My Long Walk Through Stephen King's Lot

Over the last couple of years, as I’ve looked at various lists and rankings of Stephen King’s top books, I kept seeing a certain, somewhat surprising title popping up: Hearts in Atlantis .   I call it surprising because many such lists placed this one in the top ten, and at least one reviewer I saw on YouTube selected it as the very best King book of them all.   Increasingly, it became obvious that I needed to read this one. As I say, for a long time, this book was never on my radar.   I remember the film version being released and seeming generally well received, but nothing about it grabbed my attention.   Maybe it was the film’s poster, or even the book’s cover design, both of which struck me as mildly bland and hard to interpret.   The title seemed odd and somewhat unappealing, and I just wasn’t hearing enough about it from other people to be intrigued.   Lots of people talk about The Shining, The Shawshank Redemption, IT, Carrie, Pet Sematary .   But Hearts in Atlantis ?

I recently came upon some great deals on King books, and wanted to take a few moments to share my enthusiasm.  I'm always on the lookout for good finds, hunting in all sorts of places--used book shops, thrift stores, yard sales, flea markets, etc.  Pretty much anywhere!  Over the last couple of years, I've accumulated a decent collection of King hardcovers.  In many cases, I snag the books for surprisingly low prices, which is helpful when you're collecting the works of a writer as prolific as Stephen King.   A couple of days ago I happened upon this gem. It cost me less than $2.00, so I couldn't really pass it up.  I know it's an anthology and therefore not a true "Stephen King book."  Plus, I already own a good quality of Skeleton Crew , but...having this book is pretty cool, given that it's where "The Mist" was first published. The other two items are fairly special to me.  I didn't own hardcover copies of these books, so

Stephen King released a new book the day before Halloween, and guess what?  It's not a bit scary.  I find that kind of amusing. It's also billed as a "novel," but it's just a slim little thing, clocking in at a mere 144 pages.  I don't know if that's amusing, but it is certainly peculiar. What King delivers here is a book that defies expectations.  Elevation is a light book, both in weight and message.  This is a story about love, tolerance, community, and hope.  It is a book that ponders the value of empathizing with, and helping, those unlike ourselves, and why the challenge is worth embracing.  This is, if you get right down to it, a book with--if not a liberal agenda per se--certainly a liberal perspective.  It is not overly political, but yes, it has its biases.  King himself is outspoken enough that the ideas and opinions inherent in the story should not be surprising.  I have on real objection to the underlying message, which is sweet and o

Of all of Stephen King's "classic" books, 'Salem's Lot is the one I've historically been least enamored with.   I know it's a favorite of many fans.   But me?   I was always underwhelmed by it.   But leading into Halloween, I decided to give it another read, given that it's been years since I first read it (probably fifteen or so), and since I always like to observe the spooky season by reading something of King's in the "horror" realm. Folks, let me tell you: I was dead wrong about this book.   This is a great novel.   I'm a much bigger, and more knowledgeable, King fan than I was when I first encountered the book.   So I now realize that 'Salem's Lot was only King's second published novel.   Of course I also know King had been writing for a while before publishing Carrie (and that some of the books released later were actually written prior to 'Salem's Lot ), but regardless, Lot is still an ear

I am finding that Skeleton Crew contains some very good stories.  I just read two stand-outs, "The Monkey" and "The Raft."  The original cover image for this collection features an image of "The Monkey," so how could I not read that one?  And "The Raft" is apparently a fan favorite, because I hear it mentioned a bit more often than a lot of King's other short fiction.   I found both of these stories to be entertaining, creepy, well-written works.  One thing that stands out about them is that both stories center on premises that, in the hands of a lesser writer, would likely come off as absurd.  But in King's hands?  They are effectively unnerving. One of the reasons they work is that King elects to regard the evil entities as mysterious and unexplained.  (The black, oily monstrosity in "The Raft" is described at one point as an "unknowable thing.") The less-is-more approach is generally an effective one whe

  The latest story I finished was another first-time read: "The Langoliers," one of four novellas contained in Four Past Midnight .  This is one I didn’t have much expectation about going in, since it doesn’t seem to be one of King’s most talked-about stories.  I had been aware of the horrendous 90s TV miniseries of course.  I haven't seen the thing in full; only parts, thank God.  But would a bad adaptation ever put me off to reading a King story?  Certainly not.  Some of King’s absolute best novels have been given deplorable treatment when adapted for TV, so as far as I’m concerned, that is hardly a deal-breaker.     Having read the novella, I think it's a shame about the miniseries, because the story itself is definitely an intriguing and exciting one.  King is working with a great premise here.  It’s a story with such an audacious set-up that you get both thrilled and worried about what’s to come.  Thrilled, because right out of the gate King presen