgotten most of the story since I last read it. I think it's a good tale on it's own and the real connection to the dark tower, other than the mention of the crimson king has not revealed itself yet. Interesting to see how it goes and if the connections are meaningful at all.

Now I'm wondering if I'm over-remembering (if you don't mind me making up a word) the DK connections. I just remember really disliking it.

I haven't started the book yet. I've been slacking and not getting my reading done.

Hey, I started the book today! A dozen days late perhaps...

Okay, I'm a hundred and sixty-ish pages in. Ralph just talked to Joe Wyzer, the pharmacist.

I can see why I didn't like it my first time through. The book just sort of meanders along with no real plot or driving narrative.

I like the writing, I like the characters and I have a general idea of where the book is going based on my past read and the clues dropped into the story. But it doesn't seem to be in a hurry to get there.

And I'm pretty sure the book does tie in to the Dark Tower later. There's already the mention of the Crimson King, but I'm pretty sure there's more than that. Time will tell I guess.

It does, although I still think it stands on its own as a story. That is, you don't need to know a thing about the dark tower series to get the characters and plot.

I just remember thinking: "If this was your first King book, would the story make any sense?" I don't know that it would, but I have to read more to see if my memory is correct.

Here's a re-edited post from the Thing(amabrarian)s That Go Bump in the Night group. It probably should have been posted here in the first place:

I'm about 200 pages in. It's getting by on its charm right now. I'm enjoying the book, because of the personality of the characters. But boy it sure is light on story. I don't want to say it is plotless. It's not. But the pacing is slooooooooooow.

Which is to say that two hundred pages in it is mainly "The Life and Times of Ralph Roberts: Sleepless Old Fart" Not that I would quit reading it. I enjoy the characters enough to read the whole thing.

There IS a story here (I've read the book before, so I more or less know what is coming), it is just not in any hurry to unfold. Right now, it is a portrait of a widower coupled with a pro-abortion-rights screed. I agree with King's politics. I can only imagine how uncomfortable the book would be for those who don't.

Okay, I know I am slow this month...

Ralph and Lois have just visited the shelter. It may be that I have been rediscovering comics just recently, but the book almost has the feel like a superhero tale. At least the last half anyway.

I can see why I didn't like the book originally. I'm not wild about it this time. I do think it leans a bit too heavily on The Dark Tower.

I finished the book. It took me almost a month to work through it. It just didn't work for me. And my initial impressions did hold. The book is so heavily tied to the Dark Tower that a reader unfamiliar with that would be lost.

I used to collect comics. When I did, I always avoided the most popular super-hero books. One of the things that pushed me away was that you would be reading a story only to have it continue in some other title, or have details from some unfamiliar title impact the story you are reading. Insomnia felt a lot like that to me.

I haven't read this one yet. I'm interested to see how I will feel about it.

good job getting through it jseger. I couldn't try again.

I have to say I'm surprised by the lack of love for Insomnia. I guess it must make a big difference if you'd already started on the DT books the first time you read it, of course once something has been read it can't be unread, but for anyone who hasn't read either Insomnia or the DT books, may I suggest reading Insomnia first!

I think if the Dark Tower books hadn't been published, Insomnia would make little sense in the end. That was part of my problem with it.

Honestly, Insomnia was only the third SK book I read, after Misery and The Dark Half. While I did find it a bit slow paced, it did have a story to it and I did not find it that difficult to follow. As of now I have yet to start the Dark Tower Series, as I have been backlogged by a few Early Reviewer books i wanted to get out of the way, and the unrelenting release of a few James Patterson Books. So once I am finished with Tempest by Julie Cross (Early Reviewers), I will have 2 JP books and then will be starting Tommyknockers.

Not a favorite of mine, unfortunately. I really liked Ralph and Lois and was intrigued by Ed Deepneau, but I just couldn't get behind the "little bald doctors."

I couldn't get through this. I tried and gave it a fair shot (about 300 pages - almost halfway) but I couldn't do it. I rather liked it at first, but as I got further, he kept repeating things over and over, and there were more digressions that I cared less and less about as it went on. It went from being moderately enjoyable to totally tedious and I just didn't want to read it any more.