The Bazaar of Bad Dreams

[Keyser Soze]

I have BofBD, but not yet read it; one for over the Christmas break perhaps.

[Matthew]

The last collection of King's I read was Everything's Eventual - I believe I like this one more.

[J.L.]

Yeah! I just got it for Christmas. Can't wait to read it with the group starting January 1st.

[Keyser Soze]

I have been reading it for a few days now. It's really good. No spoilers, don't worry. I read fiction slowly, so you'll all catch up quickly. I have my favourites, but I'll wait for group discussion before having my say.

[Ashley Marie]

I just got this for Christmas too! Super excited, I think the only short story of SK's I've read was In the Tall Grass, cowritten with Joe.

[Stevo]

I'm trying to appreciate these for what they are and they are pretty good.

[Boudewijn]

Just finished this book and man, you guys are in for a treat!

[Vale]

I'll be picking this one up either tonight or tomorrow. :)

[Keyser Soze]

I am about 2/3 the way through, and I agree, it's pretty good. A couple of ho hum ones (I had to skim the poem, and I can't recall skimming fiction for, well, ever?) but most really good. I have a couple of favourites so far (but have to get dinner so will report back).

[Kirstin]

The first story was alright. The best part so far are King's comments about his inspiration for these stories.

[Kandice]

Kirstin wrote: "The first story was alright. The best part so far are King's comments about his inspiration for these stories."

I always feel that way and thought I might be the only one! :D

[Rflutist]

I'm enjoying these stories as I have enjoyed most of King's writing because as I read, it's easy to visualize what is occurring and I fell like I'm in the middle of what is happening. King's comments on the writing process are also very much appreciated.

[Lena]

I'm fourth on the waiting list and then I'm reading it straight through!

[James]

King is the only writer that has short stories that I read. I like the comments he makes before the stories as others have posted. I don't know which one is my favorite but I didn't like the poetry and he said he wasn't a good poet.

[Erin]

I thought the short story collection was great and an added bonus was his comments before each story. My only negative about it was the poetry, I wish he had done short stories for those few pages instead.

[Chris , The Hardcase]

Erin wrote: "I thought the short story collection was great and an added bonus was his comments before each story. My only negative about it was the poetry, I wish he had done short stories for those few pages ..."

The thing about King's collections are that he usually doesn't write stories specifically for a collection. When he has enough, they bind them up into a book. So probably, the poems aren't chosen instead of something else. Think of them as a bonus/extra and they might not annoy as much.

[Craig]

James wrote: "King is the only writer that has short stories that I read. I like the comments he makes before the stories as others have posted. I don't know which one is my favorite but I didn't like the poetry..."

I'm halfway through Joe Hill's short story collection, 20th Century Ghosts, and whilst it's unfair to compare his writing against his father's, it's a great collection of stories more similar to Skeleton Key and Night Shift, rather than Bazaar of Bad Dreams (thematically, I mean).

[Kat]

Reading this right now, my favorite so far was Ur, but they are all wonderful! Can't stop reading!

[Keyser Soze]

Kat wrote: "Reading this right now, my favorite so far was Ur, but they are all wonderful! Can't stop reading!"

Me too. As soon as I finish one, I want to begin the next. Am loving King's comments. I liked the one about the writing in the sand (The Dune?). But then, I have liked them all (except the first poem, which I'll need to read again to try and understand).

[Alondra]

I had read Mile 81 already, and really liked it.

Empty car (kinda) in an abandoned rest stop. What could go wrong?? (view spoiler)[Apparently your worst nightmares, as only Stephen King can do. Whats up with these evil cars?? mmmm (hide spoiler)] Not sure if that was spoilerish or not; but thought I would tag it anyway...

I love his comments before the stories. I love that!!

[Stevo]

I'm up to Afterlife which I read last night. Thought it was good stuff!

[Travis]

So far I've read Mile 81 (which I had previously read as an ebook single) , Premium Harmony, Batman and Robin Have an Altercation, and The Dune.

Mile 81 actually was a quicker, more enjoyable read this second time but that's also because I read it in one chunk; I read so few ebooks and tend to read them in bits spread out over time so all tension is lost.

The other three stories so far have really showed how King can transform the mundane into something dark and slightly sinister. The ending of each has also startled me. In Premium Harmony I totally forgot about (view spoiler)[the dog in the back seat (hide spoiler)]. In Batman and Robin I didn't really know where it was going at all (view spoiler)[and even got suckered into thinking the story would actually be about Batman and Robin (hide spoiler)]. In The Dune I got suckered into the same conclusion as Wayland.

I've heard the next story in line, Bad Little Kid, is a good one and some people's favorite, so I'm looking forward to it. I had no idea there was a poem later in the collection; I'm not usually a fan of poetry either but I'll give it a shot, it's still King after all.

[Vale]

I've read everything up to The Bone Church, and loved everything except the poem. But I have trouble with poetry anyway, it's never really been my thing.

[Kat]

I'm up to Obits, looking forward to reading that one after work tonight :-)

[Kirstin]

The stories get better and better! The Dune was excellent. Bad Little Kid was chilling.

I didn't mind the first poem. I think it would be much more enjoyable to hear it read out loud.

[Nick]

I'm about half through and reading till midnight every night. I agree about the commentaries. They make reading the book in order and in its entirety really worthwhile. UR, is of course really good. I liked it when I read it years ago and have an audiobook for the next time I travel with non-horror fans. I thought Mile 81 was a great kid's comic book of a story. Batman and Robin was pretty good, as was the Dune (view spoiler)[though I thought the ending was really predictable (hide spoiler)] Morality seemed for some reason to be the most interesting and surprising for me, not sure why. Bad Little Kind held my interest but again (view spoiler)[I thought the ending was really really predictable (hide spoiler)] Maybe the most interesting reaction I'm having of all is that, even though I'm only half way through the book, I want to go back and reread several of stories right now.

[Alondra]

Okay, whats up with Premium Harmony. he rants, he raves (view spoiler)[ and his wife keels over in the shop & save; really?? am I missing something?? did he do something to her??? (hide spoiler)]

Loved Batman & Robin. Just when you thought it was one thing; pops steps in... i actually giggled at the end of that one. i am sick; i know.

Starting Dune now.

[James]

Loved Batman & Robin. Just when you thought it was one thing; pops steps in... i actually giggled at the end of that one...."

I giggled at the end also.

[Shannon]

waiting on my library to get this

[Nick]

Shannon wrote: "waiting on my library to get this"

Pick up another King to tide you over Shannon. I'm listening to the audio of Misery at the same time and, as good as The Bazaar is Annie Wilkes is maybe one of the greatest villains ever conceived. You want chilling...

[Catherine]

I had already read Mile 81 and Ur but enjoyed them more this time. As a matter of fact I think UR was one of my favorites in the collection. I also liked Morality, Dune, and Obits. Fun read overall!

[Nick]

UNDER THE WEATHER moved me the most so far. It's right in my wheelhouse: (view spoiler)[horrific romantic tragedy (hide spoiler)]

[Stevo]

Just read Ur and... expected a grimmer ending but still found it mighty enjoyable for some obvious reasons! :)

[Nick]

Okay, I didn't really care for Blockade Billy, and I love baseball. This was my second read. Didn't like it the first time either.

[Nick]

Charles wrote: "Couldn't finish blockade billy not a fan of baseball so couldn't enjoy it"

I think you have to know something (maybe quite a bit) about baseball to understand what's going on... that it's always been "legal", at least until very recently, in baseball for runners to slide into a base so that they take out (run through, knock over, knock the ball out of the hand or, clobber) the defender on the base. This is especially true of catchers whose job it is to block the plate so that the runner can't touch it and score. To me the problem was not the Blockade, it was Billy and (view spoiler)[his complete lack of values of any kind. If he was actually dumb enough to misunderstand the crowd and really "KILL" an umpire, how was he smart enough to come up with that false identity, etc.? (hide spoiler)] Still, I really liked the narrator.

[Catherine]

I also trudged through Blockade Billy, listening to it helped, but I am not into sports at all of any kind so it was not easy to care about the story.

[Bill]

Interesting comments about BB. Knowing that King is a die hard Red Sox fan, it would be fun to see him do a longer-form piece about baseball. After all, the sport is full of superstition and a bit of "magic." He could probably have some fun with it, and we would all benefit.

[Beau]

I enjoyed the stories up to the Kindle story. WOW that was painful. It read like the Happy Gilmore subway sandwich scenes.

The first story is still probably my favorite of the bunch.

[Nick]

Bill wrote: "Interesting comments about BB. Knowing that King is a die hard Red Sox fan, it would be fun to see him do a longer-form piece about baseball. After all, the sport is full of superstition and a bit ..."

The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon (lots of baseball lore in the background but not really much game play.) and FAITHFUL - "two diehard boston red sox fans chronicle the historic 2004 season"... even better than Jimmy Fallon & Drew Barrymore in Fever Pitch.

[Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥]

Well I have the book on hold at the library but who knows how long it will be, they don't show how far I am in the waiting list any more!

[Nick]

Really enjoyed Obits, as much for King's first person narrative style as anything else. I also think he really got the ending right this time... though I have a feeling that others may disagree.

[Bill]

Nick wrote: "Bill wrote: "Interesting comments about BB. Knowing that King is a die hard Red Sox fan, it would be fun to see him do a longer-form piece about baseball. After all, the sport is full of superstiti..."

I'm with you, Nick, on the Tom Gordon book. Those Sox games on her pocket AM radio were an important element. I'm not familiar with Faithful, so I'll check it out. Thanks!

It might be fun, though, for him to tackle a pure, novel-length, detail-rich baseball novel, even if it were not horror/suspense. I think he's familiar enough with the sport to make it authentic.

[T.W.]

Nick wrote: "Really enjoyed Obits, as much for King's first person narrative style as anything else. I also think he really got the ending right this time... though I have a feeling that others may disagree."

I loved that ending.

[Nick]

Okay - drunken fireworks is another winner - very funny and another great ending.

[James]

Nick wrote: "Okay - drunken fireworks is another winner - very funny and another great ending."

Yeah, I really laughed at that one. It sounds like some of my redneck family on a smaller scale.

[Summer]

Wow, this collection was really good. So many good stories I'd happily read again.

Batman and Robin: (view spoiler)[As others have noted, this had a lovely little twist. Several of these stories were about aging and death, and I think King's contemplation of these things translates well to his work. He does a great job of commenting on how forgotten older folks tend to be. (hide spoiler)]

Bad Little Kid: This was just fantastic, all the way through. Children can be so weird and creepy, and he's always leveraged that well.

A Death: (view spoiler)[Oh, I wanted Jim to be innocent. But mostly, I'm left wondering about the effect this all had on Sheriff Barclay. (hide spoiler)]

Herman Wouk: (view spoiler)[I'd read this before, and loved it again. It's almost always interesting to read about suicide, as it's something so many people think about but so few talk about. I quite liked the ending on this one. (hide spoiler)]

Under the Weather: This was by far my favorite. (view spoiler)[It was macabre and beautiful and very, very human. And it reminded me one of my favorite Criminal Minds episodes, as well. (hide spoiler)]

Summer Thunder: The writing on this was just great. (view spoiler)[Such a sense of place and time, and that odd mix of resigned/desperate and connected/isolated. It felt like a great piece of The Stand. (hide spoiler)]

I've really enjoyed reading everyone's thoughts on the stories! There's so much here to discuss, and I don't know anyone who's read this yet.

[Angie, Constant Reader]

I wonder if I should've set up a thread for each story in the book so we could discuss them?? I did that for other short story books. What do you guys think??

[Nick]

Esse wrote: "Wow, this collection was really good. So many good stories I'd happily read again.

Batman and Robin: [spoilers removed]

Bad Little Kid: This was just fantastic, all the way through. Children can..."

Great comments Esse. Do't agree on every story but I sure do about Under the Weather. Also Summer Thunder is terrific. (view spoiler)[an apocalypse that really is THE apocalypse (hide spoiler)] Liked Batman and Robin and Herman Wouk, and A Death... agree completely on that one. I think I need to re-read quite a few. Also the audiobook would be great, but all versions of this book are pretty expensive.

[Nick]

Angie wrote: "I wonder if I should've set up a thread for each story in the book so we could discuss them?? I did that for other short story books. What do you guys think??"

Not sure you need it... not for all of them anyway. You might pick the top 3 or 4.

[Kandice]

When I review a short story collection I try to record thoughts for each and take an average. Here's my review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Maybe we should just all try to write our reviews for this particular book that way and link here?