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Thread: Insomnia - Let's Discuss! *SPOILERS*

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    Gunslinger Apprentice ZGDK is on a distinguished road ZGDK's Avatar

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    :radioactive: Insomnia - Let's Discuss! *SPOILERS*

    It seems like everyone seems to dislike Insomnia for some reason. I see it top many people's lists of thier least favorite SK novels. I don't get it. It starts off slow, but the beginning is very well written and helps introduce you to the characters. Once Ralph starts seeing the auras and the doctors then it becomes very interesting. The part when he sees the Bald Doctors actually scared me and it takes a lot for a book to scare me. I think the Dark Tower connection was done very well. It was also a very thought provoking book. Although I heard somewhere Stephen King himself said he was a tad dissapointed with Insomnia.

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    Roont jayson is on a distinguished road

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    The main criticism that I've seen is that people think it is slow-paced. I love Insomnia and had no issues with the pacing.

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    Silverloch John_and_Yoko will become famous soon enough John_and_Yoko's Avatar

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    Quote Originally Posted by ZGDK View Post
    It seems like everyone seems to dislike Insomnia for some reason. I see it top many people's lists of thier least favorite SK novels. I don't get it. It starts off slow, but the beginning is very well written and helps introduce you to the characters. Once Ralph starts seeing the auras and the doctors then it becomes very interesting. The part when he sees the Bald Doctors actually scared me and it takes a lot for a book to scare me. I think the Dark Tower connection was done very well. It was also a very thought provoking book. Although I heard somewhere Stephen King himself said he was a tad dissapointed with Insomnia.
    Thank you for finally starting this thread! I was wondering when someone would, because Insomnia is my favorite non-Dark Tower book by Stephen King--and I was expecting to dislike it, especially since Stephen King wasn't as pleased with it as he might have been....

    I never noticed any slowness like everyone's been talking about (though I was prepared for just such). And I think part of the reason I enjoyed it so much was that I kept seeing myself in it.... THAT's creepy....

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    I cry everytime anyone ranks on this story

    No, really - Insomnia deserves nothing but love. It's beautifully paced, I feel it was purposely written that way for the reader to identify with Ralph and the other senior citizens in the story. You'll note it changes pace as they begin to feel younger.

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    Traveler TY1ON is on a distinguished road

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    Default INSOMNIA

    FIRST OFF,HELLO. AND NO I'M NOT SCREAMING, I ALWAYS WRITE IN CAPITAL LETTERS. I'VE JUST SIGNED IN AND DECIDED TO DROP A LINE ABOUT INSOMNIA. IT'S THE ONLY OTHER SK BOOK THAT I RE-READ BESIDES THE 7. I ENJOYED THE WHOLE IDEA ABOUT THE "OLDER FOLKS" BEING THE GERO OF THE STORY. I'M NOT AN VEROCIOUS READER, BUT THE FIRST TIME I READ "INSOMMNIA" I PLOWED THRU IT IN ABOUT 5 DAYS(AND THAT'S FAST FOR ME). WELL I JUST WANTED TO PUT IN MY 2CENTS ABOUT THIS READ. THANKEE SAIS FOR READING-TY1ON

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    Forgetful Fantasy-Maker Tiffany is on a distinguished road Tiffany's Avatar

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    It's one of my favorites but I can admit that it was a really slow start.

    It might have something to do with the fact that the main dude is an old guy so his life just isn't terribly exciting at the beginning of the story.

    Edit: Why do you always write in caps? Just curious.
    “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”-Mark Twain

    Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me....Anything can happen, child. Anything can be.
    -Shel Silverstein

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    Gunslinger Apprentice LemurJones is on a distinguished road

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    I really like Insomnia, too. I wouldn't have read DT if I hadn't read Insomnia when I did.
    "I just know that something good is going to happen."
    ~Utah Saints

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    Banned obscurejude is on a distinguished road

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    Quote Originally Posted by Darkthoughts View Post
    You'll note it changes pace as they begin to feel younger.
    Very astute Lisa. I very much agree with you. Damn, what a great book.

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    M.I.A. Unfound One is on a distinguished road Unfound One's Avatar

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    I read Insomnia right after I finished my re-read of DTVII a couple weeks ago.
    Despite many warnings that it starts off slow and only ties in a couple times to DT, I very much enjoyed it! I had no issues at all with the pacing either - read it in 3 sittings.
    It's so different to have an older couple as the heroes, and Ralph is a really cool character. Even though I'm young and he's definitely not I felt he was relatable.
    My favorite parts are when I hit anything DT related - goosebumps.
    Especially when Roland is mentioned by name.

    Something I wonder about though - when Patrick is first introduced and he draws the picture of the Red King and Roland, he knows who they are, he says he dreams of them.
    Did Patrick recognise Roland when he met him in DTVII? Or did he forget like Jack Sawyer forgot (until he was reminded?)
    Gosh I'm curious to know how the hell Patrick made his way to End-World...


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    Silverloch John_and_Yoko will become famous soon enough John_and_Yoko's Avatar

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    I think
    Spoiler:
    Patrick's mind was somewhat drained by Dandelo....


    I wish I knew how he ended up there too, but we'll probably never know.

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    Banned obscurejude is on a distinguished road

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    Quote Originally Posted by Unfound One View Post
    Gosh I'm curious to know how the hell Patrick made his way to End-World...
    You haven't read IT yet right? I'm pretty sure it has something to do with Derry, the setting of both novels. There's nothing explicit, of course, but its obvious that Dandelo and Pennywise are of the same species. Stuttering Bill is also a shout out to Bill Denbrough, the main protagonist in IT.

    What do you guys think?

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    Silverloch John_and_Yoko will become famous soon enough John_and_Yoko's Avatar

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    Quote Originally Posted by obscurejude View Post
    You haven't read IT yet right? I'm pretty sure it has something to do with Derry, the setting of both novels. There's nothing explicit, of course, but its obvious that Dandelo and Pennywise are of the same species. Stuttering Bill is also a shout out to Bill Denbrough, the main protagonist in IT.

    What do you guys think?
    Makes sense to me--I'm just over 1/3 of the way through IT myself, but I definitely noticed the parallels....

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    M.I.A. Unfound One is on a distinguished road Unfound One's Avatar

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    I'm just getting into IT, but I'm only at 70 pages or so.
    Can give me a time reference though? What came first, Insomnia or IT?


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    Banned obscurejude is on a distinguished road

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    Quote Originally Posted by John_and_Yoko View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by obscurejude View Post
    You haven't read IT yet right? I'm pretty sure it has something to do with Derry, the setting of both novels. There's nothing explicit, of course, but its obvious that Dandelo and Pennywise are of the same species. Stuttering Bill is also a shout out to Bill Denbrough, the main protagonist in IT.

    What do you guys think?
    Makes sense to me--I'm just over 1/3 of the way through IT myself, but I definitely noticed the parallels....
    Let me know if you find anything more specific J and Y, since you're reading them so close together. Lisa has some great parallels mentioned in the DT Connections section- great article on IT.

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    Silverloch John_and_Yoko will become famous soon enough John_and_Yoko's Avatar

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    Well, I've already contributed some things in The Dark Tower VII that were related to IT but weren't in the Connections article. If I find anything more specific, I'll make mention of it.

    I'm finding stuff already, but I highly doubt that I'm the first to notice....

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    Banned obscurejude is on a distinguished road

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    Quote Originally Posted by Unfound One View Post
    I'm just getting into IT, but I'm only at 70 pages or so.
    Can give me a time reference though? What came first, Insomnia or IT?
    Well IT was published almost 10 years before Insomnia or do you want a narrative timeline. IT bounces back and forth (as you'll soon find out) between the 50's and the 80's. Insomnia takes place 5 or 6 years after the ending of IT, Ralph makes a reference to a memorial that you probably didn't notice since you hadn't read IT yet.

    I hope you love IT. I think you will.

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    M.I.A. Unfound One is on a distinguished road Unfound One's Avatar

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    Aha, narrative timeline, yes please and thankee for the info.


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    Banned obscurejude is on a distinguished road

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    Quote Originally Posted by Unfound One View Post
    Aha, narrative timeline, yes please and thankee for the info.
    I would say more about Dandelo's possible origins, but I don't want to spoil the ending of IT for you. I also realize that you would be tempted with a spoiler tag, so I won't even do that to you.

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    Quote Originally Posted by John_and_Yoko View Post
    Well, I've already contributed some things in The Dark Tower VII that were related to IT but weren't in the Connections article.
    This is something I wasn't sure about when I started the Connections pages. Should I cross reference every book - or not?

    So what, after some discussion, we decided to do was write up each individual book and the references specifically found therein. Naturally some cross referencing does occur.

    So basically, anything you note in DT7, connections to any other works of Kings', would be written up as connections under the DT7 article

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    that bok was so good i couldn't put it down and go to sleep.

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    Gunslinger Apprentice ZGDK is on a distinguished road ZGDK's Avatar

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    Default The Greenman *Spoliers*

    I was just thinking: who exactly is The Greenman from Insomnia? When Ralph asks the Crimson King he says he is familiar with all the neighborhood folks but he looks unsure this time. At first I thought the Greenman was Gan or Old Dorrance. I wonder just who he really is? Also what makes Dorrance so special? Who is he? In my opinion I don't think Insomnia is all false. Remember during Roland's conversation with Nancy she says something along the lines of not all the information was false just some of it. Plus on some level of the tower there has to be a Ralph Roberts.

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    That very same question has bugged me for ages!!! I even posted it as my question for the "Ask King a question" competition...still no clue

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    Not An Addict lophophoras is on a distinguished road lophophoras's Avatar

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    Quote Originally Posted by ZGDK View Post
    It seems like everyone seems to dislike Insomnia for some reason. I see it top many people's lists of thier least favorite SK novels. I don't get it. It starts off slow, but the beginning is very well written and helps introduce you to the characters. Once Ralph starts seeing the auras and the doctors then it becomes very interesting. The part when he sees the Bald Doctors actually scared me and it takes a lot for a book to scare me. I think the Dark Tower connection was done very well. It was also a very thought provoking book. Although I heard somewhere Stephen King himself said he was a tad dissapointed with Insomnia.
    Insomnia is one of my favorites. The characters were so likeable. I remember it being slow paced at first but I felt it was needed because it helped to aquaint me with the characters. I think it may be time for me to pick it up again.

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    Along the Path of the Beam riknofx is on a distinguished road riknofx's Avatar

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    Just wanted to pitch in some love for Insomnia. The character development took awhile and the story grew roots over time with me. I love the whole premise and the way it ties in with DT and Talisman/Black-House. Kick Ass pay-off once it opens up. I recently re-read Black-House and had to go back and re-up this too. Great stuff.
    "Please be calm! Remember that these things exist on a different level of reality than the one your on now." -Doc#1/ Clotho:

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    West Coast sarah is on a distinguished road sarah's Avatar

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    I liked Insomnia. Being slow paced was good for me at the time when I read it. I think it could have been about 200 pages shorter but really I liked the story that was told. It was a good book to read for me between Wolves of the Calla and Song of Susannah.



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