Recently I reviewed Stephen King’s latest novel, 11/22/63, and tried to convey that this fantastic story is not King’s typical horror fare. The same definitely cannot be said for Mile 81, a novella recently released on audio that highlights King’s penchant for vehicles and heroic kids.
Along the Maine Turnpike, there’s a rest stop at mile 81. Closed by the state to save money, it once housed a Burger King, gas station and other typical rest stop fare. 10 year old Pete Simmons, on his own for the day when his older brother won’t let him hang out with him and his friends, explores the rest stop and discovers among other things, a bottle of vodka. After partaking in some of the alcohol, Pete takes a nap, and while he’s asleep, a mud-covered vehicle that could be a Chevy or a Ford pulls up, and the door opens. If you’re a fan of King or just horror in general, it’s pretty clear what’s going to happen, but King’s masterful storytelling keeps the reader — listener in my case — enthralled by the story. The ending was a bit abrupt, but in hindsight, it was one I should have seen coming.
In addition to the title story, the audiobook also contains “The Dune,” a short story about a nonagenarian who’s been visiting a small island since his childhood. What he learns at the island horrifies him, but he can’t stop going back. He finally tells the story to his lawyer, for good reason, and the ending to this one is a bit more satisfying than to the ending of “Mile 81.”
Finally, the last segment on Mile 81 is an excerpt from 11/22/63. However, if you haven’t read the book, I wouldn’t recommend listening to the excerpt, as in my opinion it gives away a bit too much of the story. Entertainment Weekly published an excerpt from much earlier in the book and it’s a much better glimpse into the story.
Notes on the Audiobook: As mentioned above, the Mile 81 audiobook consists of a novella, a short story and an excerpt from 11/22/63, so the whole thing is only 2 discs. At a running time of 1:45, the “Mile 81” novella is good for housecleaning or other chores, and “The Dune” is only 30 minutes. I listened to the whole thing over the course of a weekend.
Nancy doesn’t read much horror these days, but enjoys the occasional foray into the genre. She writes about her 2 boys, books and life in Colorado at Life With My Boys and Books.
I was very interested when I saw you’d done this review. I used to be an avid King fan and read all his earlier works…then Pet Cemetery just about did it for me. My all time favorite was The Stand, the original, not the one that came out later.
I am going to look at your other review and see if it might be one I could read.
Dean Koontz is another whose books I used to read. Have you read any of his recent books?
Mama Bear
I love the Stand too, such a wonderful book! I also really liked The Green Mile series. I haven’t read any Koontz though.
I don’t usually like King, but your review makes me want to read it. Now I want to know what happens!