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3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
Secret window, secret garden was cool until the twist became Mort goes a little kooky when he puts on a Carhatt beanie. the other stories are disposable; either bad characters, bad romance, bad premises, or out-of-left field rape scenes.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Four mediocre King novellas in one collection. Of these, The Langoliers is the best (by a pretty wide margin) but even that one drags on and on. None of these are terrible per se (although be warned: The Library Policeman does have an extremely graphic and unpleasant scene of child molestation) they're just not very good, and collectively they add up to a very long and very dull collection.
Unless you're a King completest, you can safely skip this one. Read [b:Different Seasons|39662|Different Seasons|Stephen King|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1329662611s/39662.jpg|2248680] instead.
Unless you're a King completest, you can safely skip this one. Read [b:Different Seasons|39662|Different Seasons|Stephen King|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1329662611s/39662.jpg|2248680] instead.
All four stories really sucked me in. While The Langoliers is the most famous, I think The Library Policeman was my favorite. Great read!
Reading the langoliers on a flight was a trip and if I knew I wouldn't have started it then haha. I thought all 4 stories were good.
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This took me forever to finish, and I honestly think it was because it was four short stories and not one long one. I don't typically go for short stories or novellas- I'm more of a long-term-investment-in-one-story type girl. Be that as it may, I did enjoy the read for the most part- some stories more than others.
The Langoliers was by far my favorite. It was the most original, had the most interesting cast of characters, and was the most other-worldly. It dealt with portals and other dimensions, and world-eating monsters. As the mystery slowly unfolded, I was captivated by what was happening to the world and the characters. I would definitely re-read this one. I gave it 5 stars.
My second favorite (not in order of how it was presented in the book) was The Library Policeman. It ended up being something I didn't expect, and for that I have to give it props. It did remind me of Dreamcatcher (which I didn't like at all) a little, but it was done better, in a less revolting and almost more believable fashion. I might give this one a re-read. Dave's recount of his life with Ardelia was rather fascinating. I gave this one 4 stars.
Secret Window, Secret Garden was a story I already knew, as I saw the movie years ago with Johnny Depp. It was rather forgettable then, with a very predictable twist, and I had trouble reading through it this time- this was where my slump happened. The end of the movie is much different than the ending as King wrote it, and I have to say, the ending of the movie disturbed me much more. The story dragged on for longer than it should have. I gave this one 2.5 stars.
My least favorite is the last short story in the book, The Sun Dog. The main character, Kevin (whom we're supposed to care about) was not fleshed out enough for me to get invested in his welfare. The story spent way too much time on Pop trying to sell the camera to strangers. The Sun Dog itself was never explained. We don't know what world the camera is taking pictures of, or why. Things just happen without rhyme or reason, and it's frustrating. The idea is interesting, to be sure, but not worth the time invested to read it. The only saving grace is possibly the fact that it's a prequel to Needful Things, which I do plan on reading at some point. I gave this story 2 stars.
I don't think it's necessary to read all of these stories, unless you plan on watching Secret Window, Secret Garden, planning on reading Needful Things or are looking for a better, shorter version of Dreamcatcher. The only story really worth diving into here is The Langoliers. All in all, not a bad read.
The Langoliers was by far my favorite. It was the most original, had the most interesting cast of characters, and was the most other-worldly. It dealt with portals and other dimensions, and world-eating monsters. As the mystery slowly unfolded, I was captivated by what was happening to the world and the characters. I would definitely re-read this one. I gave it 5 stars.
My second favorite (not in order of how it was presented in the book) was The Library Policeman. It ended up being something I didn't expect, and for that I have to give it props. It did remind me of Dreamcatcher (which I didn't like at all) a little, but it was done better, in a less revolting and almost more believable fashion. I might give this one a re-read. Dave's recount of his life with Ardelia was rather fascinating. I gave this one 4 stars.
Secret Window, Secret Garden was a story I already knew, as I saw the movie years ago with Johnny Depp. It was rather forgettable then, with a very predictable twist, and I had trouble reading through it this time- this was where my slump happened. The end of the movie is much different than the ending as King wrote it, and I have to say, the ending of the movie disturbed me much more. The story dragged on for longer than it should have. I gave this one 2.5 stars.
My least favorite is the last short story in the book, The Sun Dog. The main character, Kevin (whom we're supposed to care about) was not fleshed out enough for me to get invested in his welfare. The story spent way too much time on Pop trying to sell the camera to strangers. The Sun Dog itself was never explained. We don't know what world the camera is taking pictures of, or why. Things just happen without rhyme or reason, and it's frustrating. The idea is interesting, to be sure, but not worth the time invested to read it. The only saving grace is possibly the fact that it's a prequel to Needful Things, which I do plan on reading at some point. I gave this story 2 stars.
I don't think it's necessary to read all of these stories, unless you plan on watching Secret Window, Secret Garden, planning on reading Needful Things or are looking for a better, shorter version of Dreamcatcher. The only story really worth diving into here is The Langoliers. All in all, not a bad read.
I really enjoyed the first part of this book. It was creepy and suspenseful. I hate that Dinah the blind girl had to die. And the ending was kinda confusing. It made it seem like they all died and were back with everyone who disappeared. Overall it was a good read.
The second part of the book was interesting and took very little time to get through. Basically John Shooter was Mort and he was punishing himself for stealing someone's story when he was younger. It was interesting to see him try to figure things out and really sad to see it finally destroy him.
The third part of this book was just plain creepy. I was glad that Sam finally killed the demon thing and things were okay. I hate that the old man had to die. Overall it was creepy and super suspenseful. I really enjoyed it.
The fourth and final part of this book was pretty good. It was creepy that the black dog appeared in every picture that was taken. It was super creepy when the Sun dog began to actually be born into the world. I was glad they were safe for the moment but it was scary that someone said the dog was awake and coming for Kevin. Overall it was a great read.
The second part of the book was interesting and took very little time to get through. Basically John Shooter was Mort and he was punishing himself for stealing someone's story when he was younger. It was interesting to see him try to figure things out and really sad to see it finally destroy him.
The third part of this book was just plain creepy. I was glad that Sam finally killed the demon thing and things were okay. I hate that the old man had to die. Overall it was creepy and super suspenseful. I really enjoyed it.
The fourth and final part of this book was pretty good. It was creepy that the black dog appeared in every picture that was taken. It was super creepy when the Sun dog began to actually be born into the world. I was glad they were safe for the moment but it was scary that someone said the dog was awake and coming for Kevin. Overall it was a great read.
4 stars for langoliers and sun dog, policeman and secret garden alone get 3 stars.