Blood and Smoke

I don't normally buy audio books, but decided to make an exception for this one(as it's read by Stephen King himself)and boy, was I in for a pleasant surprise! hearing it told in the authors own voice is a treat for any true King fan, he adds a delicious slice of irony to the three stories, and makes the whole experience even better! A word of warning though - make sure you listen to '1408' in the daytime, with plenty of light - I didn't, and I was seriously spooked for days after - you can't beat a good ghost story! Keep them coming Stephen - I for one will be eagerly awaiting your next audio book, especially if its read by yourself!

Please do not listen to the 1-3 star reviews below. Stephen King is the true pinnacle of the audio book, both as a writer and narrator. Like Faulkner is to the printed word. Like the Beatles or Beethoven are to music. Like Kubric is to the cinema. I do a lot of audio book listening as a part of my work and over the last few years and countless audio books, I have come to the opinion that Stephen King is made for audio books. The truth be told, I have a hard time reading his books (when I read, I like the experience to be a little more stimulating) - but listening to them, especially when he is the narrator, is a pure joy. He is the ultimate storyteller, both in substance and tone. Yes, his voice is slightly unusual, but to hear him read his own words is to know that nobody else can do it better. I will take his readings of Bag of Bones (all 20-30 hours of it) over Willem Defoe or William Hurt reading some of his Four Past Midnight stories any day. Blood and Smoke is no exception. Thank you Stephen! You have found your true media.

Stephen King is a brilliant writer and I love hearing him read his work aloud. These three stories once again prove his talent. The only problems I had with this set of tapes were technical. First, "Lunch at the Gotham Cafe" has been previously published in an anthology of horror stories so it was nothing new (also the tape reads "Lunch IN at the Gotham Cafe"). The music which opens and closes "1408" was so overbearing that it was hard to concentrate on Mr. King's voice. These things are probably beyond his control and didn't do much to lessen my enjoyment of the tapes. I highly recommend "Blood and Smoke" to anyone who likes Mr. King's work.

I found this on accident, while looking for what to spend a newly gotten gift certificate on. King has always been my favorite author and i was surprised that something of his was released without my being aware--i'm even on the mailing list for christ's sake! So, of course, i grabbed it as fast as i saw it, and, boy is it good! "Gotham Cafe," which i'd read in the Bad Love collection, is a great horror story, as is the next story "1408." What with his newer releases all more general fiction than horror, it's nice to see he'll never lose his guiginol touch. The last story is, of course, a remarkable character-driven story, and one which will hopefully reach a larger audience if placed in print. Either way, though, this collection is just as addicting as any pack of Marlboros, and even moreso recommended.

This audio book was a nice surprise from Mr. King. Just in time for the holidays, like a Christmas present from my favorite author. This title is only available on audio, so don't bother looking for a book version. It is 3 stories read by the author himself, all dealing with smoking, hence the title, and you can't have a Stephen King book without a little blood. This audio is cleverly packaged like a cigarette box and even contains a warning label not to listen to in the dark. A true treat for any Stephen King fan."1408"~is about a bestselling author of true ghost stories who faces the ultimate challenge: spend a night in New York City's most haunted hotelroom--and he must live to write about it without the help of his ex-best friends, his cigarettes."In The Deathroom"~This one is about a man who is held captive in South American and discovers smoking isn't always hazardous to your health. "Lunch at the Gotham Cafe"~is about a man going through some intensely painful times--his wife has just left him and he's just quit smoking. He's hoping for a reconciliation, but what happens when he meets his estranged wife and her lawyer for lunch at a cafe in NYC will shock you.