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From a Buick 8 cover art

From a Buick 8

By: Stephen King
Narrated by: James Rebhorn,Bruce Davison,Becky Ann Baker,Peter Gerety,Fred Sanders,Stephen Tobolowsky
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Summary

For 20 years the officers in the Pennsylvania State Police Barracks have kept a secret in Shed B: a vintage Buick which lures the troopers to come and take a look. Young Ned Wilcox, son of the recently deceased officer Curt, has started hanging around the barracks. One day he can't resist peeking through the windows. And it's time to share the secret. The veteran troopers sit Ned down on the smoking bench and tell him every skin-curdling detail - from the Buick's arrival to the terrifying light-shows and what it sucks in and breathes out. For the Buick is a conduit to another world. As King puts it, 'when we confront the deep and authentic unknown, we glimpse that place where our familiar universe stops.'

©2002 Stephen King (P)2008 Simon & Schuster Audio Division, Simon & Schuster Inc.

Critic reviews

"One of his freshest and most original books... a beautiful excursion into new narrative territory, showing an accomplished storyteller... a portal into King's incredible imagination." ( Independent on Sunday)

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What listeners say about From a Buick 8

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Works much better as an audiobook

I've read several reviews of the book (not audio) where people were disappointed because it just dragged, and didn't really connect to the story within a story format.

Listening to the book as an audio performance, with 'characters' doing the storytelling you really do get the feel for what the author was aiming for. Personally I was riveted. I generally only listen in the car and found myself looking for ways to get out and drive, eventually just finishing the book at home while doing some work.

The performance and characterisations were perfect. And the story drew me in as any fireside chat would. It evolves in a very natural way.

While the style might not be everyone's cup of tea I personally loved it, but perhaps may have felt differently if I'd read it rather than listened to it.

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

I hate thinking up review titles

I really enjoyed this, I enjoyed the characters and their relationships the most to be honest. The car was kinda scary but tbh it felt like it couldn't go anywhere... It did progress, there was a nasty ending and it was better than I thought it could be. So good all round.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Entertaining enough

Not a classic and a little to reliant on folksy little town charm. There’s not a great development or variety in the plot but it’s ok.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

This is a good one!

I decided to get this after hearing about it another of Kings forwards, and did so without reading a synopsis. I'm glad I didn't, as I know that it might not have interested me.
The use of multiple narrators is something I usually am not too keen on, but here it works. (The voice artists are all superb ). The narration shifts characters and time, and having different voices helps keep up.
The book itself travels at a gentle but we'll paced speed, and to he characters are written exceeding well, each having their own identifiable styles. I guess SK is good at this anyway, but I particuarly noticed it in this story.
The story itself feels like a more fleshed out short story, and that's not a criticism. People shouldn't come to this expecting an action packed epic, more a mystery and gentle suspense novel. it reminded me of The Langoliers in a way.
SK is definately one of my favourite authors, but I tend to like most, his more easy going morality tales more than the blockbusters. This is a gem, that I would file alongside The Long Walk.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Ooer

Didn't quite feel like a King Novel. Still enjoyed it, but found it really good, then a bit lacking, then good again. Never experienced his writing like this before. Overall it's definitely worth listening to. :)

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Worked Much Better As An Audiobook

I read From a Buick 8 when it was first published and I really didn't enjoy it very much this time was a very different experience. I think it's the format of a bunch of cops sitting around telling a story to the son of a recently dead colleague where each POV character is voiced by a different narrator that worked for me this time. The story is just the same, a little slow, a little cheesy, but fir some reason it just clicked.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

very disappointing read

certainly not up to standard Stephen King novels.
no logic to this story at all.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A quietly perfect story

I’m going to admit that this has been in my ‘attempted’ list for yonks. I could never seem to get past the first bit; a problem I also have with the ‘Dark Tower’ books. However, the happy coincidence of a mountain of data entry and nothing better to do brought me back, and I’m so glad it did.

It’s a story within a story. On the outside, an eerie Buick, standing menacingly for decades whilst Pennsylvania State Troopers keep uneasy watch. On the inside, a tender and quite beautiful tale of the relationships men form, with one another and with themselves. About family, about loyalty and about growing up being more about knowing there are no answers than being years under your belt. That’s the story that will remain with me.

It’s a slow and languorous tale; like the first part of ‘Bag of Bones’, but it’s very, very worth it.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Nice story

Nice story, very nice performance. Leaves you wanting more though. I might re-read Tommyknockers again.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Not the fastest but still good

I struggled to get into the story to start with. It's much more of a slow paced, deep and meaningful type of book. Moments of horror but lacking the tense atmosphere that King usually produces.
That said, it's still a good story with great narration. I enjoyed it and would listen again

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