Gwendy's Button Box

by Stephen King, Keith Minnion Ben Baldwin

Hardcover

English language

Published Oct. 30, 2017 by Cemetery Dance Pubns.

ISBN:: 978-1-4736-7209-3

There are three ways up to Castle View from the town of Castle Rock: Route 117, Pleasant Road, and the Suicide Stairs. Every day in the summer of 1974, twelve-year-old Gwendy Peterson has taken the stairs, which are held by strong, if time-rusted, iron bolts and zig-zag up the cliffside. Then one day when Gwendy gets to the top of Castle View, after catching her breath and hearing the shouts of kids on the playground below, a stranger calls to her. There on a bench in the shade sits a man in black jeans, a black coat, and a white shirt unbuttoned at the top. On his head is a small, neat black hat. The time will come when Gwendy has nightmares about that hat.

8 editions

flatmanns reviewed Gwendys Wunschkasten by Stephen King

None

4 stars

Wenn jemand einen Stephen King liest, weiß er oder sie, worauf sie sich einlassen. Wunder, zunächst erst einmal Unglaubliches, ein eigenes Gefühl für Gerechtigkeit, ein bisschen Splatter und eine gut verständliche Erzählweise. Schnell wird verstanden, um was geht, ohne Fremdwörter oder lange Erklärungen. Wie auch hier...
In seiner Erzählweise nahm mich das Buch mit in die Entwicklung von Gwendy zu einer schönen erfolgreichen jungen Frau. Der Wunschkasten hilft ihr dabei. Wobei, dies wird erst später in der Geschichte verraten, eine Wunschkasten auch eine Schreibmaschine oder ein Computer sein kann. Genug gespoilert, hier noch ein paar Sätze aus dem Buch für angehende junge Autor*innen:
"Du hast der Welt noch viel zu sagen... Und die Welt wird dir zuhören. Du wirst die Menschen unterhalten, was die größte Gabe ist, die ein Mann oder eine Frau haben kann."

Marko Kivimäe reviewed Gwendy's button box by Stephen King

Review of "Gwendy's button box" on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

Kenad kõvad kaaned, ümbrispaber ja pea 200 lehekülge - tegelikult on see suure fondiga, peatükkideks aetud, laiade leheservade ning illustratsioonidega lühijutt. King ise ütleb, et tal oli idee, aga polnud õrna aimu ka, kuhu see viia. Siis aga sattus ta Richard Chizmariga suhtlema, põrgatasid algul ideed, siis lugu edasi-tagasi ning tulemus läks ühel hetkel kaante vahele.

Gwendy Peterson on kaheteistaastane kaaluprobleemi käes vaevlev tüdruk. Et järgmiseks aastaks end vormis saada, siis kõnnib ta Castle Rock linnakeses Castle View suunas üles-alla. Töö kannab vaikselt vilja, kuna nüüd näeb ta juba oma varbaid. Ühel hetkel kohtub ta omapärase musta kandva meessoost võõraga, Richard Farris nimeks, kes kingib tüdrukule salapärase karbi ning räägib juurde põneva taustaloo ja hämarad kasutusnipid. Edasine on juba "tavaline" King, igatepidi heas mõttes. Ei ole midagi hullult erilist, ma oleks küll arvanud, et pigem võiks olla see lugu jutukogus. Aga noh, maitse asi.

Mulle meenutas mees mustas kaupmees Gaunti Kingi raamatust "Vajalikud asjad" ("Needful Things"), kus inimesed said Gauntilt hädavajalikke nipsasjakesi ning läksid samal ajal asjadekirest ogaraks. Teisalt paistavad vähemalt mu silmis Randall Flaggi ("Tumeda torni" sarja "paha" tegelane) kõrvad igaltpoolt Kingi raamatutest välja, äkki ka siin? Kuigi tuleb nentida, et Farrisel on jooni, mida Gauntil/Flaggil pole, saa nüüd aru.

Kokkuvõtvalt: tasus lugeda. Ka "tavaline" King on tegelikult tipp-topp universaalsel skaalal.

Marsha Woerner reviewed Gwendy's button box by Stephen King

Review of "Gwendy's button box" on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

Okay, this was only a novella, so not as long as most of the Stephen King books, and it really wasn't a horror book. But suspenseful? YES. But truly, all the way through, it was questionable whether there was horror coming! As was usual, Stephen King keeps the reader guessing, but it's kind of nice that, in the end, all of the possible horrors were explained away. I suppose that if the reader insists on conspiracy theories, he/she can use them (the conspiracy theories) to add the horror back in, but I am happy that that is not necessary…

Zelse reviewed Gwendy's button box by Stephen King

Review of "Gwendy's button box" on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

Simply wonderful. I love RF and this is one of those books that makes him ever so much more complex.

WellWorthARead reviewed Gwendy's button box by Stephen King

Review of "Gwendy's button box" on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

First I have to say I looked forward to the release of this book for what felt like forever. I preordered in advance the minute I knew of it's future existence. I couldn't wait to read it and yet when it finally arrived I had too much else going on to start it right away. I did take notice of reviews piling up, most of them positive.. Sometimes when books are hyped to high heaven the reality ends up being a let down because after building it up in your mind so much it can rarely measure up to the expectation. That is NOT the case here.
Gwendy Peterson is a likable 12 year old girl who one day encounters the man in black as she is doing her damnedest to lose some weight as well as rid herself of a nasty nickname before the start of the new school year. She is naturally wary of the stranger, and equally wary of accepting his offering of the mysterious button box, and the secrets and power it holds....
This was such a fun read! If I have any complaints, they would be only some minor historical inaccuracies, and that I wish it had been longer. It spans an entire decade in Gwendy's life and could have been a full novel instead of novella length.