Questions About NOS4A2

by Joe Hill (Goodreads Author)

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Answered Questions (25)

I'm a little confused by the synopsis. Can someone explain to me what the book is about in a simple way? To my understanding, it sounds like a pedo taking children to a secret place and Victoria discovering this secret place. Then somehow time jumps forward and she's an adult with a son which Charlie has taken. Am I correct?

Shayla Gibson No, not really. There's no child molesting - the kidnapper honestly thinks he's helping the kids, but doing so by taking them to Christmasland erases …moreNo, not really. There's no child molesting - the kidnapper honestly thinks he's helping the kids, but doing so by taking them to Christmasland erases much of their emotional stability and empathy, and they turn into (eternally gleeful) monsters.
Fair warning though, there is sexual assault and rape of adults; though it's not really detailed, it is openly stated to have occurred.(less)

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Amber Barber

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There are so many awesome little Easter eggs in this book! I'd love to hear which ones I missed that others picked up on. I caught the Hemingway/King's "On Writing" reference towards the beginning, deZoet listening to Frobisher's Cloud Atlas Sextet, and of course Tabitha K. Hutter.....what am I missing?? I know there must be loads more.

Eiralys Asaki

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I didn't enjoy Heart Shaped Box. How does NOS4A2 compare?

Stephen Soukup You MUST hear the audio book on NOS4A2. . It is incredible. The woman (from Star Trek fame I think) does all the voices and her rendition of Manx and …moreYou MUST hear the audio book on NOS4A2. . It is incredible. The woman (from Star Trek fame I think) does all the voices and her rendition of Manx and Bing 's crazy good. You have to hear this to fully experience this great novel. One of my faves in a long time(less)

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What did Maggie's paperweight, Checkov's gun, represent? I don't get the joke.

Ryan M. LMGTFY, from Wikipedia:

Chekhov's gun is a dramatic principle that states that every element in a story must be necessary, and irrelevant elements shou…moreLMGTFY, from Wikipedia:

Chekhov's gun is a dramatic principle that states that every element in a story must be necessary, and irrelevant elements should be removed; elements should not appear to make "false promises" by never coming into play. The statement is recorded in letters by Anton Chekhov several times, with some variation:[1][2][3]

"Remove everything that has no relevance to the story. If you say in the first chapter that there is a rifle hanging on the wall, in the second or third chapter it absolutely must go off. If it's not going to be fired, it shouldn't be hanging there."[3][4]
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