Herman Wouk Is Still Alive

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king4aday

Well-Known Member
Apr 22, 2013
53
155
Hello, kiddos. It has been a while since I have posted but I am currently knee deep in the dark with The Bazaar (It took dang near five times to get the spelling of that word correct.) of Bad Dreams. And then I look up and see it at the top of the screen. Geez!

Anyway, I just finished the Herman Wouk story and was particularly blown away by the dialect switch from Brenda and Jazz's parts to the poets'. I may be getting soft in my old age, but man, was that a cliffhanger of a story? I was in the middle thinking, 'Wow!', 'No', 'Please, don't do it Uncle Steve!' Am I losing it or have some of you other Constant Readers had that happen while reading it?

It is certainly my fav so far but I am going a bit further in, up to my armpits next and finish out the rest of these gems. Who knows it may change but that story...

I get it Uncle Steve, I get it.
 

katydid

New Member
Nov 11, 2006
2
9
Littleton, Colorado
... people who have something to live for juxtaposed with people who feel hopeless about their futures ... and its ironic that it's the two old people who are enjoying their lives and the young people who cannot even enjoy a stroke of luck and an outing without so much misery that it causes their deaths. I didn't see it as a suicide so much as an unconscious relinquishment of life.
 

GNTLGNT

The idiot is IN
Jun 15, 2007
87,651
358,754
62
Cambridge, Ohio
... people who have something to live for juxtaposed with people who feel hopeless about their futures ... and its ironic that it's the two old people who are enjoying their lives and the young people who cannot even enjoy a stroke of luck and an outing without so much misery that it causes their deaths. I didn't see it as a suicide so much as an unconscious relinquishment of life.
...Hi katydid!.....
man_file_1111877_dog-with-katydid.jpg
 
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moomby

Member
Mar 26, 2017
7
23
... people who have something to live for juxtaposed with people who feel hopeless about their futures ... and its ironic that it's the two old people who are enjoying their lives and the young people who cannot even enjoy a stroke of luck and an outing without so much misery that it causes their deaths. I didn't see it as a suicide so much as an unconscious relinquishment of life.

Wow I registered on these forums to ask what the purpose of the poets was but it looks like you nailed it.
 
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Machine's Way

“Go then, there are other worlds than these.”
Jul 13, 2009
671
2,877
44
Baltimore
I get the story, I just hate it. I don't Hate King for writing it, its done brilliantly. I hate the ladies, I hate the lady that the real life story was based on from the intro and it honestly as a parent makes me sick.
I don't care how f'd up your life is, how much you cant catch a break, how many bad decisions you make, you don't have the right to kill those children. Kill yourself, who cares but to take it upon yourself to take the children with you is unthinkable.

Now, I will admit that after having kids my outlook and acceptance of child deaths in literature and movies and stuff for entertainment purposes has changed a bit. Gage's death in Pet Cemitary took a whole new meaning when re-read / watched as a parent. And I had to take a moment after reading the part in Revival with his child's death. But those are critical parts of the story telling and shape the whole book.

This story just took it to the all real level of disgusting selfishness that people who do such things this day and age. Bravo to you Stephen, I think the story is great and a lot can be taken from it, its much deeper than the few pages it is written on. But this is one that I have checked off the list and will not be returning to.

Those children would of been just fine without those fat sloths in their lives. To take them with you because you pity your bad decisions in life is such an act of selfish cowardice that I personally can not even begin to relate to.

Ok done venting, but I do have one last question that really sparked my interest, Why would Stephen dedicate this story to Owen??? I would love to know the reason behind this. I would in fact be tempted to ask this question at the Q&A on this book tour as Owen will be there with him, would be interesting to hear his answer with Owen Present.
 

Wab

Well-Known Member
Oct 29, 2017
86
312
Ok done venting, but I do have one last question that really sparked my interest, Why would Stephen dedicate this story to Owen??? I would love to know the reason behind this. I would in fact be tempted to ask this question at the Q&A on this book tour as Owen will be there with him, would be interesting to hear his answer with Owen Present.

From an interview in The Atlantic where the story first appeared: "Every year my son Owen and I have a bet on the NCAA March Madness Tournament, and last year the stakes were that the loser would have to write a story [with a title] the winner gave to him. And I lost. Except I really won, because I got this story that I really like. The title that he gave me for the story was "Herman Wouk Is Still Alive," because he'd just a read a piece saying that the guy was still alive and he's still writing even though he's 95 or 96 years old."
 

Machine's Way

“Go then, there are other worlds than these.”
Jul 13, 2009
671
2,877
44
Baltimore
From an interview in The Atlantic where the story first appeared: "Every year my son Owen and I have a bet on the NCAA March Madness Tournament, and last year the stakes were that the loser would have to write a story [with a title] the winner gave to him. And I lost. Except I really won, because I got this story that I really like. The title that he gave me for the story was "Herman Wouk Is Still Alive," because he'd just a read a piece saying that the guy was still alive and he's still writing even though he's 95 or 96 years old."

Thanks for finding the answer to that! I always found that story being dedicated to his son strange, but now it makes sense.