Full Dark, No Stars
Published: 9, November 2010
Author: Stephen King
Genre: American, Anthologies, Fiction, Horror, Literature, Mystery, Occult, Psychological, Short Stories, Suspense, Thriller
Check the summary of this book here:
Full Dark, No Stars Summary
The Review
Stephen King's Full Dark, No Stars is a compilation of four stories that all deal with the concept of revenge. One of the novellas, 1922, is set in Hemingford Home, Nebraska, the home of Mother Abagail from King's epic novel The Stand (1978), the town to which adult Ben Hanscom relocates in It (1986), and the site of the short tale "The Last Rung on the Ladder" (1978). The collection received the Bram Stoker Award for Best Collection in 2011 as well as the British Fantasy Award for Best Collection in 2011. In addition, 1922 was nominated for a British Fantasy Award for Best Novella in 2011.
After Different Seasons (1982) and Four Past Midnight (1984), this is King's third collection of four stories (1990).
Stephen King excels at the short form, such as short tales or novellas. I believe it is because the duration serves to keep the author in control.
Stephen King's works might appear to wander at times. His talent can keep the plot fascinating even if the ultimate product is hampered by the excessive length.
Short tales and novellas force King to concentrate, resulting in a more interesting story with stronger ideas. It's no wonder that some of his finest works, such as Rita Hayworth and The Shawshank Redemption, The Body, Everything's Eventual, and Riding the Bullet, are brief.
Stephen King and Richard Christian Matheson wrote the scripts for A Good Marriage and Big Driver, respectively. A Good Marriage was released in theaters in 2014, while Big Driver was broadcast on television the same year. 1922 was converted as a Netflix original film in October 2017. The main character was played by actor Thomas Jane.
All of the novellas build up to a sense of impending doom, making each of the stories extremely compelling.
King's visual descriptions of some of the most heinous events are truly horrifying, and the images he creates in our minds are difficult to shake.
The language appears to be more mature here as well, with some of King's greatest work to date.
There is a little too much use of common sayings such as "it takes two to tango," which makes the writing appear cheaper than it is, and in the case of "1922," the phrases feel out of place and unrealistic, which I believe was done on purpose by the author to create a sense of strange and unrealistic while remaining grounded in reality.
There isn't a single one of these stories that I wouldn't grade as less than perfect, and that consistency alone gets it a full recommendation. I miss monsters and the otherworldly, but King here is analyzing the gory, dirty, and frequently horrifying "reality," as he does far too often. Even if there are no vampires or ghosts, this is pure terror.
The four novellas, or short stories, from the book, are listed below, along with some information on them.
01 – 1922
In this story, which has echoes of Poe's Tell-Tale Heart, a father takes a decision that affects not just his own destiny but the futures of at least a half-dozen other people in his life, most notably his 14-year-old son. This novella is difficult to put down because of the guilt, the intentional choices made, and the escalating tension.
02 – Big Driver
It is a very traditional vengeance thriller, although it contains a few enjoyable moments. This narrative portrays a terrifying tale of treachery, assault, rape, and attempted murder that leads to a moral dilemma for the traumatized victim and retribution and to some extent of reporting it to the police and going on with life.
Of course, revenge as an option always brings with it the law of unintended consequences that seldom permits the anticipated revenge and the actual retribution to blend as one and the same.
03 – Fair Extension
This is the shortest of the group, and it is indeed a short story, but it is a very well-written one that takes the usual selling your soul to the devil scenario and transforms it into something new, unexpected, and darkly amusing.
The discussion between the main character and the devil among us is so powerful and brilliantly written that it is simple to picture the situation, which is one of the reasons Stephen King's works are adapted for the big screen or television.
04 – A Good Marriage
This story explores how we don't always know everything about the people we care about. A woman finds a terrible secret about her spouse and then urgently attempts to escape the situation.
All four of these stories are well-written and feature believable characters. In "Full Dark, No Stars," King accomplishes a lot in a few pages to acquaint the reader with the thoughts and feelings of his characters, allowing us to cringe or cheer at their decisions.
The horror and suspense in these stories are based on everyman or everywoman making choices with monstrous consequences, rather than on supernatural or walking dead demons.
Final Thoughts
You may also put Full Dark, No Stars, a collection of four novellas, in your list of Stephen King's finest works.
Murder, secrets, family, and desperation are common themes in the novellas' tones, tale components, and styles.
The stories are extremely grim, with a few exceptions. "1922" is a period play about a father, mother, and son, and how a bequest for agricultural property threatens to drive the family apart.
What follows is an engrossing story about the high cost of committing a crime. The plot is highly intriguing and never fails to surprise. It delicately treads the boundary between the real and the otherworldly.
With "1922" and "Fair Extension," the Audiobook version read by Craig Wasson does an excellent job. He does an excellent job with male voices and creates distinct characters, making listening much easier.
With "Big Driver" and "A Good Marriage," Jessica Hecht does a respectable job. However, some of her narration makes the female characters appear weaker than they are because her main characters' voices are a little too soft and girlish, but it was still an amazing experience.
Overall, this is an excellent book and Audiobook. It's a quick read or listen, but the stories, characters, events, and images are more likely to stick with you than many of Stephen King's other works.
This is a novel that deserves all of the praise from any Stephen King fan, and I wholeheartedly recommend it.
Synopsis
“From the #1 New York Times bestselling author Stephen King, four “disturbing, fascinating” (The Washington Post) novellas—including the story “1922,” a Netflix original film—that explore the dark side of human nature.
“The pages practically turn themselves” (USA TODAY) in Full Dark, No Stars, an unforgettable collection centered around the theme of retribution.
In “1922,” a violence awakens inside a man when his wife proposes selling off the family homestead, setting in motion a grisly train of murder and madness.
In “Big Driver”, a mystery writer is brutally assaulted by a stranger along a Massachusetts back road and plots a revenge that will bring her face-to-face with another stranger: the one inside herself.
In “Fair Extension,” making a deal with the devil not only saves a man from terminal illness but also provides rich recompense for a lifetime of resentment.
In “A Good Marriage,” the trust forged by more than twenty years of matrimony is irrevocably shattered when a woman makes a chance discovery leading to the horrifying implications of just who her husband really is.
Like Different Seasons and Four Past Midnight, which generated such enduring hit films as The Shawshank Redemption and Stand by Me, King’s Full Dark, No Stars is a “page-turner” (The New York Times) “as gripping as his epic novels” (St. Louis Post-Dispatch), and “an extraordinary collection, thrillingly merciless, and a career high point” (The Telegraph, UK).”
Useful Search Related Words & Keywords
Deal With The Devil, Different Seasons, Full Dark, Good Marriage, Highly Recommend, Human Nature, Long Time, Ordinary People, Past Midnight, Serial Killer, Thomas Jane, Well Written
Rating: 95/100
Recommended: 100/100 Yes.
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