Insomnia
by Stephen King
★ Top 10 book of 1994 · #7 on Best Books of 1994
Retired widower Ralph Roberts finds his worsening insomnia lets him see auras and other hidden things. This draws him into a struggle between the Purpose and the Random, set in Derry, Maine, with ties to The Dark Tower.
Best for: Stephen King fans who enjoy Derry, Maine and links to The Dark Tower
Insomnia is #7 on BookWard's Best Books of 1994, out of 42 1994 books that cleared our data bar.
What Insomnia is about
Ralph Roberts is a retired widower in the town of Derry, Maine, and he is sleeping less and less. As the sleeplessness deepens, he begins to notice auras and other things most people never see. That strange new sight draws him into a struggle between two great forces, the Purpose and the Random, with consequences far larger than his quiet small-town life would suggest.
This 1994 horror and fantasy novel by Stephen King mixes eeriness with a melancholy look at growing old, loss, friendship, and the question of whether fate or choice shapes our days. Derry will be familiar to readers of It and Dreamcatcher, and the story also links to King's Dark Tower series, so longtime fans will enjoy spotting the connections.
Insomnia on the Best Books of 1994
Insomnia came out in 1994. Of the 42 books first published in 1994 that met BookWard's data bar, it ranks #7 on our Best Books of 1994 list.
Why it made the list: 1,057 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 3.9 out of 5 (104 ratings); 48 are reading it right now. The list ranks each year’s books on how many readers have picked them up, how highly readers rate them, and how many are reading them right now.
It earns Being read right now.
Nearby on the 1994 list
- Mercury and Me Jim Hutton, #5
- Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus John Gray, #6
- Wizard's First Rule Terry Goodkind, #8
- Pale Blue Dot Carl Sagan, #9
See all Best Books of 1994 Best books by year
More years: Best Books of 1993 Best Books of 1995.
The numbers behind it
- Readers: 857 want to read it, 48 are reading it now and 152 have read it, according to Open Library.
- Ratings: 3.9 out of 5 from 104 Open Library ratings.
| Signal | This book (0 to 100) | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Reach | 95 | 55% |
| Reader love | 40 | 25% |
| Being read right now | 93 | 20% |
Questions about Insomnia
When was Insomnia published?
Insomnia by Stephen King was first published in 1994.
Was Insomnia one of the best books of 1994?
Insomnia is #7 on BookWard's Best Books of 1994, out of 42 1994 books that cleared our data bar. 1,057 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 3.9 out of 5 (104 ratings); 48 are reading it right now.
Why is Insomnia on the Best Books of 1994 list?
1,057 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 3.9 out of 5 (104 ratings); 48 are reading it right now.
More of the best books of 1994
- Guess How Much I Love You Sam McBratney, #1
- Artificial Intelligence Stuart J. Russell, #2
- The Six Pillars of Self-esteem Nathaniel Branden, #3
- Long Walk to Freedom Nelson Mandela, #4
- Mercury and Me Jim Hutton, #5
- Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus John Gray, #6
See the full Best Books of 1994, the Top 100, or new books on Rising.
How we know
This page uses public data: Open Library reader counts and ratings, and Wikipedia page views for recent years. The description is paraphrased from real source text. Rankings reflect reading interest, not quality or sales, and can be affected by data gaps. Lists update monthly.
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