mass market paperback, 318 pages
English language
Published Sept. 20, 1985 by Signet / New American Library.
Billy Halleck, good husband, loving father, is both beneficiary and victim of the American Good Life: he has an expensive home, a nice family, and a rewarding career as a lawyer...but he is also fifty pounds overweight and, as his doctor keeps reminding him, edging into heart attack country.
Then, in a moment of carelessness, Billy sideswipes an old gypsy woman as she is crossing the street--and her ancient father passes a bizarre and terrible judgement on him.
"Thinner," the old gypsy man whispers, and caresses his cheek, like a lover. Just one word...but six weeks later and ninety-three pounds lighter, Billy Halleck is more than worried. He's terrified. And desperate enough for one last gamble...that will lead him to a nightmare showdown with the forces of evil melting his flesh away. And away. And away... (back cover)
This should have been a short story, if it had to be a story at all. Nothing about this book clicked with me, from the unsympathetic characters to the tedious "action", and King Bachman's treatment of the Romany seemed particularly tone deaf. Usually I enjoy King's work, but I admit I had to skim a lot of this just to make it through. Would not recommend.
4.5 I think. One of my favorite King books. I enjoyed it just as much this time as I did when I was a teen and read it for the first time.
