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Gwendy's Button Box: A Novella
Gwendy's Button Box: A Novella
Gwendy's Button Box: A Novella
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Gwendy's Button Box: A Novella

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Set in the fictional town of Castle Rock, Maine

Stephen King teams up with long-time friend and award-winning author Richard Chizmar for the first time in this original, chilling novella that revisits the mysterious town of Castle Rock.

There are three ways up to Castle View from the town of Castle Rock: Route 117, Pleasant Road, and the Suicide Stairs. Every day in the summer of 1974, twelve-year-old Gwendy Peterson has taken the stairs, which are held by strong—if time-rusted—iron bolts and zig-zag up the precarious cliffside.

Then one day when Gwendy gets to the top of Castle View, after catching her breath and hearing the shouts of kids on the playground below, a stranger calls to her. There on a bench in the shade sits a man in black jeans, a black coat, and a white shirt unbuttoned at the top. On his head is a small, neat black hat. The time will come when Gwendy has nightmares about that hat…

The little town of Castle Rock, Maine has witnessed some strange events and unusual visitors over the years, but there is one story that has never been told—until now.
LanguageEnglish
PublisherGallery Books
Release dateAug 7, 2017
ISBN9781501188305
Gwendy's Button Box: A Novella
Author

Stephen King

Stephen King is the author of more than sixty books, all of them worldwide bestsellers. His recent work includes the short story collection You Like It Darker, Holly, Fairy Tale, Billy Summers, If It Bleeds, The Institute, Elevation, The Outsider, Sleeping Beauties (cowritten with his son Owen King), and the Bill Hodges trilogy: End of Watch, Finders Keepers, and Mr. Mercedes (an Edgar Award winner for Best Novel and a television series streaming on Peacock). His novel 11/22/63 was named a top ten book of 2011 by The New York Times Book Review and won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Mystery/Thriller. His epic works The Dark Tower, It, Pet Sematary, Doctor Sleep, and Firestarter are the basis for major motion pictures, with It now the highest-grossing horror film of all time. He is the recipient of the 2020 Audio Publishers Association Lifetime Achievement Award, the 2018 PEN America Literary Service Award, the 2014 National Medal of Arts, and the 2003 National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. He lives in Bangor, Maine, with his wife, novelist Tabitha King. 

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Reviews for Gwendy's Button Box

Rating: 3.9569229769230767 out of 5 stars
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  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A good and fast read going through a girl and young womens early life. Not eerie or scary but following a girls coming of age which now said is kind of eerie and scary.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    At age 12, Gwendy is given a button box with the power to destroy. The mysterious stranger has chosen her for what he refers to as a great responsibility, which also has the potential for great reward. This is a short book, and the button box spends most of its time hidden away or dispensing candy and money to Gwendy. It isn't clear how much of Gwendy's success at school, in sports and socially are because of the box and its gifts. I'm still trying to decide if that is a strength or weakness in the story...
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Great short story/novella. This reminded me a lot of The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon. Basically because it wasn't scary and it was about a girl. The girl was given a special gift from a stranger that had powers. Were the powers good or bad? I just thought it was a great fast read and loved the ending.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This is a slight book physically, and the story does not have much more heft. It is well done though.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I read this book from cover to cover in a matter of hours--a delightful read with a lot of heart. The two authors worked together to create a seamless novel. A treat for King's Constant Readers and all others who love a good story.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Tried to read slooooooowly to keep it going, but 164 pages only lasts so far. A short story very much as expected, narrated beautifully and set in--you guessed it--Castle Rock, Maine. Cannot tell a difference between co-authored writing and King's solo work, and enjoyed this just as much as I always do! I have been saving this for a while, waiting for the moment I would get most out of this story and I think I will return to it again. Oh, and not forgetting the beautiful artwork! Ben Baldwin's cover art is perfect and the design is all in all spot on.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I enjoyed listening to this book--it's brand new, and I had no idea what I was in for. I love that it was set in the mid- to late-70's. I love the main character, Gwendy, and the way she comes into her own as the story progresses. I love wondering how much of Gwendy's life is of her own doing and how much is as a result of being the keeper of the button box. (I really love the idea of the Button Box and kind of want one for myself--and I kind of don't, too.)
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Well, that was quick! Super little story. Pretty darn seamless between the two authors. Only once did I feel I sensed maybe an author change happened, but it quickly moved off my radar. I cared about the characters, even the ones who made a quick appearance, and I felt the anxiety of the box. The story had me immediately and it held onto me. The cover artwork by Ben Baldwin is vibrant and interesting. And I enjoyed the drawings inside the book by Keith Minnion.Pretty little book totally worth the price of admission.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I really enjoyed this book. It was a very quick and fun read. I really loved the premise of it and thought it was done spectacularly! I was not disappointed. It was short (170-ish pages) but Gwendy was so well created; it didn't feel like a novella. I would definitely recommend this book. I wish they would make this into a movie!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    King has been hit or miss for me over the last couple of years. This one is a hit.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    A fast paced Stephen King novella that draws you right into the storyline and keeps you reading as fast as you can. What would you do if you were giving a box that could wipe out countries or anything and everything you wished for but also made you smarter, athletic, and more attractive?? Find out what Gwendy does and see if you'd do the same!
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Reminiscent of some of Mr. King's early stuff; less dripping horror, more freakishness.
    Super quick read.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Excellent page-turning read that leads the reader down the path of "what if." Enough twists to keep it enticing. A light and fast read. It's perfect for a mid-morning or afternoon read. It leaves the reader with plenty to think about, and the frightening power of something as simple as a "button box."
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The perfect bite sized read!
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    An interesting take on the "button box" idea. Like the short story and movie "The Box" and like the monkey paw theme, its a typical trope, and this is done moderately well. Nothing too horrible, nothing too spectacular about it, easily forgettable but an enjoyable read. Aimed I think primarily at late middle-school/high-school student, probably female (given the character and her situations are much more relate-able to girls than to boys.) Nothing is too 'gross' or 'horror' in it, and nothing too perverse or anything sexual, a few swears but nothing more than the F bomb being dropped twice.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Twelve-year-old Gwendy is on a mission to lose weight. That's why she takes the Suicide Stairs up to Castle View every single summer day of 1974. One day while she's at the top catching her breath, a stranger calls out to her. This is how she meets Richard Farris, a man in black jeans, a black suit coat, a black hat, and a white shirt unbuttoned at the collar. Farris has been watching Gwendy, and he has an offer for her that she can't refuse.Readers quickly see that although Gwendy is young, she's not stupid, and for the next ten years of her life, we are able to observe how this young woman deals with being in possession of something that bestows great gifts, great temptations, and great responsibilities.The collaboration between Stephen King and Richard Chizmar is seamless. Not only do we get another chapter in the saga of Castle Rock, Maine, we're given another unforgettable character in Gwendy. This cautionary tale never loses its momentum and was a pleasure to read from first page to last. If only it were longer!
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Meh. Was expecting more.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    It's always enjoyable to read a Stephen King book and this one was no exception. I also need to credit Richard Chizmar because without him, this story would not have been published. Chizmar revealed on The Horror Show With Brian Keene podcast that King started writing the story but got stuck. Then he asked Chizmar to take a look and then told Chizmar to work on the story. And before they knew it, the story was finished and the book was done. It really doesn't matter who wrote what because overall the story is enjoyable and spooky, nostalgic and uneasy.It's 1974. Gwendy Peterson is twelve-years-old and out running. During a break, a man in a black coat introduces himself as Richard Farris and they start to talk. He ends up leaving her a box with a set of buttons on it, not saying what the buttons will do but hinting at disaster. Gwendy's life is not the same from that point on. She must deal with the positive effects of the box as well as the stress and sickness it causes her. At the heart of the story, it is about growing up. Or maybe about the choices you make while growing up. It's about the choices made and the positive and negative results they have in life. Making your life better and becoming popular is good but what does that mean for your old friends that get left behind? Does an easy life really mean a better life? As Gwendy grows from elementary school to college, we see how she changes and wonder how much the box changed her.At novella length, the book is quick and concise. Gwendy is provided depth and dimensions but others characters are not. While doubling the length of the book might have been nice, it would have also changed the story to be about the button box rather than being about Gwendy. I was perfectly happy with it as is. And while a lot was mentioned about how Castle Rock was revisited, the town only plays a minor part in the story. It's totally possible and even probable that if I mapped out the story into the timeline of Castle Rock, that I would find some Easter Eggs or connections to the rest of the King mythos. But it's not necessary. I very much enjoyed the story without that extra level of research. However ... maybe I'll geek out and do so at some point in the future.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Gwendy resides in a small New England town. A bit chubby and not one who has access to the most popular group in her grade. While pushing herself to walk up the "suicide steps" built in the side of a hill, she reaches the top to find a man with a top hat sitting on a bench. He tells her he is watching her, leaving her with a creepy feeling. As the conversation progresses, he leaves a button box in her care. Instructing her that she can never push the black button, she guardedly takes the button box home.As she pushes a button, a small, intricately carved piece of chocolate, shaped as an animal pops out. When she eats the chocolate she discovers the need to only eat one piece. As time progresses, she also becomes slim, smart and a member of the in crowd.Leaving her previous one and only friend behind, her friend commits suicide on the suicide steps.Gwenedy learns the power of the box comes with a price. Typical Stephen King including some gore and retribution.Interestingly, unlike most King books, this one is much smaller in page numbers.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    A lackluster novella from King, Gwendy's Button Box is about a teenager named Gwendy. Gwendy lives in Castle Rock, and a man shows up with a button box and tells her each button is color-coded with continents and red and black. Red is for what she wants, and black is bad. The box also pops out little chocolate animals and silver dollars. Gwendy's life is forever changed. This story is a bit boring; it reads like a YA novella in which nothing really "terrifying" happens. I'm glad I got this from the library. An OK read, but I was hoping more Monkey's Paw or Needful Things.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Though a small book, it shouldn't be rushed through. Story of a girl who meets a stranger in a city park when she is 12 years old. He leaves her with a "magic" box that she use for good or bad. The stranger shows up in her apartment 10 years later to reclaim the box for the next person. The book follows the girl, Gwendy, through those 10 years and it's a good story. Similar to the movie "It's a Wonderful Life", Gwendy is forced to tell of all the bad things that happened because of the buttons she pressed in the "magic" box. The stranger shows to look at her life in another way rather than necessarily believing she caused all the tumult she thought she did. Though it's Stephen King, it wasn't scary!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A pretty decent take on the old writing exercise (as seen in The Box (2009) "Button, Button" (1986)). It doesn't offer much of anything new and gets rid of (most) of the ethical dilemma, but it was still interesting. The second story (The Music Room) was very forgettable.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I really enjoyed this little story! This was one of those books that once you started you wanted to keep listening. This book isn't very long so it really is no surprise that I was able to listen to it in a single day but I started this one on a Saturday and I rarely listen to audiobooks during the weekends. I just couldn't get enough of this story. The story opens with Gwendy exercising on the stairs. She meets a stranger who gives her a magic box. This box can do a lot of things and she takes the responsibility that comes with it very seriously. She has a lot of questions about the box and no real way of finding any answers. She's doesn't even know anything about the man that gave it to her.I think Gwendy showed more restraint that I would have at such a young age. Who am I kidding? I don't think I would have a lot of restraint now either. I wanted her to push all of the buttons but was a little scared and wanted to to leave it alone all at the same time. If anyone can hook me up with the magic chocolate, please let me know because I am pretty sure that I could use some of that in my life. The story took some unexpected turns and held my interest the entire time. There were a few moments that broke my heart just a little bit. I thought the whole concept of the story was really imaginative and well developed. I liked how this story kept me thinking about how I would have handled the situation if I were in Gwendy's place. The narration was very well done. I think that Maggie Siff did a fantastic job of bringing Gwendy to life. She was able to bring a lot of emotion into the story and expertly handled everything from a child's wonder to a teenager's heartbreak. Her voice was very pleasant to listen to and her delivery was performed at a very nice pace. I would recommend this book to others. The audiobook that I listened to also included a very short story which was very enjoyable even though it only lasted a few minutes. The conversation between the authors was also quite entertaining. I do hope to read more from both of these authors in the future.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I was so excited to find out that Stephen King was collaborating with Richard Chizmar on a book so was quick to pick this one up. I was definitely not disappointed. Twelve year old Gwendy (I love the name) Peterson receives a gift from a mysterious stranger with a black hat. Gwendy is going to regret ever meeting that stranger and seeing that black hat.Some people have complained that the book is too short but it is a novella and is perfect for a sweet and fast read. I can see a potential for a sequel if the authors wanted to do one. What I love most about this book is the fact that it does not really have all of the graphic material that is in many Stephen King books. Don't get me wrong. I am a huge SK fan and love all of his books but I can see my kids starting their SK journey with this well written book. Highly recommended!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Gwendy's Button Box by Stephen King4&#9733'sFrom The Book:The little town of Castle Rock, Maine has witnessed some strange events and unusual visitors over the years, but there is one story that has never been told... until now.My Views:A short, well told little tale by the "Master of Horror". This one lacks the "horror" aspects and rides more on the coattails of magic and the choices that you can can make in life. A lot of "what if's" are also thrown into the mix. The reader will have the opportunity to question what they would do if they held the power of good or evil, forgiveness or revenge, with a single push of a tiny button.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Gwendy is a grade schooler who is targeted by a bully about her weight. As a result she takes to running the "suicide stairs" at her local park. One day she is summoned by a mysterious man in black to come sit by him. After giving it much consideration and approaching quite cautiously she chooses to join him.He presents her with a beautiful mahogany button box with levers and buttons containing rewards and repercussions. Gwendy is left in charge of the fate and responsibility that comes with the box. We follow her throughout her school years as the responsibility wears on her.I really enjoyed this book which was actually more of a novella. It was an engaging, quick read. However, I was expecting more action and horror, so I was a little disappointed in that regard, but I felt the ending did not disappoint. My only question is what happens next? Is there a sequel? I felt like there should have been something more.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This is a classic growing up, good vs evil, choices, and consequences story with all the gray areas to consider that King is good at. I really enjoyed the story and kind of want to follow the Button Box to the next.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A nicely done little story about a girl named Gwendy who receives a "button box" from a mysterious stranger named Richard Farris, which changes her life. The button box is actually a box with buttons on it, but while Gwendy can guess what those buttons might do when pressed, she never really knows. The button box also dispenses rewards for its keeper: money, success, happiness. But it also comes with responsibilities.There are questions. Who is Richard Farris (note the initials)? Why does the button box need a caretaker? Has the black button ever been pushed? There could be a novel in these ideas, and this could be its prologue. Yes, it's short, but it was a tight story that offers a lot for the reader to ponder.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Gwendy's Button Box by Stephen King and Richard Chizmar is a tale about Gwendy and her button box. Of course the button box is enchanted, or cursed. That is up to the reader to decide. What else can I say about this book? It's Stephen King! I'm a bit bias when it comes to his books. I usually don't review his books because of this, but it was included in my reading challenge, so I thought I would give a bit of a review. Of course this book is well written, and I love a story that flows. I have never read anything by Richard Chizmar, but the collaboration with King has made me want to indulge in a book or two by him.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I picked this up because friends had read it and liked it enough to give it a 4 star rating. And like at least one of those friends, I gobbled it up, though I did have to take a break because life got in the way. Interesting partnership between the two authors, and had me wondering who wrote which bits. I appreciated the nuggets of humor tucked away in there, as well.

Book preview

Gwendy's Button Box - Stephen King

1

There are three ways up to Castle View from the town of Castle Rock: Route 117, Pleasant Road, and the Suicide Stairs. Every day this summer—yes, even on Sundays—twelve-year-old Gwendy Peterson has taken the stairs, which are held by strong (if time-rusted) iron bolts and zig-zag up the cliffside. She walks the first hundred, jogs the second hundred, and forces herself to run up the last hundred and five, pelting—as her father would say—hellbent for election. At the top she bends over, red-faced, clutching her knees, hair in sweaty clumps against her cheeks (it always escapes her ponytail on that last sprint, no matter how tight she ties it), and puffing like an old carthorse. Yet there has been some improvement. When she straightens up and looks down the length of her body, she can see the tips of her sneakers. She couldn’t do that in June, on the last day of school, which also happened to be her last day in Castle Rock Elementary.

Her shirt is sweat-pasted to her body, but on the whole, she feels pretty good. In June, she felt ready to die of a heart attack every time she reached the top. Nearby, she can hear the shouts of the kids on the playground. From a bit farther away comes the chink of an aluminum bat hitting a baseball as the Senior League kids practice for the Labor Day charity game.

She’s wiping her glasses on the handkerchief she keeps in the pocket of her shorts for just that purpose when she is addressed. Hey, girl. Come on over here for a bit. We ought to palaver, you and me.

Gwendy puts her specs on and the blurred world comes back into focus. On a bench in the shade, close to the gravel path leading from the stairs into the Castle View Recreational Park, sits a man in black jeans, a black coat like for a suit, and a white shirt unbuttoned at the top. On his head is a small neat black hat. The time will come when Gwendy has nightmares about that hat.

The man has been on this same bench every day this week, always reading the same book (Gravity’s Rainbow, it’s thick and looks mighty arduous), but has never said anything to her until today. Gwendy regards him warily.

I’m not supposed to talk to strangers.

That’s good advice. He looks about her father’s age, which would make him thirty-eight or so, and not bad looking, but wearing a black suit coat on a hot August morning makes him a potential weirdo in Gwendy’s book. Probably got it from your mother, right?

Father, Gwendy says. She’ll have to go past him to get to the playground, and if he really is a weirdo he might try to grab her, but she’s not too worried. It’s broad daylight, after all, the playground is close and well-populated, and she’s got her wind back.

In that case, says the man in the black coat, let me introduce myself. I’m Richard Farris. And you are—?

She debates, then thinks, what harm? Gwendy Peterson.

So there. We know each other.

Gwendy shakes her head. Names aren’t knowing.

He throws back his head and laughs. It’s totally charming in its honest good humor, and Gwendy can’t help smiling. She still keeps her distance, though.

He points a finger-gun at her: pow. "That’s a good one. You’re a good one, Gwendy. And while we’re at it, what kind of name is that, anyway?"

"A combination. My father wanted a Gwendolyn—that was his granny’s name—and my mom wanted a Wendy, like in Peter Pan. So they compromised. Are you on vacation, Mr. Farris?" This seems likely; they are in Maine, after all, and Maine proclaims itself Vacationland. It’s even on the license plates.

You might say so. I travel here and there. Michigan one week, Florida the next, then maybe a hop to Coney Island for a Redhot and a ride on the Cyclone. I am what you might call a rambling man, and America is my beat. I keep an eye on certain people, and check back on them every once and again.

Chink goes the bat on the field past the playground, and there are cheers.

Well, it’s been nice talking to you, Mr. Farris, but I really ought to—

Stay a bit longer. You see, you’re one of the people I’ve been keeping an eye on just recently.

This should sound sinister (and does, a little), but he’s still smiling in the aftermath of his laughter, his eyes are lively, and if he’s Chester the Molester, he’s keeping it well hidden. Which, she supposes, the best ones would do. Step into my parlor, said the spider to the fly.

I’ve got a theory about you, Miss Gwendy Peterson. Formed, as all the best theories are, by close observation. Want to hear it?

Sure, I guess.

I notice you are a bit on the plump side.

Maybe he sees her tighten up at that, because he raises a hand and shakes his head, as if to say not so fast.

You might even think of yourself as fat, because girls and women in this country of ours have strange ideas about how they look. The media…do you know what I mean by the media?

"Sure. Newspapers, TV, Time and Newsweek."

Nailed it. So okay. The media says, ‘Girls, women, you can be anything you want to be in this brave new world of equality, as long as you can still see your toes when you stand up straight.’

He has been watching me, Gwendy thinks, because I do that every day when I get to the top. She blushes. She can’t help it, but the blush is a surface thing. Below it is a kind of so-what defiance. It’s what got her going on the stairs in the first place. That and Frankie Stone.

My theory is that somebody tweaked you about your weight, or how you look, or both, and you decided to take the matter in hand. Am I close? Maybe not a bullseye, but at least somewhere on the target?

Perhaps because he’s a stranger, she finds herself able to tell him what she hasn’t confided to either of her parents. Or maybe it’s his blue eyes, which are curious and interested but with no meanness in them—at least not that she can see. This kid at school, Frankie Stone, started calling me Goodyear. You know, like—

Like the blimp, yes, I know the Goodyear Blimp.

Uh-huh. Frankie’s a puke. She thinks of telling the man how Frankie goes strutting around the playground, chanting I’m Frankie Stoner! Got a two-foot boner! and decides not to.

Some of the other boys started calling me that, and then a few of the girls picked it up. Not my friends, other girls. That was sixth grade. Middle school starts next month, and…well…

You’ve decided that particular nickname isn’t going to follow you there, says Mr. Richard Farris. I see. You’ll also grow taller, you know. He eyes her up

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