Helpful Score: 2
Grips you from the first page. The first few chapters of a lone traveler settling in a town offer some good character development and interesting story. Then you learn about The Institutionalization, where the book gets its name. This, too, offers excellent character development and imaginitive story. You wonder, though, HOW can these two completely different stories (in two very different parts of the country) related?? Well, we the reader certainly find out. What follows is a wild ride, for sure. Excellent story. Disturbing in every delicious way.
I found this book to be enticing from the very beginning. A story that seems oddly plausible which makes it that much more eerie. It is a long read, but in that are many details and such well written passages about the characters to love and cheer for. I enjoyed the ending and a few twists along the way.
This is in my top ten of Stephen King Books. I've read about 80% of his work. After the first 100 pages I couldn't put it down. The only thing that I did not like was that he inserted political views in the story that really did not need to be there. It had nothing to do with the story or the storyline or what was going on at the time that he writes it. I have mixed feelings about the last section of the book as well. It could have been done better. Otherwise it was a great story, great idea. Made you think "What if this is really going on?"
I have mixed feelings about this book, and they have nothing to do with the quality of the writing. King is a master of fiction. His characters come alive, his dialogue is real, the settings are vivid, the plots move along at the right place, he can make you believe in bizarre scenarios, and basically he creates a world that keeps you turning pages. I've read so many of his books. There's a reason he's an umpty-million bestseller. It's all evident here. You can't help but feel what Luke feels, and that's where my problem lies. This book spends almost the whole time describing the torture of children. Not in any salacious way, it's clear the adults are monsters, but that's what the book is about. This is not a new theme in horror (or, sadly, in real life) and certainly not a new theme with King. But I don't know. I spent half the book wanting it to be over. Maybe that's a testament to the power of King's writing; this is fiction after all, no one's really getting hurt. After thinking about it some, it might be that the ending was not as satisfying as I wanted (not saying more because of spoilers). Anyway I just don't think I want to read it again...but it's a damn good story.
In any reading of the synopsis of The Institute, it should be clear that the torture of children figures highly in the story. If this is something you simply cannot read about, do not pick up this book. I've always seemed to have a higher tolerance level for some things and having read many Stephen King novels, I knew that the payback for the perpetrators would be extremely satisfying. King takes time in setting up his story, laying out plots and subplots, populating his landscape with memorable characters, and using pop culture references like spaghetti Westerns, Dr. Seuss, and Reese's peanut butter cups to make us feel as though we're part of the story, too.
Those who have read The Institute will know what I'm talking about when I mention the humming that can be felt with increasing frequency. I experienced my own hum... more of a visceral thrum of anger... as it became more and more clear what was being done to these children. King made me want to take part in his payback, oh did he ever!
King has written before about the amazing power of what children can do together as a group, and as I neared the climax of The Institute, I realized once more that there's nothing better than the end of a Stephen King novel when the Forces of Good finally have their act together and have taken aim at the Forces of Evil. Payback can be a wonderful thing in the hands of a master.
Those who have read The Institute will know what I'm talking about when I mention the humming that can be felt with increasing frequency. I experienced my own hum... more of a visceral thrum of anger... as it became more and more clear what was being done to these children. King made me want to take part in his payback, oh did he ever!
King has written before about the amazing power of what children can do together as a group, and as I neared the climax of The Institute, I realized once more that there's nothing better than the end of a Stephen King novel when the Forces of Good finally have their act together and have taken aim at the Forces of Evil. Payback can be a wonderful thing in the hands of a master.
Tautly written.
The story is emotional and gripping. Horrifying and unrelenting. Both relatable and mind-boggling. Frustrating for all the right reasons. The pace never let up, Every character - big and small- were thoroughly developed and - those good and bad - were great additions to the story.
The narrator took a chapter or two to vibe with, but ended up doing justice to the story. I will physically read it in the future as it's a story you shouldn't experience only once, but also because even though the narrator was good, there are narrators better suited for this story.
The story is emotional and gripping. Horrifying and unrelenting. Both relatable and mind-boggling. Frustrating for all the right reasons. The pace never let up, Every character - big and small- were thoroughly developed and - those good and bad - were great additions to the story.
The narrator took a chapter or two to vibe with, but ended up doing justice to the story. I will physically read it in the future as it's a story you shouldn't experience only once, but also because even though the narrator was good, there are narrators better suited for this story.
