Customer Reviews

The Mist (Previously Published as a Novella in 'Skeleton Crew')

5 star:		(52)
4 star:		(40)
3 star:		(14)
2 star:		(16)
1 star:		(15)

 

 

This adaptation of the Stephen King story (found in Skeleton Crew)is perfect for long car rides. Even more so if you have to drive at night. This story of an inexplicable mist that engulfs a small, New England town has long been a fan favorite and this superb production helps prove why. The screams and cries of pain are startling, the sound effects make this work incredibly, allowing for a real level of fear to develop. The voice acting (for the most part) is amazing. This really isn't an audio book as much as it is audio theater, kinda like the old radio shows. The Mist is an experience that Stephen King fans ought to know, especially if you have ever read the story. Also, Frank Darabont (director of The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile)has the movie rights to the story. And if this cd doesn't whet your appetite for the film adaptation I don't know what will. A prime example that radio is still a powerful storytelling medium.

The Mist was first published in Skeleton Crew (Signet), a collection of Stephen King short stories. This new edition presents The Mist separately for the first time, presumable to capitalize on the release of the movie adaptation. The novella begins with a sudden and dangerous storm that causes a lot of damage to the small town of Bridgton, Maine. David Drayton takes his son to town for some groceries the next morning only to get socked in by an extremely thick fog. Unfortunately, there are creatures out there in the mist that are like nothing on Earth. Drayton and the others who are trapped in the story must try to come to terms with what it happening while struggling for survival.

Because this is a novella, there is little space wasted here. There is a reasonable length setup introducing a few key characters and then the "fun" begins. The pacing remains pretty tight until the end of the story. Despite the small amount of space, the characters are pretty well developed and I definitely cared what happened to them. As is standard with Armageddon style stories, man is often his own worst enemy and this group is no exception. The extreme behavior of some in the store is all the more chilling because you believe it could happen.

The Mist is an excellent story, one of King's best regardless of length. I would suggest that readers might want to consider buying Skeleton Crew instead of this novella, however. For just one dollar more you can obtain an additional 21 stories and many of them are also enjoyable.

I loved this short story. Best one in the collection SKELETON CREW.

But why pay $6.99 for the one story, when you can buy the collection for $7.99 and get 21 other very good Stephen King stories in it?

Ohhh maaan. What a fun read. I was hooked within minutes. Good thing this is coming out in the movies or I might have never read it. I picked it up at my local grocery market and read it in about 7 hours with no breaks..lol. It's a short book so you know.

I'm not a huge King fan but I really did enjoy his writing in this book. He made me like the characters I was supposed to like and made me hate the ones I was supposed to hate. The whole time reading, I really felt like I was there and kept thinking to myself "WHAT IN THE HECK WOULD I DO IF I WAS THERE?! ARRGH!" There are so many parts where I would think to myself..oh come ON..there is no way that could happen. Yet, King would really make me believe that it was happening, because everyone else in the book was basically thinking, 'There is NO WAY this is happening'...lol.

The book is about a man/husband/fater named David who goes to the store to pick up some supplies for his house after a very bad storm blew through. While he's there with a bunch of other people doing the same thing, a strange mist rolls in that he had seen earlier...bringing along with it...well...I dont want to ruin it for you...but it's a horror novel for a reason..=D

By the end of the book I was just totally trapped in Kings imagination. I couldnt believe that in such a short book, I actually felt compassion for certain characters. I really wish the book had been longer (the ending seemed a little rushed). But for some reason..I liked the actual ending. I wish I could have known more though. Thank goodness for my own imagination I guess..heh.

Only one gripe really..actually 2, but the second one would ruin a certain part of the book. The one I will say is...I hated how King wrote the child in this book. I think the kid was like 6 or 8 or something, but yet he had the thought process of a grown man. Until King wanted you to realize he was a child and make him cry or something like that. That part annoyed me.

Hope the movie does the book SOME justice.

I am a big Stephen King fan, and have really enjoyed other audiobooks of his. So, I was excited when I saw a cassette of "The Mist," a novella which I thought was excellent. Well, I was doomed to be disappointed by this tape. It starts out by informing the listener that it was recorded in 3-D sound. Indeed, it does sound a little more textured than the usual audiobook. But I think it was a big mistake to read it as a play. I think the listener would have gotten a lot more out of it if it was read straight from the book. You see, in the process of rewriting it for the audio book, they changed the integrity of the story. In the cassette, David Drayton and his wife yell at each other like shrews, and their son sounds like somebody is pinching his nose shut while he talks. Another irritant: all the pitches for name brand foods. "Here, have some Post Toasties!" "How 'bout some Ruffles Potato Chips." I don't know if this was intentional or not, but it certainly wasn't in the book, and it was enough to make me want to gag. One more thing; true, the 3-D sound is neat, but it is not good to listen to while you're driving. Nobody in the car will be satisfied with how well they can hear. All in all, avoid this audiobook. Reading the story will let you absorb the atmosphere much, much better.

Once the opening story and spiritual anchor of Skeleton Crew, Stephen King's 1980's short story collection par excellence, The Mist has been re-released now as a stand alone volume just ahead of the opening of the long awaited film version of the work. The Mist is an atmospheric piece that can easily be read in one sitting, but one which tells a strong story despite its diminutive size. In this imaginative tale something goes wrong at a top secret government research facility (again...heck, those Feds just can't be trusted in King's stories, can they?) in scenic rural Maine which releases a dense, sinister mist outward across the region, smothering sunlight, trapping people in homes and cars, and bringing with it the presence of a number of life forms straight out of a sci fi nightmare. Along with a number of locals a likable artist is caught with his young son inside a supermarket, as the unnatural mist encloses them and the things which dwell within the mist lay siege over the ensuing claustrophobic days. Some interpret this novella as among King's apocalyptic works, others argue the phenomenon of the mist might be a local calamity confined to a small area. In either case, few who have read this story turned short novel have walked away disappointed.

This is what audiobooks should sound like, and the perfect story for it. Put on your headphones and turn off the light and you're right in the middle of the story. The sound effects will make you jump, and even the music score keeps the tension going. You got to hear this one.

So, it's not your standard audio book read verbatim. That 3-D sound has more than a little to make up for it as this inherently creepy story is played out in you-are-there fashion. The dialogue seems a little canned, but you'll forget that soon enough. The sound of people enveloped together by a mist full of a variety of creepy crawlies will have you mesmerized in no time. And as the story progresses, the characters get richer and the bugs get bigger. You can hear them clicking and clacking, buzzing and biting. You can hear the rising horror of the group trapped inside a small town market. When I say you-are-there, I mean it completely. I listened to this offering on a drive through western Maine, and several times, I nearly slammed on the brakes or screamed aloud because things on the stereo sounded like things whipping and crackling and sizzling around my head. You take a no-bones-about it King creature tale like this one and prop it up with sound effects, you're bound to be slapping at unseen bugs in no time. Perfect for a night around the campfire, a first date or a drive through the woods. Just keep your foot off that brake pedal and keep a really big can of Raid nearby.

Admittedly, this audio book was a disappointment. The Mist by Stephen King is a wonderful, fast paced & SCAREY short story (in written form) but "something" fell short in it's creation on audio. Mind you, most of the 'actors' did a fine job & the special effect 'sounds' do encompass/surround you... but the TOTAL package is rather unmemorable. Too many sounds, too many characters talking on top of each other, as well as, lots of background dialog going on... creates a story which would be hard to follow if you had not read The Mist beforehand. I truly love King & his writing, but this audio did not do him justice.

An interesting novella with a unique, if very ambiguous take on the end of the world. There are great moments throughtout but it never rises to the overall level of greatness. It lacks the richness of some of Kings other works but I still recommend it. It moves quickly, has some nice characters and the scenario is very effective. It will be interesting to see how it tranlates to modern film.