Just occurred to me that the couple arrived in town bickering but ended the story next to each other 🤔
Still listening to the commentary on the pod but this is great. Well, horrifying. I would never enjoy this story but i appreciated hearing it second hand.
Shaina, I am always enthralled by your commentary on King's stories. This brings back vague memories of at least one if not more copycat takeoff scripts on this King story. Not including the corn or the children, but a couple getting lead off into a deserted town out in the boondocks and trying to survive an encounter with a menacing evil.
This is my favorite post in this series so far; great job Shaina! Readers must do their part with the necessary "willful suspension of disbelief" when it comes to this story (the Children have had the town to themselves for 12-13 years when Burt and Vickie arrive, which means among other things, that the original murderers have long since been "promoted out of the system"). This story is fun from start to finish, I love how Burt keeps pushing the boundaries of common sense and delving ever deeper into a situation that is so obviously FUBAR. Clearly the road trip has driven him a little mad; boredom and irritation have had a corrosive effect on his sense of self preservation and Vicky's well being is the last thing on his mind. Most enjoyable for me was the author's ability to breath life into the dead (undead) town of Gatlin. The parallels with Jerusalem's Lot are certainly on display but with a terrifying twist of teens running amuck in an isolated rural setting. Fun from start to finish!
Another excellent commentary, Shaina. Despite me feeling like I've read a lot of King's work, I have realised that through your posts I have missed a lot, too! Bumping this story up my list.
One aspect I liked was how the character Burt had a military past and alluded to clearing out villages. He sets the tone nearly on the first page of a possible blood lust. In a way, I think it is significant that the children in the story have to sacrifice themselves at 19 as that is around the age for selective service where a young man is asked to sign up to possibly kill others and wipe out villages for the greater good. Sacrifice yourself for your country or for the corn god. With the demonic images we see in much of the West, there seems to be some overlap nowadays. I think that is why Burt finds himself lured by the corn deity into the field. He knows sacrifice and he knows killing’s role. Creepy stuff.
Just occurred to me that the couple arrived in town bickering but ended the story next to each other 🤔
Still listening to the commentary on the pod but this is great. Well, horrifying. I would never enjoy this story but i appreciated hearing it second hand.
Shaina, I am always enthralled by your commentary on King's stories. This brings back vague memories of at least one if not more copycat takeoff scripts on this King story. Not including the corn or the children, but a couple getting lead off into a deserted town out in the boondocks and trying to survive an encounter with a menacing evil.
This is my favorite post in this series so far; great job Shaina! Readers must do their part with the necessary "willful suspension of disbelief" when it comes to this story (the Children have had the town to themselves for 12-13 years when Burt and Vickie arrive, which means among other things, that the original murderers have long since been "promoted out of the system"). This story is fun from start to finish, I love how Burt keeps pushing the boundaries of common sense and delving ever deeper into a situation that is so obviously FUBAR. Clearly the road trip has driven him a little mad; boredom and irritation have had a corrosive effect on his sense of self preservation and Vicky's well being is the last thing on his mind. Most enjoyable for me was the author's ability to breath life into the dead (undead) town of Gatlin. The parallels with Jerusalem's Lot are certainly on display but with a terrifying twist of teens running amuck in an isolated rural setting. Fun from start to finish!
Another excellent commentary, Shaina. Despite me feeling like I've read a lot of King's work, I have realised that through your posts I have missed a lot, too! Bumping this story up my list.
I'm actually just reading Holly at the moment.
One aspect I liked was how the character Burt had a military past and alluded to clearing out villages. He sets the tone nearly on the first page of a possible blood lust. In a way, I think it is significant that the children in the story have to sacrifice themselves at 19 as that is around the age for selective service where a young man is asked to sign up to possibly kill others and wipe out villages for the greater good. Sacrifice yourself for your country or for the corn god. With the demonic images we see in much of the West, there seems to be some overlap nowadays. I think that is why Burt finds himself lured by the corn deity into the field. He knows sacrifice and he knows killing’s role. Creepy stuff.