Officers of Pennsylvania State Patrol Troop D come into possession of what initially seems to be a classic automobile. They quickly learn that it is anything but an automobile. Soon after storing it in a shed, strange, Stephen King-style events begin to occur. Things and people disappear. Other-worldly creatures appear from its trunk. Brilliant "lightquakes" emanate from its interior. The plot unfolds as veterans of the Troop retell the car's history to the son of comrade who was killed in the line of duty. The boy's fascination and obsession mirrors his deceased father's, as he desperately seeks answers and closure to the Buick's mystery - no matter what the cost.

The mystery and intrigue of the plot. King does an exceptional job carefully unveiling the many oddities of the Buick, which leaves the reader hungrily turning pages in anticipation of the next bizarre event. King's style, from narrative to dialogue to POV shifts, is sharp, seamless, and on-the-mark.

The passivity of the Buick. Unlike most of King's classic horror, the reader will not find an aggressive, active threat or monster in From a Buick 8. Unless, of course, one considers man's curiosity and demand to understand the random, the unknown, as an ominous presence. Although filled with action, suspense, and intrigue, the bulk of the tale occurs in the past, and the only real sense of dread comes from the threat the characters seem to pose to themselves.

Is one of my favorites. Over the years, he’s managed to write in nearly every imaginable genre and, with few exceptions, left me smiling (or cowering beneath my sheets) when I turned the last page. It's been a pleasure watching him mature as a writer, seeing his style become more refined, his themes more deeply embedded, his messages more impactful. Rumors have it that this may be his last original novel. I hope not.

It's a page turner. The moment King finishes showing his reader some incredible discovery from the Buick, he expertly sprinkles in a teaser about the next wild event that took place in its history. The pace never lets up. Also entertaining is that the story is conveyed through various points of view; each with his or her own dialect and perspective on the events. King's execution of these POV shifts gives the reader a well-rounded, tangible experience of the events and keeps the storytelling fresh.

Like the fallen trooper's son, Ned, I sought a firmer resolution of the plot. I know, I know, one of the main themes of this story is that things like family, friends, success, failure, love, and loss take precedence in our lives over finding solutions to all the mysteries of the world (and other worlds, for that matter). Still, I couldn't help but yearn for answers that just never came. But, for some reason, I have a feeling that is just what King intended.

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Created Jan 06, 2005 at 8:38pm • Submit your own review...