Riding the Bullet

Stephen King

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existential questions about family and choices

dark roads and hospitals

emotional depth and complexity

eerie tone

hitchhiking journey in maine

ghost encounter

complex relationships

intense suspense

struggles with maternal relationship

quick and engaging pacing

horror and ghost elements

lack of resolution in ending

haunting writing style

College student Alan Parker receives a call from his mother's neighbor telling him that Mrs. Parker has had a stroke and he needs to come home. Alan's car is out of commission so he decides to hitch a ride to the hospital in Lewiston, Maine. He is offered a ride by a man with an odd smell about him and soon Alan notices the stitch marks around the man's neck which can only mean the gentleman's head was reattached to his body at one point. Unsurprisingly Alan desperately wants out of the car but the driver asks Alan if he has ever ridden the Bullet, referring to a roller coaster in Laconia Park. Alan at first lies and says that he did but the man confronts Alan with the knowledge that Alan and his mother had stood in line for hours to ride the coaster when Alan was 12 years old but when their turn to board the ride was upon them Alan chickened out. Out of frustration his mother struck him and they left the park soon after. Now the driver gives Alan a choice the death of Mrs. Parker or the death of Alan. This audio book started out really well nice and creepy and that tingly What's gonna happen next feeling but it didn't follow through. I was left wondering why there was such a great build up for such a wimpy ending.

Characters:

The characters include the protagonist Alan, who struggles with his relationship with his mother, and the ghost George, adding depth and relatability to their experiences.

Writing/Prose:

The writing style effectively combines suspense with emotional depth, illustrating complex relationships in a haunting manner.

Plot/Storyline:

The plot revolves around a college student who hitchhikes to the hospital to see his ill mother, encountering a ghost along the way, leading to existential questions about family and choices.

Setting:

The setting includes a journey through Maine with a focus on dark roads and hospitals, enhancing the story's eerie tone.

Pacing:

The pacing is initially quick and engaging, though some readers find the ending lacking in resolution.

I’ve never told anyone this story, and never thought I would—not because I was afraid of being disbelieved, exactly, but because I was ashamed . . . and because it was mine. I’ve always felt that tell...

Notes:

Riding the Bullet was published as an e-book in 2000, marking Stephen King's introduction to electronic publishing.

The demand for the book was so high that the download service crashed on its first day.

It's a novella about a college student, Alan Parker, who hitchhikes to see his sick mother.

Alan's relationship with his mother is complex, filled with love and resentment.

The story takes a twist on the classic ghost story, featuring a hitchhiker as a ghost.

George Staub, the ghost in the story, has a connection to a roller coaster that Alan once chickened out on riding as a child.

The story explores themes of parental expectations and the responsibilities of children.

It was published as part of the short story collection Everything's Eventual in 2002.

The audiobook was praised for its narration, enhancing the story's eerie atmosphere.

The ending prompts readers to reflect on difficult moral choices regarding life and death.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

Content warnings for Riding the Bullet include themes of illness, death, and some psychological tension related to family dynamics.

From The Publisher:

From international bestseller Stephen King the first ebook ever published—a novella about a young man who hitches a ride with a driver from the other side.

Riding the Bullet is “a ghost story in the grand manner” from the bestselling author of Bag of Bones, The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon, and The Green Mile—a short story about a young man who hitches a ride with a driver from the other side.

Ratings (2)

It Was OK (2)

Reader Stats (6):

Read It (4)
Want To Read (1)
Not Interested (1)

1 comment(s)

ColorfulLeo92

It Was OK

2 months

It was an okay horror novela. The more quiet kind, not that scary and not gory but creeps in your mind. Not the best I've read by Stephen King but I'm glad I read it.

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