And to think I was excited about a new short story collection from King. I have fond memories of his early stories, but these have nothing in common with them. I guess nobody dares to edit King's work anymore after all his success, and it really shows here. All of the stories are too long and containd endless repetition. After the first few pages, you've gotten the picture, and know basically how the story's going to end, and you're wondering "what's he gonna write about for the next 30 pages?", as it seems the story has nowhere to go. Somehow he manages to fill those pages with needless details that add nothing to the story, only delay the inevitable.