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The Boogeyman
A young man is traumatized by memories of terrible events in his childhood bedroom. Years later he returns home to face his fears
25 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 1973
14 people are currently reading
2334 people want to read
About the author
Stephen King
2,299 books891k 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 11, 2025
مع ستيفن كينج عليك دائما أن تواجه مخاوفك
رجل تربيته دينية متشدده
أمه لديها ميل إلى السيطرة
رفضت زواجه و قاطعت التدخل فى حياته و المشاركة فى رعاية أطفاله و احتقرت زوجته
هو معجب بنفسه لدرجة كبيرة و يرى أن زوجته تورطه فى الأطفال لتربطه بها دائما
بينما يموت أطفاله الواحد تلو الأخر فى ظروف عجيبه يظن هو أن الرجل المخيف هو السبب
من هو الرجل المخيف و هل يظل مختبئا فى الخزانه لا يخرج إلا للقتل
نسيت أن أقول أنها من مجموعة نايت شيفت
October 29, 2022
اسوا انواع الخوف هو الخوف من الغد..و البغض هو إبن الخوف
في بداياته و على نضافة ؛يخبرنا كينج عبر قصة مؤلمة اكثر منها مرعبة؛تؤكد ان: العاهات لن تنجب الا عاهات و الجيل الثالث لن يكون سوى ضحايا على مذبح : الحرية في بلد الحرية
يروي بيلنجز لطبيب نفسي قصة حياته التي شهدت موت اطفاله الثلاثة قبيل بلوغهم لسن الرابعة..و قتلهم جميعا : رجل الخزانة
لنتعرف على زيجة امريكية تقليدية في الستينات تمت اضطرارا قبيل بلوغ الزوجين سن العشرين بسبب حمل الزوجة..الزوج "الذي يعتقد انه فاتنا" و يعتقد انه يستحق هذه الخزانة الممتازة
يترك الدراسة و يعمل مجبرا كالثور في مهن صغيرة بسيطة؛ لاعالة أطفال متواليين ..فيمنحهم هذه الخزانة
ندرك ان تربيته كانت عصابية و غير سوية ..نجد مبادئه التربوية لا تقل عصابية و عقد طفولته تبرز و اهماله يبدو متعمدا..فمن الذي قتل اطفاله ؟
غالبا ما يقودنا الخوف من شر الي شر أسوأ
*القصة صدرت 1973 من مجموعة نوبة ليلية
و مترجمة باسم الرجل المخيف https://t.me/mybookPDF1/28760
و هناك فيلم معقد قصير عنها مدته 28 دقيقة
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&s...
في بداياته و على نضافة ؛يخبرنا كينج عبر قصة مؤلمة اكثر منها مرعبة؛تؤكد ان: العاهات لن تنجب الا عاهات و الجيل الثالث لن يكون سوى ضحايا على مذبح : الحرية في بلد الحرية
يروي بيلنجز لطبيب نفسي قصة حياته التي شهدت موت اطفاله الثلاثة قبيل بلوغهم لسن الرابعة..و قتلهم جميعا : رجل الخزانة
لنتعرف على زيجة امريكية تقليدية في الستينات تمت اضطرارا قبيل بلوغ الزوجين سن العشرين بسبب حمل الزوجة..الزوج "الذي يعتقد انه فاتنا" و يعتقد انه يستحق هذه الخزانة الممتازة
يترك الدراسة و يعمل مجبرا كالثور في مهن صغيرة بسيطة؛ لاعالة أطفال متواليين ..فيمنحهم هذه الخزانة
ندرك ان تربيته كانت عصابية و غير سوية ..نجد مبادئه التربوية لا تقل عصابية و عقد طفولته تبرز و اهماله يبدو متعمدا..فمن الذي قتل اطفاله ؟
غالبا ما يقودنا الخوف من شر الي شر أسوأ
*القصة صدرت 1973 من مجموعة نوبة ليلية
و مترجمة باسم الرجل المخيف https://t.me/mybookPDF1/28760
و هناك فيلم معقد قصير عنها مدته 28 دقيقة
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&s...
June 10, 2024
Story 3.5 stars**
Audio 4 stars**
Narrator John Glover
Audio 4 stars**
Narrator John Glover
August 29, 2020
"Tuve un sueño ... Estaba en una habitación oscura y había algo que yo no podía..., no podía ver bien. Estaba en el armario. Hacía un ruido..., un ruido viscoso.
Y cuando me desperté en mitad de la noche, pensé que lo encontraría inclinándose sobre mí. Con garras... largas garras"
"Empecé a sospechar que quizá si piensas mucho tiempo en algo, y crees que existe, termina por corporizarse. Quizá todos los monstruos con los que nos asustaban cuando éramos niños, existían realmente. Existían en la medida suficiente para matar a los niños que aparentemente habían caído en un abismo o se habían ahogado en un lago o tan sólo habían desaparecido. Quizá..."
Un relato sobrenatural, bastante crudo, y que involucra muertes de niños.
Y por debajo de la superficie toca temas como la ignorancia. Lo que son ciertos padres que fagocitan a sus hijos sobreprotegiéndolos, y los que por el contrario los quieren educar de forma primitiva, bajo cierta rudeza y rigor. Pero al fin y al cabo lo único que hacen es proyectar sus propios miedos e inseguridades en sus hijos.
Tiene un muy buen final.
Y cuando me desperté en mitad de la noche, pensé que lo encontraría inclinándose sobre mí. Con garras... largas garras"
"Empecé a sospechar que quizá si piensas mucho tiempo en algo, y crees que existe, termina por corporizarse. Quizá todos los monstruos con los que nos asustaban cuando éramos niños, existían realmente. Existían en la medida suficiente para matar a los niños que aparentemente habían caído en un abismo o se habían ahogado en un lago o tan sólo habían desaparecido. Quizá..."
Un relato sobrenatural, bastante crudo, y que involucra muertes de niños.
Y por debajo de la superficie toca temas como la ignorancia. Lo que son ciertos padres que fagocitan a sus hijos sobreprotegiéndolos, y los que por el contrario los quieren educar de forma primitiva, bajo cierta rudeza y rigor. Pero al fin y al cabo lo único que hacen es proyectar sus propios miedos e inseguridades en sus hijos.
Tiene un muy buen final.
July 7, 2025
تا الان حدود ۱۵۰۰ صفحه از کتابای استیون کینگ خوندم (یکی و نصفی) که اندازه این ۲۵ صفحه بهم کیف نداد. در آینده بیشتر از ترسناک هاش میخونم.
۰۴/۴/۱۶
۰۴/۴/۱۶
August 22, 2020
Taken directly from the pages of King's exquisite 1978 debut short story collection, Night Shift, "The Boogeyman" tells the story of one of the most loathsome characters (I don't say that lightly,) I've ever come across, as he and his wife, Rita, are afflicted with any parent's worst nightmare. Seriously, there were absolutely no redeeming values in Billings whatsoever. He was very easy to loathe. I think this is some of King's strongest, most emotionally raw prose to date, and the shrink-patient format made these ten pages that much more pliable and engrossing.
And that ending, wow. I never, ever saw that coming, or even suspected something was amiss. It was completely earned, too.
May 10, 2019
That awkward moment when you don't know who to compliment most. The writer or the narrator. Or both?
In all fairness, without Stephen King's exceptional atmospheric writing, John Glover himself couldn't have captured every words into intense emotions. I legit saw every scenes play out across my mind as he narrates. Kudos to these two. They work so well with each other - hand in hand.
The Boogeyman is such a creepy tale and a great treat to read/listen to in the dark before dozing off for the night. It was intense and there are moments when it escalates. I could vividly feel the darkness closing in, feel Lester Billings' children's terror just moments before their murder by a dark entity lurking in the shadows of closets.
Claws . . .
Since it was written in the early 1970s I'm not surprised to see themes like 'Women must follow her husband.' or even the biting racist remarks about gypsies, people of color, etc. It was a different period, afterall and in fact, it made Lester Billings more three dimensional amidst his hysterics. He is not a very likeable man in that regards.
Anyway, this is such a treat. I loved every moment of it.
In all fairness, without Stephen King's exceptional atmospheric writing, John Glover himself couldn't have captured every words into intense emotions. I legit saw every scenes play out across my mind as he narrates. Kudos to these two. They work so well with each other - hand in hand.
The Boogeyman is such a creepy tale and a great treat to read/listen to in the dark before dozing off for the night. It was intense and there are moments when it escalates. I could vividly feel the darkness closing in, feel Lester Billings' children's terror just moments before their murder by a dark entity lurking in the shadows of closets.
Claws . . .
Since it was written in the early 1970s I'm not surprised to see themes like 'Women must follow her husband.' or even the biting racist remarks about gypsies, people of color, etc. It was a different period, afterall and in fact, it made Lester Billings more three dimensional amidst his hysterics. He is not a very likeable man in that regards.
Anyway, this is such a treat. I loved every moment of it.
September 26, 2017
ستيفن كينج بيجبرك تلتهم كل صفحة عشان توصل للنهاية وفي آخر الرواية بيدلق عليك جردل مية متلجة عشان تترعب أكتر ... الرواية عن رجل مريض نفسي بس مرضه أثر علي كل اللي حواليه من وجهة نظري المريض هو القاتل هو مخترع شخصية الرجل المخيف نتيجة سيطرة أمه عليه وهو صغير ومحاولاتها التحكم في أفعاله واختيارته حتي لما اختار المرأة اللي هيتجوزها اختارها بعدم رغبة أمه اللي وصفتها بأنها عاهرة ... نيجي بقي للست اللي اتجوزها من وجهة نظره إنها كانت غبية وضعيفة مسلوبة الإرادة بس في نفس الوقت شاكك إنها بتحاول تسيطر عليه وعلي حياته بإنها تخلف منه أولاد خوف من إنه يهجرها ... الإحساس دا ولد عنده ثورة وشك أدوا لمرض النفسي وقتله لأولاده .... القصة قصيرة جداا بس بتحتوي علي كمية من مشاعر اللامبالاة و الانتقام والغضب والإرهاق والندم ....
استمتعوا
استمتعوا
June 5, 2023
I reread this after seeing the Bob Savage movie based upon the short story. (side note, is "based upon" different than "adapted from" when used in movie credits? Hmmm...)
I've always thought this was a very chilling little story. You obviously have to put yourself in the time at which it was written because it, and the ideals of the father in the story, are very, very outdated.
A man who has lost three children in seemingly unsuspicious ways, visits a psychologist to tell his side of the story. He does not believe there was anything natural about their deaths. He believes the boogeyman killed them all.
Props to King for a seemingly throw away comment. The patient is giving some backstory and mentions that his mother thinks his wife is trash because look how quick she was to sleep with him before they were married. The psychologist responds with "On the other hand, look how quick you were to sleep with her before you were married." It's a small thing, but shows King's mindset and feelings at a time when the majority of people would have agreed, erroneously, with the patient!
The movie was fine, but I think it could have been much more effective as the kind of calm, event free tale as told on the page. I wish someone would adapt it almost word for word, scene for scene, with maybe some background filler, as King told it. Seeing the boogeyman isn't necessary to instill fear. The very idea of one is enough.
I've always thought this was a very chilling little story. You obviously have to put yourself in the time at which it was written because it, and the ideals of the father in the story, are very, very outdated.
A man who has lost three children in seemingly unsuspicious ways, visits a psychologist to tell his side of the story. He does not believe there was anything natural about their deaths. He believes the boogeyman killed them all.
Props to King for a seemingly throw away comment. The patient is giving some backstory and mentions that his mother thinks his wife is trash because look how quick she was to sleep with him before they were married. The psychologist responds with "On the other hand, look how quick you were to sleep with her before you were married." It's a small thing, but shows King's mindset and feelings at a time when the majority of people would have agreed, erroneously, with the patient!
The movie was fine, but I think it could have been much more effective as the kind of calm, event free tale as told on the page. I wish someone would adapt it almost word for word, scene for scene, with maybe some background filler, as King told it. Seeing the boogeyman isn't necessary to instill fear. The very idea of one is enough.
October 22, 2022
A perfect scary read. Perfect title. Absolutely got to me. Reminded me why I love Stephen King.
You can read it online but I don’t know how secure the link is. There’s also an interesting audio version on YouTube.
You can read it online but I don’t know how secure the link is. There’s also an interesting audio version on YouTube.
April 9, 2025
Great short story from the "Night Shift" collection, which is a fantastic book. I think this is my third time reading this story. Just giving myself a refresher so I can watch the 2023 movie. I will do the same thing for "The Monkey".
August 9, 2023
Had to read before I saw the movie.
December 16, 2020
why was i not scared atall when the rustle of leaves at night can scare me??
January 9, 2024
I was really into this short story for awhile, but man Stephen King just completely shit the bed on the ending to this one imo.
The story was sufficiently creepy, and I actually felt my skin craw a bit during the narrative. One of the few books that I read that creeped me out a bit, so it gets some stars for that.
The book ended with a wet fart of an ending though that just made me say, "lame!".
Also why does Stephen King have to write some of the most unlikeable male characters you've ever come across in your life? The main character in this was such an ass that I just wanted to attack him. Just a completely irredeemable dickhead.
If the ending had been different I could have given this a 4 or even a 5 but I just didn't dig the ending at all.
Still a pretty strong short story and better than The Lawnmower Man and Night Surf which I've read from this collection thus far.
The story was sufficiently creepy, and I actually felt my skin craw a bit during the narrative. One of the few books that I read that creeped me out a bit, so it gets some stars for that.
The book ended with a wet fart of an ending though that just made me say, "lame!".
Also why does Stephen King have to write some of the most unlikeable male characters you've ever come across in your life? The main character in this was such an ass that I just wanted to attack him. Just a completely irredeemable dickhead.
If the ending had been different I could have given this a 4 or even a 5 but I just didn't dig the ending at all.
Still a pretty strong short story and better than The Lawnmower Man and Night Surf which I've read from this collection thus far.
January 5, 2021
I’ve never been a horror movie or book fan. It’s just never really been my thing. But everyone has told me that you can’t go wrong with Stephen King. I decided that I’d like to start with one of his short stories first, to get a glimpse at his writing.
This book was short but it still had this creepy vibe to it. I was hooked throughout the entire 25 pages. This definitely made me consider King’s books and I have The Shining waiting to be read on my shelf.
This book was short but it still had this creepy vibe to it. I was hooked throughout the entire 25 pages. This definitely made me consider King’s books and I have The Shining waiting to be read on my shelf.
March 19, 2019
Holy moly this gave me the creeps!
October 26, 2024
This was fine. I appreciated the focus - it jumps right into the meat of it. The ending felt kind of silly, though, and Lester is pretty awful. Why do you want to use the n word so bad, Stephen?
July 24, 2018
Update, 7/23/18:
I needed to move my old review over here because I see some undoubtedly well-meaning goodreads librarian took the old "The Boogeyman" page and changed it to an alternate version of Night Shift which is the collection from whence this story came, and now my older review of this story shows up as another review of the entire book... Some people are so much help I can barely stand it.
Original review, 10/30/14:
Long has it been since the ending to a story gave me a chill, but this one pulled it off. I guess it's a common theme, but it still caught me by surprise, and the story was all the richer for it.
We also have the most realistic character so far in the Night Shift collection (sixth story in). He's kind of detestable, but I've met people like him, and he's quite realistic. Another great thing is that this story reminds me of It, my favorite SK book. I can see some themes, or devices in this that are more fleshed out in It, and I like finding those little Easter eggs.
Check it.
I needed to move my old review over here because I see some undoubtedly well-meaning goodreads librarian took the old "The Boogeyman" page and changed it to an alternate version of Night Shift which is the collection from whence this story came, and now my older review of this story shows up as another review of the entire book... Some people are so much help I can barely stand it.
Original review, 10/30/14:
Long has it been since the ending to a story gave me a chill, but this one pulled it off. I guess it's a common theme, but it still caught me by surprise, and the story was all the richer for it.
We also have the most realistic character so far in the Night Shift collection (sixth story in). He's kind of detestable, but I've met people like him, and he's quite realistic. Another great thing is that this story reminds me of It, my favorite SK book. I can see some themes, or devices in this that are more fleshed out in It, and I like finding those little Easter eggs.
Check it.
February 5, 2024
I thought it was an interesting setting to have the main character visiting a shrink to get these terrible happenings off his chest. As we go through the story, the boogeyman becomes more and more terrifying, leading to an ending that I didn’t see coming.
4 stars for a good ending. I think the story overall was a little dry though.
4 stars for a good ending. I think the story overall was a little dry though.
December 11, 2017
Here is what I wrote for my journaling class (an informal review had to be done):
Right off the bat this book has my attention, with the statement, “...All I did was kill my kids. One at a time. Killed them all.” ALL YOU DID? Well... that’s an understatement.
As I am reading, I wanted to stop and note down something Lester said; “Christ, kids drive you crazy sometimes. You could kill them.” It sounds to me... like Lester has a bit of a temper...
After reading the entire story, I have to say Lester SHOULD have felt guilty. All of this could have been avoided if he wasn’t so stubborn, coward, and selfish. He has no respect for his family whatsoever and thinks he is above all. I am surprised he feels conflicted with the deaths of his children and am more than sure it is not because of his love towards them, but the guilt of what he could have done. He is talking to the shrink to ‘get it off his chest’ because he will feel less responsible that way. Wow. What a jerk.
Nonetheless, 5 stars for the read!
Right off the bat this book has my attention, with the statement, “...All I did was kill my kids. One at a time. Killed them all.” ALL YOU DID? Well... that’s an understatement.
As I am reading, I wanted to stop and note down something Lester said; “Christ, kids drive you crazy sometimes. You could kill them.” It sounds to me... like Lester has a bit of a temper...
After reading the entire story, I have to say Lester SHOULD have felt guilty. All of this could have been avoided if he wasn’t so stubborn, coward, and selfish. He has no respect for his family whatsoever and thinks he is above all. I am surprised he feels conflicted with the deaths of his children and am more than sure it is not because of his love towards them, but the guilt of what he could have done. He is talking to the shrink to ‘get it off his chest’ because he will feel less responsible that way. Wow. What a jerk.
Nonetheless, 5 stars for the read!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 21, 2019
"The Boogeyman" gave me the creeps. Which is pretty hard to do! Very realistic (albeit flawed and the absolute worst) main character. Big IT vibes.
I can't give it a five-star rating because of the ending. . Killing small toddler/infant children is legitimately scary, though, so four stars!
I can't give it a five-star rating because of the ending. . Killing small toddler/infant children is legitimately scary, though, so four stars!
July 22, 2018
Absolutely phenomenal, truly scary and terrifying, especially the ending, what an unexpected twist. A story worthy of Edgar Allen Poe himself. Something that would fit in well today for a CreepyPasta Story.
What really shines here is the adult belief that it “must be all in the child’s mind”. The inate belief that a child’s imagination is playing tricks on them, ergo, it cannot be true.
It is this kind of story that I have heard associated with King and am finally able to see the ‘horror genre’ associated with this author.
What really shines here is the adult belief that it “must be all in the child’s mind”. The inate belief that a child’s imagination is playing tricks on them, ergo, it cannot be true.
It is this kind of story that I have heard associated with King and am finally able to see the ‘horror genre’ associated with this author.
February 4, 2019
I read this short story because a channel on YouTube said that it was one of the scariest short stories he has ever read. After reading the short story, I'm left very disappointed. The story was very mediocre and unspecial, and the main character was very unlikeable and such a complete idiot. In addition, the story ended in such a lame plot twist that I can tell the author thought was creepy but in reality didn't make any sense.
2.5/5
2.5/5
January 24, 2024
'The Boogeyman' by Stephen King.
Rating: 3.75/5.
Review:
'The Boogeyman', collected in Stephen King's short story collection 'Night Shift', is a creepy tale that is best recommended to read in the dark before dozing off for the night. The atmospheric writing and the vivid descriptions make you feel the children's terror as the dark entity lurking in the shadows of the closets starts troubling them. It was intense, and I could feel my skin crawling a bit during certain moments.
I must add that the viewpoint character was unlikeable and had some pretty strong opinions and biases. His sexist remarks about "women must follow their husbands" and biting racist remarks about gypsies and people of color might not sit well in the current day and age. But, it does make Lester Billings a three-dimensional character – albeit a flawed, detestable, and totally irredeemable one.
I don't think the story was as horrifying as some of the other Stephen King's other stories. But considering it involved babies and small kids being tormented by the supernatural entity, it did add to the creepiness of the story. The ending, though, was a step-down. It simply failed to work for me. Had the ending been somewhat slightly different, I would have rated this book higher than I eventually ended up rating it.
'Who killed the children?' Harper asked.
'The boogeyman,' Lester Billings answered immediately. 'The boogeyman killed them all. Just came out of the closet and killed them.' He twisted around and grinned. 'You think I'm crazy, all right. It's written all over you. But I don't care. All I want to do is tell you and then get lost.'
Rating: 3.75/5.
Review:
'The Boogeyman', collected in Stephen King's short story collection 'Night Shift', is a creepy tale that is best recommended to read in the dark before dozing off for the night. The atmospheric writing and the vivid descriptions make you feel the children's terror as the dark entity lurking in the shadows of the closets starts troubling them. It was intense, and I could feel my skin crawling a bit during certain moments.
I must add that the viewpoint character was unlikeable and had some pretty strong opinions and biases. His sexist remarks about "women must follow their husbands" and biting racist remarks about gypsies and people of color might not sit well in the current day and age. But, it does make Lester Billings a three-dimensional character – albeit a flawed, detestable, and totally irredeemable one.
I don't think the story was as horrifying as some of the other Stephen King's other stories. But considering it involved babies and small kids being tormented by the supernatural entity, it did add to the creepiness of the story. The ending, though, was a step-down. It simply failed to work for me. Had the ending been somewhat slightly different, I would have rated this book higher than I eventually ended up rating it.
April 29, 2021
for my first short story in April I went back to one of my favorite Stephen King collections, Night Shift to find one of my original favorites from the volume.
I remember this one for its scariness factor, as my thirteen year old self thought it was pretty fearsome. My adult self didn't really see it as all that scary in the traditional sense, but has that "someone's always watching" you tingle that you feel every so often as an adult. It follows a loathsome man in a psychiatrist's office as he recounts how all of his children died in his care, fallen to the mythical Boogeyman who lived in their closets. As I read I realized that this man was awful: a racist, misogynistic opportunist who always paints himself as the hero in every story he tells. The story is captivating and creepy in a psychological way but the ending is filled with so much cheese that I had to deduct a whole star.
So this one doesn't totally live up to my thirteen year old self's memory of a fear inducing terror ride, but it was still very enjoyable.
4 stars.
I remember this one for its scariness factor, as my thirteen year old self thought it was pretty fearsome. My adult self didn't really see it as all that scary in the traditional sense, but has that "someone's always watching" you tingle that you feel every so often as an adult. It follows a loathsome man in a psychiatrist's office as he recounts how all of his children died in his care, fallen to the mythical Boogeyman who lived in their closets. As I read I realized that this man was awful: a racist, misogynistic opportunist who always paints himself as the hero in every story he tells. The story is captivating and creepy in a psychological way but the ending is filled with so much cheese that I had to deduct a whole star.
So this one doesn't totally live up to my thirteen year old self's memory of a fear inducing terror ride, but it was still very enjoyable.
4 stars.
February 2, 2021
This was a great story, really gritty.
The protagonist is a proper evil, ignorant, vile, coward of a man. I really quite disliked him and think it was terrible how he left his kids to die. I was in tears when he deliberately put Andy in his own room and left him. Such a coward. I was cursing and ranting (I'm quite vocal when I'm reading sometimes - my hubby should be used to it but still looks at me like I'm crazy whenever it happens!) Urgh - he was just a vile excuse for a human being.
The whole thing just got me wound up.
I wasn't expecting the ending. But that shit deserved whatever was coming to him!
I gave it 4 out of 5, purely because I was more offended by Billings than the boogeyman.
The protagonist is a proper evil, ignorant, vile, coward of a man. I really quite disliked him and think it was terrible how he left his kids to die. I was in tears when he deliberately put Andy in his own room and left him. Such a coward. I was cursing and ranting (I'm quite vocal when I'm reading sometimes - my hubby should be used to it but still looks at me like I'm crazy whenever it happens!) Urgh - he was just a vile excuse for a human being.
The whole thing just got me wound up.
I wasn't expecting the ending. But that shit deserved whatever was coming to him!
I gave it 4 out of 5, purely because I was more offended by Billings than the boogeyman.
December 20, 2020
A very sinister creepy mind bending tale. That popular childhood fear is perfectly played out but with devastating consequences. But in this case is the boogeyman real?, is the patient really unreliable and the Dr reliable?.
A harrowing read especially for parents. A short tale but it left me thinking about it for much longer than it took it read it. The ending was perfect. I would certainly recommend this book to everyone.
A harrowing read especially for parents. A short tale but it left me thinking about it for much longer than it took it read it. The ending was perfect. I would certainly recommend this book to everyone.
September 14, 2018
Surprisingly, I really liked this. I recommend the audiobook
June 27, 2020
After reading this short story, I will never think of putting my kids to sleep in another room.
NO WAY.
I am really short of time at the moment, so I will re-write the review very soon.
NO WAY.
I am really short of time at the moment, so I will re-write the review very soon.
August 11, 2020
Spine tingling short story!! Something out of a child’s (and parent’s) worst nightmare! The ending gave me chills. Loved it!
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