Insomnia Sucks

[User Lame]

Insomnia gave me the best expectations for a plot Stephen King could make into a truely great horror story. Unfortunately, that is the furthest thing from what Insomnia actually is.

Recently I have read Insomnia and the first thing I wondered was: Why in the hell haven't I read this earlier? A book about insomnia by Stephen King (written over a decade ago) and I missed it?!
Well, now I remember. I had all the best hopes back then but I think after a brief description and reading the first pages, I put it down and forgot about it. Then, after nobody talked about it and no movie was made, I relaized there was something wrong.
Insomnia could have been a story about so much. Almost infinate possibility for a scarry story and nightmares and sleeplessness. Why in the hell King took a great title the direction he did has me wondering. I read through this painful novel about being old and probaly lost more of my life than the week or so it took to read.

It ALMOST got good with the introduction of the little bald doctors (and it took forever just to get there). Then the whole novel fell apart for me when this old fart is shooting light beams at the supposed 'evil' little bald doctor.

What makes me mad is the very very little time spent on describing the actual terror and helplessness of not being able to sleep. I expected a natural progression of madness from not being able to sleep but what I got was madness from reading something that was making me mad. It's barely even described, for a book called Insomnia, the story treats it just as a minor afterthought while it goes on with some wack-ass 'ability' to transend being human with no real world explanations.

One day this old fart just starts being able to see colors because he can't sleep...That much makes sense...But then for some reason he is a superhero because he can see these auras and so forth. He starts to then see these little "agents of death" that are subdued as incompetant children before they even have the chance to seem scary...Or even interesting.

I think if, at some point toward the end, we learn that the main character is just going crazy from lack of sleep - it might have been okay...Not good but okay...But it all is supposed to be "really happening" and for that the whole novel sucks. Not as much as real insomnia sucks...But close.

I think this novel by SK is just supposed to be some kind of 'safe' story about getting old and facing death...That in itself is scary, I admit, but it has nothing to do with the wretched terrible prospect of loosing sleep and how things from nightmares could leak out into the real world.

Sorry King, you really dropped the ball on this one. The concept was a pop fly ball into deep right field and it just bounced off your mit. Blame it on the sun, I understand. Just write a REAL novel about insomnia.

Thanks!

[wally wonder]

nice critique...my guess is that it gets a lot of response...i think i get what you're saying, about insomnia....that that part of the story should have taken center stage...i imagine there's different degrees of insomnia....where do you think ralph's insomnia stacks up in that regard? not very high, i take it...he does get some sleep from time to time, doesn't he? i spose there's people out there walking around for days w/o sleep...i spose we're to see insomnia as a kind of vehicle that takes ralph to where he goes, and once delivered, it's not as important to the story anymore....i spose once the weird stuff starts happening, most readers wouldn't want to spend time w/ralph, sitting in his easy chair....it's not like he's manacled there...the story takes another direction....makes sense to go with it, see what takes.

[JohnDalglish]

Hi,

Hmmm, I'm sorry you didn't like Insomnia but I'm guessing that you haven't read the Dark Tower because it's a completely different book post-DT IMO.

Long days and pleasant nights

[RandomMan]

I would be curious to know what books you have read....this may be why you don't fully understand the relevance of how it was written.

Maybe si....maybe no ????

Thanks for the thoughts...

[Doc Wilson]

Not sure I understand anger at a book not doing it for you. Some of his books are better than others, thats just the way life (and art) is.

[JohnDalglish]

Hi,

And I'd just like to say that I don't like the title of this thread very much.

Your post is literate and thought out (if mistaken IMO) , but 'Insomnia Sucks'?

Surely you can do better than that, for, whatever your personal opinions as to its merit, it most definitely doesn't 'Suck', I find that insulting to Sai King personally.

Long days and pleasant nights

[MyLife4YouSK]

WOW. I freakin LOVED Insomnia! LoL., just goes to show you can't please everyone. But yes i'm guessing LameUser didn't read the Dark Tower series.
On a sidenote., I lent this book to my father to read think it was the 3rd King book I lent him and he was blown away... he literally felt as if he'd just read a THESIS or something, he was confused a bit by it all, then again he wasn't familiar with the Tower either.

I think this book could make a WILD movie., maybe someday!

[rjt65]

Iam rereading it right here and now--- and loving it. As I just finished a 5th reread fo the dark tower series.....

I (like what JD said below) think you really need to have read dT series to appreciate this book.

It takes a whole new light with it's partnership with the DT series.

[GNTLGNT]

O.K. I've been losing sleep over this one...really tossing and turning...so what you're saying is, you don't like the book? Seriously, chill out Turbo. Uncle Stevie has written a couple of other little stories you might enjoy a bit more. Try em and see.

[BTRNYC]

I'd agree that it's a little slow in the beginning, but not that it sucks.
I read Insomnia during my first read of The DT series, and it (Insomnia) does get much richer with the completion of the series. ie The Crimson King and Patrick Danville.

The Old Fart (Ralph) is a great character imo. I love the imagery in the novel and the use of colors.

And someone way more important than you REALLY liked it cuz it won the Bram Stoker Award...