Everything's Eventual : 14 Dark Tales
by Stephen King
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Book Summary Information
Author: Stephen KingEdition: Mass Market Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2003-01-01
ISBN: 0743457358
Number of pages: 608
Publisher: Pocket Books
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Book Reviews of Everything's Eventual : 14 Dark Tales
Book Review: King Shows Off His Range in 14 Excellent Stories (or at least 11 or 12 are Excellent... :)
Summary: 5 Stars
14 Dark Tales require 14 short reviews:
1) Autopsy Room Four: A chilling little tale about a man who appears to be dead, but is actually only paralyzed from a snake's toxin, as he learns that he's about to undergo an autopsy. This is probably the story in the collection with the best "heebie jeebie" factor, and convincing proof that, along with everything else, King continues to be an absolute master at creating suspense.
2) The Man in the Black Suit: King states in an introduction that this wasn't his favorite short story--that he actually didn't like it much. I'm not thrilled by it either, but it's a decent enough yarn of an old-school Hawthorne variety. It's about a turn-of-the-century tyke who has a run in with the Devil near his fishing stream. Decent, but not particularly memorable.
3) All That You Love Will Be Carried Away: King continues his campaign to be recognized for having actual literary talents, and not simply being a shock-meister a la Dean Koontz, etc. King shouldn't be worried on this count; we know, and have known for quite some time, that King is a good writer, no matter what his less talented critics have to say. And yes, I am talking to you, holier-than-thou Harold Bloom. Anyways, this is more of a vignette than an actual tale; a snapshot of a travelling salesman on the night he's decided to take his life. Doesn't drive like some others, but still interesting.
4) The Death of Jack Hamilton: Here we follow the Dillinger gang as they run from the law and care for one of their own, apparently dying. Excellent little short--perhaps my favorite in this collection--gripping and emotionally moving.
5) In the Deathroom: This is the story of a NY Times journalist trapped in the interrogation chamber of a South American dictator for having passed on information to a group of rebels. Neat Buchan-like atmosphere and suspense. One character kind of reminded me, at times, of the Albino from The Princess Bride. A very good short.
6) The Little Sisters of Eluria: The heart of the collection, as it both comes near the middle and is the longest of them all. I don't know... if you haven't read any of the Dark Tower series (this was written between Wizard and Glass and Wolves of the Calla), I'm not sure if this story will be clear and compelling to you. What I do know is that, as a fan of the Dark Tower, this is a wonderful, wonderful Roland short story. Roland (the Gunslinger) finds himself injured and in the care of a pack of creepy nurses, who might not have his best interests ultimately in mind. Great stuff (for DT fans, at least).
7) Everything's Eventual: I was expecting more. The title story is about a Holden Caufield-like protagonist who has the extraordinary ability to... well... he has an extraordinary ability (I'll not ruin it here). For that ability, he's hired into a lush job which runs well as long as he doesn't ask too many questions about what he's doing, or why. King doesn't usually write with "messages" like this--about how people need to know the ends of what they're doing--but it comes across okay. Not the story I would've chosen for the title of the collection.
8) L.T.'s Theory of Pets: A little anecdote about a broken marriage that takes a horrific twist near the very end. My least favorite of the collection, though I think that King, himself, likes this one. Dunno. The ending seems sort of tacked on, to me.
9) The Road Virus Heads North: Classic King (or maybe even Bachman--he could've put this under his pseudonym easily) about a horror writer (aren't they always) who buys a disturbing painting of a wicked looking man... and then... the painting changes. This is everything you expect from an episode of the Twilight Zone, or Outer Limits.
10) Lunch at the Gotham Cafe: A divorcing couple (dissolving relationships are at the heart of at least three of these stories; makes one wonder if all's well with King's marriage) meet with lawyers at the Gotham Cafe in order to go over terms. A crazy Maitre 'd with a butcher knife has different plans for the day. Your gross-out, bloody spectacle for the book. Pretty awesome.
11) That Feeling, You Can Only Say What It Is in French: Again with the literary side of King, in which he learns that the quickest way to be literary is to be vague. Actually, this is pretty cool, again bringing up feelings of Twilight Zone classics, as a woman is trapped in a cycle of reliving the same moments over and over again. Many questions are raised, maybe one or two answered.
12) 1408: Ghost story in a hotel. Always works. This one is about a... (wait for it)... yes, a horror writer, who makes a living off of staying in supposedly haunted places and then writing about his experiences. Of course, he is actually (though don't tell his fans), a die-hard non-believing skeptic. And, of course, this is the time when he runs into an actually haunted locale. Strange, surreal imagery throughout the haunting sequence makes this one stand apart from the others. Well done.
13) Riding the Bullet: A young man hitchhiking home from college to visit his mom, who is in the hospital, takes a ride from someone whose head is attached to his body by stitches. Well, that can't end well, you'll say. Actually, the ending is a bit ambiguous. Really, King has mellowed and matured in his later years--it's fascinating to watch. Anywho, this is a fun story and quite a memorable one, to boot. His famous e-book, this is one of the best in this collection.
14) Luckey Quarter: A very small glimpse at a maid who gets a poor tip, which allows her riches, but remains a poor tip. Of all of the literary stuff that King's been stretching out towards, this is his best to date.
Overall: This is a collection that runs the gamut and shows how very versatile King has become. There are the classic horror nods, like 1408, Riding the Bullet, the Road Virus Heads North and Autopsy Room Four, each of which is distinct and compelling; the more suspense driven In the Deathroom; the surreal That Feeling...; the artsy All That You Love...; the literary The Death of Jack Hamilton; the moralistic Everthing's Eventual; and much more. Only once or twice did I find that the story came up a little bit short (L.T.'s Theory of Pets). This is a wonderful collection of distinct and diverse stories.
Summary of Everything's Eventual : 14 Dark Tales
International bestselling author Stephen King is in terrifying top form with his first collection of short stories in almost a decade. In this spine-chilling compilation, King takes readers down a road less traveled (for good reason) in the blockbuster e-Book "Riding the Bullet," bad table service turns bloody when you stop in for "Lunch at the Gotham Café," and terror becomes déjàvu all over again when you get "That Feeling, You Can Only Say What It Is in French" -- along with eleven more stories that will keep you awake until daybreak. Enter a nightmarish mindscape of unrelenting horror and shocking revelations that could only come from the imagination of the greatest storyteller of our time.In his introduction to Everything's Eventual, horror author extraordinaire Stephen King describes how he used a deck of playing cards to select the order in which these 14 tales of the macabre would appear. Judging by the impact of these stories, from the first words of the darkly fascinating "Autopsy Room Four" to the haunting final pages of "Luckey Quarter," one can almost believe King truly is guided by forces from beyond.
His first collection of short stories since the release of Nightmares & Dreamscapes in 1993, Everything's Eventual represents King at his most undiluted. The short story format showcases King's ability to spook readers using the most mundane settings (a yard sale) and comfortable memories (a boyhood fishing excursion). The dark tales collected here are some of King's finest, including an O. Henry Prize winner and "Riding the Bullet," published originally as an e-book and at one time expected by some to be the death knell of the physical publishing world. True to form, each of these stories draws the reader into King's slightly off-center world from the first page, developing characters and atmosphere more fully in the span of 50 pages than many authors can in a full novel.
For most rabid King fans, chief among the tales in this volume will be "The Little Sisters of Eluria," a novella that first appeared in the fantasy collection Legends, set in King's ever-expanding Dark Tower universe. In this story, set prior to the first Dark Tower volume, the reader finds Gunslinger Roland of Gilead wounded and under the care of nurses with very dubious intentions. Also included in this collection are "That Feeling, You Can Only Say What It Is in French," the story of a woman's personal hell; "1408," in which a writer of haunted tour guides finally encounters the real thing; "Everything's Eventual," the title story, about a boy with a dream job that turns out to be more of a nightmare; and "L.T.'s Theory of Pets," a story of divorce with a bloody surprise ending.
King also includes an introductory essay on the lost art of short fiction and brief explanatory notes that give the reader background on his intentions and inspirations for each story. As with any occasion when King directly addresses his dear Constant Readers, his tone is that of a camp counselor who's almost apologetic for the scare his fireside tales are about to throw into his charges, yet unwilling to soften the blow. And any campers gathered around this author's fire would be wise to heed his warnings, for when King goes bump in the night, it's never just a branch on the window. --Benjamin Reese
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