Books Stephen King Recommends discussion

Comments for Part 3 go here.

OMG!!! so much has gone on in this part. I'm going to try to discuss these slowly.....

first, can I just say that in this section Paul is acting like a spoiled kid!!! I undestand that Arlen and Rebecca hurt his heart, but Rebecca is not interested in him that way - she thinks of him just like her brother Owen. In my mind, I look at Arlen like Paul's dad, he looks out for him and help him to make the right decisions, like telling me to send money home to help his mom. But every since Paul came back to Cypress House, he is being very disrepectful to Arlen. What a brat, which solidify my previous comments about Paul being immature!

Owen, I think Owen is living in a dream world! why is he trying to act like he has seen the world?? He is all of 20 years old and haven't been anyplace except for Cypress House and prison!! He is telling these stories like he has had major life experiences! I also don't think that his time in prison was like real time - I'm saying that to mean, I am sure that Solomon made sure that he was taken care of there, I think he wanted him out of the way for a while so he could control Rebecca more.

I can't belive how the whole set up to kill Wade has changed so many times - wow - and I was totally shocked by Paul's story, with Barrett and the FBI coming to talk to him, but I do remember Barrett being interested in where and why Paul left Cypress House.

Ok, and who was shocked that Arlen can talk to the dead just like his dad!!! wow!!! I was not ready for that at all!!!!

A lot of loose ends were brought together in this part, on to Part 4!!!

Owen certainly did change things in this part. His introduction on the scene was disruptive from the beginning. I found myself wondering how different it might have been if Paul had still been there when Owen first came home from prison.
I agree, Linda, Owen has not seen much of life and his time in prison was likely easy with Wade's influence.
I wasn't sure Rebecca would leave. I didn't know if Arlen would let her go alone. The agony that both Rebecca and Paul have felt by attempting to reconcile the possibility that Arlen's abilities to see death could be true with their natural sense of disbelief, has been one of the best parts of the story. It did not prepare me for the revelation that Arlen can hear the dead and communicate with them.
Rebecca's belief in Arlen and his Dad's gift did finally endear her to me a bit as she softened into someone who had the capacity to give Arlen what he needs - her trust and faith.

If Paul had been there when Owen came home, I also think the story would have gone in a totally different direction.

The first time that Rebecca and Arlen got together - I was like... why???? To me they didn't really have a connection, and at the time - Arlen was given her a hard time with wanting to know everything that was going on at Cypress House and then she sleeps with him... that was just odd to me.

Linda: I agree, she was such a cold person, it was hard to like her at all.
Linda wrote: "The first time that Rebecca and Arlen got together - I was like... why???? To me they didn't really have a connection, and at the time - Arlen was given her a hard time with wanting to know everything that was going on at Cypress House and then she sleeps with him... that was just odd to me. "

Agreed, I felt a little bit sorry for her, because of her situation, but I didn't like her as a person.

I agree that Rebecca seemed like a cold fish, and didn't quite understand Arlen's attraction to her, other than she was beautiful.

And yes, Paul is just so immature, I wanted to slap him and tell him to grow up.

Owen... what a character. Another immature selfish brat. He definitely saw nothing wrong with continuing a life of crime. He was so blind to everything going on and had so little empathy for his sister.

I'm not sure what Arlen was thinking about, other then Rebecca being attractive - we all know how visual men are!!!

Owen was a brat, to me he was more of a brat then Paul was. I can't believe that he got out of jail and wanted to go right back to doing the same things that put him in jail the first time and for the same person!!! How crazy was that!!!