Cell (spoilers involved)

[LadyHitchhiker]

I'm wondering what everyone thinks of the book The Cell and whether we can have a little bit of a what iffery going on? The poll will explain more... :borg:

[LadyHitchhiker]

Alright so poll didn't work.

But here's the question anyway:

What would you do if everyone who answered the phone turn into a monster?

Run away and hide
Take people's phones away from them
Kill them
Try to find a way to fix them
Something else...


Let's discuss! :D

[Jean]

Liz, do you want me to add that poll?

[John Blaze]

it's not The Cell, honey, just Cell.

and I'd call them to tell them not to answer their phone :D

[Matt]

That always intrigued me about it because it seemed like it wasn't the who you called, just if you used it at all.

I'm really not a cell phone person at all because when I'm off--I'm off! :lol:

You can reach me at home on the land line.

But to answer the question. I believe in this day and age we are all so ready for some kind of zombie creating pulse (virus, meteor, monkey) that we are ready for just about anything.

Hole up, do some killing--get some supplies and then head out.

I think the bigger question in this book is about the idea of rebooting the human brain with a type of EMP. Can you imagine if Crichton wrote it?

[mia/susannah]

I would start calling all the people I did not like and let the braver people take care of them with my help:shoot:

[LadyHitchhiker]

Liz, do you want me to add that poll?
If you would dear... :grouphug:

[John Blaze]

I would start calling all the people I did not like and let the braver people take care of them with my help:shoot:

and the second you checked to see if you had a tone you'd be one of those taken care of, honey.

[Randall Flagg]

I added the poll, with the option to vote (once) for more than one selection.

[Jon]

The option "kill them" means the people right? ;)

[Storyslinger]

I don't have must compasion. I'd kill them

[obscurejude]

I personally loved this book. I think its a great commentary on the current trends that I perceive as threatening in modernity- a continued reliance on technology which has become a theodicy in and of itself. This was one of my favorite recent King books. I really don't like zombies, and so I was really surprised about how much I dug this book. But, I guess its because its not really about zombies. In King's universe, I don't think the Amish would have any trouble, and that is who I want to emulate in this regard.

[Daghain]

I voted kill them. Especially that dude in the Harvard shirt. :lol:

[obscurejude]

Yeah, fuck the guy in the harvard shirt. :lol:

[LadyHitchhiker]

Even if Stephen King himself had turned into one???

[Brainslinger]

I'd probably run away to start with, then I'd pick up a phone and call the police or ambulance service. If I was at home and could access the home phone, all well and good. If I used my mobile phone... well then I'd probably run out in the street and try to eat someone. ;)

That's the beauty of that story isn't it? If something bad happens, one of the first things someone does is picks up their mobile (or cell phone in Americanese) and the it's gotcha. My answer was given with the assumption that I wouldn't be aware of the cause of course.

[jayson]

:shoot: bang bang

[ladysai]

I would run and hide. It seems like everyone and his uncle has a cell phone...way too many to kill by myself.

[mia/susannah]

I would start calling all the people I did not like and let the braver people take care of them with my help:shoot:

and the second you checked to see if you had a tone you'd be one of those taken care of, honey.

Not really, I don't have a cell phone and never have, thank goodness or it would be me that was taken care of :orely:

[obscurejude]

Interesting, so if you called someone's cell from a land line then you'd be okay and they would get fucked up?

[Brice]

I'd start randomly calling all the fuckers who ever pissed me off. :dance:

[mia/susannah]

Interesting, so if you called someone's cell from a land line then you'd be okay and they would get fucked up?

That is the way I think it works. Has been awhile since I read Cel. But if that is the way it worked, there are a few people I would call from my landline just to mess them up. :ninja:

[Brice]

Interesting, so if you called someone's cell from a land line then you'd be okay and they would get fucked up?

That is the way I think it works. Has been awhile since I read Cel. But if that is the way it worked, there are a few people I would call from my landline just to mess them up. :ninja:


Exactly what I was suggesting. :thumbsup:



...and, yes that is how it works.

[mia/susannah]

Interesting, so if you called someone's cell from a land line then you'd be okay and they would get fucked up?

That is the way I think it works. Has been awhile since I read Cel. But if that is the way it worked, there are a few people I would call from my landline just to mess them up. :ninja:


Exactly what I was suggesting. :thumbsup:



...and, yes that is how it works.

Great minds think alike. :huglove:

[Jean]

...and, yes that is how it works.
how do you mean, works??? http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k291/mishemplushem/Facilitation/bear_unsure.gif

[John Blaze]

i was under the assumption that landlines are included in the pulse.....

[Brice]

I never got that impression. Maybe, I'm wrong though.

[Heather19]

i was under the assumption that landlines are included in the pulse.....

I always assumed that as well. Did he ever mention anything about this in the book?

[Matt]

I've read it twice and I believe it was open ended. Meaning, there was a spot that said folks just weren't willing to try, kind of like the radio.

[Brice]

i was under the assumption that landlines are included in the pulse.....

I always assumed that as well. Did he ever mention anything about this in the book?

As far as I recall, no he didn't. I always assumed that since the book was called Cell and there was no mention (to my recollection) of it transmitting through landlines that it was only the cells.

[mia/susannah]

I was under the impression that it was on the cellphones and not the landlines myself.

[LadyHitchhiker]

I can honestly say that I probably wouldn't be hurt, because I never answer my cell phone unless I recognize the number, and the people that I know wouldn't call to infect me.

I'd probably just be hurt by the other dumbasses who answer their phone.

[razz]

two options
1.Kill the phone crazies outright
2. use audio reading systems to record and interpret the pulse, then wire it and reprogram to send out two new messages.
a. reversal of original message
b.emit a personal pulse to reprogram my mind to a higher level of intelligence, while storing and not affecting my current sense of humanity.

[razz]

Also i'd be an asshole, and call random people, but stay away from the phone myself

[LadyHitchhiker]

I choose #2...

[razz]

The problem is you would need an evolving program. this means you need to give it basic rules. the problem with this is that the program may misinterpret the goals, or lose track of goals in its attempt to attain them.there is unpredictable behavior, but filling in a rule for every problem would cause a system breakdown, which may have been what degenerated the Pulse in the first place.

this seemingly and somewhat intelligent babble is brought to you courtesy of Michael Crichton.

[Randall Flagg]

...and, yes that is how it works.
how do you mean, works??? http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k291/mishemplushem/Facilitation/bear_unsure.gif
Only the recipient of a phone call-taken on a Cell phone would be affected.

[Jean]

yes, I wondered why Brice had used the present tense... had he already checked???

[Erin]

Ahhh Cell. So many people have their hate on for it, but I really liked the book. I thought it was an exciting read, nothing spectacular by any means, but entertaining.

Oh and if this really happened, I'd drive a hour to Valtr0n's house where he can protect me with his massive size and arsenal of weaponry. :lol:

[ManOfWesternesse]

Have to say I really enjoyed Cell too, both first-read + a re-read.
It's not Earth-shattering, as Erin said, but it's a damn good read.

[Matt]

I totally agree, I thought Cell was a hell of a read. The re-read (a listen) was even better.

[Mark]

Not finished it yet, can't be bothered to be honest. I'm still loving DT too much, and the fact that i put down WOTC half way through to start on this probably wasn't a good idea. I'll try and finish it though. I'm up to when Malden street is full of crazy people. Just after Tom see's the 3 in his garden.

[mia/susannah]

I enjoyed reading Cell. Not one of my favorites but still a good read.

[LadyHitchhiker]

I thought the ending felt rushed but the rest was great!! :D

[razz]

I loved Cell. I think the first person view was refreshing from Stephen King

[Woofer]

I chose "Something else" because there was no option for "Freak out because everyone turned into your husband."

Heh. I kid, but he definitely is a slave to the phone. If it rings, he will interrupt anything he is doing and practically break his neck answering. Then he'll get mad at the caller because he was busy. Sheesh! THEN DON'T ANSWER!

Ahem, to continue...

Srsly, I put "Something else" because I would do what the situation required to survive, and that could mean a variety of things. Obviously, however, I'd kill the ones threatening me. I can also expect company as my friends have dubbed our home the go-to house for a zombie invasion.

[razz]

sorry, Cell isn't in fisrt person. i was thinking of Michael Crichton's "Prey".
Or maybe I was thinking of "Duma Key". was that one in first person?

[Duck]

I voted something else cause i've no idea what I would do.

I enjoyed the first 2/3rds of Cell and then I thought King gave up on the story a bit and rushed the ending. After the first hundred pages or so I thought this was going to be a post apocalypse masterwork like The Stand or Cormac McCarthy's The Road, so I was disappointed it went down the rather obvious Zombie route.

Decent but obvious King and not a patch on his recent more literary works such as Lisey and Duma. IMO8)

[Matt]

I think the coolest thing I got out of Cell was not only the concept of "rebooting" the human brain (around for a while but still well told) but also the fact that if there was enough of these people on the planet...who the fuck is normal then? :lol:

I just thought it made a cool idea for a story.

[theBeamisHome]

kind of like I Am Legend.... King did say that Matheson was one of his inspirations as a horror writer.. something like that.

[razz]

the quote is on the back of I am legend

[theBeamisHome]

yes! but i don't have my book with me :(..... as a matter of fact... *sigh* i'm gonna have to search Nigel's room and/or car for it...

[bangoskank1]

Seeing how I was born and raised here in Boston the story was kinda cool to me....at one point they actually walked thru my neighborhood on rte 1....cool stuff.

[Odetta]

Ah! Time for a new book of the month!

Cell...

I found this to be a very quick read and I came away from this book a little annoyed. It has a "Stand" type feel but wasn't nearly as riveting... it felt a little thin to me.

What did you think?

[jhanic]

I was let down by the so-called ending. I know King defended this saying that

everyone was starting to recover

but I would have preferred a better ending.

Overall, though, I enjoyed the book, especially the beginning!

John

[Matt]

I thought the book was a great read. If it would have been me, I would have taken it a bit further at the end too.

I've always been fascinated by the relationship of the human mind to a computer, so that part was really interesting to me. :thumbsup:

[razz]

i thought it was great. the end annoyed me as well though there were way to many questions for a book of that size. and it had no closure. The stand had Closure, Even The Dark tower had some. Cell? nothing. everything was fallign to shit, and in the end we were left wonder what the hell happened/ happens.

[Darkthoughts]

Hmm, I don't know how I felt about Cell. I thought it was an enjoyable read, although it was a little too much of a zombie gore fest at the start :lol:
Yeah, the ending was a bit vague...I don't generally mind that sort of ending, but you expect a little more closure from King in general.

[Heather19]

I really enjoyed this book. I was hooked from the very beginning. I may be alone on this but I actually enjoyed the ending. I really didn't feel there was a need to explain where the pulse came from. Maybe if he had broadened the story and we were seeing it from numerous perspectives, but we weren't, and that's one of the things that I really enjoyed about it, how it just focused on a small group of people and their experiences through this crazy event.

[bangoskank1]

blah blah blah ending this and ending that....bottom line is these dudes walked literally right by my house in this story...for real tho...so of course I be biased..the whole thing even started on Boylston St....I work on that street...so i mean ..ya ...kinda cool stuff when your actually "there" so to speak....Heather?...aint you from Mass?? just not as close i think...but still it hadda play into your opinion a bit...

[Matt]

Everyone walked passed my house in the Stand :lol:

[bangoskank1]

Wasn't that the house that Harold left his Payday wrappers at?

[Heather19]

Yep, I am. Opposite side of the state, though. But I do agree that I loved that it partly took place in Boston, as it's one of my favorite cities. I wish he would write more stories around this area.

[Matt]

Wasn't that the house that Harold left his Payday wrappers at?

Pfft--Harold never came this way. He lost his head way before me. :fairy:

[Brainslinger]

I liked Cell. I thought the start was particularly good, and the whole idea of zombies being caused by mobile phones was brilliant and scary.

I did hope that we would find out the cause, who sent it etc. What it a malicious act to bring the country to it's knees? Or a government ploy to control the population subliminally which when disastrously wrong?

In the end it wasn't about that though. It was about a group of people (well one in particular) coping with their world crumbling around them, and personal tragedy, and on that level it worked very well.

I didn't even mind the ending. In fact I thinks it's best that we don't know what happened to his son.

[The Lady of Shadows]

:yawn:

that's all i have to say about that!

[Matt]

I'm not sure why people associate what happened in Cell to "zombies". They were never dead. The heard what was being transmitted and it rebooted their brains all the way back to lizard (or whatever). Its not really a zombie book at all.

[Darkthoughts]

Not technically zombies, but very zombie-like behaviour is how it seemed to me, ie a mindless bloodlust and being controlled by a core entity.

[Matt]

I guess I'm too technical on the definition of a "zombie" :lol:

[Ricky]

I'm making my own definition of zombie:

Zombie (noun) - of or relating to one (alive or dead) who's mind has been altered in numerous ways that effect the coherency of their thinking and decisions.

Better Matt? :lol:

[Brainslinger]

I might have misapplied the term there, not thinking.

They're certainly not zombies in the horror movie 'walking dead' sense.... yet since to all intents and purpose the person they were is gone... isn't that a form of death? Of course 'walking dead' doesn't neccesarily mean 'zombie.'

I tend to apply the term to those undead of a slow sleepwalking type, like the Romero zombies. Although their physically alive, I seem to remember them acting like that. (Did they run about? I forget.) Due to their nature as walking eating machines and I think the term applies in this case though.

I can understand reservations with using the word though, as it is often overused I think. (As an aside people often refer to the deadites of the evil dead films as zombies, but since a)some of them are possessed living people and b) they're pretty lively with a vicious cunning all of their own, I wouldn't.)

[KaLikeAWheel]

I liked, Cell, but also found it a bit thin. I would have liked a broader story, but I suppose if it had been, King would have been in jeopardy of having a novel too Stand-like for comfort. Maybe he was afraid of repeating himself, so to speak. As for the basic story, I loved it. I've always been pretty sure cell phones are evil.:lol:

Donna

[Cuthbert Heath]

i actually enjoyed it a lot having the characters meet people from my town and walking on streets/highways i drive on was pretty cool it put you in the story but besides that i still thought it was a great book...

[JRSly]

I'm not sure why people associate what happened in Cell to "zombies". They were never dead. The heard what was being transmitted and it rebooted their brains all the way back to lizard (or whatever). Its not really a zombie book at all.
The book was dedicated to George Romero, associating the phone-crazies with zombies was surely intentional.

I really liked Cell quite a bit, it had a very visceral feel that hooked me in. It was actually the book that got me off on a big Stephen King kick, so it's hard to say how I might like it if I'd read some of his classics before. Comparisons to The Stand are easy to make. I agree with others that on one hand Cell does feel like a rather light story next to The Stand, but on the other hand I wouldn't necessarily want to see such a fully-fleshed out, broad scenario and it is interesting to look at an apocalyptic event with a small frame of view.

I did find myself wanting to know more about the Pulse, I'm like this with a lot of stories..always want to know how things work and what not, I was just curious and fascinated about how and why it might've been done. But I completely understand, especially in the tradition of zombie movies, letting the initiating element simply be that and not a major story point.

And as far as the ending goes, I was a bit angry at it. But reading Stephen King's more definitive ending that he posted on his website made it sit much better with me. It wasn't a complete ending to all of the events, but it did give better closure to the small story that we'd been told.

[Heather19]

And as far as the ending goes, I was a bit angry at it. But reading Stephen King's more definitive ending that he posted on his website made it sit much better with me. It wasn't a complete ending to all of the events, but it did give better closure to the small story that we'd been told.

To be honest, this really bothered me. I still pretend that he didn't say anything more about it. I mean, if you're going to leave a story open ended like that where the reader will decide in their mind where it goes, leave it as such. If you're going to continue on with the story, and make a sequel of it, then that's one thing but I didn't like how he felt he had to post a little blurb on his site to make people feel better about it.

[fernandito]

Add one more the annoyed-by-the-ending boat.

[sfischer]

I liked Cell well enough...it did kind of remind me of Tommyknockers though. And I watched The Happening the other day and that kind of reminded me of Cell.

[Chap]

Cell was actually the first non-DT Stephen King book I read.
Bought it at a vacation because there were nothing to do there other than sitting at the pool or beach all day.
The beginning was great, maybe one of the best parts of any books I've read. It "failed" a little towards the end, but I do love the book. :)

[ksmithcats]

I liked Cell well enough...it did kind of remind me of Tommyknockers though. And I watched The Happening the other day and that kind of reminded me of Cell.

Love me some M Night Shyamalan, but I totally felt like he ripped off Cell when he made the Happening.

I agree, somewhat frustrating lack of closure, but until everyone mentioned it here, it hadn't bothered me so much. Kind of like when you don't realize you're hungry until you smell the steak on the neighbor's grill.

[BoogerSnax]

I loved the first half of it. Mainly because I devour post-apocolyptic books like they were candy.
But at the point where things started becoming super-natural, I got bored. And at the end, where the "changed?" were literally floating along the road, I kept putting the book down to avoid throwing it across the room. :onfire:

[Odetta]

I must say I agree with everything Booger just said.

[DanishCollector]

I liked the supernatural part of it, actually found it supernatural to begin with. I mean, people going bat crazy like that from cell phones ain't exactly everyday life events.
I liked the book, found it refreshing with good old fashioned King horror after the fine, but non-eventful The Colorado Kid.

[Jean]

which reminds me... gotta pick it up and finish it some day... if it isn't too much to ask of an elderly bear

[mystima]

even though it is not a dt based book, i think it does have a link to the dark tower universe...the guy is an artist and the descriptions of the artwork he did sounds alot like pics from the gunslinger born comics.

[Jean]

I have finished Cell, and now have to say that I liked it a lot. I was bored to death with the beginning - about a third of it - because nothing was happening, except some fussing around; the only thing bears find worth reading about is what happens inside people's souls, and in Cell the characters didn't develop, and, in fact, weren't characters at all - just some hurriedly drawn stick figures (with the single possible exception of Tom, who was at least to some extent tangible). Then I came to think of it, if you pardon the catachresis, as of a very long short story rather than a short novel, and it became more bearable, although still very boring.

It became definitely better after new characters were introduced, although the theoretic part they brought in - hard drives and all - was definitely sophomoric (had the professor suffered some brain damage we didn't know anything about, which put him on the same level of analytic ability as his 12-year-old student?), but at least something started happening, and not in the dull, linear way it had been happening during the first third of the book.

At last, after Alice (an embodyment of a stick-figure) died, everything was just excellent. I loved the rest of the book dearly, and, by the way, am perfectly satisfied with the ending.

[Matt]

WOOHOO!!

I am so glad you ended up liking it Jean--it is so much more about social aspects than Zombies to me.

But still a very shallow read--fun sometimes.

[Heather19]

I'm glad you finally finished it, and enjoyed it.
I definitely found it to be a very fun read.

[AcidBumbler]

I loved Cell. I liked the similarity to The Stand, and I liked the pacing of it. I found it quite a disturbing book, really. Also, I actually liked the open ending; it made me use my imagination. ^+^

[NoLabelBG]

I've read it two years ago, and I liked it! Just as Jean, for me the interesting thing is what happens in people's minds and soul, and the way people get to know each other, and how something terrible can turn total strangers in to friends. The idea of the Pulse was great too! In our days, people can't imagine a life without cellphones, and the idea of something that toast your brain through e cellphone is so nice! Hm, yep!
Yes, the book is very similar to The Stand! I didn't know that, because I read the Stand after Cell. When I compare them, I think that Cell is really something like a modern version of The Stand. That's cool in some way.
The bottom line is, that for me, this was a very interesting and dynamic story! A lot of action going on!

Also, the end was fine for me! I've never read what King posted on his site. Does someone have a link?

[osseolax28]

this is the only book by king that i have hated. i found myslef only finishing just to finish. i felt it was honestly a waist if my life to read it.

[Kronz]

I had the hardest time getting through the opening 50 pages of this book. When it first came out I bought it and read in about 25-30 pages and set it down in irritation. It was just too frantic and mostly I read to relax, right? Anyways I finally decided to give it a shot and still it took me two or three days to get through the first chapter, after that I read teh rest in about five hours, mostly in one sitting. It was like I just wanted to get it over with.I LOVE zombie movies and have seen literally dozens, and I don't own or use a Cellular phone, so I should love this one. But I don't. It was good fun, sure, but the characters were mostly hollow and I seriously could not stand all the mentions of Sharon and Johnny Gee. Gag me with a spoon. That he actually reunited with either of them at the end was a huge disappointment. Where's the King of Pet Sematary, unafraid of just letting the bad stuff out permanently?

I didn't buy the whole telepathy telekinesis angle either. Pretty thinly stretched premise. Anyways. As a speed reader hybrid of The Stand and Dawn of the Dead, it was alright. As an entry into the horror fiction canon, well, I think not.

The worst part though has to be the tagline on my dust cover:

There's a reason cell rhymes with hell.

That is the worst extraneous text I've ever seen on a King jacket and I can't believe more than one person thought it was fit to print.

[Jean]

The worst part though has to be the tagline on my dust cover:

There's a reason cell rhymes with hell.

That is the worst extraneous text I've ever seen on a King jacket and I can't believe more than one person thought it was fit to print.
Oh good Lord, I don't even remember that one... must have blocked it out...

[BROWNINGS CHILDE]

I would send out a global text to my phonebook not to answer their phone........then I'd go into full combat mode.

[Brice]

I'd send a global text telling people to answer immediately...just cause I want the zombies to come. :evil:


Jean, I don't remember that tagline on the book either. I wonder what edition it was.:orely: Kronz?

[Kronz]

It's the first line on the inside flap of the American hardcover from Scribner.

[Brice]

Wow, that must have just been so bad my brain refused to register it as existing on the same frequency as the rest of the book.

[Matt]

I've read it two years ago, and I liked it! Just as Jean, for me the interesting thing is what happens in people's minds and soul, and the way people get to know each other, and how something terrible can turn total strangers in to friends. The idea of the Pulse was great too! In our days, people can't imagine a life without cellphones, and the idea of something that toast your brain through e cellphone is so nice! Hm, yep!
Yes, the book is very similar to The Stand! I didn't know that, because I read the Stand after Cell. When I compare them, I think that Cell is really something like a modern version of The Stand. That's cool in some way.
The bottom line is, that for me, this was a very interesting and dynamic story! A lot of action going on!

Also, the end was fine for me! I've never read what King posted on his site. Does someone have a link?

It was very short, he just said..."the reboot worked".

[Flavio]

I voted kill them...
Well... i would become a zombie in the first moment :wtf:
I always have my cellphone with me :cool:

[Ageless Stranger]

Yeah, fuck the guy in the harvard shirt. :lol:

That's great!

[Dagavidiab]

Nonno, the worst part has to be the end.... ALL THE #$%&/ END! The telepathy, the hive mind, the line for the phone.... ALL!

[Ageless Stranger]

It really didn't seem all that bad to me. Maybe I'm easily entertained.

[Hannah]

I liked it too. :shrugs: Each to their own I guess.

[LadyHitchhiker]

I don't know. I don't think I would turn into a zombie unless it was someone I know calling me. Because I won't answer the phone if the number is not programmed into my phone.

[Mrs. Underwood]

Ha! It's funny I should finally come over to see what the Cell thread is like after having a conversation about what I'd do in just such an occasion last night. A friend and I both agreed that if ever we're in the vicinity of other folks with cell phones and more than one starts ringing at the same time, we'll start backing slowly away, maybe looking for something to bludgeon people with if need be. So yeah, I guess that's what I'd do. And thanks goes to Uncle Steve for preparing me mentally for that an eventuality. ;)

At any rate, I've seen this book get a lot of bad reviews, but I personally loved it. Out of his more recent set of novels, as in the past ten years, it was kind of nice to see him return to something so unabashedly violent and scary. I love almost all of his books, the quieter ones as well, but it seems books like Cell capture my attention and hold it a lot more easily. Especially with a beginning like this one had. How can you not read more after that?

[TCCBodhi]

Cell is the book that brings this up for me, but it also relate to how he has depicted gay characters or events throughout his body of work. I've read SK nearly constantly since my teen years, but when I came out in my 20s I was seeing that almost mention of a gay character was universally derisive depiction. It bothered me even more because that was also around the time that I heard the rumor that Naomi was gay, and I thought he wasn't being very understanding of his daughter.

Cell seems to be the first time that I can think of where he's had a major gay character and where it hasn't been treated in a cruel or dark fashion. I nearly quit reading SK because of the tone that I was consistently seeing. I'm now in my 40s, and I've mellowed in that because I'm recognizing that his time-frames and settings are all consistent with gay harassment/bullying/etc. I was really bothered by it for a long time though.

I don't normally pick apart the literature that I read, but it's been such a part of my life through varying stages I've often wondered if this was noticeable to other people. Has anyone else that might just happen to be straight notice this trend, or is it just me because it was so close to me?

[mae]

The Losers Club podcast episode on the novel:

https://bloody-disgusting.com/podcasts/3752529/stephen-king-cell-the-losers-club/