Most Stephen King books are long, and generally that's ok. This is one of the first books I've read by him (and I've read big fat ones like It and The Stand) that felt like it was too long. It was a decent story though. And it's impressive that at his age he's able to write an entire book while licking the boots of police. ( )

As I started reading From a Buick 8 by Stephen King, I couldn’t keep my mind from thinking about one of his earliest novels, Christine. These novels turn out to be quite different from one another. The Buick 8 is also a creepy and bizarre piece of machinery that only King can create.

In 1979, Pennsylvania State Troopers, Ennis Rafferty and Curtis Wilcox, discover an abandoned Buick Roadmaster. Despite their best efforts, the driver cannot be located. The troopers bring the Buick 8 back to the station barracks where they store the vehicle in Shed B. Wilcox knows something is seriously wrong with this vehicle. A few hours later, Trooper Rafferty disappears.

The policemen of Troop D keep a close eye on the Buick 8 for many years and observe its unexplainable occurrences. In 2001, Trooper Curtis Wilcox is killed in an auto accident. His son, Ned, begins spending time with the members of Troop D. Most likely as a way to be closer to his dad. While poking around, Ned discovers the contents of Shed B and begins asking questions. The members of Troop D gather and begin sharing their stories of the Buick 8.

King created yet another bizarre, unbelievable character with the Buick. Events described are intense, frightening, and suspenseful. I liked all of the characters. As the story closed, I felt a nostalgic relationship between all members of Troop D. A type of uniquely close relationship that is fostered when a small group of people share traumatic experiences.

I have photos and additional information that I'm unable to include here. It can all be found on my blog, in the link below.
A Book And A Dog ( )

(2002)Pretty good tale of an abandoned Buick that winds up on the back lot of a Pennsylvania State Police headquarters. It thens starts to do strange things and people start dying or disappearing. Enyoyable read. Stephen King, an evil car, and a teenage boy coming to terms with the fragility and randomness of life.... Wait, haven't we read this before? Diehard King fans, worry not. Aside from the titular car playing a main role in the story, From a Buick 8 could not be less like King's 1983 masterpiece, Christine. If anything, this story resembles King's serial novel The Green Mile, with reminiscing police characters flashing back on bizarre events that took place decades earlier.The book's intriguing plot revolves around the troopers of Pennsylvania State Patrol Troop D, who come into possession of what at first appears to be a vintage automobile. Closer inspection and experimentation conducted by the troopers reveal that this car's doors (and trunk) sometimes open to another dimension populated by gross-out creatures straight out of ... well, a Stephen King novel. As the plot progresses, the veteran troopers' tales of these visits from interdimensional nasties, and the occasional "lightquakes" put on by the car, are passed on to the son of a fallen comrade whose fascination with the car bordered on dangerous obsession.Unlike earlier King works, there is no active threat here; no monster is stalking the heroes of the story, unless you count the characters' own curiosity. In past books, King has terrorized readers with vampires, werewolves, a killer clown, ghosts, and aliens, but this time around, the bogeyman is a more passive, cerebral threat, and one for which they don't make a ready-to-wear Halloween costume--man's fascination with and fear of the unknown. While some readers may find this tale less exciting than the horror master's earlier works, From a Buick 8 is a wonderful example of how much King's plotting skills and literary finesse have matured over his long career. And, most of all, it's a darn creepy book.

Eines Morgens taucht an einer Tankstelle ein alter Buick auf. Der geheimnisvolle Fahrer verschwindet, und schließlich zeigt es sich, dass der Straßenkreuzer genauso wenig ein Buick ist wie der schwarzgekleidete Fahrer ein Mensch. Der Wagen entwickelt ein ungewöhnliches Eigenleben …(amazon)

I felt this was one of King's weaker offerings when it hit the shelves twenty years ago. The idea of a not-car serving as a portal to another world and the cosmic horror of whatever occasionally slips through was entertaining, but overall it just didn't work for me.

When the Kingcast announced From a Buick 8 as their next topic, I unenthusiastically decided to revisit it, this time on audio. And to my surprise, another 20 years of life experience and grief for the loss of a loved one added (or revealed?) another layer to this book. It has a few things to say about loss and grief and unanswered questions that I didn't really connect with on that first reading.

However, the storytelling structure still has it tripping over its own feet. Nearly the entire story is told as a series of recollections by various characters rather than jumping the reader into the middle of events. I get why King chose to tell it this way, but it still puts the reader at such a remove that the horror elements are too muted for real fun.

Audiobook via Audible, with excellent performances by multiple narrators. ( )