Synopsis
Poor Ralph Roberts has insomnia. In fact he's only sleeping a few minutes at a time. Then he begins to see some very odd things. Is he hallucinating? Is he having nightmares? Or are his visions real? In Derry, the New England town where King's massive novel "It" was set, one never knows for sure...
| Details | | Publication Date: | 1995-09-01 |
| Size | | Length: | 663 pages | | Height: | 7.0 in | | Width: | 4.3 in | | Thickness: | 1.5 in | | Weight: | 12.0 oz |
Publisher's Note
Old Ralph Roberts hasn't been sleeping well lately. Every night he wakes just a little bit earlier, and pretty soon, he thinks, he won't get any sleep at all. It wouldn't be so bad, except for the strange hallucinations he's been having. Or, at least, he hopes they are hallucinations--because here in Derry, one never can tell. Part of the "Books That Take You Anywhere You Want To Go" Summer Reading Promotion.
Industry Reviews
Celestial forces of good and evil wage an apocalyptic war in a small Maine town in this 14-week PW bestseller. (Sept.)
Bernstein
YA Ralph Roberts has been waking earlier and earlier every night for weeks, and the forgetfulness and weariness caused by sleep deprivation are starting to affect him. When he begins to see brilliant auras around people and objects, his concern grows. As his nights become shorter, his visions become more terrifying, and yet more real. Strange forces are maneuvering for power in Derry, Maine, and somehow Ralph is a part of the conflict. Well-read students will note references to Greek mythology, the Bible, and to Tolkien's Lord of the Rings (Houghton, 1967) interspersed with modern cultural allusions. King's forte, however, is characterization, and there is no shortage of it here. Good guys and evil are well developed, with a depth that makes them believable. Although Ralph is clearly identified as a septuagenarian, he is never stodgy or prudish, and will appeal to teens. Some of King's more recent novels, such as Gerald's Game (1992), have been disappointing, but Insomnia is closer to It (1987) and Needful Things (1992, all Viking) in its suspense and entertainment potential. A good return trip to Derry, Maine. Robin Deffendall, Bull Run Regional Library, Manassas, VA
Lopate
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