Title : Under the Dome
Author : Stephen King
Reading Dates : 4 Jun - 10 Jun 2011
From goodreads :
On an entirely normal, beautiful fall day in Chester's Mill, Maine, the town is inexplicably and suddenly sealed off from the rest of the world by an invisible force field. Planes crash into it and fall from the sky in flaming wreckage, a gardener's hand is severed as "the dome" comes down on it, people running errands in the neighboring town are divided from their families, and cars explode on impact. No one can fathom what this barrier is, where it came from, and when — or if — it will go away.
Dale Barbara, Iraq vet and now a short-order cook, finds himself teamed with a few intrepid citizens — town newspaper owner Julia Shumway, a physician's assistant at the hospital, a select-woman, and three brave kids. Against them stands Big Jim Rennie, a politician who will stop at nothing — even murder — to hold the reins of power, and his son, who is keeping a horrible secret in a dark pantry. But their main adversary is the Dome itself. Because time isn't just short. It's running out.
Book Review of Under the Dome.
While Under the Dome was an enjoyable read and there’s very little that I actually dislike about the book, at more than a 1000 pages, the enjoyment value doesn’t seem quite commensurate with the effort to finish reading the book.
As far as the story goes, the idea of the Dome is definitely intriguing. The effects of the Dome, how it came to be and how Chester’s Mill is going to escape it had me trying my best to rush towards the ending. Unfortunately, the explanation when it comes is disappointing. Not only is there no rhyme nor reason for it, it also feels as if the survivors did nothing to earn their lives. The only question I had left after the end was would things have been that bad if Big Jim and his crew hadn’t been there. Or even whether if without the impetus of Big Jim, the main characters might have had less reason to try and escape.
Aside from that, my other complain is regarding the characters. Likable enough but very few of them actually stand apart from each other. Unlike the characters in The Stand, I had difficulty trying to picture them in my mind. The best I can say was that I didn’t dislike any of them and certainly hoped they would survive the ordeal but I wouldn’t be particularly heartbroken if some of them didn’t make it.
All in all, Under the Dome is an okay first time read but hardly a book I’m eager to revisit.
My conclusions :
Would I re-read the book ?Not really interested to do so.
Would I want to read the next book in the series if there were one? No.
Would I want to own my personal copy if I didn’t already own it ? No.
Who would I recommend this too? Stephen King fans.
For those looking to read the book, would I recommend buying or borrowing the book? Borrow it.
Title : The Dark Tower
Author : Stephen King
Reading Dates : 24 Mar - 5 Apr 2010
Dark Tower Series.The Dark Tower is the 7th and final book in Stephen King's Dark Tower series. The books in the series includes :
The Gunslinger
The Drawing of the Three
The Waste Lands
Wizard and Glass
Wolves of the Calla
Song of Susannah
The Dark Tower
Book Summary of The Dark Tower.
Concerned that just owning the piece of land which houses the rose is not sufficient protection, Eddie proposes to setup a corporation whose main purpose would be the protection of the rose, Stephen King and to thwart the actions of Sombra and North Central Positronics. Roland and Eddie agree that the only ones they can entrust the task to is John Cullum who had helped them earlier, the retired lawyer Aaron Deepneau who had shown a modicum of good judgement in their earlier dealings and Susannah's godfather Moses Carver who manages the Holmes family business. John Cullum easily believes the tale of their quest and agrees to help them after Roland and Eddie contacts him. Leaving Cullum with the means to convince Deepneau and Carver to help, Eddie and Roland travel once again through a door to where the other members of their ka-tet are.
Meanwhile, Susannah-Mia had been dragged through another door to Fedic where Mia's personality returns to her own body. There, Mia gives birth to the child which should have been Susannah's. Immediately after Mia starts to nurse the child she names Mordred, the baby transforms into a monster with the form of a spider and devours Mia. In the confusion, Susannah manages to kill all her captors except for Mordred. Susannah then flees to a doorway to New York and is soon reunited with Jake and Oy after they come through the doorway to Fedic. The pair had escaped the vampires and low men through Father Donald Callahan's sacrifice. The ka-tet is made whole again once Roland and Eddie arrives.
After a short rest in Fedic, Roland's group travels once again through another doorway to Thunderclap. There, they are greeted by a group of 3 breakers. One of whom, Sheemie, is an old friend of Roland's who once acted as a squire to his first ka-tet. Ted Brautigan, Dinky Earnshaw and Sheemie have been awaiting the gunslingers arrival for a long time and secretly preparing a cashe of weapons for their eventual assault on Algul Siento where the Breakers are working on bringing down Shardik's Beam.
The gunslingers learn very quickly that time is running out for them to protect the remaining 2 beams which holds the Tower up. Shardik's Beam warns the gunslingers through dreams that it will break any day soon if the Breakers are not stopped and the gunslingers also learns of an impending plot to remove Stephen King who is possibly the mortal guardian of Gan's Beam. While the attack on Algul Siento is a success, Eddie is killed and their ka-tet broken. Eddie's last words to Jake is to charge him and Oy to protect Roland from Mordred.
With time against them, Roland, Jake and Oy travel back to Maine of 1999 via a doorway created by Sheemie leaving Susannah to bury Eddie. Roland's group arrives barely in time and forcibly drafts a local Irene Tassenbaum as their driver. They manage to save Stephen King but at the cost of Jake's life.
After a grieving Roland buries the boy he thought of as his son, Mrs. Tassenbaum drives Roland to New York where he gets in touch with the current heads of the Tet Corporation. Roland is both surprised and pleased to finally meet Moses Carver, 1 of the original 3 founders of the corporation who is still alive. As promised their corporation has taken on the role of defenders of the rose. And the original 3 have passed on Roland's will to Carver's daughter Marian and Aaron Deepneau's grand-niece Nancy. From them, Roland also learns of Patrick Danville who may be able to help them in their quest.
Roland and Oy then return to Fedic via the same doorway they had gone through before. There, they are reunited with Susannah. As the group travel through the White Lands, Roland is almost killed by the vampire Dandelo. They manage to dispose of the vampire and rescue Patrick Danville who was being held in captivity by the vampire. Later, Susannah realizes Patrick's ability to bring that which he draws on paper to life. Susannah then chooses to abandon the quest and travel to another world, through a doorway Patrick creates for her, and meets with another version of Eddie and Jake.
Soon after Susannah leaves, Mordred attacks Roland. Once again, another of Roland's companion dies for their quest. Roland kills Mordred and buries the dead Oy before arriving at the Tower with Patrick. There, Patrick uses his powers to erase the Crimson King from the known worlds and thus enabling Roland to enter the Tower. Roland enters the Tower alone after advising Patrick on how he might return to his own world or find Susannah.
In the Tower, Roland finds to his dismay that his quest for the Tower is one he has repeated countless times without remembering just moments before he is sent back to the beginning of his quest. The only difference this time is his past seems to have changed a bit, with the Horn of Eld with him this time where before it was lost.
Book Review of The Dark Tower.
From the moment that Eddie Dean is killed, there's a sense of impending doom. One that keeps telling me to stop before the author kills off more of the characters I have come to love after following them on their quest for more than a decade. I wish I could have stopped but that would mean not knowing the end. Well, I've never cared for Susannah Dean and while I might not have liked it, I could accept Eddie's death. But killing of Jake Chambers and Oy is simply too much. After all that they have been through, the boy and his dog belong together. To separate them, seems absolutely heartless. And for Roland to lose the boy he loves as a son without even a change to say goodbye.
Then, there's having a near total stranger, Patrick Danville, appearing near the end of a quest for which he cares nothing about and being the only one to make it to the Dark Tower with Roland of Gilead. It is Patrick Danville's gift which allows Roland to defeat the Crimson King. And all of it feels as if it's a cop-out. Patrick Danville is not the only powerful character to conveniently appear and then disappear once their usefulness came to an end. There's Roland's long ago companion, Sheemie who is a powerful teleporter. He appears to provide them a means for travelling back to Maine but then dies of an accidental mishap without even a goodbye. Ted Brautigan and Dinky Earnshaw conveniently provides them with the means to take down the jailers of the Breakers and just as conveniently disappears again.
Finally, there's the ending. What does it mean ? Is this repetition of the quest some sort of punishment for Roland ? Or some metaphor for which I do not understand ? What was the point of the quest if it was a punishment ? If Roland is the only one who does not remember, does this mean that apart from his original ka-tet formed in Gilead, there have been many others whom he does not remember ? Or will another version of Eddie, Jake, Susannah and Oy once again join Roland on his quest ? The ending leaves more questions than answers and if I thought the ending would change if re-read it, maybe I would.
Title : Song of Susannah
Author : Stephen King
Reading Dates : 18 Mar - 24 Mar 2010
Dark Tower Series.Song of Susannah is the 6th book in Stephen King's Dark Tower series. The books in the series includes :
The Gunslinger
The Drawing of the Three
The Waste Lands
Wizard and Glass
Wolves of the Calla
Song of Susannah
The Dark Tower
Book Summary of Song of Susannah.
The remaining members of Roland Deschain's ka-tet decide to split into 2 groups and travel through the Unfound Door; the first group to go after and find the missing Susannah Dean while the second group completes the transfer of guardianship of the rose from Calvin Tower. On the eve of the day they leave, one of the Beams which holds up the Tower snaps and reminds them again of how precious little time they have left.
Susannah's alter-ego, Mia, arrives in New York of June 1999 and makes contact with Richard P.Sayre. Sayre is the leader of the vampires who once hunted Father Callahan, the newest member of their ka-tet. While listening in on Mia and Sayre's conversation, Susannah realizes that Mia has betrayed her ka-tet to Sayre. Later on, Susannah learns from Mia that the demon child she carries was birthed using Roland's seed through a combination of magic and science. And all of it was part of Roland's long-time nemesis, Walter's plan to end the line of Eld. Mia herself is not just a personality in Susannah's mind but a demon who made a bargain with Walter in order to have a child.
Roland and Eddie arrive in Maine of July 1977 to an ambush by the men after Calvin Tower. Surprised at how the place and time of their arrival could have been known, they manage barely to escape due to Roland's quick reflexes and the aid of a local named John Cullum. From Cullum, they learn of walk-ins, people and other strange creatures who sometimes appear out of nowhere for a short while in the last 3 years or so. After questioning Cullum on Stephen King, the author of Salem's Lot, Eddie theorizes that this might coincide with King's moving to live in the area. After getting Cullum's help to find Tower, they part ways.
Once they have completed the transfer of ownership for the plot of land where the rose lies, Eddie warns Tower to run and hide. Then, Eddie and Roland seek out Stephen King. As they come to realize that the writer too has an important role to play in their quest, they convince him to continue writing the story of the Dark Tower which he had abandoned a few years ago. Once this is done, they decide to go to Turtleback Lane where the walk-ins seem to be centered.
Meanwhile, Jake, Oy and Pere Callahan's arrival in New York through the Unfound Door coincides with Susannah-Mia's departure to meet join Sayre's vampires and low men. Jake and his group first recover the stolen Black Thirteen in what was Susannah-Mia's hotel room and hide it at the World Trade Center before going after Susannah.
Upon meeting Sayre, Mia realizes her mistake in trusting him but it is too late. Sayre brings Susannah-Mia through another door into which Mia's body lies and where they begin their labour to bring Mordred Deschain into the world.
Book Review of Song of Susannah.
The book starts rather slowly but becomes rather engrossing from the point Roland and Eddie walk into Jack Andolini's ambush. The best parts of Song of Susannah seem to belong to Roland and Eddie rather than Susannah despite the title. Like watching a shoot-out in one of those Old West movies, how the gunslingers defeat their pursuers immediately captures your interest. That is probably this story's saving grace. Susannah's tale on the contrary seems rather boring though she's been kidnapped by a demon possessing her and is heavily pregnant with a demon child. The only part of consequence when it comes to Susannah is learning of how the child she carries came to be and of what purpose. Aside from that, Susannah does not seem to do much though we spend much of our time with her. On the other hand, Jake's part in this tale seems woefully short making an appearance only at the start and end of the story. But what an end with Jake and his companions about to storm the vampires lair in order to save Susannah. Now, on to The Dark Tower.
Book Summary of Nightmares and Dreamscapes. In Dolan's Cadillac, the protagonist waits for nearly 7 years to avenge the murder of his wife Elizabeth by mobster, Dolan. He finally achieves his aim by luring Dolan into a trap and burying him alive in the Nevada desert.
Freelance writer, Howard Fornoy tells of the events which lead to humanity's destruction at the hands of his genius younger brother, Robert in The End of the Whole Mess. In trying to prevent humanity from destroying themselves through war, the brothers seed the Gulandio volcano with a newly discovered substance to lower human aggressiveness. They learn too late that the same substance also promotes senility. Within 3 years of their action, the denegeration and end of the human race begins.
Long time schoolteacher, Miss Sidley discovers that alien or supernatural beings are slowly taking over the bodies of schoolchildren in Suffer the Little Children. When Miss Sidley attempts to halt the monsters' takeover by killing the children, she is arrested and sent to a hospital for the mentally ill in Juniper Hill.
Tabloid reporter Richard Dees is sent on the track of a serial killer he dubs The Night Flier by his editor, Merton Morrison. Dees is horrified to discover first hand that the killer is actually a vampire. He escapes death at the hands of the bloodsucker only because the vampire has had his fill.
Inveterate gambler Briggs Sheridan who has been selling the lost children he abducts to pay for his gambling debts gets more than he bargains for when abducts the grandson of a vampire. Popsy is less than amused and uses Sheridan to quench his grandson's thirst.
It Grows On You tells off the Newall house overlooking The Bend in Castle Rock. Residents of the town believe that the house brings bad luck to its owners or residents due to a series of events which have befallen its owners starting with the original owner of the house, Joe Newall. Joe Newall's only child was born deformed and died a few hours after birth in 1921 while his wife, Cora Leonard Newall died in a fall down the stairs in 1924. Joe Newall himself hanged himself after losing his fortune in the stock market crash of 1929. And with each tragedy a new wing is added to the house.
Travelling salesman Bill Hogan picks up a broken Chattery Teeth for free and an unwanted hitchhiker at Scooter's Grocery and Roadside Zoo. In attempting to stop the hitchhiker who calls himself Bryan Adams from robbing him, they end up in an accident. Trapped by his seatbelt, Bill is saved by the Chattery Teeth which comes alive, attacks and kills Adams.
In Dedication, Martha Rosewall tells her friend Darcy Sagamore how she set her son on his path to success as a writer. For 1 week while she was pregnant with Peter, Martha found herself hypnotized into acting under the instruction of bruja woman, Mama Delorme. It is due to this that Peter exhibits the characteristics of successful author Peter Jefferies rather than that of his biological father, Johnny.
The Moving Finger has public accountant Howard Mitla believing that he is losing his mind when he suddenly starts seeing a Moving Finger poking out of the drain-hole of his bathroom sink. He believes his suspicion to be confirmed when his wife Violet does not appear to notice anything abnormal in their bathroom. Howard is finally driven to extremes in his effort to get rid of the finger. Called in by the Mitlas' neighbor, Officer O'Bannion arrives at the Mitlas' apartment to investigate what has been going on and finds what appears to be the remains of a person murdered by Howard and strange noises emanating out of the covered toilet bowl.
John Tell can't help noticing the Sneakers in the third floor bathroom's first stall while working at Tabori Studios. Not only does the pair of dirty sneakers never move at all, it is always in the same position with the number of dead bugs increasing each time he sees it. It isn't long before he becomes convinced that there is a dead body in the stall, one which nobody, not even the janitor seems to have discovered. As he keeps his silence, his dread mounts. It is only relief that he feels when he finally realizes that he is seeing a ghost. The ghost reveals to Tell that he was in fact murdered by the man who hired Tell, Paul Jannings. After dealing with the ghost, Tell is then able to quit his job and even gain confidence in his own abilities.
Lost vacationing couple, Mary and Clark Willingham wanders in to Rock and Roll Heaven of Oregon in You Know They Got a Hell of a Band. To their horror they find that the town is peopled mostly by dead rockers who continue to hold a series of endless live concerts every night to their hostage audience.
Maddie Pace is 1 of the residents of the relatively isolated Gennesault Island. It is this isolation which saves its community when the dead suddenly come alive as zombies and start to devour the living across the world. Although Maddie had believed herself to be incapable of self-reliance, she finds unexpected strength in herself to protect her unborn child from her dead husband. Even the prospect of a Home Delivery is not frightening to Maddie.
Every 7 years, the Rainy Season comes to Willow, Maine on 17th June. On that night, there is a deluge of carnivorous toads which disappear with the following day's morning sun. Every time, outsiders arrive just before the downpour. And every time, the residents warn the couple only to be ignored as crackpots. This year, it is John and Elise Graham's turn to be sacrificed for the properity of the town.
A dying grandfather shares his wisdom with his grandson in My Pretty Pony. George Banning speaks of the way time flows at different stages of life to his grandson Clive, calling the years when time follows real time as My Pretty Pony time.
When Katie Weiderman gets a phone call from a mysterious caller who fails to identify herself before the call is ended abruptly, she panics fearing the worse. Absolutely certain that the caller is someone close to her, Katie attempts to ascertain the identity of the caller by calling her close family but the caller remains a mystery. The mystery is resolved 5 years later on her daughter's wedding and husband's death anniversary. Somehow, Katie made a call to her past self in an attempt to warn of her husband's impending heart attack in Sorry, Right Number.
The Ten O'Clock People is the term Brandon Pearson coins for people like him, smokers who escape at regular intervals from their no-smoking zone workplaces to get their daily nicotine dose. Only on this particular morning, he is greeted by a nightmare. He sees a monster in a suit, but is warned by a fellow smoker to pretend that he doesn't notice anything extraordinary. Dudley Rhinemann explains to Pearson that for a few years now, the humans in high places have been slowly taken over by these creatures and its only people like them, who have cut down their smoking to between 5 and 10 cigarettes per day, who are able to see the creatures. Rhinemann then invites Pearson to a meeting with others like them who meet regularly and are about to start a resistance of sorts. Unexpectedly the leader of the group, Robbie Delray betrays them to the monsters and most of the group is killed. Only Pearson and 2 other members, Cameron Stevens and Moira Richardson manage to escape. They later recruit and restart their resistance in another city.
Disappearances and strange occurrences abound in Crouch End, London. This is something the locals have always known though outsiders and newcomers are often skeptical. Vacationing American couple Doris and Leonard Freeman are trapped in Crouch End's other world and only Doris Freeman escapes its monsters. PC Vetter who has spent most of his career in Crouch End knows only too well that what Doris Freeman has described is most probably true but that her husband's disappearance will remain an unsolved case. Meantime, newly transferred PC Farnham dismisses the Doris Freeman's account to his own detriment. He too disappears hours after Doris Freeman leaves.
The Bradbury children return home after their family vacation to discover that something is taking over their home secretly. It is the eldest, 14 year old Trent that discovers that The House on Maple Street is undergoing a transformation which can be used to free them and their mother from the tyranny of their stepfather. With the help of his younger sister Laurie, Trent sets successfully carries out his plan to ensure his younger siblings and mother's safety while trapping his stepfather within the house minutes before the house blasts off into space.
Jerry Tarkanian, The Fifth Quarter sets about avenging his friend Barney's death and stealing loot from a gang of thieves. Barney and 3 others had robbed an armored car. One of the gang, known only as Sarge then got a dying friend of his to bury their loot and draw a map to the location of the buried treasure. The map was split 4 ways between the gang members. Unfortunately greed got the better of them and they killed Barney and stole his portion of the map. A dying Barney manages to reach Jerry and told him what happened. In the end, Jerry carries out what he set out to do.
In The Doctor's Case, Doctor Watson remembers the only case he believes he solved before Sherlock Holmes. Doctor Watson is the first to see through the trick used in the locked room murder mystery of Lord Albert Hull. However, Watson, Holmes and Lestrade all reach an unspoken agreement regarding Lord Hull's family who were driven to commit this crime by the tyrant and collude in keeping their crime a secret. Instead, they blame the murder on a robbery gone wrong and help to dispose of evidence. Watson only tells of this case in his twilight years long after the death of Holmes.
After waking up to a very bad day, Clyde Umney finds out that he and the world he lives in is actually the creation of writer Samuel Landry. Even worse, Landy has written Umney's Last Case as he intends to take over the life Umney has. When Umney awakens next, he finds himself in the real world taking over what was previously Landry's life. Now, Umney's only goal is to learn to write, return to his former life and ensure Landry can't ever take it away again.
Head Down is King's account of the month when Bangor West's Little League team had a near magical winning streak in 1989. Brooklyn August is a poem written as a tribute on baseball.
The Beggar and the Diamond is adapted from a Hindu parable. In it, God teaches the archangel Uriel on how to be grateful for the things you have.
Book Review of Nightmares and Dreamscapes.
Ho-hum on the most part. There is nothing much to be talked about here in the first half of the book.
The memorable ones are like Suffer the Little Children which was absolutely creepy with the idea of the children of the world being slowly taken over by alien or supernatural beings.Similar to this is the The Ten O'Clock People. The difference lies only in the feelings given by the story. Where Suffer the Little Children was creepy, The Ten O'Clock People has a more heroic tone to it. The House on Maple Street was thoroughly enjoyable as well. The children in this story were either likable or grow to be so at the end of the tale. Another tale to note is The Doctor's Case for its twist on the classic Sherlock Holmes mystery.
Then, there are stories like My Pretty Pony in which I can't figure out what the author was trying to convey. Why is real time My Pretty Pony time ? Beats me.
Different Seasons is a collection of 4 short stories by the king of horror, Stephen King. The movies The Shawshank Redemption and Apt Pupil were each based on a short story from the book.
Hope Springs Eternal : Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption The first tale, Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption is a tale of hope. A man who is wrongfully convicted for a murder he didn't commit is determined to regain his freedom whatever the risk. Shawshank Redemption is Andrew Dufresne's tale, told from the point of view of Andy's fellow inmate in Shawshank State Prison. In 1948, Andy is sentenced to lifetime imprisonment for the murder of his wife, Linda and her golf pro lover Glenn Quentin. The narrator, himself a lifer and already in Shawshank for 10 years, first meets Andy when Andy comes to him for help in purchasing and smuggling in a rock hammer. Their friendship grows as they continue to do business together. Andy's first few years in Shawshank is difficult as he is continually harassed by a group of other prisoners. It only stops in 1950 when Andy proofs his value to his prison guards as a financial adviser. Andy's only hope of proving his innocence comes unexpectedly in early 1963. A new prisoner, Thomas Williams who has grown to like and respect Andy hears of Andy's tale and reveals information his former cellmate in Rhode Island State Penitentiary told him. Tommy's former cellmate, Elwood Blatch had been arrested and convicted of burglary. During his time on Rhode Island he had bragged of having murdered Glenn Quentin during a robbery attempt, and having another man blamed for the crime. Andy passes on this information to the warden, Samuel Norton with the request that he help him but Norton denies all possibility of help to Andy. Andy has proven to be indispensable in helping Norton launder illegal money, and he is loathe to let Andy go. It is only in 1967, that Andy resurfaces from his despair and unexpectedly reveals to the narrator how he created a false identity, Peter Stevens and saved some of his funds with the help of a close friend. Had his friend not died 6 years ago, he would have been able to hire lawyers to reopen his case. Andy further reveals that should he ever leave Shawshank, he intends to setup a hotel and live out the rest of his days in Zihuatenejo in Mexico. Andy finally escapes Shawshank in 1975. Thinking over the past, the narrator comes to believe that Andy's started to dig his route to escape around the same time he bought a poster of Rita Hayworth from the narrator. Inspired by words Andy leaves him, the narrator who is finally freed in 1977, violates his parole and goes in search of Andy.
Summer of Corruption : Apt Pupil
The second story is of Todd Bowden, whom his mother frequently proudly refers to as an apt pupil quoting from a remark written by one of his teachers on his school report card. Todd who has been fascinated by the Nazis since accidentally stumbling across old war magazines in a friend's home, chances upon an escaped war criminal, Kurt Dussander living under the alias of Arthur Denker. The 13-year old Todd blackmails Dussander in 1974 into telling him details of the atrocities he has carried out in exchange for Todd's silence. Todd's grades soon start to drop drastically due to his unhealthy fascination. In order to protect himself, Dussander offers to masquerade as Todd's grandfather and attend the meeting arranged by the guidance counselor, Edward French, with Todd's parents. It is this bit of subterfuge as well as Todd's months of silence which bounds Todd into a trap of his making. Neither would be able to escape punishment should the truth of Dussander's identity ever came out. Justice when it comes is swift and unexpected. Dussander has a heart attack while trying to bury his latest murder victim in his cellar. He calls Todd, who covers up for him before calling in an ambulance. In a series of coincidences, a former victim of Dussander's, Morris Heisel winds up in the Santa Donato General in the bed next to him. When Dussander realizes his identity and location has been discovered, he kills himself. The police grows suspicious of Todd over the course of their investigations and suspects not only his complicity in keeping Dussander's identity secret but suspect him of being the perpetrator of a series of brutal murders. When Edward French recognizes Dussander's photo from the newspapers he confronts Todd. Todd who has been gradually coming to the realization that the police already suspects him, snaps and goes on a rampage ending with his own death. The author links Apt Pupil to Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption by having Andy Dufresne having advised Dussander on the purchase of some stocks 1 year prior to his being charged for murder.
Fall From Innocence : The Body The third story is recounted by 1 of the 4 main characters, Gordon Lachance who has achieved his ambition to be a writer. In it he tells of events which occured over 2 days, 14 years ago prior to his retelling. In 1960, a boy from Chamberlain goes missing. 3 days later, Vern Tessio overhears a conversation between his brother, Billy and Charlie Hogan. The 2 of them had stumbled over the body of the missing Ray Brower but decided not to report it in as they were driving a stolen car then. Vern then tells the narrator and 2 other friends, Chris Chambers and Teddy Duchamp. The 4 12-year olds quickly proposes to make a secret trip out to where the body was found to take a look at it, and then to claim the credit for finding the missing boy's body. Things however do not go entirely as planned. Unable to keep the discovery of the body to themselves, Billy and Charlie too have spilled the secret to their other friends. They in turn decide to make another trip out and pretend that they had only just stumbled over the body. Both parties arrive at the same time, and there is a confrontation over their 'claim'. The 4 boys manage to drive the older group off but realize in the end that they cannot speak of it, fearing the other group might falsely accuse them of wrongdoing. The older boys later get their own back at the 4 friends. Ray Brower's body is found but neither group is able to claim credit for the find. The 4 friends drift apart over the years. Vern dies of a housefire in 1966 while Teddy is killed in a car crash. Chris overcomes the Chambers family's bad reputation and is on the way to building a better life for himself when he is killed violently while trying to mediate an argument between strangers in 1968. The author links The Body to Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption by having Chris Chambers killed by a former prisoner of Shawshank.
A Winter's Tale : The Breathing Method
The final story in this collection is told by our narrator, David Adley in the 1970s. In it, he tells of how he was first invited to join a mysterious club as a guest of the head of his law firm, George Waterhouse. The many mysteries of the club includes its ageless majordomo, Stevens, its large collection of books by unheard of authors, its endless rooms and the unspoken rule which prevents its members from speaking of or asking about the club. The narrator has been a member of this club for nearly 10 years, and in this time has heard many tales told by its members. There is a long-standing tradition in the club where members tell stories every Thursdays. The most gruesome which is usually told on the Thursday before Christmas. One particularly memorable story, The Breathing Method was told by fellow member Emlyn McCarron. The Breathing Method refers to what is now known as the Lamaze method. In it, Emelyn McCarron tells of 1 of his female patients in 1935. Sandra Stansfield, is a young unmarried pregnant woman whom McCarron grows to respect for her strength of will in the time that he attends her as her physician. On the Christmas eve when she was about to give birth, she was involved in an unfortunate car accident as the taxi she was in arrived at the Harriet White Memorial Hospital. McCarron who had arrived on foot at about the same time witnessed the accident but when he rushed to her aid he saw it was too late as her head had been decapitated. The most amazing though was that she was somehow still alive and employing The Breathing Method he had taught her to give birth. McCarron helps Sandra Stansfield to deliver her child and witnesses her death seconds after she expresses her gratitude to him. The author links The Breathing Method to The Body by having its respective narrator of the story a member of a club.
Book Review of Different Seasons.
My favourite tale in this collection is Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption. Shawshank Redemption is compelling because its principal character, Andrew Dufresne's story is compelling. Although unjustly imprisoned, Andy not only does not give up hope but lives his life on his own terms in Shawshank. Justice might have been better served if the real murderer was brought to pay for his crime, but Andy's story would not have been as unforgettable. How Andy escapes from Shawshank is a testimony to both his determination and courage.
The longest tale in this collection belongs to Apt Pupil. It is perhaps the most "thought provoking" story in the collection but the one which I liked the least. The questions which I cannot answer when reading this tale is was Todd Bowden corrupted by Dussander or was he the corruptor ? Was it not he who blackmailed Dussander in telling him all the gory details of the Nazi's sick experiments and methods of torture ? Was that fascination truly born out of innocence or was he not evil in the first place ? It is a contrast to Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption and too grim for my tastes.
I neither liked nor disliked The Body or The Breathing Method. The first a tale of growing up and the last, a traditional horror story. Neither story however provoked much reaction from me. I felt neither interest in the boys journey to find The Body or horror at the idea of a dead woman continuing to use The Breathing Method in her determination to give birth to her child.
The book starts off with relating how most of the main characters end up being captured by Collier Entragian, 1 of Desperation's Town Police who has somehow gone mad and murdered almost everyone in Desperation. One of the survivors' of Entragian's rampage in Desperation is veterinarian Tom Billingsley whom he imprisons. The Carver family on vacation from Ohio is tricked by Entragian pretending to be protecting them from another cop gone bad. By the time they realize they've been tricked, its too late and 7-year old Kirsten has been killed. Ralph, Ellen and David Carver all end up in the town jail as well. Next, Peter and Mary Jackson of New York are arrested by Entragian. It is only when Peter is shot and killed that Mary realizes that her life is now in the hands of a madman. Next, has-been writer John Marinville is arrested on trump up charges as well by Entragian. Johnny, who quickly realizes that something is wrong manages to call Steve Ames who has been hired to follow Johnny at a discreet distance and provide him with any required assistance. Though the reception is bad, Steve is able to discern that something bad may have happened and with hitchhiker Cynthia Smith in tow rushes off to find Johnny. Steve and Cynthia quickly realize that something worse than an accident may have occured and head off to the nearest town, Desperation to seek assistance.
Shortly after Entragian's capture of Johnny, he drags Ellen Carver off leaving the rest of his prisoners behind. 11-year old David manages to escape from his prison cell and free the other prisoners. David and the other escapees decide to hide out in an abandoned cinema, The American West. Steve and Cynthia who arrived in Desperation around that time, soon realizes that there are supernatural forces at work. They join David's group with another Desperation survivor, Audrey Wyler.
Meanwhile, unknown to the group of survivors, the being which was in Entragian has now taken over Ellen's body and is back in Desperation hunting its escaped prisoners. The creature known as Tak sends a cougar in after their group in the cinema. Billingsley is killed by the cougar while Audrey who has actually been under Tak's control attempts to kill David. They manage to save David while Audrey dies instead. Mary who had stayed behind alone with the dying Billingsley is recaptured by Tak while the others were battling Audrey.
After much persuasion, David convinces the rest that they must close the entrance of the mine, the China Pit from which Tak escaped. Although they succeed and save Mary, it is at the cost of Ralph and Johnny's lives.
Book Review of Desperation. Finishing Desperation, I was not quite sure what to think of it. It could hardly have been a happy ending with David Carver losing his entire family because he had tried to do what was necessary, what his God demanded of him. And yet his life was spared and he still kept his faith in the end. Then, there's Johnny Marinville's character. Right from the start, I couldn't like his character. He seemed pretentious, vain and cowardly. But in the end he was given a chance at redemption and he did take it. In the end, he chose to sacrifice himself to save the others. I supposed I can only say that the book is interesting, but I can't rightly decide whether I liked it or not.
Links to other Stephen King books.
The character of Cynthia Smith has appeared before in Rose Madder.
Cynthia has a discount card for Tower Records and Video, a link to the Dark Tower series.
Collie Entragian refers to himself as a wolf at one point, a link to The Talisman and the Dark Tower series.
In 1993, 70-year old Ralph Roberts is stricken by a extremely bad case of insomnia after the death of his wife, Carolyn. As Ralph resolutely avoids the doctor whom he blames for misdiagnosing Carolyn's cancer, he continues to try one folk remedy after another without much avail. As the months pass, Ralph continues to wake earlier and earlier from his sleep. Even worst, Ralph starts to wonder if he is losing his mind when he starts to see auras and strange little bald doctors.
It is only a chance conversation with long-time neighbor Lois Chasse who has also been stricken with the same kind of insomnia and hallucinations which finally puts his mind at ease. Upon realizing that what he and Lois sees are real, Ralph also starts to have strong suspicions based on previous remarks made by 2 other neighbors of his, Edward Deepneau and Dorrance Marstellar, too have this ability. This relevation worries Ralph as Ed Deepneau has become unhinged and abusive towards his wife, Helen. Even more worrisome to Ralph is the realization that he and Lois are being manipulated like pawns in a game between 2 opposing forces. Ralph's suspicions are confirmed when he and Lois meet up with 2 of the little bald doctors.
These 2 beings explain that they are the agents of the Purpose while the third doctor Ralph saw is an agent of the Random. All of them serve a Higher Purpose, even the Random. However, the Random sought to change this somehow by using Ed, who is among a very few which belong neither to the Purpose of the Random. The 2 bald doctors whom Ralph calls Clotho and Lachesis explains that Ed has somehow been shanghaied by the forces of the Random. Through his actions, Ed will cause the deaths of those gathered for political activist Susan Day's speech at Derry's Civic Center. The true interest of the Purpose however is a young 4-year old boy, Patrick Danville who must not be allowed to die before his time. Patrick's early death would have repercussions on all levels of life. Ed as a wild card, is among the few who could cause his early death. As the agents of the Purpose, Clotho and Lachesis cannot interfere directly with Atropos, the third doctor. Clotho and Lachesis triggered Ralph and Lois' insomnia to allow them to see the world of the auras.
Ralph agrees to help Clotho and Lachesis. He even succeeds and lives a happy life for the next 5 years, marrying Lois in 1994. In 1998, Ralph dies saving Natalie Deepneau, Ed and Helen's 6-year old daughter. Nat's life actually belonged to the Random and Atropos intended to kill her for Ralph's interference. In exchange for saving her, Ralph had struck a bargain with the Higher Purpose.
Book Review of Imsomnia.
It is a mark of Mr Stephen King's extraordinary writing that he can turn a couple of golden agers into the hero and heroine of his book and not bore his readers. Insomnia starts off slowly enough even opening with a confrontation with a mad man, and the only reason to read on is that you can't help but like the main character. Ralph Roberts may be 70-something but he makes a believable and likable protagonist. Where Insomnia is concerned, the events in the book is not as important as the choices and reactions of its characters. How Ralph and Lois treats their fountain of youth and why Dorrance refuses to interfere in Long-time business are certainly interesting questions. Even the ending is about Ralph's choice. His choice not to sacrifice 1 child for 2000 lifes or sacrifice strangers for a loved one.
Links to other Stephen King books.
Mike Hanlon, one of the main characters of IT makes an appearance. Some of the incidents which occurred in IT such as Adrian Mellon's murder and the flood after the destruction of IT is mentioned as well.
Some familiar names and concepts from the Dark Tower includes the Crimson King, ka-tet, Roland and the Dark Tower.
Summary of The Dead Zone. Prologue. The protagonist 6-year old John Smith gets a bad knock on his head when he goes skating in 1953 while antagonist 22-year old traveling salesman Greg Stillson tortures and kills a farmer's dog in 1955.
Part 1 In October 1970, Johnny ends up in a coma due to a car accident. He awakens more than 4 years later in May 1975. Not long after his awakening Johnny realizes that he now possesses some other power, one which enables him to sometimes see someone's past, present or future with a touch. The only limitation is his difficulty with streets, addresses and numbers which he calls his Dead Zone. When the rumors start to spread after Johnny warns his physical therapist of a fire at her house, Johnny finds himself at the center of unwanted attention. The situation worsens when he helps Sheriff George Bannerman to solve the Castle Rock Strangler murders. Johnny chooses to leave his hometown in hopes of regaining normality in his life.
Greg Stillson who is now Mayor of Ridgeway aims to be named a congressman for New Hampshire. And has no compunction in using whatever means necessary including blackmail and threats.
Part 2 In 1976 while Johnny tutors 17-year old Chuck of the Chatsworth family, he meets Greg Stillson. Drawn to the man since first seeing him campaigning to be elected as a congressman on television, Johnny is horrified when his strange talent shows him that Greg Stillson will become the president of America sometime in the future and precipitate a nuclear war. While still deliberating on what is to be done about Stillson, 2 events of important to Johnny occurs. The first is another one of his glimpses of the future. At Chuck's graduation in June 1977, Johnny forsees and warns Chuck not to attend the high school graduation party the students have arranged at Cathy's. Though disbelieving, Chuck and some of his friends heeds Johnny's words and are saved. The second is Johnny's realization that he is dying from a brain tumor and has very little time if he is to stop Stillson. Finally in January of 1979, Johnny chooses to act and assassinate Congressman Greg Stillson before he can go on to wreck the havoc Johnny saw in his vision. Johnny fails to kill Stillson but in his dying moments finds that he has somehow changed the future.
Part 3 Greg Stillson's career is over as he used an innocent child as a shield while trying to escape from Johnny and this act was captured on camera by an amateur photographer.
Review of The Dead Zone. Reading this book always makes me sad. From the time that Johnny awakens from his coma and demonstrates his new gift, there is a sense of impending doom to the story. What Johnny does, he does not for gain but to help. All he wants is a normal life but again and again he is treated as a freak and a monster to be avoided even by those he helps. His final act probably sealed him as a mentally deranged or dangerous man in the eyes of the people he was trying to save. How is that for justice ?
Book Summary of Four Past Midnight. This is an anthology of 4 horror stories by Stephen King published in 1999.
The Langoliers.
Near the start of The Langoliers , 10 passengers on American Pride's Flight 29 from Los Angeles to Boston awaken and realize that they are the only 11 people left on board. All its crew and most of the other passengers seems to have disappeared in mid-flight leaving their assorted belongings behind. Luckily enough for them, 1 of the passengers left behind is Captain Brian Engle, a pilot also employed by American Pride, who happens to be hitching a ride. With the help of Nick Hopewell, a man of rather strange talents, Brian breaks into the cockpit. When their emergency hails are not answered and they realize that Denver has somehow mysteriously disappeared, Brian opts to divert their course to Bangor International Airport.
The 10 survivors finds that BIA is as completely deserted as the other cities they have flown over. Through deductive reasoning, Robert Jenkins who is an author of numerous mystery novels, theorizes that they have somehow flown into a rip in time into the past. The reason the other passengers have disappeared is that they were somehow vaporized when flying through the rip. Only those passengers who were asleep survived their crossing over. And in order to find their way home, they must retrace their flight through that same hole.
As the passengers prepare to refuel their plane and fly again, they find themselves racing against time as well. Unhinged by recent events, Craig Toomy severely wounds Dinah Bellman, a young blind girl and kills Don Gaffney, another fellow passenger. However, the other survivors find that they do not have time to deal with Craig as creatures that Dinah dubs the Langoliers, after Craig's personal boogeyman, appear to destroy the "old" world they are in. Dinah somehow uses Craig to buy them time for the plane to takeoff before dying herself.
Just as they find and approach the rip, Bob Jenkins realizes a mistake they have made. If they are to survive their return, they must be asleep. But if everyone is asleep, who is to fly the plane. In hopes of redemption for his past deeds, Nick sacrifices himself so that they others may safely fly through the rip. The rest arrives safely back in Los Angeles, and even arrive early enough in the future to see how a new world is created every day.
Secret Window, Secret Garden.
The second tale in the book, Secret Window, Secret Garden starts with writer Morton Rainey being accused of plagiarism by a stranger calling himself John Shooter. Mort is currently alone in his summer house in Tashmore Glen after being recently divorced from his wife, Amy whom he found in bed with another man. Mort finds that Shooter's story Secret Window, Secret Garden bears an uncanny resemblance to one of his earlier short stories, Sowing Season. Believing Shooter to be unhinged but determined to handle things his way, Mort sets about requesting an original copy of the magazine where his story Sowing Season was published to be delivered to his summer home.
In the meantime, several mysterious incidents including the burning of Mort and Amy's house in Derry occurs. Although unsure why he is doing so even though he himself suspects Shooter, Mort plays down his suspicions and even lies to those around him to prevent them from suspecting a connection.
It is only towards the end that Mort realizes that Shooter exists only in his imagination. The arson and the murders that Shooter committed, was actually done by Mort during the times when he believed himself asleep. Mort tries to kill Amy when his Shooter persona takes over, but is killed instead. Once Amy recovers from her ordeal, she surmises that Mort did once steal someone's work and Shooter was his way of punishing himself for the crime. More than that, Shooter might have in some way become real because she found a note from him after Mort's death.
The Library Policeman. When the acrobat who is supposed to give the talk on Junction City Rotary Club's Speaker's Night has an accident, Sam Peebles reluctantly agrees to be the stand-in. Determined to do his best, Sam acts on Naomi Sarah Higgins suggestion and goes to the library to look for some books to enliven his speech. There he meets the strange head librarian, Ardelia Lortz who suggests The Speaker's Companion and Best Loved Poems of the American People. Before checking out the books, Ardelia reminds Sam to return the books on time lest she sets the Library Policeman on him.
The speech is a success, but it is only after receiving a call from Ardelia that Sam realizes he has forgotten to return the books on time. He soon realizes he has lost the books but when he goes to the library to apologize and compensate the loss of the books, he finds the library changed, the head librarian a different person and none of the library assistants seem to know who Ardelia is. Furthermore, those who have heard of Ardelia Lortz reacts badly when he asks who she is. Sam quickly realizes that he somehow met a ghost but before he can investigate further, the Library Policeman pays Sam a visit. Sam is given until midnight to return the lost books.
Believing his only hope is to find out more, Sam seeks out Naomi and Dirty Dave Duncan. Naomi seemed to recognize Ardelia's name when Sam mentioned it to her before and Sam recognizes some of the posters he saw in the ghost library as Dave's work. Dave reveals to Naomi or Sarah as she is known among her Alcoholics Anonymous group and Sam that Ardelia is a vampire who feeds on fear. The townspeople believe that she killed herself after murdering 2 children, but Dave knows that she merely went to sleep. She is now awake and is apparently targeting Sam. Furthermore, Ardelia will kill Sarah and Dave as well since Sarah knows about her now and Ardelia has an old score to settle with Dave.
Dave suggests that if they are to beat Ardelia at her game, Sam must return the lost books and remember his personal Library Policeman since the Library Policeman must be based in part on Sam's memories. Sam and Sarah fly to Des Moines to purchase copies of the lost book. On the way back, Sam dreams of his past and remembers that he was raped as a child by a man claiming to be exacting a fine from Sam for not returning his library books on time. Armed with this knowledge Sam defeats Ardelia but Dave is killed in the fight.
The Sun Dog
The story starts with Kevin Delevan getting a Sun 660, a Polaroid camera for his 15th birthday. Only there seems to be something supernatural about the camera which seems to take pictures of a dog no matter where they point the viewer at. Hoping to discover more, Kevin takes the camera to Reginald "Pop" Merill, owner of the Emporium Galorium selling used goods. After trying out an experiment suggested by Merill, Kevin becomes convinced that the Sun Dog is dangerous and it would be better to destroy the camera. Merill who intends to sell the camera to rich eccentrics with a taste for the supernatural tricks Kevin and his father, John into believing that the camera is destroyed.
In time Merill finds that not only is he unable to sell the camera, but that the camera has somehow taken possession of him and is actually making him continue to take pictures of the Sun Dog. Kevin who has been plagued by nightmares where he visits the world of the Sun Dog, realizes that Merill has tricked them and pleads with his father to help destroy the camera. They arrive too late to stop the Sun Dog from killing Merrill but manage to trap it again with another Polaroid camera. However, on his 16th birthday Kevin receives a message telling him that the Sun Dog has escaped and is very angry at Kevin.
Book Review of Four Past Midnight. The first time I read the Langoliers years ago, I thought it to be 1 of the best short stories by Mr King that I'd read. While I still enjoy it this time round, I find myself wondering about the ending. How are these people going to explain to the authorities what happened ? If they were to tell the truth, would anyone believe them ? I doubt it and yet how else could the authorities explain a crashed plane suddenly appearing in Los Angeles Airport.
As for Secret Window, Secret Garden, knowing the ending lessens the impact. When I read the story the first time around, sharing in Mort's believe that Shooter is plotting to drive him crazy and then finally realizing that Mort is Shooter was staggering. But once you already know the ending, like any magician's illusion, the glamour simply loses its hold. Not a bad story, just not as interesting when you know how it'll end. I wonder though why the movie makers of Secret Window chose this particular story to make a movie rather than the other stories in this book ?
I liked the Library Policeman more for its characters than its storyline. Sam goes from a likable but lonely man to a courageous one while Sarah goes from being a mere secretary to an angel. And it is not that the character transforms throughout the story, but more that we learn more of the characters as we go along. Still waters run deep and as the characters learn more about each other, we too learn more. Who could have expected that the reason for Sam's isolation was the shame from a rape he no longer remembered. Or that staid Naomi was also the "Angel" who kept Angel Street's Homeless Shelter afloat.
The Sun Dog starts out rather slowly and does not really catch my interest until the last few chapters when Kevin realizes that he has been tricked by Merrill. It is interesting that Kevin saves both his father's life and his by acting upon the hints dropped in his dreams. It struck me then that Mr King used dreams in all 4 of the short stories. Captain Brian Engle too acted upon his dreams in The Langoliers in the final solution which saves their lives. Mort was plagued by restless dreams in Secret Window, Secret Garden. Sam remembered his past in a dream in The Library Policeman.
My favourite stories in this book is in this order : The Langoliers, The Library Policeman, The Sun Dog and Secret Window, Secret Garden. There isn't a story that I hated in this collection, just varying degrees of like and enjoyment.
Links to other Stephen King books.
Kevin in The Sun Dog dreams of Oatley, where Jack Sawyer once stopped in The Talisman.
There is a mention in events in Cujo in The Sun Dog.
Title : IT Author : Stephen King Reading Dates : 11 Aug - 20 Aug 2009
Book Summary of IT.
The story is set in Derry, Maine with events starting when the main characters are mere children.
1957
The cycle of deaths started in October 1957 with a creature referring to himself as Mr Bob Gray or Pennywise the Dancing Clown luring 6-year old George Denbrough to his death. In time, the protagonists would learn that this cycle of death has continually repeated itself almost every 27 years since Derry first existed, and that IT itself was there before Derry existed.
1958
The formation of the circle of 7 friends which would be responsible for ending IT's reign of terror in 1958 started on the first day of summer vacation. While attempting to escape from school bullies Henry Bowers, Belch Huggins and Victor Criss, fat Benjamin Hanscomb unwittingly leads those 3 to stuttering William Denbrough and ashmatic Eddie Kasprak who are attempting to build a dam in the Barrens of Derry. A friendship is formed when Ben offers to show Bill and Eddie how to build their dam. This friendship includes Richard "Trashmouth" Tozier, who is already best friends with Bill, and young Jew Stanley Uris whom Richie invites along. Their circle continues to widen when Richie, Ben and Beverly Marsh face off against Henry's bullies. And closes with the final addition of black Michael Hanlon, when the 6 friends helps him fight off Henry's gang. Unintentional though it may have been, Henry Bowers and his friends served as the instrument to bring the 7 11-year olds together to defeat IT.
As each of the friends recounts their own supernatural or near fatal encounter with a creature able to take on the appearance of their worst fears, they come to realize that the perpetrator of the recent child mutilation murders is not human, but a monster living within Derry's underground. Driven by Bill Denbrough's need to avenge his brother's death and guided by an unseen counter force to IT, the 7 members of the Losers' Club, goes into the sewers and defeats IT. After severely wounding the monster, the children makes a promise to come back should IT ever returns.
1984 The deaths start anew in July 1984 with what appears to be the murder of Adrian Mellon by 3 teenagers. And yet, in 2 separate accounts, a clown was reportedly on the scene of the crime.
1985 Mike Hanlon, is the only one of the 7 friends to stay on as Derry, and also the only 1 who still remembers some of the events of their childhood. After seeing a message written in the latest victim's blood "come home come home come home", Mike makes the dreaded calls to his childhood friends in May 1985 to summon them back to Derry and hopefully end this terror for all time. Of the 6 friends who left, only 5 returns. Unable to bear the weight of his returning memories, Stan kills himself. Once reunited, the 6 friends realize that they are in a desperate race against time, both to remember all that happened before and to reform a new smaller circle, if they are to defeat IT once again.
Unknown to them, IT has drawn both enemies old and new as well as family to be used as weapons against the 6. Their childhood nemesis Henry who is mentally ill, Beverly's abusive husband Tom Rogan and Bill's wife, Audra has been drawn into the battle in Derry as well. Henry severely wounds Mike, before he is killed by Eddie. Meanwhile, Tom kidnaps Audra and brings her to IT.
With Mike hospitalized, only 5 of the friends enters Derry's underground labyrinth. In the end, the friends defeats and destroys IT. But unlike the last time when they all escaped, Eddie sacrifices his own life to save Bill and Richie's. As the friends bid goodbye before returning to their homes, they realize that as before they are forgetting the events in Derry again. And this time unlike before, there will be none left to remember their friendship.
Book Review of IT. I like IT but I can't love it. There are 2 reasons mainly. The first is the tendency for the story to ramble at strange junctures. I suppose some of it is necessary in order to give a certain flavour or tone to the story. It is in these ramblings that we often find out additional clues or information regarding "unseen" links between events in the past and present. However, after a time, I tend to skip over some over some of these parts.
The second is the ending. The best part of the book is the friendship and camaraderie these 7 friends share. The love and trust which allowed the friends to follow Bill into the sewers when they were barely children to defeat a monster. That same shared history which would bring them home for a promise almost all of them barely remembers. To know that in the end, that the price for defeating IT is their memories and love robs the "good" from the story. Not only will these friends forget each other, they will forget their lost friends as well. How can there be justice in forgetting the sacrifices these friends made for each other ?
Memorable Quotes from IT.
'I mean ... can't you guys just let a story be a story ?'
Links to Dark Tower series.
References are made to the Turtle, one of the 12 guardians of the Beams in the Dark Tower.
The use of a riddling contest to defeat one's enemy is similar to the contest in which Roland's ka-tet defeated Blaine in The Waste Lands and Wizard and Glass.
The same ditty 'Bean beans the musical fruit ...' appears here and in The Gunslinger.
