You Like It Darker by Stephen KingMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
I love getting my hands on the latest Stephen King, and got stuck into this collection as soon as I could.
Here are my thoughts...
TWO TALENTED BASTIDS: I really like how King can present such a seemingly mundane situation featuring two very average men, and then straight-up reveal that things aren't as they first appear. Fascinating story about the bonds of friendship and the loyalty of a son to his father.
THE FIFTH STEP: Wow. Okay. Now that's how you tell an absolutely terrifying story that you don't realise is even remotely horror until you reach the shocking conclusion. 😳
WILLIE THE WEIRDO: So, I have to admit that for most of the story I was thinking: Okay, what's this really about? What's the catch? Then I hit that last sentence, and... there it was! All the clues peppered throughout suddenly flooded my brain. Great story.
DANNY COUGHLIN'S BAD DREAM: What an awesome novella! I felt so bad for Danny and that Jalbert was... Ugh. This tale takes the No good deed goes unpunished thing to a whole new level of WTFuckery. It also proves that some people are just kind-hearted, no matter what. While others love to grab their torches and pitchforks without asking questions. Fantastic story. Loved this one!
FINN: A peculiar and violent little tale about a very unlucky young chap called Finn, and the awful crap that happens to him. Also really liked that ending.
ON SLIDE INN ROAD: I really enjoyed this story about a family who goes on a road trip with the old man they all resent. Only to find out there's a lot more to Granpop! Very cool take on bravery.
RED SCREEN: This is a very short and creepy short that builds mostly via conversations and leads the reader down a confused path that becomes very clear at the end. Another good one.
THE TURBULENCE EXPERT: A short tale that reminded me of recent events about the dangers of flying. It wasn't my favourite, but interesting enough.
LAURIE: I've actually read this before but it's a nice little story about a widower and an adorable puppy, so I enjoyed it all over again.
RATTLESNAKES: Okay, so I was initially going to skip this story because I haven't read CUJO... but then thought, WTH? And when my husband reminded me, I got stuck into it. Really glad I did because this is an amazing novella about Vic Trenton. Very sad and creepy ghost story. Total nightmare fodder that I REALLY enjoyed. I also don't think it ruined CUJO for me.
THE DREAMERS: I REALLY enjoyed this trippy, scary story. Features a very interesting main character (really liked William), some bizarre and creepy experiments, plus a bit of cosmic horror. This one's a dark one and I enjoyed it a lot.
THE ANSWER MAN: This might not make much sense, because I found this story to be very well written and the concept was fascinating, but for some reason this is the only story that I didn't completely lose myself in. Could be Phil. Could be the time period. Maybe it was even the Answer Man himself. Not sure.
The funny thing about this collection is that I initially wanted to read a few stories at a time, between other books, but once I reached a certain point... I just couldn't stop.
I REALLY enjoyed this book! Stephen King is such a brilliant storyteller. Love his work.
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