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3.79 AVERAGE
3.79 AVERAGE
3.65 (according to my ratings below!)
I always find it hard to rate short story collections, and the mixed feelings I get from them is usually why I don't read many - the chances of them being five stars is so low. Some of these I thought were really effective and interesting, and there were a few that I just didn't care for. That's how it goes though! There were 20 stories (averaging about 25 pages a pop), so I'm going to try to give a rating for each. I thought that the introductions that King gave before each story was a really neat insight into this process and what's behind each story. As you can gather from my star ratings, I generally like the reality-bending King more than anything else. I've bolded the stories I thought were best!
1) Mile 81 - 3 stars
A "car" starts absorbing people at an abandoned rest stop. This felt like somebody trying to combine various King tropes into one. He literally references Christine which was weird. Not a fan.
2) Premium Harmony - 2 stars
A couple has an argument just before a traumatic event. The last bit at the end - the little almost-ironic bit - was the only particularly memorable part.
3) Batman and Robin Have an Altercation - 5 stars
A man has dinner with his father who has Alzheimer's. Such a weird story to be heartwarming.
4) The Dune - 5 stars
A retired judge calls his lawyer to settle his will and tells him about something he found as a child. Simple and effective. Loved the ending!
5) Bad Little Kid - 2 stars
A man about to be killed on death row admits to why he killed a child. Once you got the schtick (which happens like a third or a half of the way through) it's no longer that interesting?
6) The Death - 4 stars
A man is accused of murdering a little girl in the Wild West. Wasn't as interested until the end; was I surprised or what!
7) The Bone Church - 3 stars
A weird long-form poem! Pretty cool but I'll admit that I skimmed a smidge. King is incapable of writing a grown woman without describing her ass.
8) Morality - 3 stars
A couple struggling financially is offered money to start a new life if they do something that could get them in trouble. Thought this would be a favorite but was ultimately anticlimactic.
9) Afterlife - 5 stars
A man dies of colon cancer and arrives in the afterlife. I keep saying interesting, but that's the best way to describe this one. Truly makes you think, what would you do in the main character's place?
10) Ur - 5 stars
Out of spite for his recent ex-girlfriend, an English professor orders a Kindle, but doesn't get exactly what he asked for. Considering that 11/22/63 is my favorite King, it's not a surprise that I loved this. This had the most blatant connections to his other works as well. I read this while voting in the rain; a Kindle would have been way more convenient to have been reading off of!
11) Herman Wouk is Still Alive - 3 stars
Two women in financial jeopardy go on a road trip with their kids to disasterous results. I liked their narrative, but the poets interspersed I liked less so. There are only two types of women (above 18 and under 55) in King stories - remarkably sexy and remarkably unsexy. Please stop :)
12) Under the Weather - 5 stars
A man goes about his day while his wife is ill in bed. What a trip! One of the few ones in here that was in the first person. I was so shocked when I got the twist.
13) Blockade Billy - 4 stars
A retired coach tells an interested party (King himself!) about a player that only lasted less than a season on the team despite his talent. Wasn't expecting this one, to be honest. I couldn't follow all the baseball stuff but I liked it nonetheless.
14) Mister Yummy - 3 stars
Two men at a nursing home have a heart-to-heart when one thinks he's going to die in the next day or so. I really like this idea of death, and I liked his Poe analogy. He commented on him writing a gay character and I think I'm on his side on this one. I'm still unsure how I feel about people outside marginalized communities writing about them, but it's not like he was capitalizing on it and I would argue the story wasn't about that anyway.
15) Tommy - 4 stars
A sort-of poem about the death of a friend. Short but the feelings behind it were so palpable. "Drink to the motherfucker."
16) The Little Green God of Agony - 2 stars
The sixth richest man in the world, having been terribly injured, consults a reverend with unusual methods instead of doing his regular physiotherapy. The point the reverend made about the nurse was good, but other than that, wasn't a fan.
17) That Bus Is Another World - 3 stars
A man witnesses something while in a hurry to get to a pitch meeting. I read this while in-between parts of an exam and it gave me SO MUCH ANXIETY
18) Obits - 4 stars
A man who writes celebrity obituaries finds that when he writes obits for living people, they die. Almost thought there would be a little bit more to this, but the development of Katie (loved the Animal Farm references) and the twist were very well done.
19) Drunken Fireworks - 3 stars
Neighbors who have escalated their competing Fourth of July fireworks shows cause an accident. This was way longer than it needed to be. We get it, they got bigger fireworks!
20) Summer Thunder - 5 stars
A man and his dog try to survive after the nuclear holocaust. This felt like a Hozier song, holy shit (in the end of the world sense). The ATMOSPHERE. Nuclear warfare should be in everyone's top five fears list.
And that's all of them! I need to pick which King I'm going to read next. Some of the ones I'm interested in reading next are Pet Sematary, The Stand, Carrie, and The Institute (on audio, the narrator is one of my favorite actors!). Lmk which one I should go for!
I always find it hard to rate short story collections, and the mixed feelings I get from them is usually why I don't read many - the chances of them being five stars is so low. Some of these I thought were really effective and interesting, and there were a few that I just didn't care for. That's how it goes though! There were 20 stories (averaging about 25 pages a pop), so I'm going to try to give a rating for each. I thought that the introductions that King gave before each story was a really neat insight into this process and what's behind each story. As you can gather from my star ratings, I generally like the reality-bending King more than anything else. I've bolded the stories I thought were best!
1) Mile 81 - 3 stars
A "car" starts absorbing people at an abandoned rest stop. This felt like somebody trying to combine various King tropes into one. He literally references Christine which was weird. Not a fan.
2) Premium Harmony - 2 stars
A couple has an argument just before a traumatic event. The last bit at the end - the little almost-ironic bit - was the only particularly memorable part.
3) Batman and Robin Have an Altercation - 5 stars
A man has dinner with his father who has Alzheimer's. Such a weird story to be heartwarming.
4) The Dune - 5 stars
A retired judge calls his lawyer to settle his will and tells him about something he found as a child. Simple and effective. Loved the ending!
5) Bad Little Kid - 2 stars
A man about to be killed on death row admits to why he killed a child. Once you got the schtick (which happens like a third or a half of the way through) it's no longer that interesting?
6) The Death - 4 stars
A man is accused of murdering a little girl in the Wild West. Wasn't as interested until the end; was I surprised or what!
7) The Bone Church - 3 stars
A weird long-form poem! Pretty cool but I'll admit that I skimmed a smidge. King is incapable of writing a grown woman without describing her ass.
8) Morality - 3 stars
A couple struggling financially is offered money to start a new life if they do something that could get them in trouble. Thought this would be a favorite but was ultimately anticlimactic.
9) Afterlife - 5 stars
A man dies of colon cancer and arrives in the afterlife. I keep saying interesting, but that's the best way to describe this one. Truly makes you think, what would you do in the main character's place?
10) Ur - 5 stars
Out of spite for his recent ex-girlfriend, an English professor orders a Kindle, but doesn't get exactly what he asked for. Considering that 11/22/63 is my favorite King, it's not a surprise that I loved this. This had the most blatant connections to his other works as well. I read this while voting in the rain; a Kindle would have been way more convenient to have been reading off of!
11) Herman Wouk is Still Alive - 3 stars
Two women in financial jeopardy go on a road trip with their kids to disasterous results. I liked their narrative, but the poets interspersed I liked less so. There are only two types of women (above 18 and under 55) in King stories - remarkably sexy and remarkably unsexy. Please stop :)
12) Under the Weather - 5 stars
A man goes about his day while his wife is ill in bed. What a trip! One of the few ones in here that was in the first person. I was so shocked when I got the twist.
13) Blockade Billy - 4 stars
A retired coach tells an interested party (King himself!) about a player that only lasted less than a season on the team despite his talent. Wasn't expecting this one, to be honest. I couldn't follow all the baseball stuff but I liked it nonetheless.
14) Mister Yummy - 3 stars
Two men at a nursing home have a heart-to-heart when one thinks he's going to die in the next day or so. I really like this idea of death, and I liked his Poe analogy. He commented on him writing a gay character and I think I'm on his side on this one. I'm still unsure how I feel about people outside marginalized communities writing about them, but it's not like he was capitalizing on it and I would argue the story wasn't about that anyway.
15) Tommy - 4 stars
A sort-of poem about the death of a friend. Short but the feelings behind it were so palpable. "Drink to the motherfucker."
16) The Little Green God of Agony - 2 stars
The sixth richest man in the world, having been terribly injured, consults a reverend with unusual methods instead of doing his regular physiotherapy. The point the reverend made about the nurse was good, but other than that, wasn't a fan.
17) That Bus Is Another World - 3 stars
A man witnesses something while in a hurry to get to a pitch meeting. I read this while in-between parts of an exam and it gave me SO MUCH ANXIETY
18) Obits - 4 stars
A man who writes celebrity obituaries finds that when he writes obits for living people, they die. Almost thought there would be a little bit more to this, but the development of Katie (loved the Animal Farm references) and the twist were very well done.
19) Drunken Fireworks - 3 stars
Neighbors who have escalated their competing Fourth of July fireworks shows cause an accident. This was way longer than it needed to be. We get it, they got bigger fireworks!
20) Summer Thunder - 5 stars
A man and his dog try to survive after the nuclear holocaust. This felt like a Hozier song, holy shit (in the end of the world sense). The ATMOSPHERE. Nuclear warfare should be in everyone's top five fears list.
And that's all of them! I need to pick which King I'm going to read next. Some of the ones I'm interested in reading next are Pet Sematary, The Stand, Carrie, and The Institute (on audio, the narrator is one of my favorite actors!). Lmk which one I should go for!
http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/03/09/a-death-stephen-king
Merged review:
4 Stars with .5, just because I love Stephen King. What can I say?? I am biased. I was also fully entertained with only a moment of "Meh?"
Mile 81 - 4 Stars SK makes a story out of nothing but a rest stop and dirty car. How many times have we seen a lone car at a rest stop? Looking out of place? It's a car, this is a rest stop; surely it should be here...right? Where did it come from, and where does it go? Children are the heroes, 'cause they're the only ones who remember the boogeyman. Children remember that the boogeyman is real. Now besides looking under the bed, shutting the closet door and sleeping with the lights on; I now have to worry about rest areas... just great!
Premium Harmony - 3 Stars. Did he or didn't he?? Or is he just a lummox??
Batman and Robin have an altercation - 4 Stars. *snorts* That went to the left at the end and I died laughing. What the hell?? It was kinda sad initially, then out of nowhere.... watch out for Pops, man! LOL
The Dune - 3 Stars. Crotchety old bastard!
Bad Little Kid - 4 Stars. Someone should have throttled his ass. Again. Again. And again. Then shoot him, revive him and then shoot him again. Just sayin'....:/
A Death - 3.5 Stars. Was he guilty??? bwahahhaha... what a dumbass. That was great :)
The Bone Church - 2.5 Stars. I got it; but I just don't like poetry like I used to. When I was an emotional teenager, it worked. Now, I am a hardened middle-aged bitch who just doesn't give a Fluff!
Morality - 3 stars for a strong start. Started off really good; intriguing; then the end was a little ..meh... I was expecting an "Oh, Shit!!" kind of ending, and I got a ..."really?" type of ending.
Afterlife - 2.5 Stars. A nice little ditty about repetition. HA!
Ur - 3.5 Stars. Don't tempt fate, or low men in yellow coats. ;)
Herman Wouk is still Alive - 3 Stars. What does Stephen King have against rest areas!?? Some are really nice; with clean bathrooms, coupons, and nice snack machines with the good chips.
Under the Weather - 4 Stars. Daannggg. What is that smell???
Blockade Billy - 3.5 Stars. I have read this as a standalone and actually liked it.
Mister Yummy - 4 Stars. I just liked the story. Old people are a hoot.
Tommy - 3 Stars. Better than the other poem.... it was a poem, of sorts, right?? Oh, well. 3 stars
The Little Green God of Agony - 3.5 Stars. That nurse reminds me of many nurses. Sorry, but it was spot on. Glad that humility was still a possibility for her....mmmm.
That Bus is Another World - 4 Stars. I liked it. You just never know, do you?? How many evil people do we pass in cars each day. On the bus, the train, or on the sidewalk. How many passed by Jeffrey Dahmer and never knew... Creepy.
Obits - 4 Stars. What was that power?? How did it happen to just him?? Never thought about the power misspelling or not understanding. Good!
Drunken Fireworks - 4.5 Stars. One of my favorites. What happens when drunks light fireworks... thrills and chills, ladies and gentlemen!!
Summer Thunder - 3.5 Stars. Nice. A little, very little, reminder of The Stand.
Merged review:
4 Stars with .5, just because I love Stephen King. What can I say?? I am biased. I was also fully entertained with only a moment of "Meh?"
Mile 81 - 4 Stars SK makes a story out of nothing but a rest stop and dirty car.
Spoiler
The fact that the car eats everyone who touches it..(it's sticky).. doesn't seem far fetched.Premium Harmony - 3 Stars. Did he or didn't he?? Or is he just a lummox??
Batman and Robin have an altercation - 4 Stars. *snorts* That went to the left at the end and I died laughing. What the hell?? It was kinda sad initially, then out of nowhere.... watch out for Pops, man! LOL
The Dune - 3 Stars. Crotchety old bastard!
Bad Little Kid - 4 Stars. Someone should have throttled his ass. Again. Again. And again. Then shoot him, revive him and then shoot him again. Just sayin'....:/
A Death - 3.5 Stars. Was he guilty??? bwahahhaha... what a dumbass. That was great :)
The Bone Church - 2.5 Stars. I got it; but I just don't like poetry like I used to. When I was an emotional teenager, it worked. Now, I am a hardened middle-aged bitch who just doesn't give a Fluff!
Morality - 3 stars for a strong start. Started off really good; intriguing; then the end was a little ..meh... I was expecting an "Oh, Shit!!" kind of ending, and I got a ..."really?" type of ending.
Afterlife - 2.5 Stars. A nice little ditty about repetition. HA!
Ur - 3.5 Stars. Don't tempt fate, or low men in yellow coats. ;)
Herman Wouk is still Alive - 3 Stars. What does Stephen King have against rest areas!?? Some are really nice; with clean bathrooms, coupons, and nice snack machines with the good chips.
Under the Weather - 4 Stars. Daannggg. What is that smell???
Blockade Billy - 3.5 Stars. I have read this as a standalone and actually liked it.
Mister Yummy - 4 Stars. I just liked the story. Old people are a hoot.
Tommy - 3 Stars. Better than the other poem.... it was a poem, of sorts, right?? Oh, well. 3 stars
The Little Green God of Agony - 3.5 Stars. That nurse reminds me of many nurses. Sorry, but it was spot on. Glad that humility was still a possibility for her....mmmm.
That Bus is Another World - 4 Stars. I liked it. You just never know, do you?? How many evil people do we pass in cars each day. On the bus, the train, or on the sidewalk. How many passed by Jeffrey Dahmer and never knew... Creepy.
Obits - 4 Stars. What was that power?? How did it happen to just him?? Never thought about the power misspelling or not understanding. Good!
Drunken Fireworks - 4.5 Stars. One of my favorites. What happens when drunks light fireworks... thrills and chills, ladies and gentlemen!!
Summer Thunder - 3.5 Stars. Nice. A little, very little, reminder of The Stand.
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I would really recommend this book if you are in a reading slump, although some of the stories weren’t my favourite there are some real golden pieces in here. The length of the stories really helped me to get out of my slump because even if they weren’t enjoyable they were usually only 20-40 pages long. I feel it is fair to review most of the stories individually, some of the stories I didn’t have a substantial opinion on and so they have been left out.
Mile 81- I was intrigued at first and thought it would follow similar to the stand by me film, I was severely disappointed when it was a truck that eats humans.
Premium harmony- a quick easy read but seriously did we have to kill the dog?
Batman and Robin have an altercation- this was a really interesting one, I really enjoyed reading Kings authors note on this one.
Bad little kid- I really enjoyed following the character on throughout his life. The ending was so twisted.
Ur- I was very sceptical for the first I’m going to say 20 pages but it literally felt like Amazon propaganda , which probably isn’t the most moral company to support but I’ll let it slide because this was released in like 2009. I did however love the development of the story into multi universes that was very cool.
Under the weather- I feel like I’ve heard many similar stories but his style of writing is just unbeatable. I knew what the ending would be and yet I was still left shocked.
Blockade Billy- this one was definitely my least favourite despite having a good ending. I really struggled to pay attention and found myself drifting off thinking of other things. Personally not a fan or even interested in baseball but I tried to give it a chance.
Mister yummy- while I do agree with him that it limits us to only write from perspectives we experience I think it’s important to highlight the significance of talking to those who have experienced it, especially with things like AIDS.
Cookie jar- possibly one of my favourites. It honestly sums up Kings books quite well, appears nice on the surface but turns so dark the further you dig.
That bus is another world- I find it so interesting how such small things like a 10 second glance can inspire him to write a whole short story, truly incredible!
Obits- such an interesting read, honestly I’m really enjoying the short stories towards the end, he really did save the best till last.
Drunken fireworks- a surprising happy ending, in a way. Another good story not exactly deeply shocking but a good story.
Mile 81- I was intrigued at first and thought it would follow similar to the stand by me film, I was severely disappointed when it was a truck that eats humans.
Premium harmony- a quick easy read but seriously did we have to kill the dog?
Batman and Robin have an altercation- this was a really interesting one, I really enjoyed reading Kings authors note on this one.
Bad little kid- I really enjoyed following the character on throughout his life. The ending was so twisted.
Ur- I was very sceptical for the first I’m going to say 20 pages but it literally felt like Amazon propaganda , which probably isn’t the most moral company to support but I’ll let it slide because this was released in like 2009. I did however love the development of the story into multi universes that was very cool.
Under the weather- I feel like I’ve heard many similar stories but his style of writing is just unbeatable. I knew what the ending would be and yet I was still left shocked.
Blockade Billy- this one was definitely my least favourite despite having a good ending. I really struggled to pay attention and found myself drifting off thinking of other things. Personally not a fan or even interested in baseball but I tried to give it a chance.
Mister yummy- while I do agree with him that it limits us to only write from perspectives we experience I think it’s important to highlight the significance of talking to those who have experienced it, especially with things like AIDS.
Cookie jar- possibly one of my favourites. It honestly sums up Kings books quite well, appears nice on the surface but turns so dark the further you dig.
That bus is another world- I find it so interesting how such small things like a 10 second glance can inspire him to write a whole short story, truly incredible!
Obits- such an interesting read, honestly I’m really enjoying the short stories towards the end, he really did save the best till last.
Drunken fireworks- a surprising happy ending, in a way. Another good story not exactly deeply shocking but a good story.
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
medium-paced
dark
sad
Must've read at least part of this before, as some stories were familiar, but still a good listen with excellent narration. Also like the little notes plugged in by SK - he's just a guy.
This book has emphasized two things in my mind.
#1. Stephen King, in fact, still can’t write children. Which is hilarious because he is a great writer. But he writes early elementary school kids both with mature deductive reasoning under distressing situations, and with improper grammar in basic sentences.
#2. Horror takes many forms. One of the most terrifying stories in this book was only 20 pages. It didn’t need more than that, it left me feeling emotional and devastated and terrified. This book spans lots of different kinds of horror and fear, all in bite-size pieces for you to ruminate on.
I would probably read some of these stories again for the joy of it. Others, I’m glad to have read but don’t see myself seeking again unless the urge strikes. Overall, a strong portfolio of flexibility in Stephen King’s worth that’s worth the read to find what actually makes your skin crawl.
#1. Stephen King, in fact, still can’t write children. Which is hilarious because he is a great writer. But he writes early elementary school kids both with mature deductive reasoning under distressing situations, and with improper grammar in basic sentences.
#2. Horror takes many forms. One of the most terrifying stories in this book was only 20 pages. It didn’t need more than that, it left me feeling emotional and devastated and terrified. This book spans lots of different kinds of horror and fear, all in bite-size pieces for you to ruminate on.
I would probably read some of these stories again for the joy of it. Others, I’m glad to have read but don’t see myself seeking again unless the urge strikes. Overall, a strong portfolio of flexibility in Stephen King’s worth that’s worth the read to find what actually makes your skin crawl.
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Mile 81: 5⭐
Premium Harmony: 3⭐
Batman and Robin Have an Altercation: 4⭐
The Dune: 5⭐
Bad Little Kid: 3⭐
A Death 2⭐
Morality 5⭐
Afterlife 3⭐
Ur 3⭐
Herman Wouk is Still Alive 3⭐ well that was depressing AF
Under the Weather 4⭐
Blockade Billy DNF
Mister Yummy 4 ⭐
The Little Green God of Agony 3⭐
Cookie Jar 5⭐ I want more
That Bus Is Another World 3⭐
Obits 4⭐
Drunken Fireworks 3⭐
Summer Thunder 5⭐ sad but atmospheric
Premium Harmony: 3⭐
Batman and Robin Have an Altercation: 4⭐
The Dune: 5⭐
Bad Little Kid: 3⭐
A Death 2⭐
Morality 5⭐
Afterlife 3⭐
Ur 3⭐
Herman Wouk is Still Alive 3⭐ well that was depressing AF
Under the Weather 4⭐
Blockade Billy DNF
Mister Yummy 4 ⭐
The Little Green God of Agony 3⭐
Cookie Jar 5⭐ I want more
That Bus Is Another World 3⭐
Obits 4⭐
Drunken Fireworks 3⭐
Summer Thunder 5⭐ sad but atmospheric
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
there was only 1 didn't like and a few I thought were too long, the rest were good or great. also as an fyi, the audio version has an extra story in it