Synopsis:
A collection of short stories.
Review:
Just After Sunset offers a lackluster selection of short stories, hardly any of which really grabbed me by the collar. Many of them had a fancy twist ending that could be spotted a mile away (“The Mute”), while others were just deadly dull (“The Things They Left Behind”).
I did enjoy “N,” which evoked the same creepy unease that I so loved in Mark Z. Danielewski’s House of Leaves. However, once it reached the final section it had no more surprises for me. “The Stationary Bike” was hypnotic, particularly because I listened to it while driving a very long stretch of I87 from Albany back to New York City. However, it just didn’t blow me away. Finally, “A Very Tight Place,” which concerns a man trapped in a tipped-over, locked port-o-potty, managed to gross me out, keep me riveted, and surprise me with some nice character touches. I think it’s the best of a subpar bunch.
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2 responses so far ↓
1 J.S. Peyton // Dec 1, 2009 at 11:31 pm
I started reading this for the RIP IV challenge and stopped at about the second story. Frankly, I was just bored. It’s been a while since I’ve read Stephen King. I was thinking this might inspire me to read some of his more recent stuff, but after this, perhaps not. Very disappointing. Hope your next read is better!
2 Superfast Reader // Dec 3, 2009 at 10:54 pm
I was listening on audiobook & kept falling asleep!
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