bibliobethreads's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
krigjer's review against another edition
2.0
I don't think this collection is bad, but I'm in the mood for horror this autumn and these stories are more vignettes of grief and loss, with a touch of humour amongst them.
And okay, a lot of these are misses.
I skipped A Very Tight Place because it is not my desire to be disgusted by my reading.
And okay, a lot of these are misses.
I skipped A Very Tight Place because it is not my desire to be disgusted by my reading.
geve_'s review against another edition
3.0
I read a couple of Stephen King short story collections when I was quite young, and I can still remember a handful of those stories because they were so great (at least they were to tween me, haven't reread to confirm). King lost his luster to me when I read IT, although I have still given him a chance several more times, which has been a mistake. Some of his stuff is pretty good but most of it is not to my taste. Something I'll say about him, he is a pretty good writer. He is good at writing normal guy characters, and getting at the interior of every-man rural men. And he can format a story well and make it feel pretty real, in that it feels like real places and real people. And he's much better at writing short stories than novels. So since it's October, and my library always has King audio books available, I figured I'd borrow this and give it a shot.
It was a mistake. These were honestly very meh. Several were straight up bad. The stationary bike one was so long and not at all interesting or scary. one or two were kinda touching, which I hate. Some of these stories needed to get ot the point sooner, they dragged and gave a lot of unnecessary buildup. What's with king stories about fat people and/or people losing weight? Seems like this is a theme. In general, I didn't like these stories, although i didn't exactly hate them either, they're just generally meh. There's really not a single one that sticks out as good to me at all.
Unfortunately, the file I borrowed was slightly corrupted and there were a few stories I couldn't listen to and it looks like they might have been the good ones: The cat from hell and N. There were a couple others, but these two stuck out. One of my friends has told me about N, and based on that rec, I was pretty disappointed that it was one that I wasn't able to hear.
So based on that, this is a 2.5. Nothing particularly good here, but nothing egregiously bad either I suppose.
It was a mistake. These were honestly very meh. Several were straight up bad. The stationary bike one was so long and not at all interesting or scary. one or two were kinda touching, which I hate. Some of these stories needed to get ot the point sooner, they dragged and gave a lot of unnecessary buildup. What's with king stories about fat people and/or people losing weight? Seems like this is a theme. In general, I didn't like these stories, although i didn't exactly hate them either, they're just generally meh. There's really not a single one that sticks out as good to me at all.
Unfortunately, the file I borrowed was slightly corrupted and there were a few stories I couldn't listen to and it looks like they might have been the good ones: The cat from hell and N. There were a couple others, but these two stuck out. One of my friends has told me about N, and based on that rec, I was pretty disappointed that it was one that I wasn't able to hear.
So based on that, this is a 2.5. Nothing particularly good here, but nothing egregiously bad either I suppose.
bamando's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
yoteach87's review against another edition
3.0
A couple of these stories were really good, but several of them were okay or just boring. "Gingerbread Girl" is top shelf, A-1 quality. "In a Tight Spot" showcased King's ability to clearly and vividly describe what it would be like to be trapped in a Porta-potty. The longest story in the book "N" I was not a fan of and ended up skipping most it.
Onto the next King.
Onto the next King.
sparkleboymatty's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
horrorfan95's review against another edition
4.0
I adore Kings novellas, Just after sunset seemed very different to what Im used to. It was much less horror and alot more suspense and mystery. I think my favourite of the stories has to be 'The gingerbread girl' it had me on the edge of my seat, my heart beating fast, I wanted to scream for the protagonist to run faster!
Many of the stories within this book are set in the early 2000s which is why i suppose it does stand out among his other novellas. One of the stories is set a year after 9/11 and was very touching, as is the first story, 'Willa' if youre not much of a horror fan but want to get into reading more of King's short stories this one in particular would be the one for you.
Many of the stories within this book are set in the early 2000s which is why i suppose it does stand out among his other novellas. One of the stories is set a year after 9/11 and was very touching, as is the first story, 'Willa' if youre not much of a horror fan but want to get into reading more of King's short stories this one in particular would be the one for you.
oilbobble's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0