A real family tragedy! I thought I was in for a ghost story and while there are certain supernatural elements, it definitely isn’t the main focus. ThiA real family tragedy! I thought I was in for a ghost story and while there are certain supernatural elements, it definitely isn’t the main focus. This is the story of a man's life unraveling over the course of a year and the fallout and breakage of his family that is the rest of his terrible life. We get a good glimse of what is going on in the main character Wilf's mind.
The concept of a conniving man really fascinated me. It didn’t take long for things to become seriously creepy and I quickly started getting chills and gasping aloud. Parts are gruesome, so if you don’t like gore, you may want to steer clear of that. Classic, eerie and intriguing King storytelling!
Watched the Netflix adaptation a few days ago, and I would definitely prefer the book although the film was good enough and worth watching....more
Darcy Anderson has been married for 27 years. She and her husband Bob have two children and have what she considers to be “A Good Marriage.” That is uDarcy Anderson has been married for 27 years. She and her husband Bob have two children and have what she considers to be “A Good Marriage.” That is until the night she goes rummaging in the garage for some Double A batteries while her husband is out of town.
Another brilliant display of storytelling by King. What takes the creep factor up in this novella is the real life feeling of it, the idea that this could be someone's nightmare, even our own. What King asks is that nagging question, is it possible to ever fully know anyone, even the ones we love the most?...more
This is a chilling story about a man making a deal with the devil. Streeter has terminal cancer and he has about 6 months left. He meets street vendorThis is a chilling story about a man making a deal with the devil. Streeter has terminal cancer and he has about 6 months left. He meets street vendor named Elvid (the name has it) and strikes a deal with him for a “life extension". The price? Streeter has to name someone he really hates whom he wants to transfer his ill fate to.
King's short story abilities continue to amaze with another completely unique tale. The story's idea is simple, its delivery seamless. The readers are fascinated by the way Streeter relishes the horrible things that happen to his best friend. The ending is done really well. It's dark, chilling and surprisingly humourous at times.
Another great piece of short fiction from King!...more
This is a short novella about these two teenagers who go out canoeing on a lake for their first date and they discover a house at the bottom of the laThis is a short novella about these two teenagers who go out canoeing on a lake for their first date and they discover a house at the bottom of the lake. They stary exploring and...... weird things start to happen.
I've only read Bird Box from Josh Malerman so far and I liked it. It didn't blow my mind away or something but it was a good story, so I've been wanting to read more form him ever since and this book seemed like a perfect choice.
I think this book would be polarising, some will love it, some will dislike it strongly. Unfortunately I'm on the latter side. This just wasn't for me. The author somewhat builds a great creepy atmosphere but it never really climaxes. The book never reached it's potential and always left me wanting more.
The characters in this were forgettable just like the story and the writing didn't help. Half of the book is written in choppy half-sentences which was really annoying, an instant turn-off for me.
I loved the house, I loved the darkness, I loved the fear of the unknown and I wish we could have seen more of it. The book as it is, didn't resonate with me at all....more
Seven-year-old Wen and her parents, Eric and Andrew, are vacationing at a remote cabin on a quiet New Hampshire lake. One afternoon, as Wen catches grSeven-year-old Wen and her parents, Eric and Andrew, are vacationing at a remote cabin on a quiet New Hampshire lake. One afternoon, as Wen catches grasshoppers in the front yard, a stranger by thr name of Leonard unexpectedly appears in the driveway. They talk and play until Leonard abruptly apologizes and tells Wen, "None of what’s going to happen is your fault". Three more strangers then arrive at the cabin carrying menacing objects.
The premise of the book is unique and very interesting. The first 50 pages of the book had me hooked completely. Nothing much happened during that time but you could sense that something is not right about an innocent conversation between the child and this random stranger that pops out of the woods.
But then nothing really did happen for the next 200 pages. I mean, sure, some events did occur but I felt like the story itself didn't really move forward. It was basically 200 pages of a group of characters arguing with each other. The ending of the book was very underwhelming for me. For a book like this, I expected a plot twist or something that would leave me in awe with it's ending but no such thing happened.
On the plus side, it was refreshing that the main family unit was made up of two dads and their adopted child, Wen. The writing was good and the death scenes were very gruesome and chilling. The characters were developed very well....more
Fantastic! What a great collection of short stories. King mentions in his afterwords that this was his attempt to show that he was much more than a hoFantastic! What a great collection of short stories. King mentions in his afterwords that this was his attempt to show that he was much more than a horror writer and my god what a way to prove it.
This book is so real. The human emotions, temptation, coming-of-age etc. are such brilliantly portrayed along with an amazing showcase of storytelling. A treat for all King fans.
Here's my short reviews of all the stories in this collection :
Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption - 5/5 stars. I'm sure everyone and their mother have seen the movie and is familiar with the story. The source material is equally good if not better. Brilliant story of how hope keeps a man alive. This story had such a feel good ending too.
Apt Pupil - 5/5 stars THIS STORY IS CRIMINALLY UNDERRATED. Shawshank and The Body are the selling point of this book but Apt Pupil for me is equally good. A very very disturbing, gruesome story about a sick child and a Nazi war criminal. This one felt to me like a proper King story out of all.
The Body - 5/5 stars The best one in my opinion. This story feels so so so real, I can't stress it enough. The characters are unforgettable. The most authentic coming of age story I've read. I was balling my eyes out on the final few pages. Read this, you'll get lost.
The Breathing Method - 3/5 stars Okay... Given the other three were bangers, this one wasn't that great. But it's still a good one. This is the only one, if I'm not mistaken, that has some surreal or supernatural element to it. It is not bad by any means but being the last story of the collection, it leaves you a little underwhelmed.
Overall, it was such an amazing read. One of my favorite King books so far. A must read for all King fans and a great place to start off too if you want to dive into his world....more
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