Thinner by Richard Bachman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Another successful buddy read with my friend, Shannon!!!
I love this story so much. Is it perfect?
Probably not for everyone, but it’s a hell of a fun reading experience for me. This is my third time through this one and honestly, not the last.
Thinner follows the story of Billy Halleck, a successful attorney living the good life in a wealthy Connecticut suburb.
Billy has a lovely wife, Heidi, a sweet daughter, Linda, and friends and associates he pals around with at the local country club.
He also has an extra 50-pounds or so around the middle, evidence of the many rich meals and treats he can afford.
All is good in Billy’s life until the night Heidi decides to spice things up on a drive home from an event.
With Billy desperately distracted, tragedy strikes. The other party is no one in this town however. They don’t have rich friends and connections like Billy. Connections to the judge and the police.
Billy doesn’t even get a slap on the wrist for the role he played in that tragic night.
Others want justice for what happened and if they can’t get it through the traditional ways, it’s no bother; they have their own ways. Old ways.
A soft caress with a gnarled hand and one word whispered with intention, thinner.
Thus, changing the course of Billy’s life forever.
Y’all this story is gruesome, wild and unrelenting.
The body horror is just that, horrible and horrifying and sure to make you cringe. If you aren’t into graphic descriptions of terrifying things happening to a human body, you may want to steer clear.
I find writing as Bachman, King is much more blunt in his delivery and build-up. This reads very quickly and advances through the plot at a rapid fire pace.
I love going along with Billy as he comes to grips with what is happening to him and tries to fix it.
He calls in a favor from his friend, Richard Ginelli, when he feels like the problem is too much for him to tackle himself.
Unfortunately, once on the case, Ginelli is like a guard dog slipped his leash. He can’t be called back and things escalate quickly.
As gritty and physically horrifying as this story is, there’s also some great food for thought mixed in. Blame, guilt, disregard for others, privilege, power and blood feuds; you can find it all in here.
If you are looking for a quick, quirky, messy, horrific tale, you should definitely give Thinner a shot.
