Stephen King

The Bazaar of Bad Dreams : Stories (Hardcover)

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(4.3) 4.3 stars out of 10 reviews 10 reviews
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The Bazaar of Bad Dreams : Stories (Hardcover)

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4.3 out of 5stars
(10 reviews)

Most helpful positive review

5.00 out of 5 stars review
Verified Purchaser
08/03/2021
Smartentertainment
Loved it. Typical Stephen king all the stories very entertaining
Judi

Most helpful negative review

3.00 out of 5 stars review
Verified Purchaser
05/11/2021
I never describe myself as a big…
I never describe myself as a big Stephen King fan but I do really like the guy, even when he's giving me something that feels like a pile of unrelated scraps. Some of King's short story collections have been fantastic but in general he's a writer that needs space to get to where he's going and his short stories can be hit or miss because of that. So this collection had some good pieces (the last one made me cry) but most were just okay, which for King isn't great. The thing that almost made me bump this up to a four was actually his sections at the beginning of each story where he told us a little about what led to that story. King can talk about the process better than mostly anybody and that's makes sense because the guy is prolific as all hell. When he dies they'll be pulling stories out from underneath his mattress for years.
jobinsonlis
  • 5.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    08/03/2021
    Smartentertainment
    Loved it. Typical Stephen king all the stories very entertaining
    Judi
  • 4.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    07/08/2021
    This is a group of short stories.…
    This is a group of short stories. Some are definitely better than others. Most have vague endings. He tells a little backstory about each, a bit about how the story came to him or why he wrote it and who it's for (each is dedicated to someone). I finished this a couple of days ago, and I still can't get some parts out of my head, like the man with this sick wife and dog under his bed eating ??? *shivers* Anyways, he is great about drawing me in with his storytelling even if occasionally I'm left with a feeling of not-quite-getting-it.
    ToniFGMAMTC
  • 4.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    05/25/2021
    This is a group of short stories.…
    This is a group of short stories. Some are definitely better than others. Most have vague endings. He tells a little backstory about each, a bit about how the story came to him or why he wrote it and who it's for (each is dedicated to someone). I finished this a couple of days ago, and I still can't get some parts out of my head, like the man with this sick wife and dog under his bed eating ??? *shivers* Anyways, he is great about drawing me in with his storytelling even if occasionally I'm left with a feeling of not-quite-getting-it.
    ToniFGMAMTC
  • 4.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    05/24/2021
    A book with short stories which…
    A book with short stories which apparently not so many new ones because most seem to have been published in magazines and such. Well I do not read those so for me most are new. Let me get my kindle..... Mile 81 I'd already read this one. The following is taken from my review. Read on February 13, 2012: This short story was okay but not great., liked how it began, Liked how he made the characters so real but did not like the end much. I love short stories and have read better ones by Stephen King, but it is not bad. 2.5 Premium Harmony I liked it but did expect more than that I received. Batman and Robin .. Yes this one was one I liked a lot. About someone suffering from dementia and his son who suffers as well. Yes great. The Dune Mwuoah. Great begin but the ending was not to my liking. Shot for open goal really. Bad Little Kid Great story. It felt longer than the ones before but a typical SK story. Exciting A Death Yes I liked this one a short one very much too. I did not expect the end perhaps that was why I liked it more. The Bone Church I did not like that one and I do like poetry but it was too confusing to my liking. Morality I really liked. Great little story about what you would do for money. Afterlife Afterlife was very interesting. I wished this would have been built into a book. I would love to know more about this one and SK's scary thoughts on afterlife. One of my favourites UR I have already read and reviewed. This is the story about the kindle and yes I liked it and I liked that it had links with The Dark Tower world me being a DT fan. I gave it (Read on February 11, 2012) 4 stars. Herman Wouk is Still Alive I Loved the introduction to this story because SK is mentioning the case of Diane Shuler and as a true crime fan I of course know about her and the 2009 Taconic State Parkway crash and suggest you should google her name but even better watch the documentary Whatever happened to Aunt Diane. This case still intrigues me and apparently I am not the only one mister King? Oky about the story. It is okay. yes I liked it 4 stars. Depressing but I like depressing sometimes.:) Under The Weather A classic King. I loved it. short and sweet. (or better yet short and smelly) Blockade Billy I have not read it because I also have the separate book so I will read that one soon. Mister Yummy Yes that was another story I liked. Looking back at this review it seems there were not many not so good stories. but hey it is Stephen King. You can say what you want but this man can create a story! King is how old? 15 years older than I am but it seems he is struggling with things I am struggling with. Not sure if the word struggling is the right one. He is interested in life after death for instance which is something I wonder a lot about too but I think everybody will like this book. Not just people of his or my age. Tommy Another one I did not really care for. But definitely not bad. It is also more a poem than a story or better yet it is a poem that tells a story. Not less than 3 stars. The Little Green God of Agony That title rocks! Yes I liked that one. Yes for me this was one of his best stories in this book. Really oved it. Very scary and (for me) thought provoking. That Bus in Another World Not bad but not great either. Can't say much but it plays out in a bus but more so in a man's mind. Obits Really a great story. One off the best but I did feel as if I had read it before but I think this is new. Anyway. Loved it. Drunken Fireworks Stupidity is something I've discovered I have a hard time stomaching. I realised I could not stand to read books about stupid people when I began reading The Shopaholic books. The main character keeps on making the same mistake and I could just not handle it and quit. This is a story about stupid people but it was kind of cute in a way. I could really picture me being there looking at the fireworks. Funny in a way. Summer Thunder Yes great last story. About after The apocalypse a man and his dog. To be honest with how the world is going I have become scared again. (As I was when i was a child) and afraid someone is going to use nuclear weapons so this story scared the hell out of me. So I am done with this review. Conclusion. Read it! wow that was hard work!
    Marlene-NL
  • 4.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    05/22/2021
    Like any collection of short…
    Like any collection of short stories, there will be EXCELLENT (Ur), TERRIBLE (Blockade Billy), and seemingly pointless (Herman Wouk Is Still Alive). I love the broad diversity of the books. King's intros to each story were interesting, but someone else should have read them in the audiobook - he's a terrible narrator.
    benuathanasia
  • 5.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    05/19/2021
    This novel is full of short…
    This novel is full of short stories. Mile 81 - I've read it before, and reviewed it last year. I think it's been updated a little...? Premium Harmony - weird little story. I hated the very end. 3 stars. Batman and robin have an altercation - it could literally have been a scene out of my own life, while taking care of grandma. Without the slightest-bit-extreme ending, of course.... 4 stars The Dune - was pretty cool, with a King-like twist at the end. 4 stars Bad Little Kid - this one creeped me out just a bit. A total 'wtf' kind of book. 4.5 stars A Death - very Elmore Leonard-like, cowboy style story. 3.5 stars The Bone Church - interesting King poetry. 3 stars Morality - a very interesting, long story about morality (obvi), and what it does to people. 5 stars Afterlife - a really interesting take on what comes after a person's life. 4 stars Ur - absolutely fascinating story. The jewel of this novel. I like it SO much, I bought the Ebook after reading it. I just wish it could have ended a little better....it's such a wonderful concept! The book nerd in me would have been completely content in hearing about all the different authors in the alternate universes, their written novels, their no-written novels, etc. seriously. Then the story takes a hard left turn into Ur-news, and the effect it has on the lead character, and his two male friends. And while it was just as fascinating, and had some freaky-coolness in it, some cuteness, and some not-so-subtle references to the Dark Tower series, it still left me wanting.....for more Ur novels & authors. Lol, 5 stars Herman Wouk is still alive - I hated this story a little. Not because it was badly done in ANY way. But because of the ending.....things had been going along so well, and then -WHAM!!! This ending.....ugh. 4 stars Under The Weather - woah!!! DO NOT read this novel alone, late at night. Especially when you, or/and your hubby are sick in bed with that awful hacking, coughing cold that settles into your lungs for a couple months....yikes! Even though you see it coming, this freight train of an ending still gets you. Classic King, 5 stars Blockade Billy - a wonderful story about a baseball team, a wonderful era, a crazy bunch of characters, and one hell of a King ending. It did not go where I thought it was going to, and I love that...! 4 stars Mister Yummy - a strange little story about old people in a nursing home, their past, and their regrets. Touching, 4 stars Tommy - a really different kind of eulogy to someone King knew back in the 60's. His name wasn't Tommy, and he wasn't the one who died, but definitely a great peak into the younger years of King's life. 4 stars A Little Green God of agony - definitely another jewel in this novel. This story starts out going one way, suddenly turns around to head another way, and then the end.....CRAP! Seriously gave me the Henie-jeebies, late at night. 5 stars That bus is another world - a startling look at the things that may happen in someone's life, and their decisions about this act. 4 stars Obits - amazingly well done. This fine King style story really shows what people are made of. 5 stars Drunken fireworks - not my favorite story in the novel, but still very entertaining. 3 stars Summer thunder - a short story about the end of the world. It stuck around in my head for a few days, and not because it was the last story in the novel. Very well done. I think I might have made the same decisions. 4 stars
    stephanie_M
  • 5.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    05/16/2021
    The Bazaar of Bad Dreams by Stephen…
    The Bazaar of Bad Dreams by Stephen King A fantastic collection of short stories. Each has it's own theme. Some intense, thrilling, mind boggling and thought provoking, but all very good. I also enjoyed the introduction to each story, as he explained what motivated him to write (each) story. It was very interesting to get into the mind of my favorite Author. I highly recommend The Bazaar of Bad Dreams to fans of Stephen King and those who enjoy the Bazaar.
    Unknown
  • 3.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    05/11/2021
    I never describe myself as a big…
    I never describe myself as a big Stephen King fan but I do really like the guy, even when he's giving me something that feels like a pile of unrelated scraps. Some of King's short story collections have been fantastic but in general he's a writer that needs space to get to where he's going and his short stories can be hit or miss because of that. So this collection had some good pieces (the last one made me cry) but most were just okay, which for King isn't great. The thing that almost made me bump this up to a four was actually his sections at the beginning of each story where he told us a little about what led to that story. King can talk about the process better than mostly anybody and that's makes sense because the guy is prolific as all hell. When he dies they'll be pulling stories out from underneath his mattress for years.
    jobinsonlis
  • 4.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    11/23/2015
    A huge collection of S...
    A huge collection of Stephen King short stories, some are horror filled, some have a hell of a plot twist, some are creepy, and others just make you think. There's a little something for everyone, especially the dedicated King fan. He writes an introduction for each story and talks about when he wrote it and what his inspiration was; it really added to the overall feel for each story. Some stories were better than others but it didn't subtract from the overall awesomeness of the collection; King is a master storyteller and his character building is literally out of this world. I hear the audiobook is amazing and I wouldn't mind checking that out as well. For fans of horror, short stories, and the macabre.
    ecataldi
  • 5.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    11/08/2015
    Having been a Constant...
    Having been a Constant Reader of Mr. King's for a very long time, I've been highly anticipating this collection of short stories. And I wasn't in the slightest disappointed with this presentation. Although there were a few stories that weren't new to me, Mr. King's work is worth a second read, and there were many more new ones than those previously read. He has always been a connoisseur of character development and he's at the height of his profession with these masterful characterizations. "Batman and Robin Have an Altercation" is a heartfelt story of a man visiting his father who is suffering from Alzheimer's and the unexpected turn that a road rage incident takes. "Morality" is an insightful study of the lure that sin can sometimes have on mankind. "Herman Wouk is Still Alive" was a truly depressing but fascinating tale made more so as it was based on a true incident. Although "Under the Weather" didn't have a surprise ending as you could see it coming almost from the start, it was such a sad, moving tale. "The Little Green God of Agony" was a truly scary story with a perfect ending. In my opinion, "Summer Thunder" was one of the most touching apocalypse stories I've ever read. I also very much enjoyed that each story was preceded by a short commentary written by the author as to his inspiration for the story. While these comments were geared toward other authors, they gave a lot of insight into the author's work. Mr. King packs a lot of punch into each tightly drawn short story and I enjoyed each and every one of them. As usual with his work, the book went by much too quickly. Fortunately, he's a prolific author and his next book is due in less than a year. Highly recommended to those who enjoy O'Henry-type books with a bite.
    hubblegal