I Like My Coffee Black, Like My Soul: You Like It Darker Book Review

 

You Like It Darker by Stephen King

Gratitude

A big thank you to Montgomery County Public Libraries for placing You Like It Darker by Stephen King on the Lucky Day shelves, where I found it, and giving me three non-renewable weeks to read it. And in my case, to review it.

 

Description

You Like It Darker is a collection of King’s shorter works, though King’s shorter works are sometimes longer than the average author’s regular-sized books. “Danny Coughlin’s Bad Dream,” the longest of the works and the emotional center of the book, tells of a man who has the misfortune to dream of the location of a murder victim. Once Danny confirms that the woman’s body does exist in the location that he dreamed it, he calls the police to report it anonymously, but the police still manage to track him down, and they do indeed believe him to be the culprit. Thus follows a story that is anything but innocent until proven guilty.

In “Two Talented Bastids” we read of two friends who become famous later in life, one for writing and the other for visual art. As the story of their talent rolls outward, the question of the origin of talent is asked quite plainly.

King’s Author’s Note is gratifying to read after finishing the book, as is often the case for his books. His humble acceptance of his talent and prolificness remind me of Elizabeth Gilbert’s Ted Talk “Your Illusive Creative Genius,” in which she discusses the concept of genius choosing to visit a person versus the current day concept of a person being a genius.

 

Would I Teach This Book?

Would I teach Stephen King’s You Like It Darker? Perhaps. While I like other King collections more, for example Nightmares and Dreamscapes, it is good to teach more contemporary works. If I were going to teach this book, I would be more likely to teach it in a fiction workshop than in a literature course, as in many graduate workshops students are writing shorter works and it is important to examine them and use them to talk shop. I first read King in a graduate workshop, and I am fond of the idea of teaching it in one.

P.S.--My students recently found my blog--shout out to them! Thank you, reader, for visiting!     

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Who Doesn't Love a Good Conspiracy Theory?: Book Review of So Far Gone

 

So Far Gone by Jess Walter

Gratitude

Thank you to Harper and Goodreads Giveaways for the review copy of So Far Gone by Jess Walter, due out June 10, 2025.

Description

Rhys dropped out of the world after losing his job, getting dumped, and punching his conspiracy theory mad son-in-law. Believing that he was of no further use to society, Rhys rid himself of his phone and hopped off of the grid and onto his grandfather’s old sheep farm that never did support any sheep. Seven years later, Rhys is dumbfounded when he opens the door to see his granddaughter and grandson on his porch. They have been brought to his remote location by his daughter’s neighbor. His daughter Bethany has run off without telling anyone where she was headed and left instructions that if her husband follows her then the children should be brought to her father instead of left with the Army of the Lord (AOL). AOL is the military branch of the cult Rhys’s son-in-law has most recently involved his family in. Thus begins Rhys’s journey back into the civilized world--which may or may not be as civilized as he would like.

So Far Gone is told in third person, but looks over the shoulder of other characters in addition to Rhys, including as Bethany and his two grandchildren. From each point of view, we learn not just about Rhys, but about all of the different understandings that arrive at a situation, all of the people who have a stake and a history and an idea of what happened and how things should proceed. In the midst of all those other personalities and desires, Rhys is hoping he can find his daughter, save his grandchildren, and maybe win back his girlfriend—you know, make up for some of those lost years.

The story is a bit cooky and plays up the paranoia of the current times that intensified during Covid and the weariness and distrust many feel of those who are of a different political leaning or belief system. It is not lost on the perceptive reader that Rhys has behaved almost as drastically as his derided son-in-law. What is sane and insane may seem clear to you, but not quite as clear to anyone else. The grizzled Rhys, for instance, is not aware of how his unkempt appearance and gamy odor impact those around him.

I appreciate being given the opportunity to read this book—I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. At first it seemed mid—another story of a family disconnected due to politics. However, as I kept reading, I became more interested in the plot and invested in the characters.

Would I Teach This Book? 

Would I teach So Far Gone? It is a reasonable possibility. With all of the books now coming out that touch on the Covid pandemic and the intertwining politics, it is clear that our imaginative zeitgeist seeks to trod this path. Compared to some of the other books that explore similar territory, So Far Gone approaches with humility and humor. A book like this is a conversation opener, in particular an opportunity to discuss point of view and difficult main characters.

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In the Blink of an Eye: Book Review of It Goes So Fast

 

It. Goes. So. Fast.: The Year of No Do-Overs by Mary Louise Kelly

Gratitude

Thank you to Henry Holt and Goodreads Giveaways for the review copy of It Goes So Fast by Mary Louise Kelly.

Description

Mary Louise Kelly, of All Things Considered fame, missed a lot of moments of her kids’ lives, in part due to her live radio show. Her eldest son was about to graduate from high school when she realized that she would not have another chance to make up for the times that she missed. At the same time, she happened to have a book deal on the table, and decided that she would write about her year of doing everything she could to be part of her sons’ lives, which turned out to be a lot about soccer games.

It Goes So Fast focuses on Kelly’s family experiences, including her father and his death. It is set in an anxious time in world politics, as this was also around the time that Russia invaded Ukraine. She also shares about her career, aging, friendships, and her passion for running.

The chapters are more like individual essays than an unbroken narrative, though the storyline of Kelly’s “Year with No Do-Overs” does carry through. Her prose is confident and friendly and her explorations avoid easy conclusions and simple truths. Instead, the difficulties of balancing career and motherhood, her identity as a woman, and her relationships are allowed ambivalence and gray areas.

Would I Teach This Book?

Would I teach It Goes So Fast? It Goes So Fast is a good example of a memoir in essays and how to build a narrative through stories that overlap in time and experience. It is also allowed to wander a bit in terms of subject matter, though it always comes home to her sons.

It Goes So Fast, however, might not be as interesting to a younger college crowd as it would be to readers who have been out in the world a bit more. Especially to those who are parents. Kelly addresses the fact that her book is very much about motherhood early on, and points out that everyone must deal with the realization that there is only so much time in this life, and there are many experiences of “the last time” that we might not know are the last time until much later. I can identify with a lot of what she shares in her book.

Still, It Goes So Fast is so much about parenthood that while it felt relevant to me, I am not sure that I would teach it to a general audience. Perhaps in a gender studies class or in an essay writing or memoir class, but I am still not sure that I would choose this book over the many other memoirs available.

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