The Man Who Loved Flowers
Encyclopedia
"The Man Who Loved Flowers" is a short story by Stephen King
, first published in the August 1977 issue of Gallery
, and later collected in King's 1978 collection Night Shift
.
, during an early evening in May of 1963. The main character is an unnamed man who is walking up 3rd Avenue. It's a gorgeous evening, and the sky is just changing color from light blue to violet. The man is wearing a light gray suit. He looks like he is in love. The people around him all seem to perceive and respond to this feeling. The man stops at a flower vendor. A transistor radio drones on about a war brewing in Vietnam
. Also mentioned is a story about a woman's body that was found in the local river and a hammer murderer that was on the loose. Based on the conversation the man has with the vendor, we learn he is buying flowers for a girl named Norma. He buys half a dozen roses, and leaves. He continues up the street, and the people on the street continue to respond to him and the lovestruck look on his face.
He then turns into an alley. By now it is getting darker, and stars are starting to appear. We learn he is on his way to meet Norma. He sees a woman walking down the alleyway, and he rushes up to her. He calls her name, and she looks around. He says: "I've bought some flowers for you, Norma."
The woman tells him: "You must be mistaken, my name is-"
She then sees a hammer in his pocket and opens her mouth to scream. The man kills the woman because she isn't Norma, just as he has done five times previously. After an unspecified amount of time, he leaves the alleyway. Through the narrator, we find out that "Norma" has been dead for ten years, and the grief most likely drove the man to insanity, convincing himself that nearly every woman is Norma. The young man says that his name is Love. He feels optimistic, sure that he will find Norma some day soon.
He passes a middle-aged couple on the street. The woman turns to her partner and asks:
"Why don't you ever look like that anymore?"
"Huh?"
"Nothing," she says, while thinking that "if there is anything more beautiful than springtime, it's young love".
."
Stephen King
Stephen Edwin King is an American author of contemporary horror, suspense, science fiction and fantasy fiction. His books have sold more than 350 million copies and have been adapted into a number of feature films, television movies and comic books...
, first published in the August 1977 issue of Gallery
Gallery (magazine)
Gallery is a men's magazine begun by Montcalm Publishing in 1972. It is one of the more popular "skin" magazines that arose on the Playboy magazine pattern in the 1970s...
, and later collected in King's 1978 collection Night Shift
Night Shift (book)
Night Shift is the first collection of short stories by Stephen King, first published in 1978. Many of King's most famous short stories were included in this collection.-Stories collected:-Details:...
.
Plot summary
The story begins in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, during an early evening in May of 1963. The main character is an unnamed man who is walking up 3rd Avenue. It's a gorgeous evening, and the sky is just changing color from light blue to violet. The man is wearing a light gray suit. He looks like he is in love. The people around him all seem to perceive and respond to this feeling. The man stops at a flower vendor. A transistor radio drones on about a war brewing in Vietnam
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. Also mentioned is a story about a woman's body that was found in the local river and a hammer murderer that was on the loose. Based on the conversation the man has with the vendor, we learn he is buying flowers for a girl named Norma. He buys half a dozen roses, and leaves. He continues up the street, and the people on the street continue to respond to him and the lovestruck look on his face.
He then turns into an alley. By now it is getting darker, and stars are starting to appear. We learn he is on his way to meet Norma. He sees a woman walking down the alleyway, and he rushes up to her. He calls her name, and she looks around. He says: "I've bought some flowers for you, Norma."
The woman tells him: "You must be mistaken, my name is-"
She then sees a hammer in his pocket and opens her mouth to scream. The man kills the woman because she isn't Norma, just as he has done five times previously. After an unspecified amount of time, he leaves the alleyway. Through the narrator, we find out that "Norma" has been dead for ten years, and the grief most likely drove the man to insanity, convincing himself that nearly every woman is Norma. The young man says that his name is Love. He feels optimistic, sure that he will find Norma some day soon.
He passes a middle-aged couple on the street. The woman turns to her partner and asks:
"Why don't you ever look like that anymore?"
"Huh?"
"Nothing," she says, while thinking that "if there is anything more beautiful than springtime, it's young love".
Film, TV or theatrical adaptations
A script for a feature film of The Man who Loved Flowers was written, and approved by King himself. However, the project has yet to be filmed, and is currently "in limboDevelopment hell
In the jargon of the media-industry, "development hell" is a period during which a film or other project is trapped in development...
."