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3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
1. Dolan's Cadillac 3/5 Mostly just glad this wasn't about a demonic car.
2. The End of the Whole Mess 4/5 There aren't enough mad scientist stories in the world but the ending here was weak, in my opinion.
3. Suffer the Little Children 3/5 I loved the mystery but didn't get the creeps from it.
4. The Night Flier - 1/5 This took an incredible amount of time to get where it was going and I didn't care for it at all.
5. Popsy - 4/5 What a crazy confusion of good guys and bad guys! Great concept, good story.
6. It Grows On You - 3/5 I don't really know what's going on here but it's creepy.
7. Chattery Teeth - 1/5 what?
8. Dedication - 4/5 Intriguing story, I would have loved to read more of this.
9. The Moving Finger - 2/5 what?
10. Sneakers - 2/5 why do these all feel like cheap kiddie campfire stories? do not want!
11. You Know They Got a Hell of a Band - 2/5 More of the same :( Long story to a very unsatisfying and somewhat predictable ending.
12. Home Delivery - 4/5 I didn't know what was going on at first but then this turned out pretty darn good.
13. Rainy Season - 4/5 So creepy, oh my gosh! I wish there had been more.
14. My Pretty Pony - 3/5 The concept was very sweet but the story itself was soo long winded that I was actually experiencing "long time" as I read.
15. Sorry, Right Number (screenplay) - 5/5 Terrifically scary!
16. The Ten O'clock People - 2/5 Incredibly long winded
17. Crouch End - 5/5 This was amazingly creepy and carefully told. It ended exactly right.
18. The House on Maple Street - 4/5 Good old fashioned spooks. There is not much in the world that is spookier than a new, mean step parent.
19. The Fifth Quarter - 2/5 This felt terribly incomplete. What a let down.
20. The Doctor's Case - 4/5 A wonderful pastiche of Arthur Canon Doyle's Sherlock Holmes!
21. Umney's Last Case - 2/5 A very cool concept but more of a novella. This could have been told in a lot fewer words and probably would have been better for it.
22. Head Down - 1/5 A long telling of the year King's son, Owen, participated in the Eastern Regional Little League Tournament. It's cute. And neat that it's about his son. But it's baseball and it's not for me.
23. Brooklyn August - 4/5 A poem about baseball.
2. The End of the Whole Mess 4/5 There aren't enough mad scientist stories in the world but the ending here was weak, in my opinion.
3. Suffer the Little Children 3/5 I loved the mystery but didn't get the creeps from it.
4. The Night Flier - 1/5 This took an incredible amount of time to get where it was going and I didn't care for it at all.
5. Popsy - 4/5 What a crazy confusion of good guys and bad guys! Great concept, good story.
6. It Grows On You - 3/5 I don't really know what's going on here but it's creepy.
7. Chattery Teeth - 1/5 what?
8. Dedication - 4/5 Intriguing story, I would have loved to read more of this.
9. The Moving Finger - 2/5 what?
10. Sneakers - 2/5 why do these all feel like cheap kiddie campfire stories? do not want!
11. You Know They Got a Hell of a Band - 2/5 More of the same :( Long story to a very unsatisfying and somewhat predictable ending.
12. Home Delivery - 4/5 I didn't know what was going on at first but then this turned out pretty darn good.
13. Rainy Season - 4/5 So creepy, oh my gosh! I wish there had been more.
14. My Pretty Pony - 3/5 The concept was very sweet but the story itself was soo long winded that I was actually experiencing "long time" as I read.
15. Sorry, Right Number (screenplay) - 5/5 Terrifically scary!
16. The Ten O'clock People - 2/5 Incredibly long winded
17. Crouch End - 5/5 This was amazingly creepy and carefully told. It ended exactly right.
18. The House on Maple Street - 4/5 Good old fashioned spooks. There is not much in the world that is spookier than a new, mean step parent.
19. The Fifth Quarter - 2/5 This felt terribly incomplete. What a let down.
20. The Doctor's Case - 4/5 A wonderful pastiche of Arthur Canon Doyle's Sherlock Holmes!
21. Umney's Last Case - 2/5 A very cool concept but more of a novella. This could have been told in a lot fewer words and probably would have been better for it.
22. Head Down - 1/5 A long telling of the year King's son, Owen, participated in the Eastern Regional Little League Tournament. It's cute. And neat that it's about his son. But it's baseball and it's not for me.
23. Brooklyn August - 4/5 A poem about baseball.
medium-paced
A revisit of Stephen King's third short story collection that was published n 1993. Does it hold up against Night Shift and Skeleton Crew? Surely its length should provide some gold? Well.....
💊The End of the Whole Mess - what I enjoyed most about this was it's not clear as to what's going on which draws you into the mystery. The narrator starts out telling you he killed his brother so you're expecting something sinister going on but what it pans out to be was for me entirely unexpected and a great story.
🦇The Night Flier - Luckily for me, it's not been long since I read The Dead Zone so the impertinent Richard Dees was fresh in my mind. This is a very different take on the vampire story but is very much King through and through. He's great at writing internal monologues and here he delivers a gory and satisfying ending. I was left with many questions though regarding a vampire's piss.
🧟Home Delivery - I think this might be my favourite one of the collection. King's (only?) dabble into zombies here but as ever he reduces the scope from the global apocalypse down to the level of small-town life. But at the same time, I enjoyed King's description of civilization falling apart and the found footage style of the visit to space. This was a pleasant surprise as the story does not start like a zombie story in the slightest but jumps in head first when it does.
🐸Rainy Season - This for me was one of the more 'King-like' stories here. It's a small-town setting, it's creepy, mysterious and always bat-shit crazy with no explanation as to why this is happening. A great short and one of the standouts.
👮Crouch End - a lot of people like this story because of its Lovecraftian theme. Not me, I don't like Lovecraft at all but I liked this story due to listening to the Tim Curry audiobook version. In some places, it's hilarious reading King's idea of a London policeman but Curry manages to deliver one hell of a performance as usual. As for the story itself, it's mysterious enough to keep you interested and is a mild form of cosmic horror which I just can't take to usually.
Unlike King's preceding short story collections this one is a lot heavier in terms of content. What I loved about Night Shift and Skeleton Crew was the diversity in the stories but here it tended to get a little samey at times. You've got two vampire tales next to each other (The Night Flier & Popsy) and then two stories set around people being scared to go to the bathroom (The Moving Finger & Sneakers). I mean there is more to those stories but it doesn't bode well when what stood out the most was their similarities and not their differences.
💊The End of the Whole Mess - what I enjoyed most about this was it's not clear as to what's going on which draws you into the mystery. The narrator starts out telling you he killed his brother so you're expecting something sinister going on but what it pans out to be was for me entirely unexpected and a great story.
🦇The Night Flier - Luckily for me, it's not been long since I read The Dead Zone so the impertinent Richard Dees was fresh in my mind. This is a very different take on the vampire story but is very much King through and through. He's great at writing internal monologues and here he delivers a gory and satisfying ending. I was left with many questions though regarding a vampire's piss.
🧟Home Delivery - I think this might be my favourite one of the collection. King's (only?) dabble into zombies here but as ever he reduces the scope from the global apocalypse down to the level of small-town life. But at the same time, I enjoyed King's description of civilization falling apart and the found footage style of the visit to space. This was a pleasant surprise as the story does not start like a zombie story in the slightest but jumps in head first when it does.
🐸Rainy Season - This for me was one of the more 'King-like' stories here. It's a small-town setting, it's creepy, mysterious and always bat-shit crazy with no explanation as to why this is happening. A great short and one of the standouts.
👮Crouch End - a lot of people like this story because of its Lovecraftian theme. Not me, I don't like Lovecraft at all but I liked this story due to listening to the Tim Curry audiobook version. In some places, it's hilarious reading King's idea of a London policeman but Curry manages to deliver one hell of a performance as usual. As for the story itself, it's mysterious enough to keep you interested and is a mild form of cosmic horror which I just can't take to usually.
Unlike King's preceding short story collections this one is a lot heavier in terms of content. What I loved about Night Shift and Skeleton Crew was the diversity in the stories but here it tended to get a little samey at times. You've got two vampire tales next to each other (The Night Flier & Popsy) and then two stories set around people being scared to go to the bathroom (The Moving Finger & Sneakers). I mean there is more to those stories but it doesn't bode well when what stood out the most was their similarities and not their differences.
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