Some people are fans of Stephen King’s earlier works over his more recent books, but I am in the opposite camp. I like how the master story teller that is Stephen King has become more gentle and contemplative in his stories, without losing any complexity, character building and tension (in my humble opinion!).
I really wanted to read Doctor Sleep, but since I had never read The Shining (I don’t remember watching the movie, although my hubby insists that we watched it together years ago) so I (with some trepidation) listened to The Shining first, then Doctor Sleep.
So, yes, I think it is important to read both books because so much of the character of Danny, the main protagonist of Doctor Sleep, is based on the journey he went on in The Shining, where he was a small boy in a terrifying situation, but I did much prefer the sequel to the original!
The ladies in my book group are horrified and mystified at my being a fan of Stephen King because they just see ‘horror’ and think gore and violence and evil, and yes, those things are in these books to an extent, but there is so much more – so much goodness and strong moral character overcoming the terrible challenges that the evil puts in their path, and ultimately so much optimism and life affirming joy.
I kind of (hmm, not so much) enjoyed The Shining, but I loved Doctor Sleep!
Sarah Wray Writer 