Question about the story

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Rrty

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Jun 4, 2007
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I am looking forward to some of the stories in The Bazaar of Bad Dreams more than some others. As an example, I think as someone else stated, the baseball story might not necessarily be for me.

I don't really know anything about this one. If I, say, am excited for "Ur," "Obits" and "Bad Little Kid," will I be happy with "Batman and Robin Have An Altercation."
 
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Gerald

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Sep 8, 2011
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I quite like this story. Like Premium Harmony it's something that could really happen and we know Alzheimer's is something King worries about. I didn't see the ending coming, which is always nice with a short story.

I find the title a bit strange though. Why an 'altercation'? The father and son didn't have an altercation with each other, or does it refer to the other driver - that was more like having a fight.
It's more like 'Batman and Robin have an accident'.
 

GNTLGNT

The idiot is IN
Jun 15, 2007
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I quite like this story. Like Premium Harmony it's something that could really happen and we know Alzheimer's is something King worries about. I didn't see the ending coming, which is always nice with a short story.

I find the title a bit strange though. Why an 'altercation'? The father and son didn't have an altercation with each other, or does it refer to the other driver - that was more like having a fight.
It's more like 'Batman and Robin have an accident'.
....in this case, the altercation is implied by the fight.....
 
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Gerald

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....in this case, the altercation is implied by the fight.....

Altercation was a word I hadn't heard of before this story. It doesn't really mean 'fight', but rather 'quarrel', a fight of words rather than physical. But it may use 'altercation' in an ironic sense, since what it really is, is a fight.
 
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GNTLGNT

The idiot is IN
Jun 15, 2007
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Cambridge, Ohio
Altercation was a word I hadn't heard of before this story. It doesn't really mean 'fight', but rather 'quarrel', a fight of words rather than physical. But it may use 'altercation' in an ironic sense, since what it really is, is a fight.
...possibly, but in the prison where I work-an "altercation" is how we normally refer to a fight or an assault.....
 
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Gerald

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Sep 8, 2011
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...possibly, but in the prison where I work-an "altercation" is how we normally refer to a fight or an assault.....

That makes sense, as the other driver (he was called Tat Man in the translation, so I guess that's what he is called in the original text too) had been in prison, as was visible because of the way his tattoos were done. King always seems to research his stories, even the short ones, well.
 
Dec 27, 2017
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West Coast Canada
Batman and Robin.... what stands out for me is a testament to the love between parent and child. How roles gets reversed as a parent declines and how the spark of the essential man can shine thought dementia. This father had a strong reaction to his son's altercation and reacts as the tough fighter he once was.

Also this story speaks to the crazy phenomenon of road rage. As a Canadian we used to look with horror at the US examples of road rage, now unfortunately we have our own examples.