Discussion for July 10 - The Breathing Method

  • This message board permanently closed on June 30th, 2020 at 4PM EDT and is no longer accepting new members.

fljoe0

Cantre Member
Apr 5, 2008
15,859
71,642
62
120 miles S of the Pancake/Waffle line
We are discussing The Breathing Method by Stephen King tonight at 8:00 (and beyond)

Next week, we will start 4 consecutive weeks of Bev Vincent stories. The Bev Vincent stories are in a collection called Cemetery Dance Select. You can get this at Amazon, B&N, I-tunes etc.

The author is a SKMB member and has said he can comment on his stories in our discussion threads. That will be a nice bonus to our discussions.

The Schedule is

Tonight - The Breathing Method - Stephen King
July 17 - Overtoun Bridge - Bev Vincent
July 24 - A Murder of Vampires - Bev Vincent
July 31 - Centralia Is Still Burning - Bev Vincent
August 3 - What David Was Doing When the Lights Went Out - Bev Vincent


Be there, aloha.
 

fljoe0

Cantre Member
Apr 5, 2008
15,859
71,642
62
120 miles S of the Pancake/Waffle line
The first three stories of Different Seasons were enormously popular and had successful movie made based on them. So, The Breathing Method is kind of the overlooked story of Different Seasons.

Stephen gave this story an old-timey feel. The first two thirds of it has the feel of an old horror classic ghost story but the last third is 80's Stephen.
 

Spideyman

Uber Member
Jul 10, 2006
46,336
195,472
79
Just north of Duma Key
I fall into the category of liking this story. Sandra was a well written character and her story true to the era.
There appears to be a lot of discussion about "the Club" . Found this post by Bev Vincent: "The place is storyland, isn't it? Like the Tardis, it's bigger on the inside. It's the pool or well from which stories are spun, like in Lisey's Story--a place that is the physical manifestation of imagination and creativity."

Think that sums it up nicely.
 

fljoe0

Cantre Member
Apr 5, 2008
15,859
71,642
62
120 miles S of the Pancake/Waffle line
I fall into the category of liking this story. Sandra was a well written character and her story true to the era.
There appears to be a lot of discussion about "the Club" . Found this post by Bev Vincent: "The place is storyland, isn't it? Like the Tardis, it's bigger on the inside. It's the pool or well from which stories are spun, like in Lisey's Story--a place that is the physical manifestation of imagination and creativity."

Think that sums it up nicely.


And the club has a certain power over the men that go there. It never feels like an evil power but you don’t want to test it because you get the feeling it could turn evil.
 

fljoe0

Cantre Member
Apr 5, 2008
15,859
71,642
62
120 miles S of the Pancake/Waffle line
I fall into the category of liking this story. Sandra was a well written character and her story true to the era.
There appears to be a lot of discussion about "the Club" . Found this post by Bev Vincent: "The place is storyland, isn't it? Like the Tardis, it's bigger on the inside. It's the pool or well from which stories are spun, like in Lisey's Story--a place that is the physical manifestation of imagination and creativity."

Think that sums it up nicely.

Sandra is a wonderful character that refuses to be unfairly shamed.
 

fljoe0

Cantre Member
Apr 5, 2008
15,859
71,642
62
120 miles S of the Pancake/Waffle line
I do enjoy how SK keeps his characters true to the time/era. To be with child was frowned upon.
What is your feeling about the ending?

I think McCarron says it best:

"...while it is certainly horrible, it also seems to express to me all the amazing power of our cursed, doomed species. In it I see the wonder of our will...and also its horrible, tenebrous power."
 

Notaro

Stark Raving Normal
Mar 23, 2007
1,135
7,321
58
Dublin/Ireland
I can understand why some people aren't too keen on The Breathing Method, of the four novellas in the book it's definitely the most low key, I mean the bulk of the story is a young woman prepares to have a baby and mainly focuses on her conversations with her doctor, not usually a topic that you'd expect to keep you riveted, so why does it work? For me it's the two main characters, King makes me care for them in such a way that even the most mundane exchange between them has me hooked and keeps me turning the page. The Club part of the story has always intrigued me, I thought the potential for a sequel was a no brainer, I still hope that SK will take us back to the Club for another fireside tale at some point in the future if the mood took him. After all, Stevens is immortal so the Club is probably still there.....isn't it?
 

GNTLGNT

The idiot is IN
Jun 15, 2007
87,651
358,754
62
Cambridge, Ohio
....this "Club" immediately put me in mind of Straub's old chaps in Ghost Story.....I have always been captivated by the tenebrous and shifting "reality" of the Club's environs.....two tales hasn't been nearly enough.....there is a lurking menace as mentioned, one that's leashed-but the collar can be slipped quickly-all embodied in the man servant....atmospheric of gothic fiction and even in my mind, to something as ancient as tales told about a protective bonfire, whilst sabre tooth tigers lurk.....anyway, the tale for me summed up the adherence to the Hippocratic Oath and the true depth of a mother's love....well done Steve!......
 

Neesy

#1 fan (Annie Wilkes cousin) 1st cousin Mom's side
May 24, 2012
61,289
239,271
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
I can understand why some people aren't too keen on The Breathing Method, of the four novellas in the book it's definitely the most low key, I mean the bulk of the story is a young woman prepares to have a baby and mainly focuses on her conversations with her doctor, not usually a topic that you'd expect to keep you riveted, so why does it work? For me it's the two main characters, King makes me care for them in such a way that even the most mundane exchange between them has me hooked and keeps me turning the page. The Club part of the story has always intrigued me, I thought the potential for a sequel was a no brainer, I still hope that SK will take us back to the Club for another fireside tale at some point in the future if the mood took him. After all, Stevens is immortal so the Club is probably still there.....isn't it?
I did find the part about the woman preparing for the birth of her baby interesting but of course I AM a woman and have had two births.

The part I admired was how he described labour and how it was better to use the breathing method rather than screaming like a banshee etc.

It was hard to imagine the scene where her body gives birth after the car crash but then once you read the rest of the story where it seems like the club is in another world, it makes more sense.

Overall a nice creepy story with something to say about social conventions of the time.
 

cat in a bag

Well-Known Member
Aug 28, 2010
12,038
67,827
wyoming
I love this story. From beginning to end, I love it. I want to go there, and be in the club. I want to explore the bookshelves. But maybe not behind all of the doors. ;)

Neesy said "social conventions" in her post above. While I know it was nothing to be completely ostracized for having a child out of wedlock in the time frame of the story, I can also say I went through plenty of the "social conventions" myself as a young, single mom. Maybe that is part of the reason why I love this story so much. I identified with her, 100%.