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Category: Stephen King (page 6 of 8)

Writings in English on the works of Stephen King.

Thinner (1984)

April 3, 2016 /

“Han satte sig pa en av stolarna”

Bachman’s most horrific (Kingish?) story. A gypsy curse sends Billy Halleck on a quest for the one person he thinks can remove it. Along the way some interesting questions are asked, but Thinner offers no easy answers and definitely no sigh of relief at the end. Dark, dark, dark, and then some.

An interesting and perhaps somewhat disappointing fact is that King instead of genuine Romani chose to use incoherent sentences in Swedish for the gypsies lines. From what I’ve heard, these sentences where plucked from a Swedish translation of a King story.

The Talisman (1984)

April 3, 2016 /

“Where?”
“West,” Speedy said. “From this ocean to the other.”

Peter Straub, another excellent writer of sometimes horror, is a longtime friend of Stephen King. In The Talisman, they collaborated on a horror-fantasy epic, sometimes writing together, writing other parts alone, imitating each other’s styles and creating a book that feels as if one person had created it. Not only that, it’s a captivating, strange and often beautiful story. Many have tried to guess who wrote which parts, but Straub has made it clear in his postings to alt.books.peter-straub that, with perhaps one example, they’re wrong. And that’s how it should be, for after all: It is the tale, not he who tells it.

Christine (1983)

April 3, 2016 /

“His single-ended purpose. His unending fury.”

Definitely not bad (i think King is literarily incapable of writing bad fiction), but perhaps one of King’s least challenging books. The story of another high school loser, Arnie Cunningham, and a car that’s his ticket out of loserdom and into something worse.

Pet Sematary (1983)

April 3, 2016 /

“Death was a vague idea; the Pet Sematary was real.”

Perhaps the darkest story King has ever told. It is not entertainment, nor uplifting. The “problem” with King is that his characters are so real and likeable that when they get into trouble, it really hurts to read it, and here you have Trouble. If you’re looking for a pleasant roller-coster ride type of fear, this is not it.

The Dark Tower 1: The Gunslinger (1982)

April 3, 2016 /

“The man in black fled across the desert and the gunslinger followed.”

King’s most ambitious work starts out in a manner that almost seems intended to put some readers off. The first book, which introduces The Gunslinger and his mysterious mission, is rather short and offers more questions than answers. Our main character proves capable not only of mass slaughter but of surprising acts of betrayal (if that is the word). Hypnotically strange and very poetic, though. I’ve grown to love this book, but please don’t give up on the series if the start fails to grab you. There’s more to the tower than depressing deserts.

The Gunslinger has now also been released in a revised version.

The Running Man (1982)

April 3, 2016 /

Written in a mindboggling 72 hours, this short novel is an entertaining thriller about a world where death is a natural part of tv entertainment. No intellectual challenge, but energetic, imaginative storytelling with a serious core.

Different Seasons (1982)

April 3, 2016 /

“Are there many more rooms upstairs?”

Novellas. What are those? Well, according to the afterword they’re stories of 25000 to 35000 words. These do not snugly fit into any category, and are difficult to publish, being neither short stories nor novels. So they collected four works into one volume, that shows a side of King that not everybody is aware of. Although there are elements of horror these are more “normal” stories, staying pretty much in the world of established fact. What makes them King are, of course, the sheer quality of the stories, their ability to grab the reader’s attention and keep it till the final sentence. Some very good films have come from these tales.

One of my favourite places in King’s world, the club at 249B EastThirty-fifth Street, is introduced here. Here, stories will always be told, and it is the tale that matters, “not he who tells it”.

Creepshow (1982)

April 3, 2016 /

“I want my cake.”

A loving tribute to E. C. Comics in the form of a comic book. Stephen King stories illustrated by Berni Wrightsson, where everyone gets their just or unjust deserts with a little help from the supernatural, from the north pole or from space.

Roadwork (1981)

April 3, 2016 /

“…if the world was only a demo-derby, wouldn’t one be justified in stepping out of his car?”

The most low-key of the Bachman books, a psychological drama about a man whose life suddenly falls apart, through the death of his only child and a highway construction that necessitates the destruction of his home. Bart Dawes responds by going quietly insane, in both dark and amusing ways. Well worth reading, but if you expect horror, or even action, you’ll put down the book disappointed.

Danse Macabre (1981)

April 3, 2016 /

“After all, there are beasts everywhere.”

A wonderful book that takes a wise, loving look at horror and its neighbouring genres, mostly from the 50’s to the 80’s. King sits down and has a fascinating conversation with the reader, adding interesting facts about himself and his life along with his insight in horror fiction and film. Often very funny, often very enlightening. And, best of all, he makes you want to read and watch the books and films he’s talking about – the good as well as the bad ones.

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