I’ve had Just After Sunset (2008) in my Read Real Soon stack of books for about a decade. Some new book would always push Just After Sunset lower in the stack. But finally, Just After Sunset floated to the top of the stack and I read this Big Fat Book in two days. I’ve found Stephen King short story collections like eating potato chips: you can’t stop at one. My favorite story in Just After Sunset is “N.” A psychiatrist treats a man with Obsessive-Compulsive-Disorder. The man claims he visited a site where Reality is “thin.” Monsters from another dimension are close to bursting through. Only his careful OCD routines are keeping the monsters at bay. I found “N.” to be a very chilling story. Some of the stories are a bit over-the-top. “The Cat From Hell” is an early Stephen King story from his men’s magazine days. “Rest Stop” deals with abuse of a woman. “Ayana” is another of King’s ruminations on miracles and Death. “Willa” is a ghost story. “A Very Tight Place” is another of King’s claustrophobic tales. As you can see, Just After Sunset has a wide variety of stories. Are you a Stephen King fan? Do you have a favorite Stephen King work? GRADE: B+
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Introduction 1
Willa 7
The gingerbread girl 42
Harvey’s dream 126
Rest stop 141
Stationary bike 167
The things they left behind 218
Graduation afternoon 262
N. 272
The cat from hell 352
The New York Times at special bargain rates 375
Mute 388
Ayana 422
A very tight place 447
Sunset notes 529
I am reading his new one The Outsider right now. I remember being very fond of early novels like The Shining, It, The Talisman( with Peter Straub), The Stand and Salem’s Lot. His later books I liked are The Green Mile, Doctor Sleep and 11/22/63(although he could have easily cut 200 pages out of the middle). I liked his recent crime trilogy starting with Mr. Mercedes. Never able to get thru The Dark Tower books. Find his short fiction hit or miss but find his novellas pretty good, especially The Body which was the basis for Stand By Me. He has had some clinkers in recent years-I couldn’t finish Cell. Didn’t like Joyland or Sleeping Beauties.
Steve, my experiences with Stephen King parallel yours. I slogged through THE DARK TOWER series (too much work for too little pay-off). Like you, I prefer the early Stephen King to the iffy later Stephen King.
I’ve tried, oh how I’ve tried, to enjoy King’s fiction—but, despite the intriguing premises of his plots, his style always grates on me. Otoh, I love his nonfiction writing, such as DANSE MACABRE, ON WRITING, and the “Pop of King” essays he used to write for Entertainment Weekly. A few years ago, I just had to stop trying to read his fiction. I broke up with an “It’s not you, it’s me” sigh.
Deb, I “broke up” with Stephen King back in the 1980s after I finished CUJO. I was so pissed by the ending of that book, I boycotted Stephen King’s books for about 10 years. Then, I slowed started to read King’s short story collections and a few of his novels.
Both Steve and Deb hit highlights for me. #1 is THE STAND, which I’ve read twice, the original and the “expanded” edition. I really like the non-fiction Deb mentioned. I can still remember buying a paperback copy of DANSE MACABRE in London at the airport and reading it on the plane home in 1982. I believe I have caught up on all of his collections of short (sic) stories and novellas, though some are way too long. I’ve read quite a few of his novels but not nearly all of them. (I have no interest in THE DARK TOWER.) The worst? For me, probably CUJO, and I hated the movie more. Others I just don’t – or won’t – read. Despite the length, I did like 11/22/63 (a date that really resonates with me) quite a bit. Of course, SALEM’S LOT and THE SHINING (I did enjoy the recent sequel somewhat) would make the list.
Jeff, you and I had similar reactions to CUJO (although I refused to see the movie). Diane’s Book Club read 11/22/63 and loved it.
Top of my “bloated” list would be IT. SInce then I’ve skipped the overlong ones (other than 11/22/63). A quick check and I’d say I’ve read 25 or so of the novels, all 10 collections, and the non-fiction other than the Red Sox (boo!) book.
The other thing I want to mention that has haunted me is something that I can’t believe I am the only one to think about. From the minute Trump was elected (and maybe before) I keep flashing on THE DEAD ZONE. He IS that empty vessel of hate,
Jeff, THE DEAD ZONE may be Stephen King’s most underrated book.
I’m with Deb.
Saw THE DEAD ZONE recently on TV (with James Woods) and thought the same thing.
Patti, THE DEAD ZONE shows off Stephen King’s strengths: heart-pounding suspense and dread.
Patti & Jeff, When asked this week on the Colbert Show which of his characters reminded him most of Trump, King’s first response was the character from THE DEAD ZONE.
Christopher Walken not James Woods.
Barbara likes his books, but I’m not much of a King fan. Read some short stories decades ago that kinda freaked me out. Much later, tried CHRISTINE (because of the ’57 Plymouth) but didn’t finish it. Saw the movie of THE SHINING but didn’t read the book. That’s it. I’m thinking of trying THE STAND, but wonder if it won’t be a waste of time.
Rick, if THE STAND is a waste of time, it is a LONG waste of time! I read THE STAND when it was first published. Several other versions have been published.
I’ve been a King fan right from the start and have read all the books except for the Dark Tower series after the first two. I won’t bore you with a recitation of all my favorites since they’re mostly books that anyone with even the slightest interest in King already knows about. But I would like to recommend two that aren’t generally considered among his best, but really are–“Gerald’s Game” and “Under the Dome”. The former was recently made into a so-so Netflix movie, and “Under the Dome” was made into an absolutely godawful CBS TV series that lasted (I think) three seasons, although I bailed out after the first. These two, especially the latter, are highly recommended. WARNING: “Under the Dome” is LONG!!
Michael, a friend of ours (and George’s) agrees with you. He actually stayed up reading UNDER THE DOME all night and finished it in the morning.
The TV show sucked.
I liked Under the Dome-the book-until the terrible ending, something William Tenn had used 65 years earlier in less than 20 pages.
Endings are certainly not King’s strong suit, so I can’t argue, but the book was ridiculously entertaining. A weak ending also marred another of my King favorites, “It”.
Michael, endings are the weakest part of Stephen King’s game. Or, as in THE DARK TOWER series, there is no ending.
True. THE COLORADO KID was another one without an ending. “The Mist” was another.
Not a fan of horror but I read one of his borderline mysteries! It wasn’t bad!
Bob, Stephen King is very good at writing suspense whether in a horror story or a mystery.