Grauniad review of 'Dr Sleep'

It's possible to interpret the True Knot themselves as allegorical alcoholics, mirroring the novel's merely human drinkers: after all, the villains too are substance-dependent drifters, wrecking children's lives. But while the surface story of supernatural derring-do is never less than a superbly well-engineered ride, full of satisfying twists and switchbacks, the novel's deepest shiverings depend on no made-up devils. At one point in his early desperation, Dan reflects on how other people's well-meaning advice to "Give it time" is misplaced: "Time changed. That was something only drunks and junkies understood. When you couldn't sleep, when you were afraid to look around because of what you might see, time elongated and grew sharp teeth." Time with jaws: now that really is a scary monster.

- Steven Poole


This was really just about how I felt. It's not as horrifying/terrifying as The Shining, but I think it's a much better book. I now have to eat a banquet of Crow (heh, that's funny if you read it) because I thought the idea of a sequel was thirty-seven flavours of stupid and then some, but he really, truly pulled it off. There's all sorts of mirrorings and parallels and callbacks to the first book, but the story stands on its own. It's pretty amazing, after some of the shit he's put out (Cell, I am looking at you).

....Now fucking Shining, on the other hand....the first time I tried to read that book, I was an active alcoholic, and NO FUCKING WAY. I got about 50 pages in and ran. He fucking nails it (he also fucking nails sobering-up in Dr Sleep). Then the second time I was NEWLY SOBER, and read the book BY MYSELF, at night, and was so freaked out I actually couldn't deal with having the paperback in the house and put it in the garbage and had T carry it out. (I am sure King would enjoy that story. "You couldn't deal with having it in the house? Score!") But then, years later, I got another used paperback copy, reread it a couple of times, and loved it. It still scares me shitless.

Dr Sleep was actually less scary, but sadder, because even the villains -- where he's fallen down in the past -- had great motivation, and seemed like real people. (I fucking loved Rose the Hat.) A lot less freaky, but a lot more depth, and it's not as tragic....but deeply sad. Grieving. Shining was about trauma and survival, Dr Sleep is about the aftermath, recovery, going on living.

-- But really, if you want to know what it's like writhing in the hell of addiction? Read The Shining! It's total realism!