If you haven’t read Doctor Sleep, Stephen King’s follow-up to The Shining, you might not want to read this final post for the Sleep Along hosted by Cheap Thrills and Tif Talks Books. But it’s not too late to join in the discussion if you’ve read Doctor Sleep! You can tweet using the hashtag #sleepalong, post comments here or on their blogs, and/or answer the discussion questions on your own blog, if you have one.
Before we started reading, we asked if you had any expectations for Doctor Sleep. Did you get what you were hoping for out of the book?
I love the audiobook format for Stephen King’s books! I think I’ve listened to more of them than I’ve read in print. Before starting it, I was expecting a chilling story along the lines of The Shining, with reflections on human nature and commentary on pop culture, and didn’t know any more about it. Stephen King and the audiobook narrator, Will Patton, definitely delivered!
Having finished the book, do you think having read The Shining is important for enjoying this one?
I definitely do, but Doctor Sleep is better – a more mature book – than The Shining, so I wouldn’t start with The Shining if you’re not already a Stephen King fan.
In one word, one phrase, one sentence… describe Doctor Sleep.
A classic horror story of good vs. evil wrapped inside a novel about flawed people trying to do the right thing and finding it damn difficult.
Anything else you feel like discussing about the end of the book? Or the book as a whole?
I think I read a blog comment somewhere that Stephen King has trouble “sticking the landing” when it comes to ending his very long books, and I have to agree with that. The endings sometimes seem anti-climactic. (Under the Dome, anyone?) I found Doctor Sleep‘s ending very satisfying. With the loose end of not knowing what happened to the splinter group of the True Knot, things weren’t tied up 100% neatly, but Abra should be able to deal with that problem once she’s all grown up!
Thank you to Tif of Tif Talks Books and Charleen of Cheap Thrills for organizing the Sleep Along!
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Oooohhh, I like that you called Doctor Sleep a more mature book! That is a great way to describe it!!
I am one of those that believe that King’s endings tend to be weak, but I think this is one of his strongest yet. I loved the ending!!
Glad u enjoyed this one; I did as well.
I’m only one-fourth of the way through The Goldfinch, if that! I’ll check out your review after I’m done!
No one ever told Rose the Hat that pride goeth before a fall, I guess. 😉
I liked the ending for this one, and I so agree about this being a more mature King book. Everything hit the mark for me, and some of things I didn’t see coming.
I agree about this being a more mature book, and I definitely agree with you about endings (and yes about Under the Dome!) I also appreciated that some things were left hanging. I’m glad you enjoyed this one, I did too!