Title: Thinner

Author: Stephen King

Type: Fiction

Page Count/Review Word Count: 344

Rating: 9/10

 

Stephen King - Thinner

Stephen King – Thinner

 

Thinner was released under King’s pseudonym of Richard Bachman, and if this book is any indicator then I’m more of a Bachman fan than a King fan. When he’s writing as Bachman, King seems to be more to the point, and the story line doesn’t seem to drag on as much as it sometimes does in his other work. This book isn’t like that – it’s more of a straight up thriller, a book that’s easy to read and enjoyable.

Loosely speaking, the plot follows a guy called Billy Halleck, who starts losing weight uncontrollably after he accidentally mows down a gypsy in an automobile accident. The gypsy’s father, an old, old man, lays a curse on Billy with a single word – ‘thinner’. I think you can see where this is going.

Despite the fact that the central plot device is a curse that gnaws away at you over time, there are still a lot of moments of drama, as Halleck tries to discover what happened and to change his fate, as well as his weight. There’s also a big twist at the end, which I’m doing my best not to spoil for you. I saw it coming, but it was still satisfying to read it.

The great thing about this book is that it’s King, but it’s not King – it’s a lot of fun to read, and it’ll keep you interested from the start to the finish, and so what’s not to love? Sure, it might not quite be the same as The Shining or The Green Mile, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. King is one of our truly gifted writers, and he’s certainly got a gift for storytelling – it shines through here.

Basically, this is an honest-to-goodness thriller, written by a talented writer. Who cares whether it was published as King or as Bachman? It belongs on anybody’s bookcase regardless. If you can pick it up from a charity shop, then even better.

 

Stephen King

Stephen King

 

Click here to buy Thinner.