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Saturday 22 October 2011

JUST AFTER SUNSET by Stephen King

Just After Sunset -- call it dusk, call it twilight, it's a time when human intercourse takes on an unnatural cast, when nothing is quite as it appears, when the imagination begins to reach for shadows as they dissipate to darkness and living daylight can be scared right out of you. It's the perfect time for Stephen King.

While going through my Stephen King bookshelf, I realised that I hadn't read this short story collection yet, so I had to remedy that problem by getting stuck into it...

WILLA: I love me a good ghost story. I also love me a good love story. This one just happened to be a bit of both.

David is engaged to Willa and he's waiting at the station for her. He wants to make sure they don't miss the next train to San Fran. But when he goes looking for her and finds her in a honky-tonk bar all by herself, she makes him realise a harsh reality about what they are and what David's so eager to ignore.

THE GINGERBREAD GIRL: This story hooked me in from the very beginning. I loved following Em on her courageous journey to find herself out of grief by running. And wow, I was really amazed about where it led her. What a powerful story. I absolutely loved every moment of this one!

HARVEY'S DREAM: This was a short, surreal short story. I enjoyed it!

REST STOP: I enjoyed how this story goes from an average situation--a man needs to empty his bladder so he pops into a rest stop--and then becomes something else. I also loved the idea of tapping into another persona, to be able to handle a situation you might not usually be capable of dealing with. Another great story!

STATIONARY BIKE: Okay, this story was amazing! It was seriously awesome. I mean, who else but King could keep me on the edge of my seat with a story about a 38-year-old man who has finally decided to do something about his weight by using an exercise bike? Yeah, exactly! But there's so much more. This artist's imagination takes on a whole new level of commitment to losing weight. So vivid, he pretty much convinces himself illusion is real! Awesome.

THE THINGS THEY LEFT BEHIND: This was a spooky, yet very sad story about a man obviously suffering survivor's guilt. But as the events unfold, he starts to understand there's something he can do with these tokens that are haunting him. In the right hands, they can become so much more!

GRADUATION AFTERNOON: Trust King to turn an ordinary story featuring a young girl's musings about the future, into something tragic, unexpected, and totally frightening! I really enjoyed how he turned the story around.

N: OMG! What can I say about this novella? Except, well, I became obsessed with it and couldn't wait to get to the end. I did have a tinge of suspicion about where it would go, but had a great time getting there. This was a seriously FANTASTIC tale! Absolutely loved it.

THE CAT FROM HELL: I love cats, so this one was a little uncomfortable to read. But man, it was another creepy story with a very violent and graphic conclusion!

THE NEW YORK TIMES AT SPECIAL BARGAIN RATES: Such a moving and sad story about a woman who loses her husband, but gets a phone call from him. I love these types of stories, and this one didn't disappoint!

MUTE: This one's a what-if-kinda story. It was so out there, but a lot of fun! I particularly liked how it was written.

AYANA: Interesting story about death, avoiding death, and saving random strangers.

A VERY TIGHT PLACE: I enjoyed this one because it was so twisted. Seriously, I didn't see the twist coming, but had a gross time finding out what would happen to Curtis and how he would make it out of the gruesome situation he gets himself into. There's a huge gross factor in this story, and it's not because of the gory horror. Seriously, if you read it (or have already read it) you'll know what I mean.

This anthology was another excellent collection from King. I enjoyed every single story for very different reasons. They also kept me at the edge of my seat the whole time. And made me remember why I sometimes put off grabbing a King book in the first place: I become totally consumed and obsessed about them! This is one author I've enjoyed reading for years, and I'll continue to get stuck into his tales and get lost in the wonder, horror, and outstanding tales he spins.

Always awesome!
SKC Books Read: 4/6

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