{Short Read Sunday} The Monkey by Stephen King – A Book Review

swordsandspectres

Right … I’m going to get back to trying to make this a more regular thing. I have said the same nearly every time I make a Short Read Sunday post … but this time I WILL be more successful.

The following are the details for Skeleton Crew as a whole as that is the collection the story is taken from.

 

Author: Stephen King

Publisher: Hodder and Stoughton

Release Date: 22/03/2010

Genre: Horror

Pages: Story page count unknown as part of larger collection

My Chosen Format: Kindle

My Rating for ‘The Monkey’: 5 out of 5

 

Other short stories from Skeleton Crew that I have reviewed:

Here There Be Tygers

The Reach

The Reaper’s Image

 

Review:

This is another, much overdue, short story review from Stephen King’s collection: Skeleton Crew.

The Monkey is a tale about a clapping toy monkey with cymbals. Unlike your average monkey toy, whenever this one claps its cymbals, someone close to the person who hears the sound dies.

Whether it be a brother, a friend, a mother or a babysitter, someone you know will die.
This seemingly innocent toy does not appreciate not getting its way and the evil power within it will do whatever it takes to claim its next victim.

The overall plot is that of a man, Hal, who has been terrorised (first as a boy and now as a man with his own family) by this clapping menace.

For a short story it manages to cram a hell of a lot of back story in. It helps that the flash backs are happening as you get a complete story due to this. Unlike some books I have read, the flash backs are actually warranted and add to the piece.

Character work, as one would expect from a King story, is excellent. You really get that feeling of dread whilst reading, something which I don’t feel too often. My friends all hate these toy monkeys and after hearing my talking about this story they hate them even more. Would it be cruel to get them one for their birthdays?

This one is perhaps one of the more enjoyable short stories I have read. It has everything from good depth of characters to a good, well-paced plot-line right up to a great, ominous ending. As far as shorts go, I’d say Stephen King really hit a home run with this one.

I’ll certainly think of this dreadful little monkey with its supernatural presence for a long time to come.

19 thoughts on “{Short Read Sunday} The Monkey by Stephen King – A Book Review”

  3. I really do like how King is able to make ordinary objects fantastical or menacing. That said, I don’t think I’ve once seen those clapping monkey toys in real life.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

      1. I tried – Misery, Salem, I also watched a good number of movies based on his books. Just doesn’t click. But I can see the appeal of his writing, and he definitely has some great ideas!

        Liked by 1 person

      3. Green Mile was pretty good, and Shawshank Redemption is still amazing, even after so many years 😃
        And Shining, we should give Kubrick and Nicholson their dues even if King didn’t 😂

        Liked by 1 person

  5. Pingback: {Short Read Sunday} Cain Rose Up by Stephen King – A Book Review – Swords & Spectres
  6. Pingback: {Short Read Sunday} Mrs Todd’s Shortcut By Stephen King – Swords & Spectres

  7. I actually just bought some of Stephen King’s short stories. As soon as I get done reading the two books I’m reading I’ll be reading his short stories.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

Leave a comment