For Kings March, a fabulous Stephen King event that Wensend & Fourth Street Review are putting on this month, I decided to go back to a classic King read and check out Insomnia by Stephen King.
Ralph Roberts is an older man who lost his wife Carolyn to cancer a few months ago. Since then, he’s had a terrible time sleeping, and after months of insomnia, and trying every homemade remedy that people swear by, he’s having no luck.
But one day, tired Ralph spots something strange. . . colored auras around people. And then he starts seeing these little “men” that no one
Photo Credit: Goodreads
else seems to see. Is he going crazy? Is he just seeing things?
At the same time, Ed Deepneau, who was good friends with Ralph before Ed beat up his wife Helen ferociously, starts to act evil and strange as well. Ed rants and raves about the Crimson King, the Centurions, the dead babies. . .
What in the world could be going on?
Ralph finds out quickly, when it turns out that only he and his neighborhood friend Lois are able to prevent a catastrophic event. But the question is: Will they be able to prevent it in time?
Insomnia is classic Stephen King horror/supernatural. It’s a heavy duty book best read digitally, since it’s a few hundred pages longer than most paperbacks. Is it my favorite King? No. But I am glad that I have another SK to cross off my list!
What Stephen King book do you just think EVERYONE needs to read?
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Sounds like an interesting read. But if I am going to read SK, it will probably still be 11/22/63 first.
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You really just need to pick it up already. Although I still suggest your first SK should be Green Mile because it was one of his all time best books ever, and it’s not scary.
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Sounds interesting, but I’d still not want to read it though, because it’s horror. Glad you enjoyed it! Which SK is your favourite?
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The Long Walk is amazing and also The Green Mile. Neither are scary books, but both are fantastic!
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Thanks!
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This is one I never hear much about, so I’m glad you took the time to review it!
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It sounds like people are suggesting (on FB & G+) that I need to read The Stand, which I haven’t read yet. Have you read that one?
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I’m pretty sure The Stand is a must. 🙂
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I know, I know. I’m moving it up way high on my list now 😀
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This one is not one of my favorites ever, but I did enjoy it – it has quite a few Dark Tower connections, which is fun. I always had a soft spot for Ralph. And this is actually the specific Stephen King book that inspired me to become a librarian (because of Helen).
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Yeah, not one of my favorites either, but I haven’t read the Dark Tower series yet. Although, I was REALLY jealous or Helen’s job. I wanted it, too. That’s amazing that she (SK really) inspired you!
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11/22/63 is one of my fave books overall, so it’s obv. my favorite of his!
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I know, it’s such a good book! I loved that one, too!
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So glad you enjoyed the book. Are you going to squeeze in any SK before the month is over?
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I’m not sure. I will try. I actually picked up On Writing from the library today, so it might be doable! You know what? I’ll mark it on my calendar to “force” myself to get with it and get one more in! You’ve inspired me.
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Woo an Insomnia review! I love this book – it’s probably my number 3 SK of all time. I discovered it when I was a teenager and have read it two or three times which is saying something based on it’s size. I would recommend The Shining, Doctor Sleep, or the Hearts in Atlantis novella set as must have for SK because they are my favorites. Also, the more SK you read the more interconnections between novels you find. In The Shining, he mentioned the evil men from Insomnia 20-some years before Insomnia was written!
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I know!!!!! I love the interconnections and as I read more King, I find more connections. I actually haven’t read Doctor Sleep or the Hearts in Atlantis novellas, but own Hearts!
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I think my FAVORITE King is The Stand, but The Green Mile is a close second (and a whole lot shorter.) I’ll probably steer clear of this one, because, as you know, I’m a big chicken. But I’m glad to hear you liked it!
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Oh The Green Mile is amazing! And it sounds like I’m a bad SK fan for not having read The Stand yet. Where have I BEEN????
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Lovely review. I really want to read some Stephen King this year. I just read a Lovecraft anthology, and it is inspiring me to read some horror.
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Thanks! If you’re going to start with a good SK horror, I suggest something like Carrie or The Shining. But he’s got plenty of other genres of books, like more fantasy or more dark and realistic to pick from depending on what you like to read. I don’t consider myself a fan of horror. He’s the only “horror” author I read, and he’s super diverse.
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I haven’t read this one yet. And for me, The Shinning is a must read – I read it years ago and it’s still one of my favorite books ever. I haven’t read Doctor Sleep yet, but I can’t wait to get my hands on it.
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I’m exactly with you – The Shining is so good and for me to read Doctor Sleep, I totally need to reread The Shining!
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I’ve never been a huge SK fan, mainly because I remember being absolutely TERRIFIED after reading Pet Sematary in junior high school. However, I read 11/22/63 last summer and loved it. I’ve recommended it to many friends. I might be up to trying another. 🙂
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You should, Michelle! So much of SK is not horror! Actually, I read more of his horror genre when I was younger and now prefer his less horrifying books, like 11/22/63 and The Green Mile.
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This one definitely sounds intriguing, but I haven’t gotten to it yet. I’m actually reading Bag of Bones right now. My favorite of what I’ve read of him so far is probably The Long Walk – although both The Stand and The Talisman were great as well.
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OMG The Long Walk is my favorite too!!! It’s what made me super fall in love with King. I’ve read it like 3x and I could totally read it like 20 more! You have good taste!
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This is not for me, you know!
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Nope, not a book for Isi! But good thing there are a million+ out there that ARE for you! 😀
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