From a Buick 8

I mentioned in my last post that there's been lots happening over the past weeks. I haven't posted much, but I have been writing and also reading. There's been plotting and planning too, but more on that later. If you've read my post about Goodreads (here), you will know I set a reading target this year. My goal is now in sight. I'm in the process of reading my twentieth book, and there's still plenty of reading time left in the year. It helps when I happen across a 400 page book I can read a in three days.

From a Buick 8 by Stephen King is a slightly strange book. On Goodreads the rating graph is a mixed bag. There are few that hate the book, but also few than love it. At the time of writing this, almost 40% of reviewers rated it only three stars. However, I found it completely compelling and couldn't put the damned thing down. Why?

One of the most notable elements of the book is that it lacks the traditional corner stone of storytelling: character development. What little plot exists is delivered in flashback, always returning to the same point in time. I believe that many readers can't see past this, expecting something to change between the beginning and the end. However, as much as this is a story about a dangerous and mysterious thing that appears to be a Buick 8, it's also about obsession, the passing of time and the passing of responsibility from one generation (or individual) to the next. In this sense, perhaps the point of the story is that nothing really changes between the beginning and the end.

At times, Buick 8 is grotesque and macabre, satisfying King's horror fans and this was certainly part of what enthralled me (I won't deny that I was intrigued to find out what the car would do next) , but I was equally, if not more, interested in the characters. Each section of flashback is told by one of the characters; whichever can speak with the most authority on each part of the story. And speak they do. Each character has a distinctive voice (a turn of phrase, an accent, speech pattern or tone). Each flashback is written in the first person, as if the character is addressing the reader directly. As a result, I felt that each character spoke to me as surely as if they were sitting beside me and I couldn't wait to hear what each character had to say.

It might not suit every reader, but I personally found From a Buick 8 thoroughly engaging. I will certainly read it again in the future, and it's probably my favourite read of 2013.