Growing Things and Other Stories

By: Paul Tremblay

Narrated by: Sean Crisden, Graham Halstead, Cassandra Campbell, Sarah Naughton, Michael Crouch, Caitlin Kelly

A chilling collection of psychological suspense and literary horror from the multiple award-winning author of the national best seller The Cabin at the End of the World and A Head Full of Ghosts.

A masterful anthology featuring 19 pieces of short fiction, Growing Things and Other Stories is an exciting glimpse into Paul Tremblay’s fantastically fertile imagination.

In “The Teacher”, a Bram Stoker Award nominee for best short story, a student is forced to watch a disturbing video that will haunt and torment her and her classmates’ lives.

Four men rob a pawn shop at gunpoint only to vanish, one by one, as they speed away from the crime scene in “The Getaway”.

In “Swim Wants to Know If It’s as Bad as Swim Thinks”, a meth addict kidnaps her daughter from her estranged mother as their town is terrorized by a giant monster...or not.

Joining these haunting works are stories linked to Tremblay’s previous novels. The tour de force metafictional novella Notes from the Dog Walkers deconstructs horror and publishing, possibly bringing in a character from A Head Full of Ghosts, all while serving as a prequel to Disappearance at Devil’s Rock. “The Thirteenth Temple” follows another character from A Head Full of Ghosts - Merry, who has published a tell-all memoir written years after the events of the novel. And the title story, “Growing Things”, a shivery tale loosely shared between the sisters in A Head Full of Ghosts, is told here in full.

From global catastrophe to the demons inside our heads, Tremblay illuminates our primal fears and darkest dreams in startlingly original fiction that leaves us unmoored. As he lowers the sky and yanks the ground from beneath our feet, we are compelled to contemplate the darkness inside our own hearts and minds.

©2019 Paul Tremblay (P)2019 HarperCollins Publishers

“Horror” that actually made me think…

All of these stories are extremely well-written and really none of them were a let down for me. The ambiguity in many of them added to the eerie, cold feeling. You could tell Tremblay was experimenting a bit but he never lost me. It was effective. All of these stories were unique and interesting.

Brilliant!

This was my first time experience of this author. I can say with confidence that my next purchase on Audible will be something else by Tremblay. "The Teacher" specifically is one of the best short stories I have ever come across- and I have read damn near a thousand.
Do yourself a favor and purchase this book.

Great Book-- Broken Audible File

It's an excellent book, with a great variety of horror stories and some really wonderful performances-- the narrators I think really, really understand the tone and rhythm of Tremblay on a deep level-- but I'm writing this review because the actual audiobook needs a patch from audible. There are some stories that just don't have their own marked chapter separated out in the table of contents ("Untitled" is the one I remember) and there's a Choose-Your-Own-Adventure story that is just completely broken. It asks you to skip ahead or back several tracks at the end of each section to pick your path-- but the individual chapters aren't separated out on tracks. Skipping ahead or back takes you to the other stories, so you just have to sit and listen to instructions you can't follow every few minutes. Just absolutely bizarre to me that audible would take the time to record all those instructions, and then not bother to actually break up the story to ensure you could follow them.

Anyway. Great book. High recommend. Be forewarned that the actual file needs a couple patches, and this problem makes one story a frustrating listen.

some moments

Generally, it was excellent writing, but not as tense or horror filled as I expected.

Indulgent in all the right ways

A wide and thoughtful variety of story premises really defines this collection. The author indulges in deep dives into the characters' perspectives and personalities and plays with standard tropes in innovative and timely ways. The narration is flawless and the production is top-notch. A total treat to listen to.

Some standout short stories

There are some very good - and one or two dare I say not just disturbing but scary - short stories in this collection!

This isn’t gore or silly monsters, there so much more to it.

The depth of some of the characters/plots is good, the ambiguity that leaves unanswered questions but also room to use your imagination is entertaining and captivating.

This is one of those books that I’ll probably read again. (Which is a big deal for me!)

I didn’t realize Trembly did Cabin At The End Of The World - while some of his works were meh/forgettable, between these two titles I’d have to say Trembly at is the top of my list for scary stories (or “weird fiction” as he might put it).

An editing note: it would be nice to have a longer pause between the stories - I’m still trying to digest what I just read and after 0.5 seconds a new story is already firing up.. something like 3 seconds in between, a musical note, something to demarcate them would be great. Otherwise the narration is perfect.

It was ok

The stories were ok, but a bit too obscure for my taste. I did still find myself entertained

Classic Tremblay

This may be premature, because I’m only halfway through, but so far the collection is everything I’ve come to expect from Paul Tremblay. Complex stories, believable characters, unexpected twists, and maximum tension with minimal gore. The title story will stay with me for a long time, long time. The intersection of madness and innocence and family dynamics is fertile ground for horror, and Tremblay tills that ground for all it’s worth.

Paul Tremblay Is Rocketing To The Top Of My List!

The first book I read by Mr. Tremblay was “A Head Full of Ghosts”. It was not exactly what I expected and that made it even better than I’d hoped. Paul Tremblay is an author to sit up and pay attention to. After finishing the aforementioned book, I did not hesitate to check out “Growing Things and Other Stories”. Each story is unique, original and very, very well done. This is just very good storytelling.

The writing is clever, top-shelf work and the narration is on point and superb. I highly recommend this collection of shorts by Mr. Tremblay and I now begin my search for more of his writing!

One of the best in horror today!

Paul Tremblay is simply one of the best writers working today, whether we’re talking horror or fiction in general. Layered characters, interesting/ unsettling plot ideas and twists, and an ever present sense of dread combine for an amazing reading/ listening experience! Highly recommended!