HORROR Review of "The Man in the Black Suit" Stephen King short story

I have an older, very thick book of Stephen King's short stories. I've read many of his older books but not short stories. At the end of "The Man in the Black Suit," King states that his favorite Nathaniel Hawthorne story is "Young Goodman Brown." He thinks it is one of the best American short stories ever written. This short story by King is his hommage to that.

"The Man in the Black Suit" begins with an old man narrating what happened in 1914 when he was very young. He decides to write it down with his shaky hands and leave it on the side of his bed, hoping someday someone will find it.

At age nine, Gary had lots of chores on this Saturday, some of which would have been his brother Dan's, but Dan was stung by a bee and died a year ago. Gary hurried through his chores because then he could go fishing. Both parents warned him not to go further into the woods than where it splits, and he promised he wouldn't. Gary was lucky to catch the largest brook trout ever, nineteen inches. He cleaned it immediately and placed it into his fishing creel, then continued to another place where he fell asleep when the fish didn't bite.

When he wakes up at a strong tug on his fishing line, he discovers a bee has lit on his nose. He doesn't think he is allergic like his brother was, but he freezes in fear. The tension builds, and I will let readers experience it like I did by reading the short story.

A very tall man with orange eyes like fire appeared, claiming to have saved Gary from the bee (you must read the story to see how). A conversation between them ensues, and Gary becomes more frightened of this man. The tall man smells of burnt matches and tells Gary that his mother is dead. He said a bee stung her as she worked in the kitchen, and she died, just like Gary's brother did, providing incredible details about the bee sting, their dog, and his mother's death. Gary doesn't know this man, is afraid of him, and calls him a liar, but then he begins to panic.

The creepy, ghoulish man says he is hungry, which frightens Gary. "Is he going to kill me and eat me?" the boy wonders. A great idea occurs to him, and he throws his big fish at the man, thinking it will distract him enough to get away. The man swallows all nineteen inches of the brookie trout, and Gary stares as the man's throat moves like a python's as the fish slides down his gullet.

Gary sprints away and continues running, the man in close pursuit, his suit-coat flapping and his gold watch gleaming in the sunlight. Gary runs and runs, finally losing his pursuer. Further up the road, he sees his father coming toward him, whistling and carrying fishing gear. Gary runs to his father, yelling so much that his dad drops his fishing gear and sprints to Gary's side. The boy shouts out, "Mom is dead," to which his father replies, "Your Mom's fine."

Oh no! Gary's father notices his son's fishing gear is missing and wants them to go back and get it.

I will let you read the story to find out what happens to Gary and his Dad. Do they get his fishing gear? Is his mom dead? Does the ghoul catch them?

The horror short story is suspenseful, and King's writing provides vivid details, putting the reader right there next to Gary, his fishing pole, and making us afraid of the ghoulish man.

Perhaps I will have to find "Young Goodman Brown" and see why King liked it so much.

#horror #stephenking #shortstory #review #writingcommunity #scary