Full Dark, No Stars - Stephen King

A collection of short fiction, one of which I'd already read.  But Stephen King is to my mind the Number One living writer in English.  No one else has come anywhere near his output of hits across a surprising number of lengths, forms and genres.

Full Dark, No Stars is essentially a book about marriage. '1922', which I read as a standalone novella last year and which is therefore reviewed earlier on this blog, is about a poisoned relationship.  'A Good Marriage' is what it says on the tin, with a killer twist.  'Big Driver' is a revenge tale in which the ill-starred union which resulted in the 'Big Driver' is the nexus - and again it's the twists that make it.  'Fair Exchange' is perhaps the weakest of the four feature stories - a Faustian deal to make a marriage better by sabotaging the marriage of another.  A bonus short story, 'Under the Weather', is in keeping with the marital theme.  All would be hunky dory with the Franklins on the fifth floor, if only the other tenants hadn't started to complain...

OK, not the master's finest work, although I would argue that '1922' comes close.  Nevertheless, thoroughly engrossing and far better than anyone else is offering.

1922 - Stephen King

Originally collected in Full Dark, No Stars (2010), this is now published as a single novella by Hodder and Stoughton in the UK.  It's the first straight horror fiction by King I have read in probably twenty years, but as with Joyland (reviewed last year) I fell immediately back into the sheer visceral pleasure I experienced back in 1977, reading Carrie on the train home from Middlesbrough.

From the beginning of his career King has been a master storyteller, particularly fine in first person narration which, on reflection, I guess most of his shorter works are.  Here, the narrator is Wilf James of Nebraska, a farmer who has lost his farm, lost his family, lost his left hand, and who is now confessing all his sins in a lonely lodging house room.  Only he is not quite alone - and more visitors are making their way down the passage.

The story itself is fairly standard.  It's what King does with it that makes it special.  The stoicism of Wilf is standout.  I also loved the conception of the Conniving Man within us all.  The evocation of period is, it goes without saying, perfect, the characterisation superb.  I loved every second of this book.  A gem.