October Stephen King Tribute Day 15: Thinner

Thinner was originally published in November of 1984.

Warning, this review does contain spoilers.

Lawyer Billy Halleck is receiving a sexual favor from his wife Heidi while driving his car. Unable to pay complete attention to the road, Billy hits an elderly Gypsy woman, killing her. Billy uses his friends, the judge and the town police chief to get himself acquitted of the charges. After the trial, Taduz Lemke, the Gypsy woman's father, whispers "Thinner" to Billy.

Over the next few weeks Billy begins to lose weight, almost two pounds a day. The loss accelerates once he realizes that he has been cursed. He also learns that the judge is suffering from a condition where scales are appearing on his skin and the police chief is suffering from a violent case of acne.

Billy calls on his friend Richie "The Hammer" Ginelli, a mob figure, to assist him with his problem with the Gypsies. Richie locates the camp and begins terrorizing the people. Lemke agrees to meet with Billy. He tells him that the curse cannot be removes but can be transferred to someone else. He cuts Billy's hand dripping the blood into a pie. Whoever eats the pie will take the curse from Billy.

He takes the pie home, intending to give it to his wife. He awakens the next morning to find that both his wife and daughter have eaten some of the pie. He sits down and cuts himself of piece of the pie.

This book was originally published using King's pseudonym Richard Bachman. King used the pseudonym to be able to publish more than one work in a year, something that publisher's thought taboo at the time. The name Richard was a tribute to Donald Westlake's pseudonym Richard Stark. Bachman was in honor of Bachman-Turner Overdrive, a band King was fond of listening to at the time.

Thinner has a simple theme, justice must be fulfilled. Lemke does not allow Billy's influence to completely wipe the slate for his crimes. I enjoyed this book very much and strongly recommend it if you have not already read it.