I am a fan of King. With over 50 novels and 200 short stories I’ve only scratched the surface and much more so with his novels. I picked up this new to me short story in prep to see the new motion picture it’s based on. 

I went in blind, only knowing it had something to do with a possibly evil toy monkey. I’ve thought those things creepy since my childhood when I discovered one in a beloved video game. So it was no surprise that King’s tale creeped me out. But more than frightening me, it had me asking so many questions. Which is always a highlight of reading for me. I don’t like to be spoon fed. Leave me with something to ponder, which King usually always does. But this time, my head is spinning. Yay!

King is a master of atmosphere. His descriptions are like a paintbrush. I tend to read King slower, allowing his words to paint his story as intended. Our MC, Hal, intrigued me, and I’m unsure if I like him! As we only have his voice to rely on, I asked myself is this real? Or is this trauma? 

King’s portrayal of family life and dynamic gives us so much food for thought. We are a product of our upbringing, family structure and the family itself. Hal has quite a bit of trauma in his childhood, did he influence the monkey, or vice versa. I still don’t know and that fascinates me. 

I really hope the movie doesn’t answer that question. 😓