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3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Stephen King’s short stories are as bad as his TV adaptations because he’s only at his best when given pages and time to develop a story.
General thoughts:
The Langoliers: really good.
Secret Window, Secret Garden: good.
The Library Policeman: okay.
The Sun Dog: lol, no.
General thoughts:
The Langoliers: really good.
Secret Window, Secret Garden: good.
The Library Policeman: okay.
The Sun Dog: lol, no.
The Langoliers: 3.5//5 stars
Secret Window, Secret Garden: 2.5//stars
The Library Policeman: 5//5
The Sun Dog: 1//5 Stars
With the exception of The Library Policeman, I wasn't too fond of these too much. I feel like most Stephen King novels are thrillers with hints of supernatural, these were more Sci-Fi with hints of mystery. There wasn't much character development, and I think the stories relied too much on the paranormal aspects to intrigue the reader instead of the characters.
Overall, major let down on this one for me.
Secret Window, Secret Garden: 2.5//stars
The Library Policeman: 5//5
The Sun Dog: 1//5 Stars
With the exception of The Library Policeman, I wasn't too fond of these too much. I feel like most Stephen King novels are thrillers with hints of supernatural, these were more Sci-Fi with hints of mystery. There wasn't much character development, and I think the stories relied too much on the paranormal aspects to intrigue the reader instead of the characters.
Overall, major let down on this one for me.
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
1 past midnight = 5,
2 past midnight = 4.5,
3 past midnight = 4,
4 past midnight = 3.
2 past midnight = 4.5,
3 past midnight = 4,
4 past midnight = 3.
Personally, at times, I think people forget that Stephen King is capable of writing great short stories. Moreover, in my opinion, there are some short stories which are better than some of his full length novels (in fact, I could name quite a few I wish had been full length novels rather than short stories).
Much like with his full length novels, I find his short stories to flicker between extremes. There are those that I really love and those I find myself working through for the sake of finding out what happens at the end. At least with the short stories I am not wasting hours of my time (as I did when reading Dreamcatcher which, sadly, really is my least favourite King novel).
In many ways, due to this, I feel as though people would do well to start with his short stories. If you’re unsure as to whether you want to jump into the world of Stephen King or not, reading one of his short stories is a good place to start. There are many books I could easily throw in your direction, but a shorter one would do well for those trying to decide whether or not Stephen King is for them.
As for which one his collection of short stories to go for… well, any of them will do nicely.
Much like with his full length novels, I find his short stories to flicker between extremes. There are those that I really love and those I find myself working through for the sake of finding out what happens at the end. At least with the short stories I am not wasting hours of my time (as I did when reading Dreamcatcher which, sadly, really is my least favourite King novel).
In many ways, due to this, I feel as though people would do well to start with his short stories. If you’re unsure as to whether you want to jump into the world of Stephen King or not, reading one of his short stories is a good place to start. There are many books I could easily throw in your direction, but a shorter one would do well for those trying to decide whether or not Stephen King is for them.
As for which one his collection of short stories to go for… well, any of them will do nicely.
I really only enjoyed Secret Window, Secret Garden. The other three just dragged on.
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I've generally come to really like Stephen King, but man, the guy can go on forever. "Secret Window, Secret Garden" was my least favorite one to read, which was a disappointment because it was the one I wanted to read in the first place (hello Secret Window movie). It just felt like it was going on forever, and the action takes place almost exclusively in the last 15 pages or so. "The Langoliers" was my favorite story in the collection, which surprised me. The premise was the scariest, the characters were the most interesting and fleshed out, and there was a sense of bitter, King-sian justice. "The Library Policeman" and "The Sun Dog" were also good, but that scene in the "The Library Policeman..." I don't know if if was /necessary./
Anyway, moral of the review, read "The Langoliers" if you read nothing else in this collection.
Anyway, moral of the review, read "The Langoliers" if you read nothing else in this collection.
What a ride !
King did not disappoint his fans. Each story was different, but they all shared the same theme: "time."
The Langoliers (5 shiny
King did not disappoint his fans. Each story was different, but they all shared the same theme: "time."
The Langoliers (5 shiny