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De laatste laddersport
Eerder verschenen in de bundels: De satanskinderen en andere verhalen ; Ik weet wat je wilt. - Utrecht : Veen, 1985
Gedeeltelijke vert. van: Night shift. - Garden City, N.Y. : Doubleday, 1978
Gedeeltelijke vert. van: Night shift. - Garden City, N.Y. : Doubleday, 1978
173 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1987
2 people are currently reading
275 people want to read
About the author
Stephen King
2,400 books889k followersStephen Edwin King was born the second son of Donald and Nellie Ruth Pillsbury King. After his father left them when Stephen was two, he and his older brother, David, were raised by his mother. Parts of his childhood were spent in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where his father's family was at the time, and in Stratford, Connecticut. When Stephen was eleven, his mother brought her children back to Durham, Maine, for good. Her parents, Guy and Nellie Pillsbury, had become incapacitated with old age, and Ruth King was persuaded by her sisters to take over the physical care of them. Other family members provided a small house in Durham and financial support. After Stephen's grandparents passed away, Mrs. King found work in the kitchens of Pineland, a nearby residential facility for the mentally challenged.
Stephen attended the grammar school in Durham and Lisbon Falls High School, graduating in 1966. From his sophomore year at the University of Maine at Orono, he wrote a weekly column for the school newspaper, THE MAINE CAMPUS. He was also active in student politics, serving as a member of the Student Senate. He came to support the anti-war movement on the Orono campus, arriving at his stance from a conservative view that the war in Vietnam was unconstitutional. He graduated in 1970, with a B.A. in English and qualified to teach on the high school level. A draft board examination immediately post-graduation found him 4-F on grounds of high blood pressure, limited vision, flat feet, and punctured eardrums.
He met Tabitha Spruce in the stacks of the Fogler Library at the University, where they both worked as students; they married in January of 1971. As Stephen was unable to find placement as a teacher immediately, the Kings lived on his earnings as a laborer at an industrial laundry, and her student loan and savings, with an occasional boost from a short story sale to men's magazines.
Stephen made his first professional short story sale ("The Glass Floor") to Startling Mystery Stories in 1967. Throughout the early years of his marriage, he continued to sell stories to men's magazines. Many were gathered into the Night Shift collection or appeared in other anthologies.
In the fall of 1971, Stephen began teaching English at Hampden Academy, the public high school in Hampden, Maine. Writing in the evenings and on the weekends, he continued to produce short stories and to work on novels.
Stephen attended the grammar school in Durham and Lisbon Falls High School, graduating in 1966. From his sophomore year at the University of Maine at Orono, he wrote a weekly column for the school newspaper, THE MAINE CAMPUS. He was also active in student politics, serving as a member of the Student Senate. He came to support the anti-war movement on the Orono campus, arriving at his stance from a conservative view that the war in Vietnam was unconstitutional. He graduated in 1970, with a B.A. in English and qualified to teach on the high school level. A draft board examination immediately post-graduation found him 4-F on grounds of high blood pressure, limited vision, flat feet, and punctured eardrums.
He met Tabitha Spruce in the stacks of the Fogler Library at the University, where they both worked as students; they married in January of 1971. As Stephen was unable to find placement as a teacher immediately, the Kings lived on his earnings as a laborer at an industrial laundry, and her student loan and savings, with an occasional boost from a short story sale to men's magazines.
Stephen made his first professional short story sale ("The Glass Floor") to Startling Mystery Stories in 1967. Throughout the early years of his marriage, he continued to sell stories to men's magazines. Many were gathered into the Night Shift collection or appeared in other anthologies.
In the fall of 1971, Stephen began teaching English at Hampden Academy, the public high school in Hampden, Maine. Writing in the evenings and on the weekends, he continued to produce short stories and to work on novels.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
December 27, 2014
Once in a while you read something that really moves you. I mean really moves you. Last Rung on the Ladder is one such tale. One would think Stephen King is all about horror. This tale is horrific indeed; but not for the reasons you'd think.
The simple way in which King has built this story left me spellbound. Starts off innocously enough and continues with its tale of childish innocence. A heart-warming tale. And then suddenly twists you into knots. In the space of a few paragraphs it achieves its intent - that of gut-wrenching emotion.
If the efficacy and skill of an author is gauged by looking at how large an impact he or she made with the least amount of words, this tale wins hands down.
The simple way in which King has built this story left me spellbound. Starts off innocously enough and continues with its tale of childish innocence. A heart-warming tale. And then suddenly twists you into knots. In the space of a few paragraphs it achieves its intent - that of gut-wrenching emotion.
If the efficacy and skill of an author is gauged by looking at how large an impact he or she made with the least amount of words, this tale wins hands down.
June 25, 2016
Un cuento excelente
January 19, 2015
I would give it more stars if it were possible. Very touching and strikingly normal story. Great quick read but have a few tissues.
September 19, 2016
The type of horror story that King has written with this story (and a few others, including "The Woman In The Room") is something much different to his usual fare - but it's still horror. This story is heartbreaking, but also chilling.
The most sad and unsettling part of the story, I think, is just how well it describes harsh reality taking an innocent optimist and stripping them of all their hope. Kitty, who was once so trusting that she willingly dropped from a lethal height because she trusted her brother to save her, becomes somebody who believes that...nobody can save her. The idea that Larry could have saved her if only he'd done something as simple as send her a change of address card...that's pretty upsetting as well. However, the part of the story that really gives me a chill down my spine is that, in jumping from the hayloft as a child, Kitty was effectively (but unknowingly) rehearsing her eventual suicide over and over again, years before it took place - and you can picture her as an adult, teetering on the ledge of the building she suicided from, unafraid and smiling to herself, because she'd jumped from a great height so many times before. And worse - Larry, remembering how Kitty looked falling from the hayloft as a child, will forever be stuck with the mental image of his adult sister looking similarly as she dove to her death.
It's just...fridge horror nightmare fuel, I think, in a deeper and more psychological way than King's stories usually are. I first read this story in the 90s, and it's stuck with me to such a degree that I am still re-reading it and now reviewing it almost 20 years later. While I've managed to overcome my fear of Cujo and Pennywise, this story still scares and moves me. It's a really profound and underrated piece of writing.
The most sad and unsettling part of the story, I think, is just how well it describes harsh reality taking an innocent optimist and stripping them of all their hope. Kitty, who was once so trusting that she willingly dropped from a lethal height because she trusted her brother to save her, becomes somebody who believes that...nobody can save her. The idea that Larry could have saved her if only he'd done something as simple as send her a change of address card...that's pretty upsetting as well. However, the part of the story that really gives me a chill down my spine is that, in jumping from the hayloft as a child, Kitty was effectively (but unknowingly) rehearsing her eventual suicide over and over again, years before it took place - and you can picture her as an adult, teetering on the ledge of the building she suicided from, unafraid and smiling to herself, because she'd jumped from a great height so many times before. And worse - Larry, remembering how Kitty looked falling from the hayloft as a child, will forever be stuck with the mental image of his adult sister looking similarly as she dove to her death.
It's just...fridge horror nightmare fuel, I think, in a deeper and more psychological way than King's stories usually are. I first read this story in the 90s, and it's stuck with me to such a degree that I am still re-reading it and now reviewing it almost 20 years later. While I've managed to overcome my fear of Cujo and Pennywise, this story still scares and moves me. It's a really profound and underrated piece of writing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 24, 2016
Ok.....a ten page short story that has stuck with me my entire life. The theme: (keep in mind I'm a math teacher, therefore do NOT expect to be impressed by high level reviews) LOVE THE ONES YOU'RE CLOSE TO AND FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE DON'T FORGET THEM. It is easy to find a free pdf of this short story on line. One of my very all time favorites
November 2, 2014
Nothing more sad than realizing someone needed you after it's too late.
December 15, 2017
A sweet and moving story!
October 22, 2016
This was unexpected. Many people define Stephen King as strictly a horror writer, and I believe that's where he does some of his best work, but he's so much more than that and evidently was able to step out of that box with his early stories. This is definitely not horror. It has elements of tragedy, and elements of suspense, and shows that he doesn't have to write about monsters and terror to affect you. I found the story rather poignant, myself, but I won't give away any spoilers. Hell, the story's only 11 pages, so you'd be better served by just reading it instead of a warmed over version on here. Basically it involves a man's relationship with his sister with details about an episode during their childhood. There's nothing spooky, or kinky, or weird about it; it's King showing us his understanding of the human condition, and giving us a normal story about real life troubles. I was affected.
It's a little out of place in the Night Shift collection with all these other horror stories. I felt like I was reading a story from an English Lit class textbook. It seems like one you'd read in class, and then spend a half hour discussing with the teacher pointing out nuances to this and that. In fact, there are probably literary things in this that I missed, for I always needed the teach's help in seeing those kinds of things.
I would've given this two stars, but like I said, I was affected by the ending, and so I gave it a third.
It's a little out of place in the Night Shift collection with all these other horror stories. I felt like I was reading a story from an English Lit class textbook. It seems like one you'd read in class, and then spend a half hour discussing with the teacher pointing out nuances to this and that. In fact, there are probably literary things in this that I missed, for I always needed the teach's help in seeing those kinds of things.
I would've given this two stars, but like I said, I was affected by the ending, and so I gave it a third.
January 26, 2017
Was written well, I definitely felt some strong emotions during that story.
August 11, 2017
Not a horror story. A genuinely sad story, infused with emotion; lovely nostalgic imagery at the beginning.
October 14, 2017
So so so very sad =(
December 2, 2019
Almost a jarring tonal shift from the other stories in Night Shift, but definitely one of my favorites in the collection so far. "The Last Rung on Ladder" hit differently. It's tragic yet sweet. As someone with younger siblings, it made my heartache.
December 22, 2018
Not so much of a Horror story as much as a tragic one, it has all the right elements of a scary real life possibility, the suspense is real and the readers are left wondering how its going to happen, we think how we would react in the same situation, how the stakes are high even without a direct connection. The relationship is the direct connection, the innocence of children is out connection, our investment into caring about these kids.
We see how it was all so close and loving an how as time goes on and age progresses, the characters venture off down very different paths and the true value of family becomes all the more clear, how you really need to take hold and always be there for your family, because once they are gone, they are gone and the guilt is all that remains. This story ends tragically, and we are left with the dull pain of it, thankfully as readers we are able to close the book and escape back to our hopefully not as abysmal life situation.
We see how it was all so close and loving an how as time goes on and age progresses, the characters venture off down very different paths and the true value of family becomes all the more clear, how you really need to take hold and always be there for your family, because once they are gone, they are gone and the guilt is all that remains. This story ends tragically, and we are left with the dull pain of it, thankfully as readers we are able to close the book and escape back to our hopefully not as abysmal life situation.
July 25, 2018
I particularly liked reading the reviews after reading the short story itself. Such a wide range of emotions and feelings reading this story. Although this story is specifically between brother and sister, it can equally be re told as best friends. It wonderfully depicts a very young brother and sister, so closely bonded together with childlike faith in each other and they will always remain so close, but then, adult lives occur, time passes, we grow up, grow apart, time marches ever forward.
A very apt poignant and sad story.
A very apt poignant and sad story.
May 14, 2016
иногда трудно понять и принять тот факт как может измениться человек. как он может сломаться. иногда в рутине своей жизни кто-то проскальзывает мимо тебя как песок.порой кто-то важный. как песок он отмерил свое время.. и отмеряет твое. а ведь казалось что тебе всегда хватит его для самого важного. в этой песчаной буре самое простое убежать от себя, и куда сложноее разглядеть и принять тот факт что ты облажался.
п.с. наконец-то отличный рассказ.
п.с. наконец-то отличный рассказ.
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November 3, 2019I have learned that I enjoy his short stories and novellas much better than his books. Plus— they’re less intimidating LOL.
January 27, 2017
This really got to me, and I remember writing a similar piece from the sister's pov.
March 27, 2018
Sometimes a story like this pops up where you least expect it and causes you to shift your priorities.
August 28, 2019
I was so incredibly moved by this. Every once and again you get those really heartfelt stories from Stephen King. I actually cried.
January 26, 2020
The last rung on the ladder is the seventeenth story in Night Shift. It is not scary but depressing. Not bad though.
October 4, 2023
Absolutely loved the short stories!
October 25, 2019
*SPOILERS*
There are very few books that leave a lasting impression on you. Something that moves you, makes you really feel something. This is one of those books.
Stephen King tells an unexpected horror story in The Last Rung on the Ladder.
There are very few books that leave a lasting impression on you. Something that moves you, makes you really feel something. This is one of those books.
Stephen King tells an unexpected horror story in The Last Rung on the Ladder.
July 29, 2022
Original to Night Shift
re-collected in The Stephen King Value Collection
re-collected in The Stephen King Value Collection
May 28, 2020
punches you right in the gut! A very well-crafted story
January 27, 2018
Heartbreaking
February 11, 2020
This one was very sad to me. It just goes to show how we get caught up in our on lives and sometimes forget about the others in our lives.
December 31, 2018
The pain of loss. The fright of not knowing. And the truth is trusting. Beautiful and sad story.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews