Book Review: Secret Windows by Stephen King

If, like me, you would happily read Stephen King’s shopping list and if you’re a completionist, then Secret Windows should be on your wish-list. Any opportunity that arises where I can get inside King’s head, I will GRAB with two hands.

“Well, that’s what writers do. They create ghosts and watch them walk around the room.”

Secret Windows was initially suggested as a kind of sequel to On Writing. I wouldn’t necessarily put it into that bracket. It’s more like a random collection of different essays, short stories and introductions he has written for books, like John Fowles’ The Collector and Jack Ketchum’s The Girl Next Door.

And that was my only real issue with this one. I’ve already read both of those introductions, as I’ve read those books. I’ve already read his introduction to Night Shift. And I’ve already read Danse Macabre, so I’ve read his piece on horror fiction. Oh, and a story from Everything’s Eventual - In the Death Room - is included in here too. And guess what? I’ve read that one before as well!

So technically I had already encountered maybe 60% of this book before. But for me, it was worth it for the other 40%. I love when King talks about his writing process or his books, and there’s a few little speeches or Q&As included in here that just had me fangirling to the max.

There was also a novella titled The Ballad of the Flexible Bullet which was pretty good, if a little long-winded, and weirdly reminded me of the novella Rat in If It Bleeds. But hey, guess what, during my research I found that it’s actually in Skeleton Crew - one of the few Kings I haven’t read yet!

But Secret Windows is worth it for the typical King anecdotes. There’s an essay entitled “Great Hookers I Have Known” where he discusses great opening lines. He mentions that all of his kids are writers, but he thinks Joe will grow up to be the one who makes a living from it, and I enjoyed seeing that that was his prediction, even back in 1987 (this year is my approximation as Owen was 10 years old!)

Not one I’d recommend for a casual King fan, but worth a place on any die-hard Constant Reader’s shelf. 3.5 stars.

Johann

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