Reviews

I started this at the turn of the year, and fit in a story or two per week over the last couple months. This is the first lengthy short story collection I have actually finished that way! I appreciate the simple narratives of King’s short stories. The discomforting details he wrote sure bore into my brain!

I most liked: Children of the Corn, The Last Rung on the Ladder, The Ledge, Sometimes They Come Back, The Mangler.

cjardieu's review against another edition

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4.0

King in his goofy era (aka doing a LOT of cocaine).

piratequeen's review against another edition

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4.0

Another good collection, with a variety of genres. Some were ridiculous ("The Lawnmower Man" made me laugh out loud, even though it was horrifying), some were creepy ("I Am The Doorway"), and some were just sad ("The Last Rung On The Ladder", "The Woman In The Room"). But my favorites were "Battleground" (another one that had me grinning like an idiot even though it was awful for the protagonist; there's something wrong with me), and the absolute best one, "The Ledge", which was a fabulous example of old-school noir, but that Stephen King vibe to give it a little something extra.

nicholberry's review against another edition

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2.0

Just not my cup of tea
At least I gave it a try

lucylovesfantasy's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny lighthearted mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

this_astronaut's review against another edition

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4.0

I like Stephen King, and I tend to feel like his short stories are some of his best.This is one of the early ones so it's pretty much all straight horror, and it's kind of what I call the campfire story variety, i.e. short and quick, doesn't generally end well because the point is to leave you unsettled at the end, and a lot of these do it well! (The two or three that I needed to end well or it would be too much for me did though, so that's nice.) The Ledge was a particular favorite. There were two 'Salem's Lot tie in stories which was fun because I loved that book. The Last Rung On The Ladder was the one that hit me hardest emotionally. I had to put the book down and recover a bit after that one. I Am The Doorway as well, though not to the same level.

blakelya's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix

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