Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by chosking
Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King
4.0
Having been thrust through King's world of deviants many times before, I knew what I was getting into with Full Dark, No Stars: a no holds barred world of normal people overcome with good versus evil. It's a difficult task, or should be, for any reader to say full force that he or she enjoys the majority of Stephen King's works, as they often contain grotesque and in your face horror without reproach. King just has a talent in bringing out the worst in a protagonist. However, I can say that I enjoy King's storytelling and writing style in Full Dark, No Stars. He manages to create a struggle on the page that is reciprocated in the reader's mind, forcing the reader to question what really constitutes evil and whether or not hope has a chance.
I found myself constantly comparing this collection of short stories to King's Skeleton Crew, a collection including "The Mist" that has been one of my King favorites for awhile now. I enjoyed the common themes King presented in Full Dark, No Stars, which was something Skeleton Crew was lacking. "1922" features Wilfred in the classic story of a husband murdering his wife and living with the consequences of his building guilt and the bitterness growing within his son. "Big Driver" centers around the "revenge is a dish best served cold" philosophy, with Tess taking justice into her own hands after falling in line with the standard feelings of guilt once becoming the victim of a violent crime. "Fair Extension" actually personifies the Devil with Elvid, a traveling salesman of sorts, dishing out wishes in return for souls. Revenge plays a huge role, of course, as Streeter sells his soul and watches the life of his frenemy Tom turn upside down. "A Good Marriage" starts with Darcy opening Pandora's box and ultimately shows the struggle between Darcy and her alter ego,"The Darker Girl."
If there's one thing that Stephen King excels at in Full Dark, No Stars, it's bringing the inner monologue out. All four protagonists, whether creating alternate identities within themselves or simply creating different voices for inanimate objects and animals, struggle through their decisions and come to good versus evil choices based on these voices.
I would definitely recommend Full Dark, No Stars to any Stephen King fans out there, but would also extend the recommendation to readers who might feel intimidated by King's lengthier and more gruesome pieces (I'm looking at you, It). If you can make it through the tense situations, this collection of shorts really makes you hope that the good in people makes an appearance, and soon.
I found myself constantly comparing this collection of short stories to King's Skeleton Crew, a collection including "The Mist" that has been one of my King favorites for awhile now. I enjoyed the common themes King presented in Full Dark, No Stars, which was something Skeleton Crew was lacking. "1922" features Wilfred in the classic story of a husband murdering his wife and living with the consequences of his building guilt and the bitterness growing within his son. "Big Driver" centers around the "revenge is a dish best served cold" philosophy, with Tess taking justice into her own hands after falling in line with the standard feelings of guilt once becoming the victim of a violent crime. "Fair Extension" actually personifies the Devil with Elvid, a traveling salesman of sorts, dishing out wishes in return for souls. Revenge plays a huge role, of course, as Streeter sells his soul and watches the life of his frenemy Tom turn upside down. "A Good Marriage" starts with Darcy opening Pandora's box and ultimately shows the struggle between Darcy and her alter ego,"The Darker Girl."
If there's one thing that Stephen King excels at in Full Dark, No Stars, it's bringing the inner monologue out. All four protagonists, whether creating alternate identities within themselves or simply creating different voices for inanimate objects and animals, struggle through their decisions and come to good versus evil choices based on these voices.
I would definitely recommend Full Dark, No Stars to any Stephen King fans out there, but would also extend the recommendation to readers who might feel intimidated by King's lengthier and more gruesome pieces (I'm looking at you, It). If you can make it through the tense situations, this collection of shorts really makes you hope that the good in people makes an appearance, and soon.