The Library Policeman by Stephen King Book Review & Reaction | Possibly His Most Disturbing Story

[@mikesbookreviews]

Hey guys. Sorry for the trimmed out segments of this video. Apparently Zakhar Valaha sold the license to the previously copyright free track. My fault!

[@cpwalton813]

So glad to see you pump out a little more King content. I’m one of the few who’s not here for the fantasy reads. Give us more King/multiverse and other horror videos!

[@steventhayer2736]

Me too 😊

[@nikkivenable73]

Same!!!!

[@thing_under_the_stairs]

I subbed because I'm a Constant Reader too. 😉

[@tjo25]

Your intros and excerpt readings are phenomenal. Beautiful set-ups.

[@mikesbookreviews]

Thank you so much!

[@littleaussierippa]

I feel that Four Past Midnight is one of King's most underrated books and The Library Policeman is by far one of the most disturbing. It's rare that a horror story will freak me out, but this one did it. To the point that I had to close the book and come back to it later.

[@mikesbookreviews]

Agree 100 percent.

[@je6401]

Holy s*** dude, thanks for picking this back up!! Love, love, love your narration and intros for the SK series.

[@lockdowntechie3122]

Mike resumes his into the multiverse. I am fucking excited, you better believe that happy crappy!!!

[@mikesbookreviews]

Ha ha thanks!

[@Kite562reviews]

Library policeman was a VERY memorable story for me in Four Past Midnight. All the pain Sam Peebles had to go through in that story was absolutely bone chilling in my honest opinion.

[@BenLaSoul908]

That epic music in the background lends itself so well to those quotes you be reading in the intro

[@thing_under_the_stairs]

Thanks for the reminder that I need to reread this wonderfully uncomfortable story! As a side note, my ex's mother was a librarian. Head of the Library Science department at her university for decades, actually, and one of the loveliest people I've ever known. Now I'm wondering if that sweet, aging hippie and bibliophile might have had a darker side after all...

[@ai-story-time20]

mike you are hands down the best booktuber. absolutely love your format and always note down every book you mention that wasn't already on my radar. I have to ask though, as a fellow working parent who loves books, how do you find the time to balance your work, family, reading, and managing this channel!?!

[@mikesbookreviews]

Don't scroll. Put the phone down. And watch less TV. Those two things right there will free up HOURS per day. The only TV I commit to each week is 3 hours for football on Sunday 5 months a year.

[@thing_under_the_stairs]

I have to admit, ever since getting over my artistic block and spending far more hours in a day actually *making things* rather than procrastinating, I've got a lot less reading time than I used to! But being someone who's been unable to work a regular job for years due to chronic illness, it also feels good to be more productive with my time. That said, I miss the days of devouring a good book in a day or two because I didn't have anything else to do, rather than feeling compelled to spend most of the day in my studio, working on art and listening to podcasts and KZbin video essays! Why can't I just give up sleep and read instead?

[@JerodimusPrime]

Fantastic into, Mike. I loved the quote about the pilots, for some reason I found it super inspiring. Keep up the good work.💜

[@iamalegend1999]

I listened to this recently and it's the first story that's ever made me cry. I thoroughly enjoyed it but it was messed up and a bit of a rollercoaster.

[@mikesbookreviews]

It’s definitely a ride.

[@ejsmith2246]

I'm sooooo glad to see you making another Video about King!!! I really hope you continue the series where you make a video about every book in publication order as well as the tier list videos!!! I love all of your videos, but those are my favorites!!! Keep up all the fantastic work!!!

[@mikesbookreviews]

That's the plan. Just taking a break on re-reads and doing videos on some I skipped originally.

[@gavvo-7640]

Cant believe how long you left us waiting for this Mike!!!! This is deffo the most disturbing SK story I have EVER read!!! Gave me nightmares for years!! Super glad you are back into the multiverse!!!

[@adamrasmusson6976]

Really Glad to see more King content, missed these intro's also. That music and your voice over are superb. 👍

[@RalphNC09]

Stephen King really IS a courageous author. And I really think you nailed why we love him. He writes about those things we all struggle with and think about... but no one will admit. No one understands character like king except McCammon

[@mikesbookreviews]

100 percent.

[@thing_under_the_stairs]

Stephen King knows how the average American mind works far too well for anyone's good, right down to the darkest corners. And he's far too big to cancel. I know this book was written decades ago, but he's still pushing the envelope on what authors are "allowed" to write, and I love him for it. My own political views are about as far left as you can get, but I also value freedom of speech and expression far more than it seems a lot of conservatives do right now, what with book banning and all that. Actually, it seems that there's far too much policing of thought and speech from either end of the political spectrum right now. Maybe this is just the aging punk anarchist in me talking, but as my hacker buddies back in the 90's used to say, information wants to be free, and Mr. King's mind is about as free as they get. May he continue to write with courage, and may other authors follow in his brave, bloody footsteps!

[@kaiju_k5042]

This is one of your very best videos yet Mike, I had to pause half way through and grab my copy that I purchased in 2007, I have to read it now, like today.

[@calista3371]

God! I love your Stephen King Content! I've so missed it. Thank you for this!!! I hope you will continue to do more!

[@mikesbookreviews]

Thank you so much :)

[@kaiju_k5042]

This review watches like a movie, what an intro!! 😍 Gave me chills! I'm so glad I have this already!

[@mikesbookreviews]

Glad you liked it!!

[@QuirkyQuillify]

Yes! Another SK review, I am HERE for it. I remember reading this for the first time in high school........spoiler alert....... and it's the first time I read about r*pe, and it's stayed with me. It's heartbreaking how innocent the kid was......and never after that

[@mikesbookreviews]

It's definitely scarred into my core memories.

[@dpeady78]

Glad to have you back on the King kick!

[@redvitaminblue]

I've said this for years whenever people lost their minds over that sewer scene in IT. What happens to Sam as a child in The Library Policeman is a 1000x more disturbing, yet for some reason it doesn't elicit the same level of outrage or chirping on the internet. Maybe because it's not as well known or as widely read, but I don't think that's entirely the reason. Regardless, this story was emblematic of my experience with the Four Past Midnight collection as a whole: it was asymmetrical, with the first half being much stronger than the second half. Part of that is because the mystique of the "policeman" was lost when King started explaining its back story and motivations, which came across as petty and kinda juvenile. Maybe that's the metaphor King was trying to build; that those motivations can fester and turn someone ugly and monstrous. But doing so had the effect of making that creature far less mysterious and imposing, way too early in the story.

[@mikesbookreviews]

IT was just a wat bigger hit and more widely read. Those who know KNOW.

[@mariposa9506]

I don't think those type of people are big readers outside of tweets. They just jump on whatever bandwagon. This story is lesser known, more obscure and has never been a movie so not in anyone's crosshairs.

[@thing_under_the_stairs]

@@mariposa9506 I think you nailed it. Most of the people on that sort of outrage train wouldn't care about whatever they're outraged about if it hadn't come up in their feed, because they had no idea it existed until then. I think they enjoy being angry and/or bullying people remotely.

[@keanpadayachee3177]

This is a story to share with people that claim King's work isn't actually scary. Also, if you watch Castle Rock season 2 a character from the sun dog does make an appearance.

[@ravenbellebooks5665]

I always love when you get the chance to do your intros! Always well done!

[@mikesbookreviews]

Glad you like them!

[@dionenisnikci]

What a coincidence, I’m reading it right now in King‘s collection Four Past Midnight

[@mikesbookreviews]

Enjoy!

[@dionenisnikci]

@@mikesbookreviews Thank you! It’s already scaring me..

[@joshkosecki1024]

Leland Gaunt moves into Sam’s old office in Junction City at the end of “Needful Things.”

[@mikesbookreviews]

No shit! How the hell did I miss that one.

[@lavaleenlund9274]

I just finished The Library Policeman, it is on of the scariest, creepiest stories i have read.

[@texaspipeman8973]

Once again you have me breaking my TBR😅

[@mikesbookreviews]

Always happy to help.

[@GoranCK]

Another great review❤ Mike,sorry to repeat a question from a couple videos ago,but did you read Jason Rekulak's The Impossible fortress?I think you would loved it.Basicly a John Hughes movie in written form.

[@BioPhoenixReviews]

cool to see you come back to four past midnight and to talk about a very underrated story within. also i will go out and say when it comes to the comparisons to Dean koontz i never understood the hate because from the few books i read from him i found them to be pretty enjoyable reads

[@pipermckoon8637]

Looking forward to getting my hands on this one. In terms of scariness, the only story I’ve ever DNFd was Apt Pupil. That one got me good. I’ve read I’ve read more than twenty horror books in the last year and a half and that’s the only one that I just couldn’t bring myself to finish

[@Slobrojoe]

I went into Different Seasons as my first King and part horror book expecting to love The Body and Shawshank but Apt Pupil was by far my favourite with The Breathing Method coming in second. It was so good, I loved it

[@thing_under_the_stairs]

Apt Pupil was a great, terrifying story, improved only by Ian McKellan's performance in the adaptation. One time that an Oscar was actually fully deserved!

[@adamrasmusson6976]

The ending to Apt Pupil really stuck with me for a while. It has to be the darkest ending. What has happened to Todd Bowden and how far in to darkness he's fallen in to. 😮😳

[@ryanharvey938]

I read it over a year ago. I can say this is probably the scariest story from king I've read. But It is also in my top 5 king stories.

[@mikesbookreviews]

I can see why others recoil to it, but it's damn good if not haunting.

[@crazyperson1950]

Thank you for the Stephen King Update!!! Love the independent episodes on a book or novella

[@Aust51989]

I think The Outsider is the same species as Pennywise because the “sequel” to The Outsider is “If It Bleeds”, but I read that title as “If IT Bleeds”. I think that is hint.

[@mikesbookreviews]

Without a doubt.

[@thing_under_the_stairs]

I don't think The Outsider is the same species as Pennywise, as Pennywise seems to be more powerful, for lack of a better term, but I think they're related. If Pennywise is a tiger, The Outsider is a bobcat. One could snack on the other, but we humans could be easily taken down by both unless prepared and armed.

[@adamrasmusson6976]

I really hate when people say the Ending to the Outsider was predictable, Do What?! If you read the bill hodges trilogy, there is NOTHING that even remotely suggests that something like that lives in that world. They're lying through their teeth 😬

[@thing_under_the_stairs]

@@adamrasmusson6976 I think the only part of The Outsider's ending that was at all predictable was that Holly survived, simply because we all know that Stephen King really seems to enjoy writing her character. Of course, I haven't read Holly yet, so don't spoil it for me if he's ended her story with that one!

[@kennethgooday9969]

Mike, first off, love your channel. I'm curious, I don't remember you mentioning it. Have you read any John Dies at The End? I've read all 4 books, and I think you would love the series. It's bonkers in all the best ways.

[@mikesbookreviews]

I haven't but am hoping to this year

[@jordanturner9164]

I read Apt Pupil for the first time last year. Didn't think there could be a more disturbing Stephen King story to top that but this might just be it. I look forward to getting to Four Past Midnight eventually.

[@mikesbookreviews]

Yeah, this one will leave a scar.

[@andreamiller3578]

I've missed these kind of reviews. Really enjoyed this and I'm not even that big of a King fan.

[@heavymetalheretic5386]

I hope if nothing else you finish doing the Dark Tower series. I'm nearing the end of Wolves of the Calla myself.,

[@jwcarlson]

I've read the vast majority of King's work and the older I get, the more wild it gets that my parents owned a lot of and let me read any King that I wanted... but Harry Potter was not allowed. The Library Policeman is absolutely among the the scariest of his writing.

[@toddwagner369]

Love these videos

[@popsiclepunk2112]

Great video!!!

[@PoorPersonsBookReviewer]

Why Mike, I read this in dec, and trying to put the library police man behind me 😩

[@mikesbookreviews]

It will never leave those who read this one.

[@katechambers3302]

Yes the one scene but it was relevant to the theme and the story and from the perspective of the child and things like that happen! I’m a retired attorney who practiced criminal law. Yes, those things we bury in our mind can be the scariest! You get it-smart review. Thank you.

[@jamesshipley9164]

Just finished this one and loved it. Definitely felt like a different take on a Pennywise-like creature and now I'm curious if he did more along the same lines I might have missed. I did read "The Man In the Black Suit" which plays out so closely to a short story Pennywise encounter that it felt like a lost Mike Hanlon research interview. Might also recommend Peter Straub's Ghost Story and Floating Dragon for sharing similar ideas and scares. Everytime I find a story like this though it's a treat, hope there are a lot more out there.

[@jcdenton616]

Never clicked on a video so fast! :D

[@mikesbookreviews]

Hope you enjoyed it!

[@sandy23stories40]

I want to read this one now, I love his older books. I never read Dean Koontz 😅

[@Ribshack2012]

With as much as you brought up IT during this, would you say it's better to read IT before this story or does it really matter? I haven't read IT yet, but just curious if there's any extra context that's provided in IT that might be beneficial during Library Policeman.

[@mikesbookreviews]

Doesn't matter. They aren't connected. The comparisons are just undeniable.

[@jwcarlson]

I always click for Mike, but I double click if it's Mike talking about King.

[@jackiesliterarycorner]

I needed to reread all the stories Four Past Midnight.

[@mandyhuybregts3235]

I havent read it yet. But this year i have a lot of Kings on the list to read. I want to read Salem's Lot, Later, Rose Madder and Tommyknockers.

[@kylerieman221]

It has been a minute since i read this one...i might have to fit in a re read this year

[@mikesbookreviews]

Highly encouraged.

[@leowise206]

Four past Midnight, arguably the best collection of novellas out there. They really are 100% Stephen King and cover almost every facet of his authorship. Maybe this would be a good place to start for starters. but maybe Dead Zone would be a great place to start. However, my rating for the stories in Four Past Midnight: The Langoliers: a story that is so believable, that you might almost believe that is what happened that the Malasya Airlines flight that disappeared. Secret Windows, Secret Garden: One of the best psychological horrors/thrillers that I have read from S.K The Library Policeman: Anybody who wants to experience "It" again would love this. (probably) The Sundog: So absurd and unbelievable, but yet so well written. Like those story where you think if the A-mighty can or actually will carry us out of the natural existence for a short while. Now The library Policeman I never had read till just now. It was on the list for a long time. I kind of pushed it off because of all the warnings.---------------Major spoiler here------------------------------- I just do not see what is so shocking about the story. To our horror child abuse and rape do take place... I don't know, I was kind of, once having read that scene of Peebles dream; "That was it?" Was all the warnings only about that? Well, I read out the story and did not come across something more shocking in that story... Do not get me wrong, I think it was a great story and I loved it, but I was really waiting for me being as frigthened as when I had read "It". Well, that would be difficult to beat. I was 12 and on a campsite in the dark with a lantern reading It and now I am 44. Makes a difference. I do think though that I would not necessarily reccomend it to people who have been victims of abuse G-d forbid. That is of course a different story... All in all... To revisist Pennywise it was worth it very much, even though some parts were.. somewhat tasteless (relationship between Dave and Ardelia for example). But it was a very nice read and King in his element.

[@BeardofDarkness]

I have had "Four Past Midnight" for over a year. I knew very little when I bought it, thanks to you I now have a reason to get evil...Lol

[@danecobain]

A cracking tale!

[@katechambers3302]

I didn’t sense any disrespect to woman at all. As you say it was small town Iowa and the main female characters (including the monster and the secretary) were very strong. Very positive message about AA and recovery from trauma. So good!

[@katechambers3302]

Loved The Library Policeman. My favorite out of Four Past Midnight. Such a great, creepy, well written story with compelling truths about a lot of things.

[@brentasmith]

Swan Song gets a call out in The Library Policeman iirc

[@mikesbookreviews]

I just recall the "we can't keep his books on the shelf!" line

[@ilikecomicstoareallyproble8617]

I always figured that Pennywise, Ardelia, Leland Gaunt, and the Outsider were all of the same species,.

[@mikesbookreviews]

First time I've considered Gaunt of that variety.

[@adamrasmusson6976]

I always thought Gaunt was a variation of Randall Flagg. Turning a town against each other and friends murdering each other is RF's bag 🎒 😈

[@jleecowles23]

Also in Dr. Sleep, feeding off children's fear, it really reminded me of Ardelia.

[@leowise206]

@@mikesbookreviews I always thought of Needful Things as a modern day retelling of the Faust myth and thus Gaunt (spoiler) being the devil incarnate.

[@michaelcamacho48]

It has been my favorite since I received my Four Past Midnight from the SK Library when it first came out!

[@RalphNC09]

I will always watch your book reviews

[@ptannous27]

My goal this year is to read some King outside of the classics I’ve read.

[@praetorxyn]

Interesting. I'll get to it eventually.

[@flournoymason8961]

When I read that book I was freaked out.

[@leezirkle7840]

Have you read all of King's books?

[@mikesbookreviews]

I’d say about 90%. Haven’t read some of the short story/novella collections as well as a handful post-Dark Tower.

[@mixedmattaphors]

Mike, I love your openings, but just as some free money, I was wondering why you read excerpts from the other stories, if you weren't going to talk about them here.

[@mikesbookreviews]

I did it for Different Seasons because the original plan was to do one video for all 4 stories but I decided against a 2-hour final product. With this one I just had the same format and it was too late to go back and edit them down. That's why I have time stamps if folks don't care to watch them.

[@mixedmattaphors]

Okay, yeah, it felt like there may have been some kind of counterpart, beyond it, and I don't want to vote down the excerpts, which I love. Thanks for the response.@@mikesbookreviews

[@kuvrut7747]

Ive read it when i was 11.

[@lukeskywalker6809]

What’s the Langloiers?

[@marianapgar4409]

The first story in four past midnight.

[@matthewmille]

I think you could say it was the first “no clip into the backrooms” story and then it shows you what happens there.

[@lukeskywalker6809]

Isn't it called The Langoliers?@@marianapgar4409

[@annettesonnenberg7606]

I know there’s a lot of horrible things that happen in the world. Child rape being one of them . But when I pick up a book to read it’s for enjoyment and to escape for awhile. For Stephen to consider child rape to be entertaining is beyond vulgar. Won’t be reading this one.

[@mikesbookreviews]

I missed where he said “this is entertainment.” But that’s your choice as a reader.

[@Yesica1993]

He IS disturbed! That's why I don't read him. Except his book, On Writing. I enjoyed that when I read it long ago. I remember watching a video interview with him many years ago. I don't remember which book he was talking about , but I remember him saying he barely remembered writing it. He said something to the effect of, something was writing through him. Disturbing, indeed.