Insomnia and Warhol

I finally finished Stephen King's book Insomnia. It's listed by many official and unofficial lists as one of his "top 10" novels. I'm not so sure on that one. You may recall from blogs of a couple years back how I've started this book at least 5 times. Seriously! For some reason, I think this is one of the slower starting books I've read of his. Also Tommyknockers which I don't think I ever finished either. But Insomnia is 704 pages of what I call a mediocre plot. I will admit that Ralph Roberts is one of the more likable heros in most of the books I've read, but the plot takes about 400 pages to develop. And in the end, the results of the outcome don't really make sense unless you've read the entire Dark Tower series (all 7 novels each running 600+ pages). So I didn't appreciate what Ralph did since I am not able to see how his action saved a book I've never read..... make sense? I did recognize the character "Crimson King" from what I know of the Dark Tower series. Maybe I will have to go back and try reading those again someday. For some reason I just don't do as well with Fantasy as I do with the "horror" genre. This book was far from horror though.

All in all, it was finally good to finish the book. Up next? Cujo which is much shorter and about the rabid dog. Then I only have Bag of Bones left to read here in Taiwan. Reload on Stephen King novels when I go home next month. I did enjoy getting a chance to be reaquainted with Derry, Maine which I have seen mentioned in other books, but not since my first King novel It which unloads the dark secret of Derry.

If you have never read a King novel, about 95% of his stories take place in imaginary cities in Maine. Never has the state gotten so much attention or interest as it has from Stephen King.

As for stuff happening in Taiwan.... we finally made it to the Andy Warhol exhibit (not Xzibit), that is going on through the end of March here in Taipei. LOTS of artwork borrowed from Italy which surprised me that the leader of American Pop Art is owned by Italian galleries, etc.

His famous "Marilyn" was on display and some of the variations/offshoots from that original were also there. Not much on the Campbells soup works. They had a small Elvis original, not nearly as cool as the original life size Elvis at the MOMA in NYC. I enjoyed the exhibit, but it was isolated at the Chiang Kai Sheck Memorial, not near other works of art to also enjoy. Oh well, still neat to say I saw so much of his work. No, it doesn't really inspire me to draw since that's not really what he's known for;)

Have a good Tuesday - weather here today was 65 and sunny in the morning, cloudy by the afternoon but still nice by my standards for March!