In the Tall Grass

Terrifying. The story really let me feel what it would be like to know where you are, but still be lost.

This was unfortunately the worst King thing I've read to date. Hill too, actually. It felt rushed, skeletal, and surprisingly amateurish. I love both authors but I can't shake the feeling that they really phoned this one in.

Stephen King let it all hang out in this short story.

There are different types of horror. There is gore or disturbing; this is pretty self-explanatory. There is psychological horror where you fight your mind. There is killer horror; good ole' fashioned slasher movies type horror. Then there is paranormal and cosmic horror. Cosmic horror is usually defined as Lovecraftian. It is the horror of the unknown, coupled with fear and awe. It is the type of horror that makes us feel small and insignificant. In the grass is cosmic horror. It is the most comic horror story I think I have ever read. This story, written in tandem with his son Joe Hill is a genius and probably the evilest and unforgiving horror story I have ever read. That is saying something considering how much King I have read.

The premise is simple, terribly, and cruelly simple. Twins, Becky, and Cal, are on a road trip. They are driving along listening to music when they overhear a child yelling for help in the tall grass on the side of the road. Anyone with a soul would stop for a screaming child. Maybe they got lost? They can't find their mother, and we should go to help them.
Becky and Cal enter the grass and get lost. You would think that at this point, a never ending field of grass would be terrifying. King is “hold my beer” on this one. There is gore, violence, death, destruction, and so much more. I felt roasted and stripped bare after the ending.

That ending! Dear god.

As I said, this is one of the most humbling and ferocious horror stories I have ever read. I am not sure that I can even recommend it, as I don't think this story would sit well with most readers. But, if you are up to crush your soul a smidge, you should read it.

Very interesting idea that kept me interested to finish in one sitting. First that I've ever read of King and I look forward to discovering more.

My second of Stephen King's work of fiction (first of Joe Hill's), from the first minute to the last, this sinister, spine-tingling tale kept me engaged through my uninterrupted listen; King & Hill's writing in this was disorienting, paranoiac, and sharp. Of course, being hailed as the “king” of horror fiction for decades now, why would I be surprised? Add to this Stephen Lang's compelling characterizing interpretation of these characters, and In The Tall Grass seems to continue assuring me of the unsettling atmosphere I recall so masterfully painted in King's debut novel Carrrie, which I completed a couple years back for the first time. Speaking of characterization, I loved the stylistic dialect and word choices for these characters, helping grounding the story properly and realistically. The repetitive motif of limmericks was also and interesting touch that, from what I thought, acted as a sort of foreshadowing mechanic.

I don't really have any quarrels with the plot itself: again, it stayed gripping, had a satisfying pace given the genre, and wasn't eye-rollingly ridiculous considering the suspension of disbelief you'd grant from a story like this and an author like Stephen King―weird-ass stories are kinda his thing. This story's definitely compelled me to attempt King's own multi-story collections, namely Different Seasons and Graveyard Shift. Anyway, apparently there's a Netflix adaptation for this story, so I'm definitely gonna check this out and see how they compare, hoping its a fairly fateful adaption.

So, so creepy. I'd say I like this Stephen King/Joe Hill collaboration but I really, really don't. Not for a lack of talent or plot. More because I'll be thinking about this book for years to come as I lay in the dark, sleep evading me. I'll attempt to banish my memory of this book with fluffier, lighter things and that only makes it come back twofold. If you like sleep, don't read this.