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3.35 AVERAGE
3.35 AVERAGE
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Not one of his best works, but Blockade Billy still has that particular voice and charm that I most associate with King: he has the ability to make the page vanish and the story play out in my mind whether I'm reading in bed, before class, or on a crowded train.
This was a book fair pick up I believe. It contains two of King's short stories. As per King's usual these are both thrillers, with a tinge of mystery.
The title story is about 90ish pages is a about a 1950's American Baseball team down on their luck. A new catcher by the name of William Blakely is called up and turns out to be a star player. However many players complain of injuries after plays at the plate. Little does anyone know that Billy has a dark history. The story which took King two weeks to write, ends with some major twists.
The second novella "Morality" was originally published in "Esquire" magazine as a novelette. The focus is of a middle aged couple, Nora who is a home nurse, and her husband Chad, a substitute teacher and a part time writer working on his first book, about subbing in the school system. Chad has been stuck for months trying to write the second half his book. Nora works for an elderly Reverend named Winnie who's had a stroke. One day Winnie comes up with a proposition for Nora. For a substantial amount of money he asks her to help him do something. This request puts Nora and Chad in a difficult spot. In the end they have to make a decision and live with the consequences. This one had me questioning and reading to the end in one sitting.
Both of these were attention grabbing reads, well worth the time. If you like Stephen King, this is routine entertainment!
The title story is about 90ish pages is a about a 1950's American Baseball team down on their luck. A new catcher by the name of William Blakely is called up and turns out to be a star player. However many players complain of injuries after plays at the plate. Little does anyone know that Billy has a dark history. The story which took King two weeks to write, ends with some major twists.
The second novella "Morality" was originally published in "Esquire" magazine as a novelette. The focus is of a middle aged couple, Nora who is a home nurse, and her husband Chad, a substitute teacher and a part time writer working on his first book, about subbing in the school system. Chad has been stuck for months trying to write the second half his book. Nora works for an elderly Reverend named Winnie who's had a stroke. One day Winnie comes up with a proposition for Nora. For a substantial amount of money he asks her to help him do something. This request puts Nora and Chad in a difficult spot. In the end they have to make a decision and live with the consequences. This one had me questioning and reading to the end in one sitting.
Both of these were attention grabbing reads, well worth the time. If you like Stephen King, this is routine entertainment!
A quick read. I'm not a baseball fan so most of the game replays go right over my head, but the context carries enough to understand the most of it. The underlying (and I'd say secondary) story is enough to warrant me reading the book, even if it is really overshadowed by the love for the game that King has. Also interesting is that King works himself in; the narrator addresses, several times, Mr. King, and I always love that sort of thing. As if this is an interview King conducted about the short-lived career of Blockade Billy rather than whole fiction.
Kind of wanted Billy to be from another world, though, rather than just some kid--a Dark Tower connection to baseball would be an interesting subject to explore.
Kind of wanted Billy to be from another world, though, rather than just some kid--a Dark Tower connection to baseball would be an interesting subject to explore.
This has to be the fastest I have ever read a book - less than an hour. Most of Stephen King's books are too long so this was a nice change. It was a simple baseball story with a murderous twist. Not one I would recommend.
Baseball. This is a baseball novella, so it helps to enjoy baseball to enjoy this story. There are a lot of baseball terms in here and I'm not familiar with them. I'm not even a baseball fan. I think baseball is just a little more exciting than golf. It would be much more fun if the pitcher tried to throw it to give the batters a hit and see what the outfielders could do. Anyway.
Despite not being fond of the subject, this is a Stephen King story and I found the telling of the old baseball team interesting. It was part of the 50s culture for certain and it's interesting to see how much this sport means and meant to people. I have never understood the appeal. I guess most people don't get the appeal of opera either. Anyway.
There is also another short story in this book called Morality. A dying man pays a woman to hit a little child in the face so he can know what it feels like to sin. It's a strange little play. The meat of the story is what happens after the event between her and people in her life.
I still read Stephen King and these were not my favorite, but they weren't horrible like the Richard Bachmann stuff. You can always tell when Richard Bachmann wrote something because it's usually terrible. Anyway
Not by favorite, but pretty good for the subject being told.
Despite not being fond of the subject, this is a Stephen King story and I found the telling of the old baseball team interesting. It was part of the 50s culture for certain and it's interesting to see how much this sport means and meant to people. I have never understood the appeal. I guess most people don't get the appeal of opera either. Anyway.
There is also another short story in this book called Morality. A dying man pays a woman to hit a little child in the face so he can know what it feels like to sin. It's a strange little play. The meat of the story is what happens after the event between her and people in her life.
I still read Stephen King and these were not my favorite, but they weren't horrible like the Richard Bachmann stuff. You can always tell when Richard Bachmann wrote something because it's usually terrible. Anyway
Not by favorite, but pretty good for the subject being told.
Huh. That was kind of interesting —makes me want more baseball fiction but also not baseball fiction like this.