Although reading for personal amusement seems to be on a decline, with the further progression of social media and entertainment platforms, there are still novels that deserve recognition.
Stephen King is a bestselling novelist well known for his work in ‘The Shining’ and ‘It.’ He has certainly made his name in the horror and fantasy genres, as many of his novels have been made into film adaptations.
In Stephen King’s novel, The Bazaar of Bad Dreams, a series of short stories pulls the reader into a deep hole of suspense. Not only is every story beautifully and strategically written, but King seemingly puts the reader in the story as the degree of detail draws the audience into a state of eagerness.
The Bazaar of Bad Dreams features stories that a normal person would not even be able to imagine. From a story about the forms evil can take to an interpretation of what may come after death, King has a remarkable ability to look at humanity and it’s concepts with pristine understanding.
One of the best things about this novel is that every chapter has a different story, this makes it hard to get bored or lose interest. The stories have unimaginable plot twists that add to the suspense as well as deeper meanings behind the stories that make the book more intriguing.
In addition to the astonishingly composed short stories, King includes brief introductions before every chapter where he explains his inspirations and conflicts with writing each story. Some of his stories took years to write while others only took months. These small introductions set the tone for the story and allow the reader to put themselves in the author’s shoes.
With this collection of stories, readers are able to see why King is so respected. Some like more stories than others, but all of the chapters provide readers with an opportunity to evaluate how well they enjoy King’s writing.
This book is highly recommended for anyone who loves thrillers and suspense stories. Although some of the story ideas seem out of the ordinary, like a killer car who feeds on humans, King was able to write these stories in ways that put the audience in the story itself.
The Bazaar of Bad Dreams is a lengthy novel but it is worth every word. The flow of each story is so smooth that a reader of any background can understand the stories without any trouble. King leaves out no detail in his writing which makes his work even more appreciated.
To give an idea of a story that King writes in the book, one chapter called “Ur” explains how a man bought a pink kindle. He notices how the kindle has a news app that seems to predict the future. The Kindle predicts a tragic car accident in which the main character’s ex-girlfriend and her basketball team is hit by a drunk driver. With much determination, the main character is able to prevent the accident from happening all thanks to his magic Kindle.
It seems like a basic, and even somewhat absurd topic, but King presents the story with so much detail and suspense that it seems as realistic as a story can get.
Overall, Stephen King’s novel, The Bazaar of Bad Dreams, is exceptionally well written and packed with enough suspense that any reader would enjoy the book. My review overall is a 10/10.
