Book Review: Just After Sunset by Stephen King

Just After Sunset by Stephen King
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Friday the 13th...an apt date for a review of a Stephen King book, no? However, if you're looking for spooky and supernatural, this is not the best place to find it. Just After Sunset is a collection of (mostly) previously published short stories that cover a wide range of themes, including 9/11, the abduction of a single woman, revenge--but only occassionally the creepy sort of SK stuff I love.

That being said, there were a few stories I really liked, creepy or not. The longest story in the collection is called "Stationary Bike", about a man on a health kick who winds up somewhere unexpected on his exercise bike. Spook factor of about 2/5. "The Things They Left Behind" has a higher Spook factor but just didn't strike my fancy, even with (or maybe because of) the emotional ties to 9/11. My favorite title in the book is "N", which offers both a good dose of the supernatural and a good story.

Being a huge King fan, I was fairly disappointed in this collection. It's not one I would add to my bookshelf. But the man sure can turn a phrase...so it certainly isn't all bad, just not one of his better offerings.

“She ran out of her marriage the way a woman can run out of a pair of sandals when she decides to let go and really dash.” (from The Gingerbread Girl)

“She didn't see him at first. She was watching the dancers. Her color was high, and there were deep dimples at the corners of her mouth. She looked nine miles out of place, but he had never loved her more. This was Willa on the edge of a smile.” (from Willa)


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