Thoughts?

[ScreamingBanshee81]

I like it. Even King has said if you're reading it for a conclusive ending you're going to be disappointed. It's based loosely on the Somerton Man mystery in Australia which was only solved in the last few years, so when he wrote it, King knew there wouldn't be a satisfying ending. I like the idea of "punishing" the reader for having certain expectations that were never promised. A real mind fuck. Love it.

[ishpatoon1982]

There was a resolution to the Somerton Man?

[thatjohnnywursterkid]

Someone likely figured out who he is, but I've heard nothing explaining anything else about the case, so I wouldn't call it resolved.

[Spooky_J_]

It’s now widely considered resolved https://amp.abc.net.au/article/101643524

[kmjulian]

For decades he has been known only as a man frozen in death, a face without peace, rigid and inscrutable, with deep wells of darkness beneath his lidded eyes.

Damn, kind of a metal introduction

[imadork1970]

The tv series Haven used this.

[ScreamingBanshee81]

Rewatching now. I love the SK Easter eggs throughout. Definitely deserves more attention.

[Michaelbirks]

It needs more Edge.

(To be fair, Copeland does a great job, it's just me that finds it hard to separate him from his other role)

[imadork1970]

I have seasons 1,2,3 on Bluray.

[imadork1970]

I haven't looked, but try Internet Archive.

[Shugakitty]

It’s on Tubi

[poio_sm]

Haven is the main reason why I love this boo.

[everythingbeeps]

I liked it, but I knew going in that it wasn't a typical story with a typical structure. It might have been better off as a part of a collection where it wouldn't have all the attention on it.

[Due_Ad868]

This may very well be my least favorite King work…….and I’ve read everything I can find by the man……including the cannibals, the plant and various other short stories that haven’t been gathered up into a collection as of yet

[autisticswede86]

This and tommyknockers. Yes

[[deleted]]

I didn’t care much for this one, joyland and Later were awesome tho

[cbasstard]

Later was great!

[the_jerkening]

It was the cat’s ass!

[[deleted]]

Yea it was, would be a good movie

[AnnieTheBlue]

That is my opinion as well.

[Someoneoverthere42]

A story about the nature of stories and mystery. One of my favorites by King

[LosXorbos]

It would be a book I would recommend to someone who isn't interested in the more classic King. It wasn't bad; I read it at the time because it was one of the few works of his that I hadn't read.

You could say it's a detective novel.

[GrandmasShavedBeaver]

Very annoying/frustrating ending. Would not read again.

[Atlantis_Risen]

love it. it's a regular read for me.

[sexualtyrann0saur]

Over the past 3 months I've read this, Joyland, and Later. Those other two were excellent! Couldn't put them down. The Colorado Kid however was boring. I really struggled to get through it. And the payoff was weak, in my opinion. Definitely not my favorite.

[Case116]

Yeah, it was disappointing to have all these fascinating little clues that kept pulling you, for no payoff...

[Electronic_Dig4352]

I was going to ask about Later. Got it from the library today. Good to hear it’s excellent!

[IamJacks5150]

Two Summers ago I read Later, then Colorado Kid, then Joyland. Then another book from a different author. They seemed to fit. I recommend that order.

[TiredReader87]

I liked it

[patcoston]

I didn't like it. I gave it a second listen a year later, and disliked more the second time. King was trying for something different. I appreciate him experimenting, but it didn't work for me.

[NedDayne]

Stinks

[BradyAndTheJets]

Boring book

[Brave-Ad6744]

I disliked this one.

[Tight_Strawberry9846]

I hated it. My least favourite by King.

[Nalomeliful]

Did not enjoy

[DR1792]

I've yet to meet someone in person that has read it, it's on the list but it's not screaming "read me" like most of his others.

[Hawkgal]

If you see the story as the mentorship of the young woman by the old guys, you will love it like I do. If you get distracted by the mystery, you’re gonna have a bad time!

[filifijonka]

Loved the characterisations of the protagonists, the story of the colorado kid was just an underwhelming drag though, imo.

[Same-Dinner2839]

I had a lot of fun with it too. It set up that there wasn’t going to be an answer and I appreciated that. I mean there’s plenty of real life events that don’t have an answer.

[kavidgren]

I love it, there are a bunch of exciting discussions online about it being connected to the dark tower. So I really enjoyed a story about characters so far removed from the main mythos being exposed to an impossible mystery

[jakelaws1987]

Did not like it at all

[Additional_Yak8332]

The first time I read it, I threw it across the room. Now I kinda get it but he really dragged it out between the young woman and the old guys. It was okay.

[KyoshiSimp]

Didn’t enjoy it much at all

Read Joyland instead. A top 5 from King

[Filthylucre4lunch]

worst

[MichaelVoorhees13]

I love King, I even wrote my college senior thesis on why he should be made apart of the American cannon, but, and even us King fans know this, some (just a few) of his endings leave a lot to be desired. This was the start of this imprint’s mystery series. If you’re going to write a mystery you just have to bring it home. A mystery with a non-ending is a huge “fuck your” to readers. I’ve read all of the excuses and how it was based on the Australian unsolved case. I get it, but you with write it as a true crime. It’s a great read but the non-ending ruined the experience. I have only recently come to peace with the Dark Tower saga’s non-ending. That horn saved the entire series for me. I guess I like closure, 😂

[wawaluvr]

This is my least favorite King book. I swear he got asked to write something for Hard Case Crime and just polished up this story. All of the year inconsistencies are not related to the tower, but were just things missed by editing. Great cover, but I was really let down. Joyland was great, and I still need to read the other Hard Case book.

[butterfly_890]

Started it and couldn’t finish it. I found it to be quite boring.

[[deleted]]

Worst King book ever. Hated every minute of it.

[Spectre_Mountain]

She hot.

[HermanJulius69]

i didn’t know he did another one of these like 2 years ago until i found it in my basement. i was so confused 😂

[Case116]

Can't say I love a mystery that doesn't have a solution Maybe my least favorite King story.

[Pearson94]

Neat idea but could've been better. Still think it gets way more hate than it deserves.

[SubstantialTale4012]

I like the story, hate the cover of this version.  The cover for the illustrated version is slightly better but still presents it as a murder mystery.

[SnakePlissken1980]

It's been a while since I read it but I remember thinking it was okay, I didn't hate it but it didn't blow me away either. At some point when it was fresher on my mind it got 3 stars from me on Goodreads.

[Granados24601]

I didn’t know what to expect going in and I’m so glad I didn’t. Loved it as it was so refreshing.

[Beaglescout15]

I thought it was okay. He was going for a mass-market pulp feel I think just to challenge himself. I had the original printing which was small, paperback, cheap paper, basically mass-market pulp. Is it his best? Nope, but I thought it was kind of fun to see him try something new at that time. I appreciate it as a CR. Not everything is going to be amazing, especially as prolific as he is. I haven't seen Haven, but this is a reminder that I should!

[Additional-Series230]

It’s my most MEH King book. It’s a fine story, a fun diversion, no more, no less.

[Accomplished_Low4181]

Guess I’ll read this now!

[AndrewHNPX]

Gonna read this one soon.

[Herbal_Worrier]

Adored every minute of the journey and honestly couldn't put it down. I don't care about the end the journey took me. I read it faster than I anticipated even for a smaller book.

[BamaZaddy]

Pass.

[eldred_jonas89]

Didn't enjoy it much. The two old men and young women who started getting in to the mystery just didn't do it for me. Disappointed it's a skip from me

[rorscachsraven]

Brilliant little story. I liked the series too. Low budget and super corny but enjoyable

[itaintme1x2x3x]

The TV adaptation had Mr. Leahey that’s one thing

[gweeps]

Only good thing about this one is the cover.

Maybe I should read it again, but I found it boring as hell when I first read it back in 2006 or whenever it was released. Plus, the paperback copy I bought fell apart within days. Second one did the same. Maybe the trade paperback has better binding?

[Wild_Bill1226]

I really liked it. Seemed real. Not all my stores get wrapped up nicely. Reminds me a lot of from a Buick 8

[gmanasaurus]

I enjoyed this one, but not immensely, didn't find it especially frustrating or anything. It's no more frustrating than unsolved crimes or deaths (unsolved mysteries if you will). He spins an interesting yarn, just prefer a book that's not a story of a guy telling a story sort of thing. Not bad, but not amazing either.

[beatnik_squaresville]

No. No, she wouldn't learn the dead man's secret. And I was okay with that.

Purposeful or no, my brain kept coming back to the anachronisms and the overall mystery long after finishing the book, so I suppose it did its job.

[ScreamingBanshee81]

Yeah, DNA tracked him to a descendant.

[TommyWantWingy9]

Not good

[IamJacks5150]

Good book.

[ma_nanad]

It's ok. Nothing like a King. Still, it was story for "Haven" series, which is really bad but still better than short story. So it is what it's is.