Everything's Eventual
Published: 19, March 2002
Author: Stephen King
Genre: American, Anthologies, Fiction, Horror, Literary, Literature, Mystery, Occult, Science Fiction, Short Stories, Supernatural, Suspense
Check the summary of this book here:
Everything's Eventual Summary
The Review
Stephen King's Everything's Eventual is a collection of 11 short stories and three novellas. The title of this book is derived from what is possibly the best tale in the collection. It's a strange story about a young man who has the capacity to influence others through symbols and writing. He tells the narrative himself, sounds like the village fool, and has the oddest job conceivable.
L.T.'s Theory of Pets is a close second. It's a narrative about marital strife, pet incompatibility, and the art of storytelling. It's quite good, far better than any storyline explanation could possibly do credit to. You'll laugh, weep, and have a good time.
The longest tale is a prelude to the Dark Tower series, and lovers of that series will undoubtedly like it. Another interesting story is "1408," which was made into a film. This, I admit, was my driving force, and it's well worth reading. Because it is a factual short tale, it has less twists and turns than the movie and concludes more neatly.
The most suspenseful story may be Autopsy in Room 4. It depicts a paralyzed guy on an autopsy table, and you don't have to be the most imaginative person on the planet to understand how terrifying that idea might be.
King discusses the peculiar process he used to categorize the stories in the book's preface (the following phrases are not precisely his words; I simply put his words in basic form): I removed all of the spades from the deck, as well as the joker. 1-13 from ace to king. Joker has a value of 14. I dealt the cards after shuffling them. Based on their position on the list my publisher supplied me, the order in which they came out of the deck formed the sequence of stories. It also served as a great counterpoint to the literary tales and the all-out screamers. I also included an explanation note before or after each story, based on which place looked most appropriate. Tarot has chosen the next collection.
There are 14 short stories in this book, and I'm sharing names and information about each one here:
01 - Autopsy Room Four
After being bitten by a rare snake on a golf course, a guy is paralyzed. Everyone believes he is dead, which is why he is in an autopsy room.
This narrative gives you the uneasy feeling that you would have if you were buried alive. King is a virtuoso at making his readers feel the same emotions as his primary characters.
This is an excellent story and an excellent way to begin the book. However, owing to the theme of this narrative and what is going on with the bitten individual, it may make you uneasy at points.
The storyline is based on the setup of Louis Pollock's short tale "Breakdown," in which the protagonist is incapacitated in a car accident and must show that he is still alive. At one point in King's narrative, the protagonist reflects his focus in a television adaptation of "Breakdown" that appeared on Alfred Hitchcock Presents in 1955.
The short tale, together with "The Road Virus Heads North," was adapted into an hour-long episode of the Turner Network Television mini-series Nightmares and Dreamscapes in 2006, and was almost as remarkable and effective in causing the readers to forget about breathing in many scenes.
02 - The Man in the Black Suit
Consider encountering the devil in a very real-world context. In a nutshell, this is the plot of this narrative. It's a lot better than it sounds. This piece earned King a prize for best short fiction, and it was well deserved.
03 - All That You Love Will Be Carried Away
A disturbing narrative about a traveling salesperson who is on the edge of attempting suicide. This is a story that makes you ponder if we all have a predetermined fate or if we have the ability to change the course of our life. An intriguing narrative, not the finest but certainly not the worst.
04 - The Death of Jack Hamilton
This narrative is based on the actual story of a member of John Dillinger's first gang's death. Normally, I enjoy westerns or outlaw stories, but King drew me in even more with this one. It was a fantastic novel, and I was delighted to read it. King does an excellent job at describing the story in the first person.
05 - In the Deathroom
An odd King narrative involving something that does not generally occur in his stories. Throughout most of the novel, however, it does not appear that this will be the case.
Again, King makes you feel as though you are the main character. He manages to make the scenario both sympathetic and terrifying.
I had a feeling I knew the twist and finale from the beginning, but I won't reveal anything here.
It was initially published in textual form in Secret Windows in 2000. As stated by Stephen King this is a little Kafkaesque narrative about a torture cell in a South American version of Hell.
06 - The Little Sisters of Eluria
This is a narrative about the Dark Tower series. I've read this series several times and want to read or listen to it again as soon as I get some spare time.
Dark Tower is a fantasy series with a western flavor, related to a gunslinger. I'd like to say a lot more about this extension of that story, but I'll let the admirers of the series read and decide for themselves.
07 - Everything's Eventual
In my view, this is one of King's greatest stories. It's about a tormented child who discovers his abilities and fights back against the bullies.
This is a guy with abilities, unlike Carrie or Firestarter. The main guy is a nerd, yet he is easy to sympathize with. The narrative will undoubtedly leave you wondering and yearning for more.
The inspiration for this short tale came from a dream about someone dumping coins down the storm drain, according to King's foreword.
Dinky, like Ted in the novella Low Men in Yellow Coats, is a "Breaker," according to Stephen King, who thereby connects this story to the universe of The Dark Tower, The Stand, and other King Dark Tower works.
Dinky and Ted also featured together as minor characters in the Dark Tower series' last novel.
08 - L. T.'s Theory of Pets
An intriguing story about the dissolution of a marriage and how dog and cat interactions are comparable to those of married couples.
I am confident that the readers will be surprised at the conclusion of this story. This is the type of story to tell over a campfire because it puts you on an emotional roller coaster ride. This story, like Everything's Eventual, is one of King's greatest.
09 - The Road Virus Heads North
This is another narrative based on a picture owned by King. Those paintings that appear to move in front of your eyes.
Unlike the other drawings or paintings, the author, who purchased it at a yard sale, is haunted by it.
After a period, he attempts to get rid of the picture, only for it to return to torment him, and the driver of the automobile in the painting tracks down the author.
The primary premise of the narrative is that we are all doomed to our own fate.
In 2006, the short tale was turned into an hour-long episode of the Turner Network Television mini-series Nightmares and Dreamscapes: From Stephen King's Stories. Kinnell was played by Tom Berenger in the episode.
10 - Lunch at the Gotham Café
This story is about a couple going through a divorce and how much of the journey is a waking nightmare. This is a twisted narrative, but you can envision something like this occurring. Another excellent story in this compilation!
11 - That Feeling, You Can Only Say What It Is in French
A woman traveling with her husband witnesses a reenactment of events, beginning with flying on an airplane and ending with riding in a limo to the flight. This story demonstrates how repetitive occurrences may be exhausting, yet it is still a good story.
12 - 1408
This is a narrative about a haunted hotel room that King began in his work On Writing. It was simply to demonstrate to fans how to compose a narrative that has been told a thousand times but in a way that makes it seem new and creative.
You nearly get the impression that this narrative is set in one of the rooms of the Overlook hotel The Shining. Anything else would ruin the plot; therefore I'm not going to say anything further.
Based on the short tale, Swedish film director Mikael Hfström adapted the film 1408, starring John Cusack as Michael Enslin and Samuel L. Jackson as Mr. Olin. It was a great blockbuster when it was released on June 22, 2007.
13 - Riding the Bullet
It began as an online book. A straightforward story about a character confronting death. He's hitching to see his mother, who has recently had a major stroke.
He falls asleep in a cemetery, unaware that the gravestone he is sleeping near is the next driver who will come to pick him up.
Alan Parker the main character is compelled to confront his mother's death. If he does not pick her to die, Alan will be the one to die.
A wonderful story that reminds us that neither we nor our loved ones are immune to death. Much better than the dreadful 2004 film adaption.
14 - Luckey Quarter
In a casino hotel, a man tips a woman a lucky quarter. She imagines herself wagering the quarter and winning again and again.
The woman has two children, a teenage daughter, and a sickly younger boy. I don't believe it's a good idea to say anything further after this to avoid giving away the entire narrative, but it was a nice story.
A pleasant upbeat narrative, which is unusual for King. Neither one of the greatest nor one of the worst.
Final Thoughts
Reviewing a collection of short stories may be difficult since there are so many stories in the book, and each one is an experience in its own right.
Three or four are absolutely exceptional, and the majority of the rest are still extremely good and well worth reading.
There were a couple of stories that didn't grab me, but the beauty of a short story is that you don't have to devote as much time, so the lesser pieces don't detract from your pleasure of the book.
Stephen King, one of the finest pure storytellers of the last several decades, isn't bound by narrative length: he'll produce short stories, novellas, short novels (like the Different Seasons collection), lengthy novels, and epic series (The Dark Tower). As a result, he can appeal to the reader in nearly any length of time and deliver.
This collection of short stories is intended for those who wish to read something in a single sitting.
King is a writer who has had his quality highs and lows, but these pieces were written when he was at one of his peaks.
As a result, the majority of these stories are decent, and a handful are outstanding. It comes highly recommended. One of King's greatest efforts to date! I'd suggest this book to anyone who enjoys Stephen King or the short tale style.
Synopsis
“Includes the story “The Man in the Black Suit”—set in the fictional town of Castle Rock, Maine
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Stephen King, the iconic, spine-tingling story collection that includes winners of an O. Henry Prize and other awards, and “Riding the Bullet,” which attracted over half a million online readers and became the most famous short story of the decade, as well as stories first published in TheNew Yorker, “1408,” made into a movie starring John Cusack.
“Riding the Bullet” is the story of Alan Parker, who’s hitchhiking to see his dying mother but takes the wrong ride, farther than he ever intended. In “Lunch at the Gotham Café,” a sparring couple’s contentious lunch turns very, very bloody when the maître d’ gets out of sorts. “1408,” the audio story in print for the first time, is about a successful writer whose specialty is “Ten Nights in Ten Haunted Graveyards,” or “Ten Nights in Ten Haunted Houses,” and though Room 1408 at the Dolphin Hotel doesn’t kill him, he won’t be writing about ghosts anymore. And in “That Feeling, You Can Only Say What It Is in French,” terror is déjà vu at 16,000 feet.
Whether writing about encounters with the dead, the near dead, or about the mundane dreads of life, from quitting smoking to yard sales, Stephen King is at the top of his form in the fourteen “brilliantly creepy” (USA TODAY) tales assembled in Everything’s Eventual. Intense, eerie, and instantly compelling, they announce the stunningly fertile imagination of perhaps the greatest storyteller of our time.”
Useful Search Related Words & Keywords
Autopsy Room, Black Suit, Heads North, John Cusack, Lionsgate, Little Sisters, Lorenzo Di Bonaventura, Lunch At The Gotham, Man In The Black, Mary McCormack, Mikael Håfström, Road Virus, Samuel L. Jackson, Virus Heads
Rating: 95/100
Recommended: 100/100 Yes.
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