Rating: 
Summary: Classic Stephen King
Review: Blood and Smoke deals with the typical smoker: the one that desperately dreams of giving it up and simultaneously can't live without it(it's just like that thing with women, can't live with 'em, but can't live without 'em either - sorry, my first line just reminded me of this old saying). Smoking is carefully woben into the kas (for those of you who have not made acquaintance with King's Dark Tower series and books like Insomnia and Rose Madder yet where he occasionally drops this term, it does mean "fate" or "live" seen in a more interconnected context)of the three main characters who join you on this 4 hour (just a guess) experience; it also connects with the sudden impacts of events that shatter the lives of these three guys and makes the stories King has to tell unique. Although King has written a lot of better stories, this set of three short stories read by King himself is classic story-telling, it's just good old-fashioned (not Wendy's hamburgers but) Stephen King, who starts reading when me made ourselves comfortable in our favorite chair and starts pushing when you are not prepared for it - shoving us into the world of these three guys ... shoving us into the live of the smoker with all the dangers that are ready to jump right on him. The package this cd-set comes in also is a nice exemple for taking pride in your work. The package looks like a huge pack of King-sized Marlboros with Stephen King's head in the middle. The pack even bears a Surgeon General's warning, making you realize that with opening this package and inserting the first cd into your player you get hooked immedeately ... on three unfiltered tales of blood and smoke.
Rating: 
Summary: good short stories, but that's all they are
Review: Summary:
"Lunch at the Gotham Café" - Steve Davis shows up for a lunch meeting with his ex-wife and her lawyer but ends up facing down a psycho maitre'd who goes berserk for no reason."1408" - Mike Enslin, a best-selling author of a number of ghost story books (he is actually a ghost-story debunker) decides to spend the night in what is supposed to be a haunted hotel room in New York City. A skeptical introduction turns into a nightmare as Mike finds out that this one is the real deal. "In the Deathroom" - Fletcher, a U.S. citizen in Central America, is brought in by the police of the country because of his affiliation with some insurgents. He is introduced to a torture device, but pulls a quick one and gets away, then uses the device on his captors. My Comments:
These were pretty good stories. As is the case with most short stories, there isn't much depth to these stories, but they are pretty interesting nonetheless. I would definitely recommend them for anyone who likes Stephen King and is looking for some good short stories.
Rating:
Summary: Stephen King smokes it up!
Review: King's Blood & Smoke is an ASTONISHING audio!
©March 9, 2003
Reviewed by Brutal Dreamer I've always wanted to hear Stephen King read, to hear him speak his nightmarish tales to me. I believe the King knows exactly how the tone, scene, and mood of the story fits in and can he captured it precisely. I personally *LOVE* King's voice and his natural reading skills and controlled voice. I enjoyed the 3 1/2 hours of listening to him read each story. The stories are SENSATIONALLY packaged together in puffs of tasty smoke sticks. There are three, each one involving smoking, henceforth: Blood and Smoke. Critics try convincing you, the fans, that audio is not something ones listen to anymore. I beg to differ. I find myself happily listening to audio every chance I get. Ones want to believe: if you don't have time to read the books then you won't give your full attention to the audio. I again differ on this opinion. I read an astronomical amount of books and spend at least an hour a day just on recreational reading (not including my job as 'reviewer' or reading of fellow author's books). I enjoy listening to stories being read while I straighten my desk, wash dishes, or even take a break and relax. And it is an honor to hear King sit right by me, as I snuggle up to him, and await his voice to explode and tell me his horrors so beautifully. "Lunch at the Gotham Cafe," is an extremely fabulous story. It is a very busy story; the climax is filled with a massive amount of activity. When Steve Davis arrives home his wife has flew the coup. Steve has just stopped smoking, and when his soon-to-be ex-wife's lawyer sets up a luncheon at the Gotham Cafe to discuss the details of the divorce. What's that spot on the maitre'd's jacket? Looks like blood. What a perfect time to quit smoking, eh? Is he feeling withdrawals? This is definitely King at his most horrific: Insanity running amok. "1408," This is my favorite of by far. Ghost stories will always get my attention. Especially, if they are doused with a lot of dialogue. Mike Enslin is a "ghostwriter" of sorts. He writes non-fic stories about ghosts. Although, he is skeptical and isn't a firm believer in ghosts himself, he enters the prestigious Dolphin Hotel. The hotel hasn't been used in twenty years, he stayed in the room 1408. Doing the math he has to admit the oddity of it all, the ironic number thirteen, and he stays on the fourteenth, oh, I mean, the thirteenth floor. What is odd about three lopsided pictures? Still life? There was something shocking about the image as well as how Mike didn't 'record' the instance on the tape. Mike has to get a hold of himself, he didn't believe he was being haunted but he worried he was being hypnotized by the hotel manager, Mr. Olan. Ashtray on the desk, book of matches with the Hotel Dolphin on the front of it. King's reading kept the story menacing, with insipid scenes he kept the listener in chills. The scene with the bloody woman and her wicked toothy smile, was captured through King's assured voice. If you want another truly heart thumper scene: the telephone call. (worse than listening to Wheel of Fortune) King's voice during this phone scene was almost too spooky. As he reads about the 'voice' pouring out of the room, its hungry voice. King has a fever for haunted hotels. 1408 certainly ranks up there with his "The Shining" novel. "In the Deathroom," Fletcher is an American reporter held in the "deathroom" a torture chamber in the South America. Fletcher, is offered a cigarette repeatedly. The room is definitely a 'deathroom' and Fletcher knew its gray atmosphere spoke many deathly tales. He felt his immediate death approaching and he desperately conceives of a plan that will free him, rather in death or freedom, one or the same to him at this point. His only hope is that final drag on a cigarette, one last cigarette, please. I was shocked these tales didn't take place in Maine (Castle Rock or Dury) but they took place in New York City. "In the Deathroom" reminds me a lot of one of my favorite tales of King's: Gerald's Game and even Misery, due to the fact, torture was inflicted in a particular room. The theme of SMOKE AND BLOOD is just that. Dealing with smoking with horror and gore bloody scenes. Stephen King is not only a writer but the true storyteller. Within his voice through the tells, you will be convinced that you see that cold gray floor in the deathroom. His acting shines through most in "The Deathroom" he is definitely putting himself and all he knows into that tale. In each tale: Fletcher, Mike, and Steve are transformed, and all linked together due to their habit of smoking, or their taste for it. He is the King of grotesque in Gotham Cafe, King of eerie in the ghostly room 1408, and King of fear in the "deathroom" --Stephen King is just that KING!
Rating:
Summary: Thoroughly King.
Review: Enter the Gotham Cafe, have lunch, experience what our protagonist in the first of three typically deep King stories is suffering. Steve Davis has quit smoking. Bad timing. His wife is asking for a divorce. They meet at the Gotham Cafe with his wife's lawyer for lunch to discuss terms. What follows is far worse than any craving for a cigarette or losing a wife can feel like. And a story you will not soon forget. In the second story, "1408", Mike Enslin is a writer whose books are about all the nights he has spent in supposedly "haunted" houses, castles, graveyards. Now he is to spend the night in room 1408 of the Dolphin hotel. He doesn't believe anything different will happen to him here than what happened to him in all those other "haunted" places, namely, nothing. But "nothing" is far from what happens one dark night in room 1408 and Mike Enslin will not come out the same man who went into that room. In the third story "In the Deathroom", Stephen King's talent for storytelling will have you believing that yes, you can feel the cold gray tile on the floor in this room, you can hear the steady hum of the torture machine, and you can smell the all pervasive odor of death that awaits a man named Fletcher, held captive here and being forced to tell all. In all three tales, told in Stephen King's own voice, the main character begins as one person, and ends up as quite another. All three men are changed profoundly, and all three men can link this change to smoking, or the cessation of. A brilliant trio of Stephen Kingness, you will at once find yourself grossed out at the Gotham Cafe, frightened to death in room 1408, and scared but hopeful in "the Deathroom".
Rating:
Summary: Another Winner from Stephen King
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Stephen King smokes it up!
Review: King's Blood & Smoke is an ASTONISHING audio!
©March 9, 2003
Reviewed by Brutal Dreamer I've always wanted to hear Stephen King read, to hear him speak his nightmarish tales to me. I believe the King knows exactly how the tone, scene, and mood of the story fits in and can he captured it precisely. I personally *LOVE* King's voice and his natural reading skills and controlled voice. I enjoyed the 3 1/2 hours of listening to him read each story. The stories are SENSATIONALLY packaged together in puffs of tasty smoke sticks. There are three, each one involving smoking, henceforth: Blood and Smoke. Critics try convincing you, the fans, that audio is not something ones listen to anymore. I beg to differ. I find myself happily listening to audio every chance I get. Ones want to believe: if you don't have time to read the books then you won't give your full attention to the audio. I again differ on this opinion. I read an astronomical amount of books and spend at least an hour a day just on recreational reading (not including my job as 'reviewer' or reading of fellow author's books). I enjoy listening to stories being read while I straighten my desk, wash dishes, or even take a break and relax. And it is an honor to hear King sit right by me, as I snuggle up to him, and await his voice to explode and tell me his horrors so beautifully. "Lunch at the Gotham Cafe," is an extremely fabulous story. It is a very busy story; the climax is filled with a massive amount of activity. When Steve Davis arrives home his wife has flew the coup. Steve has just stopped smoking, and when his soon-to-be ex-wife's lawyer sets up a luncheon at the Gotham Cafe to discuss the details of the divorce. What's that spot on the maitre'd's jacket? Looks like blood. What a perfect time to quit smoking, eh? Is he feeling withdrawals? This is definitely King at his most horrific: Insanity running amok. "1408," This is my favorite of by far. Ghost stories will always get my attention. Especially, if they are doused with a lot of dialogue. Mike Enslin is a "ghostwriter" of sorts. He writes non-fic stories about ghosts. Although, he is skeptical and isn't a firm believer in ghosts himself, he enters the prestigious Dolphin Hotel. The hotel hasn't been used in twenty years, he stayed in the room 1408. Doing the math he has to admit the oddity of it all, the ironic number thirteen, and he stays on the fourteenth, oh, I mean, the thirteenth floor. What is odd about three lopsided pictures? Still life? There was something shocking about the image as well as how Mike didn't 'record' the instance on the tape. Mike has to get a hold of himself, he didn't believe he was being haunted but he worried he was being hypnotized by the hotel manager, Mr. Olan. Ashtray on the desk, book of matches with the Hotel Dolphin on the front of it. King's reading kept the story menacing, with insipid scenes he kept the listener in chills. The scene with the bloody woman and her wicked toothy smile, was captured through King's assured voice. If you want another truly heart thumper scene: the telephone call. (worse than listening to Wheel of Fortune) King's voice during this phone scene was almost too spooky. As he reads about the 'voice' pouring out of the room, its hungry voice. King has a fever for haunted hotels. 1408 certainly ranks up there with his "The Shining" novel. "In the Deathroom," Fletcher is an American reporter held in the "deathroom" a torture chamber in the South America. Fletcher, is offered a cigarette repeatedly. The room is definitely a 'deathroom' and Fletcher knew its gray atmosphere spoke many deathly tales. He felt his immediate death approaching and he desperately conceives of a plan that will free him, rather in death or freedom, one or the same to him at this point. His only hope is that final drag on a cigarette, one last cigarette, please. I was shocked these tales didn't take place in Maine (Castle Rock or Dury) but they took place in New York City. "In the Deathroom" reminds me a lot of one of my favorite tales of King's: Gerald's Game and even Misery, due to the fact, torture was inflicted in a particular room. The theme of SMOKE AND BLOOD is just that. Dealing with smoking with horror and gore bloody scenes. Stephen King is not only a writer but the true storyteller. Within his voice through the tells, you will be convinced that you see that cold gray floor in the deathroom. His acting shines through most in "The Deathroom" he is definitely putting himself and all he knows into that tale. In each tale: Fletcher, Mike, and Steve are transformed, and all linked together due to their habit of smoking, or their taste for it. He is the King of grotesque in Gotham Cafe, King of eerie in the ghostly room 1408, and King of fear in the "deathroom" --Stephen King is just that KING!
Rating:
Summary: Eeeeeh! This one really got to me!
Review: I listened to this collection during my long commute to and from work. It thrilled me to no end to hear King read his stories as they should be read. King is the ultimate story teller and he gives his characters even more depth and makes his stories more alive by reading them to us, in the privacy of our own cars, homes, or headphones. Whichever way you listen to this collection, be prepared. You will be drawn in like no other audio collection can. It will stay with you and you will recall this collection time and again, sometimes with pleasure and sometimes with unease. Yes, you can find these stories in print, but when you have the rare opportunity to have them read to you by the King himself, why not grasp it?
Rating: 
Summary: WONDERFUL POSSIBILITIES, MIXED RESULTS
Review: While patiently waiting for The Wolves of the Calla to come out I picked up Blood and Smoke. These three stories strike me as a mixed bag. All of them started with great ideas but in my opinion, only one fully delivers on its promise. It is unfortunate that the first story, Lunch at the Gotham Café, is the weakest. This story--centering on the feelings of betrayal and loss brought on by divorce and an unthinkable event over lunch--just doesn't do it for me. King may get to the root of the fears and emotions involved here but I was left cold by the pointless Catcher in the Rye-esque ending. 1408 is a very well crafted story. I can't help thinking how much more it could have been though. Given more space than one single audio cassette, this story could have been great. The jewel of this collection is In the Deathroom. What King does here in a very short space is remarkable. True character development, suspense, even catharsis--young short story authors should study this one. I couldn't help noticing that the hero of 1408's last name was Dearborn. We will all be reading more of Will Dearborn soon. Until then--Blood and Smoke is a decent way to pass the time. For all of its unevenness, I recommend Blood and Smoke.
Rating:
Summary: good short stories, but that's all they are
Review: Summary:
"Lunch at the Gotham Café" - Steve Davis shows up for a lunch meeting with his ex-wife and her lawyer but ends up facing down a psycho maitre'd who goes berserk for no reason. "1408" - Mike Enslin, a best-selling author of a number of ghost story books (he is actually a ghost-story debunker) decides to spend the night in what is supposed to be a haunted hotel room in New York City. A skeptical introduction turns into a nightmare as Mike finds out that this one is the real deal. "In the Deathroom" - Fletcher, a U.S. citizen in Central America, is brought in by the police of the country because of his affiliation with some insurgents. He is introduced to a torture device, but pulls a quick one and gets away, then uses the device on his captors. My Comments:
These were pretty good stories. As is the case with most short stories, there isn't much depth to these stories, but they are pretty interesting nonetheless. I would definitely recommend them for anyone who likes Stephen King and is looking for some good short stories.
Rating:
Summary: Collection
Review: I have bought every thing that has come out by King. I have his work in all forms but I like the CD's. I can work around the house or just sit back and listen to them. I hope that the books that are not on CD will come out in them.
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