**Just a warning: all Sleep Along posts are likely to contain spoilers for both The Shining and whatever part of Doctor Sleep we're reading up to that week!**
This week we read up to the end of Chapter 13, around page 360. Here's the discussion questions:
In Part One, we get to know Abra mostly through her parents or other adults. In Part Two, we get to know her much better. What do you think of this extraordinary girl?
Stephen King obvious has a knack for writing excellent child/adolescent characters. I think Abra is no exception. She had to be a challenge for him to write, given her age, because even if she didn't "shine", she'd still be at a point in her life where she's showing more maturity, but is still really a child. And with the shining mixed in, that makes her development even more complex. I think (so far) he's reached a great balance between her childlike and more adultlike features.
I am immensely interested in why Abra has the same type of "tic" that Jack Torrance did in The Shining! She rubs her mouth as a calming technique, something that Jack often did to the point of making himself bleed. I have a very faint prediction about a family connection between Abra and Dan (due to the fact that Abra's grandfather is unknown), but we'll see if that pans out. If it does, it could explain a lot of things...
I am immensely interested in why Abra has the same type of "tic" that Jack Torrance did in The Shining! She rubs her mouth as a calming technique, something that Jack often did to the point of making himself bleed. I have a very faint prediction about a family connection between Abra and Dan (due to the fact that Abra's grandfather is unknown), but we'll see if that pans out. If it does, it could explain a lot of things...
Do you have any speculations on what the True Knot are? We know how they sustain themselves, and we've seen the way they die. They're not, as Abra calls them, "ghostie people," but they aren't really human either.
I don't know if I have a specific category to place them in. My guess is that they are meant to be a villain all their own, just like vampires, werewolves, etc. are all in their own "species". I do wonder if the True Knot is the only band of people like themselves...are there others out there? Or is Rose's group the entire population? I do like the fact that they are extremely flawed. I think about books like Salem's Lot, where the vampires really ran the show all the way up until the very end. Here, we see the True Knot tripping up quite a bit, which adds a lot of unpredictability to the plot.
I also want to know how they are connected to the spirits in the Overlook--there HAS to be some relation there.
I also want to know how they are connected to the spirits in the Overlook--there HAS to be some relation there.
Considering that Chapter Thirteen is one of the most intense in the book so far, did anyone actually stop reading here? Or could you not wait to race on ahead?
I did stop reading there! Mostly because I just finished it this morning and have not had time to go on. Haha. But I am looking forward to jumping back in ASAP!
How's Doctor Sleep treating you so far, readers?
I'm all finished reading Doctor Sleep, so I don't want to comment too much! Stephen King does do well with young characters, doesn't he? I thought Doctor Sleep was better than The Shining as far as the writing goes, but not as scary. Which is OK! It was scary enough for me.
ReplyI totally agree about the writing vs the scare factor. This one was crafted a little better (shows more years experience maybe?) but The Shining kept me up at night!
My copy was due back at the library yesterday, so I raced through to the end (after a time-out to write most of my discussion post), not that it was any stretch to do so. So I guess for now I'll just say... it's really good.
ReplyNow that I've finished...I agree. :)
I did not see the "tic" thing at all - so observant :-) And you're so right about Stephen King and his characters - man, woman or child - he does an amazing job at making them believable and relatable.
ReplyTanya Patrice
Girlxoxo.com
I love how King writes his characters of all ages! That is all I'm going to say until next week because I couldn't put the book down over the weekend and finished it. I don't want to spoil anything for you! BUT, I can't wait to chat more with you next week, especially on a couple of these points!!!
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