Last book for October; 61st for 2020.

Four Past Midnight is my third collection of stories from Stephen King. This hefty volume contains four nightmare-inducing novellas. The first, "The Langoliers," is a spectacular exploration of character. The eerie, deserted atmosphere is masterfully crafted. I was truly amazed by the setting, plot, and suspense. It's a five-star story. The second, "Secret Window, Secret Garden," is about an author threatened by someone who claims he plagiarized. It's a great psychological thriller that delves into the fear of loneliness and failure. However, the twist is somewhat predictable, a common trope in many such thrillers. The third, "The Library Policeman," shows promise at first but loses my interest halfway through. The last, "The Sun Dog," just bores me most of the time. Overall, this book started with a "WOW" but ended with a desire for it to be over. It's a bit of a mixed bag, with some great moments and some that fall flat.

This was an extremely solid novella collection from start to finish. It is also Stephen King penning pure horror stories that draw inspiration from sources such as Tales from the Darkside or The Twilight Zone. All four stories possess that particular kind of atmosphere.

It is difficult to single out a favorite among the four. For both The Langoliers and Secret Window Secret Garden, I had watched the adaptations first, and they are both very faithful, so the impact of the story twists was lost on me. My personal favorite of the four is perhaps The Library Policeman, but I can understand why many people might argue that Secret Window Secret Garden is probably the best story. The Langoliers has numerous elements that I appreciate in storytelling, like great and unique characters, mystery, and a good human antagonist. However, to be honest, the reveal at the end leaves a bit to be desired. The Sun Dog is perhaps the weakest of the four stories, but I felt that the ending was really good, so even it was highly entertaining.

Many people consider this to be their favorite of King's novella and short story collections, and I can definitely see why. Unlike Different Seasons, this is King truly operating within his comfort zone, which is horror. If you desire classic King, these four stories deliver just that. Additionally, each story packs a punch in different ways. Whether it is mental or physical trauma or brutality, each story here has an abundance of it. These are not for the faint of heart, but they are most definitely for the Constant Reader.

Update Fev. 2017

One Past Midnight: The Langoliers - 4*

This was an absolutely gripping roller-coaster of emotions and actions! I found myself completely unable to put the book down. I was so eager to find out what would happen to the characters. It was like being on a wild ride that just wouldn't stop.

Two Past Midnight: Secret Window, Secret Garden - 4*

This one was the novel I was more excited to read. I had high expectations, but I'm not sure if it was the end or something else that didn't quite meet them. Nevertheless, it was still an engaging read.

Three Past Midnight: The Library Policeman - 5*

Can a Stephen King story have a happy ending? It seems to be possible. The premise of this story is quite interesting, especially if you used to go to the library as a kid. In my case, I used to go to school libraries. My local library was quite far away and it was HUGE! I was always afraid of missing the delivery date of a book and being shamed in front of everyone. I was even afraid that something might happen to the book. Fear lodges itself in the weirdest places, and Stephen King loves to play with that. The existence of The Library Policemen is a very interesting premise. And besides just mentioning childhood fears, the characters in this book are grownups. The main character, Sam Peebles, will have to rediscover his fear for libraries and face one of his childhood fears in order to survive The Library Policeman.

Four Past Midnight: The Sun Dog 5*

It's a prequel to Needful Things and also related to The Dark Half. This is a true horror story, especially recommended if you're a fan of old Polaroids and not afraid of dogs. Read at your own will.

This is an outstanding book.

The Library Policeman truly frightened me to the core. Just the thought of that unpleasant man with a lisp makes my spine tingle with fear!

I can still vividly picture his menacing presence and the way he loomed over the protagonist.

The author did an excellent job of creating a sense of dread and unease throughout the story.

Every time the Library Policeman appeared, my heart would race and I would hold my breath, wondering what可怕的thing he would do next.

This book is a must-read for anyone who loves a good horror story that will keep them on the edge of their seat from start to finish.

It is not the first book I have read by Stephen King, but it is surely the one that has made me fully realize how the title of King of Horror is richly deserved! An 800-plus-page book read in six days, literally devoured, I couldn't wait to get home to continue reading... these, personally, are decisive factors!

I decided to read this collection of stories mainly for one reason: the story "The Library Policeman", about what would happen if a user didn't return a book on time or, better yet, what would happen if a demon became a librarian... the collection consists of three other stories as well.

What could I say that hasn't already been said about Stephen King? Finding a way to insert the paranormal, horror into absolutely normal life situations that 99% of us have experienced, a plane trip, a Polaroid, a book returned late to the library... and one of the worst nightmares of every writer, being accused of plagiarism.

Not only that... the formula for King's great success is that, apart from what is the heart of the horror phenomenon, everything else is absolutely human and realistic, written in an engaging, highly suspenseful way.

Surely my readings of King will not stop here. Now that I have discovered and rediscovered his infinite talent, I won't have enough of it for a long time!

There is an old Family Guy cutaway that vividly depicts Stephen King meeting with his publisher to pitch his next novel.

King, clearly desperate for an idea, rapidly scans the office and seizes the publisher's desk lamp.

"So this family gets attacked by... a lamp monster! Ooooh!" he exclaims, waving his hands animatedly, attempting to convey the supposed scariness and shock of his rather laughably bad offering.

Of course, this skit is satirizing King's prolificacy.

The publisher, with a defeated sigh, simply asks when he can have the manuscript.

Four Past Midnight gives a similar impression.

None of these stories quite reach the abysmal lows of an evil, murderous lamp coming to life... but this is not King at his best.

These stories were penned in the late '80s, when SK was kicking his alcohol and drug habits.

That can have a profound impact on a person's life, especially someone who has to live up to the expectations of millions.

King once said of this time period that everything he wrote "fell apart like wet tissue paper," and that self-consciousness and unease are very palpable here.

The writing is cumbersome and often lacks inspiration; few of the characters truly come alive.

The excellent characterization is typically what makes me willing to pay the price of admission.

Even if the story gets overly long and the ending disappoints, King's characters are usually dependable.

Not so in this case.

In essence, it feels as if King studied what worked best earlier in his career and incorporated those elements into the novellas, but with diminished results.

We have the small group of survivors battling for their lives against an apocalyptic backdrop a'la The Stand and The Mist (The Langoliers), a psychic child (again, The Langoliers), the tortured writer (Secret Window, Secret Garden), repressed childhood memories/using the innocence of childhood to fight a shape-shifting monster (The Library Policeman), and a rather dull Castle Rock tale about a murderous dog (The Sun Dog).

All of these stories seem to be stuck in tired, been-there-done-that territory.

I almost never accuse King of repeating himself, but this collection is nothing more than reheated leftovers of plot points from earlier, better novels and novellas.

My ratings for each story are as follows:

The Langoliers: 3

Secret Window, Secret Garden: 4

The Library Policeman: 3

The Sun Dog: 1

That gives an average of 2.75, which rounds up to 3. This is a completely average book.

Secret Window, Secret Garden is easily the best of the bunch; I have no desire to reread the others.

King Connections

The Langoliers features a mention of The Shop.

Secret Window, Secret Garden partially takes place in Derry; The Sun Dog occurs in Castle Rock. Both towns are, of course, of great significance in the King universe.

Favorite Quote

“'I'm not taking that,' Mort said, and part of him was marvelling at what a really accommodating beast a man was: when someone held something out to you, your first instinct was to take it. No matter if it was a check for a thousand dollars or a stick of dynamite with a lit and fizzing fuse, your first instinct was to take it.”

Up Next

Needful Things

3.5 or 3.75, I really can't decide.

I have a great affection for The Langoliers, and I also like The Sun Dog. Before each story, there is an introduction, which provides some background and context.

However, I stopped reading it after it spoiled Secret Garden and Secret Window. It was a bit disappointing.

The Library Policeman was also quite good. But in my opinion, the weakest story in this collection is Secret Garden. Maybe it was because it was spoiled for me.

I haven't seen any of the movie adaptations of these stories. I wouldn't claim that any of these are King's absolute best works, but they are not his worst either.

Perhaps someday in the future, I will revisit these stories and see if my perception has changed.

Overall, this collection has its亮点 and不足之处, but it still holds some charm for King's fans.

Oh dear.

Contrary to what is likely the popular opinion of many Stephen King fans, I simply did not enjoy this one. It is a collection of four stories, and I was truly hoping that it would fulfill one of my final few Book Bingo categories – a book that scares me. However, I was bored. I found it to be mundane and quite tedious in certain places. This is a rather large novel – nearly 1000 pages – and for me, it seemed 500 pages too long!

The stories vary in their horrors, but they all contain the central theme of your worst nightmare. ‘The Langoliers’ was my favorite among the four, and I still remember the television adaptation that was shown many, many years ago. In fact, I think it was probably better than the book, now that I think about it. Although perhaps it's just rose-tinted glasses, and it's likely not to have aged well and wouldn't be as terrifying as I remember. ‘Secret Window, Secret Garden’ was quite predictable. ‘The Library Policeman’ aims to strike fear into those who keep an overdue library book. And ‘The Sun Dog’ felt anti-climactic and far too long for my taste.

There is a variety of stories in here, and if you like to immerse yourself in nightmarish scenes, then this might appeal to you. Lacking in subtle suggestions, King lays out all of his ideas bare, and the dense descriptions are intended to intensify the narrative. Yet, I found this to be far too obvious for my liking, and this definitely lessened the horror behind his writing. I'm sure I will find a book that scares me and, secondly, a Stephen King book that I actually really enjoy. But at this time, ‘Four Past Midnight’ fell short. Instead, I found myself looking forward to finishing this read and am now seeking something far more light-hearted.

Maybe the horror genre isn't for me, but I will definitely keep looking. There are a great many King novels out there, and he still remains a popular choice among readers. Therefore, I will persevere with Stephen King books and rediscover him at a later date. For now, this book left me feeling unfulfilled and lethargic because it failed to get my heart racing.

I still firmly believe in the remarkable resilience of the human heart and the fundamental validity of love.

I still hold the conviction that connections between people can indeed be forged and that the spirits within us sometimes manage to touch.

I am also acutely aware that the cost of these connections is horribly, outrageously high.

However, I still maintain that the value received far outweighs the price that must be paid.

Some of these stories were just far too long.

I believe that "The Sun Dog" was my absolute favorite. It had a certain charm and excitement that kept me engaged from start to finish. Right after that, "The Langoliers" came in as a close second.

"The Library Policeman" had the potential to be really great. I would have enjoyed it much more if it had been shorter. It started off strong, but then it seemed to stumble over itself in the middle. However, it did manage to finish nicely.

"Secret Window, Secret Garden" was my least favorite of the bunch. It just felt like something I had already experienced before. There was nothing really new or exciting about it.

Overall, while some of these stories had their flaws, they still managed to capture my attention and keep me entertained to some extent.

4 outstanding novellas are offered at the price of one. It's truly a great deal. My absolute favourite among them is "the langoliers". The story is captivating and full of thrilling moments that keep you on the edge of your seat. It's followed closely by "the Library Policemen", which also has its own unique charm and intrigue. For me, this collection is easily up there with Different Seasons. Each novella in this set has its own distinct style and theme, yet they all share the same high level of quality and entertainment value. Whether you're a fan of horror, mystery, or just great storytelling in general, you're sure to find something to love in this collection.

The Langoliers: It's like a Twilight Zone type scenario, but even more horrific. If you have a fear of flying, this is definitely not for you. And if you don't have aerophobia before reading this, you might very well develop it after. That, and the perfectly logical fear of those toothy existence-devouring beasties.

Secret Window, Secret Garden: Having already seen and enjoyed the film adaptation, I wasn't certain what to expect from the original novel. I discovered that the story was more intense and claustrophobic. It's one of those rare tales that sticks with you and gets under your skin. You become poor Mort, slowly but surely losing his marbles as his grip on reality loosens. However, I think I might have preferred the film ending. That was (unusually for Hollywood) somewhat darker.

The Library Policeman: I have a hunch that this will be my favorite story in this collection. It's not so much about the scare-potential of libraries and librarians (although I can see how both can be quite creepy), but rather about the deepest childhood fears we all have. That being said, the way Ardelia Lortz exploits these fears is BLOODY SCARY! And remember kids, renew or return your books in a timely manner, or the Library Policeman might just come and visit you!

The Sun Dog: Cameras are kind of strange. Even when you understand the technology behind it, the concept that a moment, a place, a person can be frozen in time is still almost otherworldly (if you think about such things for long enough, I guess). But what if this wonderful creation turns against you, manipulates you, and tries to take on a life of its own? And what if the malevolent creature within is a monstrous dog-beast? A select few residents of a small town find out. And I never was much of a 'dog person' anyway.

Overall, it's a great collection. My personal favorite was The Library Policeman.