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jenniepepsi · Jun 25, 2009, 09:11 AM

I just read the whole Skeleton Crew" Collection of short stories.

i loved most of them. although 'the reach' wasnt very scary. my favorite was "The Jaunt" and "Gramma"

my question is,

did anyone understand "MilkMan 1-2"?

I couldn't follow it. Even though 'gramma' seemed harder to follow and I undersetood that one.

It seems to me, something about some guys meeting up after not seeing each other for a while. The automechanic wanted to kill his wife. The milkman just doing his job. Walked into a murder scene. Not sure if he did it or not

Anyone have any ideas on the plot here? Who did it? And did those guys in the truck die? It was so frustrating.

jenniepepsi · Jul 28, 2009, 08:03 PM

I posted this a long time ago and never got a response, so I figured I would try one more time.

Wondergirl · Jul 29, 2009, 03:06 PM

Originally Posted by jenniepepsi

i posted this a long time ago and never got a response, so i figured i would try one more time.

I think I read it years ago, during my Stephen King phase. Will bring it home from work (library) and reread it JUST FOR YOU!

jenniepepsi · Jul 29, 2009, 03:26 PM

Aww thanks hon :P your great. I tried to re'read it. Lol got the same issue. I just don't get it. I THINK I understand the situation, I just don't get why its scary.

Wondergirl · Jul 30, 2009, 07:24 PM

#1 is about a supposedly sweet, kind, caring milkman who leaves deadly things in his deliveries. The last scene is one of his killings, with a note "cancel" for future milk deliveries.

#2 is about two laundry workers, Rocky and Leo, who after just finishing up a shift at work (and just starting on a second case of beer) are driving around searching for an auto-inspection station. They finally come across an inspection station owned by an old friend of Rocky's, Bob Driscoll. Although not directly part of the main storyline, it's implied that there are links between one of the men and an unsolved murder of a teenage couple who were murdered and dismembered while parking in a car that mysteriously crashed into Rocky and Leo at the end of the story. Rocky and Leo were killed. Bob killed his wife and burned down their house to cover the crime. Spike is on his way to Bob's house, but suddenly the milk truck is empty of things Spike can kill him with.

jenniepepsi · Jul 30, 2009, 07:30 PM

Oooh that is creepy lol. Thanks hon :D

What was your favorite story from that book of stories?

I didn't like how the mist ended. But I can't stop reading the jaunt, survivor type, gramma, and ballad of a flexible bullet.

Unfortunately, while I think I understand 'the reach' it just doesn't seem scary. Its about ghosts... but not scary lol. Same with the wedding gig. Just not scary

Wondergirl · Jul 30, 2009, 07:33 PM

I just picked up the book at 5 and read only those two stories to answer your questions. I have the book for three weeks, so will read more over the weekend.

jenniepepsi · Jul 30, 2009, 07:39 PM

Hehe k. beware. Stephen king is terrible :P if you have a weak stomach, DO NOT read 'survivor type' it's the most greusome and terrible. All the others are simply scary and terrifying. This one is just flat out discusting and disturbing ;) keeping true to stephen kings mind ;)

Wondergirl · Jul 30, 2009, 07:49 PM

Originally Posted by jenniepepsi

hehe k. beware. stephen king is terrible :P if you have a weak stomach, DO NOT read 'survivor type' its the most greusome and terrible. all the others are simply scary and terrifying. this one is just flat out discusting and disturbing ;) keeping true to stephen kings mind ;)

I'm a librarian and have read many of his books. The scariest to me were The Shining and Pet Sematary.

jenniepepsi · Jul 30, 2009, 07:57 PM

This one is very different.

If you don't mind a spoiler, highlight under this message, I put it there.

**SPOILER--- ok so basically, this man is stranded on a desert island alone. and its not like on the movies, there is NOTHING, no shade, no food, just sand and rock and seaguls. and ALOT of cocane that crashlanded with him. first he survives by eating seaguls. then he breaks his foot, and he is unable to catch them. his foot starts to get infected and then die. so he cuts his foot off and eats it...:EEK: then it continues. he eats his leg, then his other foot his other leg, his hand, ect. till nothign is left except his torso and head and one hand....then he dies... **SPOILER

Wondergirl · Jul 30, 2009, 08:02 PM

How did you do that with the spoiler?

I won't read that one anytime before or after a meal.

jenniepepsi · Jul 30, 2009, 08:08 PM

I put it up in white like the background :P just hold your left mouse button and move your mouse over it.

Wondergirl · Jul 30, 2009, 08:15 PM

Originally Posted by jenniepepsi

i put it up in white like the background :P just hold your left mouse button and move your mouse over it.

I had been able to read it, but wondered how you did it. Sneaky and cool!

jenniepepsi · Jul 30, 2009, 08:22 PM

Oh hehe yeah I changed the color to white ;) I learned how to do that in high school. The school had a website, email and message board set up for all the students, but it was supervised :P so we did that to talk about things we weren't supposed to ;) we never got in trouble, but I doubt very seriously we were able to fool them :P

Geoffro · Aug 17, 2009, 07:38 PM

Originally Posted by jenniepepsi

did anyone understand "MilkMan 1-2"?

I understood the plot, as summarized by others above. I took the overall meaning of the first story as the milkman, Spike, representing death. His seemingly random leavings of poison and other awful things at some houses while leaving honest to goodness milk at others represented the awful randomness of death.

Choosing a milkman (complete with the cheery grin - I thought the hopscotch scene was incredible) to represent the Reaper was brilliant. This begs the question: in the reality of our everyday lives, does death really represent itself as a dark scary figure with a scythe, or is it lurking around every corner disguised as something as nonthreatening as a milkman?

The second story is more humorous, and could exist on its own without Spike ever entering the story, Leo and Rocky ride off into the sunrise... but Spike shows up at the end, again as a death agent, and later to assist Bob in covering up the murder of his wife. There is also the curious reference to the huge bug Rocky sees in the garage when they are getting ready to leave, and then the bug being gone from the back of Spike's truck at the end. Not sure about this part...

Hope this helps... another read might be good.

Oh, and I also loved Survivor Type.

jenniepepsi · Aug 17, 2009, 07:49 PM

Yeah survivor type was awesome. A little odd, but that's why we love stephen king :P

That's a great inside, I didn't even think to make the connection of spike and death/reaper. Makes sense now that I think about it! Thanks!

Steelburgh · Jun 27, 2012, 09:23 AM

Hey, I know this is a very old topic, but the Milkman stories #1 and 2 were slightly modified chapters King pulled from an unfinished book titled (you guessed it), The Milkman. I always thought those two stories were weird and seemed unfinished, and that's probably why.

By the way, while Survivor Type is the grossest story in the book, I think the scariest is The Jaunt. Ponder the concept of eternity for a few seconds (or a few quadrillion) and you may agree.

jenniepepsi · Jun 27, 2012, 11:31 AM

OH I definitely agree steelburgh! And being a mother, the ending is terrifying.