Question for Stephen King fans

[MiaWallace]

Can you recommend me a SK book which isn't a horror?

I read The Green Mile when it game out as a series.

I loved both Stand by me and Shawshank redemption - read neither but watched the films

So is there anything else he has done worth reading which isn't horror?

[Saturn74]

I loved Rose Madder.

[fryalot]

Gerald's game,

Dolores Claybourne,

Rose Madder,

There are also a couple of books he's done of short stories. Some of the stories are horror, and some aren't.

[paulaplumpbottom]

Stand by Me and the Shawshank Redemption are both short Storys.

I can't think of anything that doesn't have a bit of thrill to it. Let me say though that I am not a huge fan of the Horror genre. However he is amongst my favorite authors and I have read everything he has written. I don't read his books because they are scary (although he has kept me awake many nights) I read them because they are all wonderful storys and are full of the sorts of things that I imagine you loved about the Green Mile. They are all worth a read.

[expatinscotland]

'The Body' is another of his great short stories.

[NadineBaggott]

define 'horror'?

Misery
Needful Things
Insomnia
Desperation

[NadineBaggott]

The Body is Stand by Me expat

[NadineBaggott]

short stories? you can't beat The Long Walk

[paulaplumpbottom]

The Body was made into Stand by Me. All of his short stories are brilliant. Sometimes I think I prefer them to the novels.

[expatinscotland]

Sorry, The Body is the short 'STand by Me' was based on.

I meant the one w/the Nazi fella. Was that Needful Things?

I can't remember.

[Scootergirl]

The original story was Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption, which I think was one of the Bachman Books (written under an assumed name) but I could be wrong. The Running Man is also a good short story and, although quite horrid in places, isn't actually a horror story as such.

[paulaplumpbottom]

Thats Apt Pupil Expat.

[Saturn74]

The Long Walk is brilliant.

[MiaWallace]

Oh yes I forgot about Misery and The Shinning. I've read both and wouldn't consider either them to be horror.

Anything else along those lines?

[paulaplumpbottom]

You don't consider the Shining Horror?????

[squidette]

I read an article by SK (am huge fan) who doesnt call any of his work 'horror' rather is just how others (oublishers etc) choose to catagorise it.

The Dark Half and Needful Things are great but how about a collection of short stories such as Four Past Midnight or Different Seasons? Latter has both Rita Hayworth and The Body...

The Bachman Books also - i was gripped by The Long Walk.

[NadineBaggott]

The Tommyknockers is excellent

[MiaWallace]

No I didn't consider The Shinning horror. It was frightening, but I think of horror in terms of monsters, evil spirits, scary clowns etc.

[Twiglett]

dont' think you can say Tommyknockers isn't a horror

honestly I'd give the horror's a go

Firestarter isn't traditional horror
insomnia is quite different

and there's a series about a cowboy but the name escapes me

tbh he's psychological horror rather than physical like James Herbert IMHO ie no rats gnawing on you

[Scootergirl]

What about the scary girls in the Shining? And the whole Redrum business.....

[Twiglett]

THe Dark Tower .. that's the cowboy ones

The Stand is about the end of the world .. there is an evil devil character in it but balanced with a holy good one

I wouldn't do IT if I were you ... scary clown

[Radley]

Rose Madder and Needful Things are great books.

[nikkie]

The Long walk is excellent!
Can't stand Geralds game.

[paulaplumpbottom]

Don't go for the Dark Tower Books unless you have read most of his others or you start to get lost at about the 4th book.

Gerald's Game is odd, especially the way it ties in with Doloris Claiborne.

I also enjoyed The Long Walk

[GhostOfMumsnet]

Gerald's Game is definately my fav. I didn't put it down, read it from cover to cover and drove the family mad.

[paulaplumpbottom]

Was I the only one who physically jumped at the end of Gerald's Game when she looks in the back seat?