From a Buick 8: A Novel

Stephen King's most recent novel was perhaps his worst. The story is more of a series of stories all reflecting upon a rather dull, old, Buick which, frankly, isn't scary. The flat plot gradually leads to vapid climax and finally an ending which cannot even satiate the reader's longing to discover some information about the curiously entriging Buick. Instead of suspence and terror, King points out the human proclivity to inquire about the unknown and question questions that cannot be answered. This leaves the reader unsatified upon closing the book because he/she is without any knowledge explaing the Buick's strange behavior; only the fact that it was their natural desire to question something that could not be answered.

I hate to agree with some of the other critics who say this book is too long and boring, but... it is.
I was able to hang in .. happily.. for the first 200 pages or so... but it gets old rather quickly. Most of the book is just a constant stream-of-conscience recollection of this evil Buick in a garage, and there are layers and layers of smarmy, state-troopers-are-a-family mentality. Which is all fine and dandy, but it's just not what one would expect from a Stephen King book.
King is a wonderfully talented author, of course, but-- unless you have a particular interest in state troopers, Pennsylvania, or vintage Buicks, I'd pass on this book.

I have been a King fan all my life, but this book left me wondering if maybe it is time for King to retire. I forced myself to read 275 pages, hoping it would get better, but i realized that i really no longer cared what happened and i put the book down, never to be picked up again. The story just keeps repeating itself, a "lightquake" takes place, something is ejected out of the trunk, no one really knows what that something is, what it's purpose is, or where it came from, and you never discover the answers to any of these questions. This book may appeal to those who haven't read King from the beginning of his career, but for this "die-hard" classic King horror fan this book put me to sleep.

I always eagerly await new works by Stephen King. He's written some great novels and short stories, and his Dark Tower books and the Bachman Books I place on my list of greatest works written, but this novel was such a disapointment. This really would have been a better idea for a short story than a novel. The story kept building to something, and then it would fizzle, before it tried to build again, before ending on a fizzle. King tried too hard to keep this from being Christine, and he suceeded there. This is a substandard story. It's an example of trying to hard to be something it isn't. It's an interesting premise--one that should have been handled in the short story format, or novella at the longest.

I am an unabashed fan of Stephen King - so I bought this book as soon as it came out. In reading it, I found that King had come up with an interesting premise - a car - but not a car - maybe a portal to another universe might be more like it.
King tells the story using flashback techniques - and you have to be really observant in reading to have even a wild guess at how this story ends.
If you are not familiar with King's other books, this isn't the one to start your experience. Try reading "Christine" or "The Shining" first to see how King does things.
All in all, I enjoyed the book - but it is not for new readers of King.

I thoroughly enjoyed "From a Buick 8". King has not lost his touch. Let me begin by saying that my favourite King books are The Stand, Desperation, and Insomnia. I thoroughly enjoyed Carrie, Cujo, Pet Semetary, and Four Past Midnight. I was not a huge fan of Cell or Tommyknockers. I note this because I find it difficult to gauge where many of the reviewers on the store are coming from. Back to the novel at hand, it works on many levels and fails on a few. The story is repetitive, and really stops moving froward after a certain point. However, one of the novels themes is the idea of resolution and the quest for clairty, and how often those things allude us. King is smart enough to give us multiple perspectives on the primary narrative thus giving the text some variety, and it's nice to see King is still not afraid to try new approaches to narrative.

Utlimately, there are better King books one can read, but what makes him a great writer is the fluidity of his writing and the macabre wit and humour with which he narrates his books. Both are present in this novel and King's familar presence left this reader satisifed. While I did not particularly like Cell, From A Buick 8 left me satisfied as an entry into the King collection. I mention this because some reviewers seem to lament "the king of old", but the fact is his writing has been consistently interesting with a few hits and misses along the way. King still has it and should be applauded for continuing to challenge both himself and his audience in new and interesting ways.

No one writes exactly like Stephen King. I cannot put my finger on the exact 'twist' in his style and talent that makes his characters high dive into your brain - and then stay there. If I'm in a boring conversation, my mind is often guilty of drifting back through a Stephen King novel. This is a zany story of a mysterious car from nowhere identifiable in our world that is abandoned by a man (or creature?) just as mysterious. What enfolds is a revved up 'campfire tale' that'll curl your ears. There's a particularly vivid description of a state trooper being hit on the highway that made my bones ache! Now that's a great story weaver...

Chrissy K. McVay

Author of 'Souls of the North Wind'

What a nightmare this story is! And Stephen King does a breathtakingly adept job of guiding us through it with ease. State Troopers in Pennsylvania encounter a Buick, which is not really a Buick. The horrific and impossible plot is made so incredibly real with King's masterful skill. The plot meanders between the past and the present, as the story of the Buick unravels. The characters, as always in a King novel, are amazingly authentic and readily invoke our compassion. This is one of my favorite King novels of all. I highly recommend it. Just be sure the lights are on!

I am a long time King reader and have enjoyed most of what he has written. I love Pet Sematary, Carrie, The Dead Zone, The Shining, Salem's Lot and his short story collections.

I recently read and enjoyed Duma Key, so I decided to give some of his other, more recent work, a try.

From A Buick 8 is not a good read. It is not a fun read, it is not a fast read. It is not even an entertaining read.

The story starts with promise, as a car that is not really a car, is "inherited" by a Pennsylvania Troopers Station. The car is both a portal to and a manifestation of, another dimension. Strange things happen when the car decides to throw off energy.

However, from that good and interesting start, the book meanders. It is like listening to an old person spend 30 minutes telling you something that could have been summed up in 3.

The narrative is given by several different characters and each goes into mind numbingly tedious detail about everyday happenings. One small event fueled by the car becomes a 3 chapter opus told by several different characters which gives way too much information about something that isn't that interesting to begin with.

The ending feels tacked on and unrealistic.

Like Tommyknockers, this novel suffers from a lack of cohesion and focus. I agree with other reviewers that it would have made an interesting short story.

I usually love what King writes because his characters are so strong. Cell isn't a great book, but you care about the characters, and that keeps the book interesting. The characters in Buick 8 are much less three dimensional. I think even the author recognizes this and so little gruesome facts about several characters, are added on, almost as an afterthought. One trooper has two sentences written about him in the novel, the second of which describes his painful death from esophageal cancer. Why?

There are a whole lot of other novels to choose from when it comes to Stephen King, and I would recommend grabbing just about any other to spend your money on.

Where were the moviemakers when this one came out? "From a Buick 8" made me feel as though I was right there, in Pennsylvania, sitting near Shed B, drinking iced tea (I could almost taste it) and listening to Sandy tell his deceased comrade's son about the mysterious vintage car parked a few feet away. The book may seem a little slow at first, but it moves along nicely and the end is not a disappointment.
There's something different about this book, from most of his others. Its setting is not in Maine. Althought I am a New Englander, I was not disappointed. His research into the area and his anecdote at the very end, which explains his choice of setting, made it quite interesting indeed. Don't miss this one!

King's writing style is there, character development top notch, but that's it. The story itself is far to isolated to keep me intrigued. It took me months to go back time and time again to force myself to finish it, and then only to be further disappointed by the ending. Buick 8 starts out with a gas station in a small Pennsylvania town. One day a mysterious man enters the station then disappears. The car he was driving is a classic 50's style Buick. The problem is that it's not like any car, there are not instrumentation guages, and much of it's interior appears like basic molding, almost like the inside of a toy car. The car ends up at a shed in the back of the police station. Most of the book is about cops sitting around telling a young boy stories about the car, and what strange happenings come from it's trunk. It is some sort of portal to another world that is dark and scary. Boring. Why? Because that is pretty much it. You never see the other side. Buick 8 is a slug that should have been left in the wastepaper basket. I recommend "It" "Pet Semetary" or "The Shining" if you are wanting to read books by Stephen King. Avoid this one.

If Stephen King could resist the temptation to put spooky nasties in his books he would be considered a masterful story teller with his character and plot weavings. From a Buick 8 tells a beautiful story about the loss of one man and the effects that his death have on all who knew him. The car is incidental but a lot of fun. I am a resident of "Statler County" and I think that he really nailed us with his spot on characters. However I have never actually seen a bumper sticker that says "I eat Amish" Those familiar with our Amish would know the real reason that that is one thing we'd never say. Keep up the great work there Stevie!!

This book was an easy read. At times I couldn't stop turning the pages, though at others I was waiting for the story to step up.
This book showcases not so much a great story with a frightening monster, but highlights the great storytelling and descriptivness of King's writing.
The writing is vivid and authentic, and though the plot is slow and leaves a lot of questions unanswered, his story telling is better than ever.
The end of the book poses more questions than it answers, but is a worthwhile read if you are looking for a good story. I would skip this book though if you need answers and want to be looking under your bed for a boogeyman.

As a reader, I tend to run hot and cold with Steven King's work. Some of his novels really grab me and pull me in, like Pet Sematary, The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon, The Green Mile, Bag of Bones, and Hearts in Atlantis. Others just didn't interest me at all, such as Black House, Four Past Midnight and Insomnia. This book was one that I just couldn't put down. His absolute best so far. It was suspenseful, realistic to the extent that it needed to be, extremely graphic when it needed to be as well, and full of characters that you really learned to like. I think of it as analagous to an extremely well-developed and carefully crafted "Twilight Zone" episode. This is not a book with horrifically deviant human characters that depress you because you know there are real people like that, and it is not a novel filled with gore and buckets of blood getting splashed around. It's subtle, well-written, and is proof-positive that King has evolved into one of the most creative and powerful fiction writers of modern times. If you enjoyed any of the King novels I mentioned above, then get your hands on From a Buick 8!

"From a Buick 8" is neither King's best nor his worst. It strikes me as about average for his recent (ie: post-accident) books. Still, it is a fun read. If the story lacks a bit in the substance department, it is more than compensated by King's always reliable story TELLING talents. I swear the man could make a recounting of what he had for breakfast interesting. Bottom line: if you are new to King, there are better titles of his that I'd recommend to cut your teeth on; if you're a King fan, "From a Buick 8" is a worth while notch to add to your belt.

As Stephen King prepares for the long fade into retirement he gives his readers a reason not to grieve with one of his last novels. From a Buick 8 sputters and putts like the old undrivable car of the title. Part of the problem is the narrative structure that relies on flashbacks to tell the story. There are no surprises or radical events that gave the story suspense. We know that the events are not earth shattering or surprising since the story's main narrator Sandy Dearborn keeps telling the reader throughout the story that nothing really radical happens.
The novel's only strength is King's unique ability, especially in the horror genre, to create characters that you wouldn't mind sitting down and having a drink with. Dearborn's first person narration of majority of events is peppered with his views of life and the everyday pleasures and horrors of being a police officer. King's meticulous research of the Pennsylvania Police Department's officers and procedures breathes life into these characters but sadly not into the story.

Once again I am reminded of the fact that Stephen King is good at what he does. He may not write fine literature, but he is a master of placing everyday, ordinary people in suspenseful and scary situations. "From a Buick 8" is no exception - here we have a tight-knit family of policemen, a boy looking to find out about his dead father, and a mysterious car that appears to be a gateway to...what? Another dimension? The characters in the story don't know, and that's what makes the story so chilling; as the reader, you don't know how or WHY the car is there...it just is.

I love Stephen King.....at least I used to. I have read a lot of King's works and loved most all of them. But, recently it seems that his novels are starting out well and captivating the reader, but by midway through it leaves you wondering why you are reading this. This book is no exception. It doesn't hold the reader enough to make them want to finish the book. Unlike King's earlier works that the reader simply cannot put down or the reader has ngihtmares about! This is not one of those books.

If you are reading King for the first time...DO NOT read this one. Try Dolores Claiborne, Carrie, or Everything's Eventual instead. The last is the best sample of true King works.

I gave it 2 stars, but if it weren't King writing it would have gotten less than 1. Sorry Stevie, I love ya, but we need to get back to the good stuff!

Steven King, a bestselling author, this time again has managed to attract attention to his work called Buick 8. Accepted a long time ago as one of the masters of horror/mystery novels, he brought us another great one, well worth of your time!

Mystery is about the-need-to-make-sense- boy - Ned Wilcox, a light quaking Buick 8 and a police station in Pennsylvania.

Buick got to the station after a call from the local gas station worker who noticed that whoever drove in the Buick never came back. After a closer inspection, Pennsylvania police officers realize that Buick looks kind of weird. Besides huge steering wheel that looks like a ship rudder, Buick was clean and you could not get dirt on it although it has been raining all day long. Also, there waste fact it didn't have a discernible engine.

Everybody could see that Buick was up to no good and that soon came true. Buick was taken to the garage where it produced awkward light quakes and it would from time to time create some weird creatures.

After Ned's father's death people from Troop D decided to tell Ned all about Buick and his abilities after witch Ned was pretty sure that it had to do with his father's death.

In this novel Stephen King introduced aliens and he surrounded it with mystery and horror. While I was reading the book I could not get rid of the impression that he paid to much attention to describing the aliens which lowered the tension significantly. It was like watching an old horror movie - great script, but no ability to produce better special effects which lowered the enjoyment.

It's interesting that Stephen King hung out with Pennsylvanian police officers so he could present characters as they are and he succeeded in doing so.

Stephen King is a bestselling author of horror, mystery, suspense, science fiction and fantasy fiction. The fact is you can't make a mistake if you decide to read this or any of his other books.

[...]

Stephen King has been announcing his exit from writing for a while now; he says that "From a Buick 8" will be his last book (the final unpublished volumes of "The Dark Tower" don't count, he says), so it would have been nice if he went out with a bang. Alas, this book is more like a banglet; it's not a whimper, but not nearly the pyrotechnics he's shown us he's capable of.

The book starts off very well indeed; a mysterious stranger pulls up to a gas station in a Buick, gets out, and disappears; the Buick turns out to be portal into another dimension that sounds like a very King-ian hell. Occasionally, weird, loathsome, obnoxious critters come out of that hell via the Buick, and humans have been drawn into it via the same route.

What makes this book a disappointment is that King has developed an annoying habit of pulling his punches. He gives us a tantalizing glimpse of that netherworld, but glimpses is all we get; the old Stephen King would have dragged us into it kicking and screaming and showed it to us in all its unspeakable horror. King used to write real horror novels; "Buick 8" is much more frustrating than frightening. I think I'll re-read a few of his early books such as "Salem's Lot", "Needful Things", and most especially "Pet Sematary", to remember what King was like when he was really at his best.

Judy Lind

From A Buick 8, by author Stephen King, is a science fiction novel about human fascination with deadly objects, our insistence on answers when there are none, and terror and courage in the face of the unknowable. In the novel a Pennsylvania state trooper named Curt Wilcox is killed by a drunk driver. His son, Ned Wilcox, starts spending all his free time around the police station, working maintenance on the building, trying to hold on to his father's memory. While working at the police station, Ned notices an old but mint condition Buick 8 automobile in a storage shed. After asking the officers of Pennsylvania State Patrol Troop D about the car, Ned learns how they come into possession of a classic Buick 8. Later, Ned learns that what appears to be a Buick 8 automobile is actually a gateway between our world and possibly another dimension.
Although From A Buick 8 is full of interesting ideas none of them are really developed. The car which is the most fascinating aspect of the entire novel is said to be "thinking," "alive," and possibly "waiting" for the right moment to spew monstrosities from an otherworldly dimension out of its trunk. However, this idea of the car really being a living, breathing organism that can transport living organisms to and from Earth is never explained or advanced beyond characters skepticizing.
The novel takes place in a tiny Pennsylvania town called Statler. This works well for the book, but, the problem is the scenery never changes.The majority of the book takes place at the police station and the parking/storage area beside it. The reader never really sees the troopers anywhere but the grounds of the police station and a couple times at a local reataurant.
Although, the most interesting of King's ideas are never furthered beyond uncertain "answers" and more questions, King makes you can care about the characters. From the hardened but caring head of Troop D, Sandy, the sweet and loving dispatcher Shirley, and the lost and ambitious Ned Wilcox, Stephen King forces you to care about what has happened to the characters in the novel. Nevertheless, without any concrete answers to the difficulties that plague the characters, and with a weak ending, Stephen King's From A Buick 8 leaves the reader dissapointed and like the main character Ned, frustrated that there are no answers.

From a Buick 8 is a perfectly written novel and a very interesting one at that. Is this plot possible, or is this just another one of Stephen King's brilliant ideas? Can you just picture a "car" that is not really a car, doing things that a, normal car as you would say, would be doing, then just up and stopping all of a sudden? Then start doing it again. All of these problems that come from this car that really isn't a car. It is... I don't know what you could call the car except for what it is, a monster.
Ned Wilcox is a young adult, eager, hard working, and generous. I say he is hard working because he is outside the barracks every day that it snows during the winter busting his but just to snow blow the ten-foot drifts even though he doesn't have to. He mowed the lawn at the barracks; again, when he didn't have to. Why is he there you might ask? It isn't because he works there, it's because his father did work there until he died on duty. Ned Wilcox is not the main reason for the story. What is behind the Troop D barracks is what the story is about. The Buick 8 is a very strange "car" that produces things that are not humanly possible. The "car" has a wooden steering wheel the size of a yacht steering wheel. The dashboard is made of wood. The engine is just plain weird with a glass exhaust system.
Stephen King has done it again and done it well. From a Buick 8 was written with such detail that it seems like he lived the story. He did a fantastic job on everything, except that I would have changed the names of the characters in the story. Some of them were difficult to pronounce such as the French name Jacubois. But other than that I loved the detail and ideas in the story. It kept me reading till I fell asleep. It was funny and thrilling at the same time. The novel was exquisite.

Yeah, there's a strange car from Somewhere Else that does some rather odd things at times. But this book isn't necessarily about trying to scare the pants off of you. Of course King can't resist including several supernatural events in this little tale, but look past that and at the actual people in the novel.
Stephen King is an expert at exploring human relationships in the way his characters interact. Read this book and pay attention to the people, not the car, which is mostly just scenery. Will it give you nightmares like Cujo and The Shining? No. But I don't think Mr. King had that sort of thing in mind when he gave us From A Buick 8.
It's one of those books from Stephen King where you have sort of a warm feeling after finishing it. And I think those kind are the best.

"I am a huge Stephen King fan - normally.

However, I have to say that this is one of the worst books he has ever written. I must add that, in all fairness, the writing style is vintage King. The story progression was terrific.

It was the ending that was so lacking it left you feeling like you had just fell asleep and missed the ending to a movie that was only going to be shown once in your lifetime. It was as if King came up with this great idea, an idea so epic that he had to create a story around it, but he never did an outline first; he had NO ending, no explanation. It's as if he spent months writing the tale and wracked his brain for meaning or explanation and, in the end, couldn't some up with one, so he just ended it.

He tried this at the end of his Dark Tower series. He tried to tell us that it was just about the story. It is about the story, but the story is a build up to an end. At least with the DT series he did give us an ending. I have heard people say they didn't like the ending, but at least it was and ending.

From a Buick 8 had NO ending.

Don't buy this book. Don't borrow this book and read it. Don't waste your time. Read It, The Stand, Carrie, Pet Semetary, or any of his other terrific books. Skip this one."

I'm surprised by the bad reviews of this book. It's three weeks since I've finished From a Buick 8, and I can't stop thinking about some of the odder parts of this book. I think that's what a lot of readers didn't like about it-- unlike most King novels, there's no "Ahhh" moment, no single part where everything is explained, everything is resolved, and you can close the book(and forget about it).

That being said, I think this is King's best work since Misery. It's a quick read, I finished it in two long sessions (I can't remember the last time I couldn't put a book down). I think it's similar to Misery in basic way-- it's horror is much more subtle than many other King books, it creates anxiety and growing apprehension, a tension, rather than relying on gross-out scenes or horrific deaths. It's realistic, really focusing on the characters and their everyday lives. King's a master of nailing local speech patterns, I live in Western PA not far from where the story is set, and he manages to capture the dialect without making it over-the-top.

I think the things I like about this book are what other people didn't. I find the realism and subtlety of this book to be more frightening than a more over-the-top, in your face horror. It's like a bad dream, where everything is just a little bit off, but not enough so that you realize that it's a bad dream and wake up. I was left unsettled, wondering about an alien world and what happened to the characters in this book.

Over his career, Stephen King has written dozens of books that amaze, terrify, and intrigue his readers. With "From a Buick 8", he fails in comparison to his former outings such as "The Stand", "The Green Mile", and "The Shining." That being said, it's not entirely a bad read.
The original premise was interesting. In particular, I enjoyed the troopers' amazement as they explored the oddities of the car. The bit about the bat coming out of the trunk was creepy, and King begins to develop some of his characters, in particular Sandy.
However, after he sets the stage with this opening, King does something unusual for him- he fails to go anywhere with the story. After the beginning, the story trails down to a series of boring events and a terrible, boring ending. It's a book where you get to the middle and realize that you are no longer enjoying the story. To tell the truth, it seems as though King lost interest in the story fairly early and banged out the rest of it to try and make some money. It's a letdown after such a promising start. For a better book, pick up one of King's earlier outings.

I really liked the story but what I found confusing was the amount of flashbacks. The atmosphere of the story has a Lovecraftian overtone that makes you always wonder what's going to happen next? Like knowing you are not alone in a place but not really knowing where the other person is and there's a feeling of being watched.

From a Buick 8 is not one of King's best works. It isn't very scary and kind of goofy. The saving grace of this book is that the characters are likable and their personal stories are interesting. Also all their personal stories surrounding the car are so well written you really get into their stories. You could read King's work without the horror element in them because he makes his characters so real they come alive for you. This book is worth reading even though it just doesn't compare to most of his other novels as far as the horror element is concerned.

I didn't think I would ever finish this book. It was very slow, boring reading because nothing ever really seemed to happen. I thought something exciting was finally going to happen around page 300, but even that was a letdown. I would not recommend this to any fan of the old Stephen King books. I read that Stephen King is going to quit writing books and I can see why. I haven't liked any of his later books; has he run out of decent ideas? It seems his books sell because of his name alone; definitely not by their content. I won't bother with his next one-if there is one.

From a Buick 8 was written in full (in his head) during a car trip home from Florida. Stephen stopped in Pennsylvania to get gas and an attendant actually came out. It was a full-service country gas station. Well, not aving any more pressing needs he walked around the corner to use the restroom. On his way out he noticed a gentle slope leading down to a still mostly frozen stream. It looked very pretty, so he decided to go down for a closer look. He slipped and had he not caught a root in the snow, he belives he would have slid into the stream and under the ice. He wondered how long it would be before they found his body.
That incident was the germ that sparked this book. A guy pulls up to a gas station exactly like the one Stephen stopped at that day. He tells the attendant that the oil is fine and walks around the corner. No one ever sees the guy again.
The car remains. The people involved in the story are solid characters. You can almost smell their cigarette smoke, and hear their voices.
This book comes out of the gate with a weird chill, and just keeps delivering.

This is the way Stephen writes by the numbers when uninspired. He fashioned this book to incorporate all the essential elements of proper characterization. He forgot to breathe life into the characters inhabiting this unremarkable town in Pennsylvania. That's too bad for the readers and I really don't think Stephen gives a flip about us anyway. This book is nothing more than a stop gap throw away between "worlds" in his "Gunslinger" series. That's where he's focusing all his attention ladies and gentlemen and I can't wait to read the next installment. In the meantime, don't waste your money on this one.

I loved this book! I have read a lot of the negative reviews on this site about it and I couldn't disagree more. I couldn't put it down. Every page I turned made me more and more curious as to what would happen next. Excellent book.

After reading The Dreamcatcher from King I was eager to read another book from the author. From a Buick 8 is the story of a Buick roadmaster found by the state patrol. The owner strangely disappeared, so they decide to store it in shed B untill futher notice. That's when odd things start to happen.
The book is very well written, but compared to The Dreamcatcher it missed some variety. I found it interesting how King described actions of the state police. 3.5 stars

This book was interesting enough to keep me reading it, but only just. It was a little slow. When something did happen, it ended up being a big build up to something boring. There was never anything that seemed particularly exciting or interesting that happened. And none of the characters was all that interesting either. I was disappointed. Unless youu're just a die-hard Stephen King fan, I can't see any reason to read this. There are plenty of better books to be read, and also plenty of better King books.

Stephen King does some great works. I loved Hearts In Atlantis, and was rivetted with The Shining. But the pressure from the publisher to put out paper pulp has finally caught up with Mr. King. This had to be one of the most boring novels I've read in years. The only reason I finished was because my wife bought the book for me as a gift. I HAD to read the book.

The extraterrestial Buick serves as a conduit to another world. It's an intriguing start to what could be a great plot. But somewhere in the middle of the book, this car starts spitting out alien organisms from another world. And while the first creature was kind of original, I found the 9th and 10th creature to be strikingly like the first. And not wanting to miss the punchline, I kept wading through these gruesome descriptions that were just page after page of the same old thing. OKAY ALREADY, I got the picture! Let's get on with the story!!!

It might have worked as a short story. But then, who would pay $30 bucks for a 36 page short story? I think King will wish that he hadn't released this one, because it will be many readers last purchase from the King genre.

If you insist that you are a Stephen King fan, just be sure to buy the paperback version to limit your investment. Don't check it out from the library, because it will take you so long for finish the darn thing, the late fines will kill you.

I was doing a review of the Tiamat, Mother of Demon, when all of a sudden I got tis note to do a review for "...Buick 8"; to be honest, The Timat was better. But King is getting a little more
relaxed, mature and settled in his writing, his last two books have indicated that, especially "8", but to be quite frank, I like the approach. It is like Elvis, he changed with time, we all do. And so in "8" he is showing his teeth, or age.

It has been some ten years since I have read a Stephen King novel, the last been IT, which although I found chilling, just didn't involve me enough with the story, half way through I got bored and came back to finish "IT" a few months later regretting I'd decided to make the effort. So it was with trepidation that I decided to buy this book, to be perfectly honest its choice was more related to the opportunity of another car story with the hope of Christine Pt2. Its not, but it is worth your time, I soon found myself becoming absorbed with the tale of the Buick as you follow every twist and turn of the page. The characters literally jump out at you, and you're there with them, rooting in their corner right through to the dramatic end. As I have said its ripping yarn that grabs hold, it's rare you put a book down at the end and feel good inside and say "YES NICE JOB", and then swept with a twinge of disappointment that the ride is over.
The master still has it, is it his best? no, but its way far from his worst.
So take my advice turn the page and take a peek in the Troopers shed, because there's something parked at the back just out of sight, in the darkness and its well worth investigating.

One of the few Stephen King novels I cannot rate at least four stars, this effort barely merits three. The setting is unusually limited--I found it claustrophobic, and the characters are not very compelling. As for the Buick I can only say that it becomes more silly than frightening. And while I actually prefer King's later novels to his earlier ones, From a Buick 8 is really only an odd diversion.

There was a time when you knew you were going to get a great story because the name Stephen King was printed on the dust jacket. But those books are few and far between. I can't recommend this book to anyone. I stick with SK because I hope to get another SALEM'S LOT, GREEN MILE, or MISERY. Every once in a while SK will sneak up on you and deliver a gem, but he's been shooting blanks for a long time. I'm getting really tired of waiting and reading and being sorely disappointed. Only King's great prose carry you through this mercifully short novel.

In a nutshell this book is basically about a group of close knit police officers whose lives are disrupted by a mysterious car that every so often turns the air cold and spits out some strange dead creatures.Admitedly unique with likable characters but the problem is the thing is more odd than scary.Another problem is that most of the book is made up of the recollections of different characters so very little seems to happen.Fortunately King has decided to write again and hopefully in Cell he'll have a more compelling tale to tell.

This book is simply frustrating. No it is nothing to do with the writing. As usual, King's narrative flows like ice on the glass. Dialogues are very strong and King's unique brand of humor pops up here and there. Characters turn out to be your neighbors you have been seeing around for quite a while...Switches between alternating narrative voices are seamless, no one can hold a candle to King in this respect-time and character switches are another trade mark of him- the car is basicly evil- the fact that its mudguards are always clean irrespective of weather conditions is enough to send a shiver down to your backbone..buuuut....

Yes there is but...this story could be simply a gorgeous thing with that kind of eloquent writing and several highly imaginative subplots- but King mischievously holds himself back. This is the frustrating thing. King expertly doles out every and all hints towards a great horror novel but stubbornly leaves it there with a grinning on his face. You feel that King felt where the reader would be dying of wonder and suddenly pulled the reins in the story. The result? If it was a bad book I wouldn't be sorry.

This started in 1991 with funny but overrepetitive Needful Things and culminated its peak in Insomnia...Insomnia, too, with its name and wonderful start, and with those little bald doctors just started great only to turn into political mishmash and fantasy book Oh well

Why are you doing this, Mr King? I am not sure if you really hit the wall and start to repeat yourself- Christine and Buick are miles away from each other both are cars (at least in your books models are different, considering Koontz's poor golden retriever reincarnations ) and they could still be two wonderful horror books in two different directions,. Don't tell me you don't read your pal, John Grisham's book. In four out of five books, he tells lawyers and judges and courtrooms. Does anyone object? Why does he not feel stuck inside a court room and go on babbling on the same subject with names of characters being the only thing different?

I am sure you are laughing by yourself or testing the market. If I don't write horror, then where would the horror market go?

Let me tell you: Nowhere. You were the impulse, you were the driving force we love "your horror", not any "horror"

so please don't listen to the critics, high-brows etc listen to your own voice ...please let your next book (seems interesting as usual) be in full throttle without restraining yourself. Dreamcatcher was close, Black House was close Desperation was close but there was always something nagging. I tought you lost it. FB8 proved otherwise. You are deliberatelys holding it.

Anyone who makes me and my stubborn girlfriend read the Gerald's Game, Insomnia and FBA8 read until the last page without skipping anything should be the greatest author- not artistical perhaps not disciplined but a God-born talent.

Please Stephen; I feel there are numerous Shinings, Pet Cemetaries, Christines in your wonderful brain. Please let them go outside.

Thank you in advance.

A constant reader

this book was really bad. That hurts a lot for me to say b/c I love King, but I have to be honest. Send this one to the scrap heap and sell it for parts.
This is the story of a car, and how it changed the life for some officers and the people around them. I can't say much more, b/c I don't want to give away the plot.
When I was finished with this book, I had a lot of questions. Such as, what happened to a certian officer? Where did the car come from (though I do have an idea)? Who was the driver?
If you want to read it, be my guest, but don't expect this to be vintage King.

I've really enjoyed many of Stephen King's books and, when he's on, he's probably the best at mixing suspense and terror in a story. I really believe he has a gift very few authors in this genre have.

That said, Buick 8 just dragged on, never really going anywhere. I normally knock off about 100-150 pages a day when reading his other novels. This one took me about 2 weeks and it was a chore the whole time.

I look to King to spook me at night, not give me the warm and fuzzies. It was pretty clear he wanted to go in a different direction with his writing but he should stick with what he's best at. I go to my CPA becuase he's the best at doing my taxes. He doesnt change my oil or rotate my tires.

Mr. King, get back to scaring the bejeezus outta me!

Steve's never written a story I didn't like. Not even at his worst (Tom Gordon), and this is no exception. I liked it. But only because Stephen King can make a book about laundry detergent read well. That's pretty much what he did here.
Buick 8 is a short story gone bad. The plot *does* thicken, but in the way that water thickens when it's 31 degrees; slowly. It reads a lot like his novella "The Mist" but it's about 200 pages too long. At the end of the story I asked myself what I'd just read, and "short story gone bad" is exactly the phrase that came to mind. I've spoken with a lot of fellow King fans who say they "loved" the book, but not one person could tell me what was great about it.
I know why.
The only thing that's really great about Buick 8 is its author.
I hope he stays great, because too many more books like this one and...

I really enjoyed this book! I'm a die-hard King fan, and was worried that perhaps this novel would be "Christine: Revisited," but my fears were groundless. It's a fast, enjoyable read, and yet it touches on some big themes - e.g. man's obsession with the unknowable, loyalty, and fate. And those of you who have read King's collaborations with Peter Straub ("The Talisman" and "Black House") will pick up on a few connections there... This isn't his deepest book, to be sure, but overall it's a totally worthwhile read!

Hard to resist all the car references "out of gas " "wreck". Hard to believe this is the same writer who wrote The Stand,The Shining,It and Salem's Lot. Where's the mystery, where's the horror -good lord where's the story ? Sorry Steve , guess it is time to retire -maybe a few years off ,will refresh your enormous talent . This is one of the most tedious books ,I ever finished [only finished because it was written by Stephen King].Is full of adjectives and page fillers ala Dean Koonce ,but is pretty dull stuff. Happy retirement Steve and thanks for the memories.

From a Buick 8 is reported to be King's last novel (other than the final 3 books in the Dark Tower series, scheduled to come out over the next few years), and King chooses an interesting topic to serve as an epilogue to his amazing career: curiosity - and the obsessions and fear that it can unleash.
King writes about the power the unkown can have over us and the best parts of "From a Buick 8" deal with the various reactions characters have to the mysterious events that fill the pages of this book.
This book starts out strong - the first 100 pages can be considered "vintage King". The middle act gets a little repetitive, but the conclusion plays out well (although some Constant Readers will be frustrated that all of the "loose ends" aren't tied up).
Wisely, King leaves things somewhat ambiguous at the end. I liked his approach - I think many readers will find that this story stays with you, leaving you curious at the end and still wanting more. This is intentional, and ties in well with the novel's themes. Fans of the gungslinger series, however, may get some of their questions answered as I suspect King's Buick (or maybe its creepy driver?) may find its way into Roland's tale.
Recently, King has commented that although Buick 8 and the Dark Tower finale are his last novels, he will continue to write...he just won't publish. I thought of this statement as I closed the final pages of "Buick 8" and wondered how many other Constant Readers would become curious, much like Curtis Wilcox, wanting to know why King is retiring or trying to imagine what books he may write, never to publish?
In conclusion, this is a solid King novel, not his best, but very good. I think King could have trimmed about 50-100 pages from the text and left us with one fewer "autopsy" or "light quake" scene - also, keep track of how many times characters puke in this book, definitely a King record.

As far as the story line goes, I don't think that this is near what he could do. It's a story of the past, gradually leading to the present, and it all came together nicely, the only thing is, it could have had a more exciting, thoughtful ending. The ending was suspenseful, of course. However, unlike the other King books I've read (25 give or take...and I didn't like hearts in Atlantis) the end didn't fill me with awe. There was no huge revelation, and the end was predictable. The writing of the story though...WHOAH! I mean common, this is gotta be some of the best he's done. The dialogue...the similes, the metaphores...It's so brilliant. It completely amazes me how good he is with words, especially in this one. Sometimes I have to put down the book for a few moments and just think for a few seconds on how he could come up with something so great. But to get to the point, if you like great writing, great dialogue, and awesome characterization, definately read this. But if you like super-suspense, incredible endings, and like to be wowed by the way things come together, I wouldn't read this (Actually I would read it just to read it, but thats me...I like both!) But I think it deserves a four. A job par excellence, Mr. King. Keep it up.

I have read many reviews on this site, but never felt compelled to write one until now. I felt the need to defend this book and one of the best writers around today. I'll admit that this is not an edge of your seat horror/thriller like some of King's past books, but for me the thrill of his books has never been about that. The thrill comes from King's amazing story-telling ability. I know a lot of people who refuse to read a Stephen King book no matter how much I push it, simply because they don't like the horror genre, and I feel sorry for them. They are truly missing out. This man knows how to tell a story!! I've never found another author who makes me feel like I know his characters or am part of his story like Stephen King does. He really is a master at his craft.
I don't feel the need to go into what this book is about; that's been done enough here. I simply want to say, if you're looking for a great story pick up this or any other Stephen King book. You won't be sorry (a little spooked maybe, but not sorry.)

**REVIEW HAS SPOILERS**

Now don't get me wrong, I'm a pretty big King fan, but this book was absolutely terrible. I really only have two complaints about this book:

1. It was too wordy. I know that King is known for this, but in this novel it was out of control. This 500 page book should have been a short story, or maybe a novella at most. Instead of plot, 90% of this book is filled with pointless descriptions and fluff. There were times when I skipped pages at a time without missing anything of significance.

2. The format of the story was unnecessary. Bouncing between the past and present was stupid, and telling the story from different characters' perspectives was even worse. Both of these devices work in the right context, and this book was NOT that context. First of all, the entire book should just be a flashback. Second of all, I didn't feel like I gained any additional insight by switching the first person narration around. It was completely unnecessary and ruined the natural flow of the book. This story should have been told in the standard, third person narration.

There were aspects of the novel that I did like. The overall concept was an interesting one. I also liked the fact that we never really found out much about the car. That was an interesting angle because the reader knew exactly what the characters knew and nothing more. This novel also had a handful of great, quotable statements. I wish I'd written them down, but I remember that one was, "We spoil the grief-stricken have you ever noticed that? And they become used to the treatment."

In a nutshell: Don't. While this novel does have its moments, overall it's slow pace and length make it almost unreadable.

I love Stephen King's work. Not all of it: he himself has admitted that he has written some uninspiring stories, but this is not one of those. No, this story is tuff and very emotional from its powerful begining right up to its sad ending. It's a slow story--a sad story. It's the story of a family; not a regular family, but the family of highway patrol troop D; and its the story of the love and the anger that family members evoke from each other--King describes this with incredible sorrow. As i read this book i felt heavy hearted, down right sad--in a beautiful way, though. Imagine that. Told with unique perspective, there are six narrators--and each voice is strong save for Shirley's (it's with her where i find the only problem with the book--cliche female narration.)
Buick 8 has its fantasy elements, and they are fun, damn creepy at times; but the story shines brightest when Sandy Dearborne narrates--his anger with the young Ned Wilcox who is trying to deal with the greef of a fallen father (another State trooper named Curt) is painful. Sandy sees so much of Curt in Ned that it frustrates him to hell through high water because he sees the kid making the same mistakes that the father struggled with, and he's angry at Ned, and with Ned's father, but only because he loved Curt like a brother, and because he loves Ned like a nephew. And it is this conflict where we see King at his best, mirroring the emotion that we saw in Hearts in Atlantis and in The Green Mile. A beautiful story showing us that King is like a fine wine: gets better with age. Pick it up--it is well worth the price.

When I began the book, I felt the old King was back! Some great writing. Along the way, my interest level waned a bit, but things picked up toward the end. Overall, flashes of the great King showed through, but there were draggy stretches. I am glad I read it but found myself wanting more of something - excitement, stronger plot, answers. I would like to have seen the 'other world'; some character time there would have made the book much better. Many shifts of time and viewpoint, but they were not hard to keep straight. Good, but not great.

Stephen King's writing style is not in question. So this book isn't based on the same scale as other writers. This book is King vs. King-if that makes sense. Anyway, From a Buick 8, sounds like a story that Mr. King worked on while half dozing on the back porch. The plot is questionable at best, because I'm of the opinion that plot means that we're building TOWARD something. That is not the case in this book. King hyjacked my money for this (an audiobook price tag-which is a lot of money) and laughed all the way to the bank. Overall, DON'T BOTHER. Go out to your own back porch and watch the grass grow. Trust me, it will be more entertaining.

First, let me state I am a HUGE Stephen King fan. I own most of his books and read/reread/rereread them time and again. But I was sorely disappointed with From A Buick 8. There were times when I wanted to just put it down and move on. It did not have have the gripping storyline I have come to expect. It did not have characters I was really interested in. It did not have compelling dialogue and was more of a standard kind of story with some science fiction added in. I have read Stephen's comments as regards this book and he is right. I am not sure if it was done to satisfy a contract or to fill in the gap while finishing the Dark Tower series. In any event I am sure it is not a book I will be picking up again any time soon. Not on my recommended reading list for anyone, least of all a Stephen King fan...

Ah, to get back the days I wasted reading this pointless excuse of a horror novel. As a lifelong and devoted King fan, I eagerly purchased the book when I saw it on the bargain cart at Barnes & Noble (oh, the better things I could have done with that $5), and dug in.
"From A Buick 8" is a fine example that shows being a "name" in literature will get your worst ideas published. I bet if Steve were to write a longwinded novel about his favorite cheeseburger it would get released to rave reviews. This is a major waste of any reader's time. I have always loved the way King's stories made me jump at shadows and rethink whether or not there was a monster under my bed. That was definately not found here. I got so bored with the book it ended up on the shelf in the bathroom, read only when I was taking a... bath.
Ignore this book. If you receive it as a gift, return it for something better, like any of the Dark Tower series.

I really wanted to read this book only because I am from the area that the story is written about. I remember reading in the newspaper several years ago that Stephen King was staying only a few miles from my home doing research for a book, so I was interested to see what he would write about my hometown. I was very insulted that he represented Butler County as a redneck county. We don't have the southeren drawl or dialect like he presented in the book. On the other hand, the plot was very uninteresting. I read this entire book waiting for something thrilling or exciting to happen. It had a (very) few moments of increased excitement, but I felt as though King left me hanging on for more. The climax at the end was an anthill compared to his other works. "Christine" is one of my favorite books and I hoped this would not be the same storyline. I was right; this book was boring and uneventful. I found the ending to be very unsettling. I had many unanswered questions. I am surprised Stephen King wrote this because it was terrible and not enjoyable for me.

This is not a very long novel, but it took me a while to get through it. I wasn't hooked by the story like with most of King's novels. The story is weird and seems endless, although the main idea is quite interesting.

I must admit that the characters are great and the book is well written although it is very different from the rest of King's work. The problem is some parts of the story seem to be heading nowhere.

Not the worst, not the best. An average King.

Great book in my opinion. You are never really sure how it is going to end. King does a good job in bringing the characters to life. Book keeps you wondering if the Buick is evil or just out of place (re: alien) as various "things" emerge from the trunk from time to time.

Stephen King is a great writer, but this is definitely not one of my favorites. Yes, I've read all his statements about how he likes to write different things, etc. To me, this one was "bad" different as opposed to "good" different. The plot is almost non-existing, and the characters and pretty boring as well. The book was extremely hard to get through. If you liked "Desperation" or "Insomnia" - this is a totally different kind of book. Not a bad book, but not a book I would recommend.

he was my favorite author for a number of years. i still consider the shining the most frightening book i have ever read and the stand simply one of the best. but at a certain point his work began to become somewhat derivative - i think it was around "needful things", which itself is now pretty far back, and i stopped buying his books, although i would still get them out of the library. now i read them if they happen to catch my eye while i'm there. i don't mean to make light of his contribution to american fiction - he has created many masterful works centered around truly unique and fascinating ideas (the langoliers comes to mind immediately) and deserves the title of a master of the genre. but it is disappointing that he didn't choose to go out while on top of the game, although from what i read here i guess he is calling it quits. this novel certainly takes on a more cerebral tone, in a way, than many of his others, and there's nothing wrong with that. however, it reads as a forum for his indulgence in the idea that there are mysteries which will forever go unexplained; that there are limits to the extent of human perception. yes, so? nothing groundbreaking there. it's not badly written, but it's ponderous and repetitive - the phenomena occurring in and around the car are basically of the same type, so it seems as though you are essentially reading the same passage over and over. while he interweaves character development and introspection around these instances, the two aspects don't gel to create a satisfying whole. the story is simply not very interesting, and it's not very interesting for a span of, 20 years, i guess, and hundreds of pages. real life is sometimes not very interesting, and things can drag on without dramatic denouement(s). but a novel which remains true to that premise doesn't deliver entertainment, and this one doesn't even deliver original food for thought as compensation. some of the reviews that i've read express a contrary view, and i believe people who have that view would say i've "missed the point." i don't believe that's the case. there isn't really a point. he's an immensely talented author overall, but he wrote this book to hear himself talk, and, unfortunately, with not a whole lot to say.

I don't know, I struggle with Stephen King. On the one hand, his prose is filled with unbelievable characters--I immediately hated Sandy, the main narrator, who seemed at the same time just the "average cop" and a wise and prescient observer of human nature. I think this is an example of Stephen King trying to have it both ways--he wans his main character to be both the everyday guy who's been dropped into an extraordinary situation and a demi-god (read: author) who knows the motivations and actions of far too many people. It just doesn't ring true.

On top of this, the characters themselves are cliches: The dark, grieving boy-man; the unwilling but honorable leader; the cop who never got over being the fat, unpopular kid and tries to drink his way through it; the middle-aged but still sexy female dispatcher who's "married to the precinct." Sure, King's narrator recognizes he's a cliche, but is that enough to counteract the unimaginative renderings?

And one more thing: Ned is told more than once that sometimes stories just end. "No third act, kid," says Sandy. "Story's over, kid," says someone else. "You just don't know it yet."

But then King can't resist--he gives us a third act, as if he doesn't trust the reader to understand and accept what the narrators do (maybe because they're little demi-gods and therefore understand and accept the world in ways that mere humans can't).

Here's what I will say about Stephen King, though: I started From A Buick 8 one evening and couldn't stop until I had finished. He tells a good story, despite his laziness and technical flaws. The fear lingers beyond the last page--and it's not the jump-out-of-the-shadows kind of fear, either. It's the kind of fear that comes when you start thinking about how fragile the body really is, and how easily it all could end. Drunk drivers, malevolent automobiles, strange men with misshaped faces: It all equals How Soon We Will Die.

From a Buick 8 is about a car mostly, but it isn't anything like Christine. It is typically similar to Dreamcatcher and the car basically is haunted. Strange alien creatures come out dead fromt the car that left the people from troop D pounder indeed. This book by Stephen King is great, with beautiful twists and turns and fresh imagination, but it doesn't bring anything new to the table. This is one of his best work, but parts and pieces of it were from his previous works. Read if you are a big fan or just a newbie. This is one that shouldn't be missed.

Imagine reading a book about a bunch of college professors who stare at a spooky trunk full of old college textbooks for over 20 years! Ocassionally an oversized bookwork wiggles out and they freak! Then they go back to teach classes all day haunted by what they have seen. Sounds pretty weak doesn't it? Just swap in a Buick and some state troopers and you have the the terribly weak premise of this novel.
The ONE IDEA that constitutes this book can only be drawn out so far (flashing "portal car" plops out creatures that decompose ASAP--troopers gawk in amazement!). At some point it all needs to MEAN something, which, in the end, it doesn't. There is always room for a novel that makes the absence of answers its strong point, but this book simply pushes that pretense too far.
If you want to be creeped out by the inexplicable I recommend that you read books by the author that obviously influenced King's trunk-born creations--H.P. Lovecraft.

This is a book about human curiosity. Unlike some other King books, Buick 8 lacks the clear and obvious antagonist. The real antagonist is a human beings search for answers when there are no clear answers.
Also, this book is written with a lot of flashbacks. Buick 8's story is told by a group of PA State Troopers to a teenager whose father was killed a year before. Incidently, the boys father was on the the troopers that took a fascination to the Buick.
The story also consists of many excellent descriptions of light shows and alien creatures which are spawned from the Buick.
However, despite King's excellent writing, I could not give this 5 stars because the story tends to drag and the climax (although not a dissapointment) is not of the quality the author has shown in his previous novels. But nonetheless, I would still recommend this book to King readers.

"From a Buick 8" is not King's best novel, but its nowhere near his worst, either. Its an unusual little tale about the nature of our obessesion with dangerous and deadly forces, and about how there aren't always explanations for what we want. I found the book to be creepy, and it has an everpresent sense of dread looming over it. This is not exactly great material for a movie adaption, but a thoroughly enjoyable and spooky novel. Worth checking out.

If this book had been written by Joe Schmoe, I would have given it at least 4 stars... however, I'm rating on the King scale and as a dedicated fan, I felt it was not worthy of more than 3. To me, it felt like one of his short stories, but much longer, without the full character development that his novels usually provide.
I basically didn't give a ... about the characters in the story... except maybe for Mister Dillon. I buy King's books to scare the bejeezus out of myself or to fall in love with the characters and become a part of their lives... this book did neither for me. It was an entertaining bit of fluff but not his best work. I would recommend it to someone who wanted to pass some time, but not to a die-hard fan (they will all read it regardless of outside opinions, such as mine) and certainly not to a first-timer for fear they would be turned off forever.

Where did this weird replica of a Buick come from? Was the portal made by the same characters in "Hearts of Atlantis"? If it was, why didn't they have a problem breathing our atmosphere? Will King eventually tie it all together like he did with the entire "The Gunslinger" series? The whole point of the book is, sometimes you have to accept the fact that you aren't going to find an answer.

Now i picked this book very happy this was reportedly King's last novel and i wanted to know how King bowed out but this novel which is decent but far from his best work, had little action characters without much personality and a not so great story line. Could have definetly been worse could have been a lot worse though!
Thank god we still have the 2 final dark tower books to look forward to!!!

SK is still the master and this book is still a decent read, but it is not one of his best and I would only recommend it to SK fans. If you are just getting into the world of SK, please put this at the bottom of your list and read "The Shining" "Salem's Lot" "The Stand" "The Dead Zone" "Carrie" and the "The Talisman" before this one!

If you want a creepy "page-turner", this book is not for you. If you want to immerse yourself in truly great writing, read it. I've read all of King's books, and the stories always seemed to overpower his talent to put down wonderful words and descriptions. He has gained his fame by being a great storyteller, but not as a great writer...a shame.

I have read this book a couple of month's ago. It was in Holland already published.
I picked it up after the very, in my opinion, poor black house and wanted it to be a wonderfull book....I'm sorry....it isn't!
The story lacks tension and I found it to be a bit of a bore.
It didn't " come alive " for me, the characters didn't do anything for me...quite frankly...I just didn't care for them.
And the story just went on, and on, and on..a complete let down. It's not that I dislike books who builds up ,( i finished " the emperor of ocean park" Great book!!) but this just isn't going anywhere.
I wrote it before, no more king for me, alas.

It's a rarity for me to buy a book, much less a hardback. But being rumored this is Stephen King's last novel (I'm not sure with the conclusion of the Dark Tower series) I decided to buy it. I'm happy to say that my [money] did not go to waste. This is a great book and is very different from his earlier "Christine". If this really is King's last novel then he's going out on a good note. All I have to say is get this book.

I have to honestly admit that I usually do not enjoy most books in this category as they tend to be a bit too strange for my tastes. I know, I know, like dah, huh! Hey, this book was a gift (the reason I am reviewing it.) I am a person who doesn't receive that many gifts, and if you knew me better you could plainly understand why.
Moving Forward... "From a Buick 8" although a strange story wasn't that bad. I think I liked it better than my last read by Stephen King. If you are a King fan this story is right up your alley.

I've read a ton of books, but interestingly enough I had never read a Stephen King until this past month. I saw this at a local store and thought it looked interesting, especially because I drive an older car myself.

This book drew me in from the start. I thought the characters were very well-developed and I felt connected to them in a way. When this happens to me you know it's a good book.

Once I finish the book I'm reading now I'm definitely getting another King. This one got me hooked for life.

I'm not a rabid King fan and don't read all his books, but I could not put this one down. The feeling I got was like waiting for the other shoe to drop. I new the Buick was going to do something more and it always did! Great story with a real sense of unsolved mystery. And since I actualy owned an early 50's Buick 8 I could picture that damn car to a T!

I thought this was very much the old King, the one who is the master of plot and characterization. No one can capture the nuances of a character better or faster than King.

The first 300 pages drag but only if you want a quick summer read. If you like total development of the people and the plot, it's great. The last 150 pages are the best IMO. Fast, action-filled, and the ol' page turner.

Hope they make a movie out of it.

Stephen King has written some of the best literary works I have ever had the priviledge to enjoy...The Stand, It, and yes...even Pet cemetary.
"From a Buick 8", is nothing but a recollection of memories from the point of many individuals.
It lacks the mind games, which King is so good at playing.
King has reduced his talent to protraying the twisted personalities of inanimate objects, and Buick 8 is the ultimate low point. It has no plot...no intrigue...no Heart...nothing to capture the imagination, and send us off on one of the imaginary journeys he is so capable of creating.
A word of advice to Mr. King. Go back to your roots and stretch your imagination, rather than dredging up the same old bad car...good car stories, such as this...They are becoming very boring.
I look forward to the next creative masterpiece Mr. King is so very capable of producing.

This is not a very long novel, but it took me a while to get through it. I wasn't hooked by the story like with most of King's novels. The story is weird and seems endless, although the main idea is quite interesting.

I must admit that the characters are great and the book is well written although it is very different from the rest of King's work. The problem is some parts of the story seem to be heading nowhere.

Not the worst, not the best. An average King.

I did like this book better than 'Christine'though. I liked the setting the story was in and the characters were more likeable as well. However, while there were supernatural elements, the story itself was pretty slow going. There were only a few scenes that had you biting your nails. This isn't one of King's scariest.

Has an interesting premise, but the narrative structure is really sloppy---he switches around between numerous characters' POV, all in 1st-person narrative, but there is no clear delineation of each separate character's voice---it sounds like the same person talking all the time, which is confusing. And the ending makes no sense. Not one of his best!

It truly is a shame that Mr King's writing career is coming to a close but outside of the Dark Tower's close, there could have been no better note to end on. King weaves a wonderful tale aout a possesed Buick thorugh the eyes of some of the greatest characters of his career. after reading this book i really felt like i had known all of those people for my entire life. Not since the stand have his characters been more developed. Through his story reminds us that no matter what is going on in our lives to remember where we came from and our families. i would imagine that all of King's fans have purchased this book already or have made plans to do so, so if you are skeptical of him, just read this book and realize his supream grasp of the english language. unlike mine. so enjoy, i know you will

The tone of this novel is different from most King thriller, and it took a couple of chapters before I was fully absorbed. This is a very thoughtful book. It's more of a character study than a typical adventure with a climax that very slowly builds up. I found it refreshing to read. At this point in his life, King decided that he'd write a more mature novel than his usual horror books. It has it's share of the unusual, and captured my interest for the most part. A nice way to drift into retirement. I have read King since The Shining came out, and this book holds it's own.

I love Stephen King.Been a constant reader most of my lifetime.I have never started a book that I didn't finish, ever.First time for everything.From a Buick 8 sucks like a Hoover.So boring....SO boring...There's no development of the characters, no story line as far as I'm concerned. Believe me when I say this book both sucks and blows at the same time. A tedious read for nothing to happen.I don't care what is in the trunk , I want a refund on the time I wasted trying to trudge through this abomination.

If you saw 1996's Trainspotting, you may remember Sick Boy's diatribe about how "we all get older, we can't hack it anymore, and then we die." I'm afraid when it comes to Stephen King, I have to agree. I don't agree that his literary style has matured. ... This book is wretched. Long, slow and dull. It has no point, and none of the vaguely interesting tidbits in it (and they are only tidbits...nothing to sink your teeth into) are explained. Some have said, "So what, many things in life are not explained," but that's why I read books...to have a story told in full, not left hanging like in real life. When an author fails to satisfy his reader in this way, it's a mark of both laziness and, more so, a contempt for the reader. King's recent announcement that he's going to write only for himself and stop publishing altogether is vivid proof of the contempt he has for his fans. This is in evidence on every page of From a Buick 8. Skip it. If you're tempted, go back and read Christine instead, from a period in King's career before he was taken over by aliens from the Planet Banal.

"From A Buick 8" is awesome. My favorite. I have read it three times. It really makes you think about life, the universe and how insignificant we are in the great scheme of things. I just dont get these so called "fans"..first they complain that his books are too long, too detailed and than they complain that its not long enough...

For those who said this isn't one of King's best works--I agree. He's written better. But I believe King serves his purpose. He has here a terrific father/son character study. There are even elements of a coming of age story here. There isn't much action in the greater portion of the novel, but I believe the suspense and even horror comes from the subtle things. As stated numerous times here, this isn't his best work, but it is still a helluva story.

This book a has slow as a long summer's day. Don't expect to be spook out of your bed but if you are a die hard fan of King like myself, you will enjoy this tale of a boy you will become a man because of a car. I miss the writing of his first books. Maybe it will come back to him. Hopefuly!

A year ago i bought all of Kings books and have read about 14 of them so far. From A Buick 8 has got to be the WORST book i have ever read by king. A car that craps out bats and other stuff? weird...i know King has been known to be a little weird, but this is overboard...anyways..the good in the book is what is good in all of Kings books. the Characters. No matter how horrible the plot is he seems to make believable characters and that is what is so great about him as an author. I would reccommend all of Kings books because he is my favorite author, but i didnt like this book

I picked up this book in like-new condition at a flea market for $2 (I think I got ripped off). Anyway, I've read my share of S. King books in my days and I gotta say...this is the worst book he has ever written. It's a very painful read and doesn't...you know...entertain like books are supposed to.

Stephen King has reached a point in his career where he can publish anything and it will still sell...even if it's a total piece of literary flotsam like this book. If a new author tried to submit this book for publication, it would not be considered good enough to even secure a literary agent. Yeah, it's THAT bad.

This book is def one of his. Very much a horror book, but lots of pondering moments and never dull with him. I truly felt I could smell the car and felt just like I was there, as in The Stand I did as well. Wonderful book!!! I hope he does decide to write more and not stop writing.

I have read most of King's books. I can honestly say that this is the most boring book I have read by him. I haven't even finished it and I find myself feeling like I have homework whenever I pick it up (I have a thing about finishing any book I start). I also keep finding myself skipping paragraphs because they are soooo wordy (for lack of a better adjective :o)).
I hope he does better in the future.

I do not see where the 4 and 5 star reviews are coming from. This wasn't a bad book-just not a really good one. Mr. King has been slipping in the quality department recently. This book doesn't really seem to go anywhere. It was a fairly quick read, but not terribly filling.

Casual Stephen King fan. Found this book a real page turner, unable to put it down (kinda like the effect the Buick has on folks). Very well written and appropriately eerie. No, he doesn't spell out every last detail and leaves the reader to draw some of their own conclusions, but the story comes across very believably. Only King book I ever enjoyed more was 11/22/63.

I really don't understand all the negative reviews on this novel. Why do so many people think that a Stephen King novel has to be gory and gross-out before it can be entertaining? I absolutely loved this novel when I read it. I believe it is far superior to many of King's other novels--even CELL. The main reason I loved it was that it's so different from anything else he's written. I guess you could call it his most "Fortean" novel with just a little touch of H.P. Lovecraft thrown in for good measure.

I would like to recommend to all the negative reviewers of BUICK that they sit down and read THE COMPLETE BOOKS OF CHARLES FORT which is also available here on the store. The volume is actually four nonfiction works combined in one book. They do make for a tedious read, but they'll be well worth your while. Sit down and read them, and maybe you'll begin to understand where King was coming from when he wrote FROM A BUICK 8.

In a surprisingly intimate novel, Stephen King uses an old Buick Roadmaster as a metaphor for man's search for answers where there are none. Though sparse in scope and setting, this novel is still powerful in its portrayal of a young man trying to find meaning in his father's death.
Highly Recommended

From a Buick 8 written by Stephen King is a book about the stuff that happens on the police force. It's about weird stuff that goes on people missing strange lights and sounds. Wierd stuff like bugs are cut open and are all green inside and are not normal. The bugs squirt icky goopy stuff out. The buick has powers that cannot be explaned. The owner of the car is missing.

The story is interesting and the characters are realistic and even likable. The problem I have is this is not what we have come to expect from Mr. King. I have been a fan since childhood. I still am. However, this book has left me kind of cold. By any other author, I would have considered this a good book. As a title by Stephen King it's just ok.

If this book were not written by Stephen King nobody would read it except his creative writing instructor. Skill in characterization, metaphor and dialog plus an unusual narrative structure don't add up to anything more than an experiment gone wrong. It probably should never have been published. 2 STARS for skill in composition, nothing for story or motivation.

I've listened to countless books on cd/tapes over the past 15 years and
I have to say this is truly one of the best. The multi-narration is absolutely the best I've heard. It's one of the few that I've listened to more than once.

I have to consider myself one of the biggest Stephen King fans in the world.....however; it does not deter me from stating how disappointed I was in "From a Buick 8".
I read the book from cover to cover, but not with ease. Of all of his novels, this one by far was the hardest to "become" part of and the easiest to put down. I continually found myself drifting while reading. I agree with most other reviews that this book is WAY too long to hold anyone's interest for too long.
Then only comfort I find is knowing this is not the norm for Mr. King and I can expect this to be a one-time disappointment for me.

I'm going to spare you the boredom and keep this short, advice I wish S.K. would've followed. If you are a hardcore S.K. fan, go ahead and check it out. Otherwise I'd skip it and use your time more wisely reading one of his others, or someone else entirely. From a Buick 8 was boring to say the least, and with nararrations of what happened in the past, there is next to no suspense throughout. Hopefully this is NOT his last book, because this would be one terrible way to leave the writing world.

When I read From A Buick 8, I was actually embarrassed for Stephen King. I believe it's the worst thing he's ever published, right under Gerald's Game.

I would encourage fans who've never had the displeasure of reading it to stay away. If you're not a fan and want something light and recent from King, try Full Dark, No Stars. If you want to go straight for the best of King, try It.

I just finished From a Buick 8 and I can't understand how people are giving it bad reviews. Yes, you have to go into it with an imagination. If you lack an imagination, you may not enjoy it. Of course, if you lack an imagination, why read fiction novels in the first place? As with other Stephen King books, there are some things left to your own imagination, but with this book it was much less so than others. For those who say you don't get a glimpse of "the other side", in the end you do get a little glimpse. No, you don't get it spelled out for you what the "car" is or what exactly is on "the other side." That's where your imagination comes in. Get the book. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

OK, so it's a 356-page book about a car that isn't really a car. And the "car" just sits in a garage and does some occasional odd things. *Yawn*. In my opinion, this book isn't in the same league as some of King's classics ("The Stand," "The Dead Zone," etc.), and isn't even half as good as the more recent "DreamCatcher."

Well this is the 4th book i finished of Stephen King and this one is less scary and ofcourse its about a CAR! But what a car it was and i will not forget it with all the lightquakes, creatures and the whole shebang! Before picking up this book i must admit i was a bit hesitant but i was not disappointed and could not wait to reach the end to find out THE END! I especially liked the way the book was written with every chapter being told by a character of the story..very neat and creative writing and i am off to pick up my next SK book.

This was a very entertaining book. Imagine finding the most amazing thing you can think of, and having to keep it secret.

The storyline kinda fizzles towards the end, but definitely worth reading.

Not King's best work (Christine, the Stand....) but definitely not his worst by any stretch of the imagination.

I have been a Stephen King fan for years. The Stand is possibly the best cross-over SciFi, horror novel that was ever written. I would have to say that From A Buick 8 might be the worst. The only reason I gave this book a single star is because it has King's name. It is a long drawn out read, save your money.

I am new to the world of Stephen King, and I became disenchanted by King with this book. The most active character in the story is the Buick (*NOTE* There are humans in the story.) This should give one an idea regarding kind of character development or lack therefrom this story contains. The book lacks any scarefactor, and the author really misses numerous chances to make up for the "kiddish" nature of the novel. Incidences are too silly to be taken seriously. Other than that, there isn't much to say about the book because little happens in the novel. To avoid senseless mental anguish, I'd suggest doing yourself a favor by pressing ALT+Left_Arrow_Key till you get back to the main the store.com page and hunting for a different book.

I liked this book, but I think that it could have been at least 100 pages shorter. I can appreciate the need for charactor development, but I was more interested in the Buick and where it came from than all of the boring exposition. In the end I was disappointed by the lack of resolution.

King has given us a new version of "Christine," a car with supernatural qualities. While he is an excellent story teller, King ends this one with a disappointing whimper rather than the "bang" it deserves.

Does anyone not see the connection between the Buick and the Dark Tower? One has to read King's "Hearts in atlantis" to truly appreciate this tale.
SPOILERS****
The Buick is a car belonging to the Low Men, agents of the Dark Tower's Crimson King. Doesn't anyone remember the way King described the Low Mens' cars in "Hearts in Atlantis"? They were almost alive...I believe that this particular Buick acts as a doorway to a level of the Dark Tower we haven't seen before. King's the kind of writer who rewards readers for reading his other books and "From a Buick 8" is no exception.

This was one of the more enjoyable Stphen King books that he has done lately. I am a true fan, but I never enjoyed the gunslinger series. This is a good read, pretty far fetched at times, and I didnt find some of the creatures very scary, maybe a little silly. Still and all, this book was hard to put down and well worth the cash for the paperback. I would say sit back and enjoy the ride, in a Buick 8!

Well, perhaps not his lamest, but very, very close. As someone who has read and re-read every King book, I was relieved that this hastily slung together rehashing of familiar King territory will be his "last." Then again, King can shine in certain places and his amazing ability to bring you inside a character's consciousness almost makes it worth it to suffer through. The bottom line: if you're a King junky, you're going to read it no matter what.

All that I can say is that this was the worst Stephen King book that I have ever read. I only skimmed through the last third of the book because it just did not seem like it was going anywhere. I felt that it was a waste of my time. I know that he can do better than this.

I like Stephen King okay, but tend to find much of his works a little on the wordy side. "From a Buick 8" is not what I would label a horror novel - it has a few scary-ish parts, but is more of a memoir from a group of police officers about a particularly strange car they run across. I liked the book alright - I finished it and enjoyed it enough, it's pleasantly rambling (similar to "Green Mile") with a lot of little details. Nice, but not one I'll keep around for a second go.

"From a Buick 8" actually started out okay, but it eventually went downhill from there. "8" is not like your usual HORROR novel from King. Bottomline: There's no real scary part in the whole book. Except for the Buick spitting out some gross 'things' from the trunk and sucking people in, the whole novel just fell flat.
The only reason I stuck to the book was to see if there were any other really scary scene in the novel, only to be deeply disappointed. The ending was abrupt and did not seem like an ending at all.
To all first time King readers: Don't read "8". If you are looking for horror, go for older novels by King like "Carrie" or "Christine" instead.

There should be a limit to how many novels an author can write about a supernatural car. King should have stopped after "Christine" which I found to be far better than this current effort.
The only way I made it all the way through this book was on the hope that it would eventually become exciting...it never happened.
I can't believe that this will be King's last novel. He has given me hours of enjoyment and terror with his previous works. It is unfathomable that this is poor effort will be his swansong.

Absolutely the worst book I have read in over 10 years! While the dialogue does stress that life is uncertain and that there are not always answers, a 300+ page read should leave a paying reader with something more than a waste of time. Coming from one of our generations premier writers, this serves as a double dissapointment. Mr. King would have been well advised to keep his roadside demons behind closed pages not unleashed to a paying public...what a betrayal of trust. It will be a long time before I not only consider reading another S. King book, it will be a long time before I can count him among the great authors of our day after pulling a stunt like releasing this book.

This book is so-so. There are many imaginitive story elements, but there isn't really much of a plot. If you're new to King, save this one for later. Start with Desperation, The Dead Zone, Different Seasons, or any of the short story collections.

While not in the same league with the "Green Mile", this book is one of the good Stephen King novels. "From a Buick 8" is an easy and smooth ride, it gives you a nice, real life kind of feeling. I'd say it is not so much a horror story, but a human minds' study story. The supernatural part is there, but it is not overwhelming. It's not about the buick, it's about the people, really.

Sorry. I hate to speak against the King, but this story feels worn out after the first 200 pages. So we learn that strange things are coming out of the Buick? They never mean anything significant to us. The premise is nice, but the book falls flat on theme. The Stand is still his best work. I'll go four stars for the sake of history

In what could have been a very good short story, we follow a car that starts out very frightening and goes out with a whimper. Sounds a lot like a certain writer. Mr. King, take a hint from your own story and finish with a flourish of lights and action, don't let your readers see you rust away.
With the exception of a chapter or two this was the dullest S.K. book of them all. Very disappointing. There is a reason that flashbacks don't work for long, even if done by one of the best story tellers of all time.

A peculiar car sits in a shed for 20 years. Once in a while it emits a special effect. When it does, some cops stand around and watch.
Are you thrilled yet? Neither was I. The material might have done for a 10-minute Night Gallery episode, but, alas, King is no Rod Serling and he goes on for 350 pages. I made it through 150 of them, sustained mainly by King's trademarked glib (and banal) dialogue, before I gave up and started skipping ahead to see if anything was going to happen. It is possible that I skipped right past a something that happens, but I doubt it. The grand climax seems to be the appearance of a small crack in the Buick's windshield.

that never really got me into it. I love Stephen King, he's the greatest author of modern time but the story and characters never interested me. If you want classic King buy the Green Mile, Stand(if your up to reading that much), or the Dead Zone.

Long winded, not well written, lacks a story line that is somewhat believable, no real character developement, repeats itself in places, ending about as exciting as a root canal! Don't waste your time or money on this one!!

Save your money. Either get this book from the library or if you absolutely must have it, visit your favorite used book store and pick it up for a buck fifty. It started off well enough; a stanger pulls into service station with a classic buick and promptly disappears. The Pennsylvania state police take possession of the car and park it out in back of their station in an unused shed. From then on, the plot plods along, never really getting into the classic King writing we have come to expect. I kept telling myself "just wait, something big is just around the corner", but it never materialized. Suddenly I found myself three quarters of the way thru this book, still waiting for the shoe to drop, but it never did. Don't waste your time or money on this clunker. I gave it one star only because the store would't let me give it zero.

A quick-read page-turner bound to satisfy most King fans.
With all the focus on the "monster" I did think some of the characters fell off into the background, including Ned. Great picture of rural Pennsylvania, and police procedures in general. King displays his usual fine skill at ratcheting up the tension and the thrills as the novel moves along, although I have to confess the disections-by-cop seemed a bit hard to accept. All in all a good weekend-passing read.

I am somewhat disappointed in the book....it was interesting, but I kept waiting for the pizzazz.....I did not require a real horror story...some of his best are not.....but I usually finish his books quickly....this time it took me over two weeks..a few pages at a time.... it just did not "Grab" me.

The writing since Mr. King's accident has been somewhat erratic. The book left too many unanswered questions. This was an easy reading, but felt that something was missing. Good concept but some unexpected story development is how I would describe this story. Not one of this best work but is worth reading.

I keep hearing rumors that this is King's last stand-alone novel, and the only thing he intends to publish for the rest of his career are the final three books of his inferior Dark Tower series. I hope these rumors are false. I'd hate to think his last novel was a book this average. Not a bad book, but certainly not a great one either.

I couldn't even get half way through it without tossing it aside. I tried and tried to get into it....giving it the benefit of the doubt, but got sick of wasting my time and wanted to move on to something else by another author. Time for Mr King to retire. The story NEVER picked up and never changed from Shed B. Give ole Shed B a rest!! Do not recommend.

What can I say about The King that hasnt been a
said? As always he`s spot on .On the surface this is a creepy mystery, but under the surface its about life and people , sorrow and acceptance . Its beautiful and terrible and sad.It leaves you pondering the mysteries of the universe. Long live the King!

I've probably read about 40 to 50% of King's books, and this is the only one out of all of them that I finished simply because I had never NOT finished one before.

I know........not a very compelling review.

But maybe the simplest, most direct way of saying that this one, sadly, is just a big, boring, SO WHAT ???

I love you, Mr. King. But they can't ALL be winners.

Once I started reading this book, I found it extremely hard to put down until I had finished. For any
Stephen King fan, this is a must have book. From beginning to end the reader is spellbound to find out what is going to happen next. I was expecting something along the lines of "Christine" but this is totally diferent, and in my opinion better.

I read this book when it first published. It was a long time before read another king book. I kept wondering if anything was really going to happen. Big King fan but not of this book. It is not my taste...Bag of Bones is more to my liking.

Fantastic! The best King ever! Buy it now, because it's destined to become a classic, and you'll want to own the first edition of this incredibly horrific novel.
Also recommended: The Dead Zone, Carrie, Salem's Lot, The Green Mile, etc.

For my independent reading I read a book called From a Buick 8 by stephen king. It was a very weird book and I would have to say that it was one of the worst books he has written because normally I like his books a lot. Not only was this one of Stephen Kings worst books it was one of the longest. The story line went by so slowly it took for ever to tell a story that was actually pretty short and not that complicated. The book starts off talking about a boy name ned whose dad was a cop, and his dad lost his life late one night while on duty he got in a wreck and no one know how or why. Throughout the first half of the book it is all about how ned wants to be just like his father and become a cop, and how he is dealing with things now that he doesn't have his father because they were really close. The second part of the book is all about how ned has come across his fathers old squad car in the county barn. And he starts to reminisce of his father so he gets in the car that has not been moved in like a year and when he gets in the car darts forward, he jumps out and gets back in the car does it again. He starts to freak out, and overtime he eventually starts to realize is some how possessed and it is what killed his father. He has a hard time getting people to believe him, but he eventually gets the car to do it in front of someone else and then people start to to believe him. This was a very weird book and I would not recommend it to anyone it was all about like SYFI stuff and I didn't like it. So overall i would say this book sucked which is odd for stephen king, normally his books are good.

If Steven King wrote this book to indicate that after the car hit him he can no longer write, he is correct! The only reason that I even finished it is because I paid soooo much for it. The plot is completely lame, and nothing exciting even happens until just before the end. I have read and enjoyed Steven King's writing, until now. This book was almost a complete waste of time reading.

I felt the book leaves the reader waiting for more - for something to happen. I will never forget how "The Shinning" raised the hair on the back of my neck. "Buick 8" doesn't come close. It builds and builds but never hits the summitt.
Not Mr. King's best work.

This is the worst Stephen King book I haver EVER read. As time goes on, I feel he has lost his touch and run out of ideas, because this was a true stretch. It was almost laughable. I kept thinking, "surely something will happen to make this book better", but it never did. It was complete silliness. A complete waste of my time. I was glad when I finally got through it. The only reason I stuck w/it is because I thought being a King novel it would get better. It never did.

Of course it is well written BUT King warns you throughout the story that sometimes things in life have no explanation SO the plot points you've been reading page after page to see resolved never get resolved. Ultimately, this is a disappointing read. The story never builds, it just lays there like a flat tire From a Buick 8.

I am disappointed in this book. The pace was too slow, I just
wanted it over with! The constant back and forth, too much time
spent on Trood D's supporting cast, made it a very uncomfortable
read. I will be more patient when his next book comes out.I think
this book should have been a short story, at least the agony
would have been less.

Can Stephen King possibly write a bad novel? Of course not, and "From a Buick 8" is no exception. Don't let the title fool you, this is no "Christine" wanna-be. King, in his usual manner, blends a great yarn, real (and endearing) characters, and inexplicable phenomena into a "can't put it down" experience. Not so usual is his blending of 1st person and 3rd person narratives, but it works beautifully. Try it, you'll like it!

I picked this book up when my son was in the hospital. I have always been a big fan of Stephen Kings so I got it to read while my son was sleeping or taking tests...Once i started i couldnt put it down. King has a way of taking ordinary things and turning them into nightmarish things. This book is a prime example of this. It keeps you guessing right up to the end. This is a definate must read for any King fan.

Fully enjoyed this title. A little different for King. More story and less freaky weirdness, not that it isn't freaky weird but there's less of it than usual. Fun read.
I also recommend Evolution by Jennifer MacDonald. I just finished it and found out it's on sale here for half price.

This novel is one of the most off the wall out there interpretations of the nether world I've ever heard of...it's a must read for those willing to venture to the edge....King has once again reached where no one or anything has gone before !!!!

. . . unless you've already used it once . . . So let me guess--- King's next book is about a family who work as caretakers at a deserted resort hotel in the mountains that is actually a gateway to another evil dimension. But it won't be the same as The Shining, because this deserted resort hotel in the mountains--- that is actually a gateway to another evil dimension--- where this new family works as caretakers, is in Vermont this time.

I have a lot of trouble reviewing this book and saying how much I hated it, because I'm a new writer, just getting my career started, and well . . . it really sucks when someone tells your work sucks. But sorry - this sucks.

It's not a bad idea. I've seen that in a lot of reviews here.

I'm sensitive to that, because feedback on my work consistently says things like "I would have never thought that idea could fly - but you pulled it off."

I learned to pull off those way out there ideas from Stephen King - the real Stephen King, not this new word spewing, untalented alien monstrosity that has apparently kidnapped the real man and now lives in his body, and is running his reputation as a writer into the ground; well, actually, well below ground level.

The main problem with this story (and the new alien-infested Mr. King) is focus. The one thing you have to do as a writer is focus, focus, focus. Cause if you don't - your reader will hunt you down and shoot you like a rabid dog; short of that, they'll write reviews saying how wickedly bad your book was, and how much you wasted their time.

A writer's job is to be a kind of Tour Guide. I don't know how many of you have been on a Guided Tour, but if you haven't and you're a budding writer, take a Guided Tour of some place. The place doesn't matter. What matters is your Tour Guide. Pay attention, really, really close attention, and you'll see that what makes a good Tour Guide vs. a Shoot Me Now and End It Tour Guide is what they don't say. That's right. It's not the words that come out of their mouth, it's the words that don't come out that make or break a tour.

The same is true for a good book. Now, with writing, it's a tricky business, because (Warning ***Trade Secret Ahead***) every writer has our own sort of Tour Guide in our head. Some people call it a Muse or Inspiration or a Feeling. I just call it The Voice In My Head.

My Voice is great; love the guy to death. But - good Christ in a sideways chariot - the man thinks I should write everything into a scene, including the dots of paint on the wall that didn't dry evenly because ten years back when my character's ex-wife (whose murder he plotted, but didn't actually commit - he hired demons to do it) painted that wall, she didn't wait long enough for the first coat to dry, so now there's some dots where the second coat dried unevenly. And actually, that's why she's dead, because she never listened to my character, and never did anything right, and he got sick of it, and he got a book on Demonology, even though he grew up a devout Catholic, and now suffers tremendous pangs of guilt (not to mention Satanic nightmares), learned the ritual, drew a circle on the floor in that very room (the wood is now covered by plush wine red carpet that always reminds him of the blood he had to throw into the circle) and raised demons who caused her car to crash one rainy night.

Now, wasn't that just flat out annoying? Didn't you just skim through most of it? An editor would do this: "He eyed the stain on the wall, another reminder that his wife was dead." The part about the demons and the murder and whatever else - you do that later, in little "drips" throughout your story or novel. Or, you don't put it in at all. Maybe your reader doesn't need to know all that. Maybe your reader just needs to see the effect of all those things on your character.

That's called editing. Apparently, this "editing" thing is a concept left behind when your name sells in the millions of dollars for your publishing house.

At any rate, I'm writing this review because I'm home sick with the Swine Flu and I'm pretty miserable and I got to thinking how much better my revision skills are than Mr. King's editors, and I was wondering if Mr. King was in the market for a good editor. You think?

At any rate, Mr. King - that voice in your head - he needs to be edited. You can't just throw it all at the wall and see what sticks, not unless you hire a good editor. Yes. That was a shameless plug.

But seriously, Mr. King - consider this. We live in a very time sensitive world. It's the age of information thing, never enough time to do anything.

Read these bad reviews, and think upon this. All of the people who left you bad reviews not only spent a part of our lives reading what you wrote, but your failure to entertain us (many of us long time fans) has irked us to the point that we have chosen to take even more time out of our lives just to tell you how mad we are.

If you're okay with that, then hey - keep on sitting at that shiny new keyboard, you know, the one that's poised just to the left of your contract, keep on letting that alien take over; and since it's true that everything really is eventual, people will eventually stop buying your books.

Gotta go, it's my Voice. He's talking. He doesn't like to be ignored.

Stephen King again shows why all of his books are instant best sellers. While this story certainly contains lots of Horror and supernatural elements, it is the human elements that drive the story. A young mans quest for answers to questions that simply can't be answered. One of Kings greatest stories to date.

I love Stephen Kings books but this one has to be his worst ever! The whole time I read it I was thinking, "Is this going somewhere!?!" The beginning started out OK but then it just went down hill from there. I feel bad for saying this because King is a favorite writer of mine but this was JUST AWFUL.

Loved it! Couldn't put it down. Totally fun read. Its the suspense more than the horror that gets to you on this one (although there is lots of yuck factor). King's deceptively easy writing style breezes you right through a story that actually has quite a bit of depth.

Having been a longtime fan of Stephen King, I was greatly disappointed in 'From A Buick 8'. The story was almost non-existent, the characters were poorly developed and there was no climax to speak of. I had to force myself to continue plodding through this excuse for a novel. In the end, I wish I hadn't. It's a shame this is his last free-standing book.

I enjoyed this book like no other. It has kept me curious and guessing the whole time. The detail and history of this book are extraordinary. All the possibilities and questions you come to while reading are thoroughly explored.

Don't waste your time or money on this one Constant Readers. I'm a huge King fan, but this one never even got off the ground. Where most King storiess leave you wanting more, this one leaves you wanting anything but the shear boredom it delivers. Sorry, SK, but you must have written this one in a coma.

This is the worst book Stephen King has written! The plot, if there was one, is silly. He continually leads up to something exciting about to happen which fizzles out to nothing. The terrors are something a small child might dream up. Total waste of money and I was very disappointed.

i'm a great fan of stephen king & would strongly recommend his 'different seasons' to anyone. But this latest story strikes me as being long-winded and not the least scary. one of my most disappointing stephen king read.

From a Buick 8 written by Stephen King is a book about the stuff that happens on the police force. It's about weird stuff that goes on people missing strange lights and sounds. Wierd stuff like bugs are cut open and are all green inside and are not normal. The bugs squirt icky goopy stuff out. The buick has powers that cannot be explaned. The owner of the car is missing.

Yet another piece of impish immmature drivel from the master of bad grammer. I would have thought by now the man would have learned the basics of sentence structure and grammer. Since he has a great following, he must hold some quality for the masses which intices them to buy his books. It is obviously neither great writing nor flawless logic as this book demonstrates once again.