EVERYTHINGS EVENTUAL by Stephen King
 originally reviewed on my personal blog. | Everything’s Eventual : 14 Dark Tales By: Stephen King 9780743457354 Published by: Pocket Genre: Pages: 608 Author’s Website: Author’s Twitter: Facebook: Recommendable for people who: enjoy short stories, scary, and Stephen King enthusiasts! |
Synopsis: (From the Flap)
The first collection of stories Stephen King has published since Nightmares & Dreamscapes nine years ago, Everything’s Eventual includes one O. Henry Prize winner, two other award winners, four stories published by The New Yorker, and "Riding the Bullet," King’s original e-book, which attracted over half a million online readers and became the most famous short story of the decade. "Riding the Bullet," published here on paper for the first time, is the story of Alan Parker, who’s hitchhiking to see his dying mother but takes the wrong ride, farther than he ever intended. In "Lunch at the Gotham Cafe," a sparring couple’s contentious lunch turns very, very bloody when the maitre d’ gets out of sorts. "1408," the audio story in print for the first time, is about a successful writer whose specialty is "Ten Nights in Ten Haunted Graveyards" or "Ten Nights in Ten Haunted Houses," and though Room 1408 at the Dolphin Hotel doesn’t kill him, he won’t be writing about ghosts anymore. And in "That Feeling, You Can Only Say What It Is in French," terror is deja vu at 16,000 feet. Whether writing about encounters with the dead, the near dead, or about the mundane dreads of life, from quitting smoking to yard sales, Stephen King is at the top of his form in the fourteen dark tales assembled in Everything’s Eventual. Intense, eerie, and instantly compelling, they announce the stunningly fertile imagination of perhaps the greatest storyteller of our time.
My thoughts: {this is actually a repost from HERE}
Stephen King’s Everything’s Eventual – 14 Dark Tales
Can I just say “I love this man” He has entertained my imagination for as long as I can remember, and is probably the one MOST responsible for my love of books and short stories. I might even venture to say; he is the one that inspired me to write my own stories and books, though Im not yet brave enough to even attempt to be published. I love this man. If you, like me, love Stephen (hell even if you just like to read biographies, or are interested in writing fiction) I really suggest you buy Stephen King – On Writing. It is full of tips on getting into the business of writing, but more so, it lets you get to know the man.
OK, back to what I wanted to write…Stephen King’s Everything’s Eventual – 14 Dark Tales I love short stories. I have so many anthology books. ehhhh.. Anyway, for me there is just something about being able to sit down and read and ENTIRE story from beginning to end in one sitting that is wonderful. I also love scary, intense, thrilling, THINKING stories (thus I love Stephen King). So when I saw this lovely on sale for only $4 at Wal-Mart, well, I was on that like butter on toast! I’m currently on pg 145, and starting a story called The Little Sisters of Eluria.To recap so far.
I loved the introduction. Stephen has a knack for bringing you into the train of thought he was in, when he wrote each book. Sometimes even, teaches you a thing or two about the art of writing. I personally like reading the introductions almost as much as reading the books themselves. Did I mention I love this man?
The first story, Autopsy Room Four kind of creeped me out. Though predictable, and I knew the ending long before I read it, I still enjoyed this story. I love that you just never know what direction Stephen will take a story to, and the premise of this story had so many possible ways to turn…. Yup, I read it in like an hour.
The Man in the Black Suit – omg, this one geeked me OUT. I had heard a story similar to this when I was young and even had something eerily similar happen (well, not THIS bazaar).
If I may elaborate a smidge… When I was little (say 4-9) we lived way out in the country between two little hick towns called Morganfield and Uniontown, KY. Our only neighbors were the squirrels and rabbits. Well our house really was situated next to an old Indian burial ground. [*google Indian burial grounds in UNION COUNTY Ky, I’m sure you’ll find something, there was a big tadoo over some stolen artifacts that folks had dug up to sell thus ruining this burial ground] Anyway, to set this scene for you, our little house sat upon a small sloping hill. At the base of this hill was a creek that flowed between 2 ponds. It was down in a gully almost, you had to climb down a hill on both sides to get to the creek. Being kids, and bored with no neighbors for miles, my sister and I often found ourselves down in that creek fishing, swimming, doing all things little country kids do. As I said this creek ran between two ponds. If you followed the creek long enough (a good hour and a half walk) you would eventually come to my best friends farm. My sister liked my friends older brother, so you can imagine we walked this creek bed A LOT when I was little. When I got up to being a little older maybe 7, I got brave enough to make this walk alone. There were lots of times, after a big rain that we would find arrowheads and things on the creek banks. Big rains would make the creek rise and wash away the banks. After big rains were when we LOVED to go swimming. We would have to swing down holding on to the small trees because the banks would be muddy but the water was always best after a big rain. You didn’t have to worry about water snakes, and SOMETIMES you would find good stuff. [God, I miss those days of freedom, I really do. I wish my kids could enjoy the country youth I had instead of all these Nintendo games and tv shows.] Daddy would always be mad at us if we brought home the arrow heads that washed up after the rains. He always made us take them back down the bank and shove them back into the mud of the banks. “Its just wrong, now take it back.” I didn’t understand those words then, but I do now. One day, it must have been a Sunday because we’d had lunch at Granny’s house in town. That’s what we did on Sundays, church and Granny’s. One day, I decided to sneak to my friends house. Daddy didn’t like us to go because it was so far, and following the creek took us straight through the woods. If anything were to ever happen, no one would EVER know because there was NO ONE around to hear you if you needed help. When you’re a kid though, you don’t understand these things. On this occasion, I decided to go see my friend. When I slid down the bank I found the most beautiful arrow head I had ever seen. It wasn’t cracked and broken like the others, it was shiny black not dingy. I knew I wasn’t supposed to keep it, but I did. My intentions were to show it to my friend before I put it back in the bank. I knew daddy would NEVER let me keep it. After I’d walked a good ways down the creek I got THAT FEELING. You know, the feeling you get when someone is watching you. I looked, but saw nothing so I kept walking. As I walked I found my hand in my pocket stroking that arrowhead. I almost felt like IT was watching me. Stroking it made me feel better. After a few minutes, I couldn’t stand it any longer and I spun around REAL FAST to try to catch my sister sneaking up on me. I just KNEW that’s who was following me. Just barely in my line of site, I promise you, there was an Indian there. I couldn’t see his face he was too far away (I’ve always had bad eyes). He was standing barely in my line of sight on the OTHER bank of the creek. I could see long hair, no shirt and tannish looking shorts? a skirt? I couldn’t tell. But I felt… I felt in trouble. You know the feeling you get when you break something you never should’ve been playing with to start with. That’s the feeling I had. I was frozen. There I stood, holding this arrowhead in my hand looking at (in my opinion) who it belonged to. I couldn’t believe what I saw, and of course I did the only thing my mind would let me reason to make the whole situation right itself. I jumped into the creek and buried that arrow head in the bank as quick as I could. When I looked back up, the man was gone. Had I imagined it? Honestly, I don’t know. Its possible that hearing my dad tell me taking those heads were “just wrong” made my guilt over not putting it back make it all up. I’ll concede that. But maybe just maybe, that day wasn’t my guilty conscience. All I know for sure, is when I got home I got a good old time country wooppin’ for getting my clothes so dirty, for being that far down the creek, and for taking that arrow head when I knew I shouldn’t have. I know I learned my lesson. I NEVER even picked up another arrowhead after that day. HONEST.
All That You Love Will Be Carried Away – I loved this story. The idea of collecting the scribblings on restroom walls was fascinating to me, and now I find myself paying more attention to what’s on the stall doors, then taking care of my business. lol.
The Death Of Jack Hamilton – this was a good read. Being one who now reads alot of LOCAL history (I hated history in school) I knew a little of John Dillenger and his gang. SO I really liked being able to add the facts to this imaginative exploration of what COULD have happened.
In the Deathroom - I loved this story! I sat in the car while my hubby went for an interview. (He’s looking for a better paying job.) I read the entire story while he was inside. It was a mini actiion movie in my mind. LOL..
That brings us up to where I am now. Hurry and grab the book, and read along with me! I would love to hear your thoughts on the stories as we go!