Literary Legacies: Four Past Midnight by Stephen King
Genre: Horror
Page length: 763 in total (hardcover edition)
*note - there are four different novellas within the book that vary by length
Part of a series? No
Description of the book, from Amazon.com:
Past midnight, something happens to time, that fragile concept we employ to order our sense of reality. It bends, stretches, turns back or snaps, and sometimes reality snaps with it. And what happens to the wide-eyed observer when the window between reality and unreality shatters and the glass begins to fly? These four chilling novellas, a feast fit for King fans old and new provide shocking answers.
After all, past midnight, is Stephen King’s favorite time of day…
One Past Midnight: “The Langoliers” takes a red-eye flight from Los Angeles to Boston into a most unfriendly sky. Only eleven passengers survive, but landing in an eerily empty world makes them wish they hadn’t. Because something’s waiting for them.
Two Past Midnight: “Secret Window, Secret Garden” enters the suddenly strange life of writer Mort Rainey, recently divorced, depressed, and alone on the shore of Tashmore Lake. Alone, that is, until a figure named John Shooter arrives, pointing an accusing finger.
Three Past Midnight: “The Library Policeman” is set in Junction City, Iowa, an unlikely place for evil to be hiding. But for small businessman Sam Peebles, who thinks he may be losing his mind, another enemy is hiding there as well—the truth. If he can find it in time, he might stand a chance.
Four Past Midnight: “The Sun Dog" is a menacing canine appearing in every Polaroid picture that fifteen-year-old Kevin Delevan takes with his new camera, beckoning him to the supernatural. Old Pop Merrill, Castle Rock’s sharpest trader, aims to exploit it for profit, but this creature that shouldn’t exist at all is a very dangerous investment.
If anyone is familiar with Stephen King (how can you not), you will know that he is known for his mystery/thriller/horror themes in all his books. If you thought horror movies were scary, just wait until you start reading this book (or any of his books for that matter). You might be wondering how a book could be scarier than a movie and why you should read this book, well keep reading to find out.
Where to get it (free):
If you want to buy it:
Page length: 763 in total (hardcover edition)
*note - there are four different novellas within the book that vary by length
Part of a series? No
Description of the book, from Amazon.com:
Past midnight, something happens to time, that fragile concept we employ to order our sense of reality. It bends, stretches, turns back or snaps, and sometimes reality snaps with it. And what happens to the wide-eyed observer when the window between reality and unreality shatters and the glass begins to fly? These four chilling novellas, a feast fit for King fans old and new provide shocking answers.
After all, past midnight, is Stephen King’s favorite time of day…
One Past Midnight: “The Langoliers” takes a red-eye flight from Los Angeles to Boston into a most unfriendly sky. Only eleven passengers survive, but landing in an eerily empty world makes them wish they hadn’t. Because something’s waiting for them.
Two Past Midnight: “Secret Window, Secret Garden” enters the suddenly strange life of writer Mort Rainey, recently divorced, depressed, and alone on the shore of Tashmore Lake. Alone, that is, until a figure named John Shooter arrives, pointing an accusing finger.
Three Past Midnight: “The Library Policeman” is set in Junction City, Iowa, an unlikely place for evil to be hiding. But for small businessman Sam Peebles, who thinks he may be losing his mind, another enemy is hiding there as well—the truth. If he can find it in time, he might stand a chance.
Four Past Midnight: “The Sun Dog" is a menacing canine appearing in every Polaroid picture that fifteen-year-old Kevin Delevan takes with his new camera, beckoning him to the supernatural. Old Pop Merrill, Castle Rock’s sharpest trader, aims to exploit it for profit, but this creature that shouldn’t exist at all is a very dangerous investment.
If anyone is familiar with Stephen King (how can you not), you will know that he is known for his mystery/thriller/horror themes in all his books. If you thought horror movies were scary, just wait until you start reading this book (or any of his books for that matter). You might be wondering how a book could be scarier than a movie and why you should read this book, well keep reading to find out.
- This book stands out over any horror movie. If you are bored, getting tired of the same cliche books, or overwatching movies that don’t really give you excitement, Four Past Midnight is for you. This book isn’t scary enough to keep you up at night, but King does let your own mind wander to create the monster in your own head. I never thought that a book could be scarier than what movies create, but King proved me wrong: your mind is a movie that no one else can create, but yourself. Films, CGI, and actors can only do so much to represent horror, but your imagination is limitless. This novella not only held me in suspense while gripping my hand until my knuckles turned white, but it also made me realize how remarkable our imagination can be if it's left to its own discretion.
- Short, sweet, and scary. For those of you with short attention spans, or others who hate long drawn out readings, again, Four Past Midnight might just be for you. The book is specially divided up into four different novellas that allow for the reader to finish one short, suspenseful story in a short amount of time. I personally loved this especially since I could finish one short story, put the book down, and do what I needed to do without forgetting any characters or plot since a new short story with a new plot was waiting for me.
- It makes you think. Now before you turn away, I am not talking about the kind of thinking where it requires analyzing complex plots or deciphering characters’ actions, but rather the kind of thinking where you unconsciously reflect. What I mean by that is, King does a great job “making” your mind destroy boundaries you never realized it had before; we all have expectations on what monsters, aliens, or murders should act or look like, but Four Past Midnight breaks those conformities. I never thought big black balls with sharp teeth (reference to “The Langoliers”) could be portrayed as terrifying. In fact, when he first introduced these “monsters'' I initially laughed thinking that I would be a fool to become scared of these black balls with sharp teeth, boy was I wrong. I did not even realize I was scared until I was literally gripping the edge of my seat in suspense and fear. And by the end of the novella, King made me unconsciously reflect on how we are taught to believe that these petrifying things are conformed to be and act in a certain way, when in reality the most petrifying creatures are made in our own head.
Where to get it (free):
- If you have a Mahopac Public Library card, you can download the Hoopla app on your device and log in with your library card information. The book is available on Hoopla.
- If you do not have a library card currently, you can get one online
- Four Past Midnight is provided by Mahopac High School on the Destiny Catalog (sign in with your school Google account).
If you want to buy it:
- Buy it hardcover, paperback, Kindle, audio CD, or audiobook from Amazon (click here to go to the book’s page on Amazon).
- Barnes&Noble offers it in paperback or nook book (link here). They will ship it to you or they offer curbside pickup for their “buy online, pick up in-store” option.
- For cheaper options you can either rent it or thrift it online (what I did and I got it for $5)
Last updated: 4:30 pm, 5/1/2020
