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jeremygibbs's Reviews (130)
I found it more difficult to read a series of short stories than I do getting into a full novel from King.
My favorites were:
- Jerusalem's Lot
- Sometimes They Come Back
- Strawberry Spring
- Children of the Corn
- The Last Rung on the Ladder
- One for the Road
- The Woman in the Room
My favorites were:
- Jerusalem's Lot
- Sometimes They Come Back
- Strawberry Spring
- Children of the Corn
- The Last Rung on the Ladder
- One for the Road
- The Woman in the Room
As I read King's books in order, Firestarter is easily one of my favorites thus far. Like in The Dead Zone and others, there is a dystopian government backstory. However, King makes it feel like a natural component of the story instead of an overt sermon to the reader. Of King's earliest works, Firestarter may be the best at the art of storytelling. The pace flows masterfully throughout the novel, leaving the reader with the uncontrollable desire to read just one more page. I highly recommend this book.
This is still my favorite book by Stephen King. The fairytale is a change from his usual horror and suspense - although a certain Flagg is present. The story is long enough to let King's narrative skills take hold, but short enough to limit the reader's investment. Is it the best fairytale written? No. But it is delightful and one must not apologize for that which brings delight.
The start and finish were intriguing. It's unfortunate that the space in between was a rambling mess that was probably 300 pages too many. One of my least favorite King books.
This was a short walk in a sand pit. You know you can get to the end by putting one foot in front of the other, but the prospect that each step is equal parts sinking and forward progress kills the desire.
It took me way too long to read this book given its short page count. Unfortunately, Stephen King’s prose failed to save a story that wasn’t scary and a plot that was predictable.
It took me way too long to read this book given its short page count. Unfortunately, Stephen King’s prose failed to save a story that wasn’t scary and a plot that was predictable.
Stephen King’s short stories are as bad as his TV adaptations because he’s only at his best when given pages and time to develop a story.
General thoughts:
The Langoliers: really good.
Secret Window, Secret Garden: good.
The Library Policeman: okay.
The Sun Dog: lol, no.
General thoughts:
The Langoliers: really good.
Secret Window, Secret Garden: good.
The Library Policeman: okay.
The Sun Dog: lol, no.
The Changeling is a sort of modern fairy tale in the spirit of the non-watered-down Grimm stories. It is for this reason that the book suffered. The Changeling touches on racial anxiety, veteran PTSD, abandonment, parental over-sharing on social media, technology addiction, trolls, and witches. There was too much for this story to live in 448 pages. As it stands, there were jumps in the timeline, some ineffective and unbelievable plot devices, and a far too tidy ending. I think the story has great potential and is well written, but it could have been more satisfying if the author had teased out details instead of being unnecessarily terse.