The Man Who Would Not Shake Hands
| "The Man Who Would Not Shake Hands" | |
|---|---|
| Author | Stephen King |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Fantasy |
| Published in |
Shadows 4 (1st release), Skeleton Crew |
| Publication type | Anthology |
| Media type | Print (Paperback) |
| Publication date | 1982 |
"The Man Who Would Not Shake Hands" is a short story by American writer Stephen King, first published in the 1982 horror anthology Shadows 4, edited by Charles L. Grant. It was collected in Skeleton Crew in 1985.
Like the novella "The Breathing Method" from King's collection Different Seasons, the story takes the form of a nested narrative told in a strange 'club' in Manhattan.
Plot summary
It entails an elderly man recounting a card game he played many years ago where he met an odd man who refused to touch anyone, recoiling from contact in fear. After the mysterious man wins the game, a young player leaps up and shakes his hand enthusiastically. The man screams and bolts from the room. The narrator then makes it his mission to find him and give him his winnings. It's revealed shortly thereafter that the young player who shook the man's hand died of a brain aneurysm. The narrator speaks with an old associate of the man, who tells him the title character was cursed by an Indian shaman after an unfortunate accident where the "Shake Hands Man" (named Henry Brower) accidentally caused the death of a boy. The man is cursed to cause the death of any living thing he touches (for he demonstrates this on a dog). The narrator then finds the man dead in a nearby inn, one hand firmly clasping the other.
Film, TV or theatrical adaptations
"The Man Who Would Not Shake Hands" has been adapted into a film shown at the Cedar Rapids Film Festival on 3 April 2009. The screenplay was adapted from the Stephen King short story by Kevin Erhard.
See also
References
^ "The Man Who Would Not Shake Hands (2009)". Internet Movie Database. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1477186/. Retrieved on 2009-07-28.
