The Man in the Black Suit: 4 Dark Tales

I quickly realized that I?d read all four of these stories before. They are all included in King?s ?Everything?s Eventual? collection. Though it had been 10 years since I read that, I remembered almost every detail of the title story. An old man recounts meeting the Devil while fishing as a young boy. The audio version was fantastic and brought the creepy characters to life beautifully. For me, the weakest story of the four is ?All That You Love Will Be Carried Away.? The piece is about a traveling salesman who is contemplating suicide. He also has a strange habit of collecting graffiti in a notebook. ?The Death of Jack Hamilton? is about John Dillinger?s gang. One of the members tells us the stories about the days leading up to Dillinger?s dramatic death and the unexpectedly loss of their friend. ?That Feeling, You Can Only Say What It Is In French? offers readers a trippy case of Deja Vu with an ominous tone. After 25 years of marriage a couple decides to take a second honeymoon. The story gives us a glimpse of their ill-fated vacation. BOTTOM LINE: Great collection, though I wish I?d known this was a republication of selections from another collection of short stories.?

None of these grabbed me :( Usually I am a fan.

Pretty interesting. Good book and not that long to hear

4 short stories...The title story was pretty good. The Death of Jack Hamilton was awful! The story was good, but the man's death was horrific. Jack Hamilton was one of Dillinger's gang and was shot during a car chase. All that You Love Will Be Carried Away was slightly funny. How do you let something so arbitrary decide if you will move forward or not? The sayings the man collected from bathroom walls during his travels were funny. That Feeling, You Can Only Say What It Is In French...how can a man be so good at inhabiting a woman's mind when she's irritated with her husband and trying not to show it?

I can't believe there are still some short stories I haven't read by this author. Definitely going to work through them. I love how different he stories are when in short form. Perfect audio while diamond painting.

Gary, the protagonist of this story, recalls with fear when he was a child and had an encounter with a man with orange eyes dressed in a black three-piece suit who terrified him and whispered terrible things. This experience will mark him for life, and in the twilight of it, he will remember it with the dread of encountering him again. The acceptance of fear and how to live by confronting it is one of the central themes of this superb tale that won the prestigious O. Henry Award in the United States in 1995. (Translated from Spanish)

This is a short story by Stephen King that won the "World Fantasy Award" for best short story in 1995. An elderly man of ninety writes in his diary about an event that happened to him when he was nine years old, which now, at the end of his life, comes to mind and troubles him, with the hope that "what you write sometimes stays with you forever." In my opinion, it is a good story, simple and well-set, reflecting the fear and anguish that the boy felt during his encounter with a man by the river. The illustrated edition I read, from Nórdica Libros, includes at the end the story "Young Goodman Brown" by Nathaniel Hawthorne, which is also very interesting, and which King was inspired by. An enjoyable read that can be finished in a short time. (Translated from Spanish)

Excellent story by Master King. Short, agile, and captivating. I liked the character of the boy and especially the description of the man in the black suit. The added story by Nathaniel Hawthorne is very good and engaging. It can be read in one sitting. Recommended. (Translated from Spanish)

Who hasn’t had an encounter with fear as a child, or even at some point with terror? That nightmare that made you wake up at midnight, that shadow that scared you, that inexplicable noise behind the bushes, or the joke played on you by an older child saying the monster was coming. Moreover, terror is easily transmitted because it is irrational, and it impacts young minds and hearts with greater force.

This is a more than acceptable story in which Mr. King narrates an encounter between a boy who went fishing in the distant river of home deep in the woods and a mysterious man. Our well-known author adopts the perspective of the boy and achieves that narrative tension that keeps the reader engaged, exposing those childhood fears that no one would have liked to experience.

Our boy does not tell it directly. This experience in the woods and his family history are recounted eighty years later, when he, now elderly, prepares for his final journey, and with his last strength records it in the form of a diary as a final confession.

This award-winning story, Mr. King wrote in homage to another tale by Nathaniel Hawthorne, which was included in my edition, called "Young Goodman Brown," and I also took the opportunity to read it, in this entertaining two-for-one deal that is more than regular. (Translated from Spanish)

This book tells how a boy goes fishing and sees the devil dressed in an elegant black suit and chases him... the end. That's how I was left. Then it adds another short story, where I waited until the last page for a connection with that devil or with that boy. But nothing. It was about a young man who has to go to the forest (it doesn't explain why, despite describing every unimportant detail, while the important thing isn't mentioned) and there he finds a gathering with the people from his village like a mass, but with the devil. And then... it drops that it was a dream... it's like building up a lot of suspense for something that will happen, for a really good story, and then... nothing happens or is told.
Well, I'm going to try not to be too harsh, I give it one star because you can't give zero. I've decided that I don't like Stephen King. I know that maybe I'll be an ignorant who knows nothing about literature, because I stop to think, and obviously if so many people like him... it must be for a reason. But I started to suspect I didn't like him many years ago, with the movie The Mist, and a few others that I saw... then the new version of IT came out and I liked it, and I decided to read the book... and I ended up putting it down, it sprawls too much in descriptions of unimportant things, and the books become very tiring for me, almost unbearable. Still, I'm going to give it another chance and read Misery, as my brother is forcing me because he says it's the one he liked the most... I've already started it, but I've been stuck on the first 40 pages for two weeks, and it's hard for me... so I'll let you know. Forgive me, fans of his, but that's my opinion. It feels very intense to me... (Translated from Spanish)

They are two short stories in which Stephen King confirms himself as the master of terror. Highly recommended for those who enjoy the genre. For now, it has already become one of my favorite King books. (Translated from Spanish)

The teacher King, with two short stories. The first one is also published in "Everything is Eventual". They have little horror, but the narration is interesting and intriguing. (Translated from Spanish)

As for the story, my review will be short since I don't have much to say. Weak, very weak, the weakest thing I've read from King. Undoubtedly, what I have always admired about King is the construction of characters and situations; he has given me the best characters in several of his books.

Logically, a story so short does not allow for in-depth character development, but honestly, beyond that, the book did not evoke anything in me at any moment. For me, it was a book without emotions or sensations.

The invitation, as always, is to read the story and create your own opinion; it is really very brief and will not take you more than two hours. Ultimately, if there is an author worth taking a risk on, it is Stephen King. Perhaps, like many other readers, you may appreciate and find details in the story that I, in my case, could not identify. (Translated from Spanish)

Reading a King is like coming home after a long day; at least that's how I feel when I read his stories.

The man in the black suit begins with Gary, our protagonist, writing in his journal about a horrifying anecdote he experienced at the age of nine. At over 80 years old, Gray believes it is appropriate to free himself from the memory that haunts him every night before turning off the light.

This book is a short story by Mr. King, but it leaves a mark and envelops the reader in the plot in such a subtle way that without warning it immerses you fully into the story.

As I mentioned at the beginning, I have few books by this author, but I really enjoy his style; it's as if he chooses the right and precise words to tell us his story. They may be simple plots, but written by him, they are a delight.

I highly recommend this book; it reads very quickly, but from the first page, it is enjoyable and keeps you in suspense until the final point. (Translated from Spanish)

This short story was not for me.

It was odd (I know there are explanations, but... meh) and I expected "more"... BUT I have to admit that one scene did surprise/confuse me. (Translated from Spanish)

"The Man in the Black Suit" introduces us to Gary, a 90-year-old man who will recount a terrifying event he experienced one summer in 1914 when he was only 9 years old. In just 30 pages, King builds a lovable, realistic character who can transport the reader to a sinister event that marked the protagonist and that he still remembers vividly in his old age. It is a journey into human fears, innocence, and the ability to confront our fears (very much in the style of IT by Stephen King). An interesting and entertaining tale that I already recommend for reading. (Translated from Spanish)

King has done it again. He has put fear back into my body just like when I was a teenager reading in bed and then I couldn’t sleep a wink. I was feeling pretty confident when I finished The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon and thought I wasn’t scared like before, you know, life experience, age, and all that... but NO. He doesn’t need many pages to freeze your blood. This little story is enough. A tribute to a character created by Nathaniel Hawthorne, it says. The man in the black suit, it says. Vade retro, just saying his name terrifies me. Fuss, fuss…
In this volume, we can also read Hawthorne’s story, which is unmissable, in which a neighbor from a pious New England village follows a man dressed in a black suit into the woods and will have life-changing demonic visions... Stephen King uses this dark character to create his tale and adds as a co-protagonist an eight-year-old boy, of course... What this creature suffers alongside this demonic spawn is enough to give more than one of us a heart attack...
I wanted to stop reading, but I couldn’t. I had to know how it ended. The TV on, the kids talking to me, and I was absorbed in the reading. The nightmare master writes very well.
The bad thing now is that they have all gone, and I’m left alone. And I’m writing this pressed against the wall in a little corner while I keep looking towards the door that leads to a dark hallway. I don’t plan to move. I don't know what that noise I hear is, but I’m not going to find out. Stephen King, I hate you. It’s getting closer, that sound... it sounds like wet shoes, but it hasn’t rained... (Translated from Spanish)

The story of King is good, but the other one leaves a lot to be desired; it is extremely boring in my opinion. (Translated from Spanish)

A short tale recounting the encounter between Gary, a 9-year-old boy, and a mysterious man in the woods. The story has elements of fear, apprehension, threat, and mystery. The mystery is characteristic of the book; in just a few pages I was on the edge of my seat with the story, with each description of the landscape and very precise details in the protagonist's actions, the writer kept my attention in suspense.

I found it interesting that the name Candy Bill would correspond to a dog (a good and fitting name for that hound). I read the illustrated version and was fascinated by that recreation of the scenes. (Translated from Spanish)

Great short read! For me, it has always been a tremendous pleasure to meet the beloved Mr. King, and this time was no exception. In just a few pages, he achieves a lot: he excites us with the story, immerses us in the actions, helps us understand the psychology of the protagonist, scares us a little, and leaves us with doubt. The narrative becomes evident quickly, and the descriptions draw us into the story. The great skill of the narrator allows us to find a novel in the length of a short story (I don’t mean to undervalue one in favor of the other, I just think they are two different types of reading, and the number of pages is not the biggest difference). I consider it an ideal book to dive into the world of horror literature because it has all the ingredients for this style of reading to work. Applause for Mr. King and for marenpergamino who brought this book to me! (Translated from Spanish)

Here it talks about Gary, a boy who has a brief encounter with the devil himself! It shows us once again how the perception of reality is very different for a child and an adult, even when it comes to the same person.

It's a rather short text but not any less complete. Once again, Stephen expresses his love for the little ones. (Translated from Spanish)

"What you write sometimes leaves you forever."

Included in EVERYTHING IS EVENTUAL, later published in a magnificent illustrated edition and inspired as a tribute to Nathaniel Hawthorne and his story "Young Goodman Brown," Stephen King invites us with this short tale to escape—preferably by a fire like in ancient times—into a story where ghosts were as real as that figure representing universal fear: the devil.

The entity of archaic power is a resource as powerful as God himself, the dichotomy that has marked life and art, in a historical moment as significant as the one before the Great War (1914). It reminded me of that death that appears to present the end as a game in Bergman’s "The Seventh Seal" or Robert Mitchum (love/hate) in "The Night of the Hunter," a dark tale but with King’s characteristic style, palpable in every line.

King's pen transports us to that unforgettable place of the early 20th century in the mind of a man at the end of his days, "voyeurs" of that diary that hides a disturbing story, a reflection on fear and the anguish of some fantastic episode, face to face, real or imagined, with something impossible. Pure Stephen King. (Translated from Spanish)

Reading King, whether it's a 600-page book or a simple little story, always leaves you with a mouth full of longing. A primal and inexorable craving that mercilessly drives you back to him. Again and again.
"The Man in the Black Suit" is a short story written to pay homage to another tale, "Young Goodman Brown" by Nathaniel Hawthorne. But King, in 20 pages, grows and grows, and what starts as a mere literary anecdote transforms into a beautifully crafted little book. "The Man in the Black Suit" is the meeting of a 9-year-old boy with one of the most feared beings in the history of humanity. But King's words, filled with violence and beauty, seep inside you and explode in your brain, leaving you with vivid and shocking images, and above all, a craving, a desire for more.
Always those damned and unavoidable desires for more King. (Translated from Spanish)

I liked it. I finished it almost without realizing it, although that's normal because it's very short. I have read a lot of S. King; he is one of my favorite writers, and I enjoyed this story. You can see his touch, his way of writing and describing things. It's an interesting story. (Translated from Spanish)

What a surprise to receive this book for my birthday, which I didn’t even know existed, and with a beautiful edition.

In this case, Stephen King surprises us with a tribute to Nathaniel Hawthorne and his story "Young Goodman Brown," which is included in this edition. In both tales, the presence of the Devil is the essence of the plot and the connection between the two stories.

Gary, a nonagenarian man, seeing his death approaching, decides to capture in a diary a terrible story that happened to him when he was 9 years old and that he was never able to tell anyone, but which tormented him throughout his life. That day when, while trout fishing in the river, he met the man dressed in black... 7.5/10 (Translated from Spanish)

A short but very entertaining and distressing story, it had to be by King. ? (Translated from Spanish)

The first story is decent, the second is terrible and makes no sense. I give it 2 stars because at least the illustrations in the story of The Man in the Black Suit are very beautiful; nothing else to highlight. (Translated from Spanish)

King possesses such mastery in his genre that it only takes a few pages for him to create a genuine nightmarish atmosphere. In this short story, an elderly man at the end of his days recalls an event from his childhood when a mysterious man approached him and spoke to him. The encounter is brief but leaves such a mark on the boy, with no witnesses and no evidence of what happened, that he will keep the secret for his entire life. A secret that consumes him, that torments him. He has only the hope that telling everything will bring the release from the nightmare he has carried throughout his life. It is so intense and so precise in its descriptions of the protagonist's feelings that it becomes unsettling. Nightmares and ghosts can appear unexpectedly, but overcoming fear is difficult when they have kidnapped your emotions and paralyzed your will. (Translated from Spanish)

"Now I am a very old man, and this is something that happened to me when I was very young, at just nine years old. It was in 1914, the summer after my brother Dan died in a meadow and three years before the United States entered World War I. I have never told anyone what happened at the river fork that day, and I never will... at least not in words. However, I have decided to write it down in this book that I will leave on the nightstand next to my bed."

The story begins with Gary, "the protagonist," recounting in his diary a horrific event that he experienced at the age of nine. Considering he was in his 80s and a bit more, the trauma from his childhood had marked him in an atrocious way. He decides to write about that event in order to release the feelings of anguish and fear that he has been experiencing throughout his life, perhaps not with the goal of having someone read it, but with the desire to rid himself of those memories. As he himself quoted:

"I am not interested in credibility, but in freedom, and I have discovered that writing can provide it."

An unexpected encounter with a man with orange eyes dressed in a three-piece black suit caused him horror and uttered terrible things that marked him for life. The acceptance of fear and how to live facing it is one of the central themes of this superb tale that won the prestigious O. Henry Award in the United States in 1995. A story filled with mystery and terror in the purest style of Stephen King. With an alluring and captivating charm that will provoke a longing to discover the ending. (Translated from Spanish)

Just because a story by Stephen King is short doesn't mean it isn't intense, gripping, and disturbing; it won't leave us breathless but will make us look twice at those supposed people who approach us devilishly with their smile and fiery eyes just to ask for a chat. (Translated from Spanish)