Two Talented Bastids – Book Synopsis
|
Title |
You Like It Darker |
|
Author |
Stephen King |
|
Genre |
Horror, Fiction, Mistery |
|
Format |
484 pages, Hardcover |
|
Published |
May 21, 2024 by Hodder & Stoughton |
|
ISBN |
9781399725095 (ISBN10: 1399725092) |
|
ASIN |
1399725092 |
|
Language |
English |
|
Awards |
Locus Award Nominee for Collection (2025), Audie Award for Short Stories/Collections (2025), Goodreads Choice Award for Horror (2024) |
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This post may contain affiliate links that earn me commissions at no extra cost to you.
Two Talented Bastids – Quick Summary
Two Talented Bastids – Trigger Warnings, Sensitive Topics and Age Rating
Before we go any further, I always like to include a quick note on sensitive content. Every reader is different, and some themes in this book might be difficult for certain people.
If you prefer to check content warnings before reading, just click below to reveal the list of trigger warnings, sensitive topics and age ratting.
Two Talented Bastids – Summary
This Stephen King story isn’t told in a straight line, it jumps around in time, weaving through different moments instead of following a typical beginning-to-end structure. The narrator, Mark Carmody, shares the story of his father, a brilliant writer, and his godfather, a famous painter and caricaturist.
We piece together their lives through Mark’s reflections and through a journalist who’s trying to figure out how two regular guys from a small town ended up so incredibly successful. Most of what we learn comes from conversations, old stories, and interviews with people who knew them best. But the real key is the collection of documents and a manuscript Mark’s father left behind after his death, offering the only real glimpse into what actually happened.
To make things easier to follow, I figured it would help to lay everything out in the order it happened. I’ll include dates and major events so you can follow along, whether you’ve read the story or just want a clear picture of how it all fits together.
Alright, no more rambling, let’s get into it!
Two Talented Bastids – End Explained
In the end, we discover that Laird and Butch’s sudden rise to fame traces back to a strange encounter during a 1978 hunting trip. After saving an alien being, they receive a mysterious gray case said to “unlock” creative potential. When they breathe on it, something changes. Laird becomes a bestselling novelist, and Butch turns into a world-renowned painter. The story never confirms whether the case truly caused this shift or simply activated what was already inside them, but it is clear that moment changed everything.
Years later, Mark visits the old cabin and finds the case still there. Hoping it might spark something in him too, he breathes on it, but nothing happens. That quiet moment reveals the truth: the case doesn’t give talent, it only brings out what already exists. Mark accepts that he may not have the same kind of gift his father and godfather had, but he finds peace in understanding that, and in honoring their story.
Two Talented Bastids – Character List
|
Character Name |
Character Role |
|---|---|
|
Mark Carmody |
Narrator and son of Laird, honorary nephew of Butch. A retired school superintendent who cares for his father and uncovers the mystery behind Laird and Butch’s success. |
|
Laird Carmody |
Mark’s father, a once-ordinary man who becomes a bestselling novelist after a mysterious 1978 hunting trip. His manuscript reveals the life-changing encounter behind it all. |
|
Dave “Butch” LaVerdiere |
Laird’s best friend and Mark’s honorary uncle. A plumber turned celebrated painter after the 1978 event. Later moves to Seattle and dies in 2019. |
|
Sheila Wise Carmody |
Laird’s wife and Mark’s mother, a kind former teacher who loved gardening. She dies suddenly in 2016 and was a steady, grounding force in Laird’s life. |
|
Ruth Crawford |
A freelance journalist investigating the unlikely success of Laird and Butch. She interviews Mark, townsfolk, and briefly Laird, seeking the “serendipity” behind their fame. |
|
Ylla |
A non-human entity encountered by Laird and Butch on a bridge during their 1978 hunting trip. Described as having pliable, Play-Doh-like features, she’s revived by their first aid efforts. |
|
The Young Man |
A second extraterrestrial being who appears after Ylla’s rescue, posing as a young human male with blond hair and khaki attire. He gifts Laird and Butch the gray case as thanks for saving Ylla. |
Two Talented Bastids – Connections to Other Stephen King Works
What I love most about Stephen King’s work is how everything feels connected. He has this brilliant way of slipping little references and shared details across his stories, creating a universe that’s fun to piece together. Two Talented Bastids is no different.
So, I gathered a few connections and subtle nods that fellow King fans (like me!) might find especially fun to spot.
Bag of Bones (1998)
Gwendy’s Button Box (2017, co-authored with Richard Chizmar)
The Tommyknockers (1987)
Dreamcatcher (2001)
Some Book Quotes
“Robert Frost said home is the place that, when you go there, they have to take you in. It’s also the place you start from, and if you’re one of the lucky ones, it’s where you finish up.”
“I remember thinking that the fading of hopes and ambitions was mostly painless. That was good, but it was also rather horrible.”
“What the fuck is talent, anyway? I ask myself that question sometimes while I’m shaving, or… when I’m watering my late wife’s daylilies. Especially then.”
