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3.79 AVERAGE
3.79 AVERAGE
King's done it again. His short stories are masterclasses in storytelling. He isn't KING for no reason, you know. OBITS is nominated for an Edgar award. Each story is prefaced with why he wrote it, or how he became inspired. UR is a standout for me, as is SUMMER THUNDER, MORALITY, DUNE, and AFTERLIFE.
King blends realism and horror better than any.
King blends realism and horror better than any.
Short stories are unique. Unlike a typical novel, you have the option to like or dislike multiple bits. Or at least that's how I feel. Some reach out to you and some don't, which is okay.
The King really kept up with his strange and unusual and supernatural. I really enjoyed the thoughtful introductions and dedications. They were special and sweet. He really made them personal and relatable. The stories were entertaining (some more than others).
Can't say I enjoyed this more than some of the pieces i've read by the King. Wish I could place it. Just wasn't feeling some of these.
Full Review:
https://beentherereadthat.blog/2018/08/17/4496/
The King really kept up with his strange and unusual and supernatural. I really enjoyed the thoughtful introductions and dedications. They were special and sweet. He really made them personal and relatable. The stories were entertaining (some more than others).
Can't say I enjoyed this more than some of the pieces i've read by the King. Wish I could place it. Just wasn't feeling some of these.
Full Review:
https://beentherereadthat.blog/2018/08/17/4496/
No one writes a short story like SK.
Favorite story in the collection is the greatest
great fireworks war. That and Ur, which I had read previously.
9 pink Kindles out of 10
Favorite story in the collection is the greatest
great fireworks war. That and Ur, which I had read previously.
9 pink Kindles out of 10
This is a collection of 20 short stories. This review will be a bit longer than usual because I am going to go through each story give it a rating and page count and tell what it is about. Over all I give this collection a solid 4 out of 5. Most the of stories I never read before but two fo them I had because they were released on hardback. Blockade Billy and Morality were in the hardback version of Blockade Billy which I already have so that took away from the overall rating and some of the story were just not that good.
#1 - Mile 81 (50 pages) 3 out of 5
This is a story about a car that eats people. If you get too close the car comes to life and sucks people inside.
#2 - Premium Harmony (10 pages) 3 out of 5
This is one messed up story about a couple who basically hate one anothern and fight all the time. They stop at a gas station and something happens to one them inside the store and the reaction of the other and the ending will shock you!
#3 - Batman and Robin Have an Altercation (13 pages) 3 out of 5
This one is really sad, it is about a father and son. The father is dying of alzheimers and the son takes his father to Applebee's every Sunday, when one Sunday there is a horrific accident.
#4 - The Dune (13 pages) 3 out of 5
This one is about a judge who id dying, he is in his 90's and is in his home giving his lawyer instructions on his last will and what is to be done with this island off the coast of his property that he has been visiting since he was a boy. This island holds a special power.
#5 - Bad Little Kid (36 pages) 5 out of 5
This is about a guy who is on death row for killing a kid. He is telling his lawyer why he did it. It is a tale that starts when this guy was just a kid and follows his enitre life leading up to kiling this "Bad Little Kid" the ending is so good on this one, I did not see it coming.
#6 - A Death (14 pages) 3 out of 5
This story is a western about a guy who is arrested for the murder of a little girl. He claims his innocence till the very end and the ending has a nice little twist to it.
#7 - The Bone Church (8 pages) 2 out of 5
King describes this as being more of a poem than a story, I think that is why I did not care for it. I am not a big poem person. The poem is about an expedition in some unnamed jungle that is looking for this church made of bone.
#8 - Morality (28 pages) 4 out of 5
This is one of two I read previously. This story is about a married couple who are struggling finacially. The wife works for a very wealthy priest who is dying and wants to experience sin. Since he is bound to a wheelchair he offers his nurse a large sum of money to commit a sin. It is a decision that will change her husband and hers life forever.
#9 - Afterlife (12 pages) 5 out of 5
One of the best in the book. A guy dies of cancer and he learns the secret of life and death and is offered a choice. It is a choice he has made many times before.
#10 - UR (57 pages) 5 out of 5
This was originally done for the kindle when it came out, this version has been revised. It is a great story about an English professor who orders a Kindle from Amazon. He soon realizes it is a gateway to other worlds where famous authors have written stories he has never heard of, born and died on different dates than our world. He also learns there is a price to pay for having such a device. This story has big ties to The Dark Tower series and Hearts in Atlantis.
#11 - Hermon Wouk is Still Alive (18 pages) 3 out of 5
A strange story that deals with two friends who have had nothing but bad luck lives. One wins a scratch off for $2000 and pays off her credit card, rents a van and takes her best friend and their kids on a trip back home, on the way there something very horrific happens and the vacation goes horribly wrong.
#12 - Under the Weather (16 pages) 3.5 out of 5
I like this one but King makes a mistake about halfway through the story and gives away the ending, otherwise this is a solid 4. This one is about a guy who loves his wife more than life itself. She is very ill and what happens next is super creepy and sad.
#13 - Blockcade Billy (38 pages) 4 out of 5
This was the second story I had read before. It was originally released in hardback with Morality. It is a story about a baseball catcher named Billy. He was really good, the New Jersey Titans were having a record season, but everything changes because Billy is carrying a dark secret that comes to light.
#14 - Mister Yummy (16 pages) 4 out of 5
I really enjoyed this one about a guy in a nursing home who tells his friend he knows he is going to die soon. He wants his friend to take his prized pocket watch that is over 100 years old. He then proceeds to tell his friend about Mister Yummy and how he knows he will die soon.
#15 - Tommy (4 pages) 2 out of 5
I hate to give this one such a low rating because reading the introduction from King it is a very personal story about a friend who says it not named Tommy. It just doesn't work as a story, it is about this guy "Tommy" who died of leukemia adn what happened at his funeral.
#16 - The Little Green God of Agony (25 pages)
This one is about a guy who survives a plane crash. He is super rich and instead of doing the hard work, dealing with the pain of rehab he is trying to buy his way out of bed so he can walk again. He soon discovers there is more than pain inside him.
#17 - That Bus is Another World (8 pages) 3 out of 5
This one is about the society we live in, everyone in their own little bubble, no one caring for others, only concerned about themselves, no one gets involved anymore type story. It follows a guy who is flying into New York to give a big pitch to a large firm, he has build himself a large 5 hour window to fly in get to his hotel and make the meeting on time. From the beginning his window is getting eaten up by bad luck, traffic, and everything else. While stuck in traffic he witnesses a murder on a bus, when the murderer sees that he saw what just happened he just looks at him and smiles. Traffic starts moving and the guy debates on what he should do because if he calls the police he will miss is important meeting. This one pissed me off more than anything. I hate this all about me society we live in!
#18 - Obits (37 pages) 5 out of 5
Another one of the best in the book. About a guys who is a struggling writer who discovers he can write obituaries about people who are still living and when he is doen they die. This new found power of his has some serious consequences. One of my favorites in the book.
#19 - Drunken Fireworks (29 pages) 5 out of 5
King is ending this collection with great stories. This one is funny, it follows the story of this guy and his mom who every 4th of July compete with their neighbors across the lake to see who has the best fireworks show.
#20 - Summer Thunder (15 pages) 5 out of 5
The saddest story of book and one of the best. It is about the end of the world. You follow a man's last days on earth. After a global nuclear war, he lost his wife and daughter who where in Boston when it got hit. Him and his dog and neighbor are all dying of radiation sickness as the radiation spreads across the land there is no safe place to go.
I enjoyed this collection and it is worth checking out if you are a fan of Stephen King. The entire collection has a theme of death. Not every story is a banger but overall as a whole pretty good.
#1 - Mile 81 (50 pages) 3 out of 5
This is a story about a car that eats people. If you get too close the car comes to life and sucks people inside.
#2 - Premium Harmony (10 pages) 3 out of 5
This is one messed up story about a couple who basically hate one anothern and fight all the time. They stop at a gas station and something happens to one them inside the store and the reaction of the other and the ending will shock you!
#3 - Batman and Robin Have an Altercation (13 pages) 3 out of 5
This one is really sad, it is about a father and son. The father is dying of alzheimers and the son takes his father to Applebee's every Sunday, when one Sunday there is a horrific accident.
#4 - The Dune (13 pages) 3 out of 5
This one is about a judge who id dying, he is in his 90's and is in his home giving his lawyer instructions on his last will and what is to be done with this island off the coast of his property that he has been visiting since he was a boy. This island holds a special power.
#5 - Bad Little Kid (36 pages) 5 out of 5
This is about a guy who is on death row for killing a kid. He is telling his lawyer why he did it. It is a tale that starts when this guy was just a kid and follows his enitre life leading up to kiling this "Bad Little Kid" the ending is so good on this one, I did not see it coming.
#6 - A Death (14 pages) 3 out of 5
This story is a western about a guy who is arrested for the murder of a little girl. He claims his innocence till the very end and the ending has a nice little twist to it.
#7 - The Bone Church (8 pages) 2 out of 5
King describes this as being more of a poem than a story, I think that is why I did not care for it. I am not a big poem person. The poem is about an expedition in some unnamed jungle that is looking for this church made of bone.
#8 - Morality (28 pages) 4 out of 5
This is one of two I read previously. This story is about a married couple who are struggling finacially. The wife works for a very wealthy priest who is dying and wants to experience sin. Since he is bound to a wheelchair he offers his nurse a large sum of money to commit a sin. It is a decision that will change her husband and hers life forever.
#9 - Afterlife (12 pages) 5 out of 5
One of the best in the book. A guy dies of cancer and he learns the secret of life and death and is offered a choice. It is a choice he has made many times before.
#10 - UR (57 pages) 5 out of 5
This was originally done for the kindle when it came out, this version has been revised. It is a great story about an English professor who orders a Kindle from Amazon. He soon realizes it is a gateway to other worlds where famous authors have written stories he has never heard of, born and died on different dates than our world. He also learns there is a price to pay for having such a device. This story has big ties to The Dark Tower series and Hearts in Atlantis.
#11 - Hermon Wouk is Still Alive (18 pages) 3 out of 5
A strange story that deals with two friends who have had nothing but bad luck lives. One wins a scratch off for $2000 and pays off her credit card, rents a van and takes her best friend and their kids on a trip back home, on the way there something very horrific happens and the vacation goes horribly wrong.
#12 - Under the Weather (16 pages) 3.5 out of 5
I like this one but King makes a mistake about halfway through the story and gives away the ending, otherwise this is a solid 4. This one is about a guy who loves his wife more than life itself. She is very ill and what happens next is super creepy and sad.
#13 - Blockcade Billy (38 pages) 4 out of 5
This was the second story I had read before. It was originally released in hardback with Morality. It is a story about a baseball catcher named Billy. He was really good, the New Jersey Titans were having a record season, but everything changes because Billy is carrying a dark secret that comes to light.
#14 - Mister Yummy (16 pages) 4 out of 5
I really enjoyed this one about a guy in a nursing home who tells his friend he knows he is going to die soon. He wants his friend to take his prized pocket watch that is over 100 years old. He then proceeds to tell his friend about Mister Yummy and how he knows he will die soon.
#15 - Tommy (4 pages) 2 out of 5
I hate to give this one such a low rating because reading the introduction from King it is a very personal story about a friend who says it not named Tommy. It just doesn't work as a story, it is about this guy "Tommy" who died of leukemia adn what happened at his funeral.
#16 - The Little Green God of Agony (25 pages)
This one is about a guy who survives a plane crash. He is super rich and instead of doing the hard work, dealing with the pain of rehab he is trying to buy his way out of bed so he can walk again. He soon discovers there is more than pain inside him.
#17 - That Bus is Another World (8 pages) 3 out of 5
This one is about the society we live in, everyone in their own little bubble, no one caring for others, only concerned about themselves, no one gets involved anymore type story. It follows a guy who is flying into New York to give a big pitch to a large firm, he has build himself a large 5 hour window to fly in get to his hotel and make the meeting on time. From the beginning his window is getting eaten up by bad luck, traffic, and everything else. While stuck in traffic he witnesses a murder on a bus, when the murderer sees that he saw what just happened he just looks at him and smiles. Traffic starts moving and the guy debates on what he should do because if he calls the police he will miss is important meeting. This one pissed me off more than anything. I hate this all about me society we live in!
#18 - Obits (37 pages) 5 out of 5
Another one of the best in the book. About a guys who is a struggling writer who discovers he can write obituaries about people who are still living and when he is doen they die. This new found power of his has some serious consequences. One of my favorites in the book.
#19 - Drunken Fireworks (29 pages) 5 out of 5
King is ending this collection with great stories. This one is funny, it follows the story of this guy and his mom who every 4th of July compete with their neighbors across the lake to see who has the best fireworks show.
#20 - Summer Thunder (15 pages) 5 out of 5
The saddest story of book and one of the best. It is about the end of the world. You follow a man's last days on earth. After a global nuclear war, he lost his wife and daughter who where in Boston when it got hit. Him and his dog and neighbor are all dying of radiation sickness as the radiation spreads across the land there is no safe place to go.
I enjoyed this collection and it is worth checking out if you are a fan of Stephen King. The entire collection has a theme of death. Not every story is a banger but overall as a whole pretty good.
I’m not really sure what I would rate this book as a whole. I instead took the average of my ratings for each story which came to a total of 2.9/5. A 3/5 seems good enough for me.
The stories I didn’t like (poems) I really didn’t like and the stories I really liked (Ur, Obits, and Mile 81) I’m obsessed with. But I guess that’s the beauty of everyone having their own taste.
The stories I didn’t like (poems) I really didn’t like and the stories I really liked (Ur, Obits, and Mile 81) I’m obsessed with. But I guess that’s the beauty of everyone having their own taste.
I've always been a fan of Novella more-so than books of short stories. With that being said, I think this had a few of the best short stories King has ever done in it. There are some bland ones, some poems, and Blockade Billy (which I have in hardcover), so most of my love for this book was invested in the few stories that really hit home. The issue I have when King writes short stories is that he's so powerful at writing characters that you're hooked from the start, then the story is over. I liked the collection. Recommend for King lovers and short story lovers.
I love SK short story anthologies and this doesn't disappoint. Especially since it has introductions to each story. If you love the introductions and notes in some of the older books, this will be a great nostalgia trip for you.
Morality was my favorite story in the collection, and from reading this, I learned that I don't care for King's poetry or Carver impressions.
3.5 this collection of anthologies was a mixed bag for me. I enjoyed half of them and the other half I feel as though fell short. Some of my favorites were Bad Little Kid, Morality, Afterlife, and The Little Green God of Agony. The stories were fantastically written and had great concepts. I also enjoyed Mile 81, Bus in Another World, and The Cookie Jar. I felt towards the end of the collection it started to bore me and drag on. Pretty decent collection.