In this sequel to the “Shining” we see booze hound and drifter Dan Torrance finally settling down in a small town in New Hampshire, going to AA meetings and working as a night porter in the local hospice. Being sober, his supernatural talents enable him to help people die peacefully while receiving telepathic messages from a young girl.
This meaty book leisurely describes in gratuitous details scenes of mundane action. It goes on and on and the longer it went on I was hoping that something weird or horrible will happen soon or that some kind of abnormal happening would eventually irrupt to keep me from falling asleep. What a boring story….yes we do have some eerie moments but this book does not deliver a good scare and definitely lacks in brute fright. Having said this, some of the melancholic scenes are very touching especially when Dan accompanies elderly residents during their final moments. Although I may not have cared much for this book it is by far better than its prequel: the sentences are crisper and the imagery far more surprising. As for the characterization: the main player, Dan, lacks brightness and is uninteresting, Abra, the young girl is too perfect, too powerful and too amazing and the True Knot members are a loathsome bunch that were not as frightening beings as those in the “Shinning”. One of the most loveable characters is the therapy cat, what is not to love when a cat can predict the deaths of terminally ill patient and be at their side till their last breath….I said enough; definitely this story was not for me.
Whether you like this book or not “Doctor Sleep” is a far-fetched read that delves into the darkest depths of human frailness…..
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