Sequels can be a tricky business, especially if the original work is one as iconic and well-regarded as The Shining. They have to walk a tightrope between living up to the original and being a distinct story in their own right, and it’s a difficult balance to achieve. Fortunately, Stephen King brings his A-game to Doctor Sleep, and in doing so creates a compelling, suspenseful novel that brings the story of The Shining to a satisfying conclusion.
The book follows Dan Torrance, the boy with the gift of the ‘shining’, now grown-up and in the depths of alcoholism. He drifts from job to job, numbing his powers and the traumatic memories of his childhood with drink. After settling into a job as a hospice worker, he begins to receive messages from Abra Stone, a teenager who also has the gift. She is under threat from the True Knot, a group of paranormals who feast on the ‘steam’ produced by children with the shining, and their powerful and dangerous leader Rose the Hat.
In many ways, The Shining didn’t ‘need’ a sequel. The story was complete, with all loose ends tied off. However, what King has done with Doctor Sleep is essentially tell a standalone story with the same characters. It draws on and references The Shining, but otherwise has no connection with the previous book, which works to its advantage. Any attempt to replicate the success of The Shining wouldn’t have worked, so telling a new story is the perfect way to carry it on.
Dan and Abra are an appealing and likeable duo. After the concept was introduced in the first book, it’s fascinating to see how people with the shining interact and relate to each other. They have a student/mentor dynamic, and given how much trauma Dan’s been through, it’s genuinely heart-warming to see him get to pass on his knowledge and experience to a new generation. The True Knot are authentically nasty villains too, although a little thinly written.
Stephen King was himself an alcoholic and drug addict from the 70s to the late 80s, and has been very open about this fact. He draws on his experiences for Doctor Sleep, and there’s a strong sense that this is a form of catharsis. The best parts of the novel are when we’re following Dan on his journey from drunkenness to sobriety, feeling all the ups and downs along with him. Dan has one particular memory he regrets more than anything else, and the way King handles his struggle with his lowest point is brilliant.
There are plenty of scares and supernatural terrors in Doctor Sleep, but as always with King, it’s the human aspects that stick with you the most. Dan’s redemption arc in tutoring Abra, her coming-of-age story, and Dan’s relationships with his hospice patients form the heart of the novel. King cares deeply about his characters, even as he’s putting them through hell, and in Doctor Sleep there’s a particular affection for the ones he’s returned to all these years later. If you’ve read The Shining, it’s a real treat, and if not, you have a lot to look forward to.
Review by Charlie Alcock
In many ways, The Shining didn’t ‘need’ a sequel. The story was complete, with all loose ends tied off. However, what King has done with Doctor Sleep is essentially tell a standalone story with the same characters. It draws on and references The Shining, but otherwise has no connection with the previous book, which works to its advantage. Any attempt to replicate the success of The Shining wouldn’t have worked, so telling a new story is the perfect way to carry it on.
Dan and Abra are an appealing and likeable duo. After the concept was introduced in the first book, it’s fascinating to see how people with the shining interact and relate to each other. They have a student/mentor dynamic, and given how much trauma Dan’s been through, it’s genuinely heart-warming to see him get to pass on his knowledge and experience to a new generation. The True Knot are authentically nasty villains too, although a little thinly written.
Stephen King was himself an alcoholic and drug addict from the 70s to the late 80s, and has been very open about this fact. He draws on his experiences for Doctor Sleep, and there’s a strong sense that this is a form of catharsis. The best parts of the novel are when we’re following Dan on his journey from drunkenness to sobriety, feeling all the ups and downs along with him. Dan has one particular memory he regrets more than anything else, and the way King handles his struggle with his lowest point is brilliant.
There are plenty of scares and supernatural terrors in Doctor Sleep, but as always with King, it’s the human aspects that stick with you the most. Dan’s redemption arc in tutoring Abra, her coming-of-age story, and Dan’s relationships with his hospice patients form the heart of the novel. King cares deeply about his characters, even as he’s putting them through hell, and in Doctor Sleep there’s a particular affection for the ones he’s returned to all these years later. If you’ve read The Shining, it’s a real treat, and if not, you have a lot to look forward to.
Review by Charlie Alcock
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