From a Buick 8

Title: From a Buick 8

Author: Stephen King

Published in: 2002

Date read: 18th July 2020

Score: 5/5

Genre: Horror, Science fiction, Psychological

Plot: (Warning, may contain spoilers):
"From a Buick 8" by Stephen King is a supernatural horror novel that blends elements of mystery and existential dread, focusing on a mysterious, otherworldly car and its profound impact on a rural Pennsylvania State Police troop.

The story unfolds primarily at Barracks D in the fictional town of Statler, Pennsylvania. Eighteen-year-old Ned Wilcox comes to the barracks, seeking to understand the mysterious death of his father, Curtis Wilcox, a state trooper who was killed in a drunk driving accident. Ned begins to regularly clean the barracks' storage shed, particularly fascinated by an anomaly housed within it: a pristine, 1954 Buick Roadmaster.

This Buick 8 is no ordinary car. It appeared out of nowhere in 1979, abandoned at a gas station after a strange man simply walked away from it. When troopers attempted to impound it, they discovered it defied all known physics: it wasn't gasoline-powered, its interior dimensions didn't match its exterior, and it periodically "flushed" out bizarre, alien creatures and debris from another dimension – a dimension referred to by the troopers as "The Place." It also possessed a strange allure, almost a sentience, and seemed to respond to emotion.

The novel is told through the collective memories and experiences of the seasoned troopers of Barracks D, who have guarded the Buick for decades, passing down its secret to trusted new recruits. Ned listens to their stories, gradually piecing together the car's terrifying history and its connection to his father, who was particularly fascinated by it. The troopers recount the various strange phenomena associated with the Buick: its unusual flushes, the disappearances of those who got too close, and the unsettling transformations it sometimes inflicted.

As Ned delves deeper into the Buick's secrets, he learns that his father believed the car was trying to communicate or even tempt them. The central mystery isn't just what the Buick is, but how it exists, and whether it's malevolent, indifferent, or something entirely beyond human comprehension.

The climax of the story involves Ned himself becoming dangerously drawn to the Buick, mirroring his father's obsession. A critical incident unfolds where the car exhibits unprecedented activity, threatening to draw someone into its other-dimensional void. The troopers must intervene, facing the profound terror and existential questions the Buick embodies, ultimately deciding the fate of the enigmatic vehicle and confirming its enduring, terrifying presence in their lives. "From a Buick 8" is a meditation on the unknown, grief, and how ordinary people cope with an inexplicable, persistent horror.

Comments:
Constantly being teased about the promise of knowledge makes this a book I struggled to put down. One of my absolute favourites. I still hope for a follow-up.

Books that we've read by Stephen King (68):
Carrie (1974), 'Salem's Lot (1975), The Shining (The Shining, #1) (1977), The Stand (1978), Night Shift (1978), The Dead Zone (1979), Firestarter (1980), Cujo (1981), The Gunslinger (The Dark Tower, #1) (1982), Different Seasons (1982), Christine (1983), Cycle of the Werewolf (1983), Pet Sematary (1983), The Talisman (The Talisman, #1) (1984), Skeleton Crew (1985), It (1986), The Drawing of the Three (The Dark Tower, #2) (1987), The Eyes of the Dragon (1987), The Tommyknockers (1987), Misery (1987), The Dark Half (1989), Four Past Midnight (1990), The Waste Lands (The Dark Tower, #3) (1991), Needful Things (1991), Dolores Claiborne (1992), Gerald's Game (1992), Nightmares and Dreamscapes (1993), Insomnia (1994), Rose Madder (1995), The Green Mile (1996), Desperation (1996), Wizard and Glass (The Dark Tower, #4) (1997), Bag of Bones (1998), The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon (1999), Hearts in Atlantis (1999), On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft (2000), Black House (The Talisman, #2) (2001), Dreamcatcher (2001), Everything's Eventual (2002), From a Buick 8 (2002), Wolves of the Calla (The Dark Tower, #5) (2003), Song of Susannah (The Dark Tower, #6) (2004), The Dark Tower (The Dark Tower, #7) (2004), The Colorado Kid (2005), Cell (2006), Lisey's Story (2006), Duma Key (2008), Just After Sunset (2008), Under the Dome (2009), 11/22/63 (2011), Full Dark, No Stars (2011), The Wind Through the Keyhole (The Dark Tower, #4.5) (2012), Dr. Sleep (The Shining, #2) (2013), Joyland (2013), Mr. Mercedes (Bill Hodges Trilogy, #1) (2014), Revival (2014), The Bazaar of Bad Dreams (2015), Finders Keepers (Bill Hodges Trilogy, #2) (2015), End of Watch (Bill Hodges Trilogy, #3) (2016), Elevation (2018), The Outsider (2018), The Institute (2019), If It Bleeds (2020), Billy Summers (2021), Later (2021), Fairy Tale (2022), Holly (2023), You Like It Darker (2024)