Comments on: TOO SOON: Scary Moments, on the Page and on the Screen.

By: online payday advance

online payday advance — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 22:20:00 +0000

I think Stephen King is amazing at all his books. I also love how he makes a movie for all of them, and how everything is so scary. I think Pet Cemetary will always be my favorite.

By: Christian Dumais

Christian Dumais — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 12:01:10 +0000

Walt: I’ve heard a few different ways for people to tackle the book. Personally, I read the main story, follow the footnotes as far as they take me, and then return to the main story. I know at one point, it’s advised to jump back to Pelafina’s letters in the back, and I’d recommend doing so before going on with the story. I know people who have read the main story without the footnotes, and then at a later date read only the footnotes. I liken the book to a complicated video game, where there are multiple ways to win, and you are guaranteed a different experience when you return to it. With that said, this is one of the most carefully crafted books I’ve ever read; Danielewski really knew what he was doing, and nearly everything has a point.

Let me know what you think of Song of Kali. I re-read one particular scene (you’ll know it when you read it) the other week and was pleasantly surprised how it holds up.

By: Walt

Walt — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 08:23:22 +0000

Christian: I have to say I have never thought that the sub-plots were meant to make me feel as if I was lost in the house. Great point and I think you are spot on. It did it’s job and after writing the above comment I started to think I might give it another shot. There were some truly spectacular moments in the book that had me fearful of shutting the lights. Any insight on how, maybe, I should go about reading it would be much appreciated. I was not sure if each plot was read completely through would they flow better? Thanks again for the insight and thanks for the great reviews. Because of this site I went and bought Song of Kali.

By: Christian Dumais

Christian Dumais — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 14:50:11 +0000

Walt: Thanks for sharing your thoughts on HoL. It’s not a book for everyone, and I’ll admit, it took me a couple of reads before I felt I had a grasp of the book’s bigger picture. I think to truly enjoy the book is to let go of what our narrative expectations and to let run with the distractions from the plot. On one level, they are meant to get the reader as lost as the characters are in the house, so that the reader is struggling within his/her own “house of leaves”; however, on the other level, they present the reader with puzzles with solutions that completely change the book. For instance, if you look for it, you’ll find a direct connection to Zampano and Truant’s mother that opens the book to a completely new interpetation.

Anyway, it’s cool that you gave the book a chance. Most people I know, after flipping through it, put it right back down.

By: Walt

Walt — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 06:42:08 +0000

Well I had high hopes for House of Leaves when I read it first but it didn’t keep me like it should have. The story itself was great even though it lost its way about 3/4 of the way through. The sub stories / journal entries, although innovative, really distracted me from the main plot line. I walked away from the house of leaves feeling like I lost too much of my free time reading something that didn’t have any answers except Why did I pay for this book? The main plot is too short and really leaves you wanting more. I really wanted to like this book but it did not do it for me. I keep saying I am going to try it again but when I think about the sub stories I get ill. Sorry to disagree.

By: Christian Dumais

Christian Dumais — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 19:06:33 +0000

Well, I just think it’s an honor to be threatened with an imaginary weapon.

I accept your knife gun, Mr/Mrs fuckall, and I counter-attack with my Axe Cannon.

By: Matt Gamble

Matt Gamble — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 18:58:50 +0000

I must agree that we need more knife guns around here, though I have yet to be swayed by the argument of a need for more giant female hygenic products. That implies giant women, which would only serve to frighten and confuse me.

By: Christian Dumais

Christian Dumais — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 18:45:20 +0000

That was fantastic.

By: Matt Gamble

Matt Gamble — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 18:13:11 +0000

Radtke?

By: fuckall

fuckall — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 02:59:34 +0000

you’re a cunt. shall we regale another boring blAgger who essentially says nothing new about anything? i wish i had a a knife gun and the advantage of close proximity. sadly, the tubes have left me with this,

a giant female hygienic product.

and, no, that is not a compliment.

By: Evan Derrick

Evan Derrick — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 20:44:25 +0000

Ok, I can see where you’re coming from Christian, and yes, that makes sense and fits in with the story. In that sense, I think this is a story that will hold up better on a second reading, as the direction the story is truly heading in isn’t necessarily the direction you think it is. When a story/TV show/movie/fill-in-the-blank-with-your-favorite-media offers you a certain expectation but then denies that expectation, your initial reaction can be one of annoyance, frustration, or even anger. Over time, you can come to appreciate such a story even more or end up hating it even more strongly. This story, I think, is likely the former.

By: Christian Dumais

Christian Dumais — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 20:36:17 +0000

Evan: I understand what you mean about the story’s ending, but structurally it works – the protagonist has clearly changed by the ending of the story. I like how the story attracts him enough to seek out the author, and how the author – and his environment – is a lumping of several horror concepts, though not enough of one cliche to hold onto; what’s important is that it’s clear something isn’t right about the author. And wonderfully enough, the situation is precisely what the editor has been waiting for.

In a way, the whole thing reminds me of the fascination of a zombie apocalypse. Everyone seems to have a way of surviving it; everyone knows what they’d do. And it seems that everyone’s waiting for it just so they can make their point.

Let me know your thoughts about his other stories. There’s one about a drifter who comes to a stranger’s house of breakfast that has one of the best endings of a short story I’ve read in a while.

By: Evan Derrick

Evan Derrick — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 23:30:44 +0000

Ok, so I got “20th Century Ghosts” from the library and have read a little in it (“House of Leaves,” sadly, is on hold 4 copies back). I really, really, really dug “Best New Horror” up until the very end. I’m with you, Christian, on the subtle effectiveness of the story within the story. He doesn’t write it out, word for word, but his recapping of it does leave you somewhat uneasy. And that unease builds as the editor seeks out the true author. However, at the end, it strays off in a completely different direction, and while I can appreciate the meta-ness of the direction he went it, it felt like an ending to an entirely different story. The unease that had been built up just kind of deflates.

Also read “Poster Art,” which is just a beautiful piece of fiction. Fantastical and heartbreaking all at the same time.

By: Christian Dumais

Christian Dumais — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 15:11:45 +0000

All this talk of short fiction has inspired me to devote the next piece to some of the best short stories.

By: Matt Gamble

Matt Gamble — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 22:48:39 +0000

He has a ton of great novellas as well. I really think those smaller works force King to be more focused, and it inevitably results in a better story. The guy is a great writer, but man he can just go off on pointless tangents.

By: Christian Dumais

Christian Dumais — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 22:13:16 +0000

I’m happy to see all the love for “The Jaunt”.

It’s funny how King is known for his verbosity, but some of his best works are his short stories. “Last Rung on the Ladder” is devastating. “Mrs. Todd’s Shortcut” is extremely clever. “1408″ is scary (I forgot to mention this on my list, now that I think about it). And “Crouch End” is a great love letter to Lovecraft.

By: Jessi

Jessi — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 20:50:23 +0000

“Jaunt” was my favorite story from that book. It actually gave me nightmares wondering what the boy saw. I’ve been meaning to read House of Leaves since my friend mentioned it a while back. Thanks for posting this list!

By: Derek Handley

Derek Handley — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 14:03:17 +0000

“The Jaunt” and “Mrs. Todd’s Shortcut” are two of my favorite short stories of all time. They’re among Stephen King’s best: effective ideas, realized well, with a gut-churning unease left behind. I remember writing whole stories set in those worlds after reading them.

My biggest scare with “House of Leaves” was due to the back cover. I was halfway through the book. I’d been reading it for a couple of hours, on my own in the house, and it was getting darker outside. I closed the book for a moment, glanced at the back cover, and dropped the book with a start: there was an image I’d never noticed before in the bottom right-hand corner of the cover. I’d always thought it was plain black, but no, there was something there. It really unnerved me. Of course it was really just an expression of the effect the book as a whole was having, but it was that little grey-scale image that stuck in my mind.

Great column, as always.

By: Matt Gamble

Matt Gamble — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 20:22:23 +0000

I agree on loving the idea of it. The story didn’t flow very well, and trying to read chapters from opposing perspectives ended up being more frustrating then anything. I never felt caught up in the story, as the whole excercise seemed more like work then joy.

By: Christian Dumais

Christian Dumais — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 15:16:22 +0000

I love the idea of Only Revolutions, but I can’t say that I enjoyed it. There are some pages that are beautiful though. I really love these kinds of experimentations; however, at the end of the day, I still want a good story I can hold on to. While I appreciate OR for what it is, I wouldn’t recommend it.

I’ve been trying to get a copy of Danielewski’s The 50 Year Sword, which was published in Belgium, I believe. It had a very small print run, so copies are generally expensive.