1974, Castle Rock, Maine (it’s a Stephen King story so of course it’s set in Maine!), and 12 year old Gwendy Peterson meets a mysterious man in a black hat at the top of the ominously-named Suicide Stairs who has a present for her: a button box. Each button represents a continent with the black button representing… something unknown but terrifying… and the red button representing your heart’s desire. Press them - if you dare - and see what happens. The box also dispenses magic chocolate and extremely valuable, mint condition 1891 Morgan silver dollars. What does it all mean - and why Gwendy?
In a line, Gwendy’s Button Box is an excellent first half and a very poor second half. King and his co-writer Richard Chizmar riff on Richard Matheson’s amazing classic short story Button, Button (filmed by Richard “Donnie Darko” Kelly as The Box) about a couple who are given a box with a button on it; if they press it they will be given a cash fortune - but someone, not anyone they know, will die. It’s a clever metaphor for the Cold War where the likes of Nixon and Krushchev had their own boxes that could kill strangers at the touch of a button by unleashing total nuclear devastation.
No such wit is to be found in Gwendy’s Button Box, though King/Chizmar create a compelling, more elaborate narrative around the mystery box. Her first encounter with the enigmatic Richard Farris (perhaps named in honour of Richard Matheson?) is riveting, and seeing her life turn around as she gets older, possibly thanks to the box, is very compelling.
And then the narrative flounders. She does eventually press some of the buttons but the outcomes are disappointing. I hoped more would’ve happened with the box and Farris and it didn’t. In fact barely anything happens after Gwendy’s life improves with only marginal, and quickly and neatly resolved, setbacks, capped with a very dull ending.
Gwendy’s Button Box never completely bored me but nor did it come close to fulfilling its promising premise. I wouldn’t tell you not to bother with it but I would recommend reading Richard Matheson’s short story Button, Button instead for a more entertaining telling of the original concept.
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