Mike Noonan

[Mr. Palmer]

I'm currently revisiting this book, and I'm having a hard time getting into it. Why? Mike Noonan.

I'm sorry, but this cat is a sissy. I know some can give him a crutch because of his dead wife, but she'd been in the ground for 4 years! Noonan gets literally ill when he's confronted with writer's block, and then gets his butt handed to him by an old woman with a handful of rocks and an even older man in a wheelchair!

I just can't get into his character, and it's definitely giving me a difficult time reading the story.

[kevinrodgers90]

It took me awhile to get hooked on "Bag of Bones". But after the legal aspects of the child custody situation are set in motion, the novel really takes off. The last half of the novel is a fast-paced thrill ride in my opinion!

[The Outsider]

I really enjoyed this novel due to its similarities with Duma Key. But I can agree, Mike is kind of a wimp, and sometimes a bit over-dramatic. You just have to overlook his flaws (everyone has them!) and focus more on the plot. It's a great story, and Mike isn't such a bad character, if you focus on his good aspects.

[Bluey Lunger]

i've known folk who got into a blue funk and stayed there. old guy, in his 60s or so, mother put him in an orphanage back during the depression, went on from there, married, divorced, sat in a apartment, old garage converted, lampshade yellow and cigarette smoke trailing up from his fingers held over the ashtray.

a room full of others just like him all w/assorted tales to tell.

mike is working through his funk and is narrating that time. i enjoyed the story, a lot. have read it many times now. yeah, you want him to do something other than retreat to the water, but avoidance in that case makes as much sense with the character of mike. would have been out-of-character for him to have picked her up by the heels and waded in and held her under. then, they'd be the heroes of the story. would have been a twist, but then we'd never have gotten the story of how mike helping others helped himself. got him out of his funk. :y:

[Craig Zadow]

I know some can give him a crutch because of his dead wife, but she'd been in the ground for 4 years!


Do you have any idea what it is like to lose a wife? If you don't maybe you should refrain from judgement. How do you know how you would feel in four years after losing your wife? Actually by that comment I bet you're not married at all are you?

[Mr. Palmer]

Do you have any idea what it is like to lose a wife? If you don't maybe you should refrain from judgement. How do you know how you would feel in four years after losing your wife? Actually by that comment I bet you're not married at all are you?

You could please excuse the snarkiness...

Yes, I am married. And yes, I did bury one wife.

So...?

[fredo]

I thought it took quite a bit of balls just to stay in Sara after the first crying jag Mike heard. And to go down cellar with ghosts knocking "yes" or "no". C'mon!!! I'd run screaming like a five year old girl from the place.
Great book.
I've never buried a wife, but I knew a gentleman who buried his, lived with the pain for two years, then took the .38 express outta here. I do not say that lightly as both were dear friends of mine, and no amount of help or support seemed to affect him. Truly heartbroken.

[michal]

Dead wife aside, I think you're right - Mike Noonan is not a particularly strong character. In fact, I think no man in this book is. This book is a lot about strong women - good ones, bad ones and Sarah - the angry victim who has lost her sanity in her need for vengeance. They are all strong. The question is -why should that stop you from enjoying the book? Let go my Constant Reader friend. Not all heroes are good and strong. Not all villains are bad and week. Sometime good doesn't triumph, and sometimes when it does, you feel as though it shouldn't have, because the bad guy deserved it more.
Anyway, it's a good story. Keep up and I'm sure you won't be disappointed.

[JRM]

I thought it took quite a bit of balls just to stay in Sara after the first crying jag Mike heard. And to go down cellar with ghosts knocking "yes" or "no". C'mon!!! I'd run screaming like a five year old girl from the place.
Great book.
I've never buried a wife, but I knew a gentleman who buried his, lived with the pain for two years, then took the .38 express outta here. I do not say that lightly as both were dear friends of mine, and no amount of help or support seemed to affect him. Truly heartbroken.

THIS. I would never stay at Sarah Laughs. My god. :eek2:

And just to throw it out there, Mike's my favorite King character I've come across so far. I was rooting for him from the start to get to the bottom of this mystery. Least favorite? Eh, I'd have to go with Insomnia's guy. He simply just bored me.

[Mr. Palmer]

I finished the book. And even though I wasn't too keen on some of the characters, I found it an enjoyable read. I won't boast over it like other Stephen King fans, as I found it be far from perfect, but it's something I'd definitely recommend.

As I mentioned, there are strong villains. And there are a few creepy parts. I also enjoyed the "trailer shootout". That had to be my favorite part of the book.

[graywritingdog]

It's not that Mike is a whimp, he's real, as real as any character (bag of bones- inside joke) can be. He's not Rambo, or the terminator and that is what makes him to great. I know I wouldn't have done half the things he did, I love this book. It's King's best in my opinion.

It's heart warming, breaking, a compelling read and hard to put down. I have this in audio book, it's nearly 24 hrs long and I've listened to it several times, also read it twice.

Duma key is a close 2nd to this book.

[becks]

I'd share a six-pack or two with the guy. We've bonded! :-) If you're having a hard time getting into the story, listen to Steve reading it first. Afterwards you'll wonder what you were thinking ... trust me.
Best, Becks.

[constantreader85]

I thought Mike Noonan was a great character in the book.

[Mr. Jingles]

I like Bunter :laugh:

[JRM]

I'd share a six-pack or two with the guy. We've bonded! :-) If you're having a hard time getting into the story, listen to Steve reading it first. Afterwards you'll wonder what you were thinking ... trust me.
Best, Becks.

LOL! Same here. He's my hommie. :cool2: To this day he remains my favorite main character.

[TimAH]

The one thing I really didn't get about the character was how he kept so much information to himself. First, you gotta tell someone about the rock throwing stuff. Even if you dont tell the police, you need to let someone know just how dangerous that old guy is. Secondly, it made zero sense to me that he would simply listen to Matties stories about the words on the fridge and not tell her he had it happen too.

[Mobe1969]

It is a fantastic novel. The audiobook is awesome also - narrated by Stephen King. Some pretty evil characters in it too. Gave me chills.

[Denise Marsden]

I think the reason Mike is so blocked after Jo's death is that they almost ritualised his writing as a couple. She gave him the space to write but maintained a supportive presence and then at the end of a piece of work the ritual of the last word was almost part of his identity as a writer. There is certainly a degree of crazyness in his behaviour but understandable when sudden death take away someone very loved. I liked the character for his sensitivity.:smile2:

[Audaciousfox]

I'd share a six-pack or two with the guy. We've bonded! :-) If you're having a hard time getting into the story, listen to Steve reading it first. Afterwards you'll wonder what you were thinking ... trust me.
Best, Becks.

I agree. My ears read the book before my eyes did and I really liked Mike Noonan. Maybe if my eyes had done the work first, I wouldn't have felt the same....but King makes Mike very real, very troubled and not at all sissified. The segment that includes the rock-throwing isn't hard to believe as it is written. I think Mike could have easily overcome the two mad seniors had he immediately understood their intent: murder. But he's a relatively young fellow with integrity; things got out of hand very quickly...and I believe it is a lot easier to say I'd throw the two buzzards on their heads and into the drink than it would be to do it. These guys are very old and (looking) infirm. Not so easy to smack around if you were brought up right.