LoveReading Says
LoveReading Says
The ominously significant title of ‘The Bazaar of Bad Dreams’ slashes through the delicate vibrancy of the cover, summing up the contents beautifully. 18 short stories and two poems, steaming with life, death, passion, regret and the occasional gnashing of twisted, gnarly fangs. I absolutely loved Stephen King’s short introductions to each tale, almost as much as the stories themselves. The story behind the story reveals snippets of information, of reasoning, the why and how. This is a wonderfully diverse collection from full on fantasy, to possibilities and practicalities, and yet there are links to be discovered. Some tales made me shiver, others raise a smirking eyebrow, they all though, set my mind pondering and questing, and personal favourites were Afterlife and The Little Green God of Agony. These are knowing, crafty, sharp stories, ready to catch you unaware and to give your imagination a hammering - in other words, they are fabulous. ~ Liz Robinson
Liz Robinson
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The Bazaar of Bad Dreams Synopsis
A thrilling collection of twenty stories - some brand new, some published in magazines, all entirely brilliant and assembled in one book for the first time - with a wonderful bonus: in addition to his introduction to the whole collection, King gives readers a fascinating introduction to each story with autobiographical comments on their origins and motivation...The No. 1 bestselling writer has dazzled readers with his genius as a writer of novellas and short story fiction since his first collection NIGHT SHIFT was published. He describes the nature of the form in his introduction to the book: 'There's something to be said for a shorter, more intense experience. It can be invigorating, sometimes even shocking, like...a beautiful curio for sale laid out on a cheap blanket at a street bazaar.' In THE BAZAAR OF BAD DREAMS there is a curio for every reader - a man who keeps reliving the same life, repeating the same mistakes over and over again, a columnist who kills people by writing their obituaries, a poignant tale about the end of the human race and a firework competition between neighbours which reaches an explosive climax. There are also intriguing connections between the stories; themes of morality, guilt, the afterlife and what we would do differently if we could see into the future or correct the mistakes of the past. Effervescent yet poignant, juxtaposing the everyday against the unexpected, these stories comprise one of King's finest gifts to his constant reader as well as to those fascinated by the autobiographical insights in his celebrated non-fiction title ON WRITING. 'I made them especially for you', says King. 'Feel free to examine them, but please be careful. The best of them have teeth.'
About This Edition
ISBN: |
9781473698888 |
Publication date: |
9th December 2015 |
Author: |
Stephen King |
Publisher: |
Hodder & Stoughton Ltd an imprint of Hodder & Stoughton General Division |
Format: |
Hardback |
Primary Genre |
Shorter Reads
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Other Genres: |
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Recommendations: |
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Press Reviews
Stephen King Press Reviews
Praise for Stephen King:
'Stories to linger in the imagination...Fine stories to take with us into the night' Neil Gaiman, on FULL DARK, NO STARS, Guardian
'An extraordinary collection, thrillingly merciless, a career high point' Sunday Telegraph on FULL DARK, NO STARS
'Beautifully turned tales - no two of which are alike' Daily Express on JUST AFTER SUNSET
'Highly visual, darkly comic, exceedingly disturbing' Observer on JUST AFTER SUNSET
'Mysterious, gripping and satisfyingly scary' Sunday Telegraph on JUST AFTER SUNSET
Author
About Stephen King
Stephen King was born in Portland, Maine in 1947, the second son of Donald and Nellie Ruth Pillsbury King. He made his first professional short story sale in 1967 to Startling Mystery Stories. In the fall of 1973, he began teaching high school English classes at Hampden Academy, the public high school in Hampden, Maine. Writing in the evenings and on the weekends, he continued to produce short stories and to work on novels. In the spring of 1973, Doubleday & Co., accepted the novel Carrie for publication, providing him the means to leave teaching and write full-time. He has since published over 40 books and has become one of the world's most successful writers.
Stephen lives in Maine and Florida with his wife, novelist Tabitha King. They are regular contributors to a number of charities including many libraries and have been honored locally for their philanthropic activities.
Stephen King received the National Medal of Arts from US President Barack Obama on 10th September 2015. This is the highest award for artists given by the US government. Ahead of the ceremony Stephen King said, “I’m amazed and grateful.” Previous recipients of the National Medal of Arts include Ray Bradbury, John Updike, Philip Roth, Maurice Sendak, Harper Lee and Maya Angelou.
Stephen King photo © Shane Leonard
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