4.5
-
3,107 ratings
This “superbly crafted…extraordinary” (Booklist) #1 New York Times bestseller from Stephen King, writing as Richard Bachman, “pulsates with evil…[and] will have you on the edge of your seat” (Publishers Weekly).
Attorney Billy Halleck seriously enjoys living his life of upper-class excess. He’s got it all—an expensive home in Connecticut, a loving family…and fifty extra pounds that his doctor repeatedly warns will be the death of him. Then, in a moment of carelessness, Halleck commits vehicular manslaughter when he strikes a jaywalking old woman crossing the street. But Halleck has some powerful local connections and gets off with a slap on the wrist…much to the fury of the woman’s mysterious and ancient father, who exacts revenge with a single word: “Thinner.”
Now a terrified Halleck finds the weight once so difficult to shed dropping effortlessly—and rapidly—by the week. Soon there will be nothing left of Billy Halleck…unless he can somehow locate the source of his living nightmare and reverse what’s happened to him before he utterly wastes away…
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$2.50
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ISBN-10
1501144529
ISBN-13
978-1501144523
Print length
432 pages
Language
English
Publisher
Scribner
Publication date
March 07, 2016
Dimensions
5.31 x 0.9 x 8.25 inches
Item weight
13.1 ounces
ASIN :
B018ER7JVS
File size :
2431 KB
Text-to-speech :
Enabled
Screen reader :
Supported
Enhanced typesetting :
Enabled
X-Ray :
Not Enabled
Word wise :
Enabled
Review
Undeniable suspense. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
Pulsating with evil…will have you on the edge of your seat. (Publishers Weekly)
Genuine chills. (Kirkus)
Superbly crafted…extraordinary. (Booklist)
About the Author
Stephen King is the author of more than sixty books, all of them worldwide bestsellers. His recent work includes the short story collection You Like It Darker, Holly (a New York Times Notable Book of 2023), Fairy Tale, Billy Summers, If It Bleeds, The Institute, Elevation, The Outsider, Sleeping Beauties (cowritten with his son Owen King), and the Bill Hodges trilogy: End of Watch, Finders Keepers, and Mr. Mercedes (an Edgar Award winner for Best Novel and a television series streaming on Peacock). His novel 11/22/63 was named a top ten book of 2011 by The New York Times Book Review and won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Mystery/Thriller. His epic works The Dark Tower, It, Pet Sematary, Doctor Sleep, and Firestarter are the basis for major motion pictures, with It now the highest-grossing horror film of all time. He is the recipient of the 2020 Audio Publishers Association Lifetime Achievement Award, the 2018 PEN America Literary Service Award, the 2014 National Medal of Arts, and the 2003 National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. He lives in Bangor, Maine, with his wife, novelist Tabitha King.
Stephen King
Stephen King is the author of more than fifty books, all of them worldwide bestsellers. His first crime thriller featuring Bill Hodges, MR MERCEDES, won the Edgar Award for best novel and was shortlisted for the CWA Gold Dagger Award. Both MR MERCEDES and END OF WATCH received the Goodreads Choice Award for the Best Mystery and Thriller of 2014 and 2016 respectively.
King co-wrote the bestselling novel Sleeping Beauties with his son Owen King, and many of King's books have been turned into celebrated films and television series including The Shawshank Redemption, Gerald's Game and It.
King was the recipient of America's prestigious 2014 National Medal of Arts and the 2003 National Book Foundation Medal for distinguished contribution to American Letters. In 2007 he also won the Grand Master Award from the Mystery Writers of America. He lives with his wife Tabitha King in Maine.
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Customer reviews
4.5 out of 5
3,107 global ratings
JMD
5
so glad I found this gem
Reviewed in the United States on September 23, 2024
Verified Purchase
Great story and even a better ending. This was a surprised Stephen King find that was not on my radar but now is one of my favorites.
Cheryl Stout
5
Another great book by King/Bachman
Reviewed in the United States on February 6, 2019
Verified Purchase
I first read this book when it was published in 1984 under the Bachman pseudonym and I enjoyed it then. I thought I'd pick it up and re-read it and see if it was as good as I remembered. I think I enjoyed it even more this time around.
Stephen King, no matter what name he's writing under, is so good at developing characters. He brings to life attorney William Halleck, a man who hit and killed a Gypsy woman with his car. Yes, there were extenuating circumstances, but Halleck was to blame and through his connections got off scot free.
But the family of the woman, namely her father, doesn't agree so he does something about it and the story expands from there.
Great story, great characters, great setting (of course in Maine), and I loved the ending. This was well worth the re-read.
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3 people found this helpful
stout25
5
Brilliant
Reviewed in the United States on August 17, 2024
Verified Purchase
I could not read this book fast enough. You will not guess the ending. The plot was twisted and evil and but thoroughly enjoyable—a wild ride.
Amazon Customer
5
Aaahhh Stephen King....
Reviewed in the United States on September 23, 2024
Verified Purchase
Surprised to receive a hard cover. Arrived on time & in really good condition.
Laura
5
One of the top King books
Reviewed in the United States on October 3, 2011
Verified Purchase
I really enjoyed Thinner. It is one of my all time favorite King books. For me, I place it among the ranks of Misery, The Stand, The Shining, and The Running Man. I mean really enjoyed it. I have bought it in hardback, then Kindle version, and the audio book. The audio book was especially chilling with the eerie soundtrack played between chapters. Unlike many sound tracks to audio books, it added greatly to the story ambience and in no way detracted. I often read or listen to several books at a time, switching between them depending on my mood, but not so with Thinner. I read and listened to it all the way through in every spare moment, finally staying up too late one night to finish. It has been the same all three times I've read (or listened) to it.
I enjoyed the plot more than other King books. He left a great deal to the imagiation, such as the extent of what really happened the night of the accident, that kept me guessing (and reading or listening). And, I didn't anticipate or guess the ending. Usually halfway through, or even a quart of the way through with a less skilled writer, I guess who the bad guys are, who's going to "get it", who's going to win or lose, and so on, but not so with Thinner.
The characters were some of King's best. He has always been great at creating real characters with real motivations, virtues and flaws, and Thinner is an excellent example. Each character from their habits to their dialogue to their actions were believable. In fact, I didn't feel like I was looking at characters at all but depictions of real people doing real things.
The ending was inexpected. It wasn't a happy ending, but then again, in real life they aren't always. Some of the less than great reviews are from people who didn't like the ending. Fair enough, lets just say if you require a happy ending to your books, then this story is not for you. I found it fair if not happy. When people make certain choices, they have to live with the consequences. Sometimes those choices effect other people badly.
Overall, I found Thinner to be an unexpected and thuroughly entertaininy read, and one of King's best.
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10 people found this helpful
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