In this article, we bring you the shortest books by the master of horror, Stephen King. they may be short, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t great books.
the 5 shortest books by stephen king:
You are reading: Shortest stephen king books
- the werewolf cycle (page count 127)
- elevation (page count 144)
- the red boy (page count 184)
- carrie (page count 199)
- rage (page count 211) )
Reading is one of the most pleasurable activities your imagination can imagine. sailing the open seas with a sea captain obsessed with one-legged white whales is fun. going into mordor to drop a ring into a volcano and avoid the flaming eye in the sky is fantastic. traveling to the restaurant at the end of the universe with a chronically depressed robot is fascinating. even following a gigantic star tortoise with four giant elephants on its back, defending the disc world is hilarious; it’s just one thing, all these adventures are incredibly long.
Honestly, finishing one of these epics takes its toll. Finding a time for a palette cleaner might be just what you need before you take on the next Gilgamesh level epic that’s in your library. Here is a list of 5 Stephen King books that are just that; short books that can be read in two or three sittings. run with werewolves, solve crimes, burn things and have fun in these short trips into the mind of the master of horror. Warning spoilers ahead.
the werewolf cycle (page count 127)
The small town of Tarker’s Mills, Maine is prayed to by a werewolf who attacks every full moon, slaughtering the locals and leaving a trail of blood and violence. the protagonist marty coslaw is a 10-year-old disabled boy who gets around in a wheelchair. the story revolves around his daily life and how violent and horrific events affect him.
Months go by and the bodies accumulate. the monster feels unstoppable as even the local sheriff is eliminated. The violence saddens Marty and, already in a bad mood, he becomes even more depressed when he discovers that the Fourth of July celebration has been cancelled. His uncle decides to cheer him up and gives him a bag full of fireworks to light by himself.
The werewolf attacks Marty and, with extraordinary luck, manages to injure the creature. he then confronts the police, but they don’t believe him as they are looking for a man and not a monster. the horror adventure is a heart-pounding, well-worth reading with a grand finale.
In the world full of lousy werewolf literature, this story stands out not only for not being a terrible werewolf story. it can be argued that it is one of the best of the genre. a novella with chapters following calendar months, including detailed accounts of the town’s events, such as introducing himself as a victim after the victim is found. to enjoy.
elevation (page count 144)
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This remarkable novella takes place in the fictional town of Castle Rock. King fans immediately recognize this place of horrors, as many events from the Kingsverse take place here. cujo, the body, rita hayworth and the shawshank redemption, the dark half, the necessary things and the dead zone, to name a few stories that take place in this cursed place. the town itself has become a character.
this story features the protagonist, scott carey, a man who suffers from a mysterious illness that causes him to lose weight but apparently does not lose mass and remains fit and healthy; In addition to facing terrible affliction, he also faces the problem of having a couple of lesbians try to open a restaurant and are met with resistance from the most contentious population in Castle Rock.
elevation is a nice read; goes by fast, one that introduces interesting characters and opens castle rock featuring it as a featured setting. he feels that castle rock molds people to his will and not the other way around.
the red boy (page count 184)
This novel begins with the islanders’ newspaper crew paying for its release. The old veterans footing the bill decide to put the new girl’s deduction skills to the test and have her find out if the wait staff tip is individual or joint. Stephanie quickly figures out that the waiters put everything together and then divide it up.
Knowing that his waitress has fallen on hard times, Dave reserves the tip to make sure she gets it. then the story flashbacks of sorts. in 1980 we are now introduced to a couple of teenagers who have found a body slumped over the corpse. it takes a while for the police to establish the cause of death until the body shows signs of suffocation and a piece of meat is found in her throat. there are no clear ways to identify him until one particular rookie finds a cigarette tax note in his pocket.
colorado’s nickname remains with the corpse and an investigation is carried out based on his primary information; which eventually leads to the identification of the body. we then return to the beginning of the book as the islanders’ newspaper staff discuss how to proceed with the information gathered.
This book is one of the most crime-focused books in King’s library. works exactly as he promised a detective novel. The short story is an entertaining read, especially for those who enjoy a good investigative story. its short length and easy-to-follow story make it particularly easy.
carrie (page count 199)
The most famous novel on the list is also surprisingly short. carrie white is a 16 year old girl who is bullied and harassed because of her appearance and her unusual religious beliefs instilled in her by her abusive mother. One day after the gym, while she’s taking a shower, Carrie has her first period, and since no one bothered to educate her about it, she has a serious meltdown.
her classmates, led by particularly cruel girl chris hargensen, throw tampons and pads at carrie. the chaos only stops when the gym teacher interrupts and tries to explain what had happened. On her way home, Carrie begins to manifest abilities like telekinesis and move small objects with her mind.
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once her mother finds out about what happened at school and about her powers, she locks carrie in a closet and tells her to pray for the sin to be removed. The next day at school, the girls who participated in Carrie’s toss are given detention and warned that if any of them miss, she will be kicked out of the prom. Chris defiantly skips it.
Tommy Russ, who has been asked by his girlfriend Sue Snell to ask Carrie out for a dance, does so. Carrie, doubtful of Tommy’s intentions but excited nonetheless, says yes. she goes to her house to sew a dress. what follows next can only be described as a situation similar to that of an akira in a high school.
This short horror novel is fantastic; some of the best kings work and the short form is easy for anyone. is a harsh coming-of-age story built on the pains of growing up different. the images are now iconic in pop culture, and even the original movie has aged well. this book deserves more than one reading, and with less than 200 pages it is worth it.
rage (page count 211)
The first book, published under the pseudonym Richard Bachman, is now a controversial tale that seemed to predict the unfortunate events that plagued schools in the 1980s, 1990s, and even today. our protagonist is charlie decker; An angry high school senior is called into a meeting with the school principal. the principal asks charlie why he hit the chemistry teacher with a wrench.
the attack sent the man to the hospital; The director wants answers about what might have led Charlie to do it. Charlie never gives a coherent answer and proceeds to insult the director. our protagonist is expelled from school; Charlie runs to his locker and pulls out a gun from his belongings and goes shooting killing several teachers.
Now that he’s holding his fellow students hostage, the situation escalates with the police and news arriving on the scene. many try to bargain with charlie; charlie taunts them all for trying. Memories of her father being abusive to her and the altercations of several other students give us insight into what motivates Charlie’s feelings.
When his classmates ask him why he does it, he says he doesn’t know. His fellow students eventually have Stockholm Syndrome and turn the kidnapping into a secret reveal session. They’re all clean now and even help Charlie out when Ted Jones, one of the most popular kids, decides he’s had enough and tries to escape, only to be stopped and beaten up by the other kids.
Finally, the situation calms down. Charlie is cornered and shot. he survives and is sent to an institution as the court system found him insane.
This story is controversial, but it feels like a warning shot to many. many have tried to link the book to actual school shootings. Other than that, the read is fast and harrowing with a lot of emotions on display. definitely worth reading, but the reader should be aware that it deals with sensitive issues.
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