Needs to be a warning in the Prolog
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César Hernández-Meraz
Wants to be Nick, ends up as Larry
I like the torture in 'Salem's Lot because it is one more thing that marks
as a true hero. I cannot see myself ever being able to escape that torture, even if I did not have a time limit and vampires to worry about.
Another early example is in The Gunslinger.
In this last case, a boy was brutalized. Perhaps you see it as "different" from Doctor Sleep's example in that it was quick and not so focused in the torture itself. Others have already said this is fiction, so these tortured children never existed. I will also add that the torturers are evil people. Evil people do evil things. If they are written as not doing evil things, then the writer is not true to the characters and their story is not worth telling/reading. I like it when writers are true to what their characters are and do not censor themselves.
Then again, you did not ask for these things to be left out of the story, only to be warned about them. That is a more reasonable request. But it is still one that would spoil the story for many other people. Perhaps you could search for detailed reviews that specify if the stories contain specific acts of violence you would rather not read about. I do not know if such reviews exist, though, so asking a fellow fan could help.
Lisey's Story:
Edit: I also welcome you, although I see you have been here since 2011, way longer than I have.
Mark
Another early example is in The Gunslinger.
Jake's first death is described with a lot of attention to detail, even specifying what happens to different parts of his body as he dies. The fact that he remembers all of that and still manages to remain not-as-crazy as he should be is to be admired.
In this last case, a boy was brutalized. Perhaps you see it as "different" from Doctor Sleep's example in that it was quick and not so focused in the torture itself. Others have already said this is fiction, so these tortured children never existed. I will also add that the torturers are evil people. Evil people do evil things. If they are written as not doing evil things, then the writer is not true to the characters and their story is not worth telling/reading. I like it when writers are true to what their characters are and do not censor themselves.
Then again, you did not ask for these things to be left out of the story, only to be warned about them. That is a more reasonable request. But it is still one that would spoil the story for many other people. Perhaps you could search for detailed reviews that specify if the stories contain specific acts of violence you would rather not read about. I do not know if such reviews exist, though, so asking a fellow fan could help.
Right?!? I'm actually having a harder time thinking of a book that doesn't have a kid hurt in it that he's written....Maybe Lisey's Story? I'm sure there's others but you know what I mean.
Lisey's Story:
After Paul Landon gets the Bad Gunky, his family cannot deal with him and have to chain him like a wild animal, left in the dark and surrounded by his own sh.t. Then he has to be put to sleep.
Edit: I also welcome you, although I see you have been here since 2011, way longer than I have.
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*Prologue.
Sorry, had to - not meaning to be snarky, but it is really bugging me every time I see the thread title.
Sorry, had to - not meaning to be snarky, but it is really bugging me every time I see the thread title.
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...yessir, that was the reference....
...it grates on me as well....*Prologue.
Sorry, had to - not meaning to be snarky, but it is really bugging me every time I see the thread title.
Book? Drunkin Fireworks-- no children hurt.
Is OP British?*Prologue.
Sorry, had to - not meaning to be snarky, but it is really bugging me every time I see the thread title.
British Dictionary definitions for prologue
PROLOG
/ˈprəʊlɒɡ/
noun
1.
a computer programming language based on mathematical logic
Word Origin
C20: from pro (gramming in) log (ic)
I checked that as well before I posted, Spiders. Doesn't seem to apply to thread title.
No big deal, just bugged me. Lord knows, I typo enough myself.
Totally agree . Was just curious if OP was British. Computers have nothing to do with what OP meant.
.
See, not even that one! Point proven further! I have it on the shelf, but haven't read it in a couple of years or so. I should re-read it after I get done with my current books.
See, not even that one! Point proven further! I have it on the shelf, but haven't read it in a couple of years or so. I should re-read it after I get done with my current books.
I'm assuming that you are voicing a serious concern, and I don't want to belittle that. The reality is that children are often imperiled in Mr. King's stories--it's not easy to think of a book he's written where this is not either text or subtext. It's important to remember that in no story is such danger or fatality treated capriciously (though The Regulators skates the line, in my mind). Mr. King's stories often involve families or people who are damaged in some way. Unfortunately, such damage often occurs in childhood. Even with adult characters, the subtext of their childhood is a strong driver of their psychology. What happens to us when we are young echoes throughout our lives, sometimes reverberating to an excruciating level.
Mr. King is a master of human psychology--in my opinion, this is what keeps his stories fresh years after they are written. He does not flinch from showing us at our worst as well as at our best. It has ever been so with him--Doctor Sleep is in no way represents new territory for him (in fact, I found it to be his mildest treatment of tragedy).
If such subject matter is of concern to you, it would perhaps be best to look elsewhere for reading material. Conversely, when read with an open mind and thoughtful reflection, you might find food for thought in the complexity of human behavior. And you will definitely find a damn fine story.
What Mr. King writes is fiction. What happens out here in the world to adults and children is much, much worse, and there aren't any disclaimers, trust me friend.
Neesy
#1 fan (Annie Wilkes cousin) 1st cousin Mom's side
British spelling is prologue I think - even though I'm Canadian I'm old enough to have been taught British spelling
Welcome to the Board, but with absolutely no disrespect intended: Mr King owes no one - not even us, his constant readers - a forewarning on anything he chooses to write. We love him precisely because he takes us by the hand to the dark, scary places we dare not go by ourselves. Furthermore, we trust him to take us safely through to the light at the end.
This thread needs a theme song, look no further........
Good point!....must welcome the Troll!.....and seriously?....if King were to warn about the "bad things" in his stories-no point in reading the damn things....Holy Crap!.....
Bad things tend to happen in horror novels. Perhaps the solution is not for King to include disclaimers but to read something else.
If you don't like it, stop reading it, problem solved.
I see it a bit differently...yes, reading about torture and murder when it comes to children is disturbing, but in the end it's the power of a gifted child that's able to overcome and end their reign of torture and murder. It's dark and perhaps twisted, and some stuff was pretty detailed and gruesome. But even more disturbing is the fact that people like this (who find both torture AND murder amusing) really do exist, and (like SK mentions) they look "normal", hence the RV folks description, underlining the point that you can't judge a book by it's cover. That pun wasn't intended, but it was good, right? .
.Anyhow, yeah, it's a bit disturbing at times and if it's too disturbing there are a lot of other great novels out there. I personally don't care for any book or movie that's blood, guts, and gore (Cujo wasn't my cup of tea for instance) but the psychological aspect of some of SK's novels really get me.
Happy reading!