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3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
I really enjoyed a quarter of the stories in this anthology, which is a lot for an anthology. My favourites:
● Dolan's Cadillac
● The ten o'clock people
● Crouch End
● The house on Maple Street
● The fifth quarter
● The doctor's case
● Dolan's Cadillac
● The ten o'clock people
● Crouch End
● The house on Maple Street
● The fifth quarter
● The doctor's case
It is difficult to rate a collection of short stories, but I'll give it a shot.
In King's world, career options are limited to writer or traveling salesman. Everyone smokes. After the men are no longer around (and it's always the men who aren't around), the women look after the children. Children find plenty of time to escape from their mothers' tired and less-than-watchful eyes. As King explains it in his notes for The Moving Finger: "[T]hings happen just because they happen."
Individual ratings below. I tried to remove spoilers but I wasn't over careful.
Dolan's Cadillac -- 3/5
I don't really go for revenge fantasies, but I do enjoyed well-laid traps.
The End of the Whole Mess -- 1/5
Adrian Veidt from Watchmen meets Flowers for Algernon.
Suffer the Little Children -- 4/5
The verdict is in: children are creepy. Especially children who are probably demons.
Night Flier -- 2/5
One thing I really enjoy about Stephen King is that he brings traditional horror monsters -- velvet-lined capes and all -- into a modern setting. His vampires don't sparkle and his werewolves don't want to hump you. This is one of two traditional vampire stories in the collection, and (in my opinion) the weaker of the two.
Popsy -- 3/5
And here is the stronger one.
It Grows on You -- 5/5
While Crouch End is the more obvious Lovecraft homage, I think this story is truer to the feel of the Arkham stories. It is simple in concept and expertly executed.
Chattery Teeth -- 2/5
Meh.
Dedication -- 3/5
I don't think I can say it any better than this quote from this review: "Steve put it best: "I recognize terror as the finest emotion, and so I will try to terrorize the reader. But if I find I cannot terrify him/her, I will try to horrify; and if I find I cannot horrify, I’ll go for the gross-out. I’m not proud." 'Nuff said."
The Moving Finger -- 2/5
Of all the mundane things to make objects of horror, why the bathroom?
Sneakers -- 1/5
Another bathroom story about the least effective ghost ever.
You Know They Got a Hell of a Band -- 4/5
Campy not creepy, but fun and well done.
Home Delivery -- 5/5
At least one of these stars may be from nostalgia. I first read this story as part of a collection of stories depicting what was happening around the world in the setting of Romero's Night of the Living Dead. My family thankfully doesn't believe in censoring books from children, but as I was only around eight when I read it, it made a profound impact. (And gave me a lifelong phobia of zombies.) This story is actually more sweet than gross.
Rainy Season -- 3/5
Unsuspecting out-of-towners fall prey to a ritual which must be completed every seven years. Classic, good stuff.
My Pretty Pony -- 1/5
King only put this in here because he likes old man talk. Not a nightmare, not a dreamscape. Just old man talk.
Sorry, Right Number -- 2/5
Written as a screenplay, the choice of medium keeps the twist from the reader until the end.
The Ten O'Clock People -- 4/5
This one simultaneously creeped me out and made me crave a cigarette.
Crouch End -- 3/5
King's Lovecraft homage. It was interesting but -- having just read through H.P. Lovecraft: The Ultimate Collection earlier in the year -- it did not feel very special. King inserts eerie and disturbing elements, but the story doesn't add much to Lovecraft. The Briticisms were also a tad overdone. Indeed.
The House on Maple Street -- 3/5
This is personal to me, but the idea of a bunch of kids standing up to their evil stepdad gets an automatic three stars from me. The ingenuity of the kids made it read like a Boxcar Children book, if the Boxcar Children had to solve The Mystery of the House-Transforming Space Parasite.
The Fifth Quarter -- 2/5
Good ole' fashioned double-crossing crook tale.
The Doctor's Case -- 4/5
I loved Sir Arthur Conan Doyle as a kid, and this story hits all the elements of a good Sherlock Holmes mystery to me.
Umney's Last Case -- 3/5
A gumshoe meets his God... and then things get interesting.
As I am not a baseball fan, I did not read Head Down.
In King's world, career options are limited to writer or traveling salesman. Everyone smokes. After the men are no longer around (and it's always the men who aren't around), the women look after the children. Children find plenty of time to escape from their mothers' tired and less-than-watchful eyes. As King explains it in his notes for The Moving Finger: "[T]hings happen just because they happen."
Individual ratings below. I tried to remove spoilers but I wasn't over careful.
Spoiler
Dolan's Cadillac -- 3/5
I don't really go for revenge fantasies, but I do enjoyed well-laid traps.
The End of the Whole Mess -- 1/5
Adrian Veidt from Watchmen meets Flowers for Algernon.
Suffer the Little Children -- 4/5
The verdict is in: children are creepy. Especially children who are probably demons.
Night Flier -- 2/5
One thing I really enjoy about Stephen King is that he brings traditional horror monsters -- velvet-lined capes and all -- into a modern setting. His vampires don't sparkle and his werewolves don't want to hump you. This is one of two traditional vampire stories in the collection, and (in my opinion) the weaker of the two.
Popsy -- 3/5
And here is the stronger one.
It Grows on You -- 5/5
While Crouch End is the more obvious Lovecraft homage, I think this story is truer to the feel of the Arkham stories. It is simple in concept and expertly executed.
Chattery Teeth -- 2/5
Meh.
Dedication -- 3/5
I don't think I can say it any better than this quote from this review: "Steve put it best: "I recognize terror as the finest emotion, and so I will try to terrorize the reader. But if I find I cannot terrify him/her, I will try to horrify; and if I find I cannot horrify, I’ll go for the gross-out. I’m not proud." 'Nuff said."
The Moving Finger -- 2/5
Of all the mundane things to make objects of horror, why the bathroom?
Sneakers -- 1/5
Another bathroom story about the least effective ghost ever.
You Know They Got a Hell of a Band -- 4/5
Campy not creepy, but fun and well done.
Home Delivery -- 5/5
At least one of these stars may be from nostalgia. I first read this story as part of a collection of stories depicting what was happening around the world in the setting of Romero's Night of the Living Dead. My family thankfully doesn't believe in censoring books from children, but as I was only around eight when I read it, it made a profound impact. (And gave me a lifelong phobia of zombies.) This story is actually more sweet than gross.
Rainy Season -- 3/5
Unsuspecting out-of-towners fall prey to a ritual which must be completed every seven years. Classic, good stuff.
My Pretty Pony -- 1/5
King only put this in here because he likes old man talk. Not a nightmare, not a dreamscape. Just old man talk.
Sorry, Right Number -- 2/5
Written as a screenplay, the choice of medium keeps the twist from the reader until the end.
The Ten O'Clock People -- 4/5
This one simultaneously creeped me out and made me crave a cigarette.
Crouch End -- 3/5
King's Lovecraft homage. It was interesting but -- having just read through H.P. Lovecraft: The Ultimate Collection earlier in the year -- it did not feel very special. King inserts eerie and disturbing elements, but the story doesn't add much to Lovecraft. The Briticisms were also a tad overdone. Indeed.
The House on Maple Street -- 3/5
This is personal to me, but the idea of a bunch of kids standing up to their evil stepdad gets an automatic three stars from me. The ingenuity of the kids made it read like a Boxcar Children book, if the Boxcar Children had to solve The Mystery of the House-Transforming Space Parasite.
The Fifth Quarter -- 2/5
Good ole' fashioned double-crossing crook tale.
The Doctor's Case -- 4/5
I loved Sir Arthur Conan Doyle as a kid, and this story hits all the elements of a good Sherlock Holmes mystery to me.
Umney's Last Case -- 3/5
A gumshoe meets his God... and then things get interesting.
As I am not a baseball fan, I did not read Head Down.
Not my favorite collection of his short stories, but there are some good ones in here.
Nice collection of King flexing his creative muscle. This spans all genres. Comedy, noir, mystery, nonfiction, horror, zombies, vampires. It has everything, including the bathroom sink
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
funny
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
I think Stephen King has three modes: quite terrifying, surprisingly contemplative and/or mundane and when all else fails, weirdly sexual (looking at you, "It grows on you" and "Dedication", looking at you) and that holds true in ths short story collection.
Dolan’s Cadillac
4 stars - A bit too long in my opinion, but the insuniation that his wife might have unduly influenced him was nice. Also being buried alive is quite terrifying.
The End of the Whole Mess
3 stars - On second thought it didn't really make that much sense but I liked it.
Suffer the Little Children
4 stars - A classic story but a classic for a reason
The Night Flier
3 stars - Interesting enough, dragged on a bit and I really didn't understand the reasoning of the monster at the end (why keep him alive?)
Popsy
3 stars - short and nice
It Grows on
1 star - I really have no clue what that story is about. There is a lady who exposes herself to a child and later on, as an old man, he dies because he has a wet dream about the lady so there is that.
You Chattery Teeth
5 stars - It is silly but just because this was one of two stories that I was still thinking about over 15 years later it deserves 5 stars.
Dedication
1 star - A lady eats sperm and gets pregnant. Her son becomes a famous writer. That's it.
The Moving Finger
5 stars - Also silly but that was the second story I was still thinking about after 15 years so 5 stars it is.
Sneakers
4 stars - Quite a nice ghost story really. I could have done without the SA in it but it is what it is.
You Know They Got a Hell of a Band
5 stars - That was chef's kiss. Might be my favourite story in the collection.
Home Delivery
2 stars - The theme of the story did remain a bit unclear to me. There was a harrowing moment in there but mostly the story felt disconnected.
Rainy Season
3 stars - It is raining killer frogs. There might be an ancient ritual at play.
My Pretty Pony
4 stars - Look, this is not really a horror story and I have no idea what it does in the collection. If it is horror it might be existential horror. More contemplative than anything else, though.
Sorry, Right Number
3 stars - Oh, who is calling here? And why are the calling? Nice enough.
The Ten O’Clock People
4 stars - Really liked that one and I can't even put my finger on the exact reason.
Crouch End
4 stars - Some Lovecraftian horror to cleanse the palate.
The House on Maple Street
3 stars - Quite alright; the beginning was quite strong, the end a bit mediocre.
The Fifth Quarter
2 stars - Eh, it is a crime story.
The Doctor’s Case
4 stars - Classic Sherlock Holmes story. Also not really horror. Liked the ending.
Umney’s Last Case
4 stars - Here we have some nice, clean author invasion stuff. Really enjoyabel.
Head Down
1 star - That was quite boring, actually but that might have something to do with me really not appreciating baseball.
Brooklyn August
1 star - Same really.
Since this was the first short story collection by King I read in secret when I was twelve I suppose nostalgia does play a certain role in my rating.
Dolan’s Cadillac
4 stars - A bit too long in my opinion, but the insuniation that his wife might have unduly influenced him was nice. Also being buried alive is quite terrifying.
The End of the Whole Mess
3 stars - On second thought it didn't really make that much sense but I liked it.
Suffer the Little Children
4 stars - A classic story but a classic for a reason
The Night Flier
3 stars - Interesting enough, dragged on a bit and I really didn't understand the reasoning of the monster at the end (why keep him alive?)
Popsy
3 stars - short and nice
It Grows on
1 star - I really have no clue what that story is about. There is a lady who exposes herself to a child and later on, as an old man, he dies because he has a wet dream about the lady so there is that.
You Chattery Teeth
5 stars - It is silly but just because this was one of two stories that I was still thinking about over 15 years later it deserves 5 stars.
Dedication
1 star - A lady eats sperm and gets pregnant. Her son becomes a famous writer. That's it.
The Moving Finger
5 stars - Also silly but that was the second story I was still thinking about after 15 years so 5 stars it is.
Sneakers
4 stars - Quite a nice ghost story really. I could have done without the SA in it but it is what it is.
You Know They Got a Hell of a Band
5 stars - That was chef's kiss. Might be my favourite story in the collection.
Home Delivery
2 stars - The theme of the story did remain a bit unclear to me. There was a harrowing moment in there but mostly the story felt disconnected.
Rainy Season
3 stars - It is raining killer frogs. There might be an ancient ritual at play.
My Pretty Pony
4 stars - Look, this is not really a horror story and I have no idea what it does in the collection. If it is horror it might be existential horror. More contemplative than anything else, though.
Sorry, Right Number
3 stars - Oh, who is calling here? And why are the calling? Nice enough.
The Ten O’Clock People
4 stars - Really liked that one and I can't even put my finger on the exact reason.
Crouch End
4 stars - Some Lovecraftian horror to cleanse the palate.
The House on Maple Street
3 stars - Quite alright; the beginning was quite strong, the end a bit mediocre.
The Fifth Quarter
2 stars - Eh, it is a crime story.
The Doctor’s Case
4 stars - Classic Sherlock Holmes story. Also not really horror. Liked the ending.
Umney’s Last Case
4 stars - Here we have some nice, clean author invasion stuff. Really enjoyabel.
Head Down
1 star - That was quite boring, actually but that might have something to do with me really not appreciating baseball.
Brooklyn August
1 star - Same really.
Since this was the first short story collection by King I read in secret when I was twelve I suppose nostalgia does play a certain role in my rating.