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3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
I'm not super crazy on short stories but there were a few in here I liked.
I liked this little collection. I wasn’t the whole collection, but the ones that pertained most to my Dark Tower reading and a few extras. The stories within were really enjoyable and fascinating.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
The good shit:
"The Little Sisters of Eluria" - classic Roland shit but it really works. Adds depth to the classic gunslinger as well as plays up that western fantasy vibe.
"Everything's Eventual" - loved it. Just perfection in bringing the character to life and really making you live in his brain. Narration by Justin Long 10/10. Love how the supernatural is worked in.
"L.T.'s Theory of Pets" - the live narration from King to an audience sells this well, but it works perfectly as a comedy with a bitter ending.
"The Road Virus Heads North" - this is why I read King. I was looking over my shoulder as I read this riding the elliptical in my basement. Put me on edge for sure.
"Lunch at Gotham Cafe" - once you realize the point is that the main character is an asshole and is on his own path to mania, the story just works. Eeeeeee.
"Riding the bullet" - scary and heart-warming. Really beautiful in the end.
It's alright:
"Autopsy Room Four" - keeps you reading, good humor, great last line
"The Man in the Black Suit" - definitely spooky to meet the devil and live to tell the tale.
"That feeling, you can only say what it is in French" - the ending almost makes this good shit, but the story is for lack of a better word too repetitive. Like I know that's the point but I mean I still like Groundhog's Day so something is off in the story telling.
"1408" - I was expecting more and kind of disappointed by the result. It's good but not great sadly.
"Luckey Quarter" - not groundbreaking but a good quick finish.
Skip it:
"All that you love will be carried away" - not trash, but just didn't get this one.
"The Death of Jack Hamilton" - tonal shift for King, but not a good fit for his writing
"In the deathroom" - realized 15 min that I already read this in Secret Windows. Repetition makes the stories flaws (trope filled, racist, implausible) even worse
"The Little Sisters of Eluria" - classic Roland shit but it really works. Adds depth to the classic gunslinger as well as plays up that western fantasy vibe.
"Everything's Eventual" - loved it. Just perfection in bringing the character to life and really making you live in his brain. Narration by Justin Long 10/10. Love how the supernatural is worked in.
"L.T.'s Theory of Pets" - the live narration from King to an audience sells this well, but it works perfectly as a comedy with a bitter ending.
"The Road Virus Heads North" - this is why I read King. I was looking over my shoulder as I read this riding the elliptical in my basement. Put me on edge for sure.
"Lunch at Gotham Cafe" - once you realize the point is that the main character is an asshole and is on his own path to mania, the story just works. Eeeeeee.
"Riding the bullet" - scary and heart-warming. Really beautiful in the end.
It's alright:
"Autopsy Room Four" - keeps you reading, good humor, great last line
"The Man in the Black Suit" - definitely spooky to meet the devil and live to tell the tale.
"That feeling, you can only say what it is in French" - the ending almost makes this good shit, but the story is for lack of a better word too repetitive. Like I know that's the point but I mean I still like Groundhog's Day so something is off in the story telling.
"1408" - I was expecting more and kind of disappointed by the result. It's good but not great sadly.
"Luckey Quarter" - not groundbreaking but a good quick finish.
Skip it:
"All that you love will be carried away" - not trash, but just didn't get this one.
"The Death of Jack Hamilton" - tonal shift for King, but not a good fit for his writing
"In the deathroom" - realized 15 min that I already read this in Secret Windows. Repetition makes the stories flaws (trope filled, racist, implausible) even worse
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This short story collection is a lot of fun for a seasoned Stephen King fan like myself. Not every story is a knockout, but there are some phenomenal tales here. Obviously, the iconic "1408" was my favourite. Some of my other top picks in this collection are "Autopsy Room Four", "The Road Virus Heads North", "That Feeling..." and "Riding the Bullet"
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
dark
emotional
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:
Yes
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Mediocre selection of King's stories that is more of an odds 'n' sods collection of stuff published in literary and horror magazines and collections in the late 90's-early aughts. Most of these stories are negligible and best seen as exercises and experiments. Two stories stand out: The excellent "All That You Love Will Be Carried Away" that is reminiscent of and equal to Raymond Carver and early Richard Ford, and "Everything's Eventual" which is a dark tale about a nineteen-year-old with a deadly gift. It's clear King is having a blast with the narrative voice of a just out of high school burnout. There's also a nifty little standalone set in The Dark Tower world.
Everything is either decent or downright awful.
A rare King miss.
Everything is either decent or downright awful.
A rare King miss.