Product Description
Stephen King: The Non-Fiction is the first significant review of King's Non-Fiction. Most fans and readers know King has written three non-fiction books and may have noticed his introductions and Author's Notes to his own works; but few know of his hundreds of columns, articles, book reviews and criticism.

In fact the Authors review over 560 published works of non-fiction (more than a dozen are revealed here for the first time) and a further nine unpublished non-fiction pieces. Full details of these unpublished pieces are revealed for the first time.

Stephen King: The Non-Fiction fills all the gaps, providing significant detail on each of the most significant of these Non-Fiction Works; and a review of every other piece!

Authors Rocky Wood and Justin Brooks spent five years compiling this outstanding reference work, with the assistance of many of the leading King researchers, collectors and 'super-collectors'; and access to Restricted Non-Fiction Works in King's papers at the University of Maine, Orono.

Covering all King's published and known unpublished works from 1959 to mid-2006, Stephen King: The Non-Fiction reveals for the first time dozens of pieces of non-fiction and their appearances that were previously unknown to King researchers.

If you've ever wanted to know more about King's amazing and often controversial non-fiction, this is the reference work you must have. This is the ultimate volume to accompany Stephen King: Uncollected, Unpublished -- and this is the perfect companion in your collection for The Stephen King Universe and The Road to the Dark Tower. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A simply amazing accomplishment
Let me start by saying that the authors are to be commended for accomplishing the nearly impossible task of compiling and organizing all the nonfiction works of Stephen King into a single volume that is as entertaining as it is informative. The research it took to produce this book is in and of itself a mind-numbing feat of authorship. My Uncle, the late Gordon Hendricks (who's work can also be found here on Amazon), was an author who would spend years of his life doing research for his books so I know first-hand the enormity of this accomplishment.
As for the book itself, all I can really say is wow. Like many of my peers (I'm a dark fiction author myself) I grew up on Stephen King and the jewels of information contained within this amazing volume are a delight to behold. Until I read this book I thought I pretty much knew all there was to know about Stephen King. Boy was I wrong! I wont give away any spoilers, but to know for the first time the inspiration behind my all time favorite King novel IT left me giddy to say the least. In fact I experienced many such giddy moments while reading this tome. I could go on and on, but my suggestion for any real fan of King's work is to buy this book and cherish it for a lifetime. I can guarantee this massive volume will be the crowning jewel of your bookshelf or coffee table and will both entertain and inform for many years to come. Stephen King the Non-Fiction isn't a book to sit down and read straight through, but rather a book to be enjoyed over and over again as you glean priceless snippets of knowledge and delight from its pages ... Read more

Product Description
Thousands of miles away from the small township of 'Salem's Lot, two terrified people, a man and a boy, still share the secrets of those clapboard houses and tree-lined streets. They must return to 'Salem's Lot for a final confrontation with the unspeakable evil that lives on in the town. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Even Better 2nd Time Around
I read this book when I was in junior high.Thought I would give it another go around after 15 years. It was even better than I remember it. I found the book well written and terrifying in parts through King's images.The characters are likeable, but King has a way of not letting you hold on to them. I also recently finished reading Pet Semetary again and loved it, but I even think this was better. A classic and must read.

Salems Lot
I enjoyed the book very much and and eagerly waiting for the rest of them.thank you so much was a little bit surprised at the handleingcharge.

Fantastic
This is one of my all time favorite books, and easily my favorite Stephen King book and fave Vampire book. Forgive me, but I'm old fashioned and I like my vampires serious and bad. I do not like them to sparkle, carry on with funny texas drawls or turn out to be ex-presidents. I like this vampire, because he was NOT dracula, but was actually cooler than that. This is one of King's earlier books, and has more meat in it, there are not so many scenes where you are in some person's head for approximately 42 pages when you don't even care about that guy. Sure, he has way too many characters, but they are sketched out fast and interestingly, and almost none of them bore you for an instant. Also, this is a rare book in that the good guys are good and the evil guys are evil. I appreciate that. I like a flawed priest doing his best, not another story where the priest (if there even is one) is worse than the vampire. This vampire is not "misunderstood" he is flat out EVIL.

A decent classic vampire yarn
When Ben Mears, a successful writer, returns to his hometown of Salem's Lot, he has on only one mission: to finally deal with the monster of his youth. As a teenager he entered the abandoned Marsten House on a dare and was confronted with the spirit of Hubert Marsten, a `30s gangster who committed suicide in that same house. By writing a novel about this doomed place, Ben hopes to finally get rid of the images that haunt his dreams. He plans to stay in the Marsten House, but is surprised to find that it has been sold. Unbeknownst to Ben the new owner has a strong link with the monster of his nightmares.

Not only is `Salem's Lot an extensive tribute to Dracula, one of greatest classic horror novels ever written, it is on its own also a decently structured yarn that has all the aspects of a classic. But this part of the homage is at the same time also its weakest point. At no point does the story offer any significant surprise or twist. It is all set-up according to a format that was innovative in Bram Stoker's era, but has lost much of its potency in our modern times. As such, the reader is able to simply predict the denouement based upon the number of pages that follows. At the same time I am afraid that people that are unfamiliar with the original Dracula might miss quite some of the poignant tongue-in-cheek humour that King has added in abundance to the story. Nevertheless `Salem's Lot has all the characteristics of an enjoyable vampire story.

Ho hum
'Salem's Lot is set in a quiet, folksy New England town.Former resident and author Ben Miers returns to cash in on the demons of his youth only to stumble upon a new, more pronounced evil when the mysterious Straker and Barlow are not what they seem.As people start to go missing, etc. he enlists the help of his former teacher, a doctor, a young boy, a priest, and his new girlfriend, Susan Norton to combat this evil.

The novel was written before King developed the formula he would follow in subsequent books and is an entertaining although rather unoriginal take on a classic vampire story.To King's credit the small town atmosphere feels genuine, the characters are well written and likable, and his decision to wait to introduce vampires to the story line adds suspense and excitement.

It's not ground breaking but Salem's lot is an enjoyable read; particularly outside on a cool autumn night where the rustling leaves will make you look over your shoulders more than once. ... Read more

Product Description

"Sometimes dead is better...."

When the Creeds move into a beautiful old house in rural Maine, it all seems too good to be true: physician father, beautiful wife, charming little daughter, adorable infant son -- and now an idyllic home. As a family, they've got it all...right down to the friendly cat.

But the nearby woods hide a blood-chilling truth -- more terrifying than death itself...and hideously more powerful.Amazon.com Review
Renowned for its superior productions, BBC radio may haveoutdone itself by adapting Stephen King's Pet Sematary toaudio. A clamorous cacophony of talking, whining, whistling, andhowling, Pet Sematary is a quick, entertaining earful for those whodon't have other auditory distractions to contend with, such as a carfull of talking whining, whistling, howling children. However, themelodramatic prose marries well with the acting; such is the case whenone reader--whose voice bears an uncanny resemblance to Kramer's fromSeinfeld--tells another about the effects of the Pet Sematary:"Heroin makes junkies feel good when they put it in their arms, butall the time it's poisoning their mind and body--this place can belike that and don't you ever forget it!" (Running time: three hours,two cassettes) ... Read more

Customer Reviews (412)

If you could bring back a loved one would you?
While Pet Sematary is definately one of my top ten books of all time, its also one of my favorite movies. It was just terrifying. I think even the movie can't touch how excruciatigly dark this book is. I read it my freshman year year in high school I believe and never forgot it.

If you're familiar with the movie, I don't recall too many differences between the book and movie except for alot of backstories and more noticable character depth (its been along time since I watched the movie though). For those who aren't familiar with the story heres a brief summary:

Lois Creed is a doctor from Chicago who moves his family to Ludlow, Maine. Once there they befriend thier elderly neighbor Jud Crandall who warns them of trucks from a chemical plant that constantly travel at high speeds down the highway. One day Jud takes the family out into the woods behind thier house where they discover a pet cemetary. A place where children used to bury thier diceased pets in the past. After this things get dark and I mean really DARK. When at Lois job a university student dies and one night his corpes lead Lois to the pet cemetary where he warns Lois not to go beyond a deadfall. Then things take a turn for the worse when Winston Churchill the family cat is run over and than the fun really begins.

I know i'm not very good at summaries, but this is the best I can explain without giving to many spoilers. Unlike the movie the book goes into more detail and info on where the Pet cemetary originated, where it came from, and peaple who used it. What makes it so terrifying is that with this cemetary you're given an opportunity to bring a loved one back, but it begs the question: Will they come back as you remember them? Or is it REALLY them coming back? Maybe the dead should stay dead.

Its also scary seeing how these dark events affect the characters. It just destroys thier lives. It turns a pleasent and happy family into wreck! Its especially noticable in Lois, who in the end just looses his mind. It just keeps getting darker and darker! That is why I love this book! This is an example of what a true horror book should be! This book is an example of why Stephen King is known as the King of horror.

My first Stephen King Experience!!
This is the first stephen king novel i have ever read (or the second, if you include his excellent memoir "on writing").

Basically, his memoir made me want to try out some of his work. And many of the positive things i expected from King were present in Pet Semetery: dark humour, interesting dialogue, creepy horror scenes. But what let me down was the incredibly slow pace of the novel (in King's memoir he states that "i like a slow build") which only picked up in the final 50 pages of the book. The sluggish pace could have been streamlined with some good editing, because at times King has a tendency to repeat himself and labour a point for too long.

What keeps the reader trawling on through 500 pages are the decent character portraits, the creepy setting, King's dark humour and unnervingly accurate insights into family life. But unfortunately the novel fails to reward the reader for its epic build-up, as the finale is overwrought and dissapointing. It even features a cameo appearance from a random monster at the very end, a monster which was barely even referred to earlier in the novel. Unfortunately these blockbuster fireworks only shatter the readers suspension of disbelief.

From a psychological perspective the book is interesting, as it engages with the metaphysics of death and loss on a very deep (and dark!!) level. But by no means could this novel be described as a "scary". Its depressing and sad, but never horrifying.

I think i'll try reading "The Shining" next to find out what i really think of this writer. So far my main impression of King is "geez, this guy could be brilliant with a bit more editing and refining." Hopefully some of his other novels are more polished, coz Pet Semetery is a good novel that maybe could have been great.

Good book, bad end
I recently picked up a couple of Stephen King's older works at a used book store. This was one of the ones I'd never read before.

It's a good book, fairly enjoyable and spooky in it's own way. But the last 20 pages or so completely kill the tone of the thing. They don't fit. I don't know how better to say it, but the final scenes just don't fit with the mildly uncomfortable feeling the rest of the book gives you.

And believe me, my suspension of disbelief is a pretty sturdy thing. Ancient evil indian burial ground? Sure. I'll take that. Dead pets that come back to life? I'll take that too. But the very end, which I'll leave spoiler free in case there are those who haven't read a book written before I was born, was unforgivably goofy. It was like King wrote however many pages, got bored of it, and called up RL Stine to finish for him.

He could have just left us hanging at the end, and it would have made for a better close than... whatever that was I read the other day.

Not to discourage one from reading the book. The rest of it is beautifully done, and explores those uncomfortable feelings about death we all have. It makes you think, and I like any book that can do that. Even if you aren't too happy with the thoughts it brings about.

Terrific
This was the first Stephen King book I had ever read. Because of this, I ended up trying many more of his books. A great story told by a great author.

Pet Sematary
It is no wonder that Stephen King was reluctant to publish this novel, as it mirrored his own life at the time. However, this novel should be required reading for those who are only now exporing the horror genre, and of course, the modern day master of horror, Stephen King.
When I read this novel, it almost has a gothic feel to it, as if I were reading an old classic by some long gone but not forgotten English novelist, writing about his foggy and mysterious London. And yet, King brings it home to us, in the here and now. It is a nightmare on paper, akin to something one's mind might produce in the dark alleys of dreams.
This is by far my favorite of all the King novels. It is not appropriate to reveal specifics, for this novel must be approached with little idea of what the reader has in store. It is a prime example of King's handiwork, and will sure prompt one to seek out more by this wonderful author.

David Rhodes, author of The Ritual and Risen ... Read more

Product Description
There is a strange club in New York where men tell each other stories. The years pass but no one looks any older. One night a doctor tells the story of a young woman who gives birth to a baby in the most horrible way!Evil psychic powers, obsession and the supernatural in the most ordinary, everyday places. A spine-chiller from the master of horror. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

Satisfying twists and turns of plot
Veteran narrator Frank Muller provides a vivid recording - one of his last - in Stephen King's THE BREATHING METHOD, telling of an exclusive membership club based on a telling of tales. When one story turns into a nightmare for all listeners, chaos emerges in this fine chilling listen for any fan of King or stories with satisfying twists and turns of plot.

Incredible!!!!
This review refers to the mp3 version of the novella.

I recently became interested in audio books, and quite by accident I came upon Frank Muller reading The Great Gatsby. I was so impressed with him that I eagerly looked for more books narrated by him. Being a Stephen King fan, I was thrilled to find Mr. Muller has also read several of his works.

I read the Breathing Method years ago and was intrigued and impressed.Hearing Mr. Muller's interpretation has only added to my love of this novella. He is an amazing narrator!! I cannot say enough how much he adds to the experience of reading. He makes it a very personal, visceral experience, as if he is an old friend, sitting reading to you right in your living room. You will feel as though you are in the story. If you like King, you will love this version of The Breathing Method... I have no doubt.

Review for the Audio CD version
This is for the new Re-released audio ediiton on CD.
The audio quality of this release is louder and fuller than the re-released HighBridge editions, which is a shame b/c i think Different Seaesons is the only one of these just released editons to be Penguin Audio only. It seems Highbridge dropped the ball. Either way the audio is good and full but the cd's are cheap and skip alot more than music cds.
Frank Muller is just awesome reading this, sometimes it doesnt even seem as though he's catching his breath while reading.
This is a Perfect experience. One of Steve's best with an awesome narrator/reader.
Some notes on the story: It really has a different voice than most SK stories, very atmosphreric and almost classical. It also has some sneaky Dark Tower references in it. Enjoy!

Tale a deep breath


Only Stephen King can write a novel that is so completely lucid and insane at the same time and get away with it. Having a particular affection for audio books, I recently listened to his novella, THE BREATHING METHOD.
While nowhere near as frightening or gory as some of his other works, the story does what it is meant to do, and that is wonder which turn KING will take this time.

How many times have many of us NON FAMOUS writer's of suspense and horror thought about this type of story, only to shove it in a drawer or leave it on our word processors because we thought the subject matter just too darn bizarre?
This is one such tale and told by one of the great masters of the telling.
Not having children myself, but having been an offside observer to the births and stories thereof, of many nieces, nephews, and friend's kids, I fully understand THE BREATHING METHOD and what it is supposed to do. Without spoiling it for those who have not read the novella, let's just say when a woman wants to give birth to her baby-illegitimate or not, she will, NO MATTER WHAT! Interest peaked? Well you should read this Novella and be prepared to smile with realization that King does it again.

What I particularly liked at the end of this story, Mr. King offers insight on his writing method and the deep black hole the NOVELLA GENRE falls into. He amusingly gives reminisces about writing stories that are rather too long or too short. When they are short they fall into the Novella category, and into the abyss of probably-never-to-published. He admits he was lucky at times, and also gives valuable publishing information for both horror and sci-fi authors. Most writers of his magnitude wouldn't reduce themselves to offer such help.

Now for you audiophiles. Anytime you can listen to anything read by Frank Muller, (who I believe reads a lot of King's work), by all means do it. He has that unique voice that is quick, precise and puts you right in the middle of the piece he is reading. As an audio book lover, the narrator is important to me as the story. If I don't like a narrator I make note of it, even if I loved the book.

Just gave me nightmares
I finished the audio book earlier this week.In typical Stephen King fashion, he draws you along the story, twisting several plots into it.Surprisingly, it was not the main focus of the story that gave me chills, but the last 5 minutes when certain revelations are made, or at least hinted at.

I especially loved the iconography of the statue in front of the hospital, and the often repeated quote which basically said that there was no comfort without pain.Which I guess can be considered a message of hope, or at least a message that suffering is not done in vain.But again, it's one of those details that makes this whole story just a bit askew.

Overall, it was a great read.I really enjoyed the story, it was a bit predictable, but the pace of the words draws the listener along nicely.I would recomend this book to a friend, but not to my mother. ... Read more

Product Description
Bestselling author Thad Beaumont would like to say he has nothing to do with the evil that has resulted in a series of monstrous murders. But he can't. He created it.Amazon.com Review
In 1985, 39-year-old Stephen King announced in public that hispseudonymous alter ego, RichardBachman, was dead. (Never mind that he revived him years later towrite TheRegulators.) At the beginning of The Dark Half (1989),39-year-old writer Thad Beaumont announces in public that his ownpseudonym, George Stark, is dead.

Now, King didn't want to jettison the Bachman novel, titled MachineDreams, that was he working on. So he incorporated it in TheDark Half as the crime oeuvre of George Stark, whose recurringhero/alter ego is an evil character named Alexis Machine.

Thad Beaumont's pseudonym is not so docile as Stephen King's, though,and George Stark bursts forth into reality. At that point, two storieskick into gear: a mystery-detective story about the crime spree ofGeorge Stark (or is it Alexis Machine?) and a horror story aboutBeaumont's struggle to catch up with his doppelganger and kill himdead.

This is not the first time that Stephen King has written a darkallegory about the fiction writer's situation. As the New YorkTimes writes, "Misery (1987) is aparable in chiller form of the popular writer's relation to hisaudience, which holds him prisoner and dictates what he writes, onpain of death. The Dark Half is a parable in chiller form ofthe popular writer's relation to his creative genius, the vampirewithin him, the part of him that only awakes to raise Cain when hewrites, the fratricidal twin who occupies 'the womblike dungeon' ofhis imagination." --Fiona Webster ... Read more

Customer Reviews (146)

The Evil Twin hidden within us?
This book far surpassed the movie.Stephen King's writing can be intense, but listening to it in my car to and from work was just the proper amount of time and break.The Sparrows and the end were a magnificent touch.I have read of such cases where a twin embryo is absorbed by the other twin.The Stephen King touch of developing this into a living entity here but not here is phenomenal.The knowing of each other's twin keeps the reader in suspense.The mystery begins with a physical resurrection of a character that isn't truly alive in the sense of a carbon based unit.The character forms into a physical representation of a character of Thad Beaumont's books, but really is the evil twin of Thad Beaumont.The mysterious stranger appears and begins a killing spree that is connected in every respect from fingerprints, blood type, DNA, and voice prints to Thad Beaumont.When the killing ceases, the entity focuses on Thad Beaumont and threatens his wife and twin children Wendy and William.George Starke, the character wants Thad Beaumont's life and appears to be getting it.Only the limited control of the psychic connection of the sparrows could save Thad's life and world.The ending is fantastic and you can never look at a sparrow in the same way again.

Great book, but Kindle edition is terrible
"Dose" = "Close." "Comer" = Corner. These are just a couple of the things you will have to figure out if you choose to read this book on Kindle. I love this book (it's my favorite King, in fact, which is why I purchased this Kindle copy in ADDITION to my battered paperback and my pristine hardcover signed first edition), but there's just no excuse for this. I've had a Kindle for over two years, and haven't experienced these problems with any other books. I hope future King books I buy for Kindle aren't like this, otherwise I may just end up re-reading my paperbacks instead.

A very below average King novel
Most SK novels grab me in the beginning few paragraphs. This one didn't and I struggled to keep my attention to it the entire way through. The story was creepy (as most of King's work is) but overall not as engaging as many other King books I've read. I'd recomment readers new to Stephen King avoid this one early on or you might get a sour taste of this great author.

TERRIBLE SPELLING ERRORS THROUGHOUT THE BOOK
First of all, the book was fine.Typical King.In fact, I own the hard cover and wanted a copy for my Kindle.The spelling errors are the worst I have ever seen.It is so distracting it makes the book hard to read. If I have to read "close" writtenas "dose" one more time I will scream.I don't think there is a page that is free of these annoying errors.Kindle, get a proof reader!!!

mam
When I ordered the book it read that its condition was excelent and new but when I received it the cover was wrinkled and bent up and the pages were yellowed.I wanted to give this as a Christmas gift. ... Read more

Product Description
In this newly available paperback edition, Spignesi selects and ranks the top 101 works out of the more than 550 created by King during his prolific career. Each chosen work is synopsized and reviewed by the writer that Entertainment Weekly has called "the world's leading expert on Stephen King."Fiction and nonfiction, well-known and obscure, scary and scarier-discussions of King's best short stories, novellas, screenplays, novels, essays, forewords, articles, introductions, and more are all here! From his best-selling novels (The Dead Zone, The Shining, Carrie, The Green Mile, Pet Sematary, It, Riding the Bullet, The Plant, The Dark Tower series, Insomnia), to short stories and novellas ("Survivor Type," "The Last Rung on the Ladder," "Gramma," "Shawshank Redemption"), thought-provoking nonfiction (Danse Macabre, On Writing, "Remembering John," "My Little Serrated Security Blanket," "Leaf-Peepers")...even an amazing column from King's college newspaper ("The Subject This Week is Cops")! This book provides uncompromising summation and review of King's work and is a must-have for both the serious and casual fan. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

5 FEET TALL IN THE LAND OF MIDGETS
Stephen King is the best horror writer I know of, and that isnt saying much when you consider how untalented all the competition is. Robert Bloch is the exception. King will never equal Bloch's PSYCHO, and I truly love some of King's books....SALEM'S LOT, CARRIE, CHRISTINE, THE LANGOLIERS, SHANKSHAW REDEMPTION, THE GREEN MILE. DOLAN'S CADILLAC is a sublime short story.

But King is soooo uneven as a writer; 90% of what he writes is mind numbing, inane chatter with eruptions of genius. King's books are packed with more stuff than Santa's sleigh, and are busier than Katrina looters. The man needs an editor bad! Not sycophants.

This book, THE ESSENTIAL STEPHEN KING, is a sycophant's pilgrimage to Mecca or Lourdes.

Kings best book isnt IT, it's CARRIE.

Not awful, but not great.
As another reviewer stated, this work is great for a casual or new fan, wanting to learn more about individual S.K. works and whether he or she might like to read them. For serious fans such as myself, this work is just one glaring error after another, coupled with the lackluster opinions of a self-proclaimed super-fan. In particular, the numerous factual errors that I have found in this book are at the very least distracting, and make me question Spignesi's assessment of S.K.'s writings, especially since he can't seem to keep his literary facts straight! For example, in his entry on "Bag of Bones," Spignesi asserts that Mattie Devore, one of the main characters, is divorced. She is actually widowed, and this facet of this story is important. Another error can be found in Spignesi's entry on "The Dead Zone" (a personal favorite of mine). In this work, Greg Stillson is a third-party candidate for the House of Representatives, not the U.S. presidency! This seemingly minor amount of power initially courted by Stillson is vital to the story. These are just two of many errors, both literary and grammatical, that I found when I read this work. By all means, check it out at the library or borrow it from a friend if you want to know which S.K. book to start with (or just ask an S.K. fan...there are lots of us!).

garbage
The idea for this book isn't a bad one: the ranking of the Top 100 of all Stephen King's works.However, in order for such a conceit to mean anything, there has to be some thought, skill, and insight involved on the part of the ranker.Spignesi showcases none of these qualities.

Instead, what you are left with is something that goes no deeper than you might find on any fan-based website.Spignesi's knowledge of King's work is admittedly considerable, but in order for a work of literary criticism -- which this is, no matter how poorly-thought-out and poorly-presented -- to be worth reading, it has to cut a bit deeper than mere knowledge.There has to be insight.Perhaps Spignesi has such insights, but if so, he has no interest in demonstrating it in this book: his typical mode is to simply list what he liked in each work, and usually this consists of saying that he liked the characters, or something similarly facile.

Spignesi himself is a TERRIBLE writer.This book is peppered with poor writing, with the misuse (or nonuse) of commas being especially prevalent.Why should we accept the critical judgment of a writer who himself cannot write?

There is an attempt to make it plain that the idea behind this book is for it to stimulate discussion about King's works.Well, really, the best way to do that is to simply read them for yourself.You don't need a writer who ought to properly be confined to fanzines to tell you what King's best works are.And if you don't need that, then you don't need this book.

Thank God, it was given to me as a gift; no dollars of my own were wasted on this sad excuse for criticism.

Ranking of Kings Work by Maybe His Biggest Fan but a Very Average Reviewer
If you took a random Amazon reviewer, collated all their reviews of one author (in this case Stephen King) and asked them to rank the books they reviewed then you'd come up with something like the text book laid out in appearance work, The Essential King.Throw in the fact that Spingesi is as gushing a King fan as a twelve year old girl is of her favourite boyband lead singer and what we've got in this collection are biased positive reviews by someone who thinks everything his idol wrote is a masterpiece, these reviews aren't critical at all.I've read a lot of Stephen King, enjoyed most of it but come on there are some novels and short stories in anthologies that aren't quite up to par including a lot which Spignesi rates highly.I would take in the ranking of an authors work much more critically if done by someone who is prepared to admit their idol has flaws.

Also if you're going to rank his work you've got to at least provide a list of the other stuff that didn't make the list.Spignesi also suffers from the bad reviewer quality of thinking there's nothing wrong about including spoilers in a large number of his reviews which means you may become interested in tracking down a story, well that is until the ending or a major twist is ruined for you.Other than a summary Spignesi provides little reasoning for why each piece of work makes the cut or why he likes the stories with most explanations of this only being one or two sentences.Spignesi's list also contains a lot of rare stuff but often he provides no information which magazines or whatever to locate these for the person who has become interested and wants to track them down.
I picked up this book as I thought it would be an interesting look at King's novels and discuss the major differences in the books from their movie adaptations.There's not much of this here.Flip through it at your local library if trying to put on hold a book and you can't remember what its called but don't waste money on this disaster.

Utterly uncritical, and duller than dishwater...
The problem with the book is that it's utterly uncritical of the entirety of Stephen King's work - it's simply a basic recounting of the novel's plot, followed up with a few bits of trivia and the author's "What I Liked" section.

The problem is that the author of this book likes everything about Stephen King, even when he's talking about King's weaker material. You could write the words "I love Stephen King and everything he's ever done!" on an index card, then post it next to the Amazon search results for Stephen King and you'd have this book in a nutshell.

Plus, he refers to the Gor novels as "wildly popular". Uh, no.

-Darren MacLennan ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

An uninspired tale of nothing.
I attempted to read this book.While I do admire Stephen King and believe he is a unique storyteller, and I emphasize story teller, some of his work seems to be rather lackluster in presentation.I have heard that he has admitted on several occasions that he does not write good literature, but writes good stories.I can agree with that assessment and I myself, being an author, will likely never write what will be considered good literature.

But unfortunately this book did not fall into either category.The story is much the same in formula to many of his other works, a group of adults that were very close as children and teenagers have become estranged and some supernatural force or experience that they have all been involved with for the greater portion of their lives, pulls them back together.While it is said that authors write what they know, this is too much like many of the stories he has told before, and he has certainly done it better.While there was one idea that I REALLY liked and thought was very much worth reading, (the store room of ideas and filing system that one of the characters had) I couldn't really grasp why I should care about any of them.Obviously it was difficult because I can't remember a single name.And crapping out deadly aliens, c'mon, give me a break.How is that scary?

I don't usually stop reading a book because I don't like it.It's rare, but I had to put this book down.I just couldn't bring myself to finish it.I do have a general idea of what happened as I saw the film version, although there is much to be said between the art of cinema and literature, in that they are two completely different art forms and cannot be judged on the same criteria as one another.Oh, and while I'm at it I should mention that you should skip the film too, unless you want a good laugh as it's unintentionally funny.

I don't recommend this to anyone.I would be lying if I claimed that I've read a whole gamut of his work, but I have read bits and pieces and what I have read, I did enjoy.While I have read only one other Stephen King book, which I actually loved and will be reviewing here shortly, I would suggest people pick up some of his other work.He is talented, but this is not one of his better moments.

Stephen King's version of sci-fi alien thriller.
The best thing about Stephen King is that he is so random. This book isn't just an alien contact story. There is so much more to it. The extra-terrestrials are totally King's. He defines his own version of an alien race. It's definitely not scary but more what I'd call trippy. The way King describes the world of Jonesy's brain and the conflict between he and Mr. Gray for control is brilliant. His dreamlike scenes of this were my favorite parts of the book.

Yawn.
I usually give the book a good chance, but after 300 pages and it still isn't good?? I had to donate it to the library !!

One Of Kings Greatest Works!!
This is truly a masterpiece.King is one of my favorite authors.His stories are full of suspense and horror.He has truly outdone himself in this case.Dreamcatcher is about five childhood friends that encounter a dangerous alien life form.They must come together to stop it from taking over the world.And this isn't some corny story with little, green men with laser-beams.The aliens are what King calls a cancer.I haven't heard this type of invasion in any other story.They actually infect the beings on earth and take them over with a conscious fungus.It's new and it's great.This story is centered on the saying "Everything happens for a reason."You could say that they just happened to befriend Duddits who just happened to have supernatural powers that he gave to the four friends who just happened to hunt every year in the area in which the aliens landed.Each character has numerous problems when they are adults.But they are still bound together in friendship which is a huge factor in succeeding in the end.Yet there are the depressing parts.Three of the main characters die.This included my favorite.But this also gave incentive for the others to fight.One thing I was disappointed about was the explaining.I read the entire book but I still don't fully understand the concept about the dreamcatcher and the powers of the boys.The only other thing I do not like about this book is the language.Like in previous Stephen King books, the characters curse on about every single page.This prevents the younger people from reading such a great book.This book is full of shocking, frightening, and horrific moments.He also manages to place some humor in appropriate spots within the book.I recommend this to people who love science fiction or are fans of King's work. ... Read more

Product Description
Traces the life of a popular novelist, from his childhood as an avid reader to his current success as a creator of horror fiction. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A FAN OF THE MAN
Although I have never been a fan of the writing of Stephen King, Wilson's book has made me a fan of the man. With fascinating anecdotes and sharp, clean writing, Wilson draws the reader into King's life and makes clear the connections between his life and his work. The downside is that I now want to see those connections for myself, so find myself with a ton of reading to catch up on. My only hope is that King will give me a chance to catch up by not being as prolific in the future as he has been in the past. However, I do hope to see more books by Wilson in the near future. She is proof that biographies written for younger readers can be as interesting to adults as to their intended audience. ... Read more

Product Description
This book will be a collection of fantastic and horrifying photographs of gargoyles taken by avant-garde photographer f-stop fitzgerald (yes, that's his name and the spellingis correct), with a wonderful text by none other than the master of horror, stephen king. F-stop has captured gargoyles in all manner of poses, made all the more striking by the design by mark pollard. Through the use of gatefolds and full-bleed illustrations, these awesome creatures will seem practically to leap off the page. (4/5/88). UK YES ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Monsters Of Stone
Gargoyles in their manifold glory, from the small, twisted and misshapen, to the majestic and terrible, this coffee table collection of the rooftop monsters of New York is highlighted by text composed by none other than Stephen King. A lovely and atmospheric gathering of these sculpted nightmares, captured at varying angles and conditions of shadow, light, and sometimes in the rain, deftly calculated to heighten the effect of staring these treasures almost in the eye. I find a lot of meaning in this book, too, because, knowing how much I love old stone sculptures and gargoyles and the like, my grandfather gave it to me as a gift while I was home on spring break from college in the year 2000, and it was the last time I ever got to visit him.

Did not catch the many-century old value of these gargoyles
This is a coffee table book. But it does not have to be bad. The pictures, by f-stop Fitzgerald, of those gargoyles are interesting, some of them very original, but the introductory text, by Stephen King, is definitely too long for what it has to tell. The only idea of some value is that these gargoyles, and yet some of them are not gargoyles, are alive. Fine. And then what ? Why are they ugly, though some of them are not ? What is their symbolical value on twentieth century houses or buildings in New York or Chicago ? This is not answered.

Originally those gargoyles, a long time ago indeed, were there to protect the buildings they were sitting on, many churches among others, by fending off the real devils and monsters they were supposed to represent, and people believed these monsters and devils did exist in those days. That was the first function. The second function was to teach people (essentially on church porches or inside churches, and they were not gargoyles any more) the dangers of sinning, the devils that were waiting for us or the suffering we may be condemned to. That was a pedagogical function. They were thus alive because they represented some faith, some belief that gave them life.

With the passing away of religion as the center of our life, these values have disappeared, and yet they survive in a less religious value. These gargoyles, these monsters, who are not always monsters, protect our homes against the outside world that is dangerous or against our fears they are supposed to keep out. Pedagogically, they do not teach us religion anymore but they have taken over an artistic value. They have become a decoration, and they are intended to be monstrous or frightening. They are supposed to be a way the people in the house tell us to stay away, they are like shouts from those people directed at us to frighten us away, most of them. But they also have another value. They are references to classical gods, to natural elements, to cultural characters that only exist in our literatures or mythologies. Then they become some kind of showing off ordered by the owner to decorate his or her house to show everyone he or she has some culture : here Jove or Zeus, here Neptune or some Sun-God (p. 121), etc.

What would have been interesting, would have been the following questions. Why are some not frightening at all (p. 116, 86, 78), and why are some not looking at us at all (p. 117) ? Why are some not Christian at all, not western at all ? A Chinese one for instance page 110, if it is Chinese. And finally why are so many just plain nice and friendly, like page 90, or some kind of clown like page 115 ? They probably represent the fantasms, fears, likes and desires of the owners, builders, artists, but they cannot be reduced to nightmares in the sky. They are interesting declarations someone we don�t even know is throwing at us with the hope we may understand, appreciate or like them. In other words they are not cathartic. They are a discourse directed at us and we are supposed to understand it.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, Paris Universities II and IX.

Photography, gothic architecture and King....
I'm surprised to read that this is a hard-to-find book; I still occasionally find copies of it in the bargain bins of large booksellers. That will probably change now that the paperback version is being released.

I really like this book. The photos are simple, but they capturethe beauty and mystique of gargoyle images throughout New York and otherAmerican cities. I must admit, I bought this bargain book because StephenKing's name was on the cover and because I thought it was a quirky additionto my book collection. However, once I brought it home and started flippingthrough the pages, I was captivated by the grainy, sometimes eerie images.King's words add some interesting views and anecdotes, but the book standsalone just on Fitzgerald's photos. Some of the gargoyles are menacing, someare macabre, some are playful and some are downright comical. All of themattest to the creativity and imagination of their creators.

Thishardcover, 128-page (or so) volume would be right at home on your coffeetable (it's an awkward size to try to squeeze into most standardbookshelves). King's writing shares page space for about 35 pages; the bookis focused on the pics (as it should be). It's not for everyone; if youdon't like "picture books" then stay away. But if you likeinteresting photos capturing a unique subject, and/or if you are at all aStephen King fan, this is one to bring home.

good for more than a name
personally, i don't even like steven king.actually, i hate his writing.he's a feminist with no talent.

however, despite adding his drivel to these pages, the book is excellent.i enjoy just sitting down and flippingthrough the wonderful photographs.

a must for any gargoyle lover.

Fantastic Photography by f-Stop Fitzgereld
I disagree that this is a Stephen King book.King's words are there just to fill in the white space around f-Stop Fitzgereld's fantastic photography.And he isn't even mentioned here! ... Read more

Product Description
A must-have for every Stephen King fan! Creepshows is the definitive illustrated guide to the more than 50 film and television productions, sequels and spin-offs, stage shows, radio plays, and computer games adapted from the work of master storyteller Stephen King.Lavishy illustrated with 200 rare posters, behind-the-scenes photos, exclusive movie stills, and dazzling book covers, Creepshows includes in-depth coverage of classic films such as The Green Mile, The Shawshank Redemption, Carrie, and The Shining, as well as fan favorites like Salem's Lot, Christine, and The Running Man. Fans will also find a complete overview of highly praised TV work such as The Stand and Storm of the Century, and the inside story on Maximum Overdrive, the film King himself directed.Plus, this fantastic, one-of-a-kind resource features an original one-on-one interview with Stephen King and a captivating introduction by director/ screenwriter Mick Garris. Other contributors include horror artist Bernie Wrightson, Green Mile screenwriter Frank Darabont, and authors Peter Straub, Harlan Ellison, and David J. Schow.For all fans of horror films, Stephen King books, and movies in general, Creepshows is an essential reference! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

For the King collector
This is a nice book to have if you are a King Collector.

Decent and up to date, but flawed...
This large (in size rather than actual volume of text, as most of the book is occupied by photographs - the vast majority of them in black and white) guide to films, TV productions, fan videos and other filmed works based on or inspired by Stephen King's prose (and one poem...) is not particularly detailed, but certainly contains enough basic information, facts and trivia about almost every minor, major, cancelled or planned King production as of late 2002 to satisfy a King reader interested in the visual media.

Unfortunately, it leaves much to be desired. The layout is clunky at times, and there are a few truly pointless parts thrown in at the end most likely just to increase the volume (what in heaven's - or hell's - name would otherwise be the point in including such entries as Sean Cunningham's "House" [apparently listed because its protagonist is a "Stephen King-like writer"], "The Simpsons" episode "Maximum Homerdrive" [whose only relation to King is the title, as the book even admits], or some German porn flick which features a mad naked janitor [allegedly a ripoff of "The Shining's" Jack Torrance]?), and the book does not actually list *all* adaptations of King's writing (where is the best of the King shorts, "Strawberry Spring" from 2001?).

The most annoying thing about the guide, however, is the fact that it discusses the films in a chronological order rather than the proper, alphabetical one. This awkward (to put it mildly...) decision makes the book extremely inconvenient for quick checking, looking up particular titles, or comparing movies. Fortunately, there is an index, but still, flipping 87 pages to reach that index after reading an entry for one film, then flipping back 61 pages to find its sequel is infuriating.

Interesting Tidbits, But Gets Tiresome Fast
Creepshows: The Illustrated Stephen King Movie Guide got off on the wrong foot quick by crediting (On the lower back cover) the Berni Wrightson cover illustration to the woman who DESIGNED the cover layout. Very sloppy, especially considering Wrightson's rendition of "The Creep" is world-famous.....

The book covers all of the films that have sprung, however tenuous the connection may be (Children of the Corn 666), from Mr. King's stories. Stephen Jones does an interesting job of digging up little-known bits of trivia; I'm a King fanatic, and there were quite a few things here that were new to me. The irritating thing is the division of space in the book: A gem like The Green Mile gets the same amount of space as Children of the Corn. Jones devotes too much space to films that have nothing to do with King at all, such as the awful "House", covered because the main character is a King wannabe. The book is an American reprint of a British book, published in the UK by Titan Books, and the fact that Watson-Guptill couldn't even be bothered to Americanise the Brit spellings gets annoying after 100+ pages of "Favourite" and "Colour". Jones also seems to love the word "Eponymous"- He uses it on almost every page, and one would hope that someone has since bought him a Thesaurous. There's a brief King interview at the end, and the book is heavily illustrated with stills and poster reproductions. King fans will probably enjoy Creepshows a lot, but it could have been better.... ... Read more

Product Description
This encyclopedic king-sized reference covers every nook and cranny of theprolific author's career--as a writer, screenwriter, actor, and popular cultfigure.Drawing on nearly 25 years of work, Stephen King from A to Z is thefinal word on things King, portraying the writer who has sold a quarter-billioncopies worldwide of his books since 1974.Amazon.com Review
Did you know that the Bangor West All Stars was the LittleLeague team on which King's son Owen played (King being an assistantcoach), ultimately winning the Maine State Little League Championship(11-8) in 1989, and that the team's ascent to glory is recounted ingreat detail in Nightmares & Dreamscapes' "Head Down?" ThatCavalier is a cheesecake magazine in which King first sold"Graveyard Shift"? That King believes Hell House by RichardMatheson might be the scariest haunted-house novel ever written? Theseand hundreds more Stephen King-related entries await the Kingenthusiast in George Beahm's literary and biographicalencyclopedia. Drawing on years of Stephen King expertise (Beahm wrotethe Stephen KingCompanion, TheStephen King Story, and Stephen King: America'sBest-Loved Boogeyman), Beahm has larded his encyclopedia withdetailed information on King's stories, books, and films, as well asquotes that give King's take on everything from fame to censorship toauthors he admires and deplores. There are photographs (75),illuminated letters (26), a couple dozen essays on topics such asMaine, Philtrum Press (King's publisher), and King's movies, andtrivia such as the amount of prize money King won in a college Englishdepartment contest ($69.81) and the name of King's childhood dog(Queenie). The potential quality of life for Stephen King aficionadoshas just significantly improved. --Stephanie Gold ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Stephen King A+++
This book is quite informative. Everything is in alphabetical order & easy to find. I use it as a reference to his books that I have read. I really enjoy this purchase. And would recommend it to others.

A note from the author
This book is not, as one reader/reviewer put it, a biography; he was undoubtedly confusing THIS book with my biography on King, "Stephen King: America's Best-Loved Boogeyman." This book fills in the holes, so to speak, with detailed information from A to Z about the people, places and things in King's life, not his fiction; there's a difference--the latter is a concordance, and has already been ably compiled by the prolific Stephen J. Spignesi. My book draws on my extensive files on King that I've compiled since 1988, sports an introduction by King critic Dr. Michael Collings, includes a dozen short essays, 75 photos of things King, illustrated letters by artist Stephen Fabian, but most of all it includes hundreds of entries that shed light on King as a writer and a person. From "A" (AFTERMATH, THE; a novel King wrote when he was a teenager) to "Z" (the ZBS Production of "The Mist," a dramatization), this book covers King thoroughly.

The book is available in a trade paperback edition from Andrews McMeel Publishing. It is an oversized book with 250 pages.

This Is The best biography I've read
I read this book in 3 days and found it to be the most interetsing and fun biographies I've read. I'm A big fan Stephen king and this book told me the story behind Kings life. George Beahm did a Great job of telling the story. If your a Stephen King fan get this book you won't regret it. ... Read more

Product Description
Read by John Glover
Ten CDs, 9 hours

Tales from Gray Matter include:
The Boogeyman
I Know What You Need
Strawberry Spring
Gray Matter
The Woman in the Room
Battleground

Tales from Graveyard Shift include:
Graveyard Shift
The Man Who Loved Flowers
The Last Rung on The Ladder
Night Surf
Jerusalem's Lot

Tales from Lawnmower Man include:
Lawnmower Man
The Mangler
Quitters, Inc.
The Ledge
Sometimes They Come Back ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

stephen king on wheels
This product is great.Used it on a roadtrip to Florida.John Glover is Smallville's, Lex Luther's Father.Good reader.After the first few stories he gets into the stories more and they add background sounds into a few of them.I like that.It adds to the story.I recommend this product.

Classics
I've read and listened to these many times over the course of years.When I saw them finally in a CD format I thought it was my birthday.My old cassettes are warn so bad.I highly recommend these set if you are an "old" fan of Stephen Kings.

Maybe a little dated in the telling
I love Stephen King and find no fault with the narration by John Glover. Having said that, I found the set of short stories to be a little dated in 2008. Most of these SK shorts were early work in his career and while well crafted, a couple seemed a little predictable or dragged on. There are however a few I thought outstanding such as Quitters Inc, The Ledge, and Sometimes They Come Back. All in all a good listen for both a long and short commute.

A review of the audiobook set (not just the stories)
As a kid this was my first foray into the world of horror.I remember the tattered paperback of father's with the gauze covered hand with the eyes in it.

I took a break from fiction (for about a decade) and now have happily come back.

I don't have nearly as much time to read anymore unless I want to become nocturnal.And that may have worked in my early twenties, but it just doesn't cut it at thirty-nine years old.

As a result, I have begun buying a lot of audiobooks so I can listen to/from work where I leave off reading at night.I am a stickler about unabridged.I MUST have unabridged.

So when I saw this set I was a little confused.On ebay there's apparently 3 versions of the Night Shift audiobook.In reality, it's three different version with three different sets of stories.

The skinny on the CD audiobook of 10 CDs is that it contains the collected previous 3 volumes in on set.

The one question I had before buying this, "What's missing?How incomplete is it?"

The book itself contains 20 short stories, 16 of them are in this set.So the audiobook is nearly complete.What four stories are missing?"I Am the Doorway", "Trucks", "Children of the Corn", and "One For the Road."

It's well read and produced.I love having this on the ipod or in the car.Brings back the good ol' days.Days of sleeping with the light on.

Amazing stories
A copy of this collection stays in my car as a sort of back-up in case I go on a long trip without any audio books. Or at least that's what I tell myself as it's still in my car after six months. Perhaps it impressed/scared me so much that I'm afraid to let it out of my sight. ... Read more

Product Description
Advance Praise

"What a treasure house is this book! Robots, space aliens, Einstein, black holes, time travel--these themes, and much more, from Stephen King's amazing books are opened up like toy chests. It's tremendous fun, entirely educational, and a great tribute to King."
--Peter Straub

"A fun, fun read."
--F. Paul Wilson

"The Science of Stephen King appeals to both the scientist and the longtimereader of Stephen King in me. Gresh and Weinberg use concepts from King's fiction as launching pads for in-depth explorations of concepts as diverse as ESP, pyrokinesis, time travel, artificial intelligence, quantum chemistry, alternate realities, string theory, and the possibility that we'll be visited by aliens or that we'll face a global pandemic. Much of what Stephen King writes about in his novels is closer to reality than you might think."
--Bev Vincent, Ph.D., author of The Road to the Dark Tower

"A superb overview of King's use of scientific concepts in his stories. And considering all the scary talk lately about pandemic flu, their chapter on The Stand is timely as hell."
--Stephen Spignesi, author of The Complete Stephen King Encyclopedia

"Just as Sagan and Asimov popularized science to the masses by making itentertaining and informative, so too do Gresh and Weinberg.Compulsively readable and thought-provoking."
--George Beahm, author of The Stephen King Companion ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

SOLO FANS DE STEPHEN KING
Este libro es solamente interesante para los verdaderos fanaticos de STEPHEN KING, quienes son los que desean saberlo TODO del maestro y sus escritos. En realidad, las obras de King son un pretexto solo para que los autores diserten a sus anchas en temas mas diversos, y que en realidad, tienen que ver poco con la esencia de King, que es el poner a personas normales en situaciones extraordinarias. Sin embargo, como sin querer la cosa, uno aprende algo mas. Denle una oportunidad.

Another great Science of Book
This book follows in the tradition of the Science of Superheroes, the Science of Supervillains and the Computers of Star Trek.Are the horrors and phenomenon that are described in Stephen King's books only a product of a highly imaginative author, or are any of these phenomenon ground in some sort of fact.If you wish to find this out, read this highly entertaining book.

Interesting, but lots of errors
I found this book at the library where I work and borrowed it, since I've been reading Stephen King for years.It seemed interesting enough, but I was too distracted by the errors to really get into it.The authors give a synopsis of the work they are about to discuss, and frequently the synopsis contains errors.Maybe I'm obsessive but it just seemed like someone should have taken the time to check for accuracy.
If you're not crazy about detail, this could be a good read.If you're a big Stephen King fan and the errors are going to drive you crazy, maybe this isn't the book for you.

good but not great
It's an okay book, the problem is trying to put some scientific reasoning behind King's supernatural works. That and I felt that they picked a lot of King's weaker works and didn't focus on where he was best. Plus King's fans are drawn by the human characters and their relationships and how they overcome adversary. But it is good for the hardcore fan.

A Whole New Perspective on King's Fiction
From religion to medicine and technology, THE SCIENCE OF STEPHEN KING poses educational and intriguing concepts that encourage the reader to look at King's fiction not just as entertainment but as both scientific and cultural reflections of our society. Weinberg and Gresh weave intricate mathematics and scientific calculations with detailed history and contrasting religious views. I found the book captivating. Stephen King's work resonates with deeper symbolism and meaning after I have examined the ins and outs of the realistic and unrealistic science that serves as the foundation of his fiction as proposed by Weinberg and Gresh. THE SCIENCE OF STEPHEN KING is a definite must-read for King fans and literary buffs of all genre-persuasions. In short: READ THIS BOOK. ... Read more

Product Description
Early in 2004, two writers and Red Sox fans, Stewart O'Nan and Stephen King, decided to chronicle the upcoming season, one of the most hotly anticipated in baseball history. They would sit together at Fenway. They would exchange emails. They would write about the games. And, as it happened, they would witness the greatest comeback ever in sports, and the first Red Sox championship in eighty-six years. What began as a Sox-filled summer like any other is now a fan's notes for the ages.Amazon.com Review
Fans watching the 2004 baseball playoffs were often treated to shots of Stephen King sitting in the stands, notebook in hand. Given the bizarre events on the field, from the Red Sox's unprecedented comeback against their most hated rivals to their ace pitcher's bleeding, stitched-together ankle--not to mention the Sox's first championship in 86 years--you could be forgiven for thinking King was writing the script as he went along, passing new plot twists down to the dugouts between innings.

What he was writing, though, along with his friend and fellow novelist Stewart O'Nan, was Faithful, a diary of the 2004 Red Sox season. Faithful is written not from inside the clubhouse or the press room, but from the outside, from the stands and the sofa in front of the TV, by two fans who, like the rest of New England, have lived and died (mostly died) with the Sox for decades. From opposite ends of Red Sox Nation, King in Maine and O'Nan at the border of Yankees country in Connecticut, they would meet in the middle at Fenway Park or trade emails from home about the games they'd both stayed up past midnight to watch. King (or, rather, "Steve") is emotional, O'Nan (or "Stew") is obsessively analytical. Steve, as the most famous Sox fan who didn't star in Gigli, is a folk hero of sorts, trading high fives with doormen and enjoying box seats better than John Kerry's, while Stew is an anonymous nomad, roving all over the park. (Although he's such a shameless ballhound that he gains some minor celebrity as "Netman" when he brings a giant fishing net to hawk batting-practice flies from the top of the Green Monster.)

You won't find any of the Roger Angell-style lyricism here that baseball, and the Sox in particular, seem to bring out in people. (King wouldn't stand for it.) Instead, this is the voice of sports talk radio: two fans by turns hopeful, distraught, and elated, who assess every inside pitch and every waiver move as a personal affront or vindication. Full of daily play-by-play and a season's rises and falls, Faithful isn't self-reflective or flat-out funny enough to become a sports classic like Fever Pitch, Ball Four, or A Fan's Notes, but like everything else associated with the Red Sox 2004 season, from the signing of Curt Schilling to Dave Roberts's outstretched fingers, it carries the golden glow of destiny. And, of course, it's got a heck of an ending. --Tom Nissley ... Read more

Customer Reviews (103)

Good book but he should keep his politics out of it
I was looking forward to reading this book from the time I first heard of the project.I FINALLY got a chance to read it recently and it was a nice, relatively quick and fun read.Stuart O'Nan is quite the character, showing up in the monster seats during BP with a butterfly net to snag balls and other humorous antics.It's ironic (spooky) that they chronicled the 2004 season and the Sox first World Series win in 86 years.My only objection would be Mr. King having to inject his loony left political views periodically, sounds like he's got a crush on 'Longshot' John Kerry for one which made me want to #uke.Hey, Mr King, a village in KENYA is missing it's idiot (not Texas).Just wanted to clear that up for ya.

O'Nan drove me crazy--otherwise ok
I remember first reading this book in Cooperstown the day before the Sox played the Tigers in the 2005 Hall of Fame Game.I was disappointed, in part because I thought the playoff narration was very tepid...it didn't do justice to the tension, the wonderment and the sheer ecstasy of that magical time.Also, and primarily, I couldn't erase from my mind the disturbing image of O'Nan elbowing kids out of the way to grab foul balls and cadge autographs.For God's sake the man brought a ball-catching apparatus to a game (really Stewart?) and became upset when he was told that he could't use the contraption.The fascination with marginal players also struck me as a bit of a "look at me" pose (all the references to Dauber (?)while Ellis Burks, a great player gets barely a mention...please).King's part was ok, particularly given his track record as of late...while his writing has become clitche-ridden and often consists of nothing but smug, self-satisfied and self-referential prattle, at least the guy is a life-long Sox fan and is able, unlike his cohort, to restrain himself in the presence of baseballs and baseball players.I mean you could watch a game with him without worrying about your kids getting flattened anytime someone fouls a ball back or Dale Sveum's 3rd cousin is in the vicinity.

Surviving Grady is much, much better.

Still, although it chronicles manifest instances of Stewart O'Nan's childishness, Faithful also chronicles, in considerable detail, the greatest, most rewarding year of baseball I have ever experienced and that, along with the fact that I purchased the book at the Dollar Tree for--that's right--a dollar is enough to achieve a ranking of two and one-half stars in my book.

faithful
The whole season, game-by-game, may be more than I want to read; but if one goes to the more interesting series' and the more compelling aspects of the season - like the trades, the fights, the ALDS,ALCS and,of course, the anti-climactic World Series, the book is a great read. Especially so for an avid member of Red Sox Nation, who can relate to every expletive of elation, wonder and disgust. I remember uttering every one of them!

I was disappointed with this book
You hear Stephen King is co-writing a book about his beloved Red Sox and you get excited.Unfortunately this book did not live up to my expectations. It was a boring read because it basically spoke about what King and O'Nan where doing throughout the Red Sox historic season.Anyone could have wrote this type of book.

Fantastic Book. You relive the season thru It!
To preface this review, I am a die Hard Sox fan, so I am biased. But if you are as well, this book will take you thru the entire season, and allow you to relive it thru 2 other die hards eyes.
They really capture the feeling of a true fan. I just reread this again, and it really brought me back.
I highly recommend this book!
... Read more

Product Description

THE MAN IN THE BLACK SUIT FOUR UNABRIDGED DARK TALES FROM

STEPHEN KING
The Man in the Black Suit
Read by John Cullum

"...the face of the man in the black suit growsever clearer, ever closer, and I remember every word he said. I don't want to think of him, but I can't help it, and sometimes at night my old heart beats so hard and so fast I think it will tear itself right clear of my chest."

A haunting recollectionof a mysterious boyhood event, The Man in Black Suit read by John Cullum leads off this masterful collection from Stephen King.

Other dark tales include: All That You Love Will Be Carried Away read by Peter Gerety, in which a man checks into a Lincoln, Nebraska Motel 6 to find the meaning in his life; That Feeling, You Can Only Say What It Is in French read by Becky Ann Baker presents the ultimate case of déejàa vu; and The Death of Jack Hamilton read by Arliss Howard -- a blistering tale of Depression-era outlaws on the run.

Whether writing about encounters with the dead, the near dead, or about the mundane dreads of life, Stephen King's The Man In The Black Suit: Four Dark Tales is intense, eerieand instantly compelling. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

The Man in the Black Suit
This intriguing little collection of short stories is fun, but not my favorite of King's work. In the title story of this small collection, a young boy runs into the devil on a fishing trip. Pretty far-fetched, but King has the knack to make it seem real. The three other stories are a little less outrageous and deal with more mundane subjects. As always, the King character development skills are in full bloom here, but the plots of these stories don't have the usual twists and turns, and are more predictable. The narrators are excellent storytellers who add a lot to the interpretation of the stories.

Four unabridged short stories
Heard THE MAN IN THE BLACK SUIT, four unabridged short stories
by Stephen King.

Although I've liked some of the movies that have been made
out of King's work, I've never actually read (or listened to) very
much by him until this collection . . . and now, having spent
several hours listening to these tales, I'm not sure I want
to read too much more by this acclaimed author.

The very first story, "The Man in the Black Suit," just didn't
do anything for me . . . its' about a suicidal father, which to begin
with, is not one of my favorite topics . . . overall, it was a gloomy
beginning to what followed.

Only one story kept my attention: "The Death of Jack Hamilton" . . . it
is about John Dillinger and Hamilton, his friend, over the last days
of the latter's life . . . I don't know if things happened exactly
as they are written here, but it didn't really matter . . . I
was entertained from beginning to end.

The other two stories were so-so, at best . . . fortunately, the narration was
not done by King but by a quartet of professional actors: Becky Ann
Bakers, John Cullum, Peter Gerety and Arliss Howard . . . they
all were just fine.

The Man in the Black Suit
Excellent Service.
The product is in excellent condition. I am sure that I will
enjoy it much. Delivery was in a very timely manner.
Thank you so much,
Dee

Overall decent, but not his best work in short story form
Stephen King's `The Man in the Black Suit' is a collection of 4 short stories from his book `Everything`s Eventual`.As with all Stephen King audio books, these stories are unabridged.

The first story, `The Man in the Black Suit`, tells the tale from an elder man's perspective of his encounter with the devil when he was a young child.The story is well told.At 9 years of age, he sets out on a fishing trip by himself, John Cullum does wonderful voice work in this audio book.

The second story, `All That You Love Will Be Carried Away`, is about a traveling salesman by the name of Alfie.Alfie is a man obsessed with the graffiti he reads in rest area bathroom stalls.Much of the story is poems you would find there.At times it seems as if this work may be Stephen King's excuse to show off his prowess in these toilet poems.The story premise is of a man's world as he contemplates his final thoughts on his upcoming motel room suicide and how it will reflect on him and his loved ones.

The third story, and perhaps the most engaging one, is about John Dillinger and his friend, Jack Hamilton.In `The Death of Jack Hamilton', Dillinger and his gang are on the run from the FBI, when Jack Hamilton is shot and wounded.What follows is the continued adventure of their attempted escape and nurturing of Dillinger's close friend, Jack, in his final days.I am not sure how historically accurate the story is, or whether the author intended it to be, but the story does a good job with it's entertaining details.

The fourth story was one I had trouble with.While the story telling was good, it still disappointed.Carol and Bill are on their way to their second honeymoon.Carol encounters an incredible amount of déjà vu's.It builds up well, and has promise, but it never really goes anywhere.

Overall, these short stories are simply OK.They are well written, and well read, but they lack some of the meat of the story I expect from Stephen King.

Stephen King keeping alive the art of the short story
First, a few words about each of the four different stories.


"The Man in the Black Suit" - 3 stars

This is a story about a 9-year-old boy who meets the Devil himself. It's a very scary experience for the boy, especially because his older brother died the year before and now the Devil tells him that his mother has just died in the same way.

This is the weakest of the four stories because the Devil, although being scary, doesn't really come across as a serious threat. What kind of second-rate Devil is it that can't even catch a boy who decides to run away from him?

In "Everything's Eventual" Stephen King writes that this story won a prestigious "best short story" award in 1996, much to his surprise. That surprises me too, because in my opinion this story is not that great.


"All That You Love Will Be Carried Away" - 5 stars

This is the shortest story (only 35 minutes) and one of the two best ones in this collection. Alfie Zimmer is a traveling salesman in the American Midwest. He has an amazing hobby and he's tired of life. But if he commits suicide, what will everyone think of his hobby?

What makes this story so good are the very detailed and evocative descriptions of the conditions under which a traveling salesman lives. Alfie's strange hobby is also captivating, as are the descriptions of the landscape and isolated towns in the bleak and barren Midwest.

In "Everything's Eventual" Stephen King admits that Alfie's strange hobby was actually something he did himself!


"The Death of Jack Hamilton" - 4 stars

This is a very unusual story for Stephen King. It tells a "mythical" story about the 1934 death of Jack Hamilton, member of the John Dillinger gang. Homer Van Meter, another gang member, purportedly tells the story.

John Dillinger, Jack Hamilton and Homer Van Meter were all real people. You can find a lot of interesting background information about them by doing an Internet search for John Dillinger.

Despite the fact that these were all ruthless gangsters we find ourselves sympathizing with them. Stephen King's approach to the story is that gangsters are also human beings. The slow death of Jack Hamilton and the efforts of John Dillinger to get him medical help and Dillinger's distress as Jack Hamilton's condition worsens are powerful images.


"That Feeling, You Can Only Say What It Is in French" - 5 stars

This is the best story in the collection. Carol was brought up as a strict Catholic, but then, during the first years of her marriage to Bill, she had an abortion. Now she and Bill are supposed to be celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary and Carol is being subjected to a horrendous punishment for what she did.

What makes the story fascinating is that it is not God who is punishing Carol. No, it is Carol, under the influence of her Catholic upbringing, who has prescribed her own punishment. And this punishment Carol is inflicting on herself is much worse than a benevolent God would come up with, even assuming that God considers what Carol did to be wrong.


In summary, two very good stories, one good one, and one that's just OK.

The four stories are read by four different professional readers. The total running time is approx. 3 hours 40 minutes, not 4 hours as specified on the packaging.

All four of these stories are included in the book "Everything's Eventual", along with 10 other short stories by Stephen King. If you want to save money or if you dislike audio books then "Everything's Eventual" is a better deal.

Rennie Petersen ... Read more