Annotation #3

Title: From a Buick 8
Author: Stephen King
Publisher: Scribner (September 24th, 2002)
Pages: 356
ISBN: 0743228472
Genre: Horror

The Pennsylvania State Police of Troop D in rural Pennsylvania have kept a secret from the rest of the world since 1979. Troopers Ennis Rafferty and Curtis Wilcox respond to a call from a gas station not far from their barracks about an abandoned Buick Roadmaster. After arriving on the scene both troopers realize something isn’t right about this car. Curtis knew old cars and he knew something was wrong with this car. Something was strange about the car and the driver. He came into the gas station and disappeared, or so the clerk says. The driver is nowhere to be found and after a search of the surrounding area the troopers call for the Buick to be towed back to the barracks.

After inspecting the car back at the barracks the troopers found out they were right. This car was wrong and just a few hours after it arrived at the barracks Trooper Ennis Rafferty vanished. At that point the entire troop knew the Buick was not only wrong but dangerous. So dangerous that it would be best if the public never even knew about it. From that day on the old Buick sat in shed B just behind the barracks of Troop D.

In the fall of 2001 Trooper Wilcox was killed in a gruesome auto accident during a routine traffic stop. It wasn’t long after the accident when his 18 year old son, Ned began to show up at the barracks. He volunteered to do odd jobs around the barracks and after a few months he was hired on as summer help. It was at that time when Ned discovers the old Buick out in shed B. This stirs up the story of the Buick from the Troopers and it also stirs up the old Buick.

This is Stephen King’s second novel featuring a supernatural car (Christine). He got the idea for the book while traveling through Western Pennsylvania. He stopped at a gas station and almost slipped and into a stream of water. He thought about how long it would have been before he would have been discovered and this led to the plot of the book. There is currently a movie adaptation of the book in development due in 2011.

The book is well written with vivid details and well developed characters. There is strong language throughout the book and the pacing is erratic. The book does not have a great amount of violence but there are some very graphic gruesome details. I really struggled to get through this book. This is the first book I have read in this genre and for me the first three quarters of the book were very slow. However, the ending was pretty good including some twists. Overall, I thought this book was just ok.