While I'm not usually a fan of short stories, due to the unsatisfying feeling that the story's not really over, King usually triumphs in his 14-story compilation. "Autopsy Room 4" is the hardest story to read, even for a non-squeamish person like myself. "The Man in the Black Suit," "Everything's Eventual," "Lunch at the Gotham Cafe," "L.T.'s Theory of Pets" and "Riding the Bullet" are nearly perfect short stories, leaving the reader needing nothing more.

Yet, there are some stories that fall short of expectations, such as "1408" and "All That You Love Will Be Carried Away," which either seem like King got stuck and just stopped the story, deeming it good enough. "Sisters of Eluria," which is more like a novella, is more interesting for those who have read the Dark Tower series, but may be too strange for newcomers. Lastly, there are a few stories that just didn't intrigue me, such as "The Death of Jack Hamilton." The writing is fantastic, but King falls short in his development of the characters, which are forgettable and slightly boring.

However, this is a pretty solid set of short stories, far surpassing other authors who have tried their hand at compilations. (Think Ann Packer's "Swim Back to Me," which fails spectacularly.) Definitely recommended.