Mr. Mercedes - Stephen King

[muggle not]

From Amazon:

In a mega-stakes, high-suspense race against time, three of the most unlikely and winning heroes Stephen King has ever created try to stop a lone killer from blowing up thousands.

In the frigid pre-dawn hours, in a distressed Midwestern city, hundreds of desperate unemployed folks are lined up for a spot at a job fair. Without warning, a lone driver plows through the crowd in a stolen Mercedes, running over the innocent, backing up, and charging again. Eight people are killed; fifteen are wounded. The killer escapes.

In another part of town, months later, a retired cop named Bill Hodges is still haunted by the unsolved crime. When he gets a crazed letter from someone who self-identifies as the “perk” and threatens an even more diabolical attack, Hodges wakes up from his depressed and vacant retirement, hell-bent on preventing another tragedy.

Brady Hartsfield lives with his alcoholic mother in the house where he was born. He loved the feel of death under the wheels of the Mercedes, and he wants that rush again. Only Bill Hodges, with a couple of highly unlikely allies, can apprehend the killer before he strikes again. And they have no time to lose, because Brady’s next mission, if it succeeds, will kill or maim thousands.

 

 

Has anyone besides me read this book. I thought it was a very good book and it kept me interested throughout. Some reviews weren't kind of the ending but I thought it was excellent. On top of the "general" ending I was especially surprised and excited about the very last paragraph in the book.

 

Edited June 18, 2014 by muggle not

[bobblybear]

I haven't read it yet, but will do very shortly. I just need to finish Midnight's Children, then it's on to World Without Us (for July's Reading Circle), and then I'll be reading Mr Mercedes. I would have read it sooner if only Midnight's Children hadn't been such a slog. I've avoided Amazon reviews, aside from checking to see how many stars it has received. I'm a big King fan and I have enjoyed his recent books, so hopefully I will like this one.

[Anna Begins]

I just started the Kindle sample last night, it's pretty good so far.  And I was surprised to see it is only 450 pages!  It's expensive.

Edited June 18, 2014 by Anna Begins

[Anna Begins]

I haven't read it yet, but will do very shortly. I just need to finish Midnight's Children, then it's on to World Without Us (for July's Reading Circle), and then I'll be reading Mr Mercedes. I would have read it sooner if only Midnight's Children hadn't been such a slog. I've avoided Amazon reviews, aside from checking to see how many stars it has received. I'm a big King fan and I have enjoyed his recent books, so hopefully I will like this one.

I am so not reading Midnight's Children!  Seems like you've been reading it for- ever!

[geordie9]

I can't wait to read this!

[Anna Begins]

I bought it after reading the sample.  Currently reading now.

[muggle not]

I bought it after reading the sample.  Currently reading now.

There are two people in the book that you will come to really like. One of them will capture your heart, but, you must have a little patience to find them out.

[bobblybear]

I am so not reading Midnight's Children!  Seems like you've been reading it for- ever!

 

I have, and I've just given up as it was seriously destroying my mojo.

[Anna Begins]

I have, and I've just given up as it was seriously destroying my mojo.

Oh you poor thing! How long did you spend on it- how far did you get?

[bobblybear]

I must have been reading it for the best part of June. I got through 82%, so it was a shame to give up but I really couldn't read any more of it.

[Anna Begins]

There are two people in the book that you will come to really like. One of them will capture your heart, but, you must have a little patience to find them out.

You know what I'm talking about.  65% in.

[ian]

This is SO on my wish-list!

[dex]

I've asked the SK fan at work if I can borrow it. Might be a readathon book.

[bobblybear]

Has anyone besides me read this book. I thought it was a very good book and it kept me interested throughout. Some reviews weren't kind of the ending but I thought it was excellent. On top of the "general" ending I was especially surprised and excited about the very last paragraph in the book.

 

 

I liked it! I finished it quite quickly - took me about a day, and it's been a while since I've read a book that quickly. What was your interpretation of the last paragraph?

Where Brady regains consciousness and is asking for his mother.

 

 

There are two people in the book that you will come to really like. One of them will capture your heart, but, you must have a little patience to find them out.

 

I think I know who you mean.

Jerome and Holly? I was very surprised to learn Holly was in her mid-forties, as when she is first introduced she seems like a teenager or someone in their late twenties.

 

[Anna Begins]

I thought the last paragraph was just a creepy way to end it or maybe a little chuckle from King himself?  I also have a strange theory too but can't do the spoiler thing.

What about the cover art?  I assume you have the umbrella with raining blood.  What's up with that?

(How do you that spoiler alert thing?  I want to say more about the last paragraph.  I am SO afraid of giving anything in any book away!)

[Athena]

You type (without spaces):

 

[ spoiler ] Put your spoiler text here [ / spoiler ]

 

So that it comes to look like this: (quote me in BB mode if you get confused and you can see it (press the button at the left top of the posting area that looks like a light switch))

 

 

Here is the spoiler.

 

[dex]

I borrowed it and started it today. Is that a Mercedes?

[Anna Begins]

   

I just got my dad to buy (what I am 99% sure of) is his first King book!  I can't wait to hear what he thinks about Mr. Mercedes!

How is everyone else reading or read think of it?  Don't we have a few?  Dex?

When I told him I was reading The Fountainhead, the text back said "ahhhh"

Edited July 15, 2014 by Anna Begins

[dex]

Page 244/ 10. 16th July. It's not a pageturner,but I'm not going to give up. I've only read under the dome, before.

[Anna Begins]

Page 244/ 10. 16th July. It's not a pageturner,but I'm not going to give up. I've only read under the dome, before.

There are much better ones out there!  11/22/63 is a great one, if you don't like horror but enjoy a tad bit of science fiction.  This is the next one I plan on getting my dad on  Or maybe Green Mile.  You've seen Stand By Me (1986)?

[Anna Begins]

   

I just got my dad to buy (what I am 99% sure of) is his first King book!  I can't wait to hear what he thinks about Mr. Mercedes!

He liked it, he liked it!  I'm so excited!  He said if it didn't end the way he wanted it, he would never buy another King again

Now I'm on him to read The Green Mile!

[Michelle]

I've just finished listening to this, and I really liked it. Brady was a disturbing character, and for me, I was Hodges I liked the best. 

 

As for the ending..

In the audio, he wakes up and aske for his mother, and then there's a blast of music. Was there anything in the book about music, or was that just something they added?

 

[Anna Begins]

I've just finished listening to this, and I really liked it. Brady was a disturbing character, and for me, I was Hodges I liked the best. 

 

As for the ending..

In the audio, he wakes up and aske for his mother, and then there's a blast of music. Was there anything in the book about music, or was that just something they added?

 

Edit- WARNING: THIS SPOILER IS THE END OF THE BOOK

 

 

Nope, he just says he has a headache and asks for his mother.  And then it just ends...with a date when it was- presumably- written

 

Edited November 25, 2014 by Anna Begins

[Michelle]

Thanks - that's what confused me with the audio -

There was the date and then the music, so I thought is was somehow relevant.

 

 

To be honest, I can't see why there are reviews saying it's let down by the ending - I'm not sure what they don't like to see?

[Anna Begins]

Thanks - that's what confused me with the audio -

There was the date and then the music, so I thought is was somehow relevant.

 

 

To be honest, I can't see why there are reviews saying it's let down by the ending - I'm not sure what they don't like to see?

I thought

 

it was a great, creepy ending But I am the type of person that is ok without knowing the exact ending. Now that I know the date is in the audio version, it has me thinking if maybe it is significant. Joe Hill dates some of his work as well.