Thinner

Rating:
Summary: Mental as opposed to macabre thriller...
Review: The thing that has always impressed me about Stephen King has been his flourid imagination...how does he think of things like a rabid dog holding a family hostage (Cujo) or a haunted car (Christine)? With "Thinner", the demented King imagination is again at full throttle as he conjurs up a story of what it would be like if an overweight man were cursed with losing weight at an alarming rate...can he find the answer to reverse it or will he waste away? This is the essence of this work...not classicly written, but still a page turner because the story is so well conceived.

As with all Stephen King books, this story flows along at a rapid pace as we find Billy Halleck, a mundane Connecticut lawyer losing an abundance of weight after his trial for hitting and killing a gypsy woman is over. The only reasoning for this weight loss that Halleck can determine is the actions of the gypsy lady's father who rubbed Halleck's face and whispered the word "thinner" in his ear at the end of the trial as he moved on. When the weight loss becomes alarming, Billy decides that the curse is true and decides to confront the gypsy and get him to remove the curse...the resultant chase and ending becomes more a mind game as opposed to a physically morbid tale. The ending is surprising and "classic" Stephen King...as in most of King's work, the least suspected outcome is the one that ensues and leaves the reader a little amazed.

An easy read that goes fairly quickly, this is a perfect summer light read that most fans of psychological thrillers should enjoy.

Rating:
Summary: If You Normally Don't Read Stephen King....
Review: I have to confess that I rarely EVER read Stephen King novels or watch his movies. I am a big fan and think he is one of the most (disturbingly) creative authors out there. But frankly, his movies and books scare the bejesus out of me! I NEVER forget his terrifying plots!

When he first started with movies like Christine and the book "Thinner" - he was a little tamer,I believe. I couldn't pass up the premise of this book and its title, so steeled myself for the nightmares.

I found "Thinner" to be thoroughly captivating! The ironic ending reminded me of O'Henry's short stories and I believe that most readers (even those who don't typically read King) will totally be immersed in this great tale.

Rating:
Summary: An early classic by King
Review: Slimy lawyer Billy Halleck gets what's coming to him when he successfully evades prosecution after killing a Gypsy in a driving accident. Cursed by a surviving Gypsy to grow ever-thinner, the 246 pound Halleck begins dropping weight in a major way. As he seeks to remove the curse that's been placed upon him, Halleck enlists the help of a mafioso to escalate his battle with the gypsy tribe.

This is one of the books that marks Stephen King as a master of horror, even if it doesn't really contribute much to his legacy as a literary talent. The writing brings us a level of immediacy, and the language is so realistic that it draws you right in. The characters are believable, even if the mafia violence gets a little over the top.

The book is interesting because it leads us to sympathize with Halleck throughout his troubles, even though, when you think about it, getting off scot-free for murder isn't one of the traits that we admire in our fellow human beings. Halleck's repentance isn't even all that sincere, given that it comes after the gypsy has a leg up on him, and the one thing that he doesn't do, even when desperate, is turn himself in to the authorities for the murder. Nevertheless, we want Halleck to get his curse removed, if only because the specter of him shedding weight relentlessly is so disturbing. It's like The Biggest Loser on steroids.

In this early work, King does what he does best, and that's tell an engrossing tale that keeps us enthralled. Much more straightforward than his epics or even his shorter later works, the lack of sophistication is replaced by a kind of keenness that cuts right to the bone of the story.

If you've never read a book by King, you could do a lot worse than to start with Thinner. It may not be his best work, but in many ways it exemplifies what makes him so popular with his audience.


Rating:
Summary: "THINNER" isn't always better
Review: Stephen King, writing as Richard Bachman, may have released this novel under a pseudonym for good reason. While King's work is never terrible, THINNER certainly isn't his best. Nonetheless, it is worth a read - but only for a true King fan. I don't think I'm a loyal King fan yet, but with works like THE STAND and PET SEMATARY, I think I am well on my way.

THINNER is about an overweight lawyer named William Halleck. Despite the fact his doctor has warned him he's nearing heart attack territory, other aspects of life are better. He's got a good job and earns a living that is more than adaquete. He has a wonderful wife and despite the fact he's a big guy, the two of them have an active sex life. Billy also has a 14 year-old daughter named Linda with whom he is quite close. Besides the weight issue, life is just peachy for Billy Halleck.

Until the gypsy's curse. He accidentally hits and kills the 75 year-old gypsy daughter and her family, including her 106 year-old father, yearn for revenge. So now, Billy is losing weight at a drastically alarming rate of about 9 or more pounds a week. He's being erased off the face of the earth, pound by pound. If he enlists the help of friend and Three Brothers restaurant owner Ginelli, will the livid, vengeance-seeking gyspsies surrender and remove their curse? Or will Billy eventually waste away to nothing but skin and bones?

Eh. I read on and found out. But if I hadn't, the suspense wouldn't have killed me, if you get the gist of what I'm saying.

"THINNER" is not as remarkable as other reads by King - and not nearly as memorable. Usually, his novels boast well-developed characters and an exhilarating plot filled with twists and turns. With the exception of the ending, I found this book to be more predictable than his others.

Whatever. You can't expect the man to churn out continuous hit after hit, can you?

Rating:
Summary: Thinner Than Most King Books, But One of The Best
Review: Originally written as pen name Richard Bachman this is one of King's best books. It is not in the masterpiece league of Christine or It, but is not far off either. Billy Halleck is an obese family man, who is forced to undertake the ultimate weight loss program by an old gypsy avenging his daughter's death caused while Billy was enjoying the hand of his wife instead of concentrating on driving. Thinner was the curse he prophesised, touching him as he walked out of court after not being convicted of the old lady's death. Every day from then he has been losing weight. Although he has quite a bit to lose, if he doesn't stop the weight loss he will eventually die. The only way is to find the old gypsy and get him to lift the curse, but the gypsies have moved on and don't want to reverse it without a good reason.

This is definitely a can't put down thriller. Although you don't have a great liking for Halleck, you are gripped to know if he can stop his ultimate weight loss program before his demise. His psychological terror is also a highlight. One of King's best, definitely buy it.

Rating:
Summary: Thinner the Seaman Way
Review: Thinner by Stephen King, a chilling novel that is bound to break your soul and captivate your knowledge of every day life. Billy Halleck was an ordinary man, lawyer and successful business typhoon. The man even had the whole deal, a family, nice house, and an extra 200 unneeded pounds. Personally the book really took me down for a knockout. The deep detail our famous author brings us really makes you think. Of course as the reader some sort of jealousy comes into place when a fat man has everything including an ego almost as big as him. It¡¦s only human to want him to fall, or shall I say ¡§shrink.¡¨ When I read a novel I want to be hooked, I want to actually crave the next page and unfortunately many novelists today just can¡¦t fit that description. This book does, and does it so well that you can actually see Billy as he shrinks to nothing and feel his anxiety grow with every page. Quote on quote p.236 ¡§WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME¡¨ is just evidence of Billy¡¦s desperation, useless desperation that is. A great example of this and a favorite even, Billy desperately and bravely begged the gypsy daughter for forgiveness and to release the horrible curse off of him. Unfortunately that was returned by a sling shot rock splicing through his toothpick hand, but you get the idea.

Hmmm, through this whole review I¡¦ve been trying to get this one point across, this one idea that is basically the message of the author. ¡§Don¡¦t take life for granted¡¨, call it a theme, a bible verse, even call it a really over weight man who had everything and lost everything all because of his ego and poor morale values. The important thing is learn from it, yes learn from a fiction book. Everything is derived from something and if you look deep inside this novel you¡¦ll find some truth. On a personal level I definitely have witnessed many rich kids go down hard because their just rude or think that they are better than everyone else. That¡¦s why I really relate to this novel, not because I crashed into a gypsy or got a curse, but because I looked deep down and saw the morale¡¦s that King is trying to display.

I¡¦ll be honest, this book isn¡¦t for everyone. If you¡¦re the type who gets your jollies off reading boring text or non fiction books and aren¡¦t ready to open your eyes and look beyond the literature and phony plot than NO, don¡¦t read the book. However if you¡¦re the type of person who likes a good thriller and is willing to except some fake facts for the joy of entertainment while learning a valuable life lesson then get on that horse and check out the book. Either way you really have nothing to loose, other than a trip to the library.

All in all 99 percentile out of 100 on the Seaman Scale, cause no book is perfect ļ