Dreamcatcher

Rating:
Summary: Laughter, horror, gross and vivid descriptions.
Review: A huge talent called Stephen King delivers one more wonderful tales, entertaining me for two days. While the plot is not original, it is Stephen-king type original: It could be only the insane and quite humorous mind of Stephen King to think that the Alien-type creature would say hello to the world through our a""""ses rather than our chests as in Alien. Ha ha ha! Congratulations to King for bringing anything that comes to his mind in a pot (several references to several horror and sc-fi movies) but still creating an overall original book that somehow entertains, frightens, makes me laugh and makes me transport to his own world once more after all these 20-some years. In another one's hands with no real talent(la la la Dean Koontz stand up please), this would be another boring, shabby, moral story that pro's for Christianity and pan-Americanism once more.

King, you are the man!

Rating:
Summary: Dreamcatcher
Review: Dreamcatcher. Stephen King. New York, NY: Pocket Books, 2001, 879 pages.

In reading "Dreamcatcher", I was somewhat mesmerized. Stephen King did an excellent job of capturing you at the very beginning. I was literally doing nothing but reading for hours at a time. There are many things within this book that just capture my attention and wouldn't let go. The contents include the lifelong friendship of four men, the overcoming of all too well known bullies (aliens), and the ever popular but never tiring feared invasion of an unprepared world by that unknown life force. Also while reading I didn't really see any real purpose but to entertain an audience of people who enjoy reading about terrifying alien stories. I may not be into to whole alien invasion thing, but this book really got be hooked.
This book was significant to Stephen King for many different reasons. The references made to pain that one of the main characters Gary Jones (Jonesy) feels is a symbolism of the pain being felt by Stephen King. For Stephen King makes a reference to this in his afterward. He wrote the book during his six and a half months of recovery. So as you can see this book as some sort of outside preference beside that of the author's pure imagination.
This story focuses on four men, who 25 years after rescuing a mentally disabled boy from a bunch of bullies, encounter some bullies of they're own. They must face death and hardship, but in the end it will be more than worth what was sacrificed. They are thrust into a situation with creature from another world. Their only hope is locked deep within their past and their dreamcatcher. The boy they save will help them in more ways than one. He will be the one that keeps them together even when they begin to drift apart. "He's holding on for us, Jonesy, I told you. Holding us together"(pg. 830). They will remember one thing over the years, "That was our finest hour."(Pg.187).
Now it's time for me to really tell you all what I personally thought of the book. First I will start off with how well the book went about achieving its goal of entertaining the reader. I personally think it did an excellent job. It captured my attention at the very beginning and kept me interested the whole way through. Next is the possibilities suggested by this book. The whole invasion thing makes you wonder what would really happen if that occurred. The book gets you thinking about the planet we live on and the creatures lurking in the darkness of space. I haven't really read many other books on the subject of alien invasion, but of the ones I have read I would have to say that this is the best one by far. Stephen King puts a lot of description in his writing. You uses quite a bit of foreshadowing so you kind of get an idea of what's going to happen next, but you are still left surprised when something happens that you didn't expect.
For my final take I would rate this book with an about an A. It did flow extremely well and gave you a vivid picture of what's happening, but some of the parts you read kind of make you think they were almost put in there for no particular reason at all. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a good alien invasion mixed with a bit of struggle between lifelong friends. If you've seen the movie and liked it you will most definitely like the book. It's a bit long and drawn out, but a great read overall.

Rating:
Summary: www.SFReader.com Review
Review: Review by Lynn Nicole Louis

Stephen King has always generated mixed reactions for me. I think his best form is the short--he's written some truly wonderful short stories and novellas. In my mind, his success with book length fiction has been somewhat spotty. Note that in this case I'm not defining success in terms of financial gain, but in how much I enjoyed the book.

The Stand is one of my all time favorites. Sure, it has it's problems, but as far as end-of-the-world books goes, it's top notch. Other King works have been less successful for me, and some (such as The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon or Gerald's Game) were just downright bad.

Still, I must be infected at some level with the King virus, because when a new book comes out, I dutiful wait for the paperback and then buy it....

...Dreamcatcher tries to be a story about friendship and survival, but it's worth noting that one of the main characters is recovering from a serious automobile accident, as was King at the time he wrote this. King's anger about the event is easy to see; perhaps writing this book is one of his ways of coming to grips with what happened to him. But we all know that good truth doesn't necessarily make good fiction. King's... er, the character's complaints, moans and gripes wore thin after a while.

Overall? My recommendation is to avoid this one unless you're a King fan. It's a long book, takes a big investment of time to read, and ultimately has a low return. There are a lot better alien invasion books out there.

Lynn Nicole Louis
Read the full review at www.SFReader.com

Rating:
Summary: Great Book!
Review: 25 years after saving Duddits- a child with Down's Syndrome- from bullies, four friends, Beaver, Henry, Jonesy, and Pete go up to Maine for their annual hunting trip. While up there they see strange things happening, and witness, for the first time, creatures beyond their imagination. After they put all the clues together, they find out that they are taking part in an alien invasion. These aliens were not friendly. They came to Earth to contaminate our water supply with a disease called Byrus. Two friends die during the book- Pete and Beaver. The other two friends- Jonesy and Henry- save the day along with the U.S. Army and Navy. At the end of the book they found out why they were successful in the defeat of the aliens, because of their "Dreamcatcher," Duddits.

Rating:
Summary: Unfocused and Strained
Review: On the recommendation of a friend, I read this, my first Stephen King novel. For the first 100 or so pages, I was hooked. But the novel began to drag. What starts out as the gripping tale of four hunting buddies encountering strange happenings outside their cabin, devolves into a wandering, unfocused and bizarre piece of writing. By page 400, I had lost all interest in the book. But, since I dislike not finishing a novel, I struggled on. Unfortunately, by page 500 (3/4 of the way through it) the writing was so terrible, the plot so absurd, and the characters so cliche, I had to put the book down. Whatever originality or imagination King once possessed is gone. He now relies on co-opting characters from other genres. For example, he names a sadistic, unbalanced Army General "Kurtz" after the sadistic, unbalanced Army General in Apocalypse Now named "Kurtz." King consistently refers to movie director James Cameron, as if the two are enjoying some inside joke, which detracts from the story. While I didn't anticipate great writing, I expected first rate story telling. The writing was high school level at best. I'd skip it.

Rating:
Summary: Just Simpy Mr. King at his Absolute Best
Review: Jonesy, Beaver, Henry and Pete are four young friends who save a boy named Duddits, who has Down's Syndrome, from some older bullies. From that day on they become his protectors, much to the delight of the boy's parents.

Somehow, from the day of the rescue, the five are bound together by a some kind of telepathy, which carries on into their adult lives. Then Jonesy has an accident and barely escapes with his life. The accident changes him. Beaver, Henry and Pete also undergo life-changing experiences. But, sadly, unknown to them, Duddits has developed a form of leukemia. He cries out to his friends, but his mental cries go unheard.

For nearly sixty years aliens have been visiting Earth, but the United States government has been keeping a lid on it. Then our four friends go hunting when a spacecraft is shot down. The government puts the military in charge of the area.

A hunter, with a strange fungal growth on his cheek and an even stranger growth in his belly, seeks help from the four friends as soldiers round up civilians in the area. Their god-fearing commander takes his crusade to a personal and terrifying level and, as a three-way battle ensues, it becomes obvious to the friends that only Duddits can save the world, but Duddits is dying.

DREAMCATCHER is Stephen King at his absolute best. Reading this book was like it was all those years ago with I first read IT or the TOMMYKNOCKERS. I just can't give it any more praise than that. If you're a fan of Mr. King's, you know what I'm talking about. And if you're not a fan, you should be.

Reviewed by Devon Adams, the Cool Kid

Rating:
Summary: Not quality King.
Review: Like a previous reviewer, I nipped and nibbled at this book with only marginal enthusiasm that slowly diminished as I neared the end. The characters were more interesting as they each recalled their childhoods than they were as adults, meaning that the plot in the book's present time was not that exciting. Poor character developement for the antagonists is partially to blame, but I also feel the story could have been told in a series of at least three books that may have fleshed out several of the characters along with the overall story. Try reading some of King's older works instead.

Rating:
Summary: Dreamcatcher
Review: This book is for mature audience only, but it is very captivating and it is better than the movie. People won't be able to put it down.

Rating:
Summary: Not so dreamy... nor exciting...
Review: Knowing the again rising reputation and writing talent of Stephen King, I decided to take a shot at reading Dreamcatcher (did not see movie). The story promised a very gutsy plot. As I read on I became slightly bored with the story that didn't seem to be going anywhere. Then all of a sudden, about 1/2 way through the book, the plot weaves more suspense.
Boyhood friends from Maine visit the cabin known as Hole in the Wall for one of their annual jaunts. All 4 boys have grown up with differing problems in their midlife crises. Enter a stranger McCarthy and one begins to get the idea of an alien invasion of his body. And then a woman in the middle of the road...another victim of alien invasion...and mental horrors produced by these alien beings who aren't very huge in size --- weasel-like creatures, but they can do a heck of a number in a human's body. Incorporated into this writing is King's own addictions and the first book he has written since his near-fatal accident.
Although mid-average entertainment, this story does not challenge the reader to turn pages fast --- there have been better King writings. A character named "Duddits" with Down's Syndrome is the focus of a psychic connection between the four main players. This book is an average novel and a very confusing read with wimpy military involvement!

Rating:
Summary: Good return for Stephen King
Review: Dreamcatcher is a very good book that tells the story of four childhood friends who are now all grown up; Henry, Jonesy, Pete, and Beaver. When they were kids, the four of them saved a mentally retarded kid, Duddits, from bullies. This event changes the four boys for the rest of their lives by uniting them in a special way. Twenty-five years later, the four friends take their usual November hunting trip at Hole-in-the-Wall, not knowing what they have stepped into. A hunter, McCarthy, stumbles into their camp unleashing something that they have no idea what it is. I won't go into details, but the rest of the story is very interesting throughout.

The best part of Dreamcatcher is most definitely the main characters. Stephen King has always been able to create well-developed characters, and he does not dissappoint here. As a reader, I found myself deeply interested in the characters. The frienships among Henry, Jonesy, Pete, and Beaver are fully believable. The story is that much more enjoyable because I was emotionally involved with the characters. The actual storyline is different from what I expected, but it was still good. Be forewarned, this is a huge book, 879 pages, but it is worth it. Also, if you like the book, check out the movie which was pretty good too. Check out Dreamcatcher for an exciting read that keeps you riveted throughout!