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kbogdano80's review against another edition
3.0
This was a good collection of short and slightly longer short stories by King. Not my personal favorite collection he's done (for me it will always be Nightmares and Dreamscapes or Night Shift)but still a fast, interesting read filled with tales only Stephen King could and would write.
My favorite stories in the book include:
1)N.-A story about a psychiatrist's new patient, simply called N, whose symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder may be a little more sinister and complicated than anticipated. A truly creepy and disturbing little tale.
2) Stationary Bike- A classic King-style story in which simple objects (in this case an exercise bike) may be more than they appear and can lead to unexpected and scary adventures.
3) A Tight Place- One of the grossest stories King has done to date, and that's definitely saying something. However, still very enjoyable and fun to read.
Recommended for anyone who likes Stephen King.
My favorite stories in the book include:
1)N.-A story about a psychiatrist's new patient, simply called N, whose symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder may be a little more sinister and complicated than anticipated. A truly creepy and disturbing little tale.
2) Stationary Bike- A classic King-style story in which simple objects (in this case an exercise bike) may be more than they appear and can lead to unexpected and scary adventures.
3) A Tight Place- One of the grossest stories King has done to date, and that's definitely saying something. However, still very enjoyable and fun to read.
Recommended for anyone who likes Stephen King.
billmill19's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
4.25
colorfulleo92's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars. I've previously stayed away from Stephen King's short story collection as I didn't enjoy the format overall but now my reading have changed a bit and I fond that I enjoy reading them a lot more.
This had some hits and misses as most of the short story collections tend to be but I liked quite a few of them. Not sure which is my favorite, perhaps Willa or the one where a wife get a call from her dead husband.
This had some hits and misses as most of the short story collections tend to be but I liked quite a few of them. Not sure which is my favorite, perhaps Willa or the one where a wife get a call from her dead husband.
alexisestevens's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
petersenftleben's review against another edition
3.0
All in all, I have to say I was pretty disappointed in this collection. Usually I'm a fan of SK's work, especially his shorter fiction. It's not an easy medium to work in, and he more often than not does a great job. But these stories just didn't do it for me, with the exception of a handful. King's novels tend to be a little...how shall I put this...wordy, and his typically economical stories felt more long-winded than usual here. I found most of them to be tedious ("Stationary Bike"), plodding ("Stationary Bike"), or frankly, unoriginal ("Stationary Bike"). How many drops can he squeeze out of the "art coming to life" concept? "Rest Stop" was completely unnecessary and pointless, "Harvey's Dream", "Graduation Afternoon", and "The Cat from Hell" were all pedestrian until the turns at the end, none of which were especially unexpected. "Willa" had a great atmosphere, though, and I thought "Gingerbread Girl" was a nice thriller. "The New York Times at Special Bargain Rates" was alright, and I thought "The Things They Left Behind" dealt with similar themes in a more compelling manner. "N.", while intriguing, could have used some paring down, which I find ironic considering SK's rule in "On Writing" is to cut 10% while editing.
sadderdazzed's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
sjwentling's review against another edition
4.0
I'm rarely in a short story mood, but this was just what I needed in between novels. Stephen King does not disappoint.
ashsalt's review against another edition
4.0
A few years ago I purchased, on a whim, a used copy of [b:Everything's Eventual: 14 Dark Tales|10579|Everything's Eventual 14 Dark Tales|Stephen King|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1386922876s/10579.jpg|2330175], an earlier volume of King's short fiction. I went to bed with the light on several nights running as I made my way through the stories. And I loved it.
Since then I've read a few more volumes of King's short stories and generally enjoyed them. However, I struggled to like this collection. Though I eventually settled on a 4-star rating, I found the volume tedious and disappointing at several points. Ultimately, this is a collection more admirable for its storycraft than enjoyable for its thrilling stories. If you're about to dive into JUST AFTER SUNSET, you might want to adjust your expectations so as not to be disappointed.
I never had the (terrible yet delightful) urge to sleep with the lights on after reading these stories. The horrors are often more mundane than supernatural: a serial killer, an apocalyptic explosion, a vindictive neighbor. In many of the stories I found myself missing that supernatural element, that how-the-heck-did-he-ever-imagine-this?! horror that I've enjoyed in other tales.
"The Gingerbread Girl," at 75 pages long, was particularly frustrating in this way. There is no supernatural element. There is no horror in the classic sense of the genre. There is a deranged human being bent on harming other human beings. That's scary in a way though not what I came to the collection hoping for. Also, the most suspenseful scenes are rendered motion by motion in excruciating detail that compelled me to skim.
The stories that do revolve around something unexplained are not the most memorable. I'd put "Anaya," "Willa," and "Harvey's Dream" on this list. All are mildly entertaining but ultimately forgettable. "The Cat From Hell" leaves a stronger impression, but it never feels cohesive with the rest of the collection. I wasn't surprised to read in the end-of-volume notes that it was written much earlier.
Having acknowledged the frustrations I felt with the stories, let me get to the upside. The collection eventually coalesces around a more subtle type of horror: the psychology of obsession and compulsion. "N." is perhaps the best of the bunch. I enjoyed its fragmented structure-a couple of letters, a psychologist's case notes, a news clipping-and thought it perfectly matched to the thematic content of the story.
"Stationary Bike" is another intriguing exploration of the horrors that arise in an obsessed psyche, but I wished it were shorter than 50 pages. "The Things They Left Behind" also had me skimming a bit, but it was, at times, an enjoyably creepy post 9-11 tale. It's a good representative of what the collection is because it blends psychological trauma with something unexplained.
While reading "A Very Tight Place," the final story in JUST AFTER SUNSET, I finally concluded that part of my disappointment arose from how literary these stories are. Yes, literary. I picked up another volume of Stephen King shorts hoping for some guilty-pleasure reading and some cheap thrills. Instead I got something more sophisticated than I really wanted at that particular time.
"A Very Tight Place" is not meant to be an enjoyable read. It offers up some gross-out scenes that made me think of Palahniuk. It focuses on two unlikable characters. (We may sympathize with Curtis, whose point of view the story follows, but in the end he's just as off-putting as his crazy neighbor.) The story, like some of the other more memorable reads in SUNSET, prompts us to think about human nature and human limitations. It is not a satisfying read, not even satisfyingly scary. It's unsettling, but not like your favorite horror movie and probably not like your favorite King novel. In other words, it's challenging in much the way literary works are.
So, if you read SUNSET, go into it forewarned: No cheap thrills here. Instead you will find some fairly complex characters dealing with such subtle horrors as the the grief of outliving a child, the fear that comes with facing down your own mortality, and that scary psychological precipice we stand on when we think about any particular thing incessantly. And unlike pulpier horror, these matters are at the hearts of the stories, not merely window dressing for shocking or fantastic tales.
Since then I've read a few more volumes of King's short stories and generally enjoyed them. However, I struggled to like this collection. Though I eventually settled on a 4-star rating, I found the volume tedious and disappointing at several points. Ultimately, this is a collection more admirable for its storycraft than enjoyable for its thrilling stories. If you're about to dive into JUST AFTER SUNSET, you might want to adjust your expectations so as not to be disappointed.
I never had the (terrible yet delightful) urge to sleep with the lights on after reading these stories. The horrors are often more mundane than supernatural: a serial killer, an apocalyptic explosion, a vindictive neighbor. In many of the stories I found myself missing that supernatural element, that how-the-heck-did-he-ever-imagine-this?! horror that I've enjoyed in other tales.
"The Gingerbread Girl," at 75 pages long, was particularly frustrating in this way. There is no supernatural element. There is no horror in the classic sense of the genre. There is a deranged human being bent on harming other human beings. That's scary in a way though not what I came to the collection hoping for. Also, the most suspenseful scenes are rendered motion by motion in excruciating detail that compelled me to skim.
The stories that do revolve around something unexplained are not the most memorable. I'd put "Anaya," "Willa," and "Harvey's Dream" on this list. All are mildly entertaining but ultimately forgettable. "The Cat From Hell" leaves a stronger impression, but it never feels cohesive with the rest of the collection. I wasn't surprised to read in the end-of-volume notes that it was written much earlier.
Having acknowledged the frustrations I felt with the stories, let me get to the upside. The collection eventually coalesces around a more subtle type of horror: the psychology of obsession and compulsion. "N." is perhaps the best of the bunch. I enjoyed its fragmented structure-a couple of letters, a psychologist's case notes, a news clipping-and thought it perfectly matched to the thematic content of the story.
"Stationary Bike" is another intriguing exploration of the horrors that arise in an obsessed psyche, but I wished it were shorter than 50 pages. "The Things They Left Behind" also had me skimming a bit, but it was, at times, an enjoyably creepy post 9-11 tale. It's a good representative of what the collection is because it blends psychological trauma with something unexplained.
While reading "A Very Tight Place," the final story in JUST AFTER SUNSET, I finally concluded that part of my disappointment arose from how literary these stories are. Yes, literary. I picked up another volume of Stephen King shorts hoping for some guilty-pleasure reading and some cheap thrills. Instead I got something more sophisticated than I really wanted at that particular time.
"A Very Tight Place" is not meant to be an enjoyable read. It offers up some gross-out scenes that made me think of Palahniuk. It focuses on two unlikable characters. (We may sympathize with Curtis, whose point of view the story follows, but in the end he's just as off-putting as his crazy neighbor.) The story, like some of the other more memorable reads in SUNSET, prompts us to think about human nature and human limitations. It is not a satisfying read, not even satisfyingly scary. It's unsettling, but not like your favorite horror movie and probably not like your favorite King novel. In other words, it's challenging in much the way literary works are.
So, if you read SUNSET, go into it forewarned: No cheap thrills here. Instead you will find some fairly complex characters dealing with such subtle horrors as the the grief of outliving a child, the fear that comes with facing down your own mortality, and that scary psychological precipice we stand on when we think about any particular thing incessantly. And unlike pulpier horror, these matters are at the hearts of the stories, not merely window dressing for shocking or fantastic tales.
jasmiinaf's review
4.0
King is one my favorite authors and I've read most of his books. I knew that he writes great short stories, but Just after Sunset was even better than what I expected. My favorite stories were The Gingerbread Girl, N. and The New York Times at Special Bargain Rates, but I enjoyed all the stories. N. was something that freaked out me the most, because the OCD symptoms were told in such a detail. Awesome book and awesome stories.