Children of the Corn - June 2023

[Bob, Short Story Classics]

Children of the Corn by Stephen King is our June 2023 Short Story/Novella Read.

This discussion will open on June 1

Beware Short Story Discussions will have Spoilers

[Paula W]

I found a free pdf online, but it seems much shorter than the listed 50 pages. Can someone share with me the last sentence in their copy? I want to make sure this is the complete pdf. Thanks in advance!

[Lynn, New School Classics]

Paula W wrote: "I found a free pdf online, but it seems much shorter than the listed 50 pages. Can someone share with me the last sentence in their copy? I want to make sure this is the complete pdf. Thanks in adv..."

Last paragrah

Dusk deepened into night. Around Gatlin the corn rustled and whispered secretly. It was well pleased.

** I really do not believe this is a spoiler. I hope it doesn't upset anyone.

Paula I bought a Kindle single at 47 pages. I am sure it is complete.

[Paula W]

Lynn wrote: "Paula W wrote: "I found a free pdf online, but it seems much shorter than the listed 50 pages. Can someone share with me the last sentence in their copy? I want to make sure this is the complete pd..."

Perfect. Thank you! It seems my version is complete. Maybe it’s the typeset or font or something making it look like fewer pages because more words fit on a page in the pdf version.

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls]

I'm reading it in a newer edition of Night Shift and mine is only 29 pages.

[Lynn, New School Classics]

I will try not to be too negative but I just don't like Stephen King; not the stories or the movies. His writing style is lovely. He builds characters well, and builds suspense. The problem is his subject matter. What is the meaning or point? It's usually that something abnormally awful or gruesome happened. I want to be informed or uplifted when I read. I even like trite happy endings. I know many, many people find his writing very fun. I am glad you like him, but I have really tried and just don't.

[Paula W]

Lynn wrote: "I will try not to be too negative but I just don't like Stephen King; not the stories or the movies. His writing style is lovely. He builds characters well, and builds suspense. The problem is his ..."

Meanwhile, I am okay with the subject matter but it is getting harder and harder to turn a blind eye to his blatant misogyny. Women are shrews, nags, hyper-emotional, psychotic creatures in most of his works. It is a huge turn-off.

[John]

It’s spooky how quickly we could revert to a beastly, fanatical savagery like this. Feels like we are always only a single generation away from losing thousands of years of civilization. This story reminds me of Lord of the Flies.

[Lynn, New School Classics]

John Dishwasher wrote: "It’s spooky how quickly we could revert to a beastly, fanatical savagery like this. Feels like we are always only a single generation away from losing thousands of years of civilization. This story..."


Now that is an interesting way to look at it. Without adults to educate what do children resort to?

[Tom]

I happen to have a copy of Night Shift so I should be getting to this soon.

I don't remember reading this before but once I sat down to watch the movie and was surprised to find that I knew what was coming next in every scene. It took me a while to figure it out but apparently I read it when it was first published in a magazine. Apparently some people do get them for the articles.

[Armin]

Lynn wrote: "I will try not to be too negative but I just don't like Stephen King; not the stories or the movies. His writing style is lovely. He builds characters well, and builds suspense. The problem is his ..."

I literally wanted to say the same :D
His build up is great, tense, suspensive, but there is just no resolution, no point in his stories. They are just made to be scary, and that's it.

Somebody mentioned "Lord of the Flies". I think that it was way, way better then this. In terms of everything.

[Paths and Pages, or just Em :)]

I love that people are mentioning Lord of the Flies, I just finished a re-read of that one this weekend and really enjoyed it. It will be interesting to compare the two stories. I am about half-way into Children of the Corn right now and agree with a lot of the notes from everyone. While I am a fan of most of Stephen King's books and grew up on a lot of his older works, I find myself almost rolling my eyes at the way he is writing Vicky in the start of the story. It has been an entertaining and atmospheric read so far, but I wish there was a little more to chew on with it. It is a welcomed break from Dostoevsky, who sometimes give me way too much to chew on, and I am looking forward to discussing more as the thread continues.

[Greg]

Paths of Pages, or just Em :) wrote: "I love that people are mentioning Lord of the Flies, I just finished a re-read of that one this weekend and really enjoyed it. It will be interesting to compare the two stories. I am about half-way..."

Lord of the Flies is a high bar - it's such a superb book, and it captures so many unpleasant truths about human behavior with a great deal of subtlety!

Tom, thanks for mentioning where this story comes from. I didn't see it in Skeleton Crew.

In case anyone wants to listen to it on audio, there's a free recording off of BBC Radio 7 of Bradley Lavelle reading it. Since this story seems to be not included in any of the portions of Night Shift available on Audible, this is where I'll listen to it if I get around to it this month:

https://archive.org/details/King-chil...

[Paths and Pages, or just Em :)]

Greg wrote: "Paths of Pages, or just Em :) wrote: "I love that people are mentioning Lord of the Flies, I just finished a re-read of that one this weekend and really enjoyed it. It will be interesting to compar..."

I completely agree with your thoughts on Lord of the Flies, and it makes me want to pick it up again very soon!

Also, thank you for sharing that link with us for the audio of this one. I might have to give that a try after I finish reading from the physical copy.

[Heather L]

We had to read Night Shift for high school English, and cannot say I enjoyed it. Though I honestly did not want to, I read a free online version today. Nope, still not a fan of King’s subject matter. Just not a horror fan. Here’s the link for the online version for those interested.

https://xpressenglish.com/our-stories...

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls]

I did enjoy this one. King pokes at religious fanaticism; the names of the children are all biblical and there are plenty of other religious references as well. And creepy towns in the Midwest are always a good setting for a scare-fest!

On the other hand, I was shocked to learn that there are ELEVEN films based on this story. That's the original film (starring the guy from thirtysomething and Linda Hamilton who was immortalized as Sarah Conner in Terminator) plus eight sequels and two reboots. I can only begin to imagine the depths of Stephen King's bank accounts.

[Tom]

I very much enjoyed rereading this story. One of King's great strengths is his ability to tap into our most deeply held primal fears. Like Tryon's Harvest Home, it uses pagan mythology to take us back to our darkest roots. It also has me humming the tune to John Barleycorn Must Die.

[George P.]

RJ - Slayer of Trolls wrote: " ...I can only begin to imagine the depths of Stephen King's bank accounts"

I'm sure he's pretty wealthy but a lot less so than Rhianna and Kim Kardashian, so I think a popular author may be more deserving of it than pop singer-celebrities.
I've read only one thing by King before, which was The Shining. I rather liked that but not enough to read more of his work up til now. I didn't think Children of the Corn was even a very interesting story. It seemed more like a draft for a story that wasn't brought up to publishable level or a screenplay for a cable/streaming movie. Two stars for me. Probably some of his other work is better- I'm thinking I'll read The Shawshank Redemption some day. By the way I have an adult son who is a fan of King's and went to see him when he came to town to promote a new novel.

[J_BlueFlower]

I agree with what has already been said: What was the point?

I liked the (view spoiler)[twists in the story from the traffic accident, to it actually being a murder, to the deserted town. The town adult becoming the victims of indoctrinating the children was a very nice twist (making it a 3 star for me, rather than 2). BUT why did Vicky have to behave so hysterically? I expected it would turn out she was actually from that particular town, but did not want to admit it. Nope, no explanation. And the supernatural ending seem completely unnecessary. (hide spoiler)]

I have read somewhere that Stephen King is generally criticised for being bad at endings. Yes, again. I have not read a lot of his books, but it has always seemed that his stories sort of fade out when he runs low of new ideas.

[Cheryl Carroll]

Paula W wrote: "Meanwhile, I am okay with the subject matter but it is getting harder and harder to turn a blind eye to his blatant misogyny. Women are shrews, nags, hyper-emotional, psychotic creatures in most of his works. It is a huge turn-off."

This is my first SK read so I can't speak to how women are treated across his oeuvre. I AM NOT and WOULD NOT justify the mistreatment of women, but I do always check the publication date to put myself into the social context of that time. 1977, slapping a woman in hysterics - bc women are so subject to hysterics - yeah, that tracks.

[Cheryl Carroll]

Tom wrote: "It took me a while to figure it out but apparently I read it when it was first published in a magazine. Apparently some people do get them for the articles."

😂😂😂

I had to look up the song, thanks for providing a new discovery! Also with Tom Tryon Harvest Home.

The primal fear and LOTF references are intriguing, y'all!

[Cheryl Carroll]

RJ - Slayer of Trolls wrote: "I did enjoy this one. King pokes at religious fanaticism; the names of the children are all biblical and there are plenty of other religious references as well. And creepy towns in the Midwest are ..."

I was motivated to read this with the group bc #1 I miss you guys! I've been busy with other reads and am excited to have freed up some time for Classics. #2 My dad loved SK, and with Father's Day just passing, he's been heavy on my mind. So this was a great way to reconnect with him. ♥🕯

Kudos to King for how immediately he throws the reader into the mood -- the tension between Burt and Vicky, the anger and disdain! And then we find out right away that this big city couple from Boston is lost on some secondary road in Nebraska, so deep in the rural country that the Road Atlas is of little help. That is a lot of tension and suspense, right off the bat! 👏🏾

Other thoughts 👇🏾 under Spoiler for length, and bc of Spoilers 😄
(view spoiler)[
🔹Was anyone else disappointed that after running over the kid, Burt didn't react with more haste? We find out that he was a medic in Vietnam... so my opinion, he should have moved immediately to render aid.

🔹RJ - I particularly like how SK built up the importance of the corn. TAKE...THIS...AND...EAT...SAITH...THE...LORD...GOD.

Now why, Burt thought, should I immediately associate that indefinite pronoun with corn? Isn't that what they say when they give you communion? (pg 21)

No room for the defiler of the corn (pg17)

🔹Why are there bullet holes in the sign put up by the Elks? When the kids come to kill none of them has a gun. How did the children defeat the adults? Did they have help from the "corn demon spirit" who is A...CLOUD...BY...DAY...A...PILLAR...OF...FIRE...BY...NIGHT ?

🔹King increases our suspense with the addition of Vicky's religious background, which I'm assuming was a cult. In the following quote, she talks about how false preachers like to target younger victims. So having read the story, I wonder if the corn demon spirit targeted the youth for reasons Vicky said. Also, with the supernatural element of the story we know that the seer can be as young as 9 years old -- so does that mean that Baby Hortense, the Singing Marvel and Norman Staunton truly had some sort of spirit moving in them?!

After a moment, Burt said; "Did anything strike you funny about that radio sermon?"
"No. I heard enough of that stuff as a kid to last me forever. I told you about it."
"Didn't you think he sounded kind of young? That preacher?"
She uttered a mirthless laugh. "A teen-ager, maybe, so what? That's what's so monstrous about that whole trip. They like to get hold of them when their minds are still rubber. They know how to put all the emotional checks and balances in. You should have been at some of the tent meetings my mother and father dragged me to...some of the ones I was 'saved' at.

🔹When Burt was going into the church, Vicky should have kept her mouth shut about that spare key.

🔹What kind of corn demon spirit is this? So interesting that their sacrifice is called "the Age of Favor". If it's a "favorable" thing, for their punishment the age should have been increased to 20 instead of dropped to 18! (hide spoiler)]

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls]

Cheryl Carroll wrote: "...RJ - I particularly like how SK built up the importance of the corn. TAKE...THIS...AND...EAT...SAITH...THE...LORD...GOD."

I un-spoiler-protected this one, I hope no one minds. I enjoyed this part of the story too. When I was a kid (let's say 1970s) there were still a lot of those type of one-word signs that eventually built into a sentence along rural roadways and we would see them on road trips to visit relatives in the Midwest. Those signs were popularized by the Burma Shave Company, of course, and a reference to that is made in the story if I recall correctly. Nowdays I suppose that's like those short videos where people hold up cards with writing in videos and drop each card until the entire message is revealed. Something to think about including if Children of the Corn ever gets (another) remake I suppose.

[Debashis]

I loved how quickly King sets the tone of this short horror story. Within a few lines we were drawn to the story and getting the vibe. The biblical references are fantastic to satire the fanatics. The depth of metaphorical representation keeps me interested till the end. The children scene and introduction was just superb. Really enjoyed the story. I would not have checked this one if not be this group read. So a big thanks to the group for choosing this.

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls]

I've been thinking about the ending. I wonder if the story would have been more effective without having a monster running around in the crops. For example, a bunch of kids reverting to primitive ways, misinterpreting religion, and making human sacrifices to appease a "corn god" that doesn't even exist might be even more chilling.

[Tom]

Are you suggesting a Sopranos ending, where the reader gets to decide what is really going on?

[MommaWR]

RJ-Slayer of trolls- I had the exact same feeling about the ending. It was almost a let down to find that there really was a monster in the corn. Up until that point I thought this was a story about young people who interpreted their religious beliefs in a way that became sociopathic. A fascinating, though chilling concept.
On the other hand, once it was established that there truly was a monster terrorizing these young people into committing all of these terrible acts, it was also quite chilling to think about. To imagine what it must be like to live in this community of young people, having to do the things that they did to their adult loved ones, and also knowing their fast approaching fates.
Both endings fit the horror genre but I felt the story structure was so based in realism, that in this context, an ending without a mythical monster would have fit well.

[Lynn, New School Classics]

RJ - Slayer of Trolls wrote: "I've been thinking about the ending. I wonder if the story would have been more effective without having a monster running around in the crops. For example, a bunch of kids reverting to primitive w..."

I agree. The monster seemed superfluous in my opinion.

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls]

Tom wrote: "Are you suggesting a Sopranos ending, where the reader gets to decide what is really going on?"

I wasn't thinking of the Sopranos but, sure!

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls]

By the way, I read another story that reminded me of this one somewhat: "It's a Good Life" by Jerome Bixby. I found the story in the anthology The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume One, 1929-1964 edited by Robert Silverberg, but many of you will remember it by the original series Twilight Zone episode of the same name, with the little boy with godlike powers who wishes people into the cornfield. I wanted to post a link to the story but couldn't find it anywhere for free, however it does appear to be available in a number of collections and anthologies, on e-book and audio, and there are plenty of articles and even podcasts discussing the story. The idea of being in a remote place in the rural Midwest, at the mercy of a child seemed very similar to this story by King that we have been discussing. Oh, and the Twilight Zone episode is terrific as well, in case you've never seen it.

[Kathleen]

RJ - Slayer of Trolls wrote: "By the way, I read another story that reminded me of this one somewhat: "It's a Good Life" by Jerome Bixby. ... Oh, and the Twilight Zone episode is terrific as well, in case you've never seen it."

RJ, I remember that Twilight Zone episode, and went looking for it online. This is getting way off topic, but I found an interesting interview with Bill Mummy about how much he liked that character (and a bit about his time playing Will Robinson, if anyone remembers Lost in Space). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lLYH...

Okay, sorry for the interruption!

[Cheryl Carroll]

RJ - Slayer of Trolls wrote: "I've been thinking about the ending. I wonder if the story would have been more effective without having a monster running around in the crops. For example, a bunch of kids reverting to primitive w..."

The supernatural element of the corn demon satisfies me because in my mind, Stephen King is Horror and/or Supernatural.

@MommaWR and Lynn - I can see how you two and RJ are disappointed with the appearance of the demon. I personally think that the Lord of the Flies and supernatural elements work very well together. King inserts enough religious foreshadowing to make the corn demon's existence believable. My take is that it is the demon who started the children on this savage path of human sacrifice. They chose to follow him, the demon and his new religion, rather than "the Blue Man and the false minister who escaped many years ago." (pg 45)

Here are some passages that I really liked, which to me show how everything was working together from the beginning. Under spoiler for length.
(view spoiler)[

He stopped, looking directly into the corn... You could plunge into those neat, shaded rows and spend a day trying to find your way out again. But the neatness was broken here. Several tall cornstalks had been broken and leaned askew. And what was that further back in the shadows? pg12

The earth had been gouged. There was blood. The corn rustled. With a little shiver, he walked back to the road. pg 13

He had a strong sensation of being watched. It was a feeling he had read about in books, mostly cheap fiction, and he had always doubted its reality. Now he didn't. It was as if there were people in the corn, maybe a lot of them, coldly estimating whether the woman could get the gun out of the case and use it before they could grab him, drag him into the shady rows, cut his throat-- pg15

They drove in silence for a while. They passed a silo on the left. Nothing else but corn. Nothing passed them going the other way, not even a farm truck. pg16

Vicky picking at the knots to open the trunk, that description was super creepy!😱 While she picked at the knots (her face was set in a peculiar way- expressionless but tight-mouthed -- that Burt remembered his mother wearing when she pulled the innards out of the Sunday chicken), Burt turned the radio on again. pg17

Innards! Sunday chicken = church and tradition! And then he turns the radio on to hear the preaching! "HOLY JESUS!" the evangelist shouted, and now the words came in a powerful, pumping cadence, almost as compelling as a driving rock-and-roll beat:..."

(hide spoiler)]

[Cheryl Carroll]

@RJ and Kathleen -- thank you for those sources! I don't think it's off topic if the discussion is related to a comparison of the two works. That just seems natural to a full discovery of the read. But, that's my opinion and I'm not an admin here. I for one am going to read "It's a Good Life" asap while Children/Corn is fresh in my mind.

[Cheryl Carroll]

So It's a Good Life is an absolutely 5 star read for me. I can see why RJ and Kathleen offered it up for comparison. I might nominate this as a future short story read, so that the group can delve into a more detailed comparison! (And also, so that we can vote on which cornfield was worse...😨)

Out in the cornfield, Anthony walked between the tall, rustling rows of green stalks. He liked to smell the corn. The alive corn overhead, and the old dead corn underfoot. Rich Ohio earth, thick with weeds and brown, dry-rotting ears of corn, pressed between his bare toes with every step--he had made it rain last night so everything would smell and feel nice today.

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls]

Cheryl Carroll wrote: "So It's a Good Life is an absolutely 5 star read for me. I can see why RJ and Kathleen offered it up for comparison. I might nominate this as a future short story read, so that the ..."

Glad you enjoyed it!