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A Face in the Crowd / The Longest December
'A Face in the Crowd' by Stephen King and Stewart O'Nan (first time in hardcover.) Dean Evers, an elderly widower, sits in front of the television with nothing better to do than waste his leftover evenings watching baseball. It's Rays/Mariners, and David Price is breezing through the line-up. Suddenly, in a seat a few rows up beyond the batter, Evers sees the face of someone from decades past, someone who shouldn't be at the ballgame, shouldn't be on the planet. And so begins a parade of people from Evers's past, all of them occupying that seat behind home plate. Until one day Dean Evers sees someone even eerier. (58 pages)
'The Longest December' by Richard Chizmar (expanded version.) Bob and Katy Howard are a typical middle-aged couple living the good life in the suburbs. They're happily married, have successful careers, and a grown son starting college. Their recently widowed next-door neighbor, James Wilkinson, is practically a member of the Howard family. When police show up at the Howard's doorstep one snowy December morning with the news that they have been investigating Wilkinson for a series of violent crimes, Bob and Katy are left in shock and disbelief. The elderly James Wilkinson they know and love is kind and gentle. He shared their Thanksgiving table just a couple weeks earlier. He couldn't possibly be responsible for the gruesome deeds of which he's being accused. Or could he?
'The Longest December' (a revised and expanded version of Chizmar's acclaimed novella, 'A Long December') is a cat-and-mouse, Hitchcockian thriller that will shock you with its brutal twists and turns while also breaking your heart. Stephen King calls it "...a really terrific piece of work. I couldn't put it down. Chizmar played his cards with great craft. I'm an old hand at this, but I kept chasing the red herrings." (86 pages)
This will be another World's First Edition from Cemetery Dance Publications: a unique new book published in hardcover in the style of the old Ace Doubles. Two novellas in one book! Read one story and when you're done, just flip the book over and read the other. There are two "front covers" and a unique design, so it's a really fun concept.
Trade Hardcover Edition.
• Printed on acid-free paper.
• Bound in cloth with colored head and tail bands.
• Featuring hot foil stamping on the front boards and spine.
• Wrapped in a full-color dust jacket.
'The Longest December' by Richard Chizmar (expanded version.) Bob and Katy Howard are a typical middle-aged couple living the good life in the suburbs. They're happily married, have successful careers, and a grown son starting college. Their recently widowed next-door neighbor, James Wilkinson, is practically a member of the Howard family. When police show up at the Howard's doorstep one snowy December morning with the news that they have been investigating Wilkinson for a series of violent crimes, Bob and Katy are left in shock and disbelief. The elderly James Wilkinson they know and love is kind and gentle. He shared their Thanksgiving table just a couple weeks earlier. He couldn't possibly be responsible for the gruesome deeds of which he's being accused. Or could he?
'The Longest December' (a revised and expanded version of Chizmar's acclaimed novella, 'A Long December') is a cat-and-mouse, Hitchcockian thriller that will shock you with its brutal twists and turns while also breaking your heart. Stephen King calls it "...a really terrific piece of work. I couldn't put it down. Chizmar played his cards with great craft. I'm an old hand at this, but I kept chasing the red herrings." (86 pages)
This will be another World's First Edition from Cemetery Dance Publications: a unique new book published in hardcover in the style of the old Ace Doubles. Two novellas in one book! Read one story and when you're done, just flip the book over and read the other. There are two "front covers" and a unique design, so it's a really fun concept.
Trade Hardcover Edition.
• Printed on acid-free paper.
• Bound in cloth with colored head and tail bands.
• Featuring hot foil stamping on the front boards and spine.
• Wrapped in a full-color dust jacket.
144 pages, Hardcover
First published March 21, 2023
About the author
Stephen King
2,556 books855k followersStephen Edwin King was born the second son of Donald and Nellie Ruth Pillsbury King. After his father left them when Stephen was two, he and his older brother, David, were raised by his mother. Parts of his childhood were spent in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where his father's family was at the time, and in Stratford, Connecticut. When Stephen was eleven, his mother brought her children back to Durham, Maine, for good. Her parents, Guy and Nellie Pillsbury, had become incapacitated with old age, and Ruth King was persuaded by her sisters to take over the physical care of them. Other family members provided a small house in Durham and financial support. After Stephen's grandparents passed away, Mrs. King found work in the kitchens of Pineland, a nearby residential facility for the mentally challenged.
Stephen attended the grammar school in Durham and Lisbon Falls High School, graduating in 1966. From his sophomore year at the University of Maine at Orono, he wrote a weekly column for the school newspaper, THE MAINE CAMPUS. He was also active in student politics, serving as a member of the Student Senate. He came to support the anti-war movement on the Orono campus, arriving at his stance from a conservative view that the war in Vietnam was unconstitutional. He graduated in 1970, with a B.A. in English and qualified to teach on the high school level. A draft board examination immediately post-graduation found him 4-F on grounds of high blood pressure, limited vision, flat feet, and punctured eardrums.
He met Tabitha Spruce in the stacks of the Fogler Library at the University, where they both worked as students; they married in January of 1971. As Stephen was unable to find placement as a teacher immediately, the Kings lived on his earnings as a laborer at an industrial laundry, and her student loan and savings, with an occasional boost from a short story sale to men's magazines.
Stephen made his first professional short story sale ("The Glass Floor") to Startling Mystery Stories in 1967. Throughout the early years of his marriage, he continued to sell stories to men's magazines. Many were gathered into the Night Shift collection or appeared in other anthologies.
In the fall of 1971, Stephen began teaching English at Hampden Academy, the public high school in Hampden, Maine. Writing in the evenings and on the weekends, he continued to produce short stories and to work on novels.
Stephen attended the grammar school in Durham and Lisbon Falls High School, graduating in 1966. From his sophomore year at the University of Maine at Orono, he wrote a weekly column for the school newspaper, THE MAINE CAMPUS. He was also active in student politics, serving as a member of the Student Senate. He came to support the anti-war movement on the Orono campus, arriving at his stance from a conservative view that the war in Vietnam was unconstitutional. He graduated in 1970, with a B.A. in English and qualified to teach on the high school level. A draft board examination immediately post-graduation found him 4-F on grounds of high blood pressure, limited vision, flat feet, and punctured eardrums.
He met Tabitha Spruce in the stacks of the Fogler Library at the University, where they both worked as students; they married in January of 1971. As Stephen was unable to find placement as a teacher immediately, the Kings lived on his earnings as a laborer at an industrial laundry, and her student loan and savings, with an occasional boost from a short story sale to men's magazines.
Stephen made his first professional short story sale ("The Glass Floor") to Startling Mystery Stories in 1967. Throughout the early years of his marriage, he continued to sell stories to men's magazines. Many were gathered into the Night Shift collection or appeared in other anthologies.
In the fall of 1971, Stephen began teaching English at Hampden Academy, the public high school in Hampden, Maine. Writing in the evenings and on the weekends, he continued to produce short stories and to work on novels.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 129 reviews
July 5, 2023
What a great little King/Chizmar snack I found in the New Release section at the library. I love a little taste of creepy. It left me wanting more.
July 20, 2023
To review this book properly, one must start with the most interesting piece of information about it.
Drum roll, please…
It is a double sided book!!! The existence of this kind of thing was not on my radar, and I didn’t read up enough on this book prior to its purchase to be clued in. So, imagine my surprise when I opened it to have my sniff appreciation moment and found the back pages of it were upside down. A double huh moment for me occurred after I closed it, flipped it over, and saw it had two different covers. No worries though because it all quickly made sense once I actually did a few seconds of research.
On to the review of the stories, done in the order that they were read.
The Longest December - A married couple is shocked to discover their best friend neighbor is being investigated for criminal activity of the violent kind.
I picked this one first because I wanted to save the best (King) for last. The writing was average, and the characters were generic. The story was basic and predictable. The predictable part of it was made worse by the extra effort put in to make it not be predictable. All of this together made for a lackluster reading experience, which earned it a three star rating.
A Face in the Crowd - An older man passing the time watching televised baseball notices fans at the game that should not be there.
This story was interesting but not great. The writing was decent, and the characters were nothing special. I would not have remembered it at all if it had been part of a larger short story collection. Sharing space with the other (slightly lesser) story did help it out some, but not enough to budge it over the three star rating I gave it. Especially considering I got hung up on a thing involving one of the secondary characters. I won’t go into any details here because it would be a spoiler, and I hate having those in reviews.
Three stars overall to a fast read that left me feeling very accomplished after knocking it out in one afternoon.
Drum roll, please…
It is a double sided book!!! The existence of this kind of thing was not on my radar, and I didn’t read up enough on this book prior to its purchase to be clued in. So, imagine my surprise when I opened it to have my sniff appreciation moment and found the back pages of it were upside down. A double huh moment for me occurred after I closed it, flipped it over, and saw it had two different covers. No worries though because it all quickly made sense once I actually did a few seconds of research.
On to the review of the stories, done in the order that they were read.
The Longest December - A married couple is shocked to discover their best friend neighbor is being investigated for criminal activity of the violent kind.
I picked this one first because I wanted to save the best (King) for last. The writing was average, and the characters were generic. The story was basic and predictable. The predictable part of it was made worse by the extra effort put in to make it not be predictable. All of this together made for a lackluster reading experience, which earned it a three star rating.
A Face in the Crowd - An older man passing the time watching televised baseball notices fans at the game that should not be there.
This story was interesting but not great. The writing was decent, and the characters were nothing special. I would not have remembered it at all if it had been part of a larger short story collection. Sharing space with the other (slightly lesser) story did help it out some, but not enough to budge it over the three star rating I gave it. Especially considering I got hung up on a thing involving one of the secondary characters. I won’t go into any details here because it would be a spoiler, and I hate having those in reviews.
Three stars overall to a fast read that left me feeling very accomplished after knocking it out in one afternoon.
October 29, 2023
A Face in the Crowd is a solid work of magical realism where a widower starts seeing dead people in the stands of baseball games he views on TV. A very fast and great read. The Longest December is novella with a brilliant ending - four pages from the end I proclaimed out loud "No S---!" Despite not clicking with Chizmar's writing style (his word choices and often odd choice of metaphors and analogies constantly take me out of the story), it was a worthy companion to King's story. 3.5/5
December 18, 2022
The longest December/ A face in the crowd
In this innovative double feature we have The Longest December by Richard Chizmar a newly expanded edition of A Long December and, for the first time in hardcover A Face in The Crowd by Stephen King and Stewart O’Nan - double the chills, double the thrills 😁
In A Face in The Crowd we have a short and succinct look at how our lives are a collection of people and experiences, the rights and, in the case of Dean Evers, the wrongs.
Dean is a recent widower who has taken to watching baseball when one day, during a game, he sees someone he recognises in the crowd, but that can’t possibly be right as the guy he sees must be dead by now, right? Over the coming days Dean continues to see people he has come across throughout his life, right there on TV in HD, but why…
The Longest December
Robert Howard has been friends with his neighbour, James Wilkinson for years. They fish, play golf, and go to games together. In fact James is the Godfather to James’ young son. When one December morning the police descend upon James’ house, Robert and his family are thrown into a month of turmoil as they realise their dear friend is in fact a brutal murderer.
In this innovative double feature we have The Longest December by Richard Chizmar a newly expanded edition of A Long December and, for the first time in hardcover A Face in The Crowd by Stephen King and Stewart O’Nan - double the chills, double the thrills 😁
In A Face in The Crowd we have a short and succinct look at how our lives are a collection of people and experiences, the rights and, in the case of Dean Evers, the wrongs.
Dean is a recent widower who has taken to watching baseball when one day, during a game, he sees someone he recognises in the crowd, but that can’t possibly be right as the guy he sees must be dead by now, right? Over the coming days Dean continues to see people he has come across throughout his life, right there on TV in HD, but why…
The Longest December
Robert Howard has been friends with his neighbour, James Wilkinson for years. They fish, play golf, and go to games together. In fact James is the Godfather to James’ young son. When one December morning the police descend upon James’ house, Robert and his family are thrown into a month of turmoil as they realise their dear friend is in fact a brutal murderer.
November 15, 2022
I wanted more but pure King magic.
August 20, 2023
This is a review of The Longest December. It was ok for a short story. Predictable, but still a good yarn. Not at the level of King’s usual story telling ability. Again, just ok.
February 14, 2024
Longest December - guess I’m not as good as I thought guessing the end. Good short story
August 21, 2024
I had a great time reading this. I've seen it so many times at the library...finally picked it up a couple months ago...and it's due TODAY so of course I left it to the last minute....and I ended up really loving it.
There's 2 stories...one from Stephen King and Stewart O'Nan called A Face in the Crowd and one from Richard Chizmar called The Longest December (apparently an expanded version of A Long December). I liked Chizmar's story better...5 stars for that and 4 stars for A Face in the Crowd.
A Face in the Crowd was a unique premise for a story and I enjoyed reading it...but I wouldn't call it a new favorite. I do really like books where someone is looking back and reflecting on their life and I thought this was an interesting spin on that. I do think it was a bit predictable in terms of what was going on and I wish the self reflection had a more interesting conclusion...but I still really enjoyed it overall.
But The Longest December? That story I could not put down. I was immediately sucked into the story and it just came alive for me. I felt like this could have been my family and it made me question what I would do or how I would feel...especially knowing there are people who HAVE been in this position. It was so compelling and even though I guessed the ending pretty early on...it was still a great read that I didn't want to put down. This story was 5 stars and a new favorite for me.
Irony of using the library to save money on books...only to end up finding a favorite and wanting to spend the money to buy a copy to keep.
Also...I think the design of this book is really cool...it's double sided so you flip it over to read the other story. I don't think I've read anything in this format before and it's really fun.
There's 2 stories...one from Stephen King and Stewart O'Nan called A Face in the Crowd and one from Richard Chizmar called The Longest December (apparently an expanded version of A Long December). I liked Chizmar's story better...5 stars for that and 4 stars for A Face in the Crowd.
A Face in the Crowd was a unique premise for a story and I enjoyed reading it...but I wouldn't call it a new favorite. I do really like books where someone is looking back and reflecting on their life and I thought this was an interesting spin on that. I do think it was a bit predictable in terms of what was going on and I wish the self reflection had a more interesting conclusion...but I still really enjoyed it overall.
But The Longest December? That story I could not put down. I was immediately sucked into the story and it just came alive for me. I felt like this could have been my family and it made me question what I would do or how I would feel...especially knowing there are people who HAVE been in this position. It was so compelling and even though I guessed the ending pretty early on...it was still a great read that I didn't want to put down. This story was 5 stars and a new favorite for me.
Irony of using the library to save money on books...only to end up finding a favorite and wanting to spend the money to buy a copy to keep.
Also...I think the design of this book is really cool...it's double sided so you flip it over to read the other story. I don't think I've read anything in this format before and it's really fun.
September 15, 2023
quick quick quick!!! :) Read it in one day - there are actually two books or novellas - A Face in The Crowd by Stephen King/Stewart O'Nan AND The Longest December by Richard Chizmar. After many years of NOT reading Stephen King; I have started reading his books and stories again. Some of his books are extremely scary and graphic (I'm a scaredy pants :)) until I discovered some of his 'crime' books (The Colorado Kid and Later). These are more my style - crime with a twist. haha
Both of the novella's are quick to read:
A Face In the Crowd is about Dean Evers; a retired widower living in Florida who loves watching baseball - he is lonely after all at this point in his life. While watching his baseball games on TV; he discovers he can see "dead people" in the bleachers - people from his past. It happens over and over and over again until he decides to confront his past. After all, he wasn't really the nice and caring person I thought he was in the beginning. A fun story with a quick twist. You might see it coming.
The Longest December by Richard Chizmar is my favorite of the two. Bob and Katy Howard are unknowingly living next door to a serial killer!! When some of the crimes are discovered (early on in the story); Bob and Katy are stunned because James Wilkinson (the killer) was their really good friend. Of course James disappears and the police are quick to discover the friendship between him and Bob and Katy. The interesting part of the story is the middle when the police are trying to find James and all of the clues start coming together and form a neat twist at the end. Entertaining and not graphic.
Both of the novella's are quick to read:
A Face In the Crowd is about Dean Evers; a retired widower living in Florida who loves watching baseball - he is lonely after all at this point in his life. While watching his baseball games on TV; he discovers he can see "dead people" in the bleachers - people from his past. It happens over and over and over again until he decides to confront his past. After all, he wasn't really the nice and caring person I thought he was in the beginning. A fun story with a quick twist. You might see it coming.
The Longest December by Richard Chizmar is my favorite of the two. Bob and Katy Howard are unknowingly living next door to a serial killer!! When some of the crimes are discovered (early on in the story); Bob and Katy are stunned because James Wilkinson (the killer) was their really good friend. Of course James disappears and the police are quick to discover the friendship between him and Bob and Katy. The interesting part of the story is the middle when the police are trying to find James and all of the clues start coming together and form a neat twist at the end. Entertaining and not graphic.
April 12, 2024
Overall Score: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
It’s pretty bad to package two mid short stories together in a hardcover for $28…but I read this quickly and all in good fun. Are the stories that good? No. But I enjoyed them a good deal, so the book is successful.
A FACE IN THE CROWD
Critical Score: C
Personal Score: B-
Predictable. Very unlikeable protagonist. And I don’t like baseball. But otherwise engaging. Sorta creepy. Pretty depressing.
THE LONGEST DECEMBER
Critical Score: C+
Personal Score: B
This reeks of problematic straight man ego, so that distracted me a bit. But I was still invested in the mystery. The ending is a little implausible, and the whole story feels like a metaphor for sympathizing with friends of abusers…maybe I’m reading into it too much, but basically the subtext here is icky. Despite all of this, the writing style and pacing made this novella go down smooth.
Surprisingly, Chizmar’s is the stronger of the two because it’s more gripping and faster paced. Sorry, King (and O’Nan, I guess).
It’s pretty bad to package two mid short stories together in a hardcover for $28…but I read this quickly and all in good fun. Are the stories that good? No. But I enjoyed them a good deal, so the book is successful.
A FACE IN THE CROWD
Critical Score: C
Personal Score: B-
Predictable. Very unlikeable protagonist. And I don’t like baseball. But otherwise engaging. Sorta creepy. Pretty depressing.
THE LONGEST DECEMBER
Critical Score: C+
Personal Score: B
This reeks of problematic straight man ego, so that distracted me a bit. But I was still invested in the mystery. The ending is a little implausible, and the whole story feels like a metaphor for sympathizing with friends of abusers…maybe I’m reading into it too much, but basically the subtext here is icky. Despite all of this, the writing style and pacing made this novella go down smooth.
Surprisingly, Chizmar’s is the stronger of the two because it’s more gripping and faster paced. Sorry, King (and O’Nan, I guess).
August 30, 2023
This is an old concept, I’m not sure when I first became aware that such things existed, but I’ve always felt that these books, what I’ve always erroneously called, a flip book, a book with two covers, a book with two beginnings, were kind of a cheat. I know these kind of things, at least as paperbacks, were published at least in the 1970s, but it’s likely older than that. Even comic books have had a stab at these kinds of things, I even know one conman of a newsstand owner who tried to double the price of them, claiming you had to pay the cost listed on both covers. What a sleaze. He never actually charged me that way, but I could see him try to work his con on unsuspecting kids (he’s long out of business now, thankfully). A quick internet search informs me that they’re more properly called tête-bêche, and they date back easily into the 19th century. Although the paperbacks I’m familiar with started in the 1950s. And calling them flip-books is completely inaccurate, as a true flip-book is one of those illustrated things you flip through quickly and the image seems to move. Anyway, as I said, my first reaction was that this was a gimmicky trick. But now, I’m finding myself drawn to the genius of it from a marketing standpoint. Like with this one, you have a well-known author like Stephen King being the big draw to get the people pulled in and then you introduce them to someone else they might like, but not have yet tried. In this case I have already read some of Richard Chizmar’s stuff, The Gwendy Collection: Gwendy's Button Box / Gwendy's Magic Feather / Gwendy's Final Task, so this was an easy sell for me.
A Face in the Crowd - I first read this story as an ebook in 2014, although it was originally released sometime before that. It was good, but as I’m not a baseball fan it didn’t quite grab me on that level. (3/5)
The Longest December - I have to admit that Chizmar’s prose style doesn’t grab ahold of my jugular like King’s, but this was quite a good story. And actually I enjoyed it more than the King tale in this volume. (4/5)
A Face in the Crowd - I first read this story as an ebook in 2014, although it was originally released sometime before that. It was good, but as I’m not a baseball fan it didn’t quite grab me on that level. (3/5)
The Longest December - I have to admit that Chizmar’s prose style doesn’t grab ahold of my jugular like King’s, but this was quite a good story. And actually I enjoyed it more than the King tale in this volume. (4/5)
Read
September 1, 2023Flip books are annoying. Just saying.
On Stephen King and Stewart O'Nan's side, we have "A Face in the Crowd," wherein we find that not only is hell other people, but hell is watching baseball. An old man who should have more regrets about his shitty life gets a series of Dickensian visitations while viewing a few games one week. He and his equally shitty buddy get off way too easy for my tastes. Not satisfying at all.
Richard Chizmar's side has a pedestrian serial killer story, "The Longest December," that was expanded from an earlier story called, "A Long December." (That naming scheme sort of sets one up for a boring slog, don't you think?) December would have to be much shorter to give this thriller-wannabe any gas. Regardless, that weak Se7en-ripoff ending would suck no matter the story's length.
On Stephen King and Stewart O'Nan's side, we have "A Face in the Crowd," wherein we find that not only is hell other people, but hell is watching baseball. An old man who should have more regrets about his shitty life gets a series of Dickensian visitations while viewing a few games one week. He and his equally shitty buddy get off way too easy for my tastes. Not satisfying at all.
Richard Chizmar's side has a pedestrian serial killer story, "The Longest December," that was expanded from an earlier story called, "A Long December." (That naming scheme sort of sets one up for a boring slog, don't you think?) December would have to be much shorter to give this thriller-wannabe any gas. Regardless, that weak Se7en-ripoff ending would suck no matter the story's length.
August 21, 2024
Didn’t know these types of books still existed!
A Face in the Crowd:
I wish this had been a little bit longer of a read! It reminds me so much of “The View from Halfway Down” episode of Bojack. I loved the premise of this but wish it was expanded upon a little bit more.
The Longest December:
😐😐😐😐 The “twist” at the end didn’t do it for me. I liked the writing style up until that point. The potential was there!!!!
A Face in the Crowd:
I wish this had been a little bit longer of a read! It reminds me so much of “The View from Halfway Down” episode of Bojack. I loved the premise of this but wish it was expanded upon a little bit more.
The Longest December:
😐😐😐😐 The “twist” at the end didn’t do it for me. I liked the writing style up until that point. The potential was there!!!!
September 25, 2023
A Face in the Crowd was ok. Kind of anticlimactic and the scariest thing about it was an eternity of baseball.
The Longest December wasn't really scary, but is an interesting take on the remorse of a serial killer.
The Longest December wasn't really scary, but is an interesting take on the remorse of a serial killer.
August 16, 2023
Great little story featuring a lonely widower, his friends and family (both dead and alive) and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
August 22, 2023
I really enjoyed these two novellas. 4.5⭐️. Both spin interesting tales with endings you may suspect albeit with a twist.
September 2, 2023
Didn't love the Stephen King story, but loved the Richard Chizmar one!
October 15, 2023
My review of this book can be found on my YouTube Vlog at:
https://youtu.be/Mp-DN6X_wVc
Enjoy!
https://youtu.be/Mp-DN6X_wVc
Enjoy!
November 10, 2023
These are two short stories packaged in a thin hardcover book. Average stories. Straight-up money grab.
March 6, 2024
I preferred the Stephen King story (A Face in the Crowd). I did not like the writing style in The Longest December and found it boring.
April 10, 2024
The Longest December caused intense anxiety throughout the whole book. The ending should have had a warning label! Richard Chizmar really has a special gift in creating believable horror and terror.
September 21, 2023
Obviously this was a short one -- two novellas packaged together in, as far as I can tell, this format for the first time ever.
Of the authors, Stephen King is of course the best known. He's been putting out bestsellers since the '70s, and this one, which from what I understand has roots stretching back to the nonfiction book that King wrote with Stewart O'Nan about the Boston Red Sox's long-awaited championship season. I guess King got the nugget of an idea, shared it around, and "A Face in the Crowd" was the result. However, it was initially released only in digital format (I believe in both ebook and downloadable audiobook), and since I tend to avoid both of those platforms I had missed it on first publication. It's a decent story, well-constructed, and while it has a small bit of a baseball basis, your knowledge of that sport is not a requirement to enjoy it. It's probably not the BEST of King's short-form works, but it's definitely not among the worst.
Richard Chizmar is less well known, though thanks to books like this and the "Gwendy" trilogy (two of which he cowrote with King and one of which he wrote on his own) he is making a name for himself. In addition to his writing, he also edits a periodical called Cemetery Dance, which features a variety of horror authors and would be of interest to anyone who enjoys that genre. "The Longest December" is kind of new also -- it appears that it originally appeared in an anthology about seven years ago as "A Long December," but this time around it's been fleshed out and updated. It's a pretty good read, too, and it's actually longer than "A Face in the Crowd."
The doubled nature of the book itself (the two stories get their own "front covers" and once you finish the first one, whichever that one is, you physically flip the book over to start the other story) could be a little confusing but instead is just a curiosity. If you like horror fiction, this is worth picking up. Even slow readers will finish it in a day or two; faster ones can probably bulldoze through in an hour or so.
Of the authors, Stephen King is of course the best known. He's been putting out bestsellers since the '70s, and this one, which from what I understand has roots stretching back to the nonfiction book that King wrote with Stewart O'Nan about the Boston Red Sox's long-awaited championship season. I guess King got the nugget of an idea, shared it around, and "A Face in the Crowd" was the result. However, it was initially released only in digital format (I believe in both ebook and downloadable audiobook), and since I tend to avoid both of those platforms I had missed it on first publication. It's a decent story, well-constructed, and while it has a small bit of a baseball basis, your knowledge of that sport is not a requirement to enjoy it. It's probably not the BEST of King's short-form works, but it's definitely not among the worst.
Richard Chizmar is less well known, though thanks to books like this and the "Gwendy" trilogy (two of which he cowrote with King and one of which he wrote on his own) he is making a name for himself. In addition to his writing, he also edits a periodical called Cemetery Dance, which features a variety of horror authors and would be of interest to anyone who enjoys that genre. "The Longest December" is kind of new also -- it appears that it originally appeared in an anthology about seven years ago as "A Long December," but this time around it's been fleshed out and updated. It's a pretty good read, too, and it's actually longer than "A Face in the Crowd."
The doubled nature of the book itself (the two stories get their own "front covers" and once you finish the first one, whichever that one is, you physically flip the book over to start the other story) could be a little confusing but instead is just a curiosity. If you like horror fiction, this is worth picking up. Even slow readers will finish it in a day or two; faster ones can probably bulldoze through in an hour or so.
June 19, 2024
The Longest December Richard Chizmar
I think I liked this one out of the two the most. It's about a family who's nextdoor neighbour is like family to them, one night cops show up at the neigbour's house and they find out it's because he's being investigsted for a series of murders. It follows them through December, them navigating the informatioin they learned about him. They can't believe it at first, as he never struck them as that kind of person. It was a fairly quick read, though I think I'd've liked a bit more before the cops came. Like 'show' us more of the neigbour and how he was around them before they learned everything.
A Face in the Crowd Stephen King/Stewart O'Nan
I just finished this one in one reading session and it was just okay. It starts out with Dean Evers watching a game of baseball and seeing someone in the crowd from his past who he didn't think could still be alive, and from there he becomes kind of obsessed with watching every night. I'd say the 'twist' was not something I expected but it does work for the story. I don't really like some of the words used, particularly the f slur, but it was written in the 40's and it was used in the context of when the now old main character was a child, so it was more common for them to say it but it still didn't feel right to me. Overall though it was a decent story.
I think I liked this one out of the two the most. It's about a family who's nextdoor neighbour is like family to them, one night cops show up at the neigbour's house and they find out it's because he's being investigsted for a series of murders. It follows them through December, them navigating the informatioin they learned about him. They can't believe it at first, as he never struck them as that kind of person. It was a fairly quick read, though I think I'd've liked a bit more before the cops came. Like 'show' us more of the neigbour and how he was around them before they learned everything.
A Face in the Crowd Stephen King/Stewart O'Nan
I just finished this one in one reading session and it was just okay. It starts out with Dean Evers watching a game of baseball and seeing someone in the crowd from his past who he didn't think could still be alive, and from there he becomes kind of obsessed with watching every night. I'd say the 'twist' was not something I expected but it does work for the story. I don't really like some of the words used, particularly the f slur, but it was written in the 40's and it was used in the context of when the now old main character was a child, so it was more common for them to say it but it still didn't feel right to me. Overall though it was a decent story.
August 1, 2023
A Face in the Crowd, Stephen King and Stewart O’Nan & The Longest December, Richard Chizmar [Cemetery Dance Publications, 2023].
A Face in the Crowd—a Twilight Zone-esque tale about an elderly widower who sees specters from his past in the crowd of televised baseball games. Fun, if insubstantial.
The Longest December—an ordinary suburban couple discover that their neighbor—a mild mannered college professor and the husband’s best friend—is a suspected serial killer on the run from the law.
***
Stephen King is one of the world’s most popular authors. His most recent novel, Fairy Tale, was a national bestseller. His forthcoming novel Holly, featuring recurring character Holly Gibbey is expected from Scribner in Fall 2023.
***
Stewart O’Nan is an author whose work includes Faithful, co-written with Stephen King, about the Boston Red Sox winning 2004 season.
***
Richard Chizmar is the founder of the horror periodical Cemetery Dance and it’s affiliated small press publishing house. His book Chasing the Boogeyman was a national bestseller, and the sequel Becoming the Boogeyman is due to be published in fall 2023.
A Face in the Crowd—a Twilight Zone-esque tale about an elderly widower who sees specters from his past in the crowd of televised baseball games. Fun, if insubstantial.
The Longest December—an ordinary suburban couple discover that their neighbor—a mild mannered college professor and the husband’s best friend—is a suspected serial killer on the run from the law.
***
Stephen King is one of the world’s most popular authors. His most recent novel, Fairy Tale, was a national bestseller. His forthcoming novel Holly, featuring recurring character Holly Gibbey is expected from Scribner in Fall 2023.
***
Stewart O’Nan is an author whose work includes Faithful, co-written with Stephen King, about the Boston Red Sox winning 2004 season.
***
Richard Chizmar is the founder of the horror periodical Cemetery Dance and it’s affiliated small press publishing house. His book Chasing the Boogeyman was a national bestseller, and the sequel Becoming the Boogeyman is due to be published in fall 2023.
October 9, 2023
In A Face in the Crowd Stephen King and Stewart O'Nan write about an elderly man, alone since his wife passed, who sees dead people on TV. They're seated in really great seats at baseball games. It makes him ponder his life and the things he's done...things that weren't the best things to do. He sees different people he's known during each game. Of course he thinks he's going insane because how can that be? We learn about this man as he rehashes his life...and my opinion of him changed over the course of the story.
In The Longest December Richard Chizmar writes a creepy story about neighbors. How well do we really know our neighbors? When his next door neighbor is accused of murder Bob can't believe it. This man is his son's godfather, they are best friends, in fact they're so close he considers him part of his family. As the story goes on Bob begins to have a few doubts but still clings to the image of his friend that he's held dear. Will his denial bring danger to his family?
Both stories are creepy and good thrillers keeping you on the edge of your seat throughout. A nice combination for a spooky night read.
In The Longest December Richard Chizmar writes a creepy story about neighbors. How well do we really know our neighbors? When his next door neighbor is accused of murder Bob can't believe it. This man is his son's godfather, they are best friends, in fact they're so close he considers him part of his family. As the story goes on Bob begins to have a few doubts but still clings to the image of his friend that he's held dear. Will his denial bring danger to his family?
Both stories are creepy and good thrillers keeping you on the edge of your seat throughout. A nice combination for a spooky night read.
December 5, 2023
I really like a good drama with a twist.
A Face in the Crowd - a story of death and how the time is coming for you. They say Life flashes before your eyes, but what if it were your mistakes, people you hurt or all the the people you were unkind to? Well this is what happens during normal days of watching baseball. Dean Evers is widowed and a baseball fan. While he watches the game he notices faces of people in his past staring from behind the Umpire...the ones he didn't treat so kindly.
Longest December - a story of what happens when your neighbor/friend/family turns out to be a serial killer. You start to question yourself, it's not real, there is now way he killed those people, what do I do, do I tell the truth, do I hold things back, what secrets should I revel. This story questions your loyalty and trust. What do you believe and what happens when a secret is revealed that you did not see coming. This what the Howard's face when they discover their neighbor and closest friend lied to them and turned out to be a murderer. Their loyalty is test, so is their trust to their neighbor, the police and to themselves.
I loved them both.
A Face in the Crowd - a story of death and how the time is coming for you. They say Life flashes before your eyes, but what if it were your mistakes, people you hurt or all the the people you were unkind to? Well this is what happens during normal days of watching baseball. Dean Evers is widowed and a baseball fan. While he watches the game he notices faces of people in his past staring from behind the Umpire...the ones he didn't treat so kindly.
Longest December - a story of what happens when your neighbor/friend/family turns out to be a serial killer. You start to question yourself, it's not real, there is now way he killed those people, what do I do, do I tell the truth, do I hold things back, what secrets should I revel. This story questions your loyalty and trust. What do you believe and what happens when a secret is revealed that you did not see coming. This what the Howard's face when they discover their neighbor and closest friend lied to them and turned out to be a murderer. Their loyalty is test, so is their trust to their neighbor, the police and to themselves.
I loved them both.
June 26, 2024
I absolutely love when Cemetery Dance does a book like this. The double-sided covers just make me smile. The fact that it's a King and Chizmar double feature of shorts just makes it even better! It's absolutely worth the read if you have a day that's slow and need something quick and engaging to read.
A Face in the Crowd really makes you reflect on your mortality and how many wrongs you committed in your life, how many people you hurt in any way; even those you claimed to love. This short, but deep, story really got to me and makes me wonder how many and whose faces I'll see in the crowd someday.
The Longest December is an interesting thriller. It felt a little drawn out but it IS the extended version of A Long December so it makes sense. It's well worth the read. This is the first of Mr. Chizmar's work I've read, and I wasn't disappointed. The story, while a little sluggish at some points, still manages to flow steadily, picking up speed until reaching the twist most will see coming. I did find a single error on page 72. "Mark was our Brother-in-law"; the our should have been my for obvious reasons.
I give this book 4 of 5 Paws.
A Face in the Crowd really makes you reflect on your mortality and how many wrongs you committed in your life, how many people you hurt in any way; even those you claimed to love. This short, but deep, story really got to me and makes me wonder how many and whose faces I'll see in the crowd someday.
The Longest December is an interesting thriller. It felt a little drawn out but it IS the extended version of A Long December so it makes sense. It's well worth the read. This is the first of Mr. Chizmar's work I've read, and I wasn't disappointed. The story, while a little sluggish at some points, still manages to flow steadily, picking up speed until reaching the twist most will see coming. I did find a single error on page 72. "Mark was our Brother-in-law"; the our should have been my for obvious reasons.
I give this book 4 of 5 Paws.
January 15, 2024
3.5 stars. It is hard to rate this one because it is 2 different short stories by 2 different authors, but I had fun reading it.
A Face in the Crowd by Stephen King... 3 stars
I adore Stephen King and have read many of his books and short stories but this one was just ok. This is the story of a man who keeps seeing faces from his past behind home plate while he is watching the baseball games on tv every evening. There was a lot of baseball talk, which I assumed there would be, and I feel like that works ok for a longer story (like in The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon), but in a short story that is only 58 pages or so it just dominated the narrative too much.
The Longest December by Richard Chizmar... 4 stars
This one was fun. A small town couple realizes they have been living next to (and befriended) a serial killer. I always think King and Chizmar write so similarly; just in that easy, tell it as it is style. It definitely reminded me of the style of Chasing the Boogeyman (which you should read if you haven't yet). Overall, I think this pairing is worth a read.
A Face in the Crowd by Stephen King... 3 stars
I adore Stephen King and have read many of his books and short stories but this one was just ok. This is the story of a man who keeps seeing faces from his past behind home plate while he is watching the baseball games on tv every evening. There was a lot of baseball talk, which I assumed there would be, and I feel like that works ok for a longer story (like in The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon), but in a short story that is only 58 pages or so it just dominated the narrative too much.
The Longest December by Richard Chizmar... 4 stars
This one was fun. A small town couple realizes they have been living next to (and befriended) a serial killer. I always think King and Chizmar write so similarly; just in that easy, tell it as it is style. It definitely reminded me of the style of Chasing the Boogeyman (which you should read if you haven't yet). Overall, I think this pairing is worth a read.
September 2, 2023
This review is specific to A Face in the Crowd - This was a fun and intriguing story. I think the basic concept is fantastic, and that the story moves along quite well. I'm not sure how much Stewart O'Nan was involved in the writing process, but the phrasing and pacing felt very Kingesque. I admit that I am a tad confused. I don't want to spoil anything here, so I won't go into detail. But I am left with questions. I definitely want to reread it so I can hopefully get a better insight into the story. The only complaint that I have (no offense to baseball fans) is that throughout the story there is commentary on the particulars of the ball games taking place. I understand the face in the crowd at a baseball game was the vehicle for the story . . . it just felt like the baseball broke the flow of the actual story. All in all, I would definitely recommend this book. Definitely a fun little read.
October 6, 2023
I enjoyed both of these stories! A Face in the Crowd had some very creepy imagery that is sticking with me (poor Soupy) and some dynamite characterization in just a few pages. A line near the end allllllmost made me cry. Not quite! If the story had been longer, for sure. But it was close.
The Longest December was just up my alley here at the beginning of October. Chizmar really excels at the ordinary-suburb-turned-upside-down-by-the-appearance-of-evil-thing. (I'm sure there's a suitable German word for that.) A lot of good environment stuff (the emphasis on the winter weather, the days marching toward Christmas) helped further ground the story, the awful realization that someone you know, someone you love, is a serial killer. How can your next-door neighbor, one of your best friends, be a depraved murderer? How does that square with putting up the Christmas tree and shopping for presents at the mall? I just really dig his exploration of this particular liminal space in his fiction.
The Longest December was just up my alley here at the beginning of October. Chizmar really excels at the ordinary-suburb-turned-upside-down-by-the-appearance-of-evil-thing. (I'm sure there's a suitable German word for that.) A lot of good environment stuff (the emphasis on the winter weather, the days marching toward Christmas) helped further ground the story, the awful realization that someone you know, someone you love, is a serial killer. How can your next-door neighbor, one of your best friends, be a depraved murderer? How does that square with putting up the Christmas tree and shopping for presents at the mall? I just really dig his exploration of this particular liminal space in his fiction.
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