Just After Sunset: Stories

I'm a bit surprised - disappointed even - in the rather mediocre average review score for Stephen King's anthology, "Just After Sunset." While this collection of short stories is not steeped in the sensational terror and gore of King's earlier works (most of which I thought were terrific), "Sunset" reflects a more mature King - the master of words relying less on horror and more on the subtleties of ordinary people in extraordinary situations. I always found King a keen observer of culture and society - one of the best at capturing the most mundane details of ordinary life, and in King's case, weaving them into a dark fabric of fear that lures one from the familiarity of (a pet, a car, and friendly neighbor...) into unsettled and disturbing worlds, and epic battles of good vs. malevolence. All of which are reflected in this baker's dozen of darkness - twelve new and the "bonus" of "The Cat from Hell" - an early King tale that made it to the big screen in the 1990 movie "Tales from the Darkside". To the point, the contrast in style between the graphic and simple story lines of "Hell Cat", and the cleverly drawn irony of "Mute" could not be more pronounced. Both frightening, engaging, and entertaining reads, but where "Cat" is pretty much gothic horror, "Mute" is a cleverly drawn, sophisticated tale of suspense and murder that would fit well in a collection of Hitchcock.I didn't find a bad story in the lot, but if I were to pick my favorites, in addition to the fiendish "Mute", I'd place the diabolically gross "A Very Tight Place" near the top of the list. Or the poignant "The New York Times at Special Bargain Rates" - an oft-told tale in many respects, but never replayed more beautifully than here. Another from that dimension into which we may pass after death is the opener, "Willa", a story that takes a few pages to get into, and may have you scratching your head at first. But when it delivers, it delivers a punch more sorrowful than it is terrifying. But perhaps the defining effort is "N.", a frightening drama that recalls earlier King themes, but twists them around into a gripping and thoughtful thriller bridging Stonehenge and crop circles with pastoral Maine landscapes.Events like King's near-fatal accident in 1999 and 9/11 clearly had a huge impact on the author's life, and the imprint of these seminal events are very evident in these pages. If there is a common theme between these pages, it is individual reaction to unthinkable tragedy, tempered by King's own passage from near death. While King chose "horror" as his literary path to follow, I'm certain the strength of his prose would have placed him near the top of any genre. Not unlike Poe, King's "Cold damp winds, white skies and fleeing crows" evoke disturbing but familiar images - places we'd prefer not to be but revel in reading. So while this may not be "The Stand", it is not "Cell" either, but a collection of dark little gems that will again remind us how fortunate we are to have King, the rare author as talented as he is prolific.

This is a great novel!

Just After Sunset was Stephen King's fourth short story collection (not counting his two novella collections that preceded this work), and I would say that this ranks as one of the better ones. While the stories aren't all winners, King covers a lot of different sorts storytelling themes, showing his amazing knack for getting reactions that range from terror, disgust, laughter and--most impressively--an unsettling sense that his tales could really happen. Compared to his earlier works, these stories have an impressive maturity that make them well worth taking in. In my case, I listened to the audio version, which includes all 13 stories across 13 CDs.Here's the breakdown:Disc 1: "Introduction" read by Stephen King -- King has an amazing ability to talk to his audience and it's never more evident than in his introductions. Here, he explains what prompted the collection and why the short story is important. Despite his almost nasally voice, King is a good reader of his own work and has a unique folksy way about him.Disc 1: "Willa" read by Holter Graham -- Stephen King's story of the afterlife and the anxiety of what lies beyond our comprehension. Many of these stories deal with the unknown; unfortunately, "Willa" is one of the weakest stories in the collection. Holter's reading pretty good, though he seems hamstrung with the myriad of voices that are needed. Still, he acquits himself well enough in story that isn't very interesting. 2 starsDisc 2 & 3: "The Gingerbread Girl" read by Mare Winningham -- here's a great example of two things King does well: building suspense and drawing wonderfully deep and detailed characters. This suspense yarn is bolstered by a great psychological profile of the main character and King's flourishes that lend everything an extra pop. Mare does very well with the story, even modifying her voice to show injury to the main character that impedes her speech. The only drawback is her attempt at vocalizing the killer, which comes off a little histrionic. 4 stars!Disc 4: "Harvey's Dream" read by Stephen King -- another story that is strong on characterization, yet this brief tale doesn't have much else going for it. It's a fine listen, with King's vocals relaying the same matter-of-fact bristles of late life unhappiness and tragedy. Worth a listen. 3 starsDisc 4: "Rest Stop" read by Denis O'Hare -- the story, about a writer that relies on his alter ego in a tight spot, is entertaining; however, I don't think it would come off nearly as well without the delivery of O'Hare. A tough, no-nonsense reading helps boost this story from forgettable to solid. 3 starsDisc 5 & 6: "Stationary Bike" read by Ron McLarty -- Ron's voice took me a while to get used to (he sounds like he's had a lot of radio training and uses flair that remind me of Casey Kasem), but his take on the story of an artist haunted by his creation and addiction smoothed out over time. Another excellent character helps the plot to down easier, even with a some what disappointing ending. 4 stars!Disc 6: "Graduation Night" read by Jill Eikenberry -- Very brief story about a girl that witnesses a calamity. The story isn't much, though King continues his rash of superlative character building. But the character has nothing to do, so this one is forgettable. The reading is serviceable, yet fails to mesh voice with character. 2 starsDisc 7: "The Things They Left Behind" read by Ben Shenkman -- perfectly read by Shenkman, this is a great story that, unfortunately, seems to resolve too simply and then drags towards the end. There's a lot of haunting ideas and the main character has some of the most captivating asides. (There's one anecdotal story here that was perfect; King knows how to make us uncomfortable in the most delicious ways!) this is a great listen when you're in the mood to run the gambit of emotions. 4 stars!Disc 8 & 9: "N." Read by Holter Graham, Denis O'Hare, Ben Shenkman & Karen Ziemba -- whoa, a full blown cast for this story?! What gives? This story, published for the first time in this collection, is another King tip of the hat to Weird fiction and it stands with the best of the lot. King May have been thinking Machen here, but Lovecraft fans will find a lot of tropes perfected by the master himself. The story concerns a man seeking help for OCD and explaining the fantastic reason while he's suddenly developed the condition. The build up of the story, which features the titular character describing his life an experiences is an extraordinarily insightful break down of OCD, only with a supernatural twist. This one is so good, it almost makes you mad that King can still wield the pen with this much precision, insight and creativity. The reading is quite good as well, though I felt it could've been done sufficiently with one less person... Maybe even two less. Still, if one story deserves this grand treatment, "N." Is it! 5 stars!Disc 10: "The New York Times at Bargain Prices" read by Jill Eikenberry -- much like "Harvey's Dream", this sounds like the piece of a good story that isn't big enough to satisfy. A phone call from beyond effects a recent widow in this one but there's not enough to it. Jill reads the story well, but when the characters spend the entire story sitting to the side, never being proactive, it's hard to get invested. 2 starsDisc 10: "Mute" read by Skip Sudduh -- another story that seems like a barrel scraper at first, and then turns out to be very good by the end. A strong character buoys a story of betrayal, anger and confusion that takes a bit more toned down view of organized religion than King is known for. Not a scary story, just one that has a strong emotional pull. 4 stars!Disc 11: "The Cat from Hell" read by Holter Graham -- one of King's gross out stories that really works because it sly combines absurdism and explicit, visceral gore in such a way that you have to take it seriously until the trigger has been pulled and you realize the joke's on you. Doesn't really fit with the rest of the story, but it's nice to see this classic makes its way into an official collection. Holter's reading is solid. 3 starsDisc 11: "Ayana" read by George Guidall -- a story about miracles... Both the good and the bad sides to them. Good story that is helped immensely by King's ability to craft nearly poetic passages in a narrative. Well read, if not spectacularly emotive. 4 stars!Disc 12 & 13: "A Very Tight Space" read by Ron McLarty -- another gross out story... But this one's a knock out! The set up had already made me uncomfortable with one character spouting hate speech, but once the story fully unfolds, it becomes a suspenseful story that is well crafted underneath all the nasty stuff. Another story that is superbly read. 4 stars!King also includes end notes, which I'm sure all his readers appreciate, and and few words from King about writing. I love these inclusions when read by King. This is a collection for those that love King's immaculate ability to build up believable, captivating characters.

Some stories were really great. I've enjoyed reading this wonderful collection of stories that don't necessarily freak you out, but they do make you think and wonder. And all by the master.

A very interesting and diverse book. I enjoyed all the stories. All the narrators were great. Gingerbread Girl was very nerve-racking.

An intriguing extract of short stories guaranteed to make you ponder the "what ifs" of the human psyche. Highly recommend.

Lo compre de segunda mano por lo que me salió más barato y llegó como nuevo.Es primera edición por lo que valió la pena el precio de 268.

Yet another great collection of short stories by Stephen King. Each story more unique and intriguing.

Does a bad story from Stephen King even exist? Well, if it does, you won’t find it in this collection. The stories in Just After Sunset are as entertaining and wonderfully written as expected. My favorite story is “N.”—the letter format is intriguing, the patient reports of N.’s growing mental illness stopping demons entering our sphere (is it really an illness?) even more so. Another highlight is “A Very Tight Place”—I felt I was the one being captured in this lonesome, fallen-over Dixi toilet. “The Gingerbread Girl” could have run a little less at the beginning, this darned cat from “The Cat from Hell” I will never forget, and the rest is just as good with some stories conveying a deeper sense than horrific entertainment.

Great collection of ideas from the master of unusual thoughts. Any King fan will enjoy this.