A collection of short stories and a couple of novella length ones from my favourite writer of all time. 

 

There’s a lot about mortality in this particular collection. Not death per se, but about living after loved ones have died and about reaching old age and reflecting on a life lived. Individually and collectively the stories are brilliant - possibly the most satisfying collection King has published. Previous collections have featured stand out stories, but there’s not a single one in this book that doesn’t stand up well on its own. 

 

I love not only the stories for themselves, but also for the Constant Reader Easter eggs of Castle Rock, the semi-sequel to Cujo (what does happen to people who have to live with the trauma of what happened in that book), the Duma Key shout out and more. 

 

But, it’s the reflections on mortality that stay with me and seem to shadow even the author’s note, which has a very reflective (and pleasingly unapologetic) tone. A bittersweet undertone to the gift that this collection is to new and returning readers.