Doctor Sleep Journal 2: The Overlooks Long Reach

Audio Immersion:

Complaining last night that my teenager swiped my ipod -- AGAIN -- so I can't listen to Doctor Sleep.  Of course, I can go get the ipod, but I choose  sulking over parenting at that moment.  Judge  me at your own peril.

My wife said, "You could just listen to it on Kindle."

I patiently explained that: 1. Stephen King books usually disable  the audio feature on Kindle.  2. The Kindle text-speech feature sounds like a robot.  She said, "No, it's called audio immersion."  So I don't know how this happened -- if it is because we had already ordred an audible version, or if Kindle just comes with this,  but the real audio version began pouring from the Kindle. It was Craig Wasson, reading away with Doctor Sleep!  So, in Californian, "Totally awesome, dude.  Rock on."

Dreams:

King moves us to the books real starting point by marching a parade of presidents by us.  I kinda like it.  No need to be date specific, we get the era that each of these guys oversaw.  There's the Peanut Farmer president, followed by the Actor president (that can't be trusted, in King's words).  The Actor is followed by the Elvis president.  Humm, not George Bush.  Anyway, the Elvis president (speaking of trust!) is followed by the Cowboy president.

What we discover when the book finally finds a resting place is a broken Dan who uses the same coping mechanisms his father did to limp through life.  However, unlike his father, Dan has different reasons to need to cope.  For one, his father tried to kill  him in the Overlook. That'll mess you up.  Worse, his ability to Shine  has some pretty bad consequences (think, "I see dead people") and it seems drinking numbs his senses.  Dan bops from job to job, always focused on getting to the next place and never seeming to realize what's really going on is he is running from the bad stuff in his past.

The past Dan is running from is not only made by his father, but one he has actively worked at as well.  A particular theft haunts him, and an abused child he elected  not to help.  Dan uses  alcohol to do what his lock box won't.  "Maybe you can put the things from the Overlook away in lockboxes, but not memories. Never those. They’re the real ghosts."

King once again takes us into the depths of addiction, but with new, deeper, insights than ever before.  The feelings of self loathing, struggle and small victories mixed with big defeats are all very real to the reader.

I found this line haunting:

As the moon rose over Wilmington, North Carolina, Dan Torrance lapsed into unconsciousness. There were dreams of the Overlook, but he would not remember them upon waking.

It seems the Overlook has a long reach, even from the grave.