The Mist

This captured the essence of horror. Also, this takes me back to many, many of King's early works, of which I have read everything publishable.

Not being a horror enthusiast myself, I had mixed feelings when I first decided to listen to this audiobook. Now that I finished listening, I can now understand why Stephen King is crowned the "King of Horror." His ability to break down the human mind in moments of panic and his detailed descriptions of terrible monstrosities both contribute towards an awesome experience. Though there were a few moments in the story that felt a bit sluggish at times, I would still recommend this work to any who are interested in a introductory experience to the horror novel genre.Will Patton's narration added a lot of depth to the experience. His mature demeanor and flexible tones significantly contributes to the way he articulates each character's thoughts and actions. However, there are moments where the sudden change in emotion and volume can catch the listener off guard. Though this can contribute to the horror experience for some, it can be off-putting for others who wish for a more stable listening experience.

Great condition, New book

I've probably read this novella at least15-20 times... I always come back to it when I need a good,thrilling read...

At the end, I felt cheated in two ways.The first is that, in the words of King's own first-person narrator: "But you mustn’t expect some neat conclusion. There is no 'And they escaped from the mist into the good sunshine of a new day; or 'When we awoke the National Guard had finally arrived;' or even that great old standby: 'It was all a dream.' It is, I suppose, what my father always frowningly called “an Alfred Hitchcock ending,” by which he meant a conclusion in ambiguity that allowed the reader or viewer to make up his own mind about how things ended. My father had nothing but contempt for such stories, saying they were 'cheap shots.'"Well, yeah, his father was right. This is unprofessional storytelling. He started to write a story and couldn't figure out how to end it, but because he's Stephen King, and because lots of people would rather read a lousy Stephen King book than no Stephen King book, he gets away with it.You can enjoy the flow of storytelling and his evocation of horrible events--like the sounds approaching monsters make in the dark. It keeps you reading to find out what happens next. But nothing makes sense and everything is left hanging.The second reason is that when "The Mist" ends, you're less than halfway through the Kindle book. You have paid full price for half a book. The rest of the book is a partial sample of a book entitled "You Like It Darker." Sample chapters are annoying. But when the sample preview is half the book, that's not annoying, that's dishonest.So, 1) the preview is unsatisfying, because is an unfinished book, but we all know that going in. 2) "The Mist" is unsatisfying, because it may be all he wrote, but it's an unfinished story. And he says so himself. But we don't know it in advance, he springs it on us at the end.

This is my first time reading Stephen King and it surely won’t be my last. His writing is immaculate and the story is extremely thoughtful. The book has one of the best endings I have read, it doesn’t necessarily end the story but it is not sloppy or lazy either. This book is a fairly soft introduction to horror, if you haven’t read much horror before I would recommend it. There are dramatic, violent scenes but considering how notorious Stephen King is this would be a good start. The book is also a fairly quick read. I rarely would give a book five stars but I believe this one deserves it.

All Stephen King books, short stories, cautionary tales … whatever medium and whichever genre he chooses to display his writing … are eminently readable. The characters are as well drawn, as realistic, understandable, and as relatable as those any author ever dreamed and translated onto pages, and more so than 99% created by all other writers. This is a novelette, true unadulterated horror and not his best, yet once I read the first sentence I was as captivated, drawn in and unable to put it down as I have been by his best —- and by the best of all other great writers. More often than not his genre is cheesy, however Stephen King is a great writer, and even the least of his offerings exceed the best books and stories of the 99% I referred to earlier. If you get the opportunity, read anything and everything he has written, this story included.

THE MIST is my favorite short story by Stephen King. I first read it as part of SKELETON CREW (1985). I remember thinking, "It's the perfect length for a movie, without leaving out any details," since movies based on King stories are rarely as good as the books. (However, the movie has a much more brutal ending, in my opinion.) To this day, I'm not quite sure why I love this story so much...maybe the contrast of monsters: the ones outside and the ones inside. If you're a horror fan, you're probably familiar with this story, but, just in case...Following a monster of a thunderstorm, a mysterious mist spreads across a small town in Maine. People who were shopping at the local grocery store soon realize they need to stay inside. Eventually, the survivors find out about a military experiment called "The Arrowhead Project," which is believed to have brought numerous leviathan creatures into existence.Of course, the nightmare doesn't truly kick off until the town's religious fanatic forms her own cult within the store, and the people who still have fully-functioning brains realize they need to get the hell out of there, regardless of what is hiding within the mist.Even if you watched the movie, I'm still recommending this novella. Readers will be able to get to know the main characters on a very personal level, in a way the film could not provide.