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3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
Entertaining for King fans like me. Not as vivid and terrifying as King’s earlier collections.
Everything's Eventual was one of the first Stephen King novel's I read and I absolutely loved it! Each story was better and better than the last. After reading I let each of my friends borrow it and they all thought it was great! My favorite stories were The Man in the Black Suit, The Road Virus Heads North, Lunch at the Gotham Cafe, and 1408.
dark
medium-paced
The first two stories were my favourites. Not a bad collection but I've read better Stephen King short stories.
Some really good short stories in here. Not my favorite short story book, but still very solid and great storytelling as usual.
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This is a very good collection of short stories and novellas. I enjoyed most of them, and all were well-written. Despite the hype, there are several that are not intended to be creepy or scary at all. They're just drama. There is also a strong sentimental streak in some of them. That's not bad, but it's different from the past collections.
Without spoilers:
Autopsy Room Four: This story has tremendous build up and suspense. The end gets a little goofy.
Man in the Black Suit: this story won prices, yet in the notes King says he thought it was a “humdrum folk tale.” I tend to agree—the writing and evocation of the past is great, very folk tale-ish, but the story itself is only fine.
All That You Love Will Be Carried Away: a simple and sad story about a traveling salesman contemplating suicide, and centers on the graffiti he sees as rest stops. In the notes, King says he really feels for the character, and I did too. It’s quite affecting. Interesting too that the discussion of the feeling of putting a gun in your mouth also came up in From a Buick 8, which was published the same year.
Death of Jack Hamilton: this is really just King writing speculative historical fiction about John Dillenger’s gang. There’s no horror, no twist, just him liking to write about that era. It’s pretty good, nothing too memorable. There is a Green Mile vibe with the fly lasso.
In the Deathroom: this didn’t age well. King writes about the torture chamber of a South American dictatorship, and engages in far too many stereotypes.
Little Sisters of Eluria: really enjoyed this Dark Tower story with Roland. It occurs before the first book, and we see how he’s not yet as hard, but is getting there (he shoots at people’s feet, when later he would’ve just killed them). You can also see how the world is not quite moved on, but is also getting there. Only quibble is that there is a deus ex machina part and Roland just refers to it as ka.
Everything's Eventual: kind of a neat idea, with a Firestarter vibe, though it’s very drawn out. One downside is not really King’s fault (assuming he didn’t know it at the time), because he uses the word “Trans” to describe the talent, which is very distracting. Also, the Military-Industrial Complex and bombardier imagery is really shoved down your throat—no subtlety at all. Only realized after the fact that Dinky plays a small role in the Dark Tower, but the story has no allusions at all.
L.T.'s Theory of Pets: King writes that this is his favorite story of the bunch, but I found it pretty ordinary. The tone does change toward the end, but I wondered all along how a guy has so much fun telling a story about his wife leaving him.
Road Virus Heads North: creepy and scary. As King notes, he loves a moving picture. The Sun Dog had a similar flavor.
Lunch at the Gotham Café: this one is a gross-out, complete with the King special of someone holding in their intestines. It sort of fizzles at the end. Yet another story with someone trying to quit smoking.
That feeling, You Can Only Say What it is in French: this is pretty surreal for King, and makes you wonder what the heck is going on. His explanation in the author’s note sheds some light on that.
1408: deliciously creepy, a great story. Given that’s a specific room in a hotel, you can’t help but think of The Shining as you read. Makes me want to see the movie. (Update: the movie is great).
Riding the Bullet: this is scary, then suddenly sentimental. Quite a shift.
Luckey Quarter: this one is straight sentimental, and forgettable.
Without spoilers:
Autopsy Room Four: This story has tremendous build up and suspense. The end gets a little goofy.
Man in the Black Suit: this story won prices, yet in the notes King says he thought it was a “humdrum folk tale.” I tend to agree—the writing and evocation of the past is great, very folk tale-ish, but the story itself is only fine.
All That You Love Will Be Carried Away: a simple and sad story about a traveling salesman contemplating suicide, and centers on the graffiti he sees as rest stops. In the notes, King says he really feels for the character, and I did too. It’s quite affecting. Interesting too that the discussion of the feeling of putting a gun in your mouth also came up in From a Buick 8, which was published the same year.
Death of Jack Hamilton: this is really just King writing speculative historical fiction about John Dillenger’s gang. There’s no horror, no twist, just him liking to write about that era. It’s pretty good, nothing too memorable. There is a Green Mile vibe with the fly lasso.
In the Deathroom: this didn’t age well. King writes about the torture chamber of a South American dictatorship, and engages in far too many stereotypes.
Little Sisters of Eluria: really enjoyed this Dark Tower story with Roland. It occurs before the first book, and we see how he’s not yet as hard, but is getting there (he shoots at people’s feet, when later he would’ve just killed them). You can also see how the world is not quite moved on, but is also getting there. Only quibble is that there is a deus ex machina part and Roland just refers to it as ka.
Everything's Eventual: kind of a neat idea, with a Firestarter vibe, though it’s very drawn out. One downside is not really King’s fault (assuming he didn’t know it at the time), because he uses the word “Trans” to describe the talent, which is very distracting. Also, the Military-Industrial Complex and bombardier imagery is really shoved down your throat—no subtlety at all. Only realized after the fact that Dinky plays a small role in the Dark Tower, but the story has no allusions at all.
L.T.'s Theory of Pets: King writes that this is his favorite story of the bunch, but I found it pretty ordinary. The tone does change toward the end, but I wondered all along how a guy has so much fun telling a story about his wife leaving him.
Road Virus Heads North: creepy and scary. As King notes, he loves a moving picture. The Sun Dog had a similar flavor.
Lunch at the Gotham Café: this one is a gross-out, complete with the King special of someone holding in their intestines. It sort of fizzles at the end. Yet another story with someone trying to quit smoking.
That feeling, You Can Only Say What it is in French: this is pretty surreal for King, and makes you wonder what the heck is going on. His explanation in the author’s note sheds some light on that.
1408: deliciously creepy, a great story. Given that’s a specific room in a hotel, you can’t help but think of The Shining as you read. Makes me want to see the movie. (Update: the movie is great).
Riding the Bullet: this is scary, then suddenly sentimental. Quite a shift.
Luckey Quarter: this one is straight sentimental, and forgettable.
Every time I read anything by this man I am shocked. His ability to create the most satisfying of endings is unbelievable.
I mostly read this entire book for the Dark Towers nod in the middle because I needed that throwback.
Highly entertaining. the short stories are actually short, and they flow easily. Read this if you're on a vacation!
Note: the printed version of the book has author notes on each short story. The audiobook versions don't mention those at all.
I mostly read this entire book for the Dark Towers nod in the middle because I needed that throwback.
Highly entertaining. the short stories are actually short, and they flow easily. Read this if you're on a vacation!
Note: the printed version of the book has author notes on each short story. The audiobook versions don't mention those at all.
Out of all Stephen King's short story collections, this is my favorite.