Reviews:
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- King's recent hardbacks soared to No. 1 on the Sunday Times bestseller lists.
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- A unique collection because each story is preceded by a page of autobiographical text describing its origin.
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- King is the master of the short story form - he continues to publish in the New Yorker, Granta and Esquire.
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- An excellent Christmas gift and self-purchase, King's stories have generated terrific films such as the Shawshank Redemption.
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- The introductions will delight all his readers including those who loved his insight into the craft of writing in his non-fiction title On Writing
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- 'This collection of short works. . . reveals King's mastery of the novella' -- Guardian
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- 'A tense inventory of stories. . . King manages to portray a remarkable depth of character within the swiftness of a short story and manoeuvres a vast range of plots. . . There are treasures to be found in the Bazaar of Bad Dreams and those who love King. . . will find much to savour' -- Independent
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- 'A more versatile writer than you might imagine' -- Sunday Times
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- 'The Bazaar of Bad Dreams is the title it more than lives up to, but just as interesting as the stories themselves are their prefaces, in which he reveals what inspired each one. Who besides King would conjure a flesh-eating station wagon from a drive to see his college sweetheart?' -- Observer
About the book:
A generous collection of thrilling 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 neighbors 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 nonfiction 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 the author:
Stephen king is the author of more than fifty books, all of them worldwide bestsellers. His recent work includes doctor sleep, revival and mr mercedes, winner of the prestigious edgar award for best novel. Many of his books have been turned into successful films or tv series including under the dome, the shawshank redemption, carrie and misery.King is the recipient of the 2003 national book foundation medal for distinguished contribution to american letters. He lives in bangor, maine, with his wife, novelist tabitha king.
