The Ledge

“The Ledge” is a short story by author Stephen King, best known for his contributions to the horror genre. King’s psychological realism in “The Ledge” situates the narrative within a tradition of literature that delves into the intricacies of the human mind, shedding light on the internal struggles of its characters. Originally published in July 1976 in the magazine Penthouse and later included in King’s 1978 collection Night Shift, this suspense-filled narrative belongs to the thriller subgenre. While King’s work has been frequently adapted for various media and has garnered numerous awards, “The Ledge” stands out for its taut plot and psychological exploration. This is evident as the story explores the unpredictability of life and the often harrowing nature of human existence. Key themes in “The Ledge” include Human Resilience in the Face of Overwhelming Odds, The Corrupting Nature of Absolute Power, Everyday Phobias in the Horror Genre, and Fate and the Unpredictability of Life.

This guide refers to the version of the text freely available on WordPress at The Ledge (lps.org).

The narrative employs a first-person point of view, focusing on the central character, Stanley Norris. The story opens in the penthouse apartment of a high-rise building. The owner of the apartment, a wealthy man named Cressner, shows Stan a bag of cash. Stan, an aging tennis pro, has been having an affair with Cressner’s wife, Marcia, and assumes Cressner is paying him to leave her. Cressner, however, claims that though it is real money, it’s not a payoff. Cressner adds that his wife comes with the cash. Stan is suspicious of Cressner, knowing there is a catch.

Cressner confirms that he has used detectives to track his wife and Stan’s affair and has plenty of evidence, including a video taken from behind the mirror in their motel room. Marcia had prepared Stan for this interaction with Cressner, warning him that Cressner would be tactful and would attempt to keep switching topics to catch him off guard. Marcia told Stan to say as little as possible, which Stan remembers as he confronts Cressner and tries to make sense of the deal.

Cressner references Stan’s past incarceration for breaking and entering and then reveals he has had an employee hotwire Stan’s car and plant heroin in it. Stan refuses to tell Cressner Marcia’s whereabouts, guessing that this is what he is after: Marcia and Stan knew Cressner was having them followed, and she is currently on a bus out of town, having shaken the men tailing her.

Once again, Cressner disabuses Stan, saying that he does not care about getting Marcia back. He therefore proposes a wager to Stan: If Stan can successfully circumnavigate the narrow ledge, just five inches wide, that encircles Cressner’s penthouse high above the city streets, Cressner will grant him his wife and the bag full of money. However, if Stan refuses, Cressner will call in a tip about the drugs in Stan’s car. Cressner has made this offer to six other men in the past, all of whom were either athletes or otherwise physically skilled. Only one accepted, and he backed out after seeing the ledge up close. However, given the possibility of 40 years in jail, Stan feels he has no choice but to accept the challenge. Cressner insists that there are no tricks up his sleeve and that the offer is genuine. Stan asks for a coat and Cressner claims he does not have one.

The tense journey around the skyscraper’s ledge includes additional obstacles including lack of railing, high gusts of wind, and pigeons. Cressner wears a winter coat, revealing an earlier lie, and hangs out of windows. At one point, Cressner uses a New Year’s Eve noisemaker to startle Stan, nearly sending him to his death. Cressner taunts Stan, dropping an apple from their height so that Stan can hear the time it takes and the sound it makes when it hits the ground below. Stan cannot respond to the majority of Cressner’s taunts, breathless and terrified of losing his focus.

Stan, after struggling around a family of defensive pigeons that incessantly peck at him, is exhausted and shaky. He uses a nearby bank clock to gauge time passing during his journey, though reminds himself to go slow regardless of the time it takes. Believing he is out of Cressner’s sight, Stan takes a brief break by pulling himself onto a stranger’s balcony. He considers quitting and trying to escape, but he knows that this will forfeit the deal. When he is ready, he continues on his journey back toward Cressner’s balcony.

Against all odds, Stan completes the death-defying walk around the ledge and re-enters Cressner’s apartment with the help of Tony, Cressner’s accomplice, who is armed. Stan, initially expecting to claim his freedom and the promised rewards, now believes Cressner to have set him up. He discovers that Cressner never intended to keep his end of the bargain, but instead claims he will allow Stan to live and take the money, his car now returned to the parking lot and clean of drugs, but has killed his own wife to keep Stan from having what he truly wanted all along.

Determined to gain control, Stan manages to turn the tables on Cressner by eliminating Tony and holding Cressner at gunpoint. By the story’s end, despite Cresser’s pleas and claims that his wife is still alive after all, Stan convinces Cressner to navigate the perilous ledge. While it is unclear whether Cressner completes his journey or falls to his death, Stan intends to not let him live if he should return.