“Like a Dickens novel, but with gibs.” – review of the book “Later”

Although I can undoubtedly be considered a fan of King’s prose, I must admit that I approach his fresh works with a fairly high degree of caution and with enthusiasm in check. The rapid leaps in the quality of his writing are nothing new, so reaching in a store for a shelf labeled “King, S.” is like rummaging through a box of Forrest Gump chocolates – you never know what you’ll find! Fortunately, this time we managed to choose something tasty …

Not long, not short, but just right!

Let me start with a small digression. Recently, I have little free time to read and I started to get tired of bloated volumes having problems keeping up the pace. In many cases, the authors try to multiply and multiply their characters, even in works that do not need them at all, which results in debts breaking out of the climate. And if the presence of the mind after a long day of work is enough for us only for about half an hour of reading in concentration, we do not want to spend this time drowning in such a swamp. For this reason, Later turned out to be a pleasant surprise for me and a much needed breath of freshness.

Here the narrative avoids unnecessary stalking; in fact, we come to the chase in the first chapter. We listen to the story from the lips of Jamie Conklin himself, now twenty-two years old, who summarizes events from the past – that is, from childhood and adolescence. The ability to see the dead is introduced to us relatively quickly, and the exact principles of its operation and the environment in which young Jamie functioned are learned gradually, but very fluidly. The pace of action is kept perfectly here – the pages are turned over imperceptibly with unwavering interest. Not knowing when, we have the entire book behind us.

A personal story in writing

The whole thing must definitely be called a story. Not only because of the first-person “reminiscence” narrative, but also the overall structure of the novel, which undoubtedly shows the value of the action that I complement. The text is read as if we were listening to the oral argument of a friend on a long, romantic evening. It is full of colloquial expressions, self-ironic comments, and additions from a later time perspective. And nothing wrong with that. In this way, we get to know the story very “organically”, and we also sense some events before they happen, thanks to which it is impossible to get lost in the plot.

As is the case with such monologues, Jamie focuses only on what is important at the moment. The presented world is thus filled with details and specifics in a very natural way. Breakthrough events or details that are to gain importance later are discussed more broadly and appropriately commented on, while less important situations or longer periods of relative normality in the boy’s life are described casually and somewhat “skipped”. The procedure is supposed to be simple, but it works wonders when it comes to avoiding debts. And authenticating the first-person narrative, of course.

Heroes – less is more?

Similar minimalism has been applied to the heroes. There are not many of them, but we learn a lot about them and have the opportunity to follow their fate over the years. Of course, we know the most about Jamie himself – both the “present” and his younger versions – and we get to know the rest with him. The principle used in descriptions of events still applies here – we read about what is important. The boyfriend’s relationship with his mother has priority, so Tia Conklin also often accompanies us while reading, and we will get to know many more characters through her, as well as Jamie.

These interpersonal relationships will change – some will gain meaning, others will fade away or change their nature, as it happens in life. Nevertheless, everything the boy tells us about is important in its own way. Because when it is not, it will be treated extremely marginally, such as the issue of Jamie’s school acquaintances and experiences (a few short sentences summarizing years or briefly supplementing the context of the situation on which we focus). At other times, the narrator will tell us directly that he has learned nothing more about a person because he was not interested in it. Personally, I felt very comfortable within the boundaries of the presented world.

A short, concise ghost story

As I mentioned, the main advantage of Later is its intimacy and the specific formula of the story. But what about the rest? Is it an interesting story, and is it actually a horror movie? Several times in the novel, Jamie himself will say: “remember, this story is a horror.” Why do we need this assurance? Most of the time, the book reads like a drama with fantasy elements. Although we will be dealing here with unclean powers, ghosts and a bit of gore, it’s hard to talk about the feeling of horror and anxiety (well, maybe with the exception of the ending), which should accompany us while reading a typical horror film. It is probably mainly a matter of the ironic style of the narrator’s expression, softening the impact of heavier scenes, and the awareness that the boy had to experience the described events in the end, if he could tell us about them in the future.

This character of the novel does not detract from her – in my opinion -, on the contrary, gives it a pleasantly familiar, accessible and at times funny atmosphere. Comparing it with other recent works by Stephen King, I think the writer’s form is up right now and I will keep my fingers crossed for a sequel, as Later has the potential to be developed in the future in the next volume.