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[thoughtplickens]

“Sometimes, the past don't rest so easy. Why else do people study history?” Dussander

Todd Bowden is a pretty typical, almost ideal American teen: Lots of friends, good grades, sports star. But, unlike most normal teens, Bowden is obsessed with the Holocaust; especially the torture involved. He locates an ex-Nazi in hiding near his house and makes the old man tell him stories or he will expose him to the authorites.

The two continue this ballet, each trying to gain the upper hand to keep the thumb on the other. The stakes get raised when each, on their own, starts offing vagrants on the side. They get entangled with the authorities when Dussander, the Nazi, has a heart attack and the bodies are found in his basement.

Where in Maine are we? King didn't want any of this stank on his home state, setting the story in California

Where in the King Timeline are we? Book #17, Different Seasons Novella #2

Connection to previous King books: Dussander mentions starting a bank account in the state of Maine and even mentions Andy Dufrene

Connection to the Dark Tower: None, thank goodness

Good Guy #1: I am tempted not to put anyone as this book is full of terrible people, but I will list the slight foils to our baddies. Ed French is the counselor at Todd's school who starts putting things together

Good Guy #2: Morris Heisel is a Holocaust survivor who gets put in the same hospital room as Dussander

Bad Guy #1: Todd Bowden. Normally, a real life Nazi would be the default bad guy, but Bowden not only wants to be one, he gets off on the idea...literally.

Bad Guy #2: Kurt Dussander. He has done terrible things in a past life and can't quite seem to get away from them.

Freakout Factor: Uh, have you been paying attention? The whole novella is creepy as hell

That ending though: It seems right enough what happens although you would hope for more pain inflicted on our main characters

Overall Thoughts: I absolutely hated reading this. Not because it was poorly written: it wasn't. I was uncomfortable the whole time and not in the normal edge of my seat style when I read King books. Every one is so unlikable and the connections between Bowden and Dussander and Dussander and Heisel are way too convenient

Total Rating: 3.8 cringes (out of 10)

[thoughtplickens]

“It always comes down to just two choices. Get busy living, or get busy dying.” Red

You know the story: Andy Dufresne is wrongfully sent to Shawshank prison for life and befriends several inmates, including our narrator, Red. He also gets in good with the guards by doing their taxes and making them a lot of money. This affords him several rewards that most prisoners don't get.

Red is a man that can get things and it's no different for Andy. He gets him some rock carving tools and several posters of shapely women for his prison wall. Well, Surprise! Andy has been secretly digging through his wall and covering up the hole with the posters. Andy sends word from Zijuatenejo. Happy endings all the way around.

Where in Maine are we? Shawshank is located on the outskirts of fictional mainstay, Castle Rock.

Where in the KIng Timeline are we? Book #16, Different Seasons Novella #1,

Connection to Previous Books: Many books refer to Maine State Penitentiary. In this novella and the movie, Shawshank is listed as the state prison.

Connection to the Dark Tower: In Song of Susannah, they mention the Maine State Pen (Shawshank)

Good Guy #1: Andy Dufresne, he tunneled his way through three football fields of the worst shit imaginable. Most of us can't make it through the first one

Good Guy #2: Red. He's a man that knows how to get things. A man like that comes in handy.

Bad Guy #1: Warden Norton - this obtuse son of a bitch knows Andy is innocent and kills the only man who can prove it.

Bad Guy #2: The Sisters. These aren't your mom's sisters. They prefer sexual assault to Christmas sweaters.

Freakout Factor: The aforementioned assaults or crawling through shit. Take your pick

That ending though: To be honest, I was a little disappointed with the ending because Red is telling the tale from prison instead of the beaches of Mexico

Overall Thoughts: This was my first time reading King's version and I have no idea what took me so long. I think the brilliance of the movie makes you forget that a lot of that brilliance was included in the original novella. To think that these characters and their storylines that I've loved for damn near 30 years were dreamed up by Sai King makes me revere him even more.

Total Rating: 9.0 rock hammers (out of 10)

[thoughtplickens]

Go then, there are other worlds than these. ~ Jake Chambers

Roland Deschain is the last of his kind, a Gunslinger. He follows a man in black across a desert in a world that has moved on. The few people he comes across on his journey seem to fear, worship or hate gunslingers: some times all three. Jake Chambers, a teen from a different world (ours, it seems) meets Roland at a waystation and joins him on his journey.

Jake and Roland follow the path of the man in black and palaver, or talk things over, while they go. Roland finds out Jake died in his world and that is around the time he ends up in Roland's world. The gunslinger has a sneaking suspicion Jake will die in this world as well. He meets up with the man in black alone and is told a prophecy that sets up the next books in the Dark Tower Series.

Where in Maine are we? We aren't. Far from it, Dude.

Where in the King Timeline are we? Book #15, Novel #12, Dark Tower #1

Connection to previous King books: The man in black is referred to as Legion and Flagg, both names of the face of evil in The Stand.

Connection to The Dark Tower: This bad boy is the start of the epic series

Good Guy #1: Roland Deschain. Duh. He is him.

Good Guy #2: Jake Chambers. Man, Jake just keep getting the shaft, but deserves so much better. I sure hope he gets redemption later in the series....

Bad Guy #1: The man in black. Marten that was, Flagg, Walter, Richard Fannin...whatever you call him, he's bad.

Bad Guy #2: This is a tough one, because everyone who was bad in this book acted that way because the man in black had them under some kind of spell. The slow mutants get my vote, because God knows what they would do to our heroes if they caught them.

Freakout Factor: How about Roland fornicating a demon to save Jake from it's clutches...that do anything for you?

That Ending Though: Not my favorite, as it just ends with the two characters going their separate ways and waiting for the next book.

Overall Thoughts: The first DT book is pretty damn good. King's take on Tolkien's world building gets a little weird in this one, just a little taste of what is to come. A pretty perfect way for a pretty perfect series to start.

Total Rating: 8.0 jawbones (out of 10)

[thoughtplickens]

In the year 2025, the best men don't run for president, they run for their lives... ~Ben Richards

Ben Richards is a man that feels like he's got nothing to lose. It's the year 2025 and his daughter is in need of medicine that the family can't afford. In this dystopian backdrop, citizens can only turn to the Games Federation to compete on national television for prizes and cash.

Richards qualifies for the the most dangerous game: The Running Man, if is basically him on the run while almost everyone is trying to kill him. Richards lasts longer than most in the game and becomes a national sensation. He becomes more and more disgusted with the way the poor are being treated and decides to destroy the whole system, in spectacular fashion.

Where in Maine are we? Portland at one point, but not for long. Richards is from the Midwest and travels all over the place running from the hunters.

Where in the King Timeline are we? Book #14, Novel #11, Bachman Book #4

Connection to previous King works? No obvious ones

Connection to the Dark Tower? Nothing specific

Good Guy #1: Ben Richards. This is one of those No Duh hero choices. Ben's fighting for all us little guys.

Good Guy #2: Bradley Throckmorton. The Boston area gang member is sympathetic to Richards cause and he and his family help Richards get through several hurdles

Bad Guy #1: Dan Killian. It would be easy to pick the entire Network as the big baddie, but as the show's producer and target of Richard's ultimate attack, Killian'll do.

Bad Guy #2: Evan McCone. He is the head Hunter and is billed as a really bad dude, but seems to be easily outsmarted by our boy.

Freakout Factor: Richards dreams of a grisly scene where his wife and daughter are killed.

That ending though: Pretty damn satisfying!

Overall Thoughts: I like the book more than the movie which I watched around the same time of reading the book. They are vastly different. The choice that Richards ultimately chooses is more defined and drawn out in the book. Well paced and exciting throughout.

Rating: 8.1 outdated videotapes (out of 10)

[thoughtplickens]

"The world was full of monsters, and they were all allowed to bite the innocent and the unwary" ~ Narrator

Cujo, the St. Bernard, is a good boy until one day he isn't. He gets bitten by a rabid bat while exploring a hole and not only becomes rabid himself but seems to inhabit some of the town's evil presence last behind by serial killer Frank Dodd. Sound confusing? Not in the hands of King.

Several happenstances involving Cujo's owners, the Cambers, and the Trenton family lead to Donna Trenton and her son, Tad trapped in a car at the Cambers house with nobody home and a rabid Cujo attacking the car any chance he gets. This showdown is where we get most of the book's tension.

Where in Maine are we? This is the first book to have it's main setting in fictional Castle Rock.

Where in the King timeline are we? This is book #13, novel #10

Connection to previous King works: Frank Dodd was introduced and killed in The Dead Zone

Connection to The Dark Tower: Both the book and character are referenced in the meta storyline where King is a character. Pharmacy in Bridgeton mentioned in both stories

Good Guy #1: A lot of characters try their best, but the one that fails least often is Vic Trenton. Besides his wife and son, who are trapped in a car, Vic is the character we are set up to root for the most. Due to infidelity, Donna falls down the list below the guys in her life.

Good Guy #2: Poor Tad just wants to keep the monsters away. He is convinced there's one living in his closet, then he gets up close and personal with a real one.

Bad Guy #1: Cujo. Through no fault of his own, the titular pooch is definitely the scariest character and is ruthless when it comes to going on the attack.

Bad Guy #2: Steve Kemp bedded down Donna Trenton and tried to force himself on her when she broke it off. He also came back to the house later and defiled it...in many ways.

Freakout Factor: Every scene when Cujo attacked a human was explicitly explained and made me cringe ever time.

That ending though: This story was set up to have one of the most conventional endings of a King book and that is what happens for the most part. You know everything is dovetailing to a final showdown between human and beast and that people are closing in on finding the pair to save them.

Overall Thoughts: I had heard this one got monotonous and stayed with the psyche of those trapped in the car too much. I didn't find that at all. I thought the way King set everything to happen just perfectly for them to be trapped with nobody around for miles was pretty on point and there was only one small part where I thought he dwelled on Donna's inner thoughts for a little too long.

Total Rating: 7.5 Raspberry Zingers (Out of 10)

[thoughtplickens]

All places are the same unless your mind changes. There’s no magic place to get your mind right. If you feel like shit, everything you see looks like shit.

George Dawes

Barton 'George' Dawes is having a rough go of it. The state is trying to take control of his house, so they can put a nice new highway up in it's place. But Dawes cares not for progress and starts to crack trying to figure out a way to stop the powers that be from bulldozing.

In the process, he loses his job, his wife and his sanity. In the midst of all this, Dawes still hasn't gotten over the death of his son, Charlie. Dawes still has conversations with son in his mind, although those dwindle as he goes closer and closer to the edge. After a series of bad ideas on Dawes part, he has a standoff at the house with police and construction authorities.

Where in Maine are we? We aren't! This takes place in any town USA although is probably set in the Midwest.

Where in the King timeline are we? This is book #12, novel #9 and Bachman book #3

Connection to previous King works: A machine at the laundromat where Dawes works is called The Mangler, which was the title of a story in Night Shift

Connection to the Dark Tower: None, although it is rumored a priest in the story may be Father Callahan.

Good Guy #1: Oof. Nobody is really a good guy in this story and very few are likable. However, Mary, Dawes' put upon wife didn't really deserve any of the crap heaped on her. She wins by default.

Good Guy #2: Double Oof. Let's go outside the box and give it to the reporter covering the standoff who goes on the win a Pulitzer for their work.

Bad Guy #1: Barton George Dawes...with a bullet. Some may sympathize with the protagonist, but none would condone his choices. He is pretty much to blame for every situation he finds himself in.

Bad Guy #2: The Man. Dammit! This road didn't have to get built, but God forbid anybody stands in the way of manifest destiny. Pity the little guy. And yes, I can choose both sides as the bad guy. Like I said, there are no heroes here.

Freakout Factor: Not much to freak out about unless you count mental anguish...and there's a good point to be made.

That ending though: In true King fashion, nobody wins but everyone gets redemption. How does he do it?

Overall thoughts: Why I hate that people actually lose their homes in this way, it's hard to sympathize when Dawes keeps making horrible decision after horrible decision. It's grimy and depressing, not exactly my cup of tea, but it is very thought-provoking so it's got that going for it.

Total rating: 6.1 Weatherby rifles (out of 10)

[thoughtplickens]

All of this was well meaning bullshit. But bullshit is still bullshit and will never be mistaken for McDonald's secret sauce. - Stephen King

Well, this post will be quicker than most. This book is non-fiction so we don't have to worry about the plot, theme, character, etc.

When I started this journey through Constant Readerdom, I told myself I would read the entire book, whatever I felt about it. That has been amended: I will finish any FICTION book from King.

What King did in this book is talk about what makes 'horror' horror and what it means to scare us. The problem is he takes a very scenic route to get to the point. There are asides, parentheses, and subject changes...sometimes in mid-sentence!

In my opinion there was about 100 useful pages in the 400 the tome topped out at. I'm ashamed to admit it, but I had to tap out about 2/3 through. Since I didn't finish, I wouldn't feel right given it a rating.

(Although if I did, it would be 4.0 layers of nonsense - out of 10) See what I did there?

[thoughtplickens]

You're a firestarter honey...just one big Zippo lighter. Andy McGee

A man and a woman that were in an experiment gone awry in college fall in love and get married. They both have levels of telepathic powers and when they have a daughter, they find out she has their power times two and can start fires with her mind.

A secret government agency called The Shop wants to kill those from the experiment with any powers and succeed in doing so with the wife. They hunt down the man and daughter to use her to create a weapon against our enemies. They get way more than the bargained for.

Where in Maine are we: We are all over the map in this book, but the closest we come to King's fair state is upstate New York.

Where in the King Timeline are we: Novel #8, Book #11

Connection to previous books: The telekinesis is reminiscent of Carrie and The Shop is apparently connected The Arrowhead Project that may or may not have created the Mist.

Connection to the Dark Tower: Nothing obvious

Good Guy #1: Charlie McGee. While her father works doggedly to protect his daughter, she is the one ultimately that is the hero.

Good Guy #2: Andy McGee. Shout out to ol' Irv Manders and his old lady for sheltering the pair, but Andy's paternal instincts and sacrifices put him on the list.

Bad Guy #1: John Rainbird. This dude is extra creepy. Even more so because you never know his real intentions but he's obviously obsessed with Charlie and betrays her confidence.

Bad Guy #2: Captain Hollister. Yes, Professor Wanless injected the subjects way-back-when for questionable motives, but even he wanted to see the project and everything with it shut down. Hollister insisted it keep going to The Shop's (and the McGees) detriment.

Freakout Factor: There's some good descriptions of the fires and people cooking, but every description of Rainbird thinking about Charlie freaked me out.

That Ending Though: This was a pretty decent ending and wrapped everything up. The media that gets involved is a little contrived, but overall pretty good.

Overall Thoughts: I'm not especially a fan of King's books that focus on the big, bad government. We have too much of that on the news. This one though, sets up The Shop as 'fictional' agency and makes them pretty believable and unlikable as a sort of Dark Side that needs to be destroyed. Pretty good allegory for absolute power corrupting absolutely.

Total Rating: 7.0 Lot Six pills (out of 10)

[thoughtplickens]

“Dreams, after all, are insubstantial things, like mist itself.”

David Drayton

A sweltering summer storm stretches out over a lake and continues to move over a town and beyond. Inside that mist is unimaginable creatures that are not very kind to humans. David and his son get separated from his wife and get stuck in a little grocery store while trying to get supplies.

David gets a group together to try to get next door to a pharmacy, only to lose several members to the dreaded mist. He then makes a plan to run for his truck with a few of the stragglers to get his daughter as far away as possible. The odds are against them.

Where in Maine are we: Bridgton

Where is this in the King Timeline: Novella #1, Book #10

Connection to previous King books: Not really

Connection to The Dark Tower: None

Good Guy #1: David Drayton. Our narrator and hero takes charge when no one else will. He also does everything he can to save his son, Billy.

Good Guy #2: Ollie Weeks. Ollie sees the Mist for what it is very early on when he co-worker and boss don't. He also helps David handle a lot of the dirty work inside the store and turns out to be a pretty good shot.

Bad Guy #1: The Mist. This may be cheating, but come on...the book's names after this damn thing and it's the reason all this craziness is happening.

Bad Guy #2: Mrs. Carmody. She was very close to outranking the Mist, which shows just how nasty she is. A religious zealot who always has to be right, she gets her own group together, but they are more like a cult.

Freakout Factor: We're not really sure what dangers the Mist really holds, but we find out when a stockboy at the grocery store foolishly goes into it to fix a vent. He does not come back in one piece.

That Ending Though: Ahh, here we get to it. The novella features one of King's famous 'non-endings' where we are left to imagine what happens. The Mist has a pretty infamous twist ending that is quite a bit different. Both are good in their own right.

Overall Thoughts: I loved this one! Because it's a novella, King has to keep it tight and not go too crazy into everybody's background, which is perfect, because the lean story telling lends itself to the mysterious Mist. While I was hoping for more out of the ending, it didn't detract from how awesome a story it is.

Total Rating: 8.4 squiggly tentacles (out of 10)

[thoughtplickens]

You want to remember that while you're judging the book, the book is also judging you

Stephen King

This will be a different version of the blog as Night Shift is a collection of 20 short stories. So, rather than go in depth on each, I am listing these in the order I liked them, from best to worst with a synopsis of each.

1. Graveyard Shift: To me, this is a perfect horror short story. A crew at a mill gets recruited to clean the abandoned basement at night. The further in the filth they get, the more dangerous and tense it gets. If you are not afraid of rats before you read it, you will be after.

2. Boogeyman: One of the shortest stories in the book (and the first in the audiobook version I listened to) is also one of the most impactful. Soon to be a theatrical movie in 2023, the story centers entirely on a man on the brink of sanity talking to a psychiatrist about a Boogeyman that is haunting him. 

3. Quitter’s Inc.: Way before Chantix, the titular company had a very novel, and brutally affective way for you to quit smoking. Our hero, Dick, questions the methods but finds the company has its way of making you stick to the contract. 

4, The Mangler: I’ll be honest: this one may have have rose a spot or two just for the bitchin’ name. The mangler in question lives up to that name, being a piece of industrial laundry equipment that goes rogue after being possessed by a demon (that old chestnut).

5. Children of the Corn: I grew up in the 80′s and 90′s, so I was familiar with the movie and the generalization for creepy kids, but I had never read the story. It doesn’t disappoint. A couple have their car break down in Nebraska and find the nearest town has been overrun by crazed progeny. 

6. The Ledge: A tennis pro cheats with a mob boss’s wife and is caught as he tries to leave with her. The boss ‘wagers’ the man’s freedom with his life: if the man can edge his way completely around the high-rise’s tiny ledge, he can keep his life and ex-wife. Technicalities, misunderstandings and double-crosses ensue.

7. I am the Doorway: King’s version of science fiction: have a guy travel in a spaceship around Venus and come back with an entity using his body as a host and growing eyes in the mans hands. Those around the man here on Earth question his story at their own peril.

8. Strawberry Spring: I didn’t think I was going to like this one about a murderer loose on a college campus, but it really started growing on me as it went along. The foggy, steamy weather helps the killings of Springheel Jack and he makes a return 8 years later when Strawberry Spring comes back,

9. Gray Matter: This is a very straight-forward story (if that’s possible from Stephen King), but involves strange happenings in a small town and that’s where King absolutely excels. The build-up starts with a young boy going a bar to get beer for his dad but also warn the patrons of something coming over his old man. The tension follows them all the way to the house to check it out.

10. Lawnmower Man: Weird, gross, farcical, funny...Lawnmower Man is this and more. A company in a residential neighborhood becomes known for the meticulous yard cutting and their secretive ownership. Harold Parkette decides he will decide the quality and the secrets himself by hiring them, but gets more than he bargained for, in many ways. 

11. One For the Road: The first of two stories in the ‘Salem’s Lot universe, this one is post novel events. A man and his family get stuck in a blizzard in the Lot. He walks to Tookey’s Bar to get help and the gang there fears the worst. Sure enough, they find the car, but the wife and daughter are gone and vampires have shown up.

12. Jerusalem’s Lot: Full disclosure here, I am not a big ‘Salem’s Lot fan. I like it well enough, but it’s definitely not my favorite. Fans of that book would probably have this one higher. Whereas, the other story happens after the events of the book, this story is a prequel told in correspondence between colonial residents.

13. The Last Rung on the Ladder: This one is intense and depressing, sharing the story of siblings of have had divergent paths since an incident when they were kids. Most of the story, and the tension, centers on the sister get hung up on a ladder and the brother rushing to save her. The resolution left something to be desired, in my opinion.

14: Battleground: This one may be the most far-fetched. A hit man, one of the best we’re told, does battle tiny ‘toy’ soldiers who are very much alive and very keen on destroying him. As crazy as the premise is, you start to get invested and you’re really not sure who to root for. 

15. The Man Who Loved Flowers: This one escalates quickly. King begins this one as a straight-up love story...I should have known better. The man from the title buys flowers for a woman named Norma, whom he considers the love of his life. When the flowers get delivered, everything takes a horrible turn.

16. Trucks: In one of the laziest stories, this one is about...trucks...that become sentient. The reason this one isn’t on the bottom of this list is some of the clever ways King humanizes the machines. But, everything from the characters to the third act just don’t land.

17. The Woman in the Room: The story isn’t bad, it just goes on a little too long and makes me think about mine and my family’s impending demise. It pretty much centers entirely on a man’s decision on whether to force pills to his terminally ill mother. Maybe it’s because I’m living in a post Dr. Kevorkian world, but there seems like a lot of hemming and hawing over a decision we’re pretty sure he’s already made.

18. Night Surf: This takes place in the universe of The Stand, but is a really watered down version of characters we don’t know and frankly, don’t care about. None of them are particularly likeable. I appreciate King wanting to explore other aspects of the pandemic, but this ain’t it. Luckily for us, this is one of the shortest stories in the book. 

19: Sometimes They Come Back: We get a few early King tropes in this one: bad guys coming back, mistakes coming back to haunt main characters, teachers being heroes. I’m just not sure all the pieces fit together and I can’t for the life of me figure out these guys got to come back from the dead and there isn’t much satisfaction in the ending either.

20. I Know What You Need: Creepy, but not in the typical SK fashion. This one is just cringe-worthy. A young college coed gets wooed by an odd fellow, who turns out to have some sort of control over her and has been obsessed with her for a long time. Full of 60′s and 70′s ideas that quickly were out of style, even at that time. 

[thoughtplickens]

Some things were better lost than found

Johnny

Johnny Smith has the rare ability to see unknown information about a person simply by touching them. This ability does not turn out well for Johnny as each time he does it, he is seen as a menace or a freak. The story moves a parallel line between Johnny and Greg Stillson, a maverick polittician whom Johnny knows will cause nothing but chaos if he continues his march towards becoming president.

Our hero makes it his mission to stop Stillson, encountering several misadventures along the way. In the end, he gets his chance to consult the politician. But, he finds that if he stops him, it will have unintended consequences for him and the rest of humanity.

Where in Maine are we? Among other locations, this is our first trip of many to King’s fictional town, Castle Rock.

Where is this in the King timeline? Novel #7, Book #8

Connection to previous books? Johnny’s power is compared to that of Carrie, from SK’s first novel.

Connection to the Dark Tower series? None

Good Guy #1: Johnny Smith. This is one of the those tried and true main characters in a Stephen King, which is no doubt the Good Guy.

Good Guy #2: George Bannerman. The police officer is helped by Smith to find a murderer. He learns to trust Smith’s abilities and protect him as best he can.

Bad Guy #1: Greg Stillson. This is tricky because it’s set up as the serial killer in a small town. That turns out to be a secondary story to lend toward Smith’s showdown with Stillson. 

Bad Guy #2: Frank Dodd. The aforementioned killer. A real piece of work and honestly, a more interesting villain than Stillson.

Freakout Factor: The freakiest part was the fact that the political scene of King’s nightmares was front and center of America around 2016.

That ending, though: The irony around the scene that happens when Smith confronts Stillson is an interesting consequence but the last third of the book feels like a deflating more than a climax.

Overall thoughts: This was definitely not my favorite outing from King. Way too much focus on the politics of the 70′s and beyond, it seemed out of character for a King novel. As stated earlier, I would’ve preferred the focus stay on Smith’s kinetic abilities and the mystery around the serial character. The pacing was a little all over the place and the direction seemed aimless by the end. 

Total Rating: 5.9 Wheels of Fortune (out of 10)

[thoughtplickens]

The Plot Thickens turned 9 today!

[thoughtplickens]

He watched his feet, the only things that were keeping him from finding out if there really was a Kingdom of Heaven or not.

Narrator

In the not so distant future, people get so desperate for food and money that some enter a competition: 100 people set off walking with out stopping. Whoever is the last man standing will get basically whatever they want for the rest of their lives...everyone else gets shot. 

The participants share a special bond while competing with each other. Ray Garraty has an advantage as he is the only one from the state of Maine, where the race is being held. A great look at the steady, monotonous trip into madness for each contestant. 

Where in Maine are we? The participants march their way across the state in route to Boston. 

Where is this in the King timeline? Novel #6, Book #7, (Richard Bachman #2) 1979

Connection to previous King books? None

Connection to Dark Tower series? None

Good Guy #1: Garraty is the protaganist and it’s hard not to route for him

Good Guy #2: Garraty has a lot of confidantes along the way, but none as close as Peter McVries, who saves Garraty several times.

Bad Guy #1: Gary Barkovitch. Overly confident and standoffish, Bark is hated by pretty much everyone in the race.

Bad Guy #2: Stebbens. Garrity’s frenemy is seen as a machine and the favorite. He’s not so bad as the story goes along, but the story plays into the mystery of who he is and why he’s in the race. 

Freakout Factor: Besides the in-depth descriptions of foot injuries and ailments, the creepiest part for me was following these guys on their slow descent to madness.

That ending, though: The winner goes a different direction than I would, for sure, but it is very interesting, none the less.

Overall thoughts: This book really makes you think and puts you right in the middle of the hell these guys are going through. It did feel like it was dragging on a little too long and got a little tedious in talking about every walker’s death.

Total rating: 7.0 Double-Thick Wool Socks (out of 10)

[thoughtplickens]

If we don’t have each other, we go crazy with loneliness. When we do, we go crazy with togetherness.

Larry Underwood

A global pandemic is started by a superflu (Captain Trips, if you’re nasty) and only a small percentage of people survive. Some are called to the side of ‘good’ in the form of Mother Abigail, who has been chosen by God to lead them. On the other side is Randall Flagg, AKA The Walking Dude, AKA a lot of other names. We are less certain who has chosen him.

The two sides settle in Boulder, Colorado and Las Vegas getting ready for an epic showdown of good vs. evil; to make their stand in hopes of taking control of the remaining American population. Does the right side win? That depends on where your loyalties lie. 

Where in Maine are we? We’re not really, but when we are meeting all the main characters as the flu starts taking over, one of our heroes, Frannie Goldsmith lives in Ogonquit, which is just outside of Portland.

Where is this in the King Timeline? 5th, 1978

Connection to previous King books? Mother Abigail mentions the ability to know certain things, or ‘shine’, which is seemingly a reference to The Shining.

Connection to the Dark Tower Series? The Man in Black turns out to be the same person/some version of Randall Flagg. A whole section of Wizard and Glass takes place in a version of Kansas where the superflu (Captain Trips) has taken place.

Good Guy #1: Mother Abigail. It is tempting to make Stu #1, but it’s hard to go against the person chosen by God to represent the good guys.

Good Guy #2: Stu Redman. Everyone follows Stu’s cool and calm demeanor and he becomes the leader that the Free Zone needs. 

Bad Guy #1: Randall Flagg. No second thoughts here. The Tall Man, The Walking Dude, The Dark Man. As Abigail represents the light, Flagg represents the dark and sets up well as the symbol for the Vegas crew.

Bad Guy #2: Harold Lauder. Yes, Lloyd is Flagg’s 2nd lieutenant and Trashcan Man is good at weaponry, but nobody does pure hatred like Harold. He even plots against the Free Zone after they accept him and start to like him. His ending was both undeserved and well deserved. 

Freakout Factor: There aren’t near as many horror moments in this book as it plays more like a fantasy/dystopian novel. But, any time Flagg is described or acts as an animal, it gave me the willies.

That ending though: The final act as a whole is damn near perfection as all showdowns between good and evil should be. I wasn’t thrilled with the aftermath of everything but that is a small compaint. 

Overall thoughts: I read the 1990 version (which King prefers we read) when I was a teenager and it was always one of my favorite books of all time. Re-reading it was a pleasure. I feel the same way in my early 40′s as I did then. The book feels a little different reading it as an adult but the pandemic of 2020 added some weird vibes while reading it. Still one of my faves.

Total Rating: 9.4 M-O-O-N-S, that spells good (out of 10)

[thoughtplickens]

Monsters are real. Ghosts are too. They live inside of us, and sometimes, they win.

Dick Hallorann

Jack Torrance is a troubled man, but is hoping for a fresh start with a job as caretaker to the Lookout Hotel in Colorado. He takes his wife, Wendy and their son, Danny, who can hear people’s inner thoughts, or Shine. Instead of bringing the family together, the hotel is a house of horrors with enough painful memories to drag Jack back into madness and properly freak Danny out. 

It is impossible to read this book with fresh eyes if you have seen the movie, but there are enough differences for you to take sides in the Stephen King vs. Stanley Kubrick debate, which still rages to this day even though the book and movie are over four decades old. It is the rare instance where both the movie and its source material are iconic. 

Where in Maine are we? Well, most of the book takes place at the Colorado hotel, but the Torrances previously lived in the state while Jack was a teacher and then afterwards when Dick was a cook there.

Where is this in the King Timeline? 4th, 1977, 1st Bestseller

Connection to previous King books? None to speak of

Connection to The Dark Tower Series? Nothing explicit, but the house that Jakes defeats had huge Lookout vibes

Good Guy #1: Danny Torrance. Being so young and innocent, Danny just wants his family to get along, but does what needs to be done with Dick’s help.

Good Guy #2: Dick Hallorann. The dude drops everything and risks his life to drive cross-country and fend off Jack and the hotel. He’s a hero.

Bad Guy #1: Jack Torrance. The hotel knows an evil vessel when it sees one. Despite how many times Jack makes excuses for himself, he just isn’t a good guy.

Bad Guy #2: The Lookout Hotel. Plenty of bad things have gone down at this place and the bad energy has one thing in common: the creepy ass hotel.

Freakout Factor: Besides the whole book? The elevator working on its own and constantly featuring old-timey drunk people ghosts got me pretty good.

That ending though: Completely different from the movie, but it works for the way King set up in the narrative

Overall thoughts: King loyalists will hate me for this, but I think I’m Team Kubrick. Granted I saw the movie first, but I think the way he formatted a pretty complicated novel into a two hour movie and put his own spin on it was impressive. Having Jack Nickolson on your side helps too. There was a lot of extemporaneous backstory with the hotel that never went any where involving the mob.

Total Ranking: 7.5 Croquet Mallets (Out of 10)

[thoughtplickens]

When you're five and you hurt, you make a big noise in the world. At ten you whimper. But by the time you make fifteen you begin to eat the poisoned apples that grow on your own inner tree of pain.

Charlie Decker

Rage is the first book released by Stephen King as his pseudonym, Richard Bachman. It centers on a high school student who barricades himself in a classroom and keeps his fellow students hostage after shooting several teachers. For obvious reasons, this book was pulled off the shelves by King after school shootings became the norm in America. I read it as part of The Bachman Books, which includes his first four pseudonymous books. 

King/Bachman leans hard into the Catcher In The Rye motif of adolescent belonging, or lack thereof. Charlie Becker has been through some stuff. The author does a pretty good job of making the reader and his classmates feel his pain throughout the whole ordeal. By the end, you almost side with him...almost. 

Where in Maine are we? All the action takes place at Placerville High in Placerville, Maine. It is a fictional place, but mentions many real places including a mental hospital in Augusta.

Where is this in the King Timeline? 3rd* 1976         *1st Bachman

Connection to previous King books? Much of this book was written before any other King books even though it was released later, so no real connections.

Connection to the Dark Tower Series? None

Good Guy #1: Charlie Decker. Whew, boy, this is a tough one. Charlie goes from antihero to hero in his own telling of the story. So, I will award him both honors.

Good Guy #2: I guess I’ll go with the classmates that were stuck with Charlie. He didn’t end up killing any of them and became part of his narrative.

Bad Guy #1: Charlie Decker. I mean, come on.

Bad Guy #2: Ted Jones. In the crazy mixed up world of Stockholm Syndrome, those that try to ruin the kidnapping are seen as the bad guy. Teddy boy was also way over the top.

Freakout Factor: It is jarring to read school shootings in such a plain and frank way in light of all that has happened since the book was published.

That Ending Though: I love the nod to Holden Caulfield in the way the narrative flows and into the ending of the book. The way Ted’s story ending was a little weird to me, but overall pretty good.

Overall Thoughts: I judge Stephen King neither for writing a book that features a school shooting, nor him pulling the book after a school shooter was found with a copy of the book after doing the deed. It is probably better lost to history. I am glad you can still find it in The Bachman Books as it is interesting if you can compartmentalize everything in it. 

Total Ranking: 6.8 bulletproof padlocks (out of 10)

[thoughtplickens]

“God grant me the SERENITY to accept what I cannot change the TENACITY to change what I may and the GOOD LUCK not to f*** up too often.”

Father Callahan

                                                    ‘Salem’s Lot

Jerusalem's Lot ('Salem's Lot if your nasty) is a tiny hamlet in Maine and is like most small towns in America: except of course that is about to be overrun by vampires. Stephen King's second published book was his way of telling a 'modern day' version of Bram Stoker's Dracula. It is from the mid to late 70's, but a lot of the themes are relevant today. What would you do or say if someone close to you said they were visited by a vampire? What would you do if YOU were visited by a vampire.

The residents of 'Salem's Lot and the town itself answer these questions with understandable skepticism and end up paying the price. This book takes Carrie's character analysis and pumps it full of steroids, giving us insights into everyone from the milk delivery boy to the priest and English teacher and everyone in between. Which of them turn to vampires? Let's just say: a good number.

Where in Maine are we? Jerusalem's Lot is a tiny town in Cumberland County surrounded by several small towns where the residents have to go for, well, everything.

Where is this in the King timeline? - 2nd, 1975

Connection to previous King books? There is no mention to the events or characters from Carrie that I caught.

Connection to the Dark Tower series? Father Callahan has a crisis of conscious in 'Salem's Lot that cause him to leave town. We catch to what happens to him in Wolves of the Calla.

Good Guy #1: Mark Petrie. King's penchant for nailing kid heroes in his books is on full display. Petrie is by far the bravest and most sensible person in the Lot. The 10 year old is one of the first residents to be visited by the undead when his buddy shows up at his bedroom window. This leads him to join the local group trying to fight the vampires.

Good Guy #2: Matt Burke. Yes, author Ben Meares is the main character of the book, but besides really wanting to help, he is sort of rudderless the whole book. Stephen King's other alto ego, the English teaching Burke does all he can even while stuck in a hospital. After having a heart attack, Burke loads up on books from the library for research (pre-internet, folks!) He takes that knowledge and equips the group with all they need to know.

Bad guy #1: Kurt Barlow. The main vampire, Barlow is that creepy image you see if you look at anything related to the movie. Barlow is always one step ahead of our heroes. He's been around for centuries, so this ain't his first rodeo.

Bad Guy #2: Richard Straker. I was tempted to put Straker as the number one baddie, since I liked him more, but he is mearly a 'familiar', or human right hand man to a vampire and thus is more vulnerable than Barlow, but Straker's charm and glamour abilities set up the town for Barlow to knock down.

Freakout factor: Well, it's a vampire story from Stephen King, so the freakout factor is high, but not necessarily as high as I was thinking. It is a slow burn getting to the blood sucking, etc. as King really establishes the town first. That being said, the suspense of every interaction with any vampire, especially Barlow is pretty legit.

That ending though: It's interesting because King chooses to give you a pretty significant portrait of the ending in the prologue and then spends the novel crescendoing to that point. Like most King stories, he is way more interested in the journey than the destination.

Overall thoughts: I am a big fan of endings wrapping up everything nicely, so I am left wanting a bit, but knowing it's about the journey, it's a hell of a ride getting there. I am also a fan of plotting and character development both of those elements shine here compared to Carrie. It's actually quite a master class.

Total Ranking: 8.1 Stakes through the heart (Out of 10)