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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
This is another winner from Stephen King, especially for fans of his Dark Tower series. The book is different in structure from his other works. It isn't a single novel, with one story taking up all the pages. Nor is it a collection of unrelated novellas or short stories. Instead, while it does contain novellas and short stories, they all are related in some way (for example a small role character in one story might be the main character in another story). When viewed all together, the stories cover the 1960s, mainly the atmosphere of the '60s above all else.
A non-Dark Tower reader might find some of the story beats to be confusing or incomprehensible (especially in the first story). I really enjoyed all the stories we got, but I know my knowledge and appreciation of the Dark Tower series added to my experience.
A non-Dark Tower reader might find some of the story beats to be confusing or incomprehensible (especially in the first story). I really enjoyed all the stories we got, but I know my knowledge and appreciation of the Dark Tower series added to my experience.
Weirdly, this is probably one of my favorite collections of King's. The interconnectedness of the stories along with the connections to the larger Dark Tower world are neat. There's a lot of nostalgia that's a little contagious while reading the stories, but at the same time there are a few problematic things too (as is the case with a lot of King's writing), so go into this book with your eyes open.
The first story in the book, Low Men in Yellow Coats, was very good. It had a mix of great characters, nostalgia from the 60s, and an unknown supernatural element that made for a quick fun read.
None of the other stories quite live up to the high standard of the first, but they were still very good. One thing I really liked was seeing different people from the first story keep popping up as secondary characters. It helped tie it together in a single narrative instead of being just a collection of short stories. I wasn't alive during most of the eras this book takes place, so my knowledge of them is not as high as someone who lived it. As such, it also serves as a kind of history lesson. I know the book is fiction, but it was based around real events.
I went between the Kindle and Audible versions of this book, and I can't recommend the Audible version. William Hurt's narration and completely unnatural pauses in the first story were so off-putting, that I had to force myself to stop hearing his voice and just focus on the great story. Thankfully King himself reads the rest of the stories.
None of the other stories quite live up to the high standard of the first, but they were still very good. One thing I really liked was seeing different people from the first story keep popping up as secondary characters. It helped tie it together in a single narrative instead of being just a collection of short stories. I wasn't alive during most of the eras this book takes place, so my knowledge of them is not as high as someone who lived it. As such, it also serves as a kind of history lesson. I know the book is fiction, but it was based around real events.
I went between the Kindle and Audible versions of this book, and I can't recommend the Audible version. William Hurt's narration and completely unnatural pauses in the first story were so off-putting, that I had to force myself to stop hearing his voice and just focus on the great story. Thankfully King himself reads the rest of the stories.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Even better the second time around - especially if you have read the Dark Tower series. Lots of tie-ins. I listened to it this time (read it the first) and Stephen King's narration of the second story in the book is fantastic! It's as if he is telling you a story from his college days.
The first part was great but for me it went straight down Hill from there.
1 of the 5 stories was meh but the way it was all brought together at the end really made up for it.
King does it again, sheer brilliance.
King does it again, sheer brilliance.
This book isn't like any of the other King novels I have read. I found myself coming away from it not afraid, but actually kind of happy at the way things turned out. I was so pleased that no matter how horrible he made things seem to be, things with the characters were safe to anyone's satisfaction.
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced