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seanml's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Skeleton Crew is another fun collection by Stephen King in the classic era. But this time the stories are either VERY long and very short, and there's little inbetween.
The Mist - This one kicks off the collection for good reason: it's the longest by far. King does a great job at thrusting normal people with normal thoughts into this impossible situation. 8/10.
Here There Be Tygers - Alright. 4/10.
The Monkey - A nice take on the classic haunted doll story. 7/10.
Cain Rose Up - Unsettling in the idea that such an idea was so fantastical back then. A grim precursor to King's Rage. 7.5/10.
Mrs. Todd's Shortcut - King always surprises me with the less scary stuff. This one was sweet with the perfect touch of magic. 8.5/10.
The Jaunt - Yeah. Very nice. 9/10.
The Wedding Gig - A fun setting, but a rather straightforward plot keeps it from sticking out in memory. 6.5/10.
Paranoid: A Chant - Well done poem. 6.5/10.
The Raft - Disgusting, awful, excruciatingly detailed in the worst ways. 8.5/10.
Word Processor of the Gods - I think King mentioned this one was the earliest that he wrote, and you can tell. But it's a fun idea treated like nothing more. 7.5/10.
The Man Who Would Not Shake Hands - I liked this one! I wasn't exactly sure what was going on until the end. 8/10.
Beachworld - Love love love when King does the weird-space-horror. The vibes of this one are so strange yet serene. Madcap yet cozy. 9.5/10.
The Reaper's Image - Classic concept and well done, but fairly short. 7/10.
Nona - I couldn't place the meaning of a certain furry element of the story, but otherwise enjoyed it. 7.5/10.
For Owen - A cute message to his son, preceding a story about cannibalism. 7/10.
Survivor Type - Disgusting. 7.5/10.
Uncle Otto's Truck - King loves his murderous vehicles, and for some reason so do I. 8/10.
Morning Deliveries - bad milk man. 6.5/10.
Big Wheels: A Tale of the Laundry Game - They did my car guy dirty, but that's all I remember. 7.5/10.
Gramma - An unexpected surprise, considering I'd never heard of it. 8.5/10.
The Ballad of the Flexible Bullet - ANOTHER surprise. This one takes its time, but I found myself very invested in this paranoia-driven recounting that uneasily mirrors some modern day fears. 9.5/10.
The Reach - Very nice. 8.5/10.
Overall, a few more misses than Night Shift, but the stories that are good are still great. 7.5/10.
The Mist - This one kicks off the collection for good reason: it's the longest by far. King does a great job at thrusting normal people with normal thoughts into this impossible situation. 8/10.
Here There Be Tygers - Alright. 4/10.
The Monkey - A nice take on the classic haunted doll story. 7/10.
Cain Rose Up - Unsettling in the idea that such an idea was so fantastical back then. A grim precursor to King's Rage. 7.5/10.
Mrs. Todd's Shortcut - King always surprises me with the less scary stuff. This one was sweet with the perfect touch of magic. 8.5/10.
The Jaunt - Yeah. Very nice. 9/10.
The Wedding Gig - A fun setting, but a rather straightforward plot keeps it from sticking out in memory. 6.5/10.
Paranoid: A Chant - Well done poem. 6.5/10.
The Raft - Disgusting, awful, excruciatingly detailed in the worst ways. 8.5/10.
Word Processor of the Gods - I think King mentioned this one was the earliest that he wrote, and you can tell. But it's a fun idea treated like nothing more. 7.5/10.
The Man Who Would Not Shake Hands - I liked this one! I wasn't exactly sure what was going on until the end. 8/10.
Beachworld - Love love love when King does the weird-space-horror. The vibes of this one are so strange yet serene. Madcap yet cozy. 9.5/10.
The Reaper's Image - Classic concept and well done, but fairly short. 7/10.
Nona - I couldn't place the meaning of a certain furry element of the story, but otherwise enjoyed it. 7.5/10.
For Owen - A cute message to his son, preceding a story about cannibalism. 7/10.
Survivor Type - Disgusting. 7.5/10.
Uncle Otto's Truck - King loves his murderous vehicles, and for some reason so do I. 8/10.
Morning Deliveries - bad milk man. 6.5/10.
Big Wheels: A Tale of the Laundry Game - They did my car guy dirty, but that's all I remember. 7.5/10.
Gramma - An unexpected surprise, considering I'd never heard of it. 8.5/10.
The Ballad of the Flexible Bullet - ANOTHER surprise. This one takes its time, but I found myself very invested in this paranoia-driven recounting that uneasily mirrors some modern day fears. 9.5/10.
The Reach - Very nice. 8.5/10.
Overall, a few more misses than Night Shift, but the stories that are good are still great. 7.5/10.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Medical content, Murder, Death, Cannibalism, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Gore, Confinement, and Mass/school shootings
Moderate: Blood, Cancer, Child death, Animal cruelty, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal death, Chronic illness, Fatphobia, Sexism, Death of parent, and Mental illness
Minor: Racial slurs, Racism, and Infidelity
ripxw's review against another edition
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia, Violence, and Gore
Minor: Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, and Child death
_penny_'s review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Death, Cursing, Drug use, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Domestic abuse, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Animal death, Blood, Body shaming, Cannibalism, Car accident, Fatphobia, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Murder, Physical abuse, Body horror, Child death, Drug abuse, Mass/school shootings, Racism, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
gwimo's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
Some stories I liked, some I didn't. I understand this isn't the full audiobook - something that Libby didn't tell me about when I checked it out from the library. It consists of only 4 of the 22 stories from Skeleton Crew - something that should have been obvious when I checked out the audiobook as it was only about 5hrs long.
What gets me though, is King's use of a certain n-word. Since I normally don't read books by him, I never realized how freely he used - or still uses (like I said, he isn't an author I read often) - the word. Hearing Matthew Broderick reading it somehow made it worse for me. I guess someone could tell me that the stories were a product of their time, but most of them are about as old as I am. Doesn't make it right, does it?
"The Raft" is a personal favorite of mine, strictly because of its adaptation featured in one of the Creepshow movies, I believe the second one. It never occurred to me, though it should have, that it was written by Stephen King. This is my first "read" of the short story, and it will probably be something I revisit in the near future as I own a copy of the collection.
"Mrs. Todd's Shortcut" is another story I want to revisit because the narrator's voice sort of made me want to snooze. Just wasn't feeling it, but the concept of the story seems interesting.
"The Monkey" is another favorite of mine, because I remember seeing the cover as a child and being both frightened and intrigued by the book. Funnily enough, that seemed to be its purpose. Matthew Broderick gave a wonderful presentation of the story - racist language aside, obviously - but I've been in love with the man since I can remember so I might be a little bias.
I put the next review as a spoiler because, I don't know. It might be considered one by most people.
"Gramma" gave me the chills. I related to George a little - his reluctance at giving his grandmother a hug that is; although my grandmother was sweet and loving and not at all a witch. But the idea of her passing while I was alone with her always had crossed my mind. That in itself is a terrifying concept for a child, but watching her come back? Blood chilling.
What gets me though, is King's use of a certain n-word. Since I normally don't read books by him, I never realized how freely he used - or still uses (like I said, he isn't an author I read often) - the word. Hearing Matthew Broderick reading it somehow made it worse for me. I guess someone could tell me that the stories were a product of their time, but most of them are about as old as I am. Doesn't make it right, does it?
"The Raft" is a personal favorite of mine, strictly because of its adaptation featured in one of the Creepshow movies, I believe the second one. It never occurred to me, though it should have, that it was written by Stephen King. This is my first "read" of the short story, and it will probably be something I revisit in the near future as I own a copy of the collection.
"Mrs. Todd's Shortcut" is another story I want to revisit because the narrator's voice sort of made me want to snooze. Just wasn't feeling it, but the concept of the story seems interesting.
"The Monkey" is another favorite of mine, because I remember seeing the cover as a child and being both frightened and intrigued by the book. Funnily enough, that seemed to be its purpose. Matthew Broderick gave a wonderful presentation of the story - racist language aside, obviously - but I've been in love with the man since I can remember so I might be a little bias.
I put the next review as a spoiler because, I don't know. It might be considered one by most people.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs and Misogyny
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