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trish204 's review for:
Sleeping Beauties
by Owen King, Stephen King
As collaborations go, this was very good. Maybe because it's father and son writing, I don't know. However, it was NOT a horror novel like I had thought. It was firmly in fantasy territory if you ask me. Not that I mind, it was just unexpected. As the title suggests, it had a fairy-tale undertone.
The story is about a mysterious "sleeping sickness" befalling all women on Earth. It starts in Australia and works its way around the globe. Some women fight it, but many end up cocooned in webbing.
Soon (and I mean within about 24hours which I thought was a bit excessive), the world falls apart, men realizing that without women the human race will die out. In one Appalachian town in the US, in a prison for women, a woman called Eevie is not only awake and chipper but apparently also pulling strings to make sure certain events happen.
We soon get to know that the women aren't just asleep but also.
As soon as certain men hear about a woman being awake and possibly being the reason for the sleeping sickness (and thus maybe also the cure), the race to get her begins.
In typical King fashion, the focus was on the people here. Men and women, young and old. And boy, did I detest most of them - as is also usual for a King novel. *lol*
Moreover, while it was fine and even funny to read certain comments about "locker-room talk" and references to current events, it grew old fairly quickly. You see, I hate the "hate men" genre that seems to have sprung up lately. Don't get me wrong: I'm acutely aware that there are many bad men out there and what they have done and are still doing. In fact, I'm unfortunately related to some such specimen. However, that does in no way mean that all or even the majority of men are like that and I hate slanted views.
This is also why the ending felt quite weak. It was indeed like a classic fairytale where everything gets resolved as if by magic, far too easy considering the numerous realistic conflicts (both in the book and real life, which the authors constantly nodded to after all).
That might also be why I detested Lilah especially. I mean,! And don't get me started on Frank's wife. I wanted to strangle that b****! Granted, mostly because I have a serious hate for all hypocrites and she did the exact same thing she accused her husband of in the beginning, but it was more than that.
The constant droning on about how men did this and that and were solely responsible for everything going bad in the history of the human race ... seriously?! What a cop-out! How about facing your own actions instead of looking for scapegoats?! So I'm glad at least some of the women actually saw that (funnily enough, it was mostly the female inmates).
As it is, it often read as if the authors were on a male guilt trip and while I deeply respect them for acknowledging all the things that are being done to women, I also think they took it too far because by a certain point they were demonizing the men. Just look at the end and how. To quote one of the characters: BULLSHIT.
Anyway, there were a few minor insinuations that rubbed me the wrong way such as but those really were minor ones and didn't stop me from enjoying the story. Plus, we had the mythical creatures (some more developed than others) that gave the story an additional boost. I really like how King typically analyzes human society and gives one perspective / outlook.
By the way, there were 5 special editions of the hardback back when this came out and I made sure I got one. 5 because of the 5 mythical creatures (white tiger, moth, snake, fox, peacock) and of course I went and got the fox. And it turned out to have been a great choice because of the 5 of them, he was the coolest. :D
The story is about a mysterious "sleeping sickness" befalling all women on Earth. It starts in Australia and works its way around the globe. Some women fight it, but many end up cocooned in webbing.
Soon (and I mean within about 24hours which I thought was a bit excessive), the world falls apart, men realizing that without women the human race will die out. In one Appalachian town in the US, in a prison for women, a woman called Eevie is not only awake and chipper but apparently also pulling strings to make sure certain events happen.
We soon get to know that the women aren't just asleep but also
Spoiler
waking up "on the other side". This "other side" is like a dreamworld to which you go either by falling asleep or by going through a so-called Mother Tree. Time is different there and the women of the small American town soon learn to live thereAs soon as certain men hear about a woman being awake and possibly being the reason for the sleeping sickness (and thus maybe also the cure), the race to get her begins.
In typical King fashion, the focus was on the people here. Men and women, young and old. And boy, did I detest most of them - as is also usual for a King novel. *lol*
Moreover, while it was fine and even funny to read certain comments about "locker-room talk" and references to current events, it grew old fairly quickly. You see, I hate the "hate men" genre that seems to have sprung up lately. Don't get me wrong: I'm acutely aware that there are many bad men out there and what they have done and are still doing. In fact, I'm unfortunately related to some such specimen. However, that does in no way mean that all or even the majority of men are like that and I hate slanted views.
This is also why the ending felt quite weak. It was indeed like a classic fairytale where everything gets resolved as if by magic, far too easy considering the numerous realistic conflicts (both in the book and real life, which the authors constantly nodded to after all).
Spoiler
I liked how Nana missed her father and how most women argued about why they wanted to go back but then it was as if Eevie had snapped her fingers and made all the problems go away with a simple prescription instead of people actually resolving the issues and thereby growing to be better people.That might also be why I detested Lilah especially. I mean,
Spoiler
maybe she didn't really want that goddamned pool but couldn't she have simply spoken up about it?! How about communication (for which at least two people are needed)?! Apart from it just being a friggin pool she got so hung up about (yes, I know it stands for more than just a basin full of water)! No, it was easier to blame it all on her husband even though she knew perfectly well that he was one of the good guysThe constant droning on about how men did this and that and were solely responsible for everything going bad in the history of the human race ... seriously?! What a cop-out! How about facing your own actions instead of looking for scapegoats?!
Spoiler
Because - and yes, I said this to a victim of domestic abuse I'm related to when she repeatedly declined to take (assisted) action - no matter how mean or powerful a man is, you can at least TRY.As it is, it often read as if the authors were on a male guilt trip and while I deeply respect them for acknowledging all the things that are being done to women, I also think they took it too far because by a certain point they were demonizing the men. Just look at the end and how
Spoiler
drugs were the only way the men could be changed (not being angry all the time) - as if they were somehow sick (genetically even) and not capable of being peaceful and nice otherwiseAnyway, there were a few minor insinuations that rubbed me the wrong way such as
Spoiler
this being "the world of men", sounding as if there should be a divide or that if you're not the way others want you, you'll get drugged until you areBy the way, there were 5 special editions of the hardback back when this came out and I made sure I got one. 5 because of the 5 mythical creatures (white tiger, moth, snake, fox, peacock) and of course I went and got the fox. And it turned out to have been a great choice because of the 5 of them, he was the coolest. :D