Little details from King that you love

[CyberGhostface]

From Grey Matter:


Henry'd only had three customers all afternoon - that is, if you want to count in blind Eddie. Eddie's about seventy, and he ain't completely blind. Runs into things, mostly. He comes in once or twice a week and sticks a loaf of bread under his coat and walks out with an expression on his face like: there, you stupid sonsabitches, fooled you again.

Bertie once asked Henry why he never put a stop to it.

'I'll tell you,' Henry said. 'A few years back the Air Force wanted twenty million dollars to rig up a flyin' model of an airplane they had planned out. Well, it cost them seventy-five million and then the damn thing wouldn't fly. That happened ten years ago, when blind Eddie and myself were considerable younger, and I voted for the woman who sponsored that bill. Blind Eddie voted against her. And -since then I've been buyin' his bread.'

It's something that has nothing to do with the plot but it's probably one of the more memorable passages in the story for me. It's funny and it adds depth to the world that it's taking place in.

Any other similar passages you like?

[Jean]

thank you Cyber, great idea for a thread (I think I'll move it to The Constant Writer, and a few others too)

The "little details" is whatI love King for, and desperately miss in most of his later books (Lisey's Story and 11/22/63 come to mind first).

[Brice]

Okay, my biggest little thing is not a single quote, but (also missing mostly in later books) is the little references to other books by King...especially on a first reading.

[Ricky]

I don't know if you count it as a little detail, but I've always really liked the passage in The Stand where he describes all the people that have died in non-Captain Tripps-related circumstances (heart attack, accidents, etc.) Kind of reminding the reader that ordinary things and routines, even death, are still happening in the face of devastation. Adds an extra level of realism that I really liked.

[blavigne]

"How many bunches do I love you? A million plus one for under your pillow" Duma Key

[mtdman]

From Grey Matter:


Henry'd only had three customers all afternoon - that is, if you want to count in blind Eddie. Eddie's about seventy, and he ain't completely blind. Runs into things, mostly. He comes in once or twice a week and sticks a loaf of bread under his coat and walks out with an expression on his face like: there, you stupid sonsabitches, fooled you again.

Bertie once asked Henry why he never put a stop to it.

'I'll tell you,' Henry said. 'A few years back the Air Force wanted twenty million dollars to rig up a flyin' model of an airplane they had planned out. Well, it cost them seventy-five million and then the damn thing wouldn't fly. That happened ten years ago, when blind Eddie and myself were considerable younger, and I voted for the woman who sponsored that bill. Blind Eddie voted against her. And -since then I've been buyin' his bread.'

It's something that has nothing to do with the plot but it's probably one of the more memorable passages in the story for me. It's funny and it adds depth to the world that it's taking place in.

Any other similar passages you like?


I love that part of that story.



Okay, my biggest little thing is not a single quote, but (also missing mostly in later books) is the little references to other books by King...especially on a first reading.

I was just listening to Cell today at the end of the book at the fair when they're leaving, a little reference to a certain DT book:

The Charlie the Choo Choo ride where Raggedy Man's hoodie ends up.

The little details is what makes the whole book of Salem's Lot for me. King really creates the town as a character, especially with the passages about all the little things going on in the town.

[Brice]

I forgot about that one. There are some in the recent books, but it seems there were a LOT more earlier in his career.