An epic war between good and evil, a gory, glorious story that will thrill the millions of hyper-devoted readers of The Shining and wildly satisfy anyone new to the territory of this icon in the King canon. King says he wanted to know what happened to Danny Torrance, the boy at the heart of The Shining, after his terrible experience in the Overlook Hotel. The instantly riveting Doctor Sleep picks up the story of the now middle-aged Dan, working at a hospice in rural New Hampshire, and the very special twelve-year old girl he must save from a tribe of murderous paranormals. On highways across America, a tribe of people called The True Knot travel in search of sustenance. They look harmless – mostly old, lots of polyester, and married to their RVs. But as Dan Torrance knows, and tween Abra Stone learns, The True Knot are quasi-immortal, living off the ‘steam’ that children with the ‘shining’ produce when they are slowly tortured to death. Haunted by the inhabitants of the Overlook Hotel where he spent one horrific childhood year, Dan has been drifting for decades, desperate to shed his father’s legacy of despair, alcoholism, and violence. Finally, he settles in a New Hampshire town, an AA community that sustains him and a job at a nursing home where his remnant ‘shining’ power provides the crucial final comfort to the dying. Aided by a prescient cat, he becomes ‘Doctor Sleep.’ Then Dan meets the evanescent Abra Stone, and it is her spectacular gift, the brightest shining ever seen, that reignites Dan’s own demons and summons him to a battle for Abra’s soul and survival …
Product Features
- Published 24/09/2013
- Publisher Hodder & Stoughton Ltd
- ISBN 9781444761160
An absolute joy for any ‘constant reader’ I don’t tend to review every single book I read otherwise Amazon would probably ban me for over-use, however when I come across a really bad or a really good book, I like to have my say about it and this book most definitely falls into the latter category.I should start by explaining that I adore The Shining, it wasn’t the first King book I read as a teenager but it was the one that stuck with me, so much so, that I make it a point to re-read my battered paperback copy of it at least once a year, it’s hard to pick a favourite King book but this one would be in my top three for sure. So when I heard the news that a sequel was to be written I awaited its release with much anticipation but also quite a mix of nerves too……what if it was an awful book? what if (god forbid) it completely ruined The Shining for me? So, I pre-ordered Dr Sleep with much trepidation, but I was also very excited by the thought of an update on Danny, Dick and Wendy.And so onto the book itself, I remember reading a critics review of the book who said that it was an ’emotional roller-coaster ride’ and boy they weren’t wrong. The first section of the book deals with getting us back up to speed with Danny, Dick and Wendy and that part of the book was like putting on an old pair of comfy slippers for me, I loved it, one of my favourite parts of The Shining is the relationship between Danny and Dick and to revisit that was quite lovely.Shortly after that, we start to read about Dan (as he is now known) as an adult and without spoiling it, this part was a very difficult read not because it was badly written but just because of how much I love Danny Torrance as a character, to see him go through something so difficult was hard to read. So hard I almost stopped reading the book but I pushed past my emotional connection to Danny as he was and continued.I’m so glad I persevered because that’s when the story really kicks into a higher gear, it becomes a very fast paced, exciting, tense and at times incredibly emotional to read, one section in particular had me on the verge of tears. The characters as always are beautifully written so much so that you start to feel as if they are a part of your family, I don’t know how he manages it but Stephen King always seems to be able to connect you emotionally to his characters.There are emotional highs and lows throughout the story (again, some parts make for difficult reading if you loved the characters from The Shining) and as with a lot of Stephen King’s books there are some wonderful tie ins to other stories and other worlds he has created. I loved the villains of the piece, the idea of ‘normal’ looking people travelling around in their RV’s somehow made them all the more scary because they didn’t look like monsters (I’ll never look at a camper van in the same way again) and I wonder if maybe Stephen King might re-visit the True Knot one day, there seems to be a whole lot more to their story.Only one part of the book made me think “oh Steve, that’s a bit of a stretch!!” but I guess you will have to make up your own mind about that part, again I don’t want to spoil it.All in all, it is an extremely well written and entertaining book which I really enjoyed. I can’t give it 5 stars but that’s only because I consider The Shining to be a 5 out of 5 star book and this one, although a great sequel, it’s not The Shining!But it’s definitely worth a read, like so much of his later work (from say 2000 onwards) this one is really well written so it’s great to see that he is still writing incredible books and long may he continue. A real must for any Stephen King fan and although it doesn’t matter too much if you don’t do this, I would recommend that you re-read The Shining first before starting Dr Sleep, it is a stand alone book, but it makes for a much better read if you read the books together.Happy reading!
A good book but manage your expectations before picking this up Let me start by explaining my love for the shining, I’ve read that book at least once a year if only to enjoy that sheer terror that I get every time I read it, Even though I know what’s coming.It’s a classic book and one that people will read for many years to come.When I heard S.King was writing a sequel I was as excited as I was nervous.This book always had a huge act to follow and there in lies the problem.As I picked up this book I expected great things, and I don’t think it delivered, only because my expectations were so high.This isn’t like the Shining and could really be a stand alone book were it not for the protagonist Dan Torrence.That said, it doesn’t entirely disappoint. The book draws you in picking up so nicely where the shining ends. Describing what happened after the horror at the Overlook with a few of our favourite characters back in for good measure. As the story develops and were introduced to a cult like group called the true knot it looses it’s way slightly and becomes a little bit more predictable, with none of the scares and anticipation that I’d hoped for.The characters become likeable though not likeable enough that you dread anything happening to them and their are no twists and surprises to really engage you in the way that the likes of 11.22.63 etc have done recently (which really reminded us that this guy can write, and write very well)Read it for yourself , but manage your own expectations and you’ll enjoy this book.Just don’t expect it to joint the likes of Carrie, IT and The Shinning amongst the greats.
Stephen King – The Shining Revisited Can Stephen King keep up his recent run of form not least following gripping books like the excellent 11/22/63? The answer is largely affirmative although with a number of caveats. By any standards “Doctor Sleep” as the follow up to 1977’s “The Shining” has got the taste buds of the reading public in a state of heightened anticipation. The book was of course a much more sinister beast than the “hamming it up” which Jack Nicholson did in Kubrick’s film version and it is generally understood that King was not a fan of its portrayal. The film lacked the sheer creepiness of the novel and it is this again which is the predominant atmosphere contained in this new book. This is not horror it is just plain scary.”Doctor Sleep” returns to characters of The Shining, and it’s main protagonist the now grown up Danny Torrance, who remains deeply haunted after the terrors of the sinister wintry Overlook Hotel. “Dan” has since become someone, to use the British parlance, who more than enjoys “hitting the sauce”. Equally the cat on the cover offers a number of clues harking back to earlier King writings and the feline Oscar, a therapy cat whose instincts predict the deaths of terminally ill patients in a nursing home by sitting on the beds of people who died shortly after (Note – you will be well advised to keep Kitty downstairs henceforth!). Danny works with the cat in a nursing home in a small New Hampshire town where he provides final comfort to the dying, becoming known as “Doctor Sleep.”.King also introduces a much more “strategic” plot to tantalize the reader of a another telepathic counterpart, a 13 year old girl Abra who contacts Dan in turn is being pursued by some deeply unpleasant ancient beings under the banner of “The True Knot” whose every unpleasant hobby is to torture child physics in order to devour their “shining” and thus retain their relative youth. This crowd are a deeply creepy bunch and the best part of the book is when they enter the fray. Led by a despicable character Rose the Hat they travel the highways and byways of America and the book leads to an inevitable climax of good versus evil.In truth there are some parts of this book which don’t always hold the attention in the way that the epic “The Stand” completely drew you in and owned you. That said the book does dive straight into the action and ultimately it’s a largely gripping and very eerie tale. The sections in particular on the passage to death and alcoholic excess also contain some great writing. King is now 66 and has for years suffered inverted snobbery from the literati about being a mere writer of pulp fiction. “Doctor Sleep” proves again that he is in fact an excellent writer and a master story teller. While King is not quite the twisted son of Dickens he is really great value. Whether “Doctor Sleep” will be viewed as one of his “classics” is matter for the passage of time although this does not feel quite the complete work that “The Shining” was (This reviewer did miss the ghostly absence of the backdrop of the Overlook hotel). Alternatively as a work in its own right building on an excellent foundation it does succeed and while King had doubts about a follow up this is a very worthwhile sequel and a enjoyable scary feast.