62 pages • 2 hours read
Stephen KingA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Six-year-old Jamie Conklin is far from a cynical, hard-boiled detective. Later traces his literal and moral growth from an innocent boy to a 17-year-old with a more complex view of the world—fueled by his supernatural ability to see the dead. In the end, he achieves a realistic view of human frailty, eventually arriving at the titular “later.” Jamie’s adult perspective reflects the gritty realism and moral ambiguity of the hard-boiled detective genre, but he himself rejects the cynicism of traditional detectives.
Jamie sees the good in people, even former maternal figure Liz Dutton, and makes a conscious choice to reject cynicism when he chooses not to ask Uncle Harry (his biological father) about his conception. Rather than risk disillusionment, Jamie chooses to believe in human decency and conjures a fictional story about how he came to be. Still, he acknowledges that one can’t fully reject their inner darkness, and instead works toward becoming stronger so as to not be overpowered by the deadlight in the future.
While generally good-natured, Tia Conklin acts the part of a devouring mother. She’s overprotective of Jamie, while insensitive to the issues that come with his supernatural ability.
By Stephen King
11.22.63
Stephen King
1408
Stephen King
Bag of Bones
Stephen King
Billy Summers
Stephen King
Carrie
Stephen King
Children of the Corn
Stephen King
Cujo
Stephen King
Different Seasons
Stephen King
Doctor Sleep
Stephen King
Dolores Claiborne
Stephen King
Duma Key
Stephen King
Elevation: A Novel
Stephen King
End of Watch
Stephen King
Fairy Tale
Stephen King
Finders Keepers
Stephen King
Firestarter
Stephen King
From a Buick 8
Stephen King
Full Dark, No Stars
Stephen King
Gerald's Game
Stephen King
Gwendy's Button Box
Stephen King, Richard Chizmar
Books that Feature the Theme of...
View Collection
Coming-of-Age Journeys
View Collection
Fantasy
View Collection
Horror, Thrillers, & Suspense
View Collection
Memory
View Collection
Mystery & Crime
View Collection
New York Times Best Sellers
View Collection
Religion & Spirituality
View Collection
Safety & Danger
View Collection
The Best of "Best Book" Lists
View Collection
Truth & Lies
View Collection
TV Shows Based on Books
View Collection