Stephen King's You Like It Darker contains a good mix of stories, from eerie novellas that lean into their horror elements to more thoughtful reflections on life and death. That's what makes King's 2024 collection so compelling, and there's one story that stands out as especially poignant. While "Laurie" features tragedy and has darker themes, this addition to You Like It Darker has one of the most satisfying endings in the book. And it breaks a frequent trend of King's work, which comes as a huge relief.
The ninth story in You Like It Darker, "Laurie" follows a fairly new widower named Lloyd, whose sister brings him a dog he initially doesn't want. The two bond over time, and they have a close encounter with an alligator on one of their walks. The alligator kills one of Lloyd's neighbors, and Lloyd and Laurie nearly meet the same fate. Because King has a habit of treating the dogs in his books a certain way, this makes for a tense setup — though I appreciated that the narrative broke away from the trend established by so many others.
Stephen King's Track Record With Dog Deaths Made Me Worried While Reading "Laurie"
Dogs Die In A Number Of The Author's Books & Stories
King has a pretty poor track record when it comes to keeping dogs alive in his stories, as a number of them meet tragic ends in his work. The author himself has acknowledged this, admitting, "In some ways I have been a little bit tough on dogs in my career" (via The Times). The most obvious example is Cujo, during which the titular St. Bernard contracts rabies and is killed at the end. However, Gerald's Game, The Dead Zone, and It all feature disturbing dog deaths — and there are more minor ones scattered throughout King's backlog as well.
Because King has a tendency to kill off dogs in his work, I was worried about how things would play out in "Laurie." Lloyd is already grappling with the death of his wife when the story opens, and it seemed cruel for him to lose his new dog just as he'd grown attached to her. Of course, it would emphasize the bond they'd formed, but it felt too tragic, even within a collection of horror narratives. Fortunately, King breaks his frequent trend in this addition to You Like It Darker,
I'm So Relieved Stephen King Didn't Continue This Tragic Trend In You Like It Darker
"Laurie" Winds Up Being The Book's Most Heartwarming Story
Custom Image by Yeider Chacon
Although Lloyd's neighbor, Don, is killed by the alligator in "Laurie," the story's lead and his dog manage to make it home mostly unscathed. As a dog lover, I breathed a sigh of relief when I realized neither of them would meet the same fate. But this ending is a refreshing change of pace beyond that. For one, it's arguably more surprising for King to leave the dog alive, as so many of his works use that twist to elicit shock and sadness. King turns the tables here, just as he does with the dog in his 2022 book, Fairy Tale.
Additionally, going in this direction with "Laurie" allows it to become one of You Like It Darker's most satisfying and heartwarming narratives, even if it's not the best in terms of horror or suspense. You Like It Darker has plenty of stories that leave major questions unanswered, like "Finn" and "Red Screen," and it has several that end in tragedy for their main characters. "Laurie" offers a respite from these other Stephen King stories, allowing it to stand out.
Source: The Times
