Book Review: “Charlie The Choo Choo” by Beryl Evans (by Simon & Schuster – a pseudonym of Stephen King / children’s book)
This thing has bad-joke-King-thinks-is-funny all over it.
First it is claimed to be copyrighted in 1942 (the edition from the library said it was the fourth).
King was born in 1947.
The official publication data (unusually at the back of the book says 2016 [ISBN 978-1-5344-0123-5] and lists it as a first edition.
Then there is this photograph (dated 2016) from the Simon & Schuster booth, top captioned:
Author Beryl Evans poses with her book ‘Charlie the Choo-Choo’ at the Simon & Schuster
booth at #SDCC – head over for yours while supplies last!
She’s not Stephen King.
Given that there is 74 years between the “copyright date” and the photograph date, the lady looks a little young to be its author; which she is not.
The sales pitch at the end leads me to believe this is part of the bad joke.
And as for King’s praise-for-the-author blurb…
“If I were ever to write a children’s book, it would be just like this!” — STEPHEN KING
…remember that he did.
As I said, it was Ned Dameron’s (deceased Thursday, October 20, 2022 / other work well worth a look) cover illustration that caused me to put it on hold at the library.
They are consistently good throughout the story, but Dameron relies at least once on stereotype imaging of people, which jarred me when I saw it.
I think it may have been meant to be consistent with the so called copyright date and wartime propaganda, but it stood out like a sore thumb.
Further, they don’t fit with the character that King, supposedly, wanted Charlie to have.
As for the writing….
YEEECH ! ! ! (enough said except to quote the ending of the penultimate / one sentence / paragraph ….”with Susannah yanking the hell out of the train whistle the whole way.” / yeah, in 1942 / for kids).
On top of all that, King tries to tie it in to his Mid-World creation by saying Charlie is now at “The Mid-World Amusement Park and Fun Fair” as a ride (T-Shirt $30.13 Canadian).
The pic was at the 2016 San Diego Comic-Con, and the woman was billed as an actress playing the fictional author…
Everybody knew it was a brand new Stephen King book, part of a series referenced inside his other books.
They were waiting to read it, and, yes, they got the joke.
Nobody was trying to fool anybody, just like, for instance, with Kilgore Trout, a fictional author published years ago, after being “read” in the plots of Kurt Vonnegut’s fiction…
and the various small books that were published because they were referenced in the Harry Potter books.
Sometimes such things are written by the first book’s author, sometimes not.
…
I suppose it’s an in-joke, if it’s not made clear on the cover… But even though I’m not a Stephen King fan, I find that device funny.
I’m not a fan because he writes horror, which I don’t care to read.
But I’m not judging his writing skills by that.
Sorry, but your criteria for literary criticism seems more based on your particular taste than any knowledge of writing or credentials as a critic.
I think that sentence you quote was fine; it”s an obvious fiction that it was written for children in 1942. King said it was written to scare children and make them uneasy. Fictionally.
…
If you don’t want to read profanity, for instance, don’t read it!
If you want (preferably elsewhere) to warn people of
its use, you can say a work was full of profanity…
Or full of jokes you didn’t get, or illustrations that don’t fit your ideas.
But those things in themselves have nothing to do with literary skill.
I read enough books to know a badly written one when I come across it, and…
“Charlie —————— THE —————— Choo – Choo” (formatting on cover: “THE” under/overlining “Charlie” and ” Choo – Choo” in full)
… is a badly-written-book-as-part-of-a-bad-joke as far as I’m concerned .
StelBel is mostly correct, as a general rule I don’t like King’s writing as I’ve said, his almost incessant use of needless obscenities (a trait sadly copied / and then some / by his son in the one book of his I have read / I forget its title) completely disrupts most of his other-wise well thought out books.
Again as I’ve said in the past, when he is contracted to write to someone else’s standards (or stops being lazy – which he has done on the odd occasion) and leaves them out, I quite enjoy his writing; and, if you recall, I’ve mentioned a number of those here.
And here is my favourable review of “Billy Summers”; coincidentally on May 23 of last year. LINK
A probably incomplete list (and definitely on the short end of all his works) of novels, short-stories, and plays of his I’ve read and enjoyed without reservation/ and some I would have enjoyed (I finished reading them because they were otherwise well-written) without the needless obscenities .
“The Running Man” (as Richard Bachman)
“Thinner” (as Richard Bachman)
“Sorry, Right Number” (screenplay)
“The Music Room” (mentioned here)
“I Know What You Need” (don’t remember anything about it / 1978 / but I liked it)
Books I would have enjoyed more:
“Carrie”
“Christine”
“Needful Things”
“Under The Dome”
“Fairytale” (reviewed not long ago)
A picture link to the more about the 1911 race (winning average speed 74.602 miles/hour); there are two videos, one of parts of the original race, and one on the Marmon’s return to the track in 2011.
the pole sitter’s speed at qualifying on sunday was 234.217 mph!!! that was followed by the 2nd spot at 234.211 mph. i can’t even imagine how fast their ears were flapping!!!
Without flapping ears, it’s not the same.
So true!
This thing has bad-joke-King-thinks-is-funny all over it.
First it is claimed to be copyrighted in 1942 (the edition from the library said it was the fourth).
King was born in 1947.
The official publication data (unusually at the back of the book says 2016 [ISBN 978-1-5344-0123-5] and lists it as a first edition.
Author Beryl Evans poses with her book ‘Charlie the Choo-Choo’ at the Simon & Schuster
booth at #SDCC – head over for yours while supplies last!
She’s not Stephen King.
Given that there is 74 years between the “copyright date” and the photograph date, the lady looks a little young to be its author; which she is not.
The sales pitch at the end leads me to believe this is part of the bad joke.
And as for King’s praise-for-the-author blurb…
“If I were ever to write a children’s book, it would be just like this!” — STEPHEN KING
…remember that he did.
As I said, it was Ned Dameron’s (deceased Thursday, October 20, 2022 / other work well worth a look) cover illustration that caused me to put it on hold at the library.
They are consistently good throughout the story, but Dameron relies at least once on stereotype imaging of people, which jarred me when I saw it.
I think it may have been meant to be consistent with the so called copyright date and wartime propaganda, but it stood out like a sore thumb.
Further, they don’t fit with the character that King, supposedly, wanted Charlie to have.
As for the writing….
YEEECH ! ! ! (enough said except to quote the ending of the penultimate / one sentence / paragraph ….”with Susannah yanking the hell out of the train whistle the whole way.” / yeah, in 1942 / for kids).
On top of all that, King tries to tie it in to his Mid-World creation by saying Charlie is now at “The Mid-World Amusement Park and Fun Fair” as a ride (T-Shirt $30.13 Canadian).
OK….we get it. You don’t like Stephen King. Enough.
Some of us here happen to be big fans of his. So. maybe we could call a truce?
That’s not a book review but a gossip/scandal column.
What part of “YEEECH ! ! !” isn’t a review?
What’s scandalous?
The pic was at the 2016 San Diego Comic-Con, and the woman was billed as an actress playing the fictional author…
Everybody knew it was a brand new Stephen King book, part of a series referenced inside his other books.
They were waiting to read it, and, yes, they got the joke.
Nobody was trying to fool anybody, just like, for instance, with Kilgore Trout, a fictional author published years ago, after being “read” in the plots of Kurt Vonnegut’s fiction…
and the various small books that were published because they were referenced in the Harry Potter books.
Sometimes such things are written by the first book’s author, sometimes not.
…
I suppose it’s an in-joke, if it’s not made clear on the cover… But even though I’m not a Stephen King fan, I find that device funny.
I’m not a fan because he writes horror, which I don’t care to read.
But I’m not judging his writing skills by that.
Sorry, but your criteria for literary criticism seems more based on your particular taste than any knowledge of writing or credentials as a critic.
I think that sentence you quote was fine; it”s an obvious fiction that it was written for children in 1942. King said it was written to scare children and make them uneasy. Fictionally.
…
If you don’t want to read profanity, for instance, don’t read it!
If you want (preferably elsewhere) to warn people of
its use, you can say a work was full of profanity…
Or full of jokes you didn’t get, or illustrations that don’t fit your ideas.
But those things in themselves have nothing to do with literary skill.
I read enough books to know a badly written one when I come across it, and…
“Charlie —————— THE —————— Choo – Choo” (formatting on cover: “THE” under/overlining “Charlie” and ” Choo – Choo” in full)
… is a badly-written-book-as-part-of-a-bad-joke as far as I’m concerned .
StelBel is mostly correct, as a general rule I don’t like King’s writing as I’ve said, his almost incessant use of needless obscenities (a trait sadly copied / and then some / by his son in the one book of his I have read / I forget its title) completely disrupts most of his other-wise well thought out books.
Again as I’ve said in the past, when he is contracted to write to someone else’s standards (or stops being lazy – which he has done on the odd occasion) and leaves them out, I quite enjoy his writing; and, if you recall, I’ve mentioned a number of those here.
And here is my favourable review of “Billy Summers”; coincidentally on May 23 of last year. LINK
“The Running Man” (as Richard Bachman)
“Thinner” (as Richard Bachman)
“Sorry, Right Number” (screenplay)
“The Music Room” (mentioned here)
“I Know What You Need” (don’t remember anything about it / 1978 / but I liked it)
Books I would have enjoyed more:
“Carrie”
“Christine”
“Needful Things”
“Under The Dome”
“Fairytale” (reviewed not long ago)
Generally I would prefer the brandy, but in this case…
Far away on the hillside is not as useful as where they should have them stationed…
They should be on duty in all public restrooms, where empty dispensers are a common hazard, and can cause social anxiety and distress.
They’d truly be Saint Bernards, if I could snap my fingers or call “Here doggie”, and be rescued from that dire situation.
Quack addicts.
Did not know that Larson had ever resorted to such blatant puns. D’you think maybe he was quacking up?
I don’t think so.
That’s what happens to ducks that fly upside down.
One of my favorite jokes.
They need to turn to real doctors and psychiatrists, not a bunch of quacks.
But being macho wolves, of course they try to duck the issue.
Wolves will never admit to feeling sheepish.
I guess they’re just mallardjusted.
nose?
Noses.
A picture link to the more about the 1911 race (winning average speed 74.602 miles/hour); there are two videos, one of parts of the original race, and one on the Marmon’s return to the track in 2011.
Great!
The United States’ flag at the time.
Steve Martin is almost unrecognizable in that mask.
almost
Just look at those bassets fly! Flying bassets! They never dreamed they could move that fast.
Looks so pretty, for an automobile race, doesn’t it?
It was, supposedly, already called the Indianapolis 500 by 1911…
yet that title appears on neither poster…. the basset nor the human.
…
In any case, it’s beautiful.
It all looks so genteel…. Wonderfully dressed up basset ladies and gentlemen, waving hankies and hats…
But so close the fluttery silk and fine linen dresses were whipped by the breeze, and a few ultra fancy floral and straw creations went flying,
as the cars raced past at unheard of speeds …. over 70 miles per hour!…. barely an arm’s length distant, if that.
…
Makes you forget that it was much less safe in those days…
and even the onlookers were involved in some nasty crashes.
Oops.
the pole sitter’s speed at qualifying on sunday was 234.217 mph!!! that was followed by the 2nd spot at 234.211 mph. i can’t even imagine how fast their ears were flapping!!!
That would flap human ears!
chocolate cake with LOTS of icing
As it should be ☺
my all time favorite!!!
Looks delicious, but that tiny piece would be plenty big.
Apropos of nothing here:
Dame Joan Collins turned 90 today.
From today’s London “Daily Mail”, page 50.
thanks to your efforts today stell, i have wonderful jim nabors as my earworm for today!
has anyone heard from perkycat this week? just let her know she and her husband are still in our prayers and thoughts. xxoo
As we do, to you and MMM.
thanks so much! it is getting easier each day for mmm!
No… I wrote her a second time, not long after the first.
I’m going to do it again, but I try not to say things requiring answers, so I won’t add to the stress.
Hopefully she’ll write when she’s up to it.
I sure hope they’re both ok…
You guys too!
thanks very much!