Billy Summers

The book “Billy Summers” is seen by some as an atypical King book. Presumably, this means that there is nothing unexplained or supernatural in it. Let's leave aside the cameo of the Overlook Hotel from The Shining for a moment.

But it's not that atypical. King's vast body of work contains quite a few books and stories without supernatural phenomena and monsters. And Billy Summers is one of them.

As always with King, the writing style is like a hot knife through butter. No hiccups, no strange turns of phrase, and no stylistic breaks. And if they are there, it's intentional. Once again, there's nothing to criticize about the translation. Stephen King is usually well translated into Dutch, so kudos to the translator. This is also the reason why I often read King in Dutch.

The book was surprising but still predictable. The first part of the book reminded me a bit of 11/22/63. The description of Small Town America. King is a master at this. Not much happens, but in a few strokes of the pen, he sketches a complete neighborhood with its characteristic residents, social norms, and customs. The reader becomes almost a part of it. A six-pack, a few burgers, and MAGA.

My expectation was that this part would be the main focus of the book, but nothing could be further from the truth. For me, this was surprising. But once it becomes clear how King wants to continue the story, the ending is not very surprising anymore.

Although the plot itself is not very special, King manages to create a gripping story. He slowly brings together the past and present of Billy Summers. Intentionally awkward at the beginning but gradually becoming a smooth whole. Here, you can clearly see King's mastery and experience.

Furthermore, it's not an exceptionally outstanding book. A good story, a few hours of entertainment without pretensions.
4 stars.