You Like it Darker

This past weekend, I finished reading Stephen King's collection of short stories entitled You Like it Darker. I loved it. The stories varied from good to great. I received my copy as a gift, but don't recall the occasion. It looked shorter than it was, but it was packed with good content. I love the image on the front - I literally mistook it for an island the first time I saw it.

'You Like it Darker' Cover

I read this on the recommendation of a friend and big fan of Stephen King. I'm a big fan as well' I've got to be honest. I have yet to be disappointed in anything he has written though I've admittedly read a small portion of his overall work. Even approaching these with high expectations has not led me to be disappointed. He's just that good. One of the best living authors out there as far as I know.

The only other short story collection of King's that I've read is If It Bleeds, which was phenomenal. It even made my top ten list of favorite short story collections.

My favorite of the bunch was also the longest of the bunch - really more of a novella than a short story: Danny Coughlin's Bad Dream. I also really liked Two Talented Bastids and Laurie. Well, I liked them all but those three were my favorites. It's always striking to me how much variety Stephen King's stories have from one another. He's not a cookie-cutter writer and is quite creative and imaginative. It keeps me coming back.

Story List from 'You Like it Darker'

I thought I'd share a couple of quotes though I don't recall which stories they were from. I noted them because they were moving. "I think most first marriages are about romance. I'm sure there are exceptions, people who marry for money or to improve their station in life some other way, but the majority are powered by the giddy gliding feeling pop songs are written about. "The Wind Beneath My Wings" is a good example, both because of the feeling it evokes and because of the corollary the song doesn't go into: eventually the wind dies. Then you have to flap those wings if you don't want to crash land. Some couples find a that tougher love just isn't in their repertoire. Instead of discussing money, they argue about it. Suspicion replaces trust. Secrets blossom in the shadows."

That was a long one. One more - quite a bit shorter: "Grief sleeps but doesn't die."

I've got Bazaar of Bad Dreams queued up for some future read - yet another collection of short stories by King. I may grab a novel next, though...not sure. First, I'm going to mix it up by reading something from another author for at least the next few books. They won't be as good as whatever Stephen King book I may have picked, but that's okay. Variety is important, too.