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3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
These weren't my favorite King stories but it included one about Roland, and one that I read a long time ago that has stuck with me all these years: the one about the boy who meets the devil in the woods (I can't remember the title now!).
Some of the stories felt stilted and perhaps they were from an off period in King's life, but for the most part, this collection was satisfactory.
Some of the stories felt stilted and perhaps they were from an off period in King's life, but for the most part, this collection was satisfactory.
Interestingly, I think Stephen King's short stories are often much creepier than his novels. Loved loved loved a few of the stories in this collection, but I did have to take breaks to read other books as I made my way through the book...a little creepy, even for me! Would recommend, to Stephen King fans but also to any fan of horror.
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Average rating overall: 4.1 stars
There's one little thing that I've come to love as I read more and more of King's works: the little details that pop up throughout different stories, always in a different context and a different way, but still the same nonetheless. I understand that some people may be annoyed by this kind of repetitiveness, or think of it as his own little bundle of cliches, but I find it endearing, in an odd way. Sort of a nod to his other works, if you will.
For example, the floor that gave The Green Mile its name, and then the green floor in the "coop" in Under the Dome.
The pointy teeth of the people in the paintings, which appears in two of the stories in this book.
Autopsy room four: I read this one a few months ago, before I got on to reading the rest of this book. It was a good story, though. Creepy, but the end gave me a good laugh.
Rating: ★★★★
The Man in the Black Suit: I enjoyed this one as well, particularly for the fact that it was partially inspired by Young Goodman Brown.
Rating: ★★★★
All that you love will be carried away: Not a whole lot to say about this one, other than I enjoyed it and it's ambiguous ending.
Rating: ★★★★
The Death of Jack Hamilton: I liked this one as well. The fact that it's based on real events makes it even better.
Rating: ★★★
In the Deathroom: A King story with a "happy" ending. Surprised me a bit.
Rating: ★★★
The Little Sisters of Eluria: I found it hard to get into this one until about 2/3 of the way through, but after I did, it was pretty good. Makes me a little nervous to read The Dark Tower series, though. Hopefully I'll enjoy it.
Rating: ★★★
Everything's Eventual: Not much to say about this one.
Rating: ★★★★
L.T.'s Theory of Pets: Rating: ★★★★
The Road Virus Heads North:
Rating: ★★★★★
Lunch at the Gotham Cafe: I actually found this one a bit unsettling, in the best of ways. It gave me the creeps, which is pretty rare.
Rating: ★★★★★
The Feeling, You Can Only Say What It Is in French: In an odd way, mostly due to the little note at the end, this one reminded me of my boyfriend.
Rating: ★★★★★
1408: I've stayed in a lot of hotels in the past year, and just let me say: I'm glad this isn't a story that I brought along on any of those trips; I would have slept even more poorly, and I didn't think that would have been possible.
Rating: ★★★★★
Riding the Bullet: In a way, this really reminded me of a more grown up version of all the Goosebumps books I used to collect and love as a kid.
Rating: ★★★★★
Luckey Quarter: I actually thought that this one was pretty sweet. Another with a fairly happy ending.
Rating: ★★★★
There's one little thing that I've come to love as I read more and more of King's works: the little details that pop up throughout different stories, always in a different context and a different way, but still the same nonetheless. I understand that some people may be annoyed by this kind of repetitiveness, or think of it as his own little bundle of cliches, but I find it endearing, in an odd way. Sort of a nod to his other works, if you will.
For example, the floor that gave The Green Mile its name, and then the green floor in the "coop" in Under the Dome.
The pointy teeth of the people in the paintings, which appears in two of the stories in this book.
Autopsy room four: I read this one a few months ago, before I got on to reading the rest of this book. It was a good story, though. Creepy, but the end gave me a good laugh.
Rating: ★★★★
The Man in the Black Suit: I enjoyed this one as well, particularly for the fact that it was partially inspired by Young Goodman Brown.
Rating: ★★★★
All that you love will be carried away: Not a whole lot to say about this one, other than I enjoyed it and it's ambiguous ending.
Rating: ★★★★
The Death of Jack Hamilton: I liked this one as well. The fact that it's based on real events makes it even better.
Rating: ★★★
In the Deathroom: A King story with a "happy" ending. Surprised me a bit.
Rating: ★★★
The Little Sisters of Eluria: I found it hard to get into this one until about 2/3 of the way through, but after I did, it was pretty good. Makes me a little nervous to read The Dark Tower series, though. Hopefully I'll enjoy it.
Rating: ★★★
Everything's Eventual: Not much to say about this one.
Rating: ★★★★
L.T.'s Theory of Pets: Rating: ★★★★
The Road Virus Heads North:
Rating: ★★★★★
Lunch at the Gotham Cafe: I actually found this one a bit unsettling, in the best of ways. It gave me the creeps, which is pretty rare.
Rating: ★★★★★
The Feeling, You Can Only Say What It Is in French: In an odd way, mostly due to the little note at the end, this one reminded me of my boyfriend.
Rating: ★★★★★
1408: I've stayed in a lot of hotels in the past year, and just let me say: I'm glad this isn't a story that I brought along on any of those trips; I would have slept even more poorly, and I didn't think that would have been possible.
Rating: ★★★★★
Riding the Bullet: In a way, this really reminded me of a more grown up version of all the Goosebumps books I used to collect and love as a kid.
Rating: ★★★★★
Luckey Quarter: I actually thought that this one was pretty sweet. Another with a fairly happy ending.
Rating: ★★★★
That one story about the waiter will always stay prominent in my mind
Of the Stephen King short story collections I've read, this is probably my least favorite, but that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy it. Some of the stories felt like they dragged more than others (The Death of Jack Hamilton and The Little Sisters of Eluria come to mind). However, it did have some that I thought were great that will stick with me (Autopsy Room Four and The Road Virus Heads North top my list for this collection). I've realized that while Stephen King is known for his tales of terror, his short stories, while often creepy, aren't of an unbearably terrifying caliber. That is leading me to feel like I can build up a tolerance to some of the horror genre and go for gusto later this year and read some of his novels that are known to be actually terrifying.
That all is really beside the intent of a review of this collection, however. Back to the point:
I felt like this collection was pretty well-balanced overall (all the more impressive when you read the introduction where he explains how he organized them). I felt like more of these stories were built around trying to build strong stories rather than just trying to shock, which was nice. I flipped and flopped about how I felt about the length of the stories. Just about all of them felt like they dragged at some point (some more than others) but I guess I never felt like anything was painful to slog through. I'd certainly suggest this collection if you're looking for some short stories - some of which will probably creep you out, some of which will just entertain.
That all is really beside the intent of a review of this collection, however. Back to the point:
I felt like this collection was pretty well-balanced overall (all the more impressive when you read the introduction where he explains how he organized them). I felt like more of these stories were built around trying to build strong stories rather than just trying to shock, which was nice. I flipped and flopped about how I felt about the length of the stories. Just about all of them felt like they dragged at some point (some more than others) but I guess I never felt like anything was painful to slog through. I'd certainly suggest this collection if you're looking for some short stories - some of which will probably creep you out, some of which will just entertain.
This short story works on its own but also is fully entrenched in the Dark Tower saga. It ties in nice with the first story in Hearts in Atlantis and also reminded me of King's later book The Institute.
As far as Stephen King's short story collections go, Everything's Eventual sits only behind Night Shift. The collection has a bit of everything: horror, comedy, Dark Tower, novellas. Not every story here is great, but most are good, and some are very good or great.
Breakdown:
Autopsy Room 4 5/5
I found this story hilarious and utterly original.
The Man in the Black Suit 4/5
The Man in the Black Suit is a very good short story and a creepier and modern take on Young Goodman Brown. King won awards for this story, and while I think it is very good, I didn't find it to be anything extraordinary.
All That You Love Will Be Carried Away 3/5
This is an interesting story but not a great one. It follows a man who becomes obsessed by collecting the graffiti he finds written on the stalls of truck stops across the country. It's unique enough to be memorable but nothing exciting happens.
The Death of Jack Hamilton 3/5
This isn't a bad short story but I didn't really understand the point of it. I don't know much about John Dillinger outside of his name, but after research this is based on a true story. This would probably be more interesting if I knew more about the subject.
In The Deathroom 2/5
This isn't a bad story but it just feels bland and mostly uninteresting. This is the dullest in the collection Everything's Eventual thus far.
The Little Sisters of Eluria 5/5
A welcome and fun novella of Roland's early days before the Dark Tower series begins, The Little Sisters of Eluira is a one of my favorite of Roland's adventures.
Everything's Eventual 4/5
This short story works on its own but also is fully entrenched in the Dark Tower saga. It ties in nice with the first story in Hearts in Atlantis and also reminded me of King's later book The Institute.
LT's Theory of Pets 3/5
This is a humorous short story about a couple who have a bad relationship and each have a pet they love and a pet they hate. It's a good way to spend a half hour read.
The Road Virus Heads North 3/5
This is a traditional pure horror story. I like horror but I like it to be mixed with humor or well-developed characters. Though this story succeeds in being unsettling, it wasn't one of my favorites of the collection.
Lunch at the Gotham Café 3/5
Lunch at the Gotham Café features an insane maître d' and a man with an irrational wife. There's a lot of action and craziness to make an entertaining story.
That Feeling, You Can Only Say What It Is In French 3/5
King takes the premise that Hell is déjà vu, or at least the déjà vu when it comes through remembering pain over and over again. This is an unsettling story, effective, but never quite enjoyable.
1408 5/5
I love the idea of a man who is completely sure that ghosts/supernatural phenomena don't exist encountering his first legitimate 'haunted house' after years of exposing himself to haunted places that turn out to be hoaxes. Stephen King excels in writing on haunted hotels (The Shining) but 1408 is just as effective, though far briefer. I think there was room for King to write more of Mike's experiences in room 1408 (and for that we have the film to help us) but 1408 still manages to deliver the thrills and chills in equal measure.
Riding the Bullet 5/5
Riding the Bullet is a heartfelt story of a man's relationship with his mother. There is horror and a ghost story angle, but there is a lot more going on beneath the plot points. This was written after Stephen King's mother died and the emotion he puts into the story is palpable. This is King at his best.
Lucky Quarter 2/5
Not a bad story, but I didn't like the whole 'dream sequence' aspect. It took away from the impact of the story.
Breakdown:
Autopsy Room 4 5/5
I found this story hilarious and utterly original.
The Man in the Black Suit 4/5
The Man in the Black Suit is a very good short story and a creepier and modern take on Young Goodman Brown. King won awards for this story, and while I think it is very good, I didn't find it to be anything extraordinary.
All That You Love Will Be Carried Away 3/5
This is an interesting story but not a great one. It follows a man who becomes obsessed by collecting the graffiti he finds written on the stalls of truck stops across the country. It's unique enough to be memorable but nothing exciting happens.
The Death of Jack Hamilton 3/5
This isn't a bad short story but I didn't really understand the point of it. I don't know much about John Dillinger outside of his name, but after research this is based on a true story. This would probably be more interesting if I knew more about the subject.
In The Deathroom 2/5
This isn't a bad story but it just feels bland and mostly uninteresting. This is the dullest in the collection Everything's Eventual thus far.
The Little Sisters of Eluria 5/5
A welcome and fun novella of Roland's early days before the Dark Tower series begins, The Little Sisters of Eluira is a one of my favorite of Roland's adventures.
Everything's Eventual 4/5
This short story works on its own but also is fully entrenched in the Dark Tower saga. It ties in nice with the first story in Hearts in Atlantis and also reminded me of King's later book The Institute.
LT's Theory of Pets 3/5
This is a humorous short story about a couple who have a bad relationship and each have a pet they love and a pet they hate. It's a good way to spend a half hour read.
The Road Virus Heads North 3/5
This is a traditional pure horror story. I like horror but I like it to be mixed with humor or well-developed characters. Though this story succeeds in being unsettling, it wasn't one of my favorites of the collection.
Lunch at the Gotham Café 3/5
Lunch at the Gotham Café features an insane maître d' and a man with an irrational wife. There's a lot of action and craziness to make an entertaining story.
That Feeling, You Can Only Say What It Is In French 3/5
King takes the premise that Hell is déjà vu, or at least the déjà vu when it comes through remembering pain over and over again. This is an unsettling story, effective, but never quite enjoyable.
1408 5/5
I love the idea of a man who is completely sure that ghosts/supernatural phenomena don't exist encountering his first legitimate 'haunted house' after years of exposing himself to haunted places that turn out to be hoaxes. Stephen King excels in writing on haunted hotels (The Shining) but 1408 is just as effective, though far briefer. I think there was room for King to write more of Mike's experiences in room 1408 (and for that we have the film to help us) but 1408 still manages to deliver the thrills and chills in equal measure.
Riding the Bullet 5/5
Riding the Bullet is a heartfelt story of a man's relationship with his mother. There is horror and a ghost story angle, but there is a lot more going on beneath the plot points. This was written after Stephen King's mother died and the emotion he puts into the story is palpable. This is King at his best.
Lucky Quarter 2/5
Not a bad story, but I didn't like the whole 'dream sequence' aspect. It took away from the impact of the story.
Autopsy Room Four: 4
The Man In the Black Suit: 3
All that you love will be carried away: 2
The death of Jack Hamilton: 2
In the deathroom: 3
The sisters of Eurelia: 5
Everything’s Eventual: 4.5
LT’s Theory of Pets: 5 (This was an extremely captivating short story)
The Road Virus Heads North: 4.5 (HORRIFYING WOAH)
Lunch at Gotham Cafe: 4.5
That Feeling, you can only say what it is in French: 4
1408: 4.5 (Utterly creepy)
Riding the bullet: 4
Luckey Quarter: 2
The Man In the Black Suit: 3
All that you love will be carried away: 2
The death of Jack Hamilton: 2
In the deathroom: 3
The sisters of Eurelia: 5
Everything’s Eventual: 4.5
LT’s Theory of Pets: 5 (This was an extremely captivating short story)
The Road Virus Heads North: 4.5 (HORRIFYING WOAH)
Lunch at Gotham Cafe: 4.5
That Feeling, you can only say what it is in French: 4
1408: 4.5 (Utterly creepy)
Riding the bullet: 4
Luckey Quarter: 2
Read the hardcover. I initially picked this up in early January and read only The Little Sisters of Eluria, which is in the middle of the collection, as part of the start of a Dark Tower group read with HOWL Society. I've slowly been working my way through the rest of the collection.
Overall I enjoy this collection from King. Like with any short story collection, especially one with this many stories, some stories I found incredible, while others fell flat. King's writing, though, continues to pull me in no matter the plot.
A few of my favorites, in the order of appearance:
- Autopsy Room Four
- The Little Sisters of Eluria
- Everything's Eventual
- 1408
Overall I enjoy this collection from King. Like with any short story collection, especially one with this many stories, some stories I found incredible, while others fell flat. King's writing, though, continues to pull me in no matter the plot.
A few of my favorites, in the order of appearance:
- Autopsy Room Four
- The Little Sisters of Eluria
- Everything's Eventual
- 1408