# Thinner, by Richard Bachman **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 3, 2005, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinner-by-richard-bachman/288251 "2005-02-03T20:58:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2005, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinner-by-richard-bachman/288251/1 "2005-02-03T20:58:46Z")
I just finished this book, and I really liked it, for some reason. It was fairly good until the twist at the very end, and the twist elevated it even more. VERY basic summary: He hits a gypsy woman with his car and kills her. Another gypsy curses him to keep getting thinner, and thinner. (spaces to keep spoiler from appearing in mouse-over) I really liked the end where he brings the pie home to his wife and his daughter eats it accidentally, and out of despair then he chows down, too. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not really in favor of such brutal revenge but I honestly didn’t expect the twist. I thought he would feed it to his wife and the book would end on him saying something slightly creepy to his daughter, like “Your mother…something’s happened to her.” I totally didn’t see the twist of his daughter coming home & then him eating it out of despair. What can I say, sometimes I have sick tastes. ---
**Author:** ![LindyHopper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ebca7d/32.png) [@LindyHopper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LindyHopper)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2005, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinner-by-richard-bachman/288251/2 "2005-02-03T21:02:10Z")
My favorite aspect of the book is how he’s originally quite overweight, and he views the curse as a _positive_ thing for quite some time, until he figures out that it’s not…going…to _stop_. 🆒 Also, his mobster friend was way cool. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2005, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinner-by-richard-bachman/288251/3 "2005-02-03T21:05:15Z")
When the gypsy gave him the pie, he said "You eat pie. You die thin, but strong. I thought he did it to save his daughter from getting the “curse” of the pie When come back, bring pie. ---
**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2005, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinner-by-richard-bachman/288251/4 "2005-02-03T21:14:42Z")
I always found that that book read like a Stephen King novel to me. 😛 Zev Steinhardt ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2005, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinner-by-richard-bachman/288251/5 "2005-02-03T21:17:39Z")
> [@zev\_steinhardt](#): > > I always found that that book read like a Stephen King novel to me. 😛 > > Zev Steinhardt Wow, really? It never occured to me. 😉 Humor-impaired: that’s a joke. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2005, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinner-by-richard-bachman/288251/6 "2005-02-03T23:54:21Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > Wow, really? It never occured to me. 😉 > > Humor-impaired: that’s a joke. Pay attention-I believe at one point his says that his situation is “Like something out of a novel by Stephen King!” Hehehe… (Oh, btw-do NOT watch the movie. It sucks) ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinner-by-richard-bachman/288251/7 "2005-02-04T00:09:05Z")
Only King book I made it through. I loved it. Then again you put gypsies in something I will like it. The movie version changes the ending into a Tales from the Darkside style thing. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinner-by-richard-bachman/288251/8 "2005-02-04T00:24:54Z")
> [@Push You Down](#): > > Only King book I made it through. I loved it. Then again you put gypsies in something I will like it. You HAVE to watch Disney’s _Babes in Toyland_! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Caricci](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/85f322/32.png) [@Caricci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caricci)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinner-by-richard-bachman/288251/9 "2005-02-04T00:25:26Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > Pay attention-I believe at one point his says that his situation is “Like something out of a novel by Stephen King!” > > Hehehe… > > (Oh, btw-do NOT watch the movie. It sucks) I liked the movie, but only because I had just travelled down rt. 1 from Bar Harbor to, well, out of Maine, the day before I saw it and that’s where the move took place. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinner-by-richard-bachman/288251/10 "2005-02-04T01:08:37Z")
That is one of only two King books that I enjoyed, the other being Firestarter. Its been a long time, but I vaguely recall being someone disappointed with the ending. Was a good read overall though.