Insomnia

Rating:
Summary: Vintage King
Review: A bit different in plot style from other stories by the Prince of Horror literature, Insomnia is not a book. It is a journey,a long walk. King as usual develops his characters exquisitly.He is a master at slowly revealing the plot ,piece by piece,and the reader doesnt get the full thing until the last ,tiny piece is revealed. King is undisputedly a master,a true genious and this is one of his best books I ve read so far . The only thing I didnt sooooo much enjoy in the book was the catfish scene,though it was perfectly explained and justified.And please readers,when you are reading fantasy,horror,science or any kind of fiction,dont complain for lack of realism in some parts,and by God,dont complain for lack of realism in Kings' books,because the man makes the most extraordinary of things look eerily real.This book s gonna "infect" you with insomnia.You wont sleep until the last page is turned.Thank you Stephen!!!!

Rating:
Summary: A fantasy novel about real life
Review: This is one of King's long books, which unfolds slowly. It begins in the realm of ordinary life, among "the Harris Avenue Old Crocks," as hero Ralph Roberts calls the retired folks of Derry, Maine. Through the medium of Ralph's insomnia, it moves step by slow step into another dimension of reality.

That dimension is described by the metaphor of the Dark Tower - so this book serves as a side trip on the quest of reading the Dark Tower series. Existence is vertical, with us ordinary humans ("short timers") on the ground floor, and "long time" beings we can't usually see existing a few flights up. The tower extends immeasurably upward, and the higher you go, the faster time moves, and the wider the view you get of existence. In this book we (briefly) meet one of the higher up "bad guys," described variously as the Crimson King, Red King, or Kingfish.

It took many pages and many hours of reading to find out what this book had to do with the Dark Tower. But did I mind? No - I loved reading about Ralph, Lois, Bill McGovern and his Panama hat, Lafayette "Faye" Chapin and his chess tournaments, Dorrance "Old Dor" Marstellar and his books of poetry, Ralph's grief over the loss of his wife, his increasing insomnia, the incipient romance between him and Lois, Rosalie the stray dog.

Ralph and Lois are gradually drawn into a fantastic world, in which they can walk through solid objects, living things are surrounded by colorful auras, and the life-energy represented by the auras can be used as a weapon against foes only perceptible on this higher level of existence. Higher powers have set in motion terrible events, and other higher powers invest Ralph and Lois with a mission to stop them. Like the fantasy sequences in Rose Madder, it sometimes takes on the aspect of a quest game (as in Ralph's attempts to retrieve objects taken from future victims by Atropos, the pranksterish agent of random death.)

There are several (at least) kinds of Stephen King novel. They vary in type, length, and pace. Types include supernatural horror, what I think of as real life horror with supernatural sprinkles (Dolores Claiborne,) real life horror mixed with fantasy (Rose Madder) and fantasy (The Dark Tower.) This book is a traditional novel, about life, love, growing older, death, grief - mixed with fantasy. Not everyone knows King is a fantasy as well as a horror writer. I just found out myself, to my delight. No one expects King to write a traditional novel. I think that's why a lot of people have been disappointed by this book. They don't open a Stephen King novel expecting to read about a bunch of old people playing chess at a picnic table and watching planes take off at the nearby airport, or about a romance between a 70 year-old widow and widower.

Personally I love the combination of real life and fantasy.

In pace, some King books are tight and fast. You can't put them down, or stop reading for a moment to try to guess what's going to happen. I love those, but they go by too fast. I like trying to guess what's going to happen. That's why I especially enjoy the greater length and slower pace of this book. I had plenty of time to ponder the puzzles.

I don't know if I can answer the question of who would like this book. It's pretty clear that people with no patience for long descriptive novels that unfold slowly should stay away from it. People who like such novels sometimes hate it when they depart from ordinary reality, so they probably wouldn't like it. Probably a taste for fantasy is the key to enjoying this novel. If you were a Tolkien or Lewis fan as a youngster, and then graduated to descriptive 19th or 20th century novels, you would probably like it. One thing I can say unequivocally - I loved it.

Rating:
Summary: promising novel becomes too long and silly
Review: When I picked up Insomnia from the library, I anticipated another fun read from Stephen King; I had just gotten through The Green Mile, which was excellent, and couldn't wait to get into another King work. (albeit Green Mile and Insomnia are two very different styles; The Green Mile is a departure from the usual King horror, Insomnia is more of the latter.) The first three hundred pages of the novel were fine, and included many of King's trademark characteristics; well developed characters, an entertaining and bizarre plot, and spotty elements of the gothic (darkness, black used as a color of evil, etc..) However, after the midway point or so, the plot becomes TOO ridiculous to pay attention to. During much of the second half of the novel, I found myself sometimes shaking my head or even laughing as the two main characters psychologically "took on" the two middle men from the "higher world" and shot sparks from their fingertips. Also, he could have done without the romance/sexual aspect...aren't these fifty year olds he's talking about?
Ultimately, Insomnia is a step down from King's other works, mainly due to the latter part of the book. For a better horror read from King, try Carrie or Pet Semetary, or even watch Storm of the Century. Die-hard King fans would probably still enjoy Insomnia, but unless you are, leave it on the shelf.

Rating:
Summary: Please, just stop
Review: If you are reading this review and thinking about getting this book, let me tell you, just stop. Don't buy it, don't borrow it, don't rent it from the library, let it sit on the shelves in the shame it deserves. I don't know where this came from, but it needs to go back. I'm embarassed by the fact that Stephen King let this go into print for his dedicated readers to buy. I did not get Insomnia from this novel, in fact, I fell asleep trying to get through the exhaustable plot. The two main characters are frankly boring, and unrelatable to his main audience. The conclusion was rushed, the "bad guy" was not there long enough to be "terrifying" and the only real enjoyment I got from the novel was the little bald guys, yeah, even the evil one. Insomnia was disgraceful, and don't worry about reading it unless you need something to put you to sleep besides nyquil.

Rating:
Summary: Stink STank STUNK ! ! !
Review: My my my where do i begin? Lets start with my PILLOW! This book was one of the worst. I even let someone borrow it to read it and they refused, refused I tell you, to waste thier time reading it after they couldn't get into the book. Both she and I are avid horror, especially Stephen King fans. In all fairness though it really was a horror book. I was horrified that I had paid money for this smelly book. Sorry King fans this was not one of his best works.
TTFN Ta Ta For Now

Rating:
Summary: not really boring, just silly
Review: Oh my god. Really, don't get me wrong, i'm an avid Stephen King reader and like most of his work; i think he's very good at seeing the horrific and supernatural in the everyday normality, this book however, is far from his best work.
It started out very good, it wasn't boring, although King tended to describe absolutely every (and i mean every) detail of the main character's daily life. We witness his imsomnia an his strange visions; so far so good, im an imsomniac myself and found Ralph's ordeal very interesting. Then it gets ugly. The explanation for Ralph's situation is farfetched and laughable, and has to do with an incredibly trite side plot where he now has to take part. Such a ridiculuos plot twist is a real downer after sucha good start and rising action.
I have to advise both, the casual and the avid Stephen King reader to stay clear of this book.

Rating:
Summary: IT'LL MAKE YOU SLEEP
Review: I am a big fan of Stephen King's work. This book is very slow, very far-fetched and very boring. Im wont say anything about the storyline youll have to read it.

Rating:
Summary: Nothing better
Review: This is my all time favorite book, by an author that I am hit or miss with. In general I find Stephen King hard to read because I trip over the details. I also have trouble with a reality based book becoming very mystical without warning. Insomnia, however, is my exception to the rule.
This is my all time favorite book - no doubt, hands down. I fell in love with Ralph from page one, and years and years later, I have not forgotten him.
This book is for anyone who has lost a loved one but knows that somehow they are out there. If you are open to it, this book will touch your spirit.

Rating:
Summary: My favorite King so far
Review: It's a great peripheral tale to the Dark Tower series, with all the trademark elements of King stories. Oddball characters, and that creepy little town, the seamless blending of reality and... hyperreality?

Rating:
Summary: Fascinating, but a little slow and beyond belief
Review: My Stephen King virginity was taken by "Insomnia". Subsequently, I think I have a fairly objective view of King and of this novel. Overall, "Insomnia" is entertaining, sometimes surprising, and occassionally thought-provoking. The story, from a "thousand foot view", is intriguing. Nevertheless, as I waded through the details (nearly eight hundred pages of it in the hardback I read), the story would drag at times and boredom would set in. "Insomnia" was a bit too fantastic for my taste; I just didn't buy into parts of it, which left me lukewarm and disinterested. King is definitely a gifted writer-- he is direct and vivid with his words. I find this to be ironic since critics often laud his story telling and tend to be critical of his writing style. With "Insomnia", I believe the reverse to be true. "Insomnia" would have been a great read for me-- instead of just a good one-- if the story was tighter and more realistic. If you are considering "Insomnia" as your first King book, I suggest another choice to start with (My next foray into King will be "The Stand"). As for Long-time King readers, especially those who have read mostly his earlier horror works and want something different, you may find "Insomnia" refreshingly different at the very least, if not great.