Dr. Sleep

Thats right a book, remember those things? Can't remember the last time you read one? Well here's the perfect opportunity. Because once upon a time there was this book called the Shining , that was written by  surprise, surprise an alcoholic. Most writers tend to be those , but this writer was named Stephen King. You may or may not have heard of this writer, though it seems he did once upon a time write a good bit of horror that found it's way to the big screen.

The Shining is in fact the best book written on the subject of alcoholism, even better than the so called big book- of Alcoholics Anonymous, which Dr. Sleeps barrows many of it's catch phrases .King sobered up years after writing the Shining , but it was clear he was taring down many of his demons in the bottle while writing it. King found his novel overshadowed by the Stanley Kubrick adaptation, which is one of the few cases where the movie holds up against the book, though King would tell you otherwise.

With the first book's main character Jack Torrance, dead you would think a sequel would prove a challenge. King claims the inspiration for the story came when he was doing a book tour and some one at a signing asked him what ever happened to Danny. This question haunted King for years, he would find himself, doing the math as to how old Danny would be.

The ghosts of the Overlook Hotel do haunt the edges of the narrative, there are new monsters. One of them being the demon in the bottle. Like most children of alcoholics, Danny picks up where his father left off. There is also a nomadic band of psychic vampires, which is one of the defining elements to the story that really separates it from the original story. This also changes the thematic climate, the first book was very much about the horrors of isolation, where as this book is about finding community in unlikely places, some of these communities however are more sinister than others.  

At 531 pages, it still proves a pretty easy read, as you are quickly drawn into it. I read the bulk of it in four hours. Like most of King's work, I am sure it will reach the sliver screen in due time, though King more than likely put a clause in his advance contract to keep Kubrick away from it. SPOILER WARNING: Yes, they do return to the Overlook, it's just different from how it was left. So if you have ever wondered what happened to Danny, then pick this one up and give it a good read. Like most sequels it doesn't have the same impact of it's predecessor, but finds a path of it's own to take.