You like it darker

Most non-fans of Mr. King think of him as a horror writer (usually thinking of gore - which he does very well), and are unaware he gave the world The Green Mile, (Rita Hayworth and) The Shawshank Redemption, Dolores Claiborne, and (The Body) Stand By Me. When I was a bookstore owner, I used those as a comeback to the countless customers who told me they did not like King's writing. In this set of stories "Two Talented Bastids" is wonderful literature masquerading as a bit of SciFi. I wish I were very wealthy so I could buy movie rights to this one, as that would be an excellent investment. I'm sure many "friends of Bill" will not like what Mr. King has done for the 12 Steps in "The Fifth Step," but I found it to be an extremely funny look at an idea. The main character here is going to have real problems when it comes to making amends, though. "Willie the Wierdo" actually is a horror story, but it is also close to Jacob's hundred-plus year old classic "The Monkey's Paw". "Danny Coughlin's Bad Dream" is another I would love to have enough money to invest in the movie/TV rights. It is going to be an excellent production. I could see exactly the right actors for the cast all the way through it. It is also the second story here that felt to me like exquisite writing. The story "Finn" reminds me very much of a Faustian idea I once had for writing a book, but I never got around to writing it. Thank you, Mr. King for doing the hard work for me. There is no horror or supernatural in "On Slide Inn Road". It is just a very good, very tight action short story that is very satisfying. Mr. King gives a nod to O'Connor, so I guess I'll have to try reading some. "Red Screen" is a brief glimpse into a world and some characters that you know how things are going to be, but you want it to go on anyway to find out how right or wrong you are. I have to say "The Turbulence Expert" is one that just did not impress me all that much. It was an interesting idea, and I liked the characters, but it just did not take me anywhere. "Laurie" is a nice story that moves a little slowly, but that's ok because it doesn't seem to have anywhere that it wants to go. It just introduces you to some diverse characters that are very much like people in your neighborhood and family. There is a bit of excitement, but no horror or supernatural to it. "Rattlesnakes" is another that will be a good production, either movie or TV. Again I would be willing to invest in the rights for it. It comes with a tip of the hat to John D. McDonald, who is another writer whose every work I read voraciously. This one does drift into the world of supernatural and good versus evil, but not as heavily as some of Mr. King's gargantuan novels. It brings back a character from Cujo in a setting close-by Duma Key, but you don't need to have read either of those to enjoy it (to be honest, I did not recall the character actually making an appearance in Cujo). The TV/movie script will be enormously bolstered by the very real, likable ancillary characters that work throughout this novella. "The Dreamers" was an interesting idea, but for whatever reason it did not do it for me. I really liked, and felt for the narrator, but the story left me flat. I did not grasp Mr. King's reference to Cormac McCarthy, whose beautiful prose in horrific, sometimes painful to read stories, I love. The advice to performing artists is to "Always leave 'em wanting more." And Mr. King certainly does that with "The Answer Man" as the finale for this publication. As a better reviewer remarked this story "reminds us that a life marked by unbearable tragedy can still be meaningful." At the conclusion of this beautifully written piece, you definitely want more while at the same time it gives a great feeling of satisfaction. And that is good writing!

In what by now should be a surprise to exactly no one, Mr. King does it once again with his latest collection of twelve short stories designed to thrill, chill, and entertain, often leaving us with a tasty morsel to ponder as we lie in bed waiting for sleep to come. The stories themselves are of varying length, covering such far-flung topics as first contact with an alien species, an inexplicable case of once-in-a-lifetime divination gone horribly wrong, and why that old chestnut, ‘never talk to strangers,’ isn’t just sage advice for children. While I enjoyed all of the stories, there were three real standouts in particular. “Danny Coughlin’s Bad Dream” features a protagonist whose life is torn asunder while simply trying to do a decent, responsible thing. It’s a whole new riff on the old saying, ‘No good deed goes unpunished.’ “The Answer Man” posits not the question of granting three wishes, but rather granting three truthful answers to any question—past, present, or future, so long as the question isn’t predicated with ‘Should I—?’ Free will is a thing, after all, and those types of questions are strictly off limits. It’s an interesting companion piece to W.W. Jacobs’ “The Monkey’s Paw,” in that we learn to be extremely careful in choosing which questions to ask, as we may not be even remotely prepared for those brutally honest answers. Finally, in “Rattlesnakes,” we are along for the ride as a recent widower opts to stay at a friend’s house on the Keys while working through his grief for a spell. We soon learn that the next-door neighbor is a friendly old woman whose own personal tragedy has put her a little off her nut, albeit harmlessly so. Her twin sons died in a tragic rattlesnake accident decades before, and yet she still pushes around their double-wide pram, laying matching twins-y shirts and shorts as placeholders where the boys once sat. She even talks to them, but with a wink and a nod, she’ll assure you she knows they aren’t really there. Or are they? This is hardly a spoiler at this point, but perhaps the biggest surprise of all in this creepy little gem is the discovery that our bereaved narrator is none other than Vic Trenton, father of a little boy who spent a terrifying afternoon with his mother, trapped in a sweltering car that was under attack from a rabid canine by the name of Cujo. Mr. Trenton knows a thing or two about loss, himself. With that in mind, I suppose some folks might find the title of this book a little misleading, expecting the stories to be a little darker, perhaps. I suggest it depends on your definition of “darker.” These stories aren’t overtly gruesome or gory, nor are they “a triumph of the human spirit”—a catchphrase I’ve come to realize means everyone dies in the end. It’s a somber sort of darkness that we all eventually experience through the unavoidable act of aging. As Mr. King approaches his 80th spin around the sun, his introspection on the topic presents itself more and more within his output of work, and since I ain’t getting any younger either, many of those shared experiences resonate in a more meaningful way than I would have ever appreciated in my younger days. It’s some seriously good stuff, folks.

Livraison ok Etat parfait

Creo que es uno de los libros más bonitos que tengo, acabados matte con relieves muy bien hechos, es un libro grande y creo que la pasta dura me dificultará un poco la lectura pero para colección es una belleza.

You Like It Darker: Stories is Stephen King in rare form, delivering exactly what fans of the genre crave. Each story is a testament to his unparalleled ability to craft chilling, thought-provoking narratives that stick with you long after you’ve finished reading. It’s a reminder of why King is often hailed as the greatest horror writer of all time. What makes this collection so special is how King seamlessly blends the eerie and the emotional, drawing you into each story with his signature style. It’s thrilling to be alive at a time when such a legendary author is still creating new work for us to discover. Whether you’re a lifelong fan or just diving into King’s world, this collection is a must-have. It’s another masterpiece to add to the shelf, and you’ll find yourself revisiting it again and again. Don’t miss this one!

I have loved Stephen King’s stories since I saw Carrie as a teenager. This collection of dark matter brings out the goosebumps and makes you look under the bed!

数か月ぶりに本を読もうと思ったが、老眼で長く画面や紙面を見つめているのがつらいので、Audibleで聞いて興味のある所はKindle版を読もうと思った。サラリーマン時代は通勤の電車の中でAudibleを聞いていたのだが引退後は通勤もなくなった。最近は車で週に何度か往復１時間以上移動するので車の中で聞こうと考えた。辞書は引けないので、あまり難しいのは無理で、Stephen Kingならどうだろうと調べてみたら、この短編集を見つけた。発売日が今年の５月(読み始めたのは６月)だが、もう数千の評価がついていてよさそうだった。最近の作品がほとんどで、コロナ禍の出来事も書かれていて身近に感じる怖い作品群。 聴きながらぐっと引き込まれていく作品も、なんだかよくわからいままに終わってしまったのもあったが、全般的に、この作者は素晴らしい。Wikiを調べてみると、自分より10歳以上うえのお歳のようだ。最新のIT機器やAIも駆使されているとはおもうが、よく創作意欲が継続するものだと感心する。Amazonの評価で低いほうを見ると、昔に比べて質が落ちたなどと書いている人もいるが、原書を読んでも細部までわからない自分のようなファンから見ればあいかわらず素晴らしいと思うし、読む読書から聴く読書に変わっていっている時代の流れもリードされているように思える。 以下は、あまり英語が堪能でない読者が、Audibleで聴きつつわからないところはKindleも参照した感想です。 Two Talented Bastids： 作品中に書かれているように、物語の初め1/3ぐらいはつまらないが、少しずつ引き込まれていく。半ばまで来ると、だいたいどういうストーリーが見当がついてくるが作者はそれを良い方に裏切って読者を楽しませてくれる。 The Fifth Step： 短い作品で、あれもう終わったの？と思って、もう一回聴いてみたが、なにがおもしろいのか良く分からなかった。アルコール依存症から立ち直らせるAAという団体の更生プログラムが伏線にあるようなので、それを調べれば楽しめるかもしれない。 Willie the Weirdo： コロナ禍を題材にしていると思うが、おかしな子供の話のようだった。 Danny Coughlin’s Bad Dream： 長い作品で、なかなか終わらないが、聴く人は無実(と聴く人は知っている)の男が、物証がないので逮捕できない警察から執拗にハラスメントを受けるのを聴いていると少しずつ感情移入してきて先が聞きたくなる。物語の展開は私の予想を超えるもので、なかなかおもしろかった。 Finn： 英語が堪能でないと怖さが理解できないのかな？ On Slide Inn Road： 善人が実は最恐だったという落ちなんだろうか？ Red Screen： 知らないうちに人類を乗っ取る宇宙からの侵略者？ The Turbulence Expert： 飛行機が乱気流でも落ちないのは、こういう人が乗っているからという発想がすごい。 Laurie： 人食いワニと犬の話だが、何が怖いのかよくわからなかった。 Rattlesnakes： 過去に発表された作品の続編のようだ。WiKiなどを調べるとガラガラヘビは集まって集団になり団子状態になるらしい。そんなところへ落ち込むなんて考えるだけで恐ろしい。加えて幽霊に攻撃されるわけで、本当に怖い。Mr. Itoという人物が脇役で出てくるが、”イトウ”ではなく”アイトー”と発音されていた。そういうものだろうか。 The Dreamers： マッドサイエンティストによる実験が題材みたいだが、内容が突飛で難しい単語がたくさん出てくるので、あらすじしかわからなかった。 The Answer Man： 未来をYes/Noで答えてくれるAnswer Manに人生で３回会った男の話。 ホラーというよりファンタジー。 Afterword： 後書きは、King氏ではなく、もう一人の朗読者が読み上げている。 約１月かかったが、楽しめたと思う。Audible.comは、まだコイン制で１月に１作品の目標で聴いていくと長続きする気がする。私の場合英語の耳ならしの意味もあって聴いているので、Audible.co.jpは自分が聴きたい面白そうな最近のタイトルは別途購入になってしまい不経済で向かない。