First Thoughts on Chapters 1-5 of Thinner by Stephen King

Although I find the book to be a little odd and disturbingly specific so far, I think the plot is very interesting and cool. It has not been directly stated, but the reader can imply that the main character, Billy, accidentally hit and killed an elder woman with his car. He obviously is haunted by the accident as he has constant flashbacks of the day it all happened. Billy describes the woman as this odd, gypsy type. Afterward, he recalls a gypsy man approaching him and telling him that he is cursed for killing the old woman.

Billy has been exempt from his charges due to the connections he has with the people of the town court. He seems to pretend like he is fine and happy but is actually the exact opposite. The same goes for the rest of his family. His daughter, Linda, is the talk of her school after her father killed an old lady. Linda maintains her daily routine of cheer and school but her father's accident has isolated her from her peers. Billy's wife, Heidi, seems the best at concealing her true emotions. Billy says that she is all smiles for the family but she smokes a pack and a half everyday to calm herself. The one time that Heidi isn't smiling, Billy "imagined her wearing a sign: MY SMILER IS TEMPORARILY OUT OF ORDER" (2). This is pretty sad but reveals how robotic and fake Heidi's happiness is. Lastly, Billy acts like he is fine but is still tormented by the guilt. He constantly recalls hitting the old woman, even during sex with his wife, the gypsy lady is all he can think about. Additionally, he is constantly badgered by his wife and "friends" about his weight. He is insecure about his weight, constantly sucking in his gut. It doesn't help that his friends are always pointing out that he is overweight. But when his client asks him if he is okay, he replies "I'm so okay you wouldn't believe it" (3). Based on his thoughts, the statement appears to be a lie. Each of these characters are struggling but cover up their unhappiness. My prediction is that the characters will start to fall apart and their true feelings will be revealed. It reminds me a little of Long Day's Journey into Night (#throwback) because each member of the family had their own personal issues that ended up dividing the family.