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3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
Although I definitely liked these short stories better than his other books, I'm still not really a big fan of Stephen King. As reading this was mostly for research purposes anyway, I read about half the book and left it at that. May go back to it at a later date and finish off.
"It's a ghastly sick-joke with no redeeming social merit whatever. I like that in a story."
3.5 Rounded Down.
I did enjoy this collection quite a bit but there were a few stories that either didn't work or went on a little bit too long.
Still stories like The Night Flier and Rainy season definitely made the collection worthwhile.
I even enjoyed the Baseball story, despite having 0 interest in Baseball. King is just that good.
I did enjoy this collection quite a bit but there were a few stories that either didn't work or went on a little bit too long.
Still stories like The Night Flier and Rainy season definitely made the collection worthwhile.
I even enjoyed the Baseball story, despite having 0 interest in Baseball. King is just that good.
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-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
3.0/5.0
Well, I didn't really like this one. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't good either. Actually it was really predictable.
Anyway, I like Stephen King's writing and thsi one was for college so it wasn't a waste of time.
Well, I didn't really like this one. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't good either. Actually it was really predictable.
Anyway, I like Stephen King's writing and thsi one was for college so it wasn't a waste of time.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
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
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Each story I read so far felt like I was taking years off my life. I tried to power through for the BINGO prompt but I couldn’t.
A great overall collection with a few wayward entries that didn't quite work for me. Here's a story by story breakdown of my thoughts on the book:
Dolan's Cadillac - Holy crap, that was a cool revenge story. Part Wile E. Coyote, part Edgar Allan Poe. Disturbing to the point that I jumped when I heard someone walk into my apartment building and enter the hallway. Really dug it. No pun intended.
The End of the Whole Mess - Really enjoyed the end of the world narrative from the perspective of a mad(ish) scientist's brother. The end came fast and with an enjoyable and surprisingly heartbreaking breakdown of the narrator's ability to write. I liked it.
Suffer the Little Children - Nice and brief story that packs quite a punch in the end. But it's one of those stories I think would have been better with some more padding and development. Kids are creepy though!
The Night Flier - This one didn't work for me. The more it leaned into what the killer was, the less interested I was. And the main characters' pursuit of him to get a story for his tabloid was a little flat. Though I liked when it touched on believing the unbelievable.
Popsy - Much better and more succinct story than The Night Flier. Much more disturbing with its child abduction plot as well. Really cool ending with some vivid imagery.
It Grows on You - Didn't work for me. Knowing it comes after Needful Things (which I haven't read but know it's the "Last Castle Rock" story), I expected more. It was a bit dry and slow for my tastes, though. Maybe it'll grow on me?
Chattery Teeth - Absolutely vicious story that not only offers vivid violence, but also lightly goes into the character's fears, doubts, and past trauma pretty well. Really impressed with this one.
Dedication - Ordinarily I love when King tells a story through the perspective of a character recounting a story. It's usually a good measure of his storytelling prowess. This one, however, wasn't that captivating, unfortunately. It was just okay.
The Moving Finger - Really cool "normal domestic life thrust into the supernatural" story. The character's fear that he's losing his mind is fantastic. And it leaves on such a cool ambiguous ending that floored me.
Sneakers - Pretty effective ghost story. My interest waned a bit toward the end and the story didn't come together quite as well as I'd hoped. Still pretty solid, though.
You Know They Got a Hell of a Band - This one takes a few of King's strengths and mashes them together in a really satisfying way. The isolated small town, the lost couple with opposing perspectives on their predicament, and the tension mounting toward horror all work well here.
Home Delivery - As a Stephen King fan and a fan of zombie fiction who really didn't like Cell, I'm so glad this compelling, violent, and visceral zombie story exists in King's work.
Rainy Season - Another "wayward travelers in a shady town" story, which I love from King. This is really satisfying and different from those before it since we get some perspective from a couple townspeople.
My Pretty Pony - Maybe not the best idea to read this one at almost 4am. It's a sweet vignette of a moment between a grandfather and grandson. But man, it is very long-winded and rambling.
Sorry, Right Number - Surprised that it's not a short story but a TV script. It's a really great story though, with shades of The Twilight Zone. Ending is a bit easy to guess, but the dialogue and connection between characters is excellent. Good surprises along the way, too.
The Ten O'Clock People - A lengthy story in the collection that doesn't feel so. King guides you through a compelling story and a surprising conclusion. Really liked this one.
Crouch End - Wow, a King story set outside of the US. That's interesting. Unfortunately, that's all that really interested me in this one. It's another "wayward traveler story" and definitely the least engaging of the ones in this collection. Dug the Lovecraft elements though.
The House on Maple Street - A King story set in Indiana! Neat. This one was slightly flimsy. I like the leadership of the oldest kid and the plan they stumble into to rid their lives of an asshole stepfather is cool. Something was slightly missing for me, though. Not sure what.
The Fifth Quarter - Pretty slick and fast paced crime thriller with some fun surprises and action along the way. Kind of peters out toward the end, but it's brisk enough that I didn't mind.
The Doctor's Case - King stepping into the Sherlock world makes for a good read. Solid plot but it's strength is its unique display of King's powerful storytelling prowess. He writes a Sherlock story very comfortably. Fun excursion, but ready to get back to a King original.
Umney's Last Case - I really love it when King explores the creative mind's relationship with its muse and/or creation. This story is very solid in that regard. It's one that feels like it could be expanded. But I enjoyed the time I spent with it despite that.
Head Down - Not a story, but an essay/journal/nonfiction piece recounting the post-season run of Owen King's little league all-star team in '89. It's long and drags a bit. But another example of King's storytelling ability and his sharp insight into Americana.
Brooklyn August - Nice poem and it's placement after Head Down in the collection is a nice coda, of sorts, to that essay. Not being much of a baseball fan or reader of poetry, it didn't resonate with but I appreciate King's craft and passionately nostalgic tone.
Bonus: The Beggar and the Diamond - King's version of a Hindu parable is a pretty nice tale to end the collection on.
Dolan's Cadillac - Holy crap, that was a cool revenge story. Part Wile E. Coyote, part Edgar Allan Poe. Disturbing to the point that I jumped when I heard someone walk into my apartment building and enter the hallway. Really dug it. No pun intended.
The End of the Whole Mess - Really enjoyed the end of the world narrative from the perspective of a mad(ish) scientist's brother. The end came fast and with an enjoyable and surprisingly heartbreaking breakdown of the narrator's ability to write. I liked it.
Suffer the Little Children - Nice and brief story that packs quite a punch in the end. But it's one of those stories I think would have been better with some more padding and development. Kids are creepy though!
The Night Flier - This one didn't work for me. The more it leaned into what the killer was, the less interested I was. And the main characters' pursuit of him to get a story for his tabloid was a little flat. Though I liked when it touched on believing the unbelievable.
Popsy - Much better and more succinct story than The Night Flier. Much more disturbing with its child abduction plot as well. Really cool ending with some vivid imagery.
It Grows on You - Didn't work for me. Knowing it comes after Needful Things (which I haven't read but know it's the "Last Castle Rock" story), I expected more. It was a bit dry and slow for my tastes, though. Maybe it'll grow on me?
Chattery Teeth - Absolutely vicious story that not only offers vivid violence, but also lightly goes into the character's fears, doubts, and past trauma pretty well. Really impressed with this one.
Dedication - Ordinarily I love when King tells a story through the perspective of a character recounting a story. It's usually a good measure of his storytelling prowess. This one, however, wasn't that captivating, unfortunately. It was just okay.
The Moving Finger - Really cool "normal domestic life thrust into the supernatural" story. The character's fear that he's losing his mind is fantastic. And it leaves on such a cool ambiguous ending that floored me.
Sneakers - Pretty effective ghost story. My interest waned a bit toward the end and the story didn't come together quite as well as I'd hoped. Still pretty solid, though.
You Know They Got a Hell of a Band - This one takes a few of King's strengths and mashes them together in a really satisfying way. The isolated small town, the lost couple with opposing perspectives on their predicament, and the tension mounting toward horror all work well here.
Home Delivery - As a Stephen King fan and a fan of zombie fiction who really didn't like Cell, I'm so glad this compelling, violent, and visceral zombie story exists in King's work.
Rainy Season - Another "wayward travelers in a shady town" story, which I love from King. This is really satisfying and different from those before it since we get some perspective from a couple townspeople.
My Pretty Pony - Maybe not the best idea to read this one at almost 4am. It's a sweet vignette of a moment between a grandfather and grandson. But man, it is very long-winded and rambling.
Sorry, Right Number - Surprised that it's not a short story but a TV script. It's a really great story though, with shades of The Twilight Zone. Ending is a bit easy to guess, but the dialogue and connection between characters is excellent. Good surprises along the way, too.
The Ten O'Clock People - A lengthy story in the collection that doesn't feel so. King guides you through a compelling story and a surprising conclusion. Really liked this one.
Crouch End - Wow, a King story set outside of the US. That's interesting. Unfortunately, that's all that really interested me in this one. It's another "wayward traveler story" and definitely the least engaging of the ones in this collection. Dug the Lovecraft elements though.
The House on Maple Street - A King story set in Indiana! Neat. This one was slightly flimsy. I like the leadership of the oldest kid and the plan they stumble into to rid their lives of an asshole stepfather is cool. Something was slightly missing for me, though. Not sure what.
The Fifth Quarter - Pretty slick and fast paced crime thriller with some fun surprises and action along the way. Kind of peters out toward the end, but it's brisk enough that I didn't mind.
The Doctor's Case - King stepping into the Sherlock world makes for a good read. Solid plot but it's strength is its unique display of King's powerful storytelling prowess. He writes a Sherlock story very comfortably. Fun excursion, but ready to get back to a King original.
Umney's Last Case - I really love it when King explores the creative mind's relationship with its muse and/or creation. This story is very solid in that regard. It's one that feels like it could be expanded. But I enjoyed the time I spent with it despite that.
Head Down - Not a story, but an essay/journal/nonfiction piece recounting the post-season run of Owen King's little league all-star team in '89. It's long and drags a bit. But another example of King's storytelling ability and his sharp insight into Americana.
Brooklyn August - Nice poem and it's placement after Head Down in the collection is a nice coda, of sorts, to that essay. Not being much of a baseball fan or reader of poetry, it didn't resonate with but I appreciate King's craft and passionately nostalgic tone.
Bonus: The Beggar and the Diamond - King's version of a Hindu parable is a pretty nice tale to end the collection on.