But did I mind? No - I loved reading about Ralph, Lois, Bill McGovern and his Panama hat, Lafayette 'Faye' Chapin and his chess tournaments, Dorrance 'Old Dor' Marstellar and his books of poetry, Ralph's grief over the loss of his wife, his increasing insomnia, the incipient romance between him and Lois, Rosalie the stray dog.Ralph and Lois are gradually drawn into a fantastic world, in which they can walk through solid objects, living things are surrounded by colorful auras, and the life-energy represented by the auras can be used as a weapon against foes only perceptible on this higher level of existence. It took many pages and many hours of reading to find out what this book had to do with the Dark Tower. In this book we (briefly) meet one of the higher up 'bad guys,' described variously as the Crimson King, Red King, or Kingfish. The tower extends immeasurably upward, and the higher you go, the faster time moves, and the wider the view you get of existence. Existence is vertical, with us ordinary humans ('short timers') on the ground floor, and 'long time' beings we can't usually see existing a few flights up. Through the medium of Ralph's insomnia, it moves step by slow step into another dimension of reality.That dimension is described by the metaphor of the Dark Tower - so this book serves as a side trip on the quest of reading the Dark Tower series. It begins in the realm of ordinary life, among 'the Harris Avenue Old Crocks,' as hero Ralph Roberts calls the retired folks of Derry, Maine. This is one of King's long books, which unfolds slowly. It is a well written book populated with characters you will care about for the duration of the book (and after!). It isn't horror per se, as most of King's books aren't in the strictest definition of the horror genre. This might well be considered an ancillary Dark Tower book, as The Talisman, Black House, The Stand and now 'Salem's Lot (for Father Callahan) are.Give this book a read. Younger readers may not appreciate all the nuances regarding growing old that King conveys in this book.More importantly, though, my second reading has made me realize how connected this book is with The Dark Tower series King is finishing this year. If anything, King's message is probably 'leave it alone' which I guess can be interpreted that he supports women's choice, but he really doesn't browbeat his opinions through his book (unlike say Dan Brown in The Da Vinci Code).I do think you have to be of a certain age to connect with the characters. King populates both sides of the argument with good and bad people. Do not be fooled into thinking there is a lengthy diatribe about the abortion issue. Now in my thirties, and not being as bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, I recently dusted off my hardcover and re-read this.In my opinion this has to rank among the best King has done. When I first read this in 1994, I was in my early twenties and didn't really connect with the older characters of this book. This has to be one of King's most misunderstood and underappreciated works. Listen, let the goose bumps rise, and enjoy every line. To compound matters Ralph's lady friend, Lois Chasse, suffers from the same malady, and it seems they've been chosen to put things right - if possible. He becomes aware not only of another plane of existence but that his hometown is in grave danger from an evil force. No, Ralph's insomnia involves seeing things, hazes or auras if you will as well as colors around his friends. Ralph's problem is not a mere case of tossing, turning, then finally dropping off. Many of us probably have a sleepless night or two, but few are as troubled by insomnia as Ralph Roberts., a widower who lives in Derry, Maine.

His narration of Insomnia leaves listeners both chilled and thrilled by his rendering of this iconic tale. Wallach also penned his autobiography The Good, The Bad, and Me: In My Anecdotage, which I surely recommend. He has received four Emmy nominations, and received a Tony for his role in The Rose Tattoo. While Wallach's name might not be familiar to some, his face certainly is as he has appeared in numerous major films, such as The Magnificent Seven, The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, and The Misfits.

He gives us one more outstanding performance as he narrates Stephen King's lauded Insomnia. A method actor who received much of his training at the famed Actor's Studio, Eli Wallach has been delivering stellar performances on both stage and screen for the past 50 years.

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