Stephen King - Billy Summers *REVIEW* 19 reasons to read about this hitman with a heart
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- Опубліковано 5 лис 2022
- We're still in 2021 and Stephen King's fascinating novel Billy Summers, a story about a hitman that goes surprisingly deep. I've already posted a spoiler-free review of this book elsewhere on my channel (link below) so in this video I'm giving it the 19 reasons treatment - and, of course, I'll cluster any spoilers towards the end with a warning before they arrive.
My spoiler-free review of Billy Summers: • Stephen King - Billy S...
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I read billy summers a few months ago and I absolutely loved it Billy is one of my favorite protagonists that king has created the book is one of my favorite reads of 2022⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Awesome, glad you enjoyed it!
I read it when it came out, and I really love this book. A lot of King's protagonists are writers, but rarely do we see what they actually write. I love when King pulls back the curtin and shows us the book within the book.
We have that in Misery too. But, what makes Billy's book different from Paul's is that I find Billy's much more interesting.
@@Maxio I think it also happened in Finders Keepers, if I remember correctly
@@lukesittenauer4109 We do see snippets of author Jimmy Gold's texts, but I don't think we follow him through any of his work as he writes. To review, I have not read this book.
I agree - really great to peek behind the curtain
Totally - although with Paul we do have the added drama that he is writing to survive!
Really good review - as always, Dave! Reminded me of the 19 reasons why I had enjoyed the book 😊 Read last year and I really enjoyed a lot of the David-Billy as an author stories. My husband is an Iraqi war vet and I read a lot of those war stories to him. Stephen King certainly has a gift! I also had really enjoyed all of the characters - the relationship between Alice & Billy and her father-daughter relationship with Bucky were really sweet part of the story! I loved the Overlook nods + Easter eggs too! I really liked your comments on SK being more reflective of his writing and career as he gets older...super insightful and I totally agree! Billy Summers certainly was a page-turner!
Thanks so much. Did King's attempts at war stories resonate with your husband at all? I get the sense he really did his research and captured something pretty realistic
@@DaveReadsKingYes they did, I had been mid reading and paused and said, "Wow, you should hear this. Let me know if you need me to stop.." He'd told me a previous story of a building so similar to what SK had written about, so one of the particular stories really kind of shook him. Husband went on talking about that story for a few days - you could tell it really impacted him. He'd said it was very well written, tastefully and respectfully done, and spoke a lot of our narrator, Mr. Billy Summers.
I've enjoyed a couple others a lot more than Billy Summers, but parts of the book really spoke to you. Great new take and spin, by our fave author, he certainly did a very accurate depiction. Thanks Dave! ✌️
@@lizzietizzy that's terrific to hear, thanks for sharing!
Yes a five star read.great protagonist in Billy and a good ending. Top drawer king.
Nice!
What a solid review, thank you.
Have the book right here on the window sill.
Bailing at the your warning moment ...
Nice - enjoy the book!
Love the train part. Brilliant!
The tractor might be gone, but the train is now in town!
Loved your take on the book!
Thanks!
What’s your plan for the channel once you have covered all the books?
He's going to do film adaptations I think
@@BeckywiseTheDancingClown ok good 👍. Look forward to that.
This is definitely the plan!
@@DaveReadsKing How about 19 MORE reasons to read every single Stephen King book ever, lol.
A good one, can't think of many complaints. I liked the monopoly parts (luv playing speed monopoly). And lmao at ur train thing.
Thanks! It's the new tractor!
Just read this last month and although I didn’t like one scene for very specific reason, I thought it was one of my favorite of his more recent books.
Nice - and glad that one scene didn't ruin it for you
Great review well done!
Thankee!
One of my favourite of recent King books. Cracking pace , would really like to read more of Billy's past.
But trains will never be the new tractors. FUCK YOU TRAINS!
Tttttrrrrrrrrrrrrraaaaaaaaaiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnnnn
So I am currently halfway through reading Billy Summers. Very much enjoying it so far but one question keeps popping up in my mind. This novel is part a specific type of stories King has been telling here and there during his writing career: mobsters stories.
Currently three other occurrences came to my mind:
The Ledge
The Wedding Gig
Dolan’s Cadillac
Is there more King’s mobsters stories that have yet to read or that I have forgotten ?
Yes, I can think of a couple more:
Roadwork (written as Richard Bachman)
The Fifth Quarter
1922 (sort of, if you don’t mind it being 20s gangsters - see also The Death of Jack Hamilton)
A little bit of Later
Thinner (as Richard Bachman)
Blaze (a stretch but kind of, also written as Richard Bachman)
There’s also one of the Derry local stories/flashbacks in It is a mobster tale.
That’s everything I can think of off the top of my head, but there’s probably more - possibly a couple more short stories.
@@DaveReadsKing yes Roadwork of course. I read The Fifth Quarter yes I have zero recollection of it.
Jugging on this list Billy Summers could have almost been a Richard Bachman book then
Almost, except it’s not nasty or bleak enough to be a Bachman I think
Just finished it and I want some more time to gather my thoughts but a few things stood out (no spoilers):
-The scenes of Billy settling into his small town life are really well done, and while King still relies on some stereotypes as with the Colin character, it's probably the best section of the book. Not quite as good as 11/22/63, but in the same vein.
-The introduction of *that* character at the book's midpoint...I think the story loses some steam here. She's just not written as a compelling character on her own, and she speaks and acts in ways that don't seem realistic. The same issue with Abra Stone in Dr. Sleep - King is just not good lately at writing realistic young women.
-The shootout stuff that resolves the plot is fine, even if it requires characters moving back and forth across the country. I also felt the 'real villain' wasn't that interesting.
-What happened to Billy's dumb self? It's such a prominent part of Billy's character and then it's just dropped.
-The ending of the book is really, really well done. Won't say more to avoid spoilers, but everything on that last drive to Colorado, the final chapter of Billy's book, the walk in the woods...King really demonstrates all his gifts as a writer.
-While not as cohesive as it could have been, I was glad to take this journey.
A whole list of excellent points - thank you!
I’ve just finished this! The pace was extremely different to anything I’ve read from king. And tbh the endings on this book was very unique and interesting. I’d even go as fas as to say one of his best. (Spoiler warning for those who haven’t finished billy summers so stop reading now……)
What’s your opinion about Alice maxwell at the end pondering the overlook hotel? Because it was at first seeming like she was the writer of what would become the shining but we know the shining and doctor sleep happened and before billy summers took place….
So does this mean we will get another shining story? Or a separate entity making the overlook hotel separate where it will become a kinda sequel to bully summers and at the same time a third book in the shining saga making it a trilogy?
It’s so interesting how he tied the overlook where imo is far more than a mere Easter egg.
I’ve look extensively online and no one seems to be talking about this. Like am I the only who did 99% of the people who read the book completely miss this part of the book. Lol
Billy summers is absolutely amazing and Alice maxwell was amazing and loved her character that seemed to add some spice into billies life.
But please what’s your opinion of that I’ve discussed? Would love to know what you think and anyone else who has read this comment?!
So, my first thought was exactly that - that, in that world, Alice was going to write The Shining and it would break the fourth wall and be all kinds of crazy. Now, a couple of years on, I honestly just see it as King giving fans a big nod and wink, and making us think exactly this!
@@DaveReadsKing so you think there will be a separate story in the overlook hotel?
Nah, I think it was just a nice bit of fan service for that particular story
Like a gunslinger he only kills bad men,? Were are the lowmen
I honestly don’t remember what I said that has prompted this comment. But, yes, in general we are pretty low
During his friendly neighbor guise, I couldn't help but picturing a cheesy "happy memories or happy moments" montage from a movie. The bad guys were pretty cliche, but overall I really enjoyed Billy Summers.
Love the montage idea! Eating cookies, tending his lawn, going to the fair and, of course, playing monopoly - that scene writes itself!
@@DaveReadsKing absolutely.
I'm sad Dave my dog is dying Wednesday
Sorry to hear that - it’s horrible losing a dog
Well you know all dogs go to heaven even cujo
This hitman one is fake. I'm the Alice in this book. It's actual events of my life. If it's starts with turn pike it's fake. I'm trying to get in touch with stephan king. I'm Linda hurt Beaver. I'm homeless in district of Columbia. This book has ruined my life
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