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The Gingerbread Girl
In the emotional aftermath of her baby's sudden death, Em starts running. Soon she runs from her husband, to the airport, down to the Florida Gulf and out to the loneliest stretch of Vermillion Key, where her father has offered the use of a conch shack he has kept there for years. Em keeps up her running -- barefoot on the beach, sneakers on the road -- and sees virtually no one. This is doing her all kinds of good, until one day she makes the mistake of looking into the driveway of a man named Pickering. Pickering also enjoys the privacy of Vermillion Key, but the young women he brings there suffer the consequences. Will Em be next?
2 Audio CDs / 2 Hours
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2 Audio CDs / 2 Hours
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2 pages, Audio CD
First published January 1, 2008
58 people are currently reading
7009 people want to read
About the author
Stephen King
2,497 books886k 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.
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October 30, 2025
أجري يا نيرة..أجري
و لكني سلحفاة..بروطة..يا عم كينج
أجري يا نيرة..إنها حياتك او موتك
لكننا في الشرق عودونا ان نصرخ و نصرخ يا كينج..فالجري ليس من وقار الأنثى
حسنا..أجري او موتي
Run nayra..run for your life
اميلي ..شابة فقدت رضيعتها فجأة ..و لانها من معتادي الهروب..اخذت تمنح زوجها الراحة و تصبره..بينما اخذت تتهاوى صحيا..و نصحهاالطبيب بالجري ليزيد الاندورفين ليتوارى الصداع..
اخذت تجري ببطء في البداية مع مساعدات من الحلوى فالسكر يقلل الحزن للاسف
.ثم تزايدت سرعتها ..صارت تجري لساعات!!..و تخلت عن الحلوى ..و تخلت عن زوجها. . وبيتها..و ذهبت إلى المصيف في الشتاء. .و هناك تمحورت حياتها حول الجري..فقدت الكثير من وزنها..صار جسدها منحوتا عضليا قويا..
و لكن ما أخطر المصايف خارج الموسم يا اميلي و اساليني انا ..ليبدأ الرعب الواقعي على الشاطىء عندما تقع فريسة لقاتل سيكوباتي سادي.. وحيدة لا تملك سوى ساقين لا تمتلكهما اي امرأة بسهولة..
في مواجهة تعتمد على القوة بين {رجل و امرأة } من سيفوز؟
لن يفهم هذه الرواية عن حق الا أنثى تعرضت لما يستوجب الجري ..للاسف تعرضت مرة واحدة في حياتي لموقف يستوجب الجري {في مصيف مهجور ايضا } لذا أفهم جيدا الهلع الوحشي الرهيب الذي يستوجب التخلى عن وقار الأنثى المعتاد ..الرواية كلها واقعية جدا قد تحدث لاى منا..خاصة هؤلاء ممن يتخلواعن الحياة بعد فقدان عزيز
كينج في افضل حالاته على الاطلاق كطبيب نفسي اريب و أديب مركز العبارات ☆☆☆☆ هو لا يلجأ للبطلات الإناث كثيرا..و لكن ايميلي تهربت من أنوثتها بنجاح منقطع النظير حقا في نوفيلا رائعة من 80صفحة ..
و لكني سلحفاة..بروطة..يا عم كينج
أجري يا نيرة..إنها حياتك او موتك
لكننا في الشرق عودونا ان نصرخ و نصرخ يا كينج..فالجري ليس من وقار الأنثى
حسنا..أجري او موتي
Run nayra..run for your life
اميلي ..شابة فقدت رضيعتها فجأة ..و لانها من معتادي الهروب..اخذت تمنح زوجها الراحة و تصبره..بينما اخذت تتهاوى صحيا..و نصحهاالطبيب بالجري ليزيد الاندورفين ليتوارى الصداع..
اخذت تجري ببطء في البداية مع مساعدات من الحلوى فالسكر يقلل الحزن للاسف
.ثم تزايدت سرعتها ..صارت تجري لساعات!!..و تخلت عن الحلوى ..و تخلت عن زوجها. . وبيتها..و ذهبت إلى المصيف في الشتاء. .و هناك تمحورت حياتها حول الجري..فقدت الكثير من وزنها..صار جسدها منحوتا عضليا قويا..
و لكن ما أخطر المصايف خارج الموسم يا اميلي و اساليني انا ..ليبدأ الرعب الواقعي على الشاطىء عندما تقع فريسة لقاتل سيكوباتي سادي.. وحيدة لا تملك سوى ساقين لا تمتلكهما اي امرأة بسهولة..
في مواجهة تعتمد على القوة بين {رجل و امرأة } من سيفوز؟
لن يفهم هذه الرواية عن حق الا أنثى تعرضت لما يستوجب الجري ..للاسف تعرضت مرة واحدة في حياتي لموقف يستوجب الجري {في مصيف مهجور ايضا } لذا أفهم جيدا الهلع الوحشي الرهيب الذي يستوجب التخلى عن وقار الأنثى المعتاد ..الرواية كلها واقعية جدا قد تحدث لاى منا..خاصة هؤلاء ممن يتخلواعن الحياة بعد فقدان عزيز
كينج في افضل حالاته على الاطلاق كطبيب نفسي اريب و أديب مركز العبارات ☆☆☆☆ هو لا يلجأ للبطلات الإناث كثيرا..و لكن ايميلي تهربت من أنوثتها بنجاح منقطع النظير حقا في نوفيلا رائعة من 80صفحة ..
April 2, 2019
من القصص التي تعتمد على عنصر التشويق بشكل كبير دون عمق أو رسالة قوية
تصلح لقراءة عابرة
تصلح لقراءة عابرة
November 15, 2022
بينما كانت ابنتها ترقد فى سلام كانت هى تركض فى سلام
ظنت أن الركض سيريحها من ذكرى ابنتها بينما كان الركض هو التمرين الذى يدربها القدر عليه حيث ستواجه اسوأ كوابيس حياتها
اذا واجهت الموت فلا تستسلم له و عض على شفتيك بقوة و اطلق ساقيك للريح
و ان رأيت البحر فواجهه و اقتحمه بكل ثقة فربما كانت نجاتك بإلقاء نفسك فيه لا بالهرب من أمواجه
May 28, 2020
This is part of the short story collection 'Just after Sunset'. It's a long short story. This story had me gripped once I got to the half-way point. I couldn't stop. Easy to read in one sitting.
A King short story always has some sort of twist. I was waiting for it and thinking it was going to be one thing and as we went along, I was hoping it wasn't going to be what it was. It was very intense.
This very much reminded me of Gerald's Game in all the best ways once we got to it. I know some people hate that story, but it's one of my favorite stories King has written. It's by far the scariest thing he ever wrote.
We start out with Emily and her husband having lost a child and Emily isn't dealing well. She runs. There are touches of Pet Cemetary and the Long Walk mixed in here at the beginning. In the Stand, there is a character we see that runs until he drops dead and at first I thought that might happen, but no, she gathers strength from running. She leaves her husband and goes to her fathers conch hut in Florida to heal and figure her life out.
Spoilers:
Again, he puts Emily at the hands of a sociopath and she is trapped in this man's kitchen. She does outsmart the guy, but he's got that crazy strength psychopath's get when they are in a murder rage. The end does leave the story hanging and we don't know what she decides about her life. I do like how Emily was able to turn the tables on the murderer. That was pretty excellent and I haven't seen that ending before. I do hope he doesn't come back years later.
Once Emily is entangled with the murderer, King's writing is at it's best. He doesn't let the tension drop at all and he keeps that string tight as a steel cable. I couldn't stop reading and my shoulders got so tense. I know Stephen can throw some curves, especially in his short stories, so I didn't really know if she would get away or not. You never know. It was longer than I thought it would be.
Life is tense enough and I don't care to read such intense stuff anymore, but it was a great story.
A King short story always has some sort of twist. I was waiting for it and thinking it was going to be one thing and as we went along, I was hoping it wasn't going to be what it was. It was very intense.
This very much reminded me of Gerald's Game in all the best ways once we got to it. I know some people hate that story, but it's one of my favorite stories King has written. It's by far the scariest thing he ever wrote.
We start out with Emily and her husband having lost a child and Emily isn't dealing well. She runs. There are touches of Pet Cemetary and the Long Walk mixed in here at the beginning. In the Stand, there is a character we see that runs until he drops dead and at first I thought that might happen, but no, she gathers strength from running. She leaves her husband and goes to her fathers conch hut in Florida to heal and figure her life out.
Spoilers:
Again, he puts Emily at the hands of a sociopath and she is trapped in this man's kitchen. She does outsmart the guy, but he's got that crazy strength psychopath's get when they are in a murder rage. The end does leave the story hanging and we don't know what she decides about her life. I do like how Emily was able to turn the tables on the murderer. That was pretty excellent and I haven't seen that ending before. I do hope he doesn't come back years later.
Once Emily is entangled with the murderer, King's writing is at it's best. He doesn't let the tension drop at all and he keeps that string tight as a steel cable. I couldn't stop reading and my shoulders got so tense. I know Stephen can throw some curves, especially in his short stories, so I didn't really know if she would get away or not. You never know. It was longer than I thought it would be.
Life is tense enough and I don't care to read such intense stuff anymore, but it was a great story.
May 21, 2017
Stephen King presents the story of a woman who suspects her neighbor is a serial killer. There's some suspense, and some vivid descriptions of grisly fight scenes. Things get stabby, and I said "ew" a few times. Sadly, though, this story is way too reminiscent of one of King's least popular books - Gerald's Game - in that much of the tale is preoccupied with a bound woman's struggle to break free.
Actress Mare Winningham narrates, and her matter-of-fact, no nonsense tone somehow makes everything seem a bit more plausible.
If you're going to be spending two hours in a car, this is definitely preferable to listening to Nickelback.
Actress Mare Winningham narrates, and her matter-of-fact, no nonsense tone somehow makes everything seem a bit more plausible.
If you're going to be spending two hours in a car, this is definitely preferable to listening to Nickelback.
April 3, 2020
Em has lost her child Amy and starts running after that devastating loss. Finally she runs away from her home and her husband. On a remote residence of her father she tries to find back to life. But then she encounters Pickering, a rich man, who just killed on of his "nieces". She sees the body in the trunk of his Mercedes and from then on a deadly hide and seek begins. Who will win at the end? Interesting Stephen King story that is a bit too much focused on running. The ending is a bit too stretched, like a marathon race and the characters aren't too likeable overall. But it's intriguing and has an unexpected twist at the end. Recommended!
March 13, 2024
Another solid short story by Mr. King. It was gripping, edge of my seat-type action. I enjoyed Em as a main character and felt for her in her struggles.
September 30, 2021
Short psychological thriller story published 2008
A short but sweet 4 star read.
This might be short on page numbers but definitely not short on thrills, spills and tension.
After Em and her husband lose their baby daughter life for Em becomes an endurance. As a coping mechanism Em starts to run and run and run. Her husband tells Em that her obsession with running has to stop. Not only is it destroying Em but it’s playing havoc with his life to.
Stopping running is not something that Em can do right now and decides to escape to her father’s beach shack, a beach miles from anywhere and a long way from her husband.
But in her escape to solitude Em runs straight into a nightmare.
Two hours of totally surrendering your life to the story.
A short but sweet 4 star read.
This might be short on page numbers but definitely not short on thrills, spills and tension.
After Em and her husband lose their baby daughter life for Em becomes an endurance. As a coping mechanism Em starts to run and run and run. Her husband tells Em that her obsession with running has to stop. Not only is it destroying Em but it’s playing havoc with his life to.
Stopping running is not something that Em can do right now and decides to escape to her father’s beach shack, a beach miles from anywhere and a long way from her husband.
But in her escape to solitude Em runs straight into a nightmare.
Two hours of totally surrendering your life to the story.
June 21, 2020
Story 3.75 stars**
Audio 4 stars**
Narrator Mare Winningham
This one was so much better because it was longer therefore more to the story.
A fast paced thriller a bit gruesome but, entertaining. The narrator Mare W. did a good job with her performance. She added the perfect tone to the story, IMO. ❤️
Audio 4 stars**
Narrator Mare Winningham
This one was so much better because it was longer therefore more to the story.
A fast paced thriller a bit gruesome but, entertaining. The narrator Mare W. did a good job with her performance. She added the perfect tone to the story, IMO. ❤️
September 29, 2021
Che dire, vi consiglio caldamente di passare la prima sera di pioggia che ci regalerà Ottobre in compagnia di questo racconto dello zio Steve.
Sedetevi comodi, ascoltate lo scroscio dell'acqua che cade e iniziate a pensare a come fuggire da quella maledetta casa insieme ad Emily.
Sarà una gran serata, fidatevi di me.
Sedetevi comodi, ascoltate lo scroscio dell'acqua che cade e iniziate a pensare a come fuggire da quella maledetta casa insieme ad Emily.
Sarà una gran serata, fidatevi di me.
June 28, 2017
"الفتاة الهاربة"
!إركضي كما لم تركضي من قبل .. إركضي فإن حياتك على المحك
ملحوظة: هذا الريفيو مقسم لجزئين مختلفيين والرابط بينهما في التفاصيل المقبلة
قصة من سبعون صفحة من التشويق المستمر، خيّل إلىّ انني أشاهد هذة اللقطات كاملة أمامي على الشاشة وليست بين دفتي غلاف. وبالرغم من إمتعاضي الشديد من هذا النوع من القصص والأفلام عادةً إلا أن محاكاة الأحداث لتكون بهذا الوضوح جعل منها رونقا خاصا. أعتقد انني بعد فترة من الزمن سوف أذكر لقطات من أحداث هذة الرواية وأحاول جاهدة أن أتذكر الفيلم ولن أذكره، فقد برعت ستيفن في أن تجعله كفيلم حي أمامي. تسارع الأحداث وحجم القصة جعلها لا يشوبها ملل ولا تختزل في صفحات قصيرات فتكون منقوصة. كل ذلك على الرغم من أن هذا النوع من القصص أمقته بحق ولكن السرد كان حقا رائعا، وعلى الرغم أيضا من أن الترجمة لم تكن بالمستوى المطلوب.
ولكن ستيفن سردك حقا يستحق الثناء، لا أستطيع الإنتظار حتى أبدأ في القصة القادمة
الدرس المستفاد من الرواية:
المِحن في الحياة تأتي لتعلمنا كيف نكون أقوى وأقوم، تماما كما في الرواية، عندما فقدت إميلي إبنتها شرعت في أن تركض، لا لشئ سوى أنها يجب أن تركض، شئ ما في داخلها أخبرها ان بذلك حل لمشكلاتها، لم تعلم أنه بالفعل سيكون كذلك ولكن ليس لموت إبنتها، إنما لما هو قادم والذي لم يكن أبدا في الحسبان.
يحضرني في هذا الدرس الآية الكريمة، قال الله تعالى: " إِذْ تُصْعِدُونَ وَلاَ تَلْوُونَ عَلَى أحَدٍ وَالرَّسُولُ يَدْعُوكُمْ فِي أُخْرَاكُمْ فَأَثَابَكُمْ غُمَّاً بِغَمٍّ لِّكَيْلاَ تَحْزَنُواْ عَلَى مَا فَاتَكُمْ وَلاَ مَا أَصَابَكُمْ وَاللَّهُ خَبِيرٌ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ "
فإن الله قد يثيب الإنسان بغمِ فينسيه الغم السابق، وا��ما هي لرحمة الله بنا، وهو ما رأيت أننا في معظم الوقت نمر به، حتى نقول ان الأمور السيئة تأتي معا، والحقيقة انها رحمة بنا كي تهون بعضها بعضا. فسبحان الله الرحيم بنا حتى عندما نبتلى.
وآخر دعوانا أن الحمد لله رب العالمين.
!إركضي كما لم تركضي من قبل .. إركضي فإن حياتك على المحك
ملحوظة: هذا الريفيو مقسم لجزئين مختلفيين والرابط بينهما في التفاصيل المقبلة
قصة من سبعون صفحة من التشويق المستمر، خيّل إلىّ انني أشاهد هذة اللقطات كاملة أمامي على الشاشة وليست بين دفتي غلاف. وبالرغم من إمتعاضي الشديد من هذا النوع من القصص والأفلام عادةً إلا أن محاكاة الأحداث لتكون بهذا الوضوح جعل منها رونقا خاصا. أعتقد انني بعد فترة من الزمن سوف أذكر لقطات من أحداث هذة الرواية وأحاول جاهدة أن أتذكر الفيلم ولن أذكره، فقد برعت ستيفن في أن تجعله كفيلم حي أمامي. تسارع الأحداث وحجم القصة جعلها لا يشوبها ملل ولا تختزل في صفحات قصيرات فتكون منقوصة. كل ذلك على الرغم من أن هذا النوع من القصص أمقته بحق ولكن السرد كان حقا رائعا، وعلى الرغم أيضا من أن الترجمة لم تكن بالمستوى المطلوب.
ولكن ستيفن سردك حقا يستحق الثناء، لا أستطيع الإنتظار حتى أبدأ في القصة القادمة
الدرس المستفاد من الرواية:
المِحن في الحياة تأتي لتعلمنا كيف نكون أقوى وأقوم، تماما كما في الرواية، عندما فقدت إميلي إبنتها شرعت في أن تركض، لا لشئ سوى أنها يجب أن تركض، شئ ما في داخلها أخبرها ان بذلك حل لمشكلاتها، لم تعلم أنه بالفعل سيكون كذلك ولكن ليس لموت إبنتها، إنما لما هو قادم والذي لم يكن أبدا في الحسبان.
يحضرني في هذا الدرس الآية الكريمة، قال الله تعالى: " إِذْ تُصْعِدُونَ وَلاَ تَلْوُونَ عَلَى أحَدٍ وَالرَّسُولُ يَدْعُوكُمْ فِي أُخْرَاكُمْ فَأَثَابَكُمْ غُمَّاً بِغَمٍّ لِّكَيْلاَ تَحْزَنُواْ عَلَى مَا فَاتَكُمْ وَلاَ مَا أَصَابَكُمْ وَاللَّهُ خَبِيرٌ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ "
فإن الله قد يثيب الإنسان بغمِ فينسيه الغم السابق، وا��ما هي لرحمة الله بنا، وهو ما رأيت أننا في معظم الوقت نمر به، حتى نقول ان الأمور السيئة تأتي معا، والحقيقة انها رحمة بنا كي تهون بعضها بعضا. فسبحان الله الرحيم بنا حتى عندما نبتلى.
وآخر دعوانا أن الحمد لله رب العالمين.
June 19, 2018
Aiming for at least 2 Stephen King books a year - this was a quick and dirty read, loved it!
November 3, 2017
أول قراءاتى لستيفن كينج وكان ترشيح مميز من الصديقة الرائعة نيرة حسن .. أكتب الآن بعد الانتهاء من القراءة مباشرة وأحس بخفقان قلبى رهيب وكأننى كنت من يركض هارباً من قاتل مجنون.
أحببت القصة وأدّعى أننى استفدت من كل شخصية بها ما عدا هنرى.
أؤمن بأن الرجل فى علاقته بأى أمرأة هو القائد فى ميدان وأنه ولابد أن يكون كقضبان الجرافيت فى المفاعل النووى يضحى من أجل أن يستقيم التفاعل ولا ينفجر المفاعل، وهو ما لم يفعله هنرى لم يحاول أن يمتص غضب أم فقدت للتو طفلتها ولم يتولى أمر زوجته بالرغم من ٦ سنوات جميلة هى عمر زواجهما، وعلى العكس كلما أتت له الفرصة وحدثته إميلى من الفندق مرة ومن بيت الشاطئ مرة كان رد فعله بارداً ثملاً وأكتفى بالاطمئنان على علاقتهما إن كانت هذه هى النهاية أم لا؟.
تأكدت من أن عادة المصائب أن لا تأتى فرادى وأن من خاف لم يسلم وأن من تدرب جيداً وزادت قوة تحمله كما فعلت إميلى بالركض وزيادة ساعات الركض يوماً بعد يوم هو من سلم.
كنت قد نويت أن أذهب إلى الاسكندرية فى الشتاء القادم ولكن ما قرأته فى مراجعة نيرة وفى هذه القصة يجعلنى أعيد التفكير فى هذا الأمر😂😂😂
أحببت القصة وأدّعى أننى استفدت من كل شخصية بها ما عدا هنرى.
أؤمن بأن الرجل فى علاقته بأى أمرأة هو القائد فى ميدان وأنه ولابد أن يكون كقضبان الجرافيت فى المفاعل النووى يضحى من أجل أن يستقيم التفاعل ولا ينفجر المفاعل، وهو ما لم يفعله هنرى لم يحاول أن يمتص غضب أم فقدت للتو طفلتها ولم يتولى أمر زوجته بالرغم من ٦ سنوات جميلة هى عمر زواجهما، وعلى العكس كلما أتت له الفرصة وحدثته إميلى من الفندق مرة ومن بيت الشاطئ مرة كان رد فعله بارداً ثملاً وأكتفى بالاطمئنان على علاقتهما إن كانت هذه هى النهاية أم لا؟.
تأكدت من أن عادة المصائب أن لا تأتى فرادى وأن من خاف لم يسلم وأن من تدرب جيداً وزادت قوة تحمله كما فعلت إميلى بالركض وزيادة ساعات الركض يوماً بعد يوم هو من سلم.
كنت قد نويت أن أذهب إلى الاسكندرية فى الشتاء القادم ولكن ما قرأته فى مراجعة نيرة وفى هذه القصة يجعلنى أعيد التفكير فى هذا الأمر😂😂😂
April 25, 2010
Emily's 2 month old baby dies from SIDS, and as a way of coping she takes up running. It's the only activity that helps her cope, something to help her forget it all. Eventually her obsessive running puts a strain on her marriage, and after a fight with her husband, Emily decides to go away to her father's place in the Florida Keys. A little shack of a place, but it's right next to the beach. Perfect place for her to indulge her running.
Not a bad set up. I'm sympathizing with this woman. What happens next?
One tangential thing leads to another, and before long she is the hostage of a nutball killer. The rest of this is a cat and mouse game between Emily and this indecisive killer. And actually, it wouldn't have been that bad if it didn't rely on the old standbys of cliche killer/prey stories: Killer has prey in an inescapable position, but decides not to kill, and instead leaves the area to give her just enough time to escape her rather strong but defeatable restraints, and now killer and prey are operating on about the same level. Play out rest of story tit-for-tat until someone wins.
Particularly annoying were, during the chase scenes, Emily's constant flashbacks of way too convenient tips her father taught her when she was a child. Good thing he taught her how to fall out of a tree the proper way! Could come in handy if you have to jump out of a window to run away from a maniacal killer. And good think Emily can also remember his lessons word for word.
I recently got a library card because I needed to save money instead of throwing it at my audiobook habit. Hence, I was at the mercy of what they had in stock. If something is free, I'll listen to it just for the hell of it. I had heard this was a bad story, and I didn't care. Just wanted some cheesey King. Well, I got what I wanted all right.
Not a bad set up. I'm sympathizing with this woman. What happens next?
One tangential thing leads to another, and before long she is the hostage of a nutball killer. The rest of this is a cat and mouse game between Emily and this indecisive killer. And actually, it wouldn't have been that bad if it didn't rely on the old standbys of cliche killer/prey stories: Killer has prey in an inescapable position, but decides not to kill, and instead leaves the area to give her just enough time to escape her rather strong but defeatable restraints, and now killer and prey are operating on about the same level. Play out rest of story tit-for-tat until someone wins.
Particularly annoying were, during the chase scenes, Emily's constant flashbacks of way too convenient tips her father taught her when she was a child. Good thing he taught her how to fall out of a tree the proper way! Could come in handy if you have to jump out of a window to run away from a maniacal killer. And good think Emily can also remember his lessons word for word.
I recently got a library card because I needed to save money instead of throwing it at my audiobook habit. Hence, I was at the mercy of what they had in stock. If something is free, I'll listen to it just for the hell of it. I had heard this was a bad story, and I didn't care. Just wanted some cheesey King. Well, I got what I wanted all right.
June 1, 2018
Mare Winningham narrates the audiobook.
February 15, 2020
For a short story it has a lot going on. I loved it.
April 18, 2017
الركض .. الركض .. الركض هو دائمًا الحل الأمثل للتخلص من الهموم .. الأفكار السلبية و بالطبع القليل من الكيلوجرامات الزائدة.
قصة عن الألم و المعاناة .. عن زوجان ماتت ابنتهما و قررت الزوجة ان تركض! تركض بعيدًا عن زوجها عن بيتها بما يحمله من ذكريات ولا تتوقف حتى تنسى
قصة عن الألم و المعاناة .. عن زوجان ماتت ابنتهما و قررت الزوجة ان تركض! تركض بعيدًا عن زوجها عن بيتها بما يحمله من ذكريات ولا تتوقف حتى تنسى
June 10, 2022
Short novella about a runner who unintentionally crosses paths with a serial killer. Not a bad story.
July 6, 2009
Usually I really like Stephen King's works, however, the Gingerbread Girl was short, predictable and a bit flawed in the thinking of the focal character. The book was rather short. It followed the typical formula of a hostage-taking nut-case killer. This type of story can be thrilling when well constructed and has a few plot twists; GingerB G does not have any surprise plot twists. The lead character makes some pretty stupid decisions. For example, you are tied-up by the killer who leaves the house to run an errand (kill someone else) and you get free of your bindings, do you: 1) Run away quickly, 2) Call 911 for help, or 3) search thru this guy's house until he returns? Yeah, she took #3. That lead to a predictable set of scenes and chases. You can skip this book!
December 20, 2021
Usually, IMO, Stephen King can do no wrong. But surprisingly, I found The Gingerbread Girl only so-so. Maybe because it reminded me so much of Dean Koontz's Intensity (which, and I can't believe I'm saying this, is much better than this story). It was a good, short audiobook to listen to in 2 hours while I was out shopping, but it's nothing compared to all of King's other novellas.
June 24, 2019
This was either written by a ghost writer, or on an afternoon when the author was very very bored. It’s pretty bad for a King book. At best, it’s a Lifetime movie about yet another woman forced to survive a random crazy man. It’s been done many times before. Stereotypes galore. Yawn.
November 20, 2017
The Perfect short horror story!!
March 6, 2016
I'm not a runner. I've never been fond of running. Even when I was in the best shape ever, running never really made sense to me and/or I never really learned how to do it right. Occasionally I think it's something I should take up because people who do it really enjoy it and obviously there are really good health benefits (except for how bad it is on one's knees), but then I get over that.
This novella, written for Esquire magazine in 2007 and is available now only (as far as I know) in audiobook format, is about running. Em and her husband wake one morning to find their baby has died from SIDS. Heartbreaking, yes. This is how the story begins, with the aftermath, the struggle to connect as parents who have lost a baby do, the guilt, the sense of loss, the need to find a way to heal. Em's way of healing is to run, and to run hard. Not just a jolly-old job, not just training for a marathon, but hard running, the sort that makes me want to vomit if I think about it too much.
The running becomes a problem for Em's husband, the marriage disintegrates further, and Em moves out. She goes to Naples, Florida to stay with her father, and continues her habit of daily running. She gets to know some of the locals, and is warned off of one of them, Pickering, for being a pretty bad guy.
Em ultimately, of course, has an interaction with Pickering, because it wouldn't be a Stephen King novella if that didn't happen. The story, from here, is where it loses steam for me, even though it is what most would consider the actual story. It becomes a standard cat-and-mouse story, and I feel we've all heard enough of those. This doesn't provide anything new to that "genre", and the only thing it really has going for it is the author's name. I feel if it were written by anyone else, it would never have been published at all.
King excels at backstory and creating characters who are relatively well-rounded. The first part of this novella was exactly what one expects along those lines. As soon as she encounters, Pickering, however, it lost its punch.
In any case, it's an audiobook and served me well on my walks with the dogs. I did want to know how it ended, so it wasn't a complete bust. It's not, as far as I'm concerned, King's best, which is fine. It was just okay.
This novella, written for Esquire magazine in 2007 and is available now only (as far as I know) in audiobook format, is about running. Em and her husband wake one morning to find their baby has died from SIDS. Heartbreaking, yes. This is how the story begins, with the aftermath, the struggle to connect as parents who have lost a baby do, the guilt, the sense of loss, the need to find a way to heal. Em's way of healing is to run, and to run hard. Not just a jolly-old job, not just training for a marathon, but hard running, the sort that makes me want to vomit if I think about it too much.
The running becomes a problem for Em's husband, the marriage disintegrates further, and Em moves out. She goes to Naples, Florida to stay with her father, and continues her habit of daily running. She gets to know some of the locals, and is warned off of one of them, Pickering, for being a pretty bad guy.
Em ultimately, of course, has an interaction with Pickering, because it wouldn't be a Stephen King novella if that didn't happen. The story, from here, is where it loses steam for me, even though it is what most would consider the actual story. It becomes a standard cat-and-mouse story, and I feel we've all heard enough of those. This doesn't provide anything new to that "genre", and the only thing it really has going for it is the author's name. I feel if it were written by anyone else, it would never have been published at all.
King excels at backstory and creating characters who are relatively well-rounded. The first part of this novella was exactly what one expects along those lines. As soon as she encounters, Pickering, however, it lost its punch.
In any case, it's an audiobook and served me well on my walks with the dogs. I did want to know how it ended, so it wasn't a complete bust. It's not, as far as I'm concerned, King's best, which is fine. It was just okay.
January 8, 2012
Picked this up at the library & picked it up again. Available as a short story inJust After Sunsetor available as an audiobook and only 2 hrs long! Do you like running? You may enjoy listening to this fast-paced story on your next run :-)
If you like this, also try Intensity by Dean Koontz
If you like this, also try Intensity by Dean Koontz
February 17, 2025
Can’t imagine ever having the courage to run solo, anywhere (beach, woods, in the dark) after this.
———
This is book 6 of my 2025 Stephen King marathon:
1) “Holly” - 4 stars
2) “2023” - 4 stars
3) “Stationary Bike” - 2.5 to 3 stars
4) “Elevation” - 3 stars
5) “Later” - 5 stars
6) “The Gingerbread Girl” - 3 stars
———
This is book 6 of my 2025 Stephen King marathon:
1) “Holly” - 4 stars
2) “2023” - 4 stars
3) “Stationary Bike” - 2.5 to 3 stars
4) “Elevation” - 3 stars
5) “Later” - 5 stars
6) “The Gingerbread Girl” - 3 stars
December 8, 2023
“TORNO A PRENDERTI” è un romanzo breve ma decisamente molto intenso.
Devo confessare che, a parte It ai tempi del liceo (che ho di gran lungo preferito rispetto al film), non mi è più capitato di leggere nulla di Stephen King fino ad ora.
Non rammentavo la sua capacità descrittiva, in grado di rievocare in modo così dettagliato sia luoghi che situazioni o stati d’animo e, durante questa lettura è stata una sorpresa constatare quanto spazio all’interno del libro fosse destinato proprio a ciò.
Infatti, con dovizia di particolari, ci viene presentata la protagonista, Emily, reduce dalla tragica morte in culla della propria figlioletta, Amy. Sta ancora cercando di affrontare il lutto e il soffocante rapporto con il marito non l’aiuta. Fortunatamente il padre, con il quale Emily ha un rapporto positivo, trova la soluzione giusta per lei: recarsi nella sua "baracca" da pescatore in Florida, a Vermillion Key che, essendo piena estate, è pressoché deserta tranne che per gli addetti alla manutenzione delle grandi ville e Keke Hollis, il manovratore del ponte mobile che collega l’isola alla terraferma. Qui Em si sentirà libera di sfogare il dolore come meglio le riesce, ovvero correndo per chilometri e mettere così alla prova la propria capacità di resistenza.
Quando sull’isola arriva Jim Pickering, proprietario di una delle suddette ville, il vecchio Hollis avverte Emily di quanto sia un tipo poco raccomandabile e, pertanto, le consiglia di starne alla larga. E lei cosa fa? Va subito a ficcare il naso nel cortile dove lui è appena entrato con la sua Mercedes rossa, dalla quale intravede il cadavere di una ragazza. Presto su di lei cala il buio più totale, finché non si risveglia legata ad una sedia nella cucina di Pickering che, prima di dedicarsi a torturarla e poi ucciderla, decide di andare a liberarsi di eventuali testimoni. Per Emily è l’unica occasione di provare a fuggire.
Da questo punto in poi è stato impossibile staccarmi dal libro: gli eventi mi hanno completamente risucchiata all’interno della vicenda e il costante aumento del livello di suspense e ansia ha fatto sì che io concludessi la lettura in pochissimo tempo.
Non so se fosse tra le intenzioni dell’autore, ma ho apprezzato il fatto che abbia allentato la tensione accumulata con una conclusione volta quasi a ridicolizzare il cattivo.
Devo confessare che, a parte It ai tempi del liceo (che ho di gran lungo preferito rispetto al film), non mi è più capitato di leggere nulla di Stephen King fino ad ora.
Non rammentavo la sua capacità descrittiva, in grado di rievocare in modo così dettagliato sia luoghi che situazioni o stati d’animo e, durante questa lettura è stata una sorpresa constatare quanto spazio all’interno del libro fosse destinato proprio a ciò.
Infatti, con dovizia di particolari, ci viene presentata la protagonista, Emily, reduce dalla tragica morte in culla della propria figlioletta, Amy. Sta ancora cercando di affrontare il lutto e il soffocante rapporto con il marito non l’aiuta. Fortunatamente il padre, con il quale Emily ha un rapporto positivo, trova la soluzione giusta per lei: recarsi nella sua "baracca" da pescatore in Florida, a Vermillion Key che, essendo piena estate, è pressoché deserta tranne che per gli addetti alla manutenzione delle grandi ville e Keke Hollis, il manovratore del ponte mobile che collega l’isola alla terraferma. Qui Em si sentirà libera di sfogare il dolore come meglio le riesce, ovvero correndo per chilometri e mettere così alla prova la propria capacità di resistenza.
Quando sull’isola arriva Jim Pickering, proprietario di una delle suddette ville, il vecchio Hollis avverte Emily di quanto sia un tipo poco raccomandabile e, pertanto, le consiglia di starne alla larga. E lei cosa fa? Va subito a ficcare il naso nel cortile dove lui è appena entrato con la sua Mercedes rossa, dalla quale intravede il cadavere di una ragazza. Presto su di lei cala il buio più totale, finché non si risveglia legata ad una sedia nella cucina di Pickering che, prima di dedicarsi a torturarla e poi ucciderla, decide di andare a liberarsi di eventuali testimoni. Per Emily è l’unica occasione di provare a fuggire.
Da questo punto in poi è stato impossibile staccarmi dal libro: gli eventi mi hanno completamente risucchiata all’interno della vicenda e il costante aumento del livello di suspense e ansia ha fatto sì che io concludessi la lettura in pochissimo tempo.
Non so se fosse tra le intenzioni dell’autore, ma ho apprezzato il fatto che abbia allentato la tensione accumulata con una conclusione volta quasi a ridicolizzare il cattivo.
January 21, 2022
I've had this notion floating in my head, and it finally found words after reading The Gingerbread Girl. Stephen King could take the profits from one mid-popular novel of his (let's say, Cujo) and hire a team to make a King AI. This Artificial Intelligence would then produce books exactly like The Gingerbread Girl. Not a *single* idea or story element that he hasn't used several times before - simply repackaged, in this case - in an inferior way to the source material.
The highlight of this novella (is it a short story?) is the single worst case of a particular trope that I've ever seen - to the point where it HAS TO have been intentional. A closing description of "but this isn't a horror movie, and so it happened this way" was both lazy and hilarious at the same time, and maybe a reference to this key moment. I feel like the trope gets close to spoiler territory... but it happens relatively early on - so I'll give you a clue. You know the thing where a person is fighting for their life and they (against all odds and at great expense) manage to incapacitate their would-be killer, and then do nothing at all to check, or tie them up, or finish them off, or call for help? That.
Are you a fan of Duma Key? Welcome back. Are you a fan of Gerald's Game? Welcome back. How about Insomnia? Nice to see you again. There were 2+ paper cups - a language OCD thing he started a decade or two ago (similar to Koontz's buganvilias). And I know all this b/c I'm a fan and Constant Reader. Sometimes he's asleep at the wheel, though - and this was one of those times. Unless the AI is running, which isn't impossible.
The highlight of this novella (is it a short story?) is the single worst case of a particular trope that I've ever seen - to the point where it HAS TO have been intentional. A closing description of "but this isn't a horror movie, and so it happened this way" was both lazy and hilarious at the same time, and maybe a reference to this key moment. I feel like the trope gets close to spoiler territory... but it happens relatively early on - so I'll give you a clue. You know the thing where a person is fighting for their life and they (against all odds and at great expense) manage to incapacitate their would-be killer, and then do nothing at all to check, or tie them up, or finish them off, or call for help? That.
Are you a fan of Duma Key? Welcome back. Are you a fan of Gerald's Game? Welcome back. How about Insomnia? Nice to see you again. There were 2+ paper cups - a language OCD thing he started a decade or two ago (similar to Koontz's buganvilias). And I know all this b/c I'm a fan and Constant Reader. Sometimes he's asleep at the wheel, though - and this was one of those times. Unless the AI is running, which isn't impossible.
September 17, 2020
So this is actually my first Stephen King book. Not really a reason why but it was only two hours of an audiobook and I say, "eh, what the heck" and picked it up before I started my next one.
I got a taste of King's writing with this. This girl, Emily, is going through some crazy emotional things. Her daughter passed, her husband isn't really supporting her and all she wants to do is run, and run hard.
She goes to her father's shack by the Gulf of Florida for a get away, to gather her thoughts, when she literally walks into a situation where someone can't escape alive: her or this guy who kills girls he brings there and says they are his "nieces."
WELP.
All I can really comment on is the writing. There is no sugar coating. She peed her pants at one point because that would probably happen to someone who is being attacked by someone you know killed someone else. He doesn't leave anything out when it comes to that but he also doesn't over do anything with too many adjectives.
It was a really short book so you don't really get to "know" Emily very well, but I think that was the point. Just a short story about a really freaky kidnapping and how someone already going through a lot deals with it.
I didn't really like the narrator very well. I also couldn't find her name. But she didn't have any emotion in her voice nor did she give people different voices. It kind of made it hard to follow.
I got a taste of King's writing with this. This girl, Emily, is going through some crazy emotional things. Her daughter passed, her husband isn't really supporting her and all she wants to do is run, and run hard.
She goes to her father's shack by the Gulf of Florida for a get away, to gather her thoughts, when she literally walks into a situation where someone can't escape alive: her or this guy who kills girls he brings there and says they are his "nieces."
WELP.
All I can really comment on is the writing. There is no sugar coating. She peed her pants at one point because that would probably happen to someone who is being attacked by someone you know killed someone else. He doesn't leave anything out when it comes to that but he also doesn't over do anything with too many adjectives.
It was a really short book so you don't really get to "know" Emily very well, but I think that was the point. Just a short story about a really freaky kidnapping and how someone already going through a lot deals with it.
I didn't really like the narrator very well. I also couldn't find her name. But she didn't have any emotion in her voice nor did she give people different voices. It kind of made it hard to follow.
February 15, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
un'ottima lettura per passare un pomeriggio.
Ho apprezzato questo racconto nonostante non mi aspettassi nulla, ma mi sono ricreduto.
Sebbene siano poco più di 100 pagine succedono tantissime cose, è stata una lettura tutt'altro che noiosa. (e la protagonista non è stupida come lo sono di solito i personaggi di trame simili)
consiglio!
un'ottima lettura per passare un pomeriggio.
Ho apprezzato questo racconto nonostante non mi aspettassi nulla, ma mi sono ricreduto.
Sebbene siano poco più di 100 pagine succedono tantissime cose, è stata una lettura tutt'altro che noiosa. (e la protagonista non è stupida come lo sono di solito i personaggi di trame simili)
consiglio!
December 29, 2025
Una storia perfetta per la forma di racconto. King riesce a rinunciare a inutili fronzoli senza mai penalizzare i personaggi, il loro vissuto e le relazioni tra loro, le fondamenta sulle quali si regge la trama. Micidiale, in un centinaio di pagine.
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