Full Dark, No Stars
Ratings69
Average rating3.9
15
Ratings69
Average rating3.9
"I believe there is another man inside every man, a stranger..." writes Wilfred Leland James in the early pages of the riveting confession that makes up "1922." the first in this pitch-black quartet of mesmerizing tales from Stephen King. For James, that stranger is awakened when his wife, Arlette, proposes selling off the family homestead and moving to Omaha, setting in motion a gruesome train of murder and madness.
In "Big Driver," a cozy-mystery writer named Tess encounters the stranger along a back road in Massachusetts when she takes a shortcut home after a book-club engagement. Violated and left for dead, Tess plots a revenge that will bring her face-to-face with another stranger: the one inside herself.
"Fair Extension," the shortest of these tales, is perhaps the nastiest and certainly the funniest. Making a deal with the devil not only saves Dave Streeter from a fatal cancer but provides rich recompense for a lifetime of resentment.
When her husband of more than twenty years is away on one of his business trips, Darcy Anderson looks for batteries in the garage. Her toe knocks up against a box under a worktable and she discovers the stranger inside her husband. It's a horrifying discovery, rendered with bristling intensity, and it definitely ends a good marriage.
Like Different Seasons and Four Past Midnight, which generated such enduring films as The Shawshank Redemption and Stand By Me, Full Dark, No Stars proves Stephen King a master of the long story form.
(front flap)
Reviews with the most likes.
Loved all stories, but the last one was a real page turner, I finished it in around an hour!
Full Dark, No Stars Review
1922- I loved this book. No doubt in my mind that I wouldn't read it again in the future. Learned more than I would have thought. 5/5
Big Driver- This one was the hardest to read. As a female you have to carefully watch your back in this world. The main character in this book had gotten raped and when it happened it was like a whole other person when she left. After that it took a TURN! Overall a strong 5/5!
Fair Extension- This book showed me to be grateful for what I have because I don't know when it could be taken away. The main character makes a deal with the devil then it all goes downhill from there. Don't really have much to say about this book considering it was short but I saw it as a little realistic..? 4.5/5
Lastly A good marriage- This one was also hard to read. Considering the lessons I learned this book made me a little weary because that one person you love and thought different of could be a whole other person and you wouldn't even expect it but it's a strong 5/5 !
This book wasn't excellent, but I wouldn't call it King's worst either. It consisted of four novellas that focused on revenge/retribution as the theme. You have to enjoy the detailed way he writes; the man can be - is - flat out disturbing with the details. The story titled “A Good Marriage” was just flat out chilling, IMO. It showed that sometimes you just never can really know someone the way you think you do.
1922 - 5/5 - One of the best novellas he's written, also a great movie.
Big Driver - 3.5/5 - At first I was afraid where this one would go but the last third was interesting.
Fair Extension - 4.5/5 - I haven't read Needful Things yet but this feels like a little spin on the same subject.
A Good Marriage - 4/5 - I didn't buy husband's behavior when wife found out. Nevertheless it was thrilling.
Overall this book has a very accurate title. It's been a while since I read King but I think these all are among his darkest stories reminding me of his early work where he nailed the darkness in people and the gradual loss of sanity. It's all here too.
11/22/63 was released after this book and it's considered his return to form. I think Full Dark already showed that his talent hasn't gone anywhere, this book just went under the radar because it's not a novel.
Under the Weather - 1/5 - The twist is absolute garbage, it's 18 pages long and 17 are fluff about nothing. Not really counting it into the overall rating, though, as this is a short story exclusively added to paperback version I read.
