Stephen King Fans discussion

I just found out that these two books are related. I've read Regulators a couple of times, but never read Desperation.

Can anyone enlighten me (without too many spoilers)? Are the characters the same? Should one come before the other? What's the deal?

Thanks!

Desperation and Regulators share the same cast of characters, mostly, but they are different characters and lead very different lives in each book.

They don't have to be read in any order. They are kind of like, alternate realities of each other. :)

Thanks, Becky. So they have the same names but are not the same people (or creatures or whatever)? Do they live in the same place?

Very interesting. King does some funny thinking-outside-the-box stuff every once in a while, and I love it.

Exactly. And No they don't live in the same place, one takes place in the desert, and one takes place in Ohio (I believe).

woohoo Ohio! haha...

Yeah. Desperation takes place in the Nevada desert, and Regulators in suburban Ohio.

Not just the desert, it's a mine, right?

Part of it is in a mine, but the majority is just in the desert.

And the mine is in the desert.

Touche. :P

not just a mine in the desert; a turn of the last Century abandoned and haunted mine.

a turn of the Century abandoned and haunted mine in the desert.

Hmm... Did anyone mention that it's in the desert?

I'll say again, that damn name Tak just gives me the willies. I do not care where it gets said...gross, gross, bad connotation name!

A turn of the Century abandoned and haunted mine in the desert and a street that eventually ends up existing in the imagination of a possessed little boy

Sarah wrote: "A turn of the Century abandoned and haunted mine in the desert and a street that eventually ends up existing in the imagination of a possessed little boy" wearing cheeto-stained underoos.

Hah!

Sarah, I think you would like Desperation--it's very powerful and has a spiritual twist that I found quite moving.

It's on my list, Mary. A lot of the reviews that I read compared it to The Stand. I'm not sure how I feel about that; The Stand is my favorite King work (along with the DT series) so it seems sacrilegious to compare it to the likes of something like Regulators. I'm sure I'll like it, I have never read a King I didn't like, but I'm trying not to get my hopes up too high.

It's good, Sarah. Not in the same ballpark as The Stand or the DT series, by any means. But still a good book. I actually prefer Regulators to Desperation, but they're comparable to each other.

Thanks, Chris. Once I'm caught up on all of my group reads, I'm on it!

I prefer Regulators to Desperation too, but I wouldn't say that either one is much like The Stand.

Little short of the bad guys these 2 books are totally different. Both are very good.

I read them so long ago I don't remember much about the specifics but do remember that they were very similiar. Sort of the alternate reality mentioned earlier. The thing that comes to my mind when I hear the titles of the books is a book light. When I purchased mine they came shrink wrapped together with a booklight. Funny the things that come to mind. ;)

Was the booklight a can-tah? LOL

nope... it was a cheep-o. ;) It didn't make it through the 1st book.

That's a shame!

I don't get why they insinuate these 2 books are connected... I read them & don't see it.. But then , perhaps I'm blind as a bat...
Happens

They have overlapping character names.

Didn't we say we were going ot try to read these back to back? I know we discussed it, but can't remember details. I'm kind of itching for another King and if we're going to anyway...

I'll reread 'Desperation' Not to keen on 'Regulators'

We were going to read them back to back to see exactly what the similarities and differences were.



Becky, Chris, Rachel, Kathy...anybody else that discussed this? Yoo hoo...what did we say?:)

Always wrote: "I don't get why they insinuate these 2 books are connected... I read them & don't see it.. But then , perhaps I'm blind as a bat...
Happens "

Always, these books are related. The characters from one are also in the other, only in different roles. They are alternate realities of each other, in a way.

Not only that, but they were released as a pair, and the covers to the HC editions match up and show the opposite book through a knothole in a fence.

K, I'm game... but probably in March. I have a kind of full line-up for February, but so far, March is OK. :)

Let me know. It's shaping up to be a King year. We have to get Chris.

Yep. I couldn't be happier!

Yeah, March Good for me 2.. Much longer month.. Desperation is what I'm talking about... But since I don't have the HC of Desperation, I'll take your word for it..

I'll see if I can post a picture to show you, Always. :)

:) Your so sweet :) Thank You

I have them shelved together, and they really do look pretty cool if you hold them side by side.

OK, it just dawned on me that my photos might cause some people's computers to lock up, so I've reposted the photos in the group pictures.

Front
http://www.goodreads.com/photo/group/...

Back
http://www.goodreads.com/photo/group/...

Aha! So that's where those pipes were playing....

Huh? *hides pipes behind my back*

I know not of what you speak. O_o

I see your point.. But I can't remember all the characters from 'Regulators or Desperation' Does it have some to do ------ Never mind, I might give something away & I ain't gettin' in trouble for that.

Becky wrote: "K, I'm game... but probably in March. I have a kind of full line-up for February, but so far, March is OK. :)"

I'm game for March, too! Count me in!!!

Check this site out it tells you all kinds of stuff.
http://www.malakoff.com/skdr.htm
Click on the evil monkey before you leave.

I really loved Desperation. Amazing story, good characters and a lot of action.

I paid a LOT OF money buying Regulators (here in Brazil you cannot find any SK's book).

I haven't read The Regulators yet and I really don't want to. It's seems to be boring and extremely supernatural.

I just reread Desperation last week, so count me in on a comparison of the two. I originally read it when it first came out, and was so scared I always thought I'd never be able to reread it, but finally screwed up the courage...wasn't too keen on Regulators, for some reason, felt queasy reading about the little boy, and that was before the chocolate milk moment

I think it's interesting that so many people preferred Desperation to The Regulators. I've always been the opposite.

I love them both, for different reasons (and some of the same reasons) but if called on to choose a favorite, I'd choose Regulators. Hmm!

Becky wrote: "I think it's interesting that so many people preferred Desperation to The Regulators. I've always been the opposite.

I love them both, for different reasons (and some of the same reasons) but i..."


I'm with you on that one.

Everyone has their own taste, It's what makes the world go round.. Nothing wrong w/that