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Blood and Smoke
BLOOD AND SMOKE : THREE SHORT STORIES FROM THE MASTER OF MODERN FICTION AVAILABLE ONLY AS AN AUDIOBOOK
Three Stories Includes:
Lunch at the Gotham Cafe
1408
In the Deathroom
Stephen King has forced us to confront our greatest fears. He has guided us through the depths of our imagination to places we never would have ventured alone. Now, in Blood and Smoke, he takes us inside a world of yearning and paranoia, isolation and addiction. It is the world of the smoker.In this audio-only collection, the now politically incorrect habit plays a key role in the fates of three different men in three unabridged stories of unfiltered suspense.In, "Lunch at the Gotham Cafe," Steve Davis is suffering through intense withdrawal -- from both nicotine and his wife. His desperation for a cigarette and for his ex are almost too much to bear, but that's nothing compared to the horrors that await him at a trendy Manhattan restaurant.In, "1408," Mike Enslin, bestselling author of true ghost stories, decides to spend the night in New York City's most haunted hotel room. But he must live to write about it without the help of his ex best-friends, his trusty smokes.And in, "In the Deathroom," a man named Fletcher is held captive in a South American stronghold. His captors will use any tortuous means necessary to extract the information they want from him. His only hope lies with his last request -- one last cigarette, please.A cartonfull of chills and thrills, Blood and Smoke is classic Stephen King. The most mesmerizing storyteller of our time is at his inventive and compelling best.
Read by the Author
Although, Blood and Smoke has only been published as an audiobook, the stories themselves can be found in Stephen King's publication of, "Everything's Eventual."
4 Audio CDs / 3 Hours 30 mins (Approx)
~
Three Stories Includes:
Lunch at the Gotham Cafe
1408
In the Deathroom
Stephen King has forced us to confront our greatest fears. He has guided us through the depths of our imagination to places we never would have ventured alone. Now, in Blood and Smoke, he takes us inside a world of yearning and paranoia, isolation and addiction. It is the world of the smoker.In this audio-only collection, the now politically incorrect habit plays a key role in the fates of three different men in three unabridged stories of unfiltered suspense.In, "Lunch at the Gotham Cafe," Steve Davis is suffering through intense withdrawal -- from both nicotine and his wife. His desperation for a cigarette and for his ex are almost too much to bear, but that's nothing compared to the horrors that await him at a trendy Manhattan restaurant.In, "1408," Mike Enslin, bestselling author of true ghost stories, decides to spend the night in New York City's most haunted hotel room. But he must live to write about it without the help of his ex best-friends, his trusty smokes.And in, "In the Deathroom," a man named Fletcher is held captive in a South American stronghold. His captors will use any tortuous means necessary to extract the information they want from him. His only hope lies with his last request -- one last cigarette, please.A cartonfull of chills and thrills, Blood and Smoke is classic Stephen King. The most mesmerizing storyteller of our time is at his inventive and compelling best.
Read by the Author
Although, Blood and Smoke has only been published as an audiobook, the stories themselves can be found in Stephen King's publication of, "Everything's Eventual."
4 Audio CDs / 3 Hours 30 mins (Approx)
~
104 pages, Audio CD
First published November 22, 1999
36 people are currently reading
10191 people want to read
About the author
Stephen King
2,614 books886k followersStephen Edwin King was born the second son of Donald and Nellie Ruth Pillsbury King. After his father left them when Stephen was two, he and his older brother, David, were raised by his mother. Parts of his childhood were spent in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where his father's family was at the time, and in Stratford, Connecticut. When Stephen was eleven, his mother brought her children back to Durham, Maine, for good. Her parents, Guy and Nellie Pillsbury, had become incapacitated with old age, and Ruth King was persuaded by her sisters to take over the physical care of them. Other family members provided a small house in Durham and financial support. After Stephen's grandparents passed away, Mrs. King found work in the kitchens of Pineland, a nearby residential facility for the mentally challenged.
Stephen attended the grammar school in Durham and Lisbon Falls High School, graduating in 1966. From his sophomore year at the University of Maine at Orono, he wrote a weekly column for the school newspaper, THE MAINE CAMPUS. He was also active in student politics, serving as a member of the Student Senate. He came to support the anti-war movement on the Orono campus, arriving at his stance from a conservative view that the war in Vietnam was unconstitutional. He graduated in 1970, with a B.A. in English and qualified to teach on the high school level. A draft board examination immediately post-graduation found him 4-F on grounds of high blood pressure, limited vision, flat feet, and punctured eardrums.
He met Tabitha Spruce in the stacks of the Fogler Library at the University, where they both worked as students; they married in January of 1971. As Stephen was unable to find placement as a teacher immediately, the Kings lived on his earnings as a laborer at an industrial laundry, and her student loan and savings, with an occasional boost from a short story sale to men's magazines.
Stephen made his first professional short story sale ("The Glass Floor") to Startling Mystery Stories in 1967. Throughout the early years of his marriage, he continued to sell stories to men's magazines. Many were gathered into the Night Shift collection or appeared in other anthologies.
In the fall of 1971, Stephen began teaching English at Hampden Academy, the public high school in Hampden, Maine. Writing in the evenings and on the weekends, he continued to produce short stories and to work on novels.
Stephen attended the grammar school in Durham and Lisbon Falls High School, graduating in 1966. From his sophomore year at the University of Maine at Orono, he wrote a weekly column for the school newspaper, THE MAINE CAMPUS. He was also active in student politics, serving as a member of the Student Senate. He came to support the anti-war movement on the Orono campus, arriving at his stance from a conservative view that the war in Vietnam was unconstitutional. He graduated in 1970, with a B.A. in English and qualified to teach on the high school level. A draft board examination immediately post-graduation found him 4-F on grounds of high blood pressure, limited vision, flat feet, and punctured eardrums.
He met Tabitha Spruce in the stacks of the Fogler Library at the University, where they both worked as students; they married in January of 1971. As Stephen was unable to find placement as a teacher immediately, the Kings lived on his earnings as a laborer at an industrial laundry, and her student loan and savings, with an occasional boost from a short story sale to men's magazines.
Stephen made his first professional short story sale ("The Glass Floor") to Startling Mystery Stories in 1967. Throughout the early years of his marriage, he continued to sell stories to men's magazines. Many were gathered into the Night Shift collection or appeared in other anthologies.
In the fall of 1971, Stephen began teaching English at Hampden Academy, the public high school in Hampden, Maine. Writing in the evenings and on the weekends, he continued to produce short stories and to work on novels.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 308 reviews
December 1, 2021
Stephen King has always enjoyed experimenting with different methods of releasing his writing. Blood and Smoke is an audiobook-only collection of three of his stories. They’re all performed by Mr. King, which is great as he’s a very good reader of his books.
The best of the three stories is 1408, which was turned into a decent enough movie. A non-believing writer of stories about haunted locales is determined, over the objections of the hotel manager, to spend a night at the supposedly haunted room of a NYC hotel. It's classic King: two well-drawn characters, quickly built tension, and legitimately scary once the writer gets to the room.
The other two stories are good, but not quite at that same high level. Lunch at the Gotham Cafe is solid, built around a man meeting his wife and her divorce lawyer for a lunch meeting when something troubling happens. It’s absolutely worth listening to for King's narration of the maître d' alone. In the Death Room is the weakest of the three stories, about a man in a banana republic being tortured for information about the rebels. But it’s still entertaining as Escobar is a fun character, and Heinz's comeuppance is a highlight. Recommended.
The best of the three stories is 1408, which was turned into a decent enough movie. A non-believing writer of stories about haunted locales is determined, over the objections of the hotel manager, to spend a night at the supposedly haunted room of a NYC hotel. It's classic King: two well-drawn characters, quickly built tension, and legitimately scary once the writer gets to the room.
The other two stories are good, but not quite at that same high level. Lunch at the Gotham Cafe is solid, built around a man meeting his wife and her divorce lawyer for a lunch meeting when something troubling happens. It’s absolutely worth listening to for King's narration of the maître d' alone. In the Death Room is the weakest of the three stories, about a man in a banana republic being tortured for information about the rebels. But it’s still entertaining as Escobar is a fun character, and Heinz's comeuppance is a highlight. Recommended.
January 16, 2016
After watching 1408 (the movie), I decided to read the short story. And I've got to say, I'm a bit disappointed. Don't get me wrong, I liked this story, and it did creep me out. But the movie was just that much better.
January 5, 2025
This is a collection of three short stories written and narrated by King himself. I've read all three of these before, but it was a treat to listen to the author read his own work (I would also highly recommend the audiobook of King reading LT's Theory of Pets. "Lunch at the Gotham Cafe" and "1408" are two of King's best, and overshadow the final story "In the Deathroom," which is still a good tale.
July 4, 2022
"I don't believe in ghoulies and ghosties and long leggety beasties."
I've read all these stories before, but hearing them from King himself is an altogether better experience. Highly recommend for all Constant Readers ❤️
I've read all these stories before, but hearing them from King himself is an altogether better experience. Highly recommend for all Constant Readers ❤️
October 6, 2016
I'm listening to the audiobook and Stephen King is the narrator. While an excellent storyteller, Mr. King is sadly not the greatest audio narrator. There's little to no excitement or inflection and though I was impressed with a couple voices, overall, I prefer a professional.
Here are my reviews as they come while I read the stories:
Lunch at the Gotham Cafe: This one hit a little too close to home as I am a divorce lawyer and, sadly, have dealt with similar type lawyers/clients/jerk-offs before. I kinda wanted a bit more closure in the end, but not a bad tale overall. I do want some answers though. Where's the dog? Why does he see it? Why does it make him angry? 3/5
1408: Like any good monster story, this one spends less time on the monster itself and more on the lead up. I was sufficiently creeped out though a bit disappointed with how quickly it's over. I thought the Cusak/Jackson movie was a bit better though it's been a while. 3.5/5
In the Death Room: Really the only thing that stands out about this one is the ending, which was a surprise to me, but not for the normal reasons. Any more would spoil the story too much. Overall, kind of meh. 3/5
Here are my reviews as they come while I read the stories:
Lunch at the Gotham Cafe: This one hit a little too close to home as I am a divorce lawyer and, sadly, have dealt with similar type lawyers/clients/jerk-offs before. I kinda wanted a bit more closure in the end, but not a bad tale overall. I do want some answers though. Where's the dog? Why does he see it? Why does it make him angry? 3/5
1408: Like any good monster story, this one spends less time on the monster itself and more on the lead up. I was sufficiently creeped out though a bit disappointed with how quickly it's over. I thought the Cusak/Jackson movie was a bit better though it's been a while. 3.5/5
In the Death Room: Really the only thing that stands out about this one is the ending, which was a surprise to me, but not for the normal reasons. Any more would spoil the story too much. Overall, kind of meh. 3/5
June 24, 2010
2.5 stars. Not among my favorite Stephen King efforts. Decent stories that got better as they went along but nowhere near as good as some of his classics.
October 31, 2021
This is an audio collection of three stories read very well by the author with the common theme of tobacco addiction. 1408 is a very creepy traditional horror tale and my favorite of the group, though Lunch at the Gotham Cafe is annoying and disturbing in other ways. The stories were later collected in his collection Everything's Eventual, even though it was said at the time they wouldn't be. I'll bet people who have tried to quit smoking find this collection more horrific than those who haven't. The packaging is very ingenious, complete with flip-top.
October 31, 2012
Stephen King hat sich immer wieder Gedanken um alternative Vermarktungen seiner Texte gemacht. Im vorliegenden Fall hat er selbst drei Erzählungen auf Band gesprochen, von denen zwei zunächst nicht in Buchform veröffentlicht wurden, sondern ausschließlich in Form des vorliegenden Hörbuchs. Der Titel „Blood and Smoke“ ist für alle drei Texte programmatisch, der Erzähler hat jeweils das Rauchen aufgegeben und gerät in eine Situation, in der er auf eine harte Probe gestellt wird. Die Präsentation des Hörbuchs ist gelungen und stilecht, die drei Audiocassetten befinden sich in einer überdimensionierten Zigarettenpackung, die in Farbgebung und Design einer Zigarettenmarke entspricht, die auch explizit in „In the Deathroom“ benannt wird.
Drei Audiocassetten, drei Erzählungen: „Lunch at the Gotham Cafe“, „1408“ und „In the Deathroom“.
Mit den Erzählungen ist es mir ergangen, wie es mir mit allen Büchern von King geht: Entweder ich mag sie sehr oder aber gar nicht. In jedem Fall gelingt es King, einleitend ein stimmungsvoll geschildertes Szenario zu entwickeln, in dem der Erzähler eingeführt wird und das Setting aufgebaut wird. Dieser erste Teil bestätigt in allen drei Texten einmal mehr, dass King schreiben kann und es meisterhaft versteht, Personen zu skizzieren und beunruhigende Szenarien zu entwickeln. Dann aber müssen sich die Protagonisten behaupten, und dieser Hauptteil fällt sehr blutrünstig aus. In „In the Deathroom“ hat King in jedem Fall die Grenze überschritten, die für mich zwischen guter Horrorliteratur und detailversessener Beschreibung brutaler Gewalttaten liegt. Diese Erzählung finde ich nicht nur zu blutig, sie hat auch keine andere Eben, auf der sie für mich interessant werden könnte bzw. funktioniert. Darum hat diese Geschichte nur einen Stern verdient.
„1408“ baut ein klassisches Setting gut auf, endet dann aber sehr abrupt. Hierfür gebe ich zwei Sterne.
„Lunch at the Gotham Cafe“ ist die Story, die mir wirklich gut gefallen hat. Der Erzähler ist sehr gut und vor allem psychologisch glaubwürdig beschrieben, die Story entwickelt sich gleichmäßig und kommt zu einem überraschenden Ende, das zugleich sich doch schon angekündigt hatte. Bester Stephen King, fünf Sterne.
Bleibt noch festzustellen, dass ich mich an die Stimme von Stephen King erst ein wenig gewöhnen musste, ihm dann aber gerne zugehört habe.
Drei Audiocassetten, drei Erzählungen: „Lunch at the Gotham Cafe“, „1408“ und „In the Deathroom“.
Mit den Erzählungen ist es mir ergangen, wie es mir mit allen Büchern von King geht: Entweder ich mag sie sehr oder aber gar nicht. In jedem Fall gelingt es King, einleitend ein stimmungsvoll geschildertes Szenario zu entwickeln, in dem der Erzähler eingeführt wird und das Setting aufgebaut wird. Dieser erste Teil bestätigt in allen drei Texten einmal mehr, dass King schreiben kann und es meisterhaft versteht, Personen zu skizzieren und beunruhigende Szenarien zu entwickeln. Dann aber müssen sich die Protagonisten behaupten, und dieser Hauptteil fällt sehr blutrünstig aus. In „In the Deathroom“ hat King in jedem Fall die Grenze überschritten, die für mich zwischen guter Horrorliteratur und detailversessener Beschreibung brutaler Gewalttaten liegt. Diese Erzählung finde ich nicht nur zu blutig, sie hat auch keine andere Eben, auf der sie für mich interessant werden könnte bzw. funktioniert. Darum hat diese Geschichte nur einen Stern verdient.
„1408“ baut ein klassisches Setting gut auf, endet dann aber sehr abrupt. Hierfür gebe ich zwei Sterne.
„Lunch at the Gotham Cafe“ ist die Story, die mir wirklich gut gefallen hat. Der Erzähler ist sehr gut und vor allem psychologisch glaubwürdig beschrieben, die Story entwickelt sich gleichmäßig und kommt zu einem überraschenden Ende, das zugleich sich doch schon angekündigt hatte. Bester Stephen King, fünf Sterne.
Bleibt noch festzustellen, dass ich mich an die Stimme von Stephen King erst ein wenig gewöhnen musste, ihm dann aber gerne zugehört habe.
February 1, 2012
I have been a Stephen King fan for a long time, and his short stories, like his novels, vary a lot in quality. This collection, read by the author himself, is unified by the odd theme of smoking. Cigarettes play a part in each story, though only incidentally.
The three stories are:
Lunch at the Gotham Cafe
The weakest of the bunch. A man meets his soon-to-be-ex-wife and her lawyer at a cafe, and the Maitre D' goes nuts and tries to kill them. King is able to make ordinary characters interesting in extraordinary circumstances, and he has a real fondness for depicting the truly screwloose nature of those who have dangerously lost their connection with reality, but the story itself didn't do much.
1408
A writer is determined to spend the night in a haunted hotel room. He's a skeptic, he's researched the heck out of it, he's spent the night in lots of haunted places, and the hotel manager does his best to talk him out of it, in reasonable, down to earth terms, but the writer isn't having any of it. King is always writing a bit of himself as character when he uses writer protagonists, and he seems to particularly enjoy making his author inserts go crazypants before mauling or setting them on fire for good measure. This was a moderately scary story, though below par for King, which reminded me a lot of H.G. Wells' The Red Room.
I'll have to check out the movie.
In the Deathroom
An American journalist has been arrested to be interrogated/tortured in some South American country, and he's brought to an interrogation room featuring creepy adversaries and a chilling torture advice. The ending is a bit Jason Bourne, but still a decent story for its length.
This collection is nothing special, but it's worth reading/listening to, like most of King's work.
The three stories are:
Lunch at the Gotham Cafe
The weakest of the bunch. A man meets his soon-to-be-ex-wife and her lawyer at a cafe, and the Maitre D' goes nuts and tries to kill them. King is able to make ordinary characters interesting in extraordinary circumstances, and he has a real fondness for depicting the truly screwloose nature of those who have dangerously lost their connection with reality, but the story itself didn't do much.
1408
A writer is determined to spend the night in a haunted hotel room. He's a skeptic, he's researched the heck out of it, he's spent the night in lots of haunted places, and the hotel manager does his best to talk him out of it, in reasonable, down to earth terms, but the writer isn't having any of it. King is always writing a bit of himself as character when he uses writer protagonists, and he seems to particularly enjoy making his author inserts go crazypants before mauling or setting them on fire for good measure. This was a moderately scary story, though below par for King, which reminded me a lot of H.G. Wells' The Red Room.
I'll have to check out the movie.
In the Deathroom
An American journalist has been arrested to be interrogated/tortured in some South American country, and he's brought to an interrogation room featuring creepy adversaries and a chilling torture advice. The ending is a bit Jason Bourne, but still a decent story for its length.
This collection is nothing special, but it's worth reading/listening to, like most of King's work.
August 25, 2021
This was my first audiobook as I’ve been meaning to try them out and I loved King’s narration. All the stories revolve around smoking and bizarre things of course but I absolutely loved them. 1408 was unusual and I’m really looking forward to watching the movie. Lunch at the Gotham cafe had me thinking for a while and In the Deathroom was a great Kafka-esque story that ended this collection.
January 23, 2015
Lunch at the Gotham Café- 3 stars
Steve is suffering through intense withdrawal -- from both nicotine and his wife. His desperation for a cigarette and for his ex are almost too much to bear, but that's nothing compared to the horrors that await him at a trendy Manhattan restaurant.
Really creepy and intense. It’s so weird but I could see myself in that restaurant as the horror unfolded.
1408- 2.5 Stars
Mike Enslin, bestselling author of true ghost stories, decides to spend the night in New York City's most haunted hotel room. This one was made into a movie, starring John Cusack.
This one was okay. Still not the scariest hotel room Mr King has written about- That would be Room 217 ;-)
In the Deathroom- 4 stars
A man named Fletcher is held captive in a South American stronghold. His captors will use any tortuous means necessary to extract the information they want from him. His only hope lies with his last request -- one last cigarette, please.
This one was my favorite story- its brutal, gruesome, and has a great ending.
Overall, I listened to this in one day, and it was good to check it off my Stephen King Read list.
Steve is suffering through intense withdrawal -- from both nicotine and his wife. His desperation for a cigarette and for his ex are almost too much to bear, but that's nothing compared to the horrors that await him at a trendy Manhattan restaurant.
Really creepy and intense. It’s so weird but I could see myself in that restaurant as the horror unfolded.
1408- 2.5 Stars
Mike Enslin, bestselling author of true ghost stories, decides to spend the night in New York City's most haunted hotel room. This one was made into a movie, starring John Cusack.
This one was okay. Still not the scariest hotel room Mr King has written about- That would be Room 217 ;-)
In the Deathroom- 4 stars
A man named Fletcher is held captive in a South American stronghold. His captors will use any tortuous means necessary to extract the information they want from him. His only hope lies with his last request -- one last cigarette, please.
This one was my favorite story- its brutal, gruesome, and has a great ending.
Overall, I listened to this in one day, and it was good to check it off my Stephen King Read list.
January 29, 2023
I finally finished this audiobook, I have to say that it could have been better. I had to watch the movie which I have to say was so much better than the audiobook. Knowing that Stephen King narrated the audiobook, had a very special touch feeling a close connection to him.
October 5, 2024
Loved how Stephen King narrated these short stories himself. Honestly I think they all 3 were good, creepy, and complex in their one away. Definitely recommend. Only minus one star because each beginning was hard to follow, but it eventually would make sense.
February 15, 2018
Lunch at the Gotham Café - ****
This, like many of King’s best, is all about the setup. The referenced “lunch at the Gotham café” actually takes place over very few minutes (this is audio, pages when it’s later published) and he manages to infuse that smidgen of time with the most ridiculous sense of unease using almost funny images and sounds. I liken this story to the tactics used in movies like “Scream” or “The Strangers”. The bad guys wear masks that are ridiculous so you end up feeling more uneasy or scared if you are bent that way, than you would be with something like Michael Myers’ mask, or Freddy Kruger’s face.
In this instance we are given a large look at our protagonists reaction to his wife’s bid for divorce which hits him, seemingly, out of the blue. Because he is the one telling the story we almost think she is being unreasonable, but then you realize this is the perfect example of an unreliable narrator. He describes her as a high-toned bitch. No other label for it, but when the “incident” in the café happens, we realize he has a temper and is a bit volatile. He also comes across as a bit sanctimonious which would be enough for me to want a divorce, so why should she be any different?
The violence that takes place is described in exquisite detail, but is surrounded by all this seemingly trivial crap. This gives the violence more impact. Reading this story made me feel the way I would if I giggled at a funeral.
1408 - ***
I’ve never loved this little story. It reminds me too much of Lovecraft. Mike writes books about 10 ____ fill in the blank. Right now he is working on 10 Haunted Hotels and has decided to sleep in room 1408 of the Dolphin Hotel in New York City. This is about his night (very short) in that room.
All Constant Readers know that King suffers from Triskaidekaphobia, the fear of the number 13. Room 1408 is not only on the 13th floor, which is STILL the 13th floor despite being called the 14th, but the very digits add up to 13. 1+4+8= you know.
Like always, King’s setup is the real gem here. I love how Mike is set up as a writer of things in which he does not believe. I love that he keeps a cigarette behind his ear even though he doesn’t smoke as a reminder of his brother who died of lung cancer. I wonder if John Green stole this idea for Augustus Waters in The Fault in our Stars? This was definitely written first. Hmmm… I even love his crappy lucky Hawaiian shirt.
Moving on, the portion of the story I don’t love is when Mike is actually in the room. I was fine with Olen talking about what had happened in the past, what I didn’t like was the actual narrative of it happening to Mike. Now. In the present. . The incidents were so odd and disquieting that I literally squirmed as I listened. I know that shows skill on the part of King and I am happy to recognize that, but I don’t have to like it.
This, like many of King’s best, is all about the setup. The referenced “lunch at the Gotham café” actually takes place over very few minutes (this is audio, pages when it’s later published) and he manages to infuse that smidgen of time with the most ridiculous sense of unease using almost funny images and sounds. I liken this story to the tactics used in movies like “Scream” or “The Strangers”. The bad guys wear masks that are ridiculous so you end up feeling more uneasy or scared if you are bent that way, than you would be with something like Michael Myers’ mask, or Freddy Kruger’s face.
In this instance we are given a large look at our protagonists reaction to his wife’s bid for divorce which hits him, seemingly, out of the blue. Because he is the one telling the story we almost think she is being unreasonable, but then you realize this is the perfect example of an unreliable narrator. He describes her as a high-toned bitch. No other label for it, but when the “incident” in the café happens, we realize he has a temper and is a bit volatile. He also comes across as a bit sanctimonious which would be enough for me to want a divorce, so why should she be any different?
The violence that takes place is described in exquisite detail, but is surrounded by all this seemingly trivial crap. This gives the violence more impact. Reading this story made me feel the way I would if I giggled at a funeral.
1408 - ***
I’ve never loved this little story. It reminds me too much of Lovecraft. Mike writes books about 10 ____ fill in the blank. Right now he is working on 10 Haunted Hotels and has decided to sleep in room 1408 of the Dolphin Hotel in New York City. This is about his night (very short) in that room.
All Constant Readers know that King suffers from Triskaidekaphobia, the fear of the number 13. Room 1408 is not only on the 13th floor, which is STILL the 13th floor despite being called the 14th, but the very digits add up to 13. 1+4+8= you know.
Like always, King’s setup is the real gem here. I love how Mike is set up as a writer of things in which he does not believe. I love that he keeps a cigarette behind his ear even though he doesn’t smoke as a reminder of his brother who died of lung cancer. I wonder if John Green stole this idea for Augustus Waters in The Fault in our Stars? This was definitely written first. Hmmm… I even love his crappy lucky Hawaiian shirt.
Moving on, the portion of the story I don’t love is when Mike is actually in the room. I was fine with Olen talking about what had happened in the past, what I didn’t like was the actual narrative of it happening to Mike. Now. In the present. . The incidents were so odd and disquieting that I literally squirmed as I listened. I know that shows skill on the part of King and I am happy to recognize that, but I don’t have to like it.
November 12, 2011
This is a great audiobook collection of short stories that King later released in a larger collection called "Everything's Eventual". These short stories "1408", "In the Deathroom" and "Lunch at the Gotham Cafe", all relate to cigarettes in one way or another (hence the name of the collection). "1408" is the story of Enslin, a popular "nonfiction" ghost writer who, admittedly, does not actually believe in ghosts. As part of research for his latest project, Mike decides to spend a night in the haunted hotel room, 1408, of the Dolphin Hotel on 61st St in NYC. Dum, dum, dum, dum, duuuummmmmm.... "In the Deathroom" is the story of a NY Times journalist, Fletcher, who is kidnapped by a South American dictator and brought into an interrogation room about potential communist activities. Fortunately, this one has a bit of a happy ending... sort of. And, "Lunch at the Gotham Cafe", my personal favorite of the collection, is the story of a reconciliation attempt gone very wrong. Steve receives an abrupt letter from his wife, Diane, that she seeks a divorce. Deeply saddened, Steve tries to talk things through, with her lawyer present, at a local cafe. The maitre d' proves to be insane and begins attacking the group. Steve fights off the maitre d'(who screams "Eeeeeee!" constantly) and flees with Diane but she, rather than being grateful, begins to rant about how Steve's actions only prove that he's a bullying control freak. Steve slaps her, realizes he's lost respect for his soon-to-be ex-wife and watches her leave. Shortly afterward, Steve sits contemplating his and the maitre d's lives while the police lead the restrained and rambling maitre d' out of the cafe. The end is perfect! Gruesome and annoying, these are great short stories.
July 26, 2016
ليست الترجمة العربية هي الممتازة
ستيفن كينج كاتبي المفضل في الرعب يبدع مرة اخرى برائعة 1408
الغرفة التي تسكنها ارواح الناس الميتة
انها رحلة الى فندق الدولفين في نيويورك حيث يمكنك ان تجرب غرفة الذهاب بلا عودة
للمرة 6 تقريبا ..يتناول ستيفن كينج حياة روائي مغمور بدخول البيوت المسكونة وتحدي الاشباح والجن وبعدها يعود ليؤلف كتابا عن ما شاهده ورأه
يقع ضحية احد مغامرته حيث يدخل الغرفة 1408 الواقعة في الفندق المذكور اعلاه
ويصادف انه لايستطيع الخروج منها لاحقا ويبقى في الغرفة حتى يموت وتتعفن جثته ويكون ضحية فضوله اللعين
الرواية رائعة جدااا مع مشاهدتي للفيلم منذ فترة اكتملت عندي صورة واضحة
وينصح بقراءتها قبل النوم
ستيفن كينج كاتبي المفضل في الرعب يبدع مرة اخرى برائعة 1408
الغرفة التي تسكنها ارواح الناس الميتة
انها رحلة الى فندق الدولفين في نيويورك حيث يمكنك ان تجرب غرفة الذهاب بلا عودة
للمرة 6 تقريبا ..يتناول ستيفن كينج حياة روائي مغمور بدخول البيوت المسكونة وتحدي الاشباح والجن وبعدها يعود ليؤلف كتابا عن ما شاهده ورأه
يقع ضحية احد مغامرته حيث يدخل الغرفة 1408 الواقعة في الفندق المذكور اعلاه
ويصادف انه لايستطيع الخروج منها لاحقا ويبقى في الغرفة حتى يموت وتتعفن جثته ويكون ضحية فضوله اللعين
الرواية رائعة جدااا مع مشاهدتي للفيلم منذ فترة اكتملت عندي صورة واضحة
وينصح بقراءتها قبل النوم
November 21, 2012
2000. Anything Stephen King writes will get published. This book is a perfect example.
A poor schmo working to get noticed by agents and publishers would never turn anyone's head with these stories.
A poor schmo working to get noticed by agents and publishers would never turn anyone's head with these stories.
August 25, 2018
1408 is the only one of these three short stories I remember. All three were great stories as most of Stephen King stories are. Good to be listening to books on tape again!
June 8, 2024
Listened to this as a kid. Definitely didn't appreciate Lunch as much then as I do now. 1408 is still delightfully twisted and, as I will attest until I die, a modern Lovecraftian tale.
July 16, 2023
In his book On Writing, Stephen King talks a bit about how to edit first drafts, and as an example he includes the first few pages of a short story called 1408. It's great — the little bite of story, yes, of course, but also the insightful self editing he does, cutting out a sentence here or there, changing a passage so it shows rather than tells, planting a reference. He then says that if I want to see more then I'd have to check out his forthcoming collection called Blood and Smoke, so here I am. This is (or at least was, at the time of release) an audio-only collection of three short stories narrated by King himself. I happen to think King is actually a really good narrator of his own work, so I was pleased as punch to grab this little audio book.
The first one, Lunch at the Gotham Café, was fine, and there isn't much more to say about it than that. A guy's wife leaves him. He's filled with so many confused and angry emotions that he jumps at the chance to meet her and her lawyer over lunch, if for no other reason than to just see her face and hear her voice. As they argue about the impending divorce, a waiter suffers a psychotic break and begins killing people for reasons that don't make any sense. By the end of the ordeal, the main character seems to identify with the waiter. It was fine.
The third, In the Deathroom, involves a man captured by an oppressive foreign government, tied to a chair and interrogated with some pretty grisly results. The tables turn at some point and get even grislier. Anyone with a penchant for the macabre will enjoy it. I liked it a lot.
The second one, though, 1408, is why I'm here. This is yet another Stephen King story I knew as a movie before I knew it as a book — I saw it in theaters back in 2007, when I was 21. I remember it being surprisingly good, and actually being a bit scary — and I remember thinking that was weird, because, well, John Cusack. (There is something indescribably goofy about that guy, but here he seems like he was scared, or at least unsettled, in real life. The way he slinks around corners and hesitates and tries to wave it all away as his mind playing tricks on him.) It was relentless, and there are a couple really effective fake-outs that stuck with me. The idea is this: Mike Enslin has made a career out of visiting haunted locations, staying overnight, and demystifying them in a bestselling book series. His latest target is the Hotel Dolphin, and despite the sincere pleadings of the hotel manager, Mike marches right up to room 1408 and tries to settle in for the night.
The movie (which, as of this writing, you can watch for free on various streaming services) has Mike opening the door to room 1408 at about 28 minutes in. (The whole move, btw, is only 75 minutes long.) In the story, though, the whole first half is just the hotel manager trying in vain to convince Mike to turn around — pleading, even begging. It really gets you going, really ratchets up the tension, and King narrating himself means all the nuance of his writing is there, every inflection in the dialogue as real as two people having a natural conversation. When Mike finally does reach the 14th (read: 13th) floor, things are already getting weird. Literally from the moment he touches the doorknob things are getting screwy.
Here's what's wild, though: In the movie it was clear as day that Mike was in a haunted room. The room more or less communicated with him — sometimes directly. But in the book things are so absolutely bonkers, so upside down and turned around, that it's not exactly clear what the heck was going on. Maybe it was haunted, sure, or maybe Mike was in a room with a dangerous gas leak and just hallucinated. Either way, it was a trip. Good stuff all around and worth the price of admission all by itself.
Though these were meant to remain audio only, all three were included in the collection Everything's Eventual just three years later. If you prefer to read them (rather than listen), that's a good option. Since books on Audible all have the same cost (1 credit), I do feel a little jilted because I could have had way more for the same price, but c'est la vie.
The first one, Lunch at the Gotham Café, was fine, and there isn't much more to say about it than that. A guy's wife leaves him. He's filled with so many confused and angry emotions that he jumps at the chance to meet her and her lawyer over lunch, if for no other reason than to just see her face and hear her voice. As they argue about the impending divorce, a waiter suffers a psychotic break and begins killing people for reasons that don't make any sense. By the end of the ordeal, the main character seems to identify with the waiter. It was fine.
The third, In the Deathroom, involves a man captured by an oppressive foreign government, tied to a chair and interrogated with some pretty grisly results. The tables turn at some point and get even grislier. Anyone with a penchant for the macabre will enjoy it. I liked it a lot.
The second one, though, 1408, is why I'm here. This is yet another Stephen King story I knew as a movie before I knew it as a book — I saw it in theaters back in 2007, when I was 21. I remember it being surprisingly good, and actually being a bit scary — and I remember thinking that was weird, because, well, John Cusack. (There is something indescribably goofy about that guy, but here he seems like he was scared, or at least unsettled, in real life. The way he slinks around corners and hesitates and tries to wave it all away as his mind playing tricks on him.) It was relentless, and there are a couple really effective fake-outs that stuck with me. The idea is this: Mike Enslin has made a career out of visiting haunted locations, staying overnight, and demystifying them in a bestselling book series. His latest target is the Hotel Dolphin, and despite the sincere pleadings of the hotel manager, Mike marches right up to room 1408 and tries to settle in for the night.
The movie (which, as of this writing, you can watch for free on various streaming services) has Mike opening the door to room 1408 at about 28 minutes in. (The whole move, btw, is only 75 minutes long.) In the story, though, the whole first half is just the hotel manager trying in vain to convince Mike to turn around — pleading, even begging. It really gets you going, really ratchets up the tension, and King narrating himself means all the nuance of his writing is there, every inflection in the dialogue as real as two people having a natural conversation. When Mike finally does reach the 14th (read: 13th) floor, things are already getting weird. Literally from the moment he touches the doorknob things are getting screwy.
Here's what's wild, though: In the movie it was clear as day that Mike was in a haunted room. The room more or less communicated with him — sometimes directly. But in the book things are so absolutely bonkers, so upside down and turned around, that it's not exactly clear what the heck was going on. Maybe it was haunted, sure, or maybe Mike was in a room with a dangerous gas leak and just hallucinated. Either way, it was a trip. Good stuff all around and worth the price of admission all by itself.
Though these were meant to remain audio only, all three were included in the collection Everything's Eventual just three years later. If you prefer to read them (rather than listen), that's a good option. Since books on Audible all have the same cost (1 credit), I do feel a little jilted because I could have had way more for the same price, but c'est la vie.
October 3, 2024
3.75/5 - This was a collection of three short stories read by Stephen King, himself, and is my first full exposure to his work since I read a few other short stories over twenty years ago. I did enjoy each of them and it was very interesting to hear them presented by the author's own voice. However, I was left wanting more from each story than what was given. I don't know if that's a testament to King's writing, that I wanted each take to continue beyond its boundaries, or if it is my own short coming in accepting that short stories are just that. Either way, while I judge my experience with these stories a 75% as a whole, I am definitely looking forward to reading more of his writing, as I found his style to be my favorite aspect of this collection, which did leave unsettling feelings etched into my brain, managing to make my skin crawl and spine tingle even after the recordings stopped.
Read
January 13, 2020This collection of 3 stories is presented by the author himself. Although not the strongest voice in audio presentation, Stephen King did assume varied voices for the characters. These stories all deal with smoke in some way. The middle story was adapted as a film starring John Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson.
August 11, 2022
Not King's best work. Not really worth reading, in fact. 1408 was the most interesting premise but lacked real tension and dread in the end. Also, Stephen King is a talented author, but I don't ever want to hear him read anything ever again. He's definitely better read than heard. (Sorry, Steve.)
Just pass on this one.
Just pass on this one.
August 25, 2022
An absolute delightful audiobook collection of short stories written and read by King. From a very bad dining experience, to a possessed room, to a rather fortunate interrogation, the types of stories varied; but the quality and entertainment were consistent straight through. Well worth the 4ish hours it takes to listen (less if you listen to it at a higher speed!)
September 18, 2020
The demon of addiction can be felt in each story. The actual addiction is beyond nicotine for each story.
October 5, 2021
The 2 stars are for 1408, which was the only moderately interesting story of the three. Also, King needs to stop narrating his audiobooks. He is…not a great reader. 😑
October 3, 2022
(Didn't finish reading "In the Deathroom.")
MPA ratings:
R for language, violence, and brief nudity
PG-13 for sexual dialogue and fear
MPA ratings:
R for language, violence, and brief nudity
PG-13 for sexual dialogue and fear
February 23, 2023
Very close to a four. But it feels like at least one more story would do it.
October 20, 2024
The first story was fun and creepy, the next two sort of anticlimactic for me. I love Stephen King so this was kind of a bummer.
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