insomnia... i cant get through it...

[Poetrychic222]

Okay I am struggling to read this book. THis is a SHOCKER for me considering i love all stephen king books! So can anyone give me some help, does it get better? Im like on chapter 10 and it sucks so far.:sad:

[crazycrashink]

This was one of the first SK books I read, and to be honest probably the one that got me hooked. I loved it from the start with the first chapter being one of my favorite chapters in any book ever. I hope you get into it Ralph is awesome :biggrin2: Maybe if you take a break from it and come back you will enjoy it more? Good luck!

[JohnDalglish]

Hi,

I would say 'Yes, keep going', it does pick up a lot of pace, although Insomnia makes far more sense IMO after you've read Dark Tower.

Long days and pleasant nights

[Sam Catoe]

I remember that it took nearly 150 pages before I really got into the story, but the pace remained slow throughout. Insomnia is one of his more difficult tales, but it was, and remains, one of my favorites. I haven't read it in more than a decade now and really should either find my old copy or buy another one.

[rjt65]

Hey IMO you need to read the whole dark tower series first---

I didn't like it much at all first time thru as i had not read the dark tower series--my 2nd (few months ago a 3rd time!)

It makes soooo much more sense on what is happening ans why plus your interest will be peaked... you will care alot more

of course if u tell me u red the DT series and still feel this way :dunno:

[Haunted]

Okay I am struggling to read this book. THis is a SHOCKER for me considering i love all stephen king books! So can anyone give me some help, does it get better? Im like on chapter 10 and it sucks so far.:sad:

Maybe this is not a good time for you to read this particular King. I believe that what is going on in our day-to-day happenings can affect our ability to be able to lose ourselves in a story. That has happened to me with one of Mr. King's favorites. I still have it and I know I can go back when it is a good time for me.

[blunthead]

It sounds to me like you've read far enough to know whether or not you'll like it better if you continue. IMHO, it's okay to put down a book when it's not doing it for us, with a view to trying again later on. Since sK's stuff is as varied as it is, we learn to appreciate the variety he offers by continuing to try stuff we haven't before. This appreciation tends to make stuff that seems different to us at first make more sense.

Don't be discouraged, because you are a Constant Reader.

[ASPERGILLUS]

Stay with it, it will all fall into place beautifully. Your patience will be rewarded.

[Ubasti]

Sadly, I've been in your position. I've tried to read Insomnia twice and will be attempting a 3rd try soon. Hopefully the 3rd time will be the charm for me.

I would suggest that you just hang in there. I'm sure it gets better.

Good luck.

[irisahart]

it takes some patience but the end is wow! i felt the same way but it did get better for me.

[marew1]

I found it a slow read to start but it did pick up for me.

[Bluey Lunger]

i dunno, maybe like haunted said, paraphrased, too many distractions? i'm wondering what doctor laura would say? dr. phil? dr. phil would probably scold you in front of the audience and then go to a commercial break, a smurk lurking just under the surface. susy orman, she'd prolly tell you NOW! is not the time to spend on Insomnia, girlfriend! where do people get off talkin like that? there's connections to other stuff/sk, there's that, maybe that is motivation enough?

[Goodlovin]

I am a fan but had I not read it after dozens of other SK books then it probably would have been a much slower read. It gets better so keep going.

[orionash42]

It gets better but I had read some of the Dark Tower the 2nd time I read it.

[AmandaRose]

Okay I am struggling to read this book. THis is a SHOCKER for me considering i love all stephen king books! So can anyone give me some help, does it get better? Im like on chapter 10 and it sucks so far.:sad:



Ya know what, Insomnia was the same way for me. I would honestly fall asleep, while I was reading the book, no kidding, and I kept having to go back and reread chapters to see who someone was, lol, even as far back as the beginning, I dragged that book around for over a year, and my coworkers were like 'Amanda, you *still* reading that book?'! Im still not sure I actually got the whole story, I think I might try it again sometimes. :wink2:

[Watahoot]

I really enjoyed Insomnia, I remember reading it within a few weeks or so.

It's been a while, so I don't remember the slow parts, or how long those parts last, but keep going, it really is a good book.

[JRLauer]

Just stick with it. It'll get better, trust me. I loved this book because it had a great ending and it makes a reference to... you'll have to find out now, won't you.

[Cowboy]

Hi,

I would say 'Yes, keep going', it does pick up a lot of pace, although Insomnia makes far more sense IMO after you've read Dark Tower.

Long days and pleasant nights

AWJS, the pace does pick up as it goes.

[O'Hara]

I loved Insomnia. I read it before I ever discovered the DT series. For some reason I also love stories where the main character is an older man (or woman, though there seems to be fewer of those about), and I loved Duma Key and other works by verious authors with similar characters. I also love long novels where the plot is long and drawn out. "The journey is more important than the final goal" type of thing. That being said, it did pick up for me once I was a good way through it, but I loved it overall. To me it runs a little like a good many of his other works; you've got the long, suspenseful plot where everything moves along fairly slowly and then the end comes in a catacalysmic rush at the end and you're left going WOW. :wow: Hehe. Duma Key had that same feel for me. You know something huge is coming, just not quite what until its on top of you.

[poisonbat]

Insomnia happens to be my favorite SK book. Keep reading. I must agree that if you have read the Dark Tower much more will click for you. Ralph Roberts is my hero and forever will be. Atropos is, in my opinion, one of the most heartless, cruel villains of all times. I read Insomnia once or twice every year, it is beloved by me. :bat:

However, I never could finish Tommyknockers. So every work is not for every person. :glare:

[thepunisher82]

I read this before I ever started the Dark Tower series as an introduction to that storyline. I couldn't put this book down. As another poster stated if you read 150 pages and didn't get into the story, it is probably a good idea to skip it for now and give it another shot later.

[tillyn]

I read it before the DT series, and now that i'm thought with the DT series, i am rereading insomnia at this very moment. I liked it the first time round, and now i'll probably get more out of it because it connects with another story.

[Jayviar]

I have not been able to get through it after two times as well, the last being about 8 years ago. I'll be giving it another go, as it is one of the last King books I have not read.

[myprtty3]

It does get much better. I started it, read just a few chapters, got bored, stopped, then decided to try again about a year later......I'm glad I did, it's a great story. And you don't have to have read the Dark Tower series to get it. All of his books have a connection to that series, but it's not such a big connection that the individual story won't make sense.

[michal]

Put it aside I say. There's time enough for anything, and maybe thsi book and you will have your time later on. My philosophy is: If by the 10 page I[m still struggling, let go and maybe we'll be right for each other later.

[Damaris]

Insomnia was one of the first King novels I read. I liked the story (and fell in love with the imagery when Ralph woke up in the barn with light streaming in ... that part was so beautiful) but was fairly confused by parts of it. On re-reading it a couple years ago, it made more sense. More than a decade passed between the time I first set it down and once again picked it up, a decade filled with other King readings and, of course, world experience. It's not my favorite but it's a good book, and even if you decide to put it down now I wouldn't rule it out altogether. Like every other King story, there's magic in it.

[natalia101]

this was the first book of kings i read and it got me hooked on his work, i say stick with it, i have read other books where i almost gave up but was glad i didn't in the end, dark half was one of those. insomnia does start off slow but it gets better.

[Jake Featherston]

It took me three tries to get through Lord Foul's Bane (a novel by Stephen R. Donaldson), and it was well worth the effort (which I expended during the Reagan administration). Insomnia is a great book; I'd recommend sticking with it.

[constantreader85]

continue to read it, it is brillant.

[frroggymonsterr]

yea. i cant either. its really kind of slow and a little confusing. i have to re read a bunch just to understand most of it.
it is a amazing book if you think about it.
but it defintiely get better.
SPOILER!!!!
around where he figures out about loise or however you spell it is about where it got interesting for me.
its a weird idea all the stuff that goes on. it actually made me think if it had any possibility of being real. even in this world. stephen king can do that. making nonsense sound true. i love it!! i love his books. : ] read them. : ]

[avidreader111]

I bought it as soon as it appeared. Could not get through it either. (Same thing happened with Cell.) I wound up downloading it from audible.com and finally finished it a couple of weeks ago.

[bio_chem06]

I'm only into the first few pages of Insomnia. I'm hoping it turns out to be a great read. I'm throwing in a few random books in between DT books. Any other suggestions for things I should read between DT? I was told The Stand and Insomnia because they kind of sync up with the series.....

[dragonflier]

Stick with it - there are parts which I always find a little hard going, and I must have re-read it at least 10 times now! It's a great story!

[JohnDalglish]

I'm only into the first few pages of Insomnia. I'm hoping it turns out to be a great read. I'm throwing in a few random books in between DT books. Any other suggestions for things I should read between DT? I was told The Stand and Insomnia because they kind of sync up with the series.....

Hi,

Definitely Salem's Lot before Wolves of the Calla.

And Low Men in Yellow Coats from HIA and Everything's Eventual.

Long days and pleasant nights

[JRM]

I just finished the book today after reading it for 2 weeks (novels take me less than a week, usually)...I DID enjoy it, but this wasn't a good followup for me to read after "Bag of Bones"--which I thought was brilliant. While "Insomnia" does get better, it does so at a very slow pace and while I was fascinated with it, it got a bit silly--to the point of me not being able to believe it. In other words, it sorta lost its magic. Also, I kept forgetting and getting characters mixed-up. I really enjoyed the last section, though. Overall, it was a good, refreshing read, but it's not something I'd recommend to someone--especially if they ask about a Stephen King book they should read.

Btw, a funny thing about your post is, I was the opposite; I actually liked how it started off, but I then started to lose interest around the middle, then near the end my interest peaked again. Lol.

And a very ironic thing about "Insomnia" was that I actually fell asleep reading it a few times. :oo:

[BTRNYC]

Finishing up my first read of Insomnia and I have loved it.

Flew through it actually.

Another amazing character in Ralph Roberts, imo.

[BTRNYC]

I'm only into the first few pages of Insomnia. I'm hoping it turns out to be a great read. I'm throwing in a few random books in between DT books. Any other suggestions for things I should read between DT? I was told The Stand and Insomnia because they kind of sync up with the series.....

You might as well throw IT in there, and maybe The Talisman and Black House...

[nicklove09]

Giving up on a SK book is like giving up on Life!
Just think of his words as a story in itself. He has such a way
with words! OMG i find myself getting lost in the stories that
the words seem to flow faster than lightening! Insomnia was a great
story! Don't give up! :down:

[Jake Featherston]

I really can't understand why this board has so much negative commentary about Insomnia. Its my favourite SK book. I've read about half of his books twice, and this will probably soon be the first one I've read three times. Its freakin' excellent! WTF?

[Big Matt]

I am nearing the end of Insomnia (just after finishing the DT series...again) and Chapter 10 is where it starts to take off, so stick with it.

Does anyone else find this as a general thing with Sk's books? I have found that the early parts of his books can sometimes lack pace and I struggle, then at some point I can't put them down. I still havent ever finished Geralds Game because of this.

[JohnDalglish]

Does anyone else find this as a general thing with Sk's books? I have found that the early parts of his books can sometimes lack pace and I struggle, then at some point I can't put them down. I still havent ever finished Geralds Game because of this.

Hi,

I know what you mean, but I think the opposite.

He does spend a lot of time on setting the scene and the characterization (e.g Duma Key), but for me that means that by the time the 'action' starts the reader feels that they know the characters and the environment extremely well.

And for me, this just adds to my enjoyment of the story, in fact I think it's one of his great strengths as a writer.

Long days and pleasant nights

[pawnman]

It's been a while since I read this book--but I remember enjoying it immensely.

For those that enjoyed 'Insomnia', may I suggest a book by Dean Koontz called 'Twilight Eyes?' :smile2:

[Big Matt]

finished it a couple of days ago and loved it, especially after just finishing(again) the DT series.
I had forgotten that Insomnia was referenced in DT

[LauraJo]

I must admit to having this problem...I normally love King's brilliant charactarizations, and devour all his books with a fervour, but i just didn't warm to Ralph or Lois. I don't know why, I just wasn't particularly concerned about their welfare and to me, I enjoy a book where when I finish it, I'm imagining what happened next, what the charactars went on to do etc...or feeling sad at their passing. A good charactar should become like a good friend all the time you are reading the book...you need to care what's happening to them, otherwise the subsequent events lose their emotional impact. As Brautigan says in hearts of atlantis (another oldtimer, but eminently more likeable) about 10% of the book is enough to know wether or not you like it, if it's still taking more than its giving after that...

[constantreader85]

Keep on reading, you won't be disappointed. Ralph is great character