Overall this book was a great read. I read it intermittently while reading other
books. It's a great book to take at a slow pace and give you a quick break from
reading other things since they are all short stories. Despite the cover and
Stephen King's reputation as an author I wouldn't classify most of these stories as
horror. Only 6 can really be described as horror though they can pretty much all be
described as thoroughly entertaining to my tastes. This collection has given me a
great appreciation for his writing style and has me excited to read more of his
works, short and long alike. Here's my review of each story:
Autopsy Room Four - My least favorite of the stories, the writing seems a bit
juvenile (as in like a young adult novel) for Stephen King. I wanted to give these
short stories a try to gain a different perspective on his writing, which, from
reading some of his novels in the past seemed to be unnecessarily and distastefully
sexual. This story did not stray from my expectations and apart from that was a
fairly run of the mill and boring story of being consciously trapped in a body that
appears to the morticians as already dead.
The Man in the Black Suit - One of the most truly terrifying stories I've ever
read. I recommend reading this story alone at night next to an open window to
really turn your hairs up. Probably my favorite in the collection and will most
likely become my most recommended work by Stephen King.
All That You Love Will Be Carried Away - This one is very entertaining and the
writing is filled with those charming little phrases King is so good at summoning
in his work. The scene is set so well that you can really feel as though you're
there watching it. The premise was well conceived and the story well executed.
The Death of Jack Hamilton - This was a fun little story, which if you hadn't told
me who wrote it I may not have guessed in three tries. It's a gangster getaway
story that almost counts (or maybe does) as historical fiction. A desperate story
about desperate people that will having you feel no good the whole time, but in a
very engaging way.
In the Deathroom - Here's one that I would classify as action. It's about a
journalist whose been captured and is being interrogated by the military in a South
American dictatorship. It almost feels like you're reading a scene from 24 or a Tom
Clancy story (I imagine though I've never read Tom Clancy). A really fun story
where you feel that you're in the protagonists shoes and his every move tries to
quench your urge to get out of his unfortunate circumstance.
The Little Sisters of Eluria - Technically a part of the Gunslinger story but still
an entertaining piece of stand alone short fiction. Just as it's brother novels
this story is a combination wild west fantasy. The creatures and characters are
well fleshed out in a short amount of words, which is very impressive when building
a whole new world for the reader to experience. You quickly understand the rules
and the stakes along with the Gunslinger in a sort of fish-out-of-water scenario.
Really cool story that makes me want to revisit the Gunslinger series.
Everything's Eventual - This story I couldn't group into a genre, it's very fun and
unique. It's about an underachiever with no real hope to ever succeed in life who
finds an easy out when a mysterious man shows up and makes him an offer he can't
refuse. By following a few modest and simple rules he can live his life in total
comfort and be taken care of by a shadowy unknown company. He accepts but soon
learns that if something seems too good to be true it probably is. A good well
written story but a bit forgettable.
L. T.'s Theory of Pets - Basically a man's entertaining and charming anecdote about
relationships. Kind of boring with a twist that makes it a bit interesting but
overall kind of a lame premise. The great writing sort of makes up for it but not
quite enough.
The Road Virus Heads North - Another example of true horror. This story had me on
the edge of my seat the entire time. Immensely creepy and suspenseful until the
bitter end. You almost sense the ending coming but you really can't be sure and you
can't help but being surprised anyway. You're right there with the protagonist
hoping your worst fear won't come true even though you know it will.
Lunch at the Gotham Café - Almost an action story as well as a relationship drama.
It's a man's internal struggle dealing with a divorce being interrupted by another
internal struggle of a much more visceral nature. Cool concept and fun execution
(no pun intended).
That Feeling, You Can Only Say What It Is in French - So cool, so well written, and
leaves you with a million possible interpretations. You'll have fun at the end just
putting the book down and processing what you've just read for a while. This story
really convinced me of the genius of Stephen King and his masterful control over
story telling.
1408 - Another horror story but in a very surreal way. At first it's written as a
straight forward haunting story. And although the typical foreboding character
gives his typical advice to not discount the warnings about entering the room, what
actually happens in the room is anything but typical and is so madly terrifying. I
haven't seen the movie adapted from this story but I don't know how you could
possibly capture the raw sense of mania in this story on screen, though I'm even
impressed King could capture it in words.
Riding the Bullet - Great horror story. Emotional and creepy. The main character is
presented with a moral and philosophical question with real stakes and makes for a
very interesting emotionally torn protagonist.
Luckey Quarter - Fun little story you would almost expect to find in Reader's
Digest. Unsatisfying ending. Overall forgettable.
