SHORT STORY MONDAY: a small peril

Hello. Welcome. I am hosting Short Story Monday today. The coffee is perking and I made fresh rhubarb squares for everyone. Let's talk about short stories. If you read one this week, or made a post for the RIP small peril, or have something to share, make a comment and I'll link everyone up at the bottom of the post. John Mutford has been hosting for a while, but he had to get his hair done today, so I offered to step in. I meant to learn how to post Mr Linky for this, however, time was short and it didn't happen. I only had time today to read a short story. How satisfying that can be: to sit and get the full story, in short form, perfect for us busy people.


The Death of Jack Hamilton written by Stephen King from Everything's Eventual

From the first sentence: Want you to get one thing straight from the start: wasn't nobody on earth didn't like my pal Johnnie Dillinger, except Melvin Purvis of the FBI., you already know a lot about where this story is set and what is going to happen. We're taking about criminals in the early part of this century, like the Untouchables era. I'm not even sure I know who John Dillinger was, but there was just enough of a recognition of the name to set the mood.


Dillinger was a folk hero type of criminal, and upon his death, the conspiracy theories began. This story is narrated by Homer, one of Dillinger's gang, and he provides the evidence to refute one of the claims that Dillenger didn't die: the scar on his face.

Homer tells of one of Dillenger's last escapades, where he obtained the scar. This story is King at his grisly, disgusting best. As Jack Hamilton dies impossibly slow of a gun shot, we are treated to the gory details. In terms of character, King contributes to the mythology of Dillenger, as we get to see him as a true friend, honorable and who operates with a code, and a belief in luck.

This wasn't my favorite story in this collection so far, but King's weaker efforts are still well written and memorable. Unfortunately, this memory is of a gangrene infected bullet hole.



Sorry if that ruined your rhubarb square, did you read something else? Feel free to leave a link in my comments and I'lll collect all the links together in this post. This is my type of party to host - I didn't have to vacuum. I may have you all over again.

The Round Up
Other Short Story Monday participants this week include:
chris at bookarama who read a Daphne DuMaurier

john mutford at the book mine set who read a Stuart Dybek

stephanie at stephanie's confessions of a bookaholic who read a few Neil Gaimans

Stop by, have a visit, and think about reading a short story for next week. I'll host again next week, unless someone else has some non-vacuuming that they want to do.