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A review by typotenuse
Gwendy's Button Box by Richard Chizmar, Stephen King
4.5
A great, albeit short one from King and Chizmar.
TL; DR: A novella placed over a long span of time that asks more questions of you and your morality than might be expected.
I maintain that King is a master of writing, all genres, all pages, bar none. I fully believe there is nothing this man can’t do with a computer and blank document. Funnily enough, though he is clearly most well known for his horror and thriller contributions, I’ve found that I most enjoy his dips into whimsy. Gwendy’s Button Box offers a chance to delve into that world and coincidentally is once again one of my favorite of my King reads.
Characters: The titular Gwendy is both charming and understandable; the predicaments and events that take place through her life are both intriguing and terrifying. In every regard, the box appears what King intended: a character in itself, reminiscent of Pandora and hers. The other characters hold the same charm, Richard Farris in particular. I also maintain that King’s villains are abhorrent, and I did so hate someone throughout.
Setting: Jumping about as much as this did, the setting was somehow always the same and different. It was pleasant and offered as much as it could along the way.
Story: Gripping and constantly moving. I really appreciated the pacing and events that moved the story forward. Everything had a purpose and when I found what each piece did, I was happy to get there.
Writing: Solid; King and Chizmar make a great team and when King described them “correcting” each other, I could really see it as it went. It’s pretty flawless in terms of writing.
I thought I was mistaken and had picked up a children’s book when I began. I wasn’t disappointed, but was very pleased to get the mature reading in a bite size story. More Gwendy please.
4.5 🌟
TL; DR: A novella placed over a long span of time that asks more questions of you and your morality than might be expected.
I maintain that King is a master of writing, all genres, all pages, bar none. I fully believe there is nothing this man can’t do with a computer and blank document. Funnily enough, though he is clearly most well known for his horror and thriller contributions, I’ve found that I most enjoy his dips into whimsy. Gwendy’s Button Box offers a chance to delve into that world and coincidentally is once again one of my favorite of my King reads.
Characters: The titular Gwendy is both charming and understandable; the predicaments and events that take place through her life are both intriguing and terrifying. In every regard, the box appears what King intended: a character in itself, reminiscent of Pandora and hers. The other characters hold the same charm, Richard Farris in particular. I also maintain that King’s villains are abhorrent, and I did so hate someone throughout.
Setting: Jumping about as much as this did, the setting was somehow always the same and different. It was pleasant and offered as much as it could along the way.
Story: Gripping and constantly moving. I really appreciated the pacing and events that moved the story forward. Everything had a purpose and when I found what each piece did, I was happy to get there.
Writing: Solid; King and Chizmar make a great team and when King described them “correcting” each other, I could really see it as it went. It’s pretty flawless in terms of writing.
I thought I was mistaken and had picked up a children’s book when I began. I wasn’t disappointed, but was very pleased to get the mature reading in a bite size story. More Gwendy please.
4.5 🌟