Random Reads discussion

Let's talk about Chapters 1-12 here.

I read way further than I needed to before realizing I needed to comment my thoughts! 😂 So far I’m intrigued but it’s very slow going. He’s clearly setting up all the characters that are going to end up surviving this flu. I’m liking getting all their backstories and getting to know them. King is a master at sucking you in and making you care. So far Nick is my favorite. I find him super intriguing. Also audio was definitely the way to go with this one!

I first read this as the original paperback way back in the mid-80's, and while I enjoyed it overall, it felt like it took forever for the story to get moving. I reread this a few years ago as the uncut version and I loved every moment of it, and it was the fastest 1,000 page book I've ever read. While I wouldn't have normally jumped into my third read of this book so soon, I'm excited to do so here.

I know that people say this book starts slow, but the opening scenes of Campion on the run and crashing into the gas pumps sucks me in every time. How quickly a virus like this can spread is all too real and frightening.

These chapters are definitely used to introduce the reader to the characters, and it has been fun to make their acquaintance again.

That whole section where he shows you how the virus was getting passed from person to person so easily had me like 😳. It reminded me a little bit of the beginning of the Covid pandemic in our area. The first case in our county was some guy who had recently traveled and all they said was something like “if you were at the Burger King on such and such cross street on this day at this time you may have been exposed” and then of course a few days later none of those details mattered or they couldn’t keep track of it all. It’s just creepy that all of those people in the book were getting infected and had no idea, because the people who infected them had no idea they were even sick and so on and so on.

I’m glad we briefly met Nick in this section. He’s probably my favorite character (him and Tom Cullen, who we meet later). Stu is pretty great too.

I watched the TV miniseries quite a few times as a kid so I picture those actors playing the characters as I’m reading. I watched the first episode of the revamped miniseries and didn’t like it so gave up 😕