From a Buick 8: A Novel

If this really is King's last real novel (the forthcoming Dark Tower books don't quite count), then he's going out with style and grace. "From A Buick 8" is a wonderfully gripping read, full of the creepy crawlies, but mostly it's a moving, melancholy meditation on time and loss, more "Green Mile" than "Christine". His command of character and flow are wondrous at times. You believe in these people; you can see them, you know them. I've always thought that was his great gift and the real secret to his popularity--his people live in the same world we do. In them, we recognize ourselves (and our landscapes), and somehow that provides solace, as if we're finally being seen and understood. (It's similar to what Springsteen does.) The scary stuff was always secondary. Anyway, this one's awfully fine. It kept me up nights--and there's really nothing better in the world than a book that keeps you up nights. (It's like having a secret power source, and is almost as rare.) There are more subtle writers in the world, but there's not another who's given me more pure pleasure. I always feel wide awake when I'm reading Stephen King, as if I'm reading with my whole self. Being one of his Constant Readers has been one of the best relationships of my life. We sort of grew up together. I think he really means it about not publishing anything else, and that's a loss destined to be as resonant for me as the ones he details so beautifully in this last, best book.

I spoke to a few people and read many reviews about this book. And they said it wasn't Kings best or really that good. I disagree, I just finished reading it. It's not an action/terrifying type story. It's a haunting camp fire story. You get to know ALL the characters and care what happens. Even the minor characters seem like their main characters. Is it a bit slow? Yes, but that's because when you learn things about people, it doesn't happen rapidly. More importantly, King brings in his trademark with Monsters. It's a story about one police department and the people involved, and they deal with loss and overcoming tragedy. It's also about a son learning about a father he never had the chance to get to know. It's about the people in our life's that are not blood related, yet they are family. A haunting tale! This is a fantastic horror story.