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3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
I have to think about this one...
Four stories; greatly written.
Think I will rate each story separately, and then combine my ratings and only then decide how I will rate this book!
Four stories; greatly written.
Think I will rate each story separately, and then combine my ratings and only then decide how I will rate this book!
This collection includes secret window, secret garden, yet another of this authors stories that has been turned into a film. However, the copy I own has a binding error and after page 136 it goes back to 89, then the duplicated pages jump from 136 to 185, i'm missing 50 pages of the story (The Langoliers)!! and have therefore stopped that particular storey until I can find a complete version.
The third story, The Library Policeman, is a good read, I didn't want to put it down once the pace had picked up although the ending seemed a bit of an afterthought. In comparison the final story, The Sun Dog, ends well and then hints that it might not be the end after all.
All in all Four Past Midnight is a good set that I would recommend to any fan of Stephen King, or any horror/thriller for that matter.
The third story, The Library Policeman, is a good read, I didn't want to put it down once the pace had picked up although the ending seemed a bit of an afterthought. In comparison the final story, The Sun Dog, ends well and then hints that it might not be the end after all.
All in all Four Past Midnight is a good set that I would recommend to any fan of Stephen King, or any horror/thriller for that matter.
3. This took me a month to finish. Two of the novellas were a miss and the other two were forgettable.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
medium-paced
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Thoughts upon revisit:
I love King's introductions and afterwords, so if that's included in the summation, that part gets 5 stars pretty well always.
The Langoliers: this is the weakest of King's novels, period. Too many convenient leaps, too much padding, not enough story for so many words. 2 stars because I'm still so found of the everyman way King strings words together that I kept on reading no matter.
Secret Garden, Secret Window: Fanfuckingtastic. Excellent top to bottom. 5 stars.
The Library Policeman: First time through I was only warm on this one, I think that the pedophile has a speech impediment bothered me or something, but it seemed a little more befitting (maybe I'm thinking more about the abuse people with language difficulties receive and how they're cast aside, which then leads to chemical changes in the brain...perhaps?). This one's awesomely weird and vivid. 5 stars.
The Sun Dog: Again, things get a bit convenient. It a smidge too long for the story, like I don't care that much about Pop Merrill failing to sell the camera so much. 3 stars.
On the whole, I enjoyed this book, and in some places, a whole hell of a lot. Will revisit again, just might skip a copy stories.
I love King's introductions and afterwords, so if that's included in the summation, that part gets 5 stars pretty well always.
The Langoliers: this is the weakest of King's novels, period. Too many convenient leaps, too much padding, not enough story for so many words. 2 stars because I'm still so found of the everyman way King strings words together that I kept on reading no matter.
Secret Garden, Secret Window: Fanfuckingtastic. Excellent top to bottom. 5 stars.
The Library Policeman: First time through I was only warm on this one, I think that the pedophile has a speech impediment bothered me or something, but it seemed a little more befitting (maybe I'm thinking more about the abuse people with language difficulties receive and how they're cast aside, which then leads to chemical changes in the brain...perhaps?). This one's awesomely weird and vivid. 5 stars.
The Sun Dog: Again, things get a bit convenient. It a smidge too long for the story, like I don't care that much about Pop Merrill failing to sell the camera so much. 3 stars.
On the whole, I enjoyed this book, and in some places, a whole hell of a lot. Will revisit again, just might skip a copy stories.
4 novellas with traditional King horror and gusto and typical bad endings.
Langoliers: The characters were great and you can see the psychological thriller breaking through that will make his later works so intriguing. The actual "bad thing" which is supposed to be so frightening would have been scarier if left unseen.
Secret Window, Secret Garden: Another story about a writer with issues. This time others must have thought the ending needed improving since the movie version with Johnny Depp changed it.
The Library Policeman: All the regular plot was okay, but really that was just filler for the real story that will be the most horrifying scene your will ever read. But again, the ending is so disconnected from the rest of the story it would have been better left on a cliffhanger.
The Sun Dog: Welcome back to Castle Rock. King points out this is an in between story leading up to the final book set in that location, Needful Things. Maybe reading that will make me appreciate the interlude. Oddly enough, this story was the reverse of the others. It didn't feel like it would go anywhere, but the ending was almost good enough to be a one sentence horror story if you cut off the last few lines.
Overall, not my favorite collection. Each story felt like it went on just a bit too long. Start elsewhere if you are just beginning to read Stephen King.
Langoliers: The characters were great and you can see the psychological thriller breaking through that will make his later works so intriguing. The actual "bad thing" which is supposed to be so frightening would have been scarier if left unseen.
Secret Window, Secret Garden: Another story about a writer with issues. This time others must have thought the ending needed improving since the movie version with Johnny Depp changed it.
The Library Policeman: All the regular plot was okay, but really that was just filler for the real story that will be the most horrifying scene your will ever read. But again, the ending is so disconnected from the rest of the story it would have been better left on a cliffhanger.
The Sun Dog: Welcome back to Castle Rock. King points out this is an in between story leading up to the final book set in that location, Needful Things. Maybe reading that will make me appreciate the interlude. Oddly enough, this story was the reverse of the others. It didn't feel like it would go anywhere, but the ending was almost good enough to be a one sentence horror story if you cut off the last few lines.
Overall, not my favorite collection. Each story felt like it went on just a bit too long. Start elsewhere if you are just beginning to read Stephen King.
Four Past Midnight collects 4 older King Novellas; as such we're treated to a relatively early career King, so expect a more 'in your face', graphic and visceral ride, less subtle than some later works (especially Secret Window, Secret Garden which I initially liked but got put off by the ending) but still fun.
I read The Langoliers some time last year, enjoying King in his high concept mode, but then put the book aside and forgot about the rest until last week. It's fun with a great cast and some cool imagery.
The Library Policeman started off a little weak but then falls into classic King 'sit around a campfire' story-telling magic and we're introduced to a great force of evil, reminiscent of It. I enjoyed this a lot.
The Sun Dog closes the collection with a bizarre opening event, rapidly racking up the weirdness, building to a genuinely horrific and grotesque conclusion.
Compared to some of King's books this isn't anywhere near his best but it's an enjoyable collection and far from his worst.
I read The Langoliers some time last year, enjoying King in his high concept mode, but then put the book aside and forgot about the rest until last week. It's fun with a great cast and some cool imagery.
The Library Policeman started off a little weak but then falls into classic King 'sit around a campfire' story-telling magic and we're introduced to a great force of evil, reminiscent of It. I enjoyed this a lot.
The Sun Dog closes the collection with a bizarre opening event, rapidly racking up the weirdness, building to a genuinely horrific and grotesque conclusion.
Compared to some of King's books this isn't anywhere near his best but it's an enjoyable collection and far from his worst.
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes