That "backstory" issue would bother me too. Just like finding out at the end of the book that it's the first in a series.
The Woods sounds good, though.
Yes, other than that issue, it is good so far. I've read other stand alone books he's written and mostly enjoyed them, so I'll keep on with it.
First time. I knew the first sentence by heart and much of the pop culture references and figured I needed to read it.
Same here, I liked it enough when I read it a couple years back, but felt it didn't live up to its iconic status.