Dumb as it is, authors do it all the time, and King proves that he isn't above doing it himself. I'm talking about that scene when a woman (often naked) is in peril or even dying and her lover pauses to ogle her. It happens here when Jake has to haul his librarian friend under a cold shower where, I suppose, having confirmed her desirability, he can then proceed to save her life.
It's interesting to note how this scene is handled in another book reviewed here, The Seventh Secret. This time, the woman is already in the shower when her would-be paramour shows up. Just in time, too, because he finds a man outside the shower door, a man clearly intending either to rape or kill the woman. The perp yanks the door open and the hero pounces. Then this: "About to spin and grab the man, Foster's eyes held momentarily on Emily in the shower. He saw her naked and dripping wet, falling against a side of the shower, eyes closed, choking with fear, trying to keep her balance." Now, this book was written by Irving Wallace, a man well known for his sex scenes, yet his take on this scene comes off as much less offensive than King's. Foster takes in Emily's nakedness, but he takes in a great deal more besides, almost making us believe that his purpose is what is implied by the next line, "Assured that she was unhurt..."
It's interesting to note how this scene is handled in another book reviewed here, The Seventh Secret. This time, the woman is already in the shower when her would-be paramour shows up. Just in time, too, because he finds a man outside the shower door, a man clearly intending either to rape or kill the woman. The perp yanks the door open and the hero pounces. Then this: "About to spin and grab the man, Foster's eyes held momentarily on Emily in the shower. He saw her naked and dripping wet, falling against a side of the shower, eyes closed, choking with fear, trying to keep her balance." Now, this book was written by Irving Wallace, a man well known for his sex scenes, yet his take on this scene comes off as much less offensive than King's. Foster takes in Emily's nakedness, but he takes in a great deal more besides, almost making us believe that his purpose is what is implied by the next line, "Assured that she was unhurt..."