From a Buick 8

By: Stephen King

Narrated by: James Rebhorn, Bruce Davison, Becky Ann Baker

Length: 13 hrs and 23 mins

Publisher's summary

The state police of Troop D in rural Pennsylvania have kept a secret in Shed B out back of the barracks ever since 1979, when Troopers Ennis Rafferty and Curtis Wilcox answered a call from a gas station just down the road and came back with an abandoned Buick Roadmaster. Curt Wilcox knew old cars, and he knew immediately that this one was...wrong, just wrong. A few hours later, when Rafferty vanished, Wilcox and his fellow troopers knew the car was worse than dangerous.

Curt's avid curiosity took the lead, and they investigated as best they could, as much as they dared. Over the years, the troop absorbed the mystery as part of the background to their work, the Buick 8 sitting out there like a still-life painting that breathes - inhaling a little bit of this world, exhaling a little bit of whatever world it came from.

In the fall of 2001, a few months after Curt Wilcox is killed in a gruesome auto accident, his 18-year-old boy, Ned, starts coming by the barracks. Sandy Dearborn, Sergeant Commanding, knows it's the boy's way of holding onto his father, and Ned is allowed to become part of the Troop D family. One day he looks in the window of Shed B and discovers the family secret. Like his father, Ned wants answers...

From a Buick 8 is an audiobook about our fascination with deadly things, about our insistence on answers when there are none, about terror and courage in the face of the unknowable.

©2002 Stephen King, All Rights Reserved (P)2002 Simon & Schuster Inc., All Rights Reserved

Critic reviews

"Nearly flawless and one terrific entertainment." (Publishers Weekly)
"A wonderful example of how much King's plotting skills and literary finesse have matured over his long career. And, most of all, it's a darn creepy book." (Amazon.com)

From a Buick 8

Amazing story from a horror master. King puts other worlds right in our own backyards.

great story

absolutely loved this book, this book rejuvenated my love of king and all his works

Entertaining, but consider running it on x 1 1/4

What does the narrators bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The narrators often try to put too much emphasis on phrases and then add pauses, again, for emphasis. It sometimes drags because they perform so slowly. I bumped up the app on my Android to read 25% faster (a so nice option) and it was much better.

great storyline. well performed

classic king story line. great characters. well performed. easy to follow and hear. definitely worth it

Not super intriguing

For the past year or so, I’ve been listening through all of the Stephen King books that are available on Audible in order of the year released. From a Buick 8 was unfortunately one (if not THE) most boring books so far.

It’s worth a listen if you simply want to be a completionist; however, that’s about the only reason to listen to this.

Good story, but not amazing

I liked this book well enough to keep listening til the end, and I thought the cast did a great job. I guess I kept waiting for something big to happen, or something more significant in terms of the scariness factor, but it wasn’t there. This isn’t a scary story at all, but it’s a slow burn of King-perfected mystery. Enjoyable, but I wanted more bite.

Slow burn with great narration

The performances were definitely one of the highlights with a slow, even pace for most of the story that picked up heavily in the climax. A casual feel, like friends talking into the twilight, but with the ominous backdrop of the Buick.

The World According to King

I almost passed over this little gem after reading some of the other reviews. Yes, it is a bit slower than many of his other books, so if you are looking for trademark King terror, you won't find it here. What you will find is a thought-provoking bit of King philosophy that is both surprising and satisfying. If you can stick around for the last few chapters, you won't be disappointed.

King's most overlooked and underrated novel

Like Christine, this novel centers around a car, but really isn't about the car at all. It's about the people interacting in response to what the car represents. And that last point is vital. The mysterious Buick 8 is about life's irresolvable mysteries; the ones cause pain and are nonetheless irresolvable no matter how much we insist upon answers. It's about life's mysteries and life's pain, but it is also about deep friendship and loyalty, and the love and affection that goes with these treasures.

Like Christine before it, From a Buick 8 is a beautiful coming of age story, written with such poignancy that by the end of the novel you very badly don't want it to end. You want to continue to be a part of the lives of the characters with whom you too have become friends. It is that kind of book - King at his very best, and easily his most underrated and overlooked novel. It was a number one bestseller, but for some reason continues to fly under the radar when people talk about Stephen King.

The audiobook itself is also superb. Every single reader is chosen with care and is completely invested in their part. I can't recommend this audiobook enough. And if you ever have a chance to read the novel itself, it doesn't just listen well, it reads well, too.

From a Buick 8

Excellent story. If I put down a book to go to work and then wonder what the characters are doing all day I know it is a good read.
Very entertaining!