Review of The Man Who Loved Flowers

 

Review of “The Man Who Loved” Flowers by Stephen King

Read the story first before reading the review as it contains spoilers. Here's the link The Man Who Loved Flowers.pdf

"The Man Who Loved Flowers" is about a young man walking through the streets of New York in 1963 on a Spring evening on his way to meet a girl. As he makes his way through the streets, he buys flowers from a vendor and people keep smiling at him. When he confronts the girl, she turn out not to be the one he thought, and he instead murders her in a dark alley.

When I first read the story I was shocked by the twist ending. After reading it multiple times, I could see all of the foreshadowing that King had set up. Knowing that the main character is the hammer murderer, the 1963 New York setting adds to the serial killer, thriller aspect of the story. The eerie tone is set with the darkening of the sky, which contrasts with the mood of love the man is feeling.

The author drops several clues along the way to hint at the man's real identity. The man describes the cart of flowers as a “yellow fever of jonquils”; yellow fever being an illness, which the man is clearly suffering from some mental health issues resulting in violent acts of crime. The news report mentions a murderer on the loose and a dead woman found in the river, more foreshadowing of the man's reveal at the end. The story references the seasons, Spring and Summer often, and even the music on the radio was by the Four Seasons. I'm not sure exactly what this symbolizes, but it is mentioned that it's the end of Spring and Summer is “the season of dreams”. This change could represent the change in the character's personality at the end of the story.

While the story is about a murderer who kills young women, I believe that the man has mental issues. I even headcanon that this guy has escaped or has been recently released from a mental institution. After he passes the bad news on the radio, he responds as if none of it matters and continues walking with a smile. This is not how a sane person would act. The man also feels the hammer in his pocket but immediately takes his hand off and forgets about it and what he's done with it. When the man finds out that the girl is not Norma, he has a mental break and kills her. He freaks out and doesn't want her to scream, so he kills her to stop it. The woman's face blurs as if all the victims faces are blurred together and he can no longer remember what the real Norma looks like anymore. He is clearly a mentally disturbed individual. I almost even think that all of the people smiling at him, might even be in his head.

The fact that this murderer walks around with a smile and no one assumes that he is the hammer murderer. When in fact he needs to get some mental help and be locked up. It's a fascinating story, that feels like it could really happen in New York city in 1963. The level of detail that King uses to describe the hustle and bustle lifestyle of the city adds to the story. A simple, short story that's well written and leaves the reader with many questions. I haven't read much King but so far I've enjoyed his short stories.

Thank you for reading this post! Have you read this Stephen King short story? Make sure to leave your thoughts and feedback in the comments section. Follow the blog on social media for new updates!

While I'm not as good a horror writer as Stephen King, check out my spooky/thriller inspired stories on WattPad!

"Grave Little Witches"

"Through the Blackout"

Looking for a Halloween themed children's book? Check out my book “Who Scared Jack?” About a pumpkin named Jack who is scared on Halloween night. Join him as he makes his way through his house filled with all sorts of spooky creatures as he looks for the monster.

Buy “Who Scared Jack?” with this link