The Colorado Kid
Published: 4, October 2005
Author: Stephen King
Genre: Crime, Detective, Fiction, Hard-Boiled, Horror, Literature, Murder, Mystery, Serial Killer, Suspense, Teen, Thriller, Women’s
Check the summary of this book here:
The Colorado Kid Summary
The Review
Stephen King's mystery thriller The Colorado Kid was released in 2005 under the Hard Case Crime label. Joyland, Stephen King's next Hard Case Crime novel, was released in June 2013. In May 2019, Hard Case Crime released The Colorado Kid in an illustrated paperback version. I had a great time reading this book. While watching the Syfy series "Haven," which is based on Stephen King's "The Colorado Kid," I became captivated by this novel.
If you read the novel first and then watch the program, there's a good possibility you'll enjoy "Haven" even more. The show's writers performed an excellent job of sifting through the labyrinth of mystery surrounding the major event of the Colorado Kid.
But fans of Syfy's Haven should be aware that the show appears to be based on this novel. That's a stretch; it'd be nice to say it's influenced by The Colorado Kid, but nothing in this book will help you comprehend the show, which is why I said you'll like it even more since the idea is there but the book isn't. That's why, unlike with other media tie-ins, I didn't offer a link to the show.
Returning to the novel, I enjoy Stephen King's writing style as always, and I appreciate his explanations to the readers about the plot.
And I understand. I loved the metaphor at the conclusion of the narrative because it served as a sort of resolution to the continuous mystery, which, I believe, is similar to daily existence. There are certain things in life that we cannot understand or for which we have no solutions, yet we face them every day.
This is a novella based on one of Stephen King's short works. Unlike much of his work, there are no overt supernatural elements, yet the supernatural may be involved because it was written by the master, and you may discover after a few years in another novel that something otherworldly triggered the events in this book.
The location of The Colorado Kid appealed to me the most: a little community on a Maine seaside island. The artistry of the author's portrayals is stunning.
His three central characters, two senior newspapermen and their young female aide are likable and convincing. This is a tale that will linger in your mind for a long time.
The author did not tell the readers what they should believe; instead, he left the mystery to the reader's imagination. And it was fantastic! I wish there were more novels written like this. This is the sort of book I could read every day.
Author masterfully constructs a framework tale around a wholly "told" mystery storyline - we never see any of the persons engaged in the mystery, and the entire story is "told" to a young female Midwestern acquaintance by two old men who are involved in journalism.
The ultimate brilliance of Stephen King's presentation is in enthralling us with the "mystery" that the old men have with the young lady in order to pique and maintain our interest in the three "real-time" characters, which he depicts extremely neatly and efficiently.
Stephen King's treatment of "voice," particularly in his depiction of Downeast accent, is outstanding.
Most writers would tell you that dialect is treacherous ground, and Stephen King discusses it in "On Writing" - attempting to express any lengthy piece in an authentic representation of any regional or ethnic accent almost dooms the conversation.
But Stephen King manages to suggest to the reader how these characters sound, then appropriately and cautiously strengthens it with irregular linguistic recreations, and the spell is done - every time Vince and Dave speak, I hear the down Maine twang as clearly as if I were listening to them myself, somewhere up down? The coast, perhaps near Wiscasset.
Normally, I despise open-ended books or those that finish on a cliffhanger, but I really like this one.
I appreciate the way the author constructs his novels, with such rich characters and details that immerse you in the setting and make you feel as if you are sitting right there listening to the dialogue.
This narrative was refreshing to me because it dared to tell a story without neatly tying up the ends, addressing all the questions, and then using that story to make a point and define the two forms of storytelling.
Final Thoughts
I don't think this is a spoiler, but rather open information to readers who read this novel and didn't comprehend it or the open-ended conclusion that wasn't really an ending but a beginning, so everyone has to realize that the tale is not about the Colorado Kid.
It's about a young lady, Stephanie, coming to accept the town and, in turn, the community accepting her.
The Colorado Kid is a deception. The Colorado Kid is the mechanism employed to convey Vince and Dave's acceptance, and Stephanie embraces it as she accepts her new role as a "townie."
If the readers understand what I'm saying, they will not feel tricked at the conclusion of the story and will instead feel and think about life and the metaphors the author employs to make us view the world in new ways.
The mystery is interesting, and the ending is a double-edged sword in that to comprehend it, you must first comprehend life or be a philosopher, as this is how life frequently works.
If you're seeking for a great example of Stephen King's narrative abilities, his talent for establishing personalities, and his unmistakable style of narration and scenario setting, go no further. As Vince, Stephanie, and Dave alternately exclaim, school is in session.
This is not a traditional mystery narrative, despite the fact that it is about a mystery. The author makes it clear right away.
This is just a heads up. Yes, there is some form of a victim. And there's no denying that there's a puzzle to be solved.
However, there are no suspects, minimal action, no hard-boiled by the book flatfoots, no down-on-his-luck private eye looking for atonement, and no femme fatale.
There is a fantastic story here. One that, as Vince points out, isn't perfect. If you're looking for a classic mystery, try an Agatha Christie or a grim Dashiell Hammett. This isn't one of those tales. However, it is a story definitely worth reading.
Synopsis
“On an island off the coast of Maine, a man is found dead. There's no identification on the body. Only the dogged work of a pair of local newspapermen and a graduate student in forensics turns up any clues.
But that's just the beginning of the mystery. Because the more they learn about the man and the baffling circumstances of his death, the less they understand. Was it an impossible crime? Or something stranger still...?
No one but Stephen King could tell this story about the darkness at the heart of the unknown and our compulsion to investigate the unexplained. With echoes of Dashiell Hammett's The Maltese Falcon and the work of Graham Greene, one of the world's great storytellers presents a surprising tale that explores the nature of mystery itself...”
Useful Search Related Words & Keywords
Case Crime, Coast Of Maine, Colorado Kid, Found Dead, Hard Case, Loosely Based, Man Found, Pulp Fiction, Real Life, Short Story, Small Town, Vince And Dave, Waste Of Time, Weekly Islander
Rating: 80/100
Recommended: 90/100 Yes.
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