This is the third gothic suspense/ghost novel that I have read by Wendy Webb after THE TALE OF HALCYON CRANE and THE VANISHING. I enjoyed both of thesThis is the third gothic suspense/ghost novel that I have read by Wendy Webb after THE TALE OF HALCYON CRANE and THE VANISHING. I enjoyed both of these novels and was hoping for another good ghost story.
THE END OF TEMPERANCE DARE takes place in a retreat called Cliffside Manor located on the shores of Lake Superior. The building was formerly a tuberculosis sanatorium that had been converted to a retreat for artists and writers after TB was no longer a threat. Eleanor Harper becomes the director of the retreat after Penelope Dare decides to retire. But when Eleanor takes over the job, Penelope suddenly commits suicide leaving Eleanor in the midst of a mystery that may put her and the newest group of artists at risk. Ever since she arrived there, she has felt a feeling of dread. She hears coughing in corners, laughter and children's footsteps (even though there are no children there), visions of other people, knocks and noises. And she met an old man who told her that death resides at Cliffside. So what is really going on? Is Cliffside haunted?
I enjoyed this novel and its creepy setting up to a point. But then there were some major reveals and twists at the end that were just a little too much over the top. The story kind of devolved from a ghost story into a possession/horror story. There are some interesting characters in the story including a housekeeper named Harriet that seems to know more about whats happening at the retreat than she wants to reveal. This novel also had a romantic side with Eleanor seeming to fall for the local doctor as well as one of the guest artists. Only a mild recommendation overall....more
I really enjoy Daphne du Maurier's writing. I have read a few of her novels including the classic REBECCA that I consider one of the great novels of aI really enjoy Daphne du Maurier's writing. I have read a few of her novels including the classic REBECCA that I consider one of the great novels of all time. This is the first collection of her short stories that I have read and I was not disappointed!
This volume includes six stories:
The Birds This is of course the story that is the basis for the Alfred Hitchcock movie. I like the movie but this story is much more ominous and full of foreboding. While the movie takes place in Bodega Bay, California, the story is set in Cornwall, England and the onslaught of the Birds is more widespread to include England, Europe and possibly the whole world. I thought overall this was the best story in the collection. The story and its mood reminded me somewhat of the novels of John Wyndham such as DAY OF THE TRIFFIDS with an unknown element threatening the world. A very terrifying and disturbing story.
Monte Verita This is the longest story in the volume and probably the strangest. It's about a young couple and their friend who enjoy mountain climbing. The couple goes to Monte Verita in an undisclosed European location and discovers an ancient monastery at the top of the mountain with a cult of people living a very serene life. The young woman gets drawn into the cult and cannot leave while her husband desperately tries to get her back. But she is content there. The story encompasses many years until something unexplained happens to the people in the monastery. I liked this story but is was very strange and reminded me of stories by H.P. Lovecraft and others that were published in the pulp magazine Weird Tales.
The Apple Tree This one is about a man who loses his wife after many years of marriage. But the loss was really more of a relief for him as he saw his wife as a burden or irritant. But is she really gone? Why does the sickly apple tree in his garden remind him of her? This was a somewhat whimsical tale with a good lesson to be learned at the end.
The Little Photographer This ones about a beautiful and lonely Marquise on vacation with her two children who has an affair with a local photographer. But when the photographer doesn't want to give her up, the Marquise takes drastic steps to protect herself. But is she safe enough?
Kiss Me Again, Stranger A young auto mechanic falls for a pretty usher at a movie theater. He wants her as a steady girl friend but turns out she is not what she seems. This is a very cautionary tale about being careful who you fall for.
The Old Man This one took me completely by surprise! About an old man and his family who live by a lake. But what happened to the man's children? The ending of this one really blew me away. After reading the last paragraph in the story, I had to go back and reread the story which changed my whole perspective.
Overall, I really enjoyed this collection of stories and will be looking forward to reading more du Maurier....more
This was a pretty good horror/paranormal thriller from Masterton full of chills, sex, and gore. It tells the story of Craig Bellman who was h⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
This was a pretty good horror/paranormal thriller from Masterton full of chills, sex, and gore. It tells the story of Craig Bellman who was horribly attacked and maimed during a mugging in New York. The attack affected his manhood and resulted in a troubled relationship with his wife, Effie. But then Craig and Effie stumble upon an old mansion called Valhalla in the Hudson Valley. The house seems to call out to Craig who decides he must own and restore it. But is it the house or is it the former owner, Jack Belias, attracting Craig? Belias was a gambler who lived there in the 1930s and who was also a sadist and womanizer who took pleasure in destroying other people. So is the house haunted? Effie seems to hear moaning when she visits and actually sees an unknown man going down the stairs.
This was an interesting and unusual haunted house novel. Was the house haunted or just giving off psychic vibrations? Were there spirits in the house or was Belias able to shift through time?
I did find this novel to be quite compelling. It actually reminded me a lot of Stephen King’s THE SHINING with the protagonist seemingly shifting time periods. Overall I did enjoy it and I’ll probably be reading more of Masterton (I read THE MANITOU several years ago but no others by him). I did have one quibble about the writing: I know Masterton is British but since this book takes place in New York, I feel he should have tried to Americanize the language to make it feel more like it takes place there. For example he used British words such as kerb, boot, and droughty instead of the American curb, trunk, and drafty. Many other words also used British spelling....more
A few years ago, I ran across a post on Twitter which purported to list the ten best horror writers alive today. On this list was Ania Ahlborn who I hA few years ago, I ran across a post on Twitter which purported to list the ten best horror writers alive today. On this list was Ania Ahlborn who I had never heard of before. Since then, I have read a few of her books including THE DEVIL CREPT IN, which I thought was a very good horror novel, and THE SHUDDERING, that I thought was only so-so and somewhat cliched. Well, BROTHER took horror to a whole 'nother level. This one reminded me a lot of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre about a family of serial killers living in the backwoods of West Virginia. The story focuses on Michael Morrow who was actually kidnapped when he was four years old by the brutal family of the Morrows. He is trained to take part in the brutality but never takes pleasure in it unlike the rest of the family. But then he falls for a pretty young woman named Alice who works at a record store in town. Can he forget what a monster he really has become and try to have a normal relationship? His brother, Rebel, makes sure that he can't.
Be forewarned. . . this novel is one of the most gruesome and disturbing books I have ever read. But it is also very compelling and kept me turning the pages. What really happened to Michael and his real family was very shocking. I did see some of it coming but it was mostly unexpected. Ahlborn really knows how to draw you into the story. Her setting for this was also very interesting. It took place in the late 70s or early 80s and she described the time period very well especially with her references to the music and movies of the time. Not sure where Ahlborn gets her weirdness but I'm sure I will be reading more of her....more
I went into this book without knowing what it was about but soon got drawn into this very intense sci-fi/horror/techno-thriller. The story starts out I went into this book without knowing what it was about but soon got drawn into this very intense sci-fi/horror/techno-thriller. The story starts out in 1906 in Panama where a very strange creature is discovered buried in a sarcophagus-like coffin with strange hieroglyphics written on it. This is discovered during the building of the Panama Canal and President Teddy Roosevelt happens to be on sight to witness the strange being. After viewing it, he orders that it be moved to the U.S. and put in a very secure location. After one hundred years of study, the creature wakes up from the coma it was in and is still being studied by a group of scientists and others in a secret underground facility in New Mexico. There is a biologist to analyze its structure, a veterinarian to study behavior, a linguist to try to translate its language, and two theologians -- one Catholic and the other Jewish. So what is the creature? It appears to be the likeness of a demon straight from Hell. Could it actually be the Satan from the Bible? The creature seems to be impervious to harm and can regenerate body parts and heal itself almost instantaneously. But is the creature malevolent or is it benign and only wants peace? And what specifically is its origin? Does the creature pose a threat to mankind?
I found this novel to be very intense and compelling reading. The whole premise of the story was fascinating and the powers of the creature were very imaginative. I also thought the characters in the story were very well written, especially Andy the linguist, and Sun the vet. The creature, nicknamed Bub, was also a character to be reckoned with. Very imaginative and creative writing that I would recommend. This book is part of a series but I understand all the books can be read as stand-alone novels. I may be seeking out more of these....more
I have been a fan of Bradbury's for years going back to my junior high school days in the 1960s. I have read many of his works and always enjoy them. I have been a fan of Bradbury's for years going back to my junior high school days in the 1960s. I have read many of his works and always enjoy them. But for some reason, I had never read Something Wicked This Way Comes, one of his most highly regarded novels. I have actually had this paperback copy of the book on my shelves for more than ten years and glad I finally got around to reading it.
The book is set in the fictional Green Town which was also the setting of one of my Bradbury favorites, Dandelion Wine. But while Dandelion Wine was set during the summer and was a very nostalgic look at the past, Something Wicked is set close to Halloween and is a very dark fantasy novel. It's about two 13-year-old friends who were born a day apart, Jim Nightshade and William Halloway. The friends are typical boys seeking adventure and wanting to grow older. When a traveling carnival comes to town, they're the first to venture to its grounds when it is being set up at 3 am in the morning. This all leads to some very nightmarish experiences involving the carnival leader, Mr. Dark, who is able to change people's lives and grant them their desires. But at what cost? Dark is covered in tattoos and is also called "The Illustrated Man" (another great Bradbury collection), and he is really a very malevolent being who enslaves people and lives off their life forces. So the boys witness some things they shouldn't have which brings the forces of Mr. Dark and the carnival against them. But Will's father, Charles, the janitor at the local library, is there to counter the forces of evil ... is he strong enough to prevail?
I really enjoyed this one and glad I finally got to it. Although the novel was very dark, it was also very nostalgic and emphasized life in a small town from the past. It also had themes that Bradbury has shown in his other works such as longing to be young again or conversely wanting to be older. I know this novel was also mentioned by Stephen King in a few of his works including The Dead Zone and Needful Things. It was also definitely an influence in his novel, IT. The carnival in the story keeps appearing after many years, as researched by Charles Halloway which is similar to the appearances of Pennywise in IT. There is also a movie version of this made by Disney that I have never seen that I will be on the watch for. Strong overall recommendation! [image]...more
I have read several of St. James' other novels including THE SUN DOWN MOTEL, THE BROKEN GIRLS, and THE HAUNTING OF MADDY CLARE. I have enjoyed all of I have read several of St. James' other novels including THE SUN DOWN MOTEL, THE BROKEN GIRLS, and THE HAUNTING OF MADDY CLARE. I have enjoyed all of these which were mostly a blend of the supernatural and a murder/suspense story. Her more recent books take place in the recent past while her earlier book, Haunting of Maddy Clare was set in the 1920s.
LOST AMONG THE LIVING was published in 2016 and is also set in the 1920s shortly after WWI. It is also a blend of the supernatural and an intriguing mystery about the death of a young 15-year old girl who was suffering from delusions and madness. The protagonist of the story is Jo who met her husband Alex while working as a secretary. Unfortunately, Alex was shot down during the war and never returned. His body was not recovered and he is considered missing in action. Jo ends up working as a paid companion to Alex's aunt Dottie who resides in the Wych Elm House in Sussex. Dottie is estranged from her husband and her son was severely wounded in the war. As Jo moves into the house she is plagued by strange happenings including seeing the ghost of Franny, Dottie's young daughter who supposedly committed suicide. But did she really do this or was she murdered? And if so, why? The local people think Wych Elm is cursed and the woods is haunted by the ghost of Franny and her vicious dog who supposedly killed a man on the day Franny committed suicide. So what's the real story? Did Jo really see Fran's ghost or is she going mad?
I enjoyed this novel quite a lot. It was a good ghost story and suspense yarn. The locale and time period of the novel were well developed as well as the characters in the story. It was also somewhat of a romance story which I normally don't really enjoy that much but the overall story made up for this. I would definitely recommend this one if you like supernatural suspense/romance stories. ...more
This novel seemed all too familiar to me. It could have been a script for one of the many horror movies out there about a group of young people being This novel seemed all too familiar to me. It could have been a script for one of the many horror movies out there about a group of young people being pursued and killed by some form of monster or demented people. Movies such as The Hills Have Eyes, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, or even the TV series Walking Dead come to mind. So the story focuses on a group of young people who travel to a cabin close to a ski resort in Colorado that is very hard to get to. Then Ahlborn tells some side stories of people getting killed by some very monstrous beings who end up also stalking the young people in the cabin. So what are these monsters? Do we ever find out?
The novel spends too much time focused on the friends gathered at the cabin and the conflicts and dialog between them. The descriptions of the monsters were well-written and very graphic and I could clearly see what they looked like in my mind as I was reading this. But overall, I was somewhat disappointed and felt the whole story was a cliche of horror movies including the ending. I have read a couple of Ahlborn's other books: THE DEVIL CREPT IN and APART IN THE DARK which I thought were both much more imaginative and were great examples of the horror genre. I've also read some good reviews of some of her other books including THE NEIGHBORS and BROTHER which I may try to seek out....more
I have had this book on my shelves for several years and finally got around to reading this slight volume. I also read and enjoyed Hill's ghost story,I have had this book on my shelves for several years and finally got around to reading this slight volume. I also read and enjoyed Hill's ghost story,Woman in Black a few years ago. THE MAN IN THE PICTURE is another ghost story that I enjoyed although not as much as Woman in Black. This one is told from several perspectives. It is about a college professor who obtains an unusual painting of revelers at a carnival in Venice. Oliver, a former student of the professor visits him and is told a macabre tale of a woman who owned the painting and how the painting seemed to draw people into it. Her story is told by her through Oliver. She desperately wanted the painting returned to her because it seemed to show what happened to her husband who disappeared in Venice. But how could that be? The painting was made in the 16th century. The tale goes on with the painting eventually affecting Oliver and his wife when they visit Venice on their honeymoon.
I thought the story was very atmospheric and provided some chills, however, the end was not quite what I was expecting. Overall, a mild recommendation for this one....more
Joe Lansdale is one of my favorite authors. I have read all of his Hap and Leonard novels as well as many of his stand-alones and short story collectiJoe Lansdale is one of my favorite authors. I have read all of his Hap and Leonard novels as well as many of his stand-alones and short story collections. I have enjoyed them all and have not been disappointed in any of them. PRISONER 489 is a short horror novella that takes place on an island that services a prison on a nearby larger island. The prison houses the worst of the worst and apparently it is an international location run by the UN. The smaller island also contains the graveyard for the prison where the bodies are buried after execution by electric chair. Bernard, Wilson, and Toggle work there and when Prisoner 489 was executed it took four charges of electricity and then a plastic bag put over his head. But did this really kill him? The body is delivered by boat to the small island and it is contained in a metal coffin wrapped in padlocked chains instead of the normal biodegradable wood/cardboard box. The coffin is very heavy and Kettle, who delivers the body, tells a strange tale about the prisoner including that he never ate. So who or what is this person? Well, after the body is buried, the grave is unearthed and the body is gone. So what is it and how could it still be alive? The caretakers on the island really don't want to know...
This was a really good little horror story from Lansdale that kept me reading. Although short at only 57 pages, the story packed a punch and I enjoyed it a lot. Another winner from Lansdale....more
Joe Lansdale is one of my favorite authors. I have read all of his Hap and Leonard novels as well as many of his stand-alones. I have enjoyed them allJoe Lansdale is one of my favorite authors. I have read all of his Hap and Leonard novels as well as many of his stand-alones. I have enjoyed them all and have not been disappointed in any of them. LOST ECHOES is another gem from him that I thought was a very compelling page-turner.
The protagonist, Harry Wilkes, has had a very unique ability ever since contracting the mumps during childhood—he is able to see visions of the past that are triggered by noise in an area where a violent or tragic event has happened. The visions are really a mental hell for him and takes him back to witness some very awful occurrences including accidents and murders. He is unable to live a normal life and is depressed by the brutality he is able to witness. This leads him to drinking which somewhat soothes his tortured mind. Then Harry meets another drunk, a formal martial arts teacher named Tad who he becomes attached to. Tad helps him try to master his gift and find peace. But then a friend from his childhood, Kayla, wants him to use his gift to find out what really happened to her father, an apparent suicide. But was it really a suicide? Kayla thinks not. Lurking within the story is a pair of serial killers who may be linked to Kayla's father.
Another very superb thriller from Lansdale that I had a hard time putting down. I'll be looking forward to reading more from him....more
Another good thriller from St. James. This is the fourth book I have read by her and I have enjoyed all of them. The protagonist i⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2 rounded up
Another good thriller from St. James. This is the fourth book I have read by her and I have enjoyed all of them. The protagonist in this one is Shea Collins, a receptionist at a doctor's office by day and an unsolved murder blogger by night. Her blog, "The Book of Cold Cases", delved into unsolved murders both near and far. She lives in Claire Lake, Oregon, and one of the infamous unsolved murders occurred here back in 1977. Dubbed the "Lady Killer" murders—two random men were murdered with the same gun. A witness to the second murder identified a local young woman named Beth Greer leaving the scene. But Beth was acquitted of the crimes. Then Shea happens to run into Beth at the doctor's office and Beth agrees to be interviewed. Turns out she is still living in the house where her father was also murdered back in the 70s. Her mother had been killed in a car crash soon after and so Beth had been living all alone in the house since her acquittal. So did Beth commit the crimes? If not, who did? The police are adamant that the killer was a woman based on some notes left at the crime scene. But the handwriting does not match Beth's. As Shea interviews Beth at the house, she feels other presences there and is convinced the house contains some kind of supernatural entities. If so, why does Beth stay there?
This was actually a pretty straight forward supernatural mystery with not too many surprises. But it did keep my interest throughout. I enjoyed this one but didn't feel it was as good as THE BROKEN GIRLS or THE SUNDOWN MOTEL. However, I will be looking forward to reading St. James’s next novel....more
I've had this book on my shelves for a year or two and finally decided to read it for Halloween this year. This was a very creepy and disturbing novelI've had this book on my shelves for a year or two and finally decided to read it for Halloween this year. This was a very creepy and disturbing novel about a town in the Hudson valley of New York called Black Spring that is haunted by a seventeenth-century witch named Katherine van Wyler. The witch has its eyes and mouth sewn shut and is shackeled with chains. But she manages to walk the streets of Black Spring and shows up in various places including the residents homes where she at first seems quite benign. When she shows up in the Grant family home, she is called gramma and a dishcloth is thrown over her disturbing face. But is she benign? If someone from Black Spring decides to leave the town for an extended time, they are overwhelmed with suicidal thoughts and must return. A decree in the town prohibits anyone from touching or harassing Katherine but kids will be kids. And so what happens if Katherine's sutures are removed from her mouth and eyes? Well you don't want to go there—the entire town will be in peril! [image] This book definitely provided some chills and it was a very creative and unique approach to a horror story. Although I thought it was a little wordy at times and could have been shortened somewhat, the story kept me reading and the ending was quite horrific....more
This was a very different and strange novel from Oates. THE ACCURSED is set in the town of Princeton, New Jersey in 1905-1906. There is a lot of the sThis was a very different and strange novel from Oates. THE ACCURSED is set in the town of Princeton, New Jersey in 1905-1906. There is a lot of the supernatural in the novel including specters, ghosts, and shape-shifting vampires. At the root of the story is the Slade family that is "accursed" for some unknown reason. Winslow Slade is the patriarch of the family, a Presbyterian minister and former governor of New Jersey. He dotes on his grandchildren especially Annabel who is about to be married. But on her wedding day she is abducted by a man who is not what he appears to be. But is she abducted or did she go with him willingly? There are other atrocities throughout the novel including murders but the heart of the novel is not really the horrors of the curse but the oppressors of the American ruling class. A lynching of a black brother and sister occurs in nearby Camden; women are oppressed and cannot vote; non-whites are not permitted to enroll at Princeton University; the working class has little rights and work at slave wages; and children are also forced to work 14 hour days.
The novel includes several historical figures from the time including Woodrow Wilson, who is then president of Princeton University; Upton Sinclair, who is just getting fame for his novel The Jungle; former President Grover Cleveland; Teddy Roosevelt; Jack London; Mark Twain; and even Sherlock Holmes puts in an appearance. Upton Sinclair is a socialist and also a prolific writer who wants to make life better for the working class. He admires Jack London, another socialist, and wants him to head his society. But Sinclair is disillusioned with London after meeting him in New York. London turns out to be a loud obnoxious brawler who likes his drink more than the ideals of Sinclair. Wilson is also very flawed. He takes no action on the lynching that happened nearby, he believes in segregation and wants to keep blacks out of Princeton, and he has an affair with another woman. Roosevelt and Twain are also not shown in the best of light.
This was a long novel at over 600 pages and it was sometimes difficult to read but I did find it compelling and I enjoyed Oates look at the historical figures included in the story. I have read several Oates novels and collections of stories and I have not been disappointed in them. I'm sure I will be reading more. Based on this one, I also want to read more about Jack London, Sinclair, Wilson, and Roosevelt. I did read The Jungle several years ago and I know Sinclair was aiming it at the deplorable working conditions of the men in the packing houses of Chicago but it is better known for its role in the enactment of the Federal Meat Inspection Act....more
I hadn't read a McCammon novel for some time but when I do, I always seem to enjoy them no matter how preposterous the story may be. McCammon is knownI hadn't read a McCammon novel for some time but when I do, I always seem to enjoy them no matter how preposterous the story may be. McCammon is known for his horror stories and his novels have been favorably compared to Stephen King. This one is a great WWII adventure with the protagonist also being a werewolf! Michael Gallatin was born in Russia to a noble family during the reign of Czar Nicholas and Alexandra and it is rumored that his biological father was actually Rasputin. Then the Russian revolution happens and Mikail's (his Russian name) family is killed by revolutionaries but he manages to escape by being bit by a werewolf and taken into their fold. The novel uses two time periods to tell Michael's story: his life growing up amid the werewolves and his life as a spy for Britain during WWII. It's a very long story at over 600 pages but it never failed to keep my interest with Michael fighting Rommel in North Africa and then being sent on a mission that could affect the Allied invasion on D-day. His adventures involve the resistance in France which eventually leads to Berlin and some very bad Nazis who are developing a weapon that could stop the allies. Michael gets involved with several women along the way and of course his ability to change into a wolf doesn't hurt. Overall, a very engaging read from McCammon that I enjoyed quite a lot. [image]...more
This was a fun ghost story from Webb that kept me interested and turning the pages. It's told from the point of view of Julia, who is at wit's end aftThis was a fun ghost story from Webb that kept me interested and turning the pages. It's told from the point of view of Julia, who is at wit's end after her husband kills himself and is found to be a con man ala Bernie Madoff and has cheated most of their friends out of their life savings. Then a stranger named Adrian Sinclair appears at her door and offers her a new life taking care of his mother, Amaris, who is also a famous author who Julia thought dead. But instead she has merely vanished from fame and Adrian promises he can do the same for Julia. Since all of her friends have abandoned her and may be coming after her with lawsuits, Julia agrees to go with Adrian to Havenwood, the Sinclair's magnificent estate in the wilderness near Lake Superior. The estate was built by a rich fur trader named Andrew McCullough centuries earlier and contains many secrets that haunt its vast halls. As soon as Julia arrives, she starts to hear whisperings and sees visions of spirits that seem to come out of some of the paintings on the walls. So is Julia hallucinating or are spirits haunting the estate? She is off her depression medication and hallucinations may be a result. But why has she really been brought to Havenwood? And how is Seraphina, a psychic who conducted a very dangerous seance years before, a big part of the mystery? As the novel progresses, there are many twists to the story and all is definitely not what it seems.
I enjoyed this one quite a lot. A good novel to read in the fall close to Halloween. I have read one other book by Webb, THE TALE OF HALCYON CRANE, which I thought was also a good ghost story. I have a few of her other books on my TBR stacks that I'll be reading sometime soon.
Not sure how to classify this one...Western, although it doesn't take place in the West; horror; Southern gothic?? This was one weird book about a manNot sure how to classify this one...Western, although it doesn't take place in the West; horror; Southern gothic?? This was one weird book about a man named Smonk who terrorizes a small town in Alabama called Old Texas. Smonk has only one eye, a goiter, syphilis, and consumption, yet he is able to kill all the men in the small southern town. The book is also about Evavangelina, a young girl who is often mistaken for a boy who also makes her living as a hooker. The book is filled with vileness including myriad killings of men, women, children, and animals, and countless sex acts including child abuse and incest. And then the real weirdness kicks in. What is really happening in the small Alabama town and how does it relate to Smonk and Evavangelina?
I was very mixed on this one with its weird storyline. The prose also left me somewhat perplexed at times with run-on thoughts and phrases. I sometimes had to reread paragraphs for a better understanding. I think the novel was supposed to be humorous but I really didn't find it so. Overall, I would recommend reading with caution!...more
Another great collection of shorter fiction from Stephen King. I have somewhat neglected reading King's short story collections but two of his collectAnother great collection of shorter fiction from Stephen King. I have somewhat neglected reading King's short story collections but two of his collections, DIFFERENT SEASONS and FULL DARK, NO STARS contain some of his best writing IMO. These two collections both contain four novellas which I enjoyed as much as some of his best novels, if not more so.
IF IT BLEEDS also contains four novellas and again these were all great. The longest, the titular "If It Bleeds" is almost 200 pages and is a great followup to THE OUTSIDER. It features Holly Gibney (the singular young woman from the Mr. Mercedes trilogy and The Outsider) who is on the trail of another entity who she suspects is involved in the bombing of a school which killed a large group of people including many children. Will Holly be able to survive her encounter with this being?
The other stories run about 100 pages each and all are very thought-provoking and clever. The first, "Mr. Harrigan's Phone" is about a young boy who does chores for a wealthy older man named Harrigan who has made a fortune on the stock market. Harrigan is not into the onset of technology such as computers and cell phones, but the boy convinces him to try out a new Iphone and of course he is amazed at what it can do while accessing the internet. When Harrigan dies, the boy slips the phone into his casket which leads to some unexpected results.
"The Life of Chuck" was probably the most clever of the stories about a man on the verge of death. The story is told in three parts and in reverse order. The first part is rather bizarre but also very unique in a sci-fi sort of way and it makes one think about everything contained in your memory and what happens to it when you die.
The final story, "Rat" is about a writer who goes to a remote cabin in Maine to try and write a novel. He has failed at this a few times before even though he has published some short stories in magazines including one in The New Yorker. So will he be able to complete his novel this time? He just might after he encounters a rat that he makes a deal with.
All of these stories were King at his best. I think one of the common threads that ran through these was old-age and dying. And of course the prevalent evil of mankind is nearly always present when you read King. Lessons learned: Don't bury a cell phone with a loved one who passes on; beware of news reporters who always report on tragedies; and don't take advice from a rat!...more
I had been looking forward to reading this book for several months after seeing a great endorsement from Stephen King: "Tightly wound, atmospheric, anI had been looking forward to reading this book for several months after seeing a great endorsement from Stephen King: "Tightly wound, atmospheric, and creepy as hell..." The premise of the book also intrigued me about the Kolyma Highway in Siberia running 1,200 miles near the Arctic Circle and made by the victims of the former Soviet Union's gulag prisoners who constructed the road and were buried beneath it after being worked to death in building it.
The novel's protagonist, Felix "Tieg" Tiegland is a film documentarian who has struck out on past projects and feels that the road may be a promising opportunity. He decides to drive the highway with his friend and photographer, Jack Prentiss. He imagines calling his new show "Life and Death on the Road of Bones" because of its brutal history and because life there is so treacherous with temperatures dipping to 50 below zero. The duo pick up a guide at a remote service area and a stranded motorist along the way and then proceed to the town of Akhust which they find deserted except for one catatonic child. So what happened to the townspeople? The story then kind of devolved for me into a supernatural story involving native shamans, spirits, and otherworldly beasts that end up chasing the group back down the road along with the young child. So why are they chasing them and what the hell is going on?
This was really not what I expected. Where are the ghosts of the victims of the Soviets? Where are the abandoned gulags? The way the story ended and how it got there was disappointing for me. Although the myths of the Siberian wilderness could be interesting, I was expecting something totally different and much more chilling as advertised by King and others. ...more
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