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hinesight's review against another edition
4.0
From the Afterword:
"I have little patience with writers who don't take the job [of writing] seriously, and none at all with those who see the art of story-fiction as essentially worn out. It's not worn out, and it's not a literary game. It's one of the vital ways in which we try to make sense of our lives, and the often terrible world we see around us. It's the way we answer the question, How can such things be? Stories suggest that sometimes - not always, but sometimes - there's a reason." (p. 365, hardback edition)
That's why I like King. In his work of dark and horror, the darkness and the horrible things happen for a reason. I used to wonder why he didn't put his gifts to more traditional fiction. I think now that he can't. He can't because in a more real world, there are no reasons, and he has a lot invested in the idea that reasons exist.
This book was horrible, in the sense that it was very, very dark and hard to read. Disturbing. I don't recommend it, exactly. But it was King at the top of his game, even if the premises of the four novellas that make up the book aren't exactly new. Overall, I'm glad I bothered.
"I have little patience with writers who don't take the job [of writing] seriously, and none at all with those who see the art of story-fiction as essentially worn out. It's not worn out, and it's not a literary game. It's one of the vital ways in which we try to make sense of our lives, and the often terrible world we see around us. It's the way we answer the question, How can such things be? Stories suggest that sometimes - not always, but sometimes - there's a reason." (p. 365, hardback edition)
That's why I like King. In his work of dark and horror, the darkness and the horrible things happen for a reason. I used to wonder why he didn't put his gifts to more traditional fiction. I think now that he can't. He can't because in a more real world, there are no reasons, and he has a lot invested in the idea that reasons exist.
This book was horrible, in the sense that it was very, very dark and hard to read. Disturbing. I don't recommend it, exactly. But it was King at the top of his game, even if the premises of the four novellas that make up the book aren't exactly new. Overall, I'm glad I bothered.
reillymatt23's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
sushizhan's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars tbh. This was excellent. I remember why I love short fiction from Stephen King.
1922 - 4 stars. Love the atmosphere and the vibe. The ending in the novella - better than the one in the movie IMO.
Big Driver - 5 stars. Parts of this made me uncomfortable because of the subject matter: rape. But this story is one of my faves in this collection.
Fair Extension - 3.5. Probs my least favorite but it was cool to read about this supernatural man that gives you “extensions”.
A Good Marriage - 4 stars. Enjoyable, and the easiest to read out of the bunch. About a woman who finds her husband’s secret... and well it’s pretty horrible, and what can a wife do in that situation?
1922 - 4 stars. Love the atmosphere and the vibe. The ending in the novella - better than the one in the movie IMO.
Big Driver - 5 stars. Parts of this made me uncomfortable because of the subject matter: rape. But this story is one of my faves in this collection.
Fair Extension - 3.5. Probs my least favorite but it was cool to read about this supernatural man that gives you “extensions”.
A Good Marriage - 4 stars. Enjoyable, and the easiest to read out of the bunch. About a woman who finds her husband’s secret... and well it’s pretty horrible, and what can a wife do in that situation?
tamgperkins's review against another edition
4.0
Really enjoyed the short stories. New to Stephen King. I am enjoying discovering his work. I now see why he has such a loyal following.
bethmorvant's review against another edition
5.0
Four stories about ordinary people put into extraordinary circumstances and I really enjoyed this one! The fourth story, A Good Marriage, is my favorite of the four. (King was inspired by the BTK killer, and I can definitely see that!)
rjdenney's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 rating!
I really only read Big Driver and A Good Marriage. I wanted to read the stories before I saw the movies on Lifetime and Demand. The other two stories weren't my cup of tea.
I really only read Big Driver and A Good Marriage. I wanted to read the stories before I saw the movies on Lifetime and Demand. The other two stories weren't my cup of tea.
jbliv's review against another edition
4.0
The title really says it all; these tales are all darkness, no light. My history with King has been rocky, though recently I feel he has picked up his game significantly, with the recent Under the Dome being a hefty masterpiece. But as dark as King can be, these takes are darker than most. Two, "1922" and "Fair Extension" more or less plod through their gruesome plots, leaving behind little except a bad aftertaste. But "Big Driver" and "A Good Marriage" both redeem the book as a whole. While dark, both tales explore the nightmarish mix of good and bad that can exist in a single person, and in a single relationship. There is bitter redemption in each, and both will have you ripping through pages to see the surprises just ahead. Just be prepared to get a bit dirty in the process.
hakimbriki's review against another edition
4.0
I thoroughly enjoyed this - very hard- read. The stories featured in this collection are dark (duh!), touching, gut-wrenching, disgusting and most of all thought-provoking. I couldn't help but wonder What would I do if I was stuck in a situation like that ? See, that's why I enjoy reading Stephen King. His stories are entertaining, scary, funny and all but they also are thought-provoking.
1922 - ***** - Hands down my favorite. Wilfried James kills his wife with the help of his son, which will generate quite the downward spiral. Now I'm not gonna give away any spoilers but 1922 reminds me of this short excrept from Pet Sematary :
"Its probably wrong to believe there can be any limit to the horror which the human mind can experience. One the contrary, it seems that some exponential effect begins to obtain as deeper and deeper
darkness falls-as little as one may like to admit it, human experience tends, in a good many ways, to support the idea that when the nightmare grows black enough, horror spawns horror, one coincidental
evil begets other, often more deliberate evils, until finally blackness seems to cover everything. And the most terrifying question of all may be just how much horror the human mind can stand and still
maintain a wakeful, staring, unrelenting sanity."
I literally could not put the book down from page 1. I really think it would make a terrific movie as well.
Also, I am the world's biggest rat phobic... sooo...
Big Driver - *** - Predictable though it may have been, I kinda liked this one, it was very sordid and violent. And funny (The George Costanza reference was hilarious).
Fait extension - **** - Short and effective. I could use one of those extensions myself. Huh.
A good marriage - **** - This one made me think a lot. How well do we know the people we love ? I can tell you this one made me a paranoid. You King fans should know that perfect paranoia is perfect awareness. Hehe.
miadesiree's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
subparcupcake's review against another edition
4.0
It took me two months to get through this damn audio. It's not that I didn't like it, clearly my four star rating indicates that I did. I'm just slow with audio's, and my pace on this suffered for that.
I liked each of the stories, and liked how they generally tied together in a loose sort of way. Some gave me the creepy crawlies (hello, 1922!), others made me extremely suspicious of my husband (A Good Marriage, anyone?). Overall, a good set of short stories.
As for the narrators... They weren't bad, but their voices grew to grate on my nerves over time. Especially the female narrator. The voices she used for men in the stories she read irked me. Not so much that it affected my enjoyment of the actual content of the stories... But still, I was irked nonetheless. I'd say that if you're going to read this, go for the actual text over the audio... But that's just my opinion. Best to just listen to a sample and decide for yourself!
I liked each of the stories, and liked how they generally tied together in a loose sort of way. Some gave me the creepy crawlies (hello, 1922!), others made me extremely suspicious of my husband (A Good Marriage, anyone?). Overall, a good set of short stories.
As for the narrators... They weren't bad, but their voices grew to grate on my nerves over time. Especially the female narrator. The voices she used for men in the stories she read irked me. Not so much that it affected my enjoyment of the actual content of the stories... But still, I was irked nonetheless. I'd say that if you're going to read this, go for the actual text over the audio... But that's just my opinion. Best to just listen to a sample and decide for yourself!