The Institute by Stephen King

[St. Troy]

Sometimes the same book can strike you a different way on a re-read.

Ain't that the truth. I read many King things when I was very young (I'm 49 now) and that leaves much room for opinion shift.

Some of my opinion changes stem directly from the fact that I'm now a parent, the way I feel about certain things with children (for some reason the many child deaths in It never bothered me to read, but Tad in Cujo really did, it felt like just too much when I re-read it five years ago).

Having a bit of perspective on life definitely has an effect. The Dead Zone also looked different; still the same great story, but the sense of my God, what a waste was overwhelming upon finishing my re-read around that time.

[St. Troy]

I liked Revival, and I even really liked that ending (that many didn't like).

[jeffingoff]

I loved Revival and thought it was a great story. Funny how things speak differently to the individual.

Yeah it's all so completely subjective. Sometimes the same book can strike you a different way on a re-read. There are no wrong opinions. Unless you like Bentley Little.

[Ben Staad]

I loved Revival and thought it was a great story. Funny how things speak differently to the individual.

Yeah it gets ridiculous in spots--all men are evil and helpless and hopeless. But I like the story. I wanted to know how it turned out. I'm very forgiving of King works. Even when he gets preachy and tries to shame me for shit I never did--and would never do. The only King book I hated and thought was a waste of my time was Revival. That's because the characters were completely undeveloped. Cardboard cutouts.

[jeffingoff]

Sounds like a skip for me.

Yeah it gets ridiculous in spots--all men are evil and helpless and hopeless. But I like the story. I wanted to know how it turned out. I'm very forgiving of King works. Even when he gets preachy and tries to shame me for shit I never did--and would never do. The only King book I hated and thought was a waste of my time was Revival. That's because the characters were completely undeveloped. Cardboard cutouts.

[Ben Staad]

Sounds okay but covered ground. I wonder why he didn't tie this back into The Shop? I like the page count and am a bit more interested in this then anything in the last few years.

[c marvel]

It was a CDCC offer today. I would expect it to go out the general email list soon.

Yes, I saw that email once I was awake again. Then I said Doh!


Cap

[Martin]

Where is the slipcase mentioned? Cap

It was a CDCC offer today. I would expect it to go out the general email list soon.

[St. Troy]

The Institute reminds me of Firestarter, Everything's Eventual, and Dr. Sleep - I am hopeful.

[St. Troy]

I really liked Sleeping Beauties (obnoxious self-flagellating white-male-cis-guilt aside).

Sounds like a skip for me.

[c marvel]

I just ordered a copy with the slipcase. It sounds good, and even if the subject matter has been covered a lot, you know SK's take on it will be worth reading.

Where is the slipcase mentioned? Cap

[Dave1442397]

I just ordered a copy with the slipcase. It sounds good, and even if the subject matter has been covered a lot, you know SK's take on it will be worth reading.

[Martin]

I will buy this day of release and be reading it shortly after I have it.

[sholloman81]

I am really looking forward to this one as well. I too agree that the synopsis sounds familiar to other books I've read; however, that won't stop me from picking up a copy. I for one have liked most of his newer books. While they may never reach the status of some of his earlier works that we all grew up with and love, I think they are worth a read and have never regretted a purchase. I finally got around to reading his newest "Elevation" and was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked it.

[jeffingoff]

I came away from the synopsis with two reactions:

1). It sounds like a far more entertaining, narrative/suspense-driven storyline than some of his other recent work, and 2). It sounds very familiar, like a tale I've already read several times before over the years...in varying detail, of course, but the fundamental story is the same.

Will I pick it up? Perhaps, but I'll certainly wait for the reviews first. With perhaps three or four exceptions in my decades of reading, I don't, as a rule, re-read books; life's too short. I tell ya, between recent disappointments like DR. SLEEP and SLEEPING BEAUTIES (and others which have received mixed reviews that I haven't bothered to attempt), his distastefully snide remarks on Twitter r.e. anyone who doesn't subscribe to his political perspective, and now apparently rehashing timeworn plots, King is making it pretty easy for me these days to lack enthusiasm r.e. his new releases. I adore, admire, and cherish his early classics, and post-2000 releases like JOYLAND and 11/22/63 indicate that he still has the magic from time to time, but I can't now but help approach each new release with some wariness. We'll see if THE INSTITUTE joins that very short list of recent exceptional work, or just becomes yet another listing in his lengthy bibliography that I haven't/won't read.

I really liked Sleeping Beauties (obnoxious self-flagellating white-male-cis-guilt aside).