I figured that I would try the Short Story route with Mr. King the second time around. Although there are some very good stories, there are a few clunkers which just did not maintain my interest. Jerusalem's Lot just never seemed to grab my attention and merely seemed to be a blah blah blah in my memory blanks. Night Surf does not say anything of consequence and Trucks is incredibly insane where nothing connects. It just seems as if the Trucks go crazy destroying everything yet how does one man even attempt to defuel them. Maybe I am not getting this one but I'm sure others feel the same.Quitters, Inc. leaves a good message in between the horror stating that you must have a strong willed attitude when you committ to doing something. The Ledge is another winner where control is a key element and strength of character perserveres. The imagery of the spooky town and blood sucking vampires is very captivating in One For The Road. I Know What You Need and The Man Who Loved Flowers are interesting especially for those of us who are looking for love and tired of being told "I am seeing someone else." Last Rung On The Ladder and The Woman In The Room deal with some sad issues involving family that people need to deal with better.
If nothing else, the vivid horrific imagery of Stephen King makes this collection a good read. Even on some of the middle of the road stories such as The Mangler, Battleground, and Children Of The Corn, the various scenes are fairly captivating even if the overall plot is questionable. Combine this with several captivating stories and a few clunkers, a 3 1/2 star grade seems about fair.
