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3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
I don't personally like all of the story but I have a favorite. It is the "Secret Window, Secret Garden." In comparison to other stories, I think this one is more thrilling and even the ending is wrapped perfectly.
I knew I had read this compilation of novellas, but it had been many years. I specifically wanted to re-read The Library Police, since I now work in a public library. It was hilarious and scary all at once! (Hilarious to me, maybe not to the typical reader... things about the workings of a library were very old-school and struck me as funny. But they were likely accurate, too--times have changed, for example, and we don't require SILENCE in the library!)
The other stories were great, as well. I really enjoyed The Langoliers more than I did the first time around.
Listening to these stories, read aloud, was very pleasing! (Even Secret Window, Secret Garden, which was read by James Woods--I didn't much care for his reading voice at first, but I pushed through and came to enjoy it.)
The other stories were great, as well. I really enjoyed The Langoliers more than I did the first time around.
Listening to these stories, read aloud, was very pleasing! (Even Secret Window, Secret Garden, which was read by James Woods--I didn't much care for his reading voice at first, but I pushed through and came to enjoy it.)
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The Langoliers is definitely an underrated Stephen King story. Deserving of a modern movie by M. Night Shamylan or Jordan Peele.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pedophilia, Rape
Moderate: Mental illness
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
It features four novellas, and while they’re interesting, it’s very slow-paced for Stephen King.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-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:
Yes
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I got luke warm feelings for this novella collection. I'm not a huge short story collection reader to begin with and it didn't help that they where written by Stephen Kings. Didn't dislike it but wasn't something I'll want to go back to and I'm not sure if I want to giver his other collections a try. Think I'll stick with his books for now at least.
This book is really a collection of 4 novellas, each one about 180 pages long--so it's not a typical 'short story collection'. :)
1 of 4 stories (novellas) down: Secret Window. It was good. I saw the movie before I read it, which is not typically the way to do it. However, I feel that having seen the movie, I was REALLY interested to see how King developed Mort's character. And, it was a definite plus having Johnny's face in my head while I created the pictures in my mind...Only 600 more pages of the book to go!
Story #2 (technically #3 in the book...). The Library Policeman. The most interesting thing in it so far is that King mentions (and I've read this somewhere else from King) that children are drawn to scary stories. In this story, one character is shocked by the 'scary' posters in the children's section of the library. But, when you think about it, most of our children's stories are WORSE (Hansel and Gretel=Children being abandoned, almost shoved into an oven). I like this point, it somehow validates for me that by the time I was in 10th grade, I'd read several King books. :) It was difficult getting into the story, but once I was in (might have been halfway through), I was wanting to read, read, read!
The Langoliers
This is the first book in the collection, and I can see why. Unlike the Library Policeman, I was hooked right away, and I wanted to read. (And, probably, if I wasn't in love w/ Johnny Depp, I wouldn't have been AS interested in Secret Window) This story was great...but I'm not sure I like the ending much.
1 of 4 stories (novellas) down: Secret Window. It was good. I saw the movie before I read it, which is not typically the way to do it. However, I feel that having seen the movie, I was REALLY interested to see how King developed Mort's character. And, it was a definite plus having Johnny's face in my head while I created the pictures in my mind...Only 600 more pages of the book to go!
Story #2 (technically #3 in the book...). The Library Policeman. The most interesting thing in it so far is that King mentions (and I've read this somewhere else from King) that children are drawn to scary stories. In this story, one character is shocked by the 'scary' posters in the children's section of the library. But, when you think about it, most of our children's stories are WORSE (Hansel and Gretel=Children being abandoned, almost shoved into an oven). I like this point, it somehow validates for me that by the time I was in 10th grade, I'd read several King books. :) It was difficult getting into the story, but once I was in (might have been halfway through), I was wanting to read, read, read!
The Langoliers
This is the first book in the collection, and I can see why. Unlike the Library Policeman, I was hooked right away, and I wanted to read. (And, probably, if I wasn't in love w/ Johnny Depp, I wouldn't have been AS interested in Secret Window) This story was great...but I'm not sure I like the ending much.
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Gore, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Minor: Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Vomit
dark
mysterious
medium-paced