The Widow's Breakfast: A Dark Gothic Horror Short Story

by Joe Hill

From the New York Times bestselling author of NOS4A2 and Horns comes this e-short story—from Joe Hill’s award-winning collection 20th Century Ghosts.

Imogene is young and beautiful. She kisses like a movie star and knows everything about every film ever made. She's also dead and waiting in the Rosebud Theater for Alec Sheldon one afternoon in 1945. . . .

Arthur Roth is a lonely kid with big ideas and a gift for attracting abuse. It isn't easy to make friends when you're the only inflatable boy in town. . . .

Francis is unhappy. Francis was human once, but that was then. Now he's an eight-foot-tall locust and everyone in Calliphora will tremble when they hear him sing. . . .

John Finney is locked in a basement that's stained with the blood of half a dozen other murdered children. In the cellar with him is an antique telephone, long since disconnected, but which rings at night with calls from the dead. . . .

 

 

Genres: Short Stories, Horror, Fiction, Audiobook, Drama, Dark, Thriller

32 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 16, 2007

About the author

Joe Hill's debut, Heart-Shaped Box, won the Bram Stoker Award for Best First Novel. His second, Horns, was made into a film freakfest starring Daniel Radcliffe. His other novels include NOS4A2, and his #1 New York Times Best-Seller, The Fireman... which was also the winner of a 2016 Goodreads Choice Award for Best Horror Novel.

He writes short stories too. Some of them were gathered together in his prize-winning collection, 20th Century Ghosts.

He won the Eisner Award for Best Writer for his long running comic book series, Locke & Key, co-created with illustrator and art wizard Gabriel Rodriguez.

He lives in New Hampshire with a corgi named McMurtry after a certain beloved writer of cowboy tales. His next book, Strange Weather, a collection of novellas, storms into bookstores in October of 2017.

Reviews

[Chrissy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pretty boring, thankfully short.

[Andrew Lennon · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't rea get this one. I don't under why it was in the collection. It wasn't scary, if anything it was a bit depressing.
Sorry, dont have much to say about it. Didn't enjoynit.

All reviews can be found at http://lennonslair.blogspot.co.uk

[Michael Sorbello · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not really scary, more of a classic gothic tale that relies on a somber atmosphere and the presence of something sinister. The ending was abrupt and didn’t really match the tone of the rest of the story. Not bad but could’ve been better.

[Jonathan Echevarria · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Widow's Breakfast is a short story about loss, acceptance, and the act of giving. The main protagonist named Killian has it really rough, especially trying to avoid abusive law enforcers who like to murder homeless people. Eventually his luck turns out for the better when he encounters a very generous widow. This woman has a soft for the homeless, so she helps Killian on his way to where he needs to go.

This story isn't anything spectacular or amazing, it's basically more or less it's sum parts. The message of grievance and generosity is a very touching one. It isn't a long story and it's over before it can really pick up or go anywhere. I mostly accept it for what it is, It's a tale of the lost who are still trying to find their way. Some find it through helping others and others find it through people who want to help.

Over all I give this one a 3.5 stars out of five. It doesn't stand that well on it's own, but it's definitely worth the read. Especially since it's included as part of the collection of 20th Century Ghosts!

[Maggie Leroy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scarey? Horror? Terrifying? Not to me. Just a lovely gothic story.

[Beth Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

No, this isn't horror. No, this isn't scary.
Yes, this is a GREAT subtle story.

Read it.

[itchy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read as part of the collection 20th Century Ghosts.

[Kaitlyn (ktxx22) Walker · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked that and I like creepy kids, but this isn’t as creepy as I thought it would be.

[Mayumi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gostei da "piada" final, mas não achei que precisava desse conto inteiro pra chegar nela. O clima do conto foi muito bom, mas não foi satisfatório.

[Lucie Coulombe · Rating 5 out of 5]

very good

[Sean Brennan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Did not get the punch line, at all! Also has the fewest rating of his short story kindle collection and that really does say it all! Avoid this one!

[Lynne - The Book Squirrel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short and bazaar!

[Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprisingly good, well written story from Stephen King's little boy. Not a ghost story as such, but a mainstream story with a little bit of a shiver at the end.

[Сибин Майналовски · Rating 1 out of 5]

Егати тъпия финал, честно. Защо го четохме цялото това нещо, щом ще свърши по този начин???

[Benjamin Stahl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this one. Sad and kind of nice.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not horror or ghostly, save the ghosts that haunt us all, but a great tale set along the tracks of the Great Depression.].

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

This started as a classic hobo tale somewhere USA. But when Kilian got a breakfast served by a widow the situation turns a bit spookier. What about the clothes of her deceased husband? What about the childrens' comments? Not a loud story but one with a very good climax. Somehow it reminded me a bit on Henry James' The Turn of the Screw. Well crafted characters and a good twist at the end. Really recommended!

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

It wasn’t a bad story, I just didn’t get it. The low rating is probably just a reflection of my stupidity because this story just didn’t work for me. I love Joe Hill and think his work is exceptional, just not this one.

[Jasmine · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was interesting. Dark and ominous. I would’ve been interested to see how it could have developed from where the story finished. I would’ve like some more hints of strange behaviours from the children.

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

😊

Very sudden finish but still a good short story. Intriguing, children playing funerals, the death of their dad more than likely being the cause.

[William Cherico · Rating 2 out of 5]

A good gothic atmosphere that ends way too abruptly. Strong work from Joe Hill making me uncomfortable reading about a kind woman who fixes a hobo breakfast.

[Andrew kutz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a sweet yet sad story about grief homelessness and generosity. I will say this one is not a horror, but it’s worth the read.

[Whitley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not horror at all, but this a story of a homeless man going about his life after losing his brother and finding kindness in a widow and her three girls.

[Darkbookghoul · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoy Joe Hill’s writing of The Widow’s Breakfast but I’m not sure that I got the deeper message of this short story.

[Kate vL · Rating 3 out of 5]

Such an ominous story that felt like it has miles to go only to end with what felt like a bit of a punchline?

[Jane Wynne · Rating 3 out of 5]

A strange story with a funny twist. short and sweet.

[Frankie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short stories are fun

[Sarah Atkinson · Rating 1 out of 5]

Looks like Joe Hill is following in his father’s footsteps for writing either short story gems or just completely wasting my time.
This was 100% the latter.

[Niyati · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Gemma Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short mourning.

Although the prose is a little harder to get along with, Joe Hill takes us on a meandering ride along the tracks, peppered with sadness and intrigue; with a little tongue-in-cheek ending. A good short yarn to pass the time.