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)

King plus H.P. Lovecraft

Once again King touches on a dimension where the very sight of the creatures from Beyond can bend, if not outright break, the minds of those that see them. From A Buick 8 is a story where the unknowable touches and alters the lives of those who face the mystery in Shed B and, yet, they are left with no solid answers, just conjecture, and their souls are forever stained with the taint of the abyss, not looking back, but simply brushing against them. This is a story of loss, creeping dread, the unknown and unknowable, and acceptance. Enjoy!

you'll love this book

love this book. the readers are amazing, the more I listened the more hooked I got.

One of my favorites

I have read every single one of Mr Kings published works. I avoided this one until after I’d read most of his others because a story about a car did not seem like it would be my thing. How very wrong I was.

Mr King has always been excellent at character building and world development. His incredible insight into the nature of humanity shines through loud and clear here as well.

I genuinely loved all the characters and felt attached to them. Like most of his other works, he layers truly fascinating science fiction elements on top of the characters in a realistic manner.

I think that’s what makes his writings so great. Some authors do engaging characters well, some can do depth and existential meaning, some do romance, some do mind blowing horror and sci-fi concepts well. MMr King does all of those things exceptionally well and this book is a shining example of that.

The payoff in the end gives you a big enough peak into the mystery to be satisfying AND leaves your mind wondering through that portal for hours afterwards.

Read it. Do it. You won’t regret it.

Not always a logical reason

I LOVED both this book, and the performances of the actors, especially the main guy that played Sandy Dearborn. I would say this is sort of Dark Tower adjacent as it involves a strange, inexplicable object and an alternate dimension. The take away from this story is that you don’t always get to know the “why” or have every situation you encounter wrapped up in a neat little bow. That being said, the way the story is told and the characters are super satisfying. Absolutely worth the time it takes to listen.

Better than the reviews may lead you to believe

This was a good SK novel. Much better than the reviews may lead you to believe. It was well performed and the story kept me engaged. I listened to it for a good portion of two days and am very happy I opted to give it a go. It’s not gory or scary but intriguing in the way Hearts in Atlantis was. Don’t skip this one.

One for the Road

It’s a story about a car. Or is it? I listened to it on a round trip drive from San Francisco to Las Vegas (8-9 hours each way). This story kept me riveted and made the drive fly by

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!

Entertaining as usual for King

You look at a King book and think that this story looks totally unbelievable so I wont enjoy it. But you pick it up and start to read and your hooked ... again. In "Buick 8" King is at his best in caracter development and painting a scene so it comes alive. You cant help but get involved with Ned or any of the troopers or the Buick for that matter. However; If your looking for an ending that leaves you feeling good you need to find another author, but the ending is, how shall I say it... appropriate.