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Four Past Midnight

Based on an average of my rating it comes to 3.4 stars for the entire book.

I’ve revisited some familiar stories recently, and I’ve found that listening to audiobooks adds a unique dimension to the experience. The nuanced performances by various narrators bring elements of the tales to life in unexpected ways. Each narrator infuses their own style, which can significantly alter the listener’s perception of the story. The variety of genres—ranging from fantasy to science fiction, and even horror—makes each listen an adventure in itself.

**4.5 stars: ‘The Langoliers’ narrated by Willem Dafoe.** This story remains one of my top favorites, a gripping staple that never fails to entertain me. Dafoe’s vocal delivery is fantastic; he possesses a remarkable ability to build tension, which is crucial as the passengers begin to unravel the mystery of their predicament. The narrative follows a routine flight that unexpectedly descends into terror as the characters grapple with their bizarre situation: they’ve become lost in an unsettling limbo, with no clue as to the fate of the other passengers. The ensemble cast portrays a diverse array of personalities, each contributing to the overall tension and suspense as they navigate their harrowing circumstances.

**2.5 stars: ‘Secret Window, Secret Garden’ narrated by James Woods.** Unfortunately, this story has never resonated with me, and my feelings haven’t changed in this audio format. Despite my appreciation for the source material, Woods’ narration falls a bit flat—it lacks the engaging energy I hoped for. The plot centers on a tense standoff between a writer and an enigmatic figure who claims that the story has been stolen from him, leading to dangerous consequences. While this concept draws parallels to other King tales I’ve enjoyed, it ultimately fails to stand out, leaving me wanting more depth and excitement.

**4.0 stars: ‘The Library Policeman’ narrated by Ken Howard.** Upon starting this narration, I couldn’t initially place Ken Howard, but once I recognized his distinctive voice, I became completely immersed. His performance was a joy to listen to, effectively bringing the characters and their eerie world to life. This slowly unfolding tale lingers with an unsettling sense of dread. The local library, typically a sanctuary for readers, is depicted as a place harboring dark secrets and lurking dangers. Howard expertly balances the mundane and the sinister, making for a vampire story that surprises with an ingeniously hidden twist. The characters are intricately developed, each contributing peculiarities that enhance the overall chilling narrative.

**2.5 stars: ‘The Sun Dog’ narrated by Tim Sample.** While I couldn’t recognize Tim Sample’s face, his narration is solid; he delivers the story well, even if it didn’t particularly captivate my attention. The pacing here is slow, evoking a sense of anticipation as it connects to other stories within the King universe, which I find intriguing. The plot revolves around a boy who receives a seemingly perfect camera as a birthday gift, but like many King stories, it hints at underlying ominous themes. As the boy interacts with the camera, he begins to unravel a potentially malevolent tale that he wishes to leave unfinished. Although I appreciated the connections to other narratives, the story didn’t quite hold my attention as much as I had hoped.

Listening to these stories, especially if you’ve read them before, is likely to evoke similar feelings and nostalgia. Stephen King has consistently offered me gripping tales throughout the years, and I keep returning to his work because of the satisfaction it brings. If you haven’t yet explored his audiobooks, I wholeheartedly encourage you to dive in—you’ll likely find as much to enjoy in the spoken word as you have in the written page!

My rating: 😚😚😚

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Mile 81

mile 81Mile 81
by Stephen King

 

As short stories go this was a good one. The action takes a short time to start and though you don’t get e chance to get to know the characters well you still like them. This is more like the King I have always loved then some of his more recent endeavors.

 

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

 

 

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‘Salem’s Lot

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‘Salem’s Lot

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Stephen King at his best. This is a vampire story that does not have a happy ending or nice vampires. These are the old vampires who just want to kill and create more as they go. The characters are good and very realistic for the time and place that they occupy. It is very much a product of the time that it was written in but does still hold up well.

Ben Mears has returned to Jerusalem’s Lot to exorcise the ghosts of his past. He had a terrifying experience in the local haunted house as a child and wants to write that terror away. What he could not have foreseen is that a new terror has come to take up residence in the Lot and it is something he would never believe could happen. The haunted house has been bought by some foreign gentlemen and soon things start to happen. People are missing for no reason that anyone can figure out at first, but then it becomes plain what is happening.

This may not be one of the greatest novels ever written to some but it is one of my favorites because I love a good vampire story and he told one here. This had an evil vampire who wanted to take the town and everyone in it as his own. There was more than one hero, though Ben was the main one, and they are flawed but brave in the face of certain defeat. It does kind of remind you of Bram Stokers Dracula with a modern face on it. Look at the characters and you can actually line them up from book to book. I have read both and like it. I would recommend it!

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The Stand

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The Stand

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

 

I listened to this book this time around after having read it 3 times over the years. It is a story that you find something new in each time you read it. The characters are well written and fleshed so that you get to know them on a deep level. The story is not really scary but has elements that can make you feel uncomfortable or want to look over your shoulder for the bad. Even though it is only a story you can imagine it happening in your world. This seems to be a character study of sorts because you have so many personalities.

A deadly virus is let out into the world because our government cannot seem to keep their word about not creating things that could kill large numbers of people. Around the country people are dying from a superflu and while some are immune they start to dream of two people who they cannot be sure are real. One is an old black woman named Mother Abigail to tells them to come see her in Nebraska, the other is a dark man who scares most but is calling people to him in the west. The good and the evil are bringing together their forces to battle, or so it seems.

For me this is one of his best but I have read most of his work and love it. Try this if you have not read anything else by him.

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It

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It

by Stephen King (Goodreads Author), Steven Weber (Narrator)
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I have read this book 4 times and enjoyed it every one of those times. This reading was different because I got to hear it in a different way. Steven Weber did a great job of conveying the feelings of the children and the menace that was projected by It in all Its guises. The book is epic in how it handles the fright of the kids, the disintegration of their safe world, and how they handle something that would drive an adult crazy. There are also some low-key references that a true fan of Stephen King novels will pick up on more readily when listened to it.

In the summer of 1958 seven children were drawn together by an evil that had festered in their town long before they were born. Each of them had experienced a frightening apparition that they could not explain and did not want to believe was real. People, kids are dying or disappearing and nobody knows what is happening.

Fast forward 27 years and those seven kids are now adults and being called back to finish what they started. But can they really best a creature that has only been truly seen by children or are they going to their deaths.

What more can be said other than I love this and while it is not super scary, it is creepy, and disturbing on a lot of levels.

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Books to Movies

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I was at work the other day and we got to talking about books we had read and loved,  I mentioned Stephen King’s “IT” and said that the mini-series they did based on it was a big disappointment. The only thing I had liked about it was Tim Curry as Penny wise the clown because they had cut it up so much they lost a lot of what made it so good, and I was kind of shocked to be told that it was one of the best and scariest movies they had ever seen. I wasn’t surprised to find out that they had never read the book before seeing it and had not taken the time to read it after seeing it.

I have always loved movies whether television or the big screen. I have always been fascinated by the creative process and how they created the various worlds that I was able to immerse myself into. Now, I know that writing a script and writing a book are very similar but there seem to be subtle differences in how you go about making things tangible for your audience.  My problem, and maybe a few people would agree with me, is when the two are merged.  Books are an easy source for movie makers and many writers dream of having their work optioned by a studio. It means that they have created something that can really get to the widest audience which can only increase interest in their work, or at least that’s the hope. What film makers do after they get the book option is what bothers me. I cannot claim to be an expert or anything, but I really hate seeing books that I love turned into mediocre pap.

I understand the the concept of ‘artistic license’ but why bother saying a movie is based on a book if you only take the basic idea and title. When an author gives permission to do their book it sometimes is better if they are also given the option to write the screenplay for that work. I understand it is not always possible but they at least understand the story and can give their fans a real look at the book. Screenwriters have usually not read the book, though some are fans of their material like Peter Jackson who did a fantastic job with the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Over the years I have seen what I thought were good adaptations such as ; The Exorcist,  Carrie, Harry Potter, Jurassic Park, and The Stand (mini series). I have also seen some less than great ones like ; IT (mini series), The Shining (Stanley Kubrick), Interview with the Vampire, and Queen of the Damned. The problems with the movies I did not like run the gambit from bad casting decisions to making changes to characters and the setting.  I used to be excited when I heard a book I was reading or had read was being made into a movie, now I can only think about what they are going to do to ruin it. Maybe I just take it all a little to personal but the fact that they can have the perfect template for a story and still mess it up amazes me.

Cover of "The Shining [Blu-ray]"

Cover of The Shining [Blu-ray]

 

Just a little rant because I read World War Z and though I have not seen the movie yet I can tell just from the trailers that they have changed a great deal to add a story of family. And now that they have cast Fifty Shades of Grey, and I of course do not agree with their choices, I have another adaptation to look forward to or dread.