THRILLER: Dreamcatcher, Stephen King
Content Warnings: Graphic Violence/ Death, Bullying, Loss of Autonomy, (Mass) Contagion
Having written dozens of bestselling books, horror and thriller novelist Stephen King has had more than his fair share of success. However, the almost 700-page work Dreamcatcher is one that tends to fly under the radar, through no fault of its own. Written in 2001, Dreamcatcher was the 45th novel published by King, and one of no great success, unfortunately. There was a movie made in 2003 featuring Morgan Freeman, however, it did not take off. King himself stated that he was not only dissatisfied with the movie, but his novel as well.
Dreamcatcher follows four friends, bound together by their love for their childhood friend “Duddits,” as they vacation on their annual winter hunting trip in the Maine woods. Unbeknownst to them, their cabin is stationed right in the middle of a government quarantine zone. There is an infestation: lamprey-like parasitic worms affectionately named “shitweasels” by the military occupying the zone; flesh-eating and infesting redgold fungus known as “Ripley;” and one telepathic–and actively decaying–Mr. Gray. Fortunately for Mr. Gray, there are plenty of human resources for his goals…
In spite of the author’s dislike for the novel, Dreamcatcher is a wonderful story that has a moderate ease of reading, though quite extensive. If you’re in the market for a wintry alien thriller–including a brief allusion to Pennywise which utterly baffles the alien mentality possessing a college professor–then this is the book for you.
NOVEL: The Godfather, Mario Puzo
Content Warnings: Violence/Death, Manipulation, Domestic Abuse, Some Sexual Content
“I’m going to make him an offer he can’t refuse.” If you’ve ever heard this infamous line (or perhaps its counterpart, “Keep your friends close and your enemies closer,”), then you have experienced the impact of The Godfather, whether you want to or not. Written in 1969, Mario Puzo’s classic portrayal of the fictional Corleone Family has been the subject of equal idolization and ridicule over the years, and was immortalized further by Francis Ford Coppola’s film trilogy based on the novel.
The Godfather follows the Corleones, a family of Sicilian immigrants living in New York, and their subsequent criminal empire built on friendship, honor, family, and blood. There is a war brewing between The Five Families, the leaders of the Mafia underworld in America; the novel follows the Corleone family members as they attempt to handle the situation in their own ways. The head of the family, Don Vito Corleone, attempts at negotiation and peaceful resolution. The heir apparent, Santino “Sonny” Corleone, as he works to defend his family’s honor and fights to keep their dignity. And the prodigal son, Michael Corleone, who wants nothing to do with the family business, as he is forced to face the family’s struggles in the most direct way possible.
The Godfather consists of a variety of themes working in tandem: loyalty and betrayal; family and revenge; power and corruption; masculinity and gender. However, it does take place in the late 1940s, and does use some Italian/Sicilian phrases throughout, so you may want to be prepared to research some definitions while reading.
POEM: The Snow, Rod McKuen
THE SNOW
The snow, the snow keeps on falling
All white like the down of the dove.
The snow, the snow keeps on falling
Worthless, like the tears you cry over.
The lovers promenade like so many sheep
Then home they go to the fire’s glow
To smile and love and sleep.
And all the snowmen are melting away
The children go again on their way
While the snow, the snow keeps on falling
All white like the down of a dove.
The snow, the snow keeps on falling
Worthless, like the tears you cry over love.
I had never heard of McKuen until my grandmother gifted me three of his poetry collections. This poem is from the selection Listen to the Warm, published first in 1966. In addition to his successful career as a writer, McKuen had a successful career in music, producing several albums over his lifetime.
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