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kandicez 's review for:
The Regulators
by Stephen King
This is the companion book to [b:Desperation|10584|Desperation|Stephen King|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1205092779s/10584.jpg|14015], and although it's listed here as being written by Stephen King, it was actually Richard Bachman. Ha ha, for those of you that know they are one and the same. King/Bachman uses the same character names in both books which makes for an exercise in memory if they are read close together. For the first 100 or so pages I would think of the character from Desperation as the name was recycled in The Regulators. As a testament to his skill, after that point, I was able to keep them straight, and even their faces slowly changed from what I had pictured to who they were in this book.
The story is about Seth Garin, an 8 year old autistic who has been spiritually invaded by "Tak". Tak has spent centuries trapped in the Earth before he is unwittingly set free by a mining company. Seth's very specialness is what allows Tak to call him, and then reside in Seth. I hesitate to call it a haunting or a possession because as the story progresses, you realize that neither of these is really the case. Seth is a conduit, yes, but he is still there, not subverted, so much as muzzled, when Tak is in charge. What must be more frustrating is that Seth was barely able to communicate before Tak, and now that he has something he really needs to convey, it's made impossible by an outside force, in addition to his brains inability to do so.
Through Seth, Tak becomes obsessed with Motokops 2200 (a futuristic cartoon) and the old west. Seth loves old western television series like Rawhide, Gunsmoke, and his favorite, Bonanza. As he grows more powerful in Seth's body, he begins to bring these things to life and terrorize a suburban block. Mayhem, fire and death insue.
The book is very fast paced and grabs you right from page one. We as the reader are shown what's taking place, but aren't really given clues as to why until well into the story. It doesn't matter. I didn't much care why, until it was actually revealed. I just wanted to see what was going to happen next. As with most of King's books, it wasn't the actual events I found most interesting, although they were rather interesting, but the people's reactions to them. The emotions behind their actions. Their responses to yet another unbelievable, and unexplainable onslaught of tragedy.
The hardest thing to read was the fact that, even though he was autistic, Seth was in there! Under his blank stares, inability to convey his thoughts, needs and desires verbally, he was intelligent and articulate. But, only in his mind. I know this is fiction, and only King's idea of what could be behind an autistic face, it was just so sad. Seth does his best to save those he loves. To put a stop to the sufferring of those around him. He was able to hide thoughts, scheme and make plans. He figured out strategy that the adults in charge of his care never thougt of themselves. To imagine all that going on in an autistic child's mind with no conceivable outlet is just...well hard to imagine.
The story is about Seth Garin, an 8 year old autistic who has been spiritually invaded by "Tak". Tak has spent centuries trapped in the Earth before he is unwittingly set free by a mining company. Seth's very specialness is what allows Tak to call him, and then reside in Seth. I hesitate to call it a haunting or a possession because as the story progresses, you realize that neither of these is really the case. Seth is a conduit, yes, but he is still there, not subverted, so much as muzzled, when Tak is in charge. What must be more frustrating is that Seth was barely able to communicate before Tak, and now that he has something he really needs to convey, it's made impossible by an outside force, in addition to his brains inability to do so.
Through Seth, Tak becomes obsessed with Motokops 2200 (a futuristic cartoon) and the old west. Seth loves old western television series like Rawhide, Gunsmoke, and his favorite, Bonanza. As he grows more powerful in Seth's body, he begins to bring these things to life and terrorize a suburban block. Mayhem, fire and death insue.
The book is very fast paced and grabs you right from page one. We as the reader are shown what's taking place, but aren't really given clues as to why until well into the story. It doesn't matter. I didn't much care why, until it was actually revealed. I just wanted to see what was going to happen next. As with most of King's books, it wasn't the actual events I found most interesting, although they were rather interesting, but the people's reactions to them. The emotions behind their actions. Their responses to yet another unbelievable, and unexplainable onslaught of tragedy.
The hardest thing to read was the fact that, even though he was autistic, Seth was in there! Under his blank stares, inability to convey his thoughts, needs and desires verbally, he was intelligent and articulate. But, only in his mind. I know this is fiction, and only King's idea of what could be behind an autistic face, it was just so sad. Seth does his best to save those he loves. To put a stop to the sufferring of those around him. He was able to hide thoughts, scheme and make plans. He figured out strategy that the adults in charge of his care never thougt of themselves. To imagine all that going on in an autistic child's mind with no conceivable outlet is just...well hard to imagine.