Reviews

Three Past Midnight: The Library Policeman by Ken Howard, Stephen King

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biblionerd62's review against another edition

3.0

I didn't listen to this story but it's not listed here separately in its print format. I wasn't interested in reading the other novellas in FOUR PAST MIDNIGHT collection.

jonahbarnes's review against another edition

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Interesting concept for horror, but once again King doesn’t keep the obscene where it belongs, off scene. His hope of shocking the reader just ruins the story and I think King is simply a creep.

kandicez's review against another edition

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4.0

I didn't audio this, just chose the wrong isbn.

This begins so innocuously. Just a small town guy asked to speak at the local rotary club too late to panic so much he can't follow through. Early enough so he can actually prepare a good speech. Sam Peebles is that local businessman. Upon advice from his occasional office girl he visits the local library for some help. I love that one of the books he checks out is [b:The Best Loved Poems of the American People|543418|The Best Loved Poems of the American People|Hazel Felleman|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1320495614s/543418.jpg|530719] because that is my go to when I have to speak or even just write a card. That book is the bomb! But, I digress.

The first third of the book is just a happy little story about Sam giving a great, last minute speech. Nothing scary. Nothing too weird. And then we get to the meat. King always gives us some meat. The library Sam visited is not the current library. He visits the local library of the past with the evil librarian. A librarian who doesn't want him to return his books on time. She wants Sam to owe a fine because that's how she gets off. Collecting "fines."

Along Sam's path we encounter the local AA group, members of which Sam is surprised, and even shocked, to see. The fact that we, as the reader, know what a battle alcohol was for King make these AA glimpses seem almost pornographic. Private at the very least. I am not very familiar with AA, but the picture of it King paints is beautiful in a scarred and real way. These people care about and support one another when no one else does care about or support them. I found these parts of the story incredibly hopeful and uplifting.

I won't say how Sam defeats his personal library policeman, but I will say that he does. Going in you know he has to or there wouldn't be much of a story, would there?