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3.82 AVERAGE
3.82 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
The mist was awesome. I liked most of the short stories but the mist was definitely the best. Honorable mention to survivor type and the raft.
slow-paced
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Anthologies are tough. Especially when they are King anthologies, where you’ve experienced the film adaptations.
The Mist. The Monkey. The Raft - all standouts. Especially The Raft - which is my favorite “Creepshow” story…
The others are hit and miss - but King always has a unique voice.
Just not sure this would be the anthology I would use to introduce a novice to his works.
The Mist. The Monkey. The Raft - all standouts. Especially The Raft - which is my favorite “Creepshow” story…
The others are hit and miss - but King always has a unique voice.
Just not sure this would be the anthology I would use to introduce a novice to his works.
Overall Rating: 3.65*
Reading this collection of short stories by Stephen King has changed my opinion of the man...and not in a positive way. It's become glaringly clear that he has a real hatred of overweight people. Many of the antagonists in his stories are described as being gruesomely fat, and in the Wedding Gig, the point could be made that there may be nothing worse in the world THAN being fat. (Gasp!!!)
It's disappointing to see such ignorance from a favorite, beloved author. I'm hoping that this is just a "sign of the times" and that he no longer feels this way towards his fellow human beings. Since these stories were written between 1968 and 1985, I will give him the benefit of the doubt...for now.
Even though I had such a negative reaction to some of the viewpoints shown in this collection, I remained fair to the rating. My overall rating is an average of the rating for each story, as shown below:
The Mist - 4.75
Here There Be Tygers - 3
The Monkey - 4.75
Cain Rose Up - 3.5 (such a good story, but a little hard to take the subject matter)
Mrs. Todd's Shortcut - 3.5
The Jaunt - 2
The Wedding Gig - 2 (At this point, it was obvious that Stephen King hates fat people.)
Paranoid - 4
The Raft - 4.5
Word Processor of the Gods - 4.75
The Man Who Would Not Shake Hands - 2 (good story, but took way too long to tell)
Beach World - 2
The Reaper's Image - 3.75
Nona - 4.5
For Owen - 3.5
Survivor Type - 3
Uncle Otto's Truck - 4.75
Morning Deliveries (Milkman #1) - 3
Big Wheels: A Tale of the Laundry Game (Milkman #2) - 3
Gramma - 4.75
The Ballad of the Flexible Bullet - 3.5
The Reach - 4
Overall Rating - 3.65*
Reading this collection of short stories by Stephen King has changed my opinion of the man...and not in a positive way. It's become glaringly clear that he has a real hatred of overweight people. Many of the antagonists in his stories are described as being gruesomely fat, and in the Wedding Gig, the point could be made that there may be nothing worse in the world THAN being fat. (Gasp!!!)
It's disappointing to see such ignorance from a favorite, beloved author. I'm hoping that this is just a "sign of the times" and that he no longer feels this way towards his fellow human beings. Since these stories were written between 1968 and 1985, I will give him the benefit of the doubt...for now.
Even though I had such a negative reaction to some of the viewpoints shown in this collection, I remained fair to the rating. My overall rating is an average of the rating for each story, as shown below:
The Mist - 4.75
Here There Be Tygers - 3
The Monkey - 4.75
Cain Rose Up - 3.5 (such a good story, but a little hard to take the subject matter)
Mrs. Todd's Shortcut - 3.5
The Jaunt - 2
The Wedding Gig - 2 (At this point, it was obvious that Stephen King hates fat people.)
Paranoid - 4
The Raft - 4.5
Word Processor of the Gods - 4.75
The Man Who Would Not Shake Hands - 2 (good story, but took way too long to tell)
Beach World - 2
The Reaper's Image - 3.75
Nona - 4.5
For Owen - 3.5
Survivor Type - 3
Uncle Otto's Truck - 4.75
Morning Deliveries (Milkman #1) - 3
Big Wheels: A Tale of the Laundry Game (Milkman #2) - 3
Gramma - 4.75
The Ballad of the Flexible Bullet - 3.5
The Reach - 4
Overall Rating - 3.65*
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
dark
funny
medium-paced
This is my second reading of Stephen King’s Skeleton Crew, which serves as the June selection for our Constant Reader book club meetup. First published in 1985, this collection of short stories has stood the test of time. It boasts a diverse range of stories, varying in length, intensity, and horror gore. I thoroughly enjoyed this collection, just as much as I did during my first reading. While not every story in the collection resonated with me, I found myself savoring most of them. Some of my favorites include “The Mist,” “The Monkey,” “Mrs. Todd’s Shortcut,” “Nona,” and “The Reach.”
I particularly enjoyed how the stories were sandwiched with King’s insightful words of wisdom in the forward and afterward. The forward shed light on the limited earning potential of writers after deducting fees to agents and taxes, among other expenses. While I acknowledge King’s immense wealth from his writing, I believe the anecdote he shared offers valuable insights into the actual earnings of an author from a single short story and the corresponding hourly rate. The afterward section was intriguing as King delved into the origin of many of the stories. Skeleton Crew is an exceptional short story collection that is a must-read for any King enthusiast.
Several stories have been adapted for television shows, such as Tales from the Darkside, The Twilight Zone, and Creepshow. “The Mist” and “The Monkey” have also been adapted into movies. You’ll find the trailers for your viewing pleasure on my blog, linked below.
I generally enjoyed the movie “The Mist.” It appeared to closely follow the story until the very end, which I loathed.
I haven’t seen “The Monkey” movie yet. Perhaps I’ll watch it someday, but it doesn’t pique my interest. Some members of the Constant Reader book club enjoyed it when it was released.
I have photos, videos, and additional information that I'm unable to include here. It can all be found on my blog, in the link below.
<a href="https://abookandadog.com/blog/skeleton-crew" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">A Book And A Dog</a>
I particularly enjoyed how the stories were sandwiched with King’s insightful words of wisdom in the forward and afterward. The forward shed light on the limited earning potential of writers after deducting fees to agents and taxes, among other expenses. While I acknowledge King’s immense wealth from his writing, I believe the anecdote he shared offers valuable insights into the actual earnings of an author from a single short story and the corresponding hourly rate. The afterward section was intriguing as King delved into the origin of many of the stories. Skeleton Crew is an exceptional short story collection that is a must-read for any King enthusiast.
Several stories have been adapted for television shows, such as Tales from the Darkside, The Twilight Zone, and Creepshow. “The Mist” and “The Monkey” have also been adapted into movies. You’ll find the trailers for your viewing pleasure on my blog, linked below.
I generally enjoyed the movie “The Mist.” It appeared to closely follow the story until the very end, which I loathed.
I haven’t seen “The Monkey” movie yet. Perhaps I’ll watch it someday, but it doesn’t pique my interest. Some members of the Constant Reader book club enjoyed it when it was released.
I have photos, videos, and additional information that I'm unable to include here. It can all be found on my blog, in the link below.
<a href="https://abookandadog.com/blog/skeleton-crew" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">A Book And A Dog</a>