At the outset, let me say I am not a big Stephen King fan. I’ve
read a lot of his work and feel he often tends to really take a long time to tell a
story (he himself refers to it as his “literary elephantiasis”). But having
said that, I am a fan of the person as a human being and the creatively wicked
concepts that have come through from that mind. This is a mind that has made horror stories
like Carrie and Misery while also penning down such amazingly sensitive themes like The
Green Mile and The Shawshank Redemption.
The anthology collection “Night Shift” is a perfect example
of the early raw ability to keep his readers engaged. (Trivia: Most of the stories were
first published in a men’s magazine at a time when he was still broke and
trying to feed a family of four.)
I chose this book because it was one of the first anthologies I truly loved when I read it decades ago.
The young Stephen King was too obsessed with his narrative and storyline to fill it with large words and unnecessary commentary of the surroundings which could distract you… he wanted you to picture
it in your head and didn’t want that mood to be spoiled by meandering along.
As far as I know, 5 of
these stories have been made into horror films over the years. Ones that I
still recall include:
Jerusalem’s Lot -Told as a correspondence via letters and
diary entries, this follows an ill-fated man and his servant as they take up
residence in a house within the creepy town of Jersusalem’s Lot. As the days go
by, more and more strange events occur and the two realise the true nature of
the town and the secret within their own house. This story is quite creepy and
in some ways is a prelude to the hit novel “Salem’s Lot”.
