Reviews for The Stationary Bike

The average rating for The Stationary Bike based on 2 reviews is 4 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2020-06-21 00:00:00 Marcia Earley This little story was a roller coaster for me. I was bored at first and then it got very interesting and I still am not sure what I feel about the ending. I sort of think it's good and sort of not like it. We meet a man at the doctor being told his Cholesterol is high and he needs to do something about it now. He explains the digestion process as like a work crew clearing the streets. Our main man is an artist so he decides to start working out and his creative juices go into overdrive. He sees that cure the doctor was talking about in his painting. I loved how Stephen King explains the aging digestive process. It makes a lot of sense. I love the painting idea, and it did get creepy there at the end, but I don't know if it was a good kind of creepy. I was expecting something else, but the more I think about it, the more I think this works. I think there is a soft message here and it seems to be moderation. We can be too healthy and unhealthy and a donut now and then isn't a bad thing. I think I'm liking the ending more and more, so I am going to give this story 4 stars.

Review # 2 was written on 2020-04-05 00:00:00 Anthony Larocca Interesting novella about an artist named Sifkitz trying to get in shape and buying a stationary bike for that reason (the story also is included in the anthology Just After Sunset). While cycling he invents an inset story (and a set of paintings) about a group of construction workers. Will that group die when he quits his cycling (and working on that series)? What about the construction workers when one of them commits suicide? There is much social criticism inside and that you shouldn't outdo exercises. Overall a very solid story. Not the most haunting one but one well written and literary. Recommended!