Colorado Kid

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En una isla de las costas de Maine, un hombre es encontrado muerto. No hay identificación de su cuerpo. Solo el esforzado trabajo de un par de periodistas locales y de un graduado en medicina forense logra descubrir algunas pistas para, después de un año, "Saber quién es el muerto. Pero es aquí donde comienza el misterio. Porque cuanto más descubren del hombre y de las extrañas circunstancias de su muerte, menos comprenden. ¿Se trata de un crimen imposible? ¿O algo aún más extraño...?

Con ecos de El halcón maltés de Dashiell Hammet y de la obra de Graham Greene, Stephen King presenta un relato sorprendente y conmovedor, cuyo tema es nada menos que la naturaleza del propio misterio.

151 pages, Paperback

First published October 4,2005

Places
maine

About the author

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Stephen Edwin King was born the second son of Donald and Nellie Ruth Pillsbury King. After his father left them when Stephen was two, he and his older brother, David, were raised by his mother. Parts of his childhood were spent in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where his father's family was at the time, and in Stratford, Connecticut. When Stephen was eleven, his mother brought her children back to Durham, Maine, for good. Her parents, Guy and Nellie Pillsbury, had become incapacitated with old age, and Ruth King was persuaded by her sisters to take over the physical care of them. Other family members provided a small house in Durham and financial support. After Stephen's grandparents passed away, Mrs. King found work in the kitchens of Pineland, a nearby residential facility for the mentally challenged.

Stephen attended the grammar school in Durham and Lisbon Falls High School, graduating in 1966. From his sophomore year at the University of Maine at Orono, he wrote a weekly column for the school newspaper, THE MAINE CAMPUS. He was also active in student politics, serving as a member of the Student Senate. He came to support the anti-war movement on the Orono campus, arriving at his stance from a conservative view that the war in Vietnam was unconstitutional. He graduated in 1970, with a B.A. in English and qualified to teach on the high school level. A draft board examination immediately post-graduation found him 4-F on grounds of high blood pressure, limited vision, flat feet, and punctured eardrums.

He met Tabitha Spruce in the stacks of the Fogler Library at the University, where they both worked as students; they married in January of 1971. As Stephen was unable to find placement as a teacher immediately, the Kings lived on his earnings as a laborer at an industrial laundry, and her student loan and savings, with an occasional boost from a short story sale to men's magazines.

Stephen made his first professional short story sale ("The Glass Floor") to Startling Mystery Stories in 1967. Throughout the early years of his marriage, he continued to sell stories to men's magazines. Many were gathered into the Night Shift collection or appeared in other anthologies.

In the fall of 1971, Stephen began teaching English at Hampden Academy, the public high school in Hampden, Maine. Writing in the evenings and on the weekends, he continued to produce short stories and to work on novels.

Community Reviews

Rating(3.9 / 5.0, 100 votes)
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100 reviews All reviews
July 15,2025
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This is one of the books that the King has written mainly for his own pleasure.

However, it didn't appeal to me at all.

The story might have been interesting for the King himself, but for me, it lacked the elements that would make it engaging. The plot seemed rather dull and the characters were not developed enough to capture my attention.

Perhaps if I had known more about the King's personal interests and experiences, I might have been able to appreciate the book better. But as it stands, it is just another book on my shelf that I will probably never read again.
July 15,2025
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In a charming Maine tourist town, a man's lifeless body was discovered on the beach. At first glance, it seemed like an accidental death, and there was no identification on him. However, two local newspapermen, Dave and Vince, suspected there was more to the story. With the assistance of a forensics graduate student, they embarked on a journey to uncover the truth. As they delved deeper, clues emerged, leading to an identification more than a year after the body's discovery. But the more they learned about the man, the more convoluted the story became. It was almost unfathomable how things ended for him. What really happened?


THE COLORADO KID is a short yet captivating book that focuses on a mysterious case from years ago in a small tourist town. It's a story that is sure to divide readers, as it doesn't conform to the expectations one might have when picking up a Stephen King novel. This isn't a horror story or one with paranormal elements. Instead, it's a nostalgic, old-school tale that harkens back to the books many of us grew up reading, and it ultimately led me to become a lover of crime fiction.


King chooses to tell the story of the Colorado Kid through the perspectives of Dave, Vince, and their summer intern, Stephanie. Their interactions and the way they share the town's secrets make for an engaging read. I found myself loving each of these characters for their unique voices and the way they interpreted the events.


Despite its brevity, King has managed to create a rich and well-rounded story that offers insights into the town, its residents, the case, and the main characters. What sets this book apart is its open ending. You have to be comfortable with not having all the answers and instead love the story for what it gives you. It made me think long into the night, trying to piece together how the Colorado Kid ended up where he did. For me, it was a perfect read. The powerful storytelling was enough to keep me engaged without the need for a tidy conclusion.


I appreciate that King doesn't limit himself to one genre. While he is often associated with horror, THE COLORADO KID is a mystery with heart and characters that I came to love. At the end of the day, it's these elements that make so many of King's books appealing to me. Is this book perfect? No. But as King himself admits in the afterward, you're either going to love it or hate it. I encourage you to take a chance and see where you stand.
July 15,2025
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The first book by King that I had difficulty progressing through and that in the end didn't completely please me. :-(

I was really looking forward to reading this particular work of his, but unfortunately, it didn't meet my expectations.

The story seemed to drag on at times, and I found it hard to stay engaged.

There were parts that I thought were interesting, but overall, it just didn't have that captivating quality that his other books usually do.

Maybe it was just a matter of personal taste, but I was disappointed that I couldn't finish it with a sense of satisfaction.

Despite this, I still respect King as a great author and will continue to read his other works in the hope of finding that magic again.
July 15,2025
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Only 184 pages and for seven days I have been trying to finish this book. It is so incredibly boring! I find myself constantly struggling to get through each page, my mind wandering to other more interesting things.


When I think about it, I can't help but imagine that the TV series adaptation of this book must be much better. The visual elements and the acting would surely bring the story to life in a more engaging way. I can picture the characters moving and interacting on the screen, their emotions and expressions vividly portrayed.


Maybe the TV series would be able to capture the essence of the story that the book seems to be lacking. It could add that extra sparkle and excitement that would make me truly invested in the plot and the characters. I really hope that someone will create a great TV series based on this book so that I can experience it in a more enjoyable way.

July 15,2025
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I read this some years ago and it served as a reminder.

It was a rather strange story, yet I had a liking for it.

Now that I have discovered that I can finally watch the rest of the HAVEN series, this book has come back to my mind.

I truly did enjoy the series as well.

The story had elements that were both unique and captivating.

It took me on a journey filled with mystery and unexpected twists.

The characters were well-developed and added depth to the narrative.

As I delved deeper into the book, I found myself more and more engaged.

The author's writing style was engaging and kept me hooked from start to finish.

I'm excited to now watch the series and see how it brings the story to life on the screen.

I'm sure it will be just as enjoyable as the book.

Overall, this has been a great discovery and I look forward to experiencing more of the HAVEN world.
July 15,2025
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It's not the best of King but it entertained me.

The reading flows between two elderly people who "explain" a mystery that happened years ago and of which they were witnesses.

It's well written like everything this gentleman does.

It reads quickly and leaves you thinking a little bit.

Stephen King is a renowned author, and although this particular work may not reach the heights of his greatest masterpieces, it still has its charm.

The story unfolds in a smooth and engaging manner as the two characters share their accounts of the past event.

Their dialogue and the way they describe the mystery draw the reader in and keep them interested until the end.

King's writing style is always a pleasure to read, and this book is no exception.

Even though it's a relatively short read, it manages to leave a lasting impression and make you ponder the implications of the mystery.

Overall, it's a worthwhile addition to any King fan's collection.
July 15,2025
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There is truly nothing that I relish more than listening to intricate stories while in the company of interesting people. And Stephen King's The Colorado Kid allows us to envision that we have spent precisely such an afternoon in a charming, little Maritime town in Maine. This town felt an awful lot like my old home of Summerside, Prince Edward Island, perhaps making it even more to my liking than it原本 should be.


In The Colorado Kid, there is no direct action taking place. All the events occurred years before our story commences. A man, known as the Colorado Kid, was discovered on a beach during the off-season, and no one has any clue as to how or why he ended up there. However, in the present-ish Maine (is the town called Haven? I suspect it is, although I can't recall with absolute certainty), two elderly individuals in charge of the local newspaper are passing on this story, their favorite unsolved mystery, to their young intern. They are attempting to persuade her to make their local paper her permanent place of employment.


Consequently, the "action" in this story is two old men narrating a tale to a young woman, and the story is inevitably filled with gaps. We can't really get a firm grip on the beginning or the end, and there are substantial holes in the middle that King chooses not to fill in for us. This aspect of The Colorado Kid is something that I adored, but I'm certain it will drive others to distraction. Nevertheless, despite all the holes and its unfinished and unfinishable nature, The Colorado Kid is a captivating story to listen to. King does indeed invite us to fill the holes in any way we please, as long as we understand that how we fill those holes reveals as much about us as it does about the story itself.


It's a story that tells us everything it possibly can while showing us nothing at all. And I absolutely love that.
July 15,2025
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Certainly, it is not a terrible book by any means. However, it is a very, very slight one. It gives the impression of being a warm-up exercise for what was即将到来的事情. It seems as if the author was perhaps testing the waters or laying the groundwork for something more substantial that was yet to come.


The story may lack the depth and complexity that some readers might expect from a full-fledged novel. But still, it has its own charm and appeal. It can be seen as a light and easy read that might pique the interest of those who are fans of the author or those who are looking for a quick diversion.


Read more over at my Great Stephen King Reread.

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