Skeleton Crew: Selections

King, Stephen

ISBN 10: 0453008488 ISBN 13: 9780453008488

Publisher: Highbridge Audio, 1994

Synopsis

Four complete and unabridged selections from the electrifying bestseller read by a stellar group of narrators.

“The Raft” is the unforgettable tale of an idyllic autumn swim suddenly transformed into an ordeal of unbridled horror. Read by Stephen King.
“Mrs. Todd’s Shortcut” is a story in which a middle-aged woman in a Mercedes roadster finds a terrifying pathway to paradise. Read by Dana Ivey.
“The Monkey”—is it merely a child’s wind-up toy, or an incarnation of the purest evil? Read by Matthew Broderick. 
“Gramma” is the story of a little boy left in charge of his sick grandmother, who’s dying to give him a hug. . . . Read by Frances Sternhagen.

About this title

Review

In the introduction to Skeleton Crew (1985), his second collection of stories, King pokes fun at his penchant for "literary elephantiasis," makes scatological jokes about his muse, confesses how much money he makes (gross and net), and tells a story about getting arrested one time when he was "suffused with the sort of towering, righteous rage that only drunk undergraduates can feel." He winds up with an invitation to a scary voyage: "Grab onto my arm now. Hold tight. We are going into a number of dark places, but I think I know the way."

And he sure does. Skeleton Crew contains a superb short novel ("The Mist") that alone is worth the price of admission, plus two forgettable poems and 20 short stories on such themes as an evil toy monkey, a human-eating water slick, a machine that avenges murder, and unnatural creatures that inhabit the thick woods near Castle Rock, Maine. The short tales range from simply enjoyable to surprisingly good.

In addition to "The Mist," the real standout is "The Reach," a beautifully subtle story about a great-grandmother who was born on a small island off the coast of Maine and has lived there her whole life. She has never been across "the Reach," the body of water between island and mainland. This is the story that King fans give to their friends who don't read horror in order to show them how literate, how charming a storyteller he can be. Don't miss it. --Fiona Webster

About the Author

MATTHEW BRODERICK is a Tony® Award winning American film and stage actor.

Edition details

• Publisher: Highbridge Audio
• Publication date: 1994
• ISBN 10: 0453008488
• ISBN 13: 9780453008488
• Binding: Audio CD
• Language: English