Eerie, honest, frightening!

Listening to the first fifteen minutes of King's latest novella were not only mesmerizing but horrifying. My knuckles were white after listening to the opening minutes of 1922. In this story we are introduced to Wilf James, his wife Arlette and son teenage Henry. In just 15 minutes my hands hurt from squeezing the steering wheel. Why? Wilf does not like his wife much. Not much at all. He quickly tells us some of the reasons for his loathing. I do not care much for her myself after listening to Wilf. But Wilf displays his revulsion for Arlette in a way different than I would. He plans, with his son of course, her MURDER. Yep, and he has already discussed her extermination with Henry before we tune in. Does Henry help? I 'ain't' telling. But what happens during those first few minutes of 1922 sets off a rocket that flies an errant path that Wilf never intended it to follow. Nor did I. Nor will you.

1922, Big Driver, Fair Extension and A Good Marriage are all fantastic stories. Some parts of these tales are very, very difficult to listen to. But you will dear reader. By turn I was sympathetic and full of hatred for the "bad" people populating Kings creepy mind. I was surprised at how much sympathy I did have for the villains. That is scarier than any BOO in the dark. And disturbing. There is no way for me to pick any of the four as a favorite. The best I can do is say I loved 'em all and will listen to them again. King gives the listener a lot to think about. The recurring theme in all four stories is the real person inside each of us. A stranger or a monster lurks inside everyone. The stranger we know least lurks in those we love most-how comforting.. Right?

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101 people found this helpful

A Dark Collection, Four Stories

King says that these short stories are about ordinary people faced with extraordinary circumstances.
The first story set in the 1920s, follows a desperate act carried out by a father and son in a frantic attempt to save their farm. They become haunted men, and although their hope was to be able to continue their simple life on the farm, things turn out quite differently for these two. I like the feeling of creepy suspense and the gruesome moments in this story, This is Mr. King's signature type of tale.
The next three stories set in current times keep the pace with the first.
The second story is about a female mystery writer who finds herself all alone with a broken down vehicle on a deserted country road. This story maintains tension and suspense throughout, keeping the reader engaged to the end. I like the way the writer makes us think he has forgotten a loose end, this keeps us second guessing him.
The third story was my least favorite. The main character who has only a few months left to live, visits a roadside stand manned by Elvid, who sells "extensions". For me, this story seemed predictable, lacking the depth of the other short stories in this collection.
The last story was also quite good; a wife learns more about her husband than she ever wishes she had. This story for me, was less about the husband's evil side, and more about the wife's dilemma. This story has great suspense and keeps the reader thinking.
Overall I thoroughly enjoyed these short stories and look forward to more from SK!

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100 people found this helpful

Compelling narratives, but a good talk spoiled

Many of Stephen King's stories scare me, but few horrify me the way these stories did. I found myself stopping my iPod a few minutes into two of the stories, and it was a couple days before I could bear to go back to them ... but the phobic attraction of King's well-shaped narrative drove me back as surely as the subject matter drove me away.

However, I found Jessica Hecht's narration to sharply undercut the two stories she performed. Although she developed distinctive voices for the characters, her tone was so chirpy that I swear I could HEAR her smiling as she read, and more than once I imagined bluebirds of happiness flitting around my earbuds as I listened. Her tone was much like the one you'd use to read the narration of Lemony Snicket books to children under the age of 8. It was so grating when placed up against very stark and dark prose.

But you'll note that not even a cheerful, chirpy reading of murderous and grisly scenes could tear me away from the stories. King's knack for turning off the lights on the everyday world to show the glow of monsters from within our otherwise familiar surroundings and people kept me "turning the page" and looking forward to every spare minute I had to let the stories unfold a little more, a little more, a little more.

I'm eyeing my neighbors a little more suspiciously this week. I wonder why ...

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75 people found this helpful

Great story, mediocre performance

How did the narrator detract from the book?

Stephen King always writes strong, capable women. This is something I really appreciate about King. However, the female narrator portrays the women in these stories as weak, high voiced ninnies. It is disconcerting and draws away from the intended characters.

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55 people found this helpful

Decent stories, undone by narration

These aren't my favorite Stephen King stories, but they're good—certainly better than his "Just After Sunset" collection. Jessica Hecht, though, sounds like she's reading Pollyanna or some other girls' adventure story instead of the two rather harrowing stories centering around women in this collection. She's probably a competent reader, but she's all wrong for Stephen King.

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45 people found this helpful

Spoiled by the "Performance" of the reader

I've been reading King for over 30 years. I am "Constant Reader" through the good and the bad.

I've been a fan of audio books for somewhat less time, but still enough time to know what I like. And Craig Wasson reading is not what I like. His voice is fine, but... I don't know how to explain. It's like he is performing, rather than reading, and I am finding it extraordinarily distracting. Had I known, I would have saved the credit for something else.

I've listened to King's books before (we miss you Frank Muller!), and enjoyed the experience quite a lot. I guess I will just have to buy this book and read it, because Wasson is lifting me right out of the story with his awful voice characterizations, bizarre phrasing, and just thoroughly distracting "performance". It ain't about you, bub. I'll be adding Craig Wasson to the list of audio book readers to avoid.

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35 people found this helpful

Full Dark, Four Stars

As Craig Wasson launches into the first lines of 1922, “My name is Wilfred Leland James, and this is my confession. In June of 1922 I murdered my wife, Arlette Christina Winters James, and hid her body by tupping it down and old well.” You can feel how much you’re going to love this audio book. Even if you feel like a sick deviant as you delight in their sinister plot lines and unshakably vivid characters.

And then, Jessica Hecht begins to warble through Big Driver, the story of a Tess, a mystery novelist, who is brutally attacked and that’s just the beginning. Though none of the women in all four stories are treated with particular care (the men don’t fare much better), Hecht’s Tess was particularly weak and a little whiny.

Wasson comes back with King’s clever take on the deal with the devil tale in Fair Extension. The story of Dave Streeter terminal cancer patient who is seduced by the idea of extending his life, this is easily the most uplifting of the four stories, and it almost feels out of place amongst the sheer dire straits some of the other characters land in.

But of course, Hecht begins to prattle and baby talk her way through A Good Marriage. Though the story of a longtime wife who makes a gruesome discovery about her husband, is hands down the most fear inducing story of the four (King states he was inspired by the BTK murder and his wife in a killer afterword), it’s the worst performance.

Thankfully, some merciful producer selected Wasson to read the afterword in which King describes the collection: “I have tried my best to record what people might do, and how they might behave, under certain dire circumstances”. He does that in spades. All in all, he written four unforgettable stories that are sure to haunt readers long after the book is finished.

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32 people found this helpful

So far So Good

I only finished with the first story, but it is very scary and nerve racking. It is much like an Edger Alain Poe story of the hunting of a guilty man driving himself to ruin. Love it so far, Very scary. Looking forward to the rest, hope they are as good as this one.

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28 people found this helpful

Craig Wasson was great! Jessica Hecht was not:(

What aspect of Craig Wasson and Jessica Hecht ’s performance would you have changed?

Jessica sounded way to happy and up tight. Some parts of the book that were really scary and awful....she sounded like she had a smile on her face when she read it. It was strange. Craig was awesome! Just like he was in 11/22/63.

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26 people found this helpful

Disturbing but not scary

A series of stories about generally good people pushed to do bad things for their own reasons (greed, revenge, survival, etc.). That idea isn't new exactly, but SK puts it to good work in these stories. With the exception of "Fair Extension" they are all even plausible, and "A Good Marriage" was adapted from real life events as SK notes in his remarks at the end. I think the most obnoxious thing was the product placement throughout the stories. Vehicles are one thing but there's really no need for name brands to explain a sandwich and drink or other minutia. I really don't like advertising stuffed into the pages of my books (regardless of format).

I enjoyed the narrators. The only thing I found somewhat lacking was the expression of emotions vocally. Their reading voices were great (I especially liked Jessica Hecht), but there were times the anger, desperation, fear, etc just wasn't there. Or at least not as I thought it should be. However it does not take away from the overall experience.

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25 people found this helpful