Insomnia

By: Stephen King

Narrated by: Eli Wallach

A number-one national best seller

Since his wife died, Ralph Roberts has been having trouble sleeping. Each night he wakes up a bit earlier until he's barely sleeping at all. During his late-night walks, he observes some strange things going on in Derry, Maine. He sees colored ribbons streaming from people's heads, two strange little men wandering around town after dark, and more. He begins to suspect that these visions are something more than hallucinations brought on by lack of sleep.

There's a definite mean streak running through this small New England city; underneath its ordinary surface awesome and terrifying forces are at work. The dying has been going on in Derry for a long, long time. Now Ralph is part of it...and lack of sleep is the least of his worries.

Returning to the same Maine town where It took place, a town that has haunted Stephen King for decades, Insomnia blends King's trademark bone-chilling realism with supernatural terror to create yet another masterpiece of suspense.

©1994 Stephen King (P)1994 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"A yarn so packed with suspense, romance, literary reference, fascinating miscellaneous knowledge, and heart that only Stephen King could have written it. Marvelous - that is, full of marvels." ( Booklist)

I love this book, but the music nearly killed it

I have read Insomnia twice before and I love the story. This is the first time I've listened to the audio performance, and while the narration itself is very good, the music that pops up at exciting or emotional moments almost made me quit listening several times. At first it was just annoying, but when you're listening with headphones to fairly even toned narration and all of sudden are blasted by screaming guitar, or when you're listening to intense dialogue that is drowned out by louder than necessary music, it's frustrating beyond belief. I made it through, but I cursed the music every time it popped up. I highly recommend the book, especially if you're a fan of the Dark Tower series as it ties in with it amazingly well, but be prepared to be bombarded by unnecessary musical accents.

Disappointing

I rarely stop short of finishing a book but I stopped with 8 hours to go.
The story is accented with music that is loud. Calling it music is a stretch. it's closer to raw screeching. This was, in large part, the reason I had to abandon the book.

Excellent book. Horrible music.

Great book and highly recommended. The random music was loud and annoying, but don't let it stop you from this wonderful book.

Story was great, but the music was terrible!

I would like to find the person who thought it was a good idea to put terrible music that was too loud and annoying in random places throughout the performance and smack them! Though the story dragged in parts it was still very good but the music-ugh!

Really enjoyed this book

this one kept me wondering what was next. it started a little slow, but good character development.

Good story, annoying audio

Story is good, but the narration is a little difficult to hear because of the narrator’s soft voice. Also has annoying “audio effects/music” at intense points in the story. This is jarring and totally unnecessary and detracts from the narration. Wish that the audiobook was recorded differently, more cleanly.

Music

The little "eerie" music in the transitions got really annoying but a great book either way

The music/sound effects are incredibly annoying

Love the story, Love the narrator. absolutely hated the foley mixing. I have never read an audiobook that has this. Why would anyone stick this kind of audio garbage inside an audiobook?

insomnia

OK King fare, long but engrossing. Wallach is good but the music is bit distracting at first. it grows on you though, after a while. Story starts out very intriguing at first but once the plot is realized it does get kinda of silly with similar mumbo jumbo good vs evil King ramblings that It had, Kings other Derry epic. In a way it could have been Its sequel but not I assure u but if Stephen King changed a few little things it could have been.

Okay, but not great

Overall the story was okay but very slow. Random music was annoying. Narrator was okay.