Stephen King writes a story of belief and desperation, class, politics, and disability. I liked Johnny Smith, and I liked King’s elaboration on how fear can manifest in religious obsession, in trust of the strangest authority when the working class is neglected and unheard for too long. I liked the setting in the 1970’s and quiet northeastern states, both far away places to me, made familiar by these pages. The first third is often slow, creaking along and introducing a number of scattered points that disappear and come back later (I forgot who kicked the dog, what happened to the waitress, what state we were in, a few times—made more difficult by the audiobook, where I couldn’t flip back easily). But once Sarah visits and then Johnny gets a call from Castle Rock, the story has more life. 

Johnny goes from a smart, likeable small town teacher to a haunted, sick man in the ten years this story covers; King articulates the internal pain and shame of his disability, coupled with the curiosity and hope and anger of those who encounter it, very well. I was on his side the whole way through, because he remains intelligent, considerate, the whole way through, even as he loses his ability to be part of the same reality as those around him. 

<blockquote><I>We all do what we can, and it has to be good enough, and if it isn't good enough, it has to do.</blockquote></I>

The Dead Zone is about everyman Johnny (no middle name) Smith who after being injured in a car accident and lying in a subsequent coma for 4+ years suddenly awakens possessing a second sight.  He's now able to touch people or objects and know things: like his physical therapist's apartment is at that moment catching fire or that a  politician will come to power and destroy the world.  It's a lot for Johnny, but he's a good person and wants to use his power not for fame and fortune, but for good.  

After locating a gruesome serial killer Johnny turns his attentions to a potentially equally sinister subject: politicians.  He meets Jimmy Carter and tells him he will become president.  And he meets an up and coming local politician who promises to make it rain on demand, shoot pollution into space, and throw all the bums out of Washington.  Is Donald Trump in this book?  No, but I think Trump may have an advisor or speech writer who has read this book because the parallels are astounding!  

Reading this book at this moment in time sure is something.  I did not pick it up knowing that it would be quite this relevant, but it did made a good and scary pre-election read.  I enjoyed the content overall, but found the story to be a little more meandering than usual and lacking in character development.

Not my favorite King novel, but man is it eerily prescient to current day reality.  Too bad no one with second sight was able to shake Trump's hand at an opportune moment in the past.