Harvey’s Dream
Short story in which a middle-aged man tells his wife about a dream in which he receives a phone call telling him one of their daughters has died... Janet …
See you tonight for thoughts on the story. Neesy is the leader.
Discussion Group Read April 17th --- Harvey's Dream by Stephen King
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See you tonight for thoughts on the story. Neesy is the leader.
I will miss this evening but will post tomorrow!
No problem -- all discussion stay open.
...I will post another time...hate to miss it, but was finally able to get a visit with my son at his err, uhm, temporary home-the County lock-up.....
There's a lot going on in this little story. It's a real life horror story. The suspense created in this story is amazing considering it's just two people talking in the kitchen.
I don't think this is the case but maybe it is. Did Harvey already know what had happened but because of early onset Alzheimers not remember it? I didn't think so when reading it but all of that talk of Alzheimers in the beginning of the story makes me wonder a bit.
Sorry late-
I don't think Harvey knew- think it was a dream. HOwever, it is Janet who starts to notice aspects fall into the real world time.
Having computer issues
I think it was more Janet's nightmare than Harvey's dream
I don't think Harvey knew- think it was a dream. HOwever, it is Janet who starts to notice aspects fall into the real world time.
Having computer issues
I think it was more Janet's nightmare than Harvey's dream
Possible story for April 24th. Have no knowledge of the story, but have read the author. Let's give it a try.
The Hunter's Wife-- Anthony Doerr
The Hunter's Wife-- Anthony Doerr
Add on note: re April 24th group read....... moral of story- read the story before suggesting it. For animal lovers there are parts that may be difficult to read. ( after all title has the word HUNTER)
The story, itself, is good. Just a few parts not so much. Be forewarned.
The story, itself, is good. Just a few parts not so much. Be forewarned.
Neesy
#1 fan (Annie Wilkes cousin) 1st cousin Mom's side
I'm so sorry that I dropped the ball on this one - Andy has had some recent health problems and I completely forgot about the fact I was supposed to be the leader for this one.Harvey’s Dream
Short story in which a middle-aged man tells his wife about a dream in which he receives a phone call telling him one of their daughters has died... Janet …www.newyorker.com
See you tonight for thoughts on the story. Neesy is the leader.
No problem-- family first. Thread is here for all to reply at their leisure. Good thoughts for Andy. I owe you a PM!
....not to sound like Poe, but this reminded me of a "dream within a dream".....a lost dream of what had been, and a dream of loss.....blended and pureed as only King could do.....loved the quote " Dreams are poems from the subconscious."......
Neesy
#1 fan (Annie Wilkes cousin) 1st cousin Mom's side
Just read it again and something about it reminded me of another of his works - Sorry, Right NumberHarvey’s Dream
Short story in which a middle-aged man tells his wife about a dream in which he receives a phone call telling him one of their daughters has died... Janet …
See you tonight for thoughts on the story. Neesy is the leader.
I agree with Scott that it was very dreamlike.
This is the first time I read this. How did I miss reading this?
Anyway, very good analogy Spidey.
I didn't think Alzheimer's at all. The disease here is just growing old. Stephen sets this up where we are voyeurs and eavesdroppers. And we listen in on the internal monologue of a wife observing a husband who she takes inventory on. Just the circumstances of a lonely couple with predictable patterns at first. Jax looking at life through a glass half empty. At one time, a younger family would pick up the water pitcher to refill the glass. Climb the mountains, overcome the obstacles and move on. But in this case, we can't get past the broken down bits, and the pitcher is shattered on the floor. All of Stephen's descriptors were so brutally honest and real.
Getting to a certain point in your life and seeing dread and decay and loss and a whole lot of "how did I get here, to this moment, this life, with this person" and anticipating doom and depression with every word. Knowing the penny is going to drop, sooner or later. I felt lonely.
And then Harvey shares his dream. The scary part was the phone call he said. Harvey precognizant maybe? and Jax making the connections to actual things in real time. We all know people that want to ignore things. If you don't talk about them, they aren't true or won't happen. Jax becomes increasingly anxious as the dream isn't a dream. She is able to connect A to B to C and then the bottom drops out and the alphabet plunges into the abyss. She wants him to stop talking. Shut up!
And finally, the phone ringing....you know the wheels have come off the track and the brakes aren't going to work. JMO.
Stephen took the human condition -- the desolation of time marching onto our backs and kicking our ribs, the slow-down mentally, physically, the part that you didn't sign up for; aging, sickness, death (even though that marriage speech says all that, we aren't paying a damn bit of attention to that stuff! Not us! Not ever!) -- and then he added his twist. And it is totally believable and acceptable because he was so honest and real setting up the scene. A morning. A couple. A semblance of life. A portrait of two older people (although she is quick to point out she isn't as old), where he drops in a moment of surreal doubt and horror about the couple's children and then laid the clues out like a trail that didn't take a Sherlock to follow.
I related to this story down to the last period.
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I did not remember this story at all. Looked in The Library section and it is in Just After Sunset, so I must have read it at least once before.
It is a lot of dread in such a short story. Just keeps building and building. Dread of growing older. Dread of losing touch/connections with people who should be the most important. Dread of the sameness/predictability of daily life....then Rrrrring! Maybe all those things aren't so bad, after all. Please let today be like all the past Saturdays.
It is a sad story, really.
It is a lot of dread in such a short story. Just keeps building and building. Dread of growing older. Dread of losing touch/connections with people who should be the most important. Dread of the sameness/predictability of daily life....then Rrrrring! Maybe all those things aren't so bad, after all. Please let today be like all the past Saturdays.
It is a sad story, really.
Yep.
If this is in Just After Sunset, then I read it too. And I don't remember a damn thing either.