Surprising/Shocking Moments In King's Work.

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Doc Creed

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Nov 18, 2015
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What are some of the moments that made you cringe?
Are there any scenes that took you by surprise?
Any gross-out moments?
Depressing? Shocking? I want to hear about it. If you'd simply put your answer in spoilers and leave only the book title for each spoiler that would aid all of us. Thank you.

One graphic and depressing scene is when Vic asks Donna about Tad, "How long has he been dead?". She has to be sedated and in a wild outburst she picks up the bat and starts clubbing Cujo's corpse; all the while her dead son is lying on a stretcher. You can just imagine her delirium and exhaustion in the sweltering heat. Gut-wrenching.

I was sort of taken off guard by the gun penetration scene with The Kid and Trashy. I didn't know why Trashcan Man didn't speak up afterwards. I mean, I know that he was scared but...he could've killed him in his sleep. I still try to understand the psychology of this scene and its relevance to the story. I'm curious what others thought.

I thought the Timmy Baterman animated corpse was just horrific. The maggots crawling across his scalp, his dusty dead hair, his walk...all of it. I can imagine the paralysis that would come over someone if they were to witness such a thing. My skin crawls. The scenes where Louis digs up Gage are so dark. The reader almost wants to enter the book to warn Louis. Stop! The reader just holds their breath.

The death of Anne, Bobbi's sister. Enough said.

I felt sick to my stomach at one scene in particular. I didn't see it coming. Thomas resents his brother and the love bestowed on him from his father. In that frame of mind he stones a dog to death, hating himself all the while. Sad, awful, ugly...just a brilliant look into Thomas's psyche.

There are more but I will wait for others to contribute.
 

Doc Creed

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I still cannot picture the can opener. I still don't really want to.
Lol, yes! I was probably going to put that one down, too. When I first read it I thought, "no way, you've got to be kidding me", lol. Then I remembered this is the guy who gave us Misery. That was a doozy! Definitely a cringe moment.
 

danie

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When Annie runs over the cop's head with the lawnmower. My stomach literally hurt while reading it.

The Space Cowboy rummaging around in his basket of bones and jewelry, and just the moment Jessie realizes "There was a man in the room."
 

Doc Creed

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When Annie runs over the cop's head with the lawnmower. My stomach literally hurt while reading it.

The Space Cowboy rummaging around in his basket of bones and jewelry, and just the moment Jessie realizes "There was a man in the room."
Yeah, definitely the Misery one. And to top it off...
the crushing blow that number one: his chances of rescue were diminished. Two: Paul's guilt for having "caused" his death by throwing the ashtray through the window.
 

Doc Creed

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I thought it was so poignant how Mike saved the last piece of chocolate out of his deceased wife's purse. Crying as he ate it he likens it to a type of communion. Very touching scene.

The last lines of the book were perfect. Thad stands alone at the end of the driveway, in the aftermath of the sparrows and Stark, and slowly puts both hands over his face. "He stood there like that for a long time."
 

recitador

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Sep 3, 2016
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What are some of the moments that made you cringe?
Are there any scenes that took you by surprise?
Any gross-out moments?
Depressing? Shocking? I want to hear about it. If you'd simply put your answer in spoilers and leave only the book title for each spoiler that would aid all of us. Thank you.

One graphic and depressing scene is when Vic asks Donna about Tad, "How long has he been dead?". She has to be sedated and in a wild outburst she picks up the bat and starts clubbing Cujo's corpse; all the while her dead son is lying on a stretcher. You can just imagine her delirium and exhaustion in the sweltering heat. Gut-wrenching.

I was sort of taken off guard by the gun penetration scene with The Kid and Trashy. I didn't know why Trashcan Man didn't speak up afterwards. I mean, I know that he was scared but...he could've killed him in his sleep. I still try to understand the psychology of this scene and its relevance to the story. I'm curious what others thought.

I thought the Timmy Baterman animated corpse was just horrific. The maggots crawling across his scalp, his dusty dead hair, his walk...all of it. I can imagine the paralysis that would come over someone if they were to witness such a thing. My skin crawls. The scenes where Louis digs up Gage are so dark. The reader almost wants to enter the book to warn Louis. Stop! The reader just holds their breath.

The death of Anne, Bobbi's sister. Enough said.



I felt sick to my stomach at one scene in particular. I didn't see it coming. Thomas resents his brother and the love bestowed on him from his father. In that frame of mind he stones a dog to death, hating himself all the while. Sad, awful, ugly...just a brilliant look into Thomas's psyche.

There are more but I will wait for others to contribute.

i'll have to think about my answer to this one. in reference to your "stand" moment:
not sure about it's relevance to the story in particular, but psychologically speaking, it demonstrates the relationship between abuser/abused. trashcan man wasn't all there to begin with, and he spent his whole life being beaten down, psychologically speaking. and people who are abusive have a sense for that sort of thing sometimes, something king has explored more than once (think tom rogan homing in on beverly in It). trashcan man took the abuse because he was used to being a target, and he was terrified of the crazy SOB. even if you're not used to being a victim, fear of death can paralyze you and keep you from taking action when you have opportunity.