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Original poster

whats the best Stephen King book?

92 replies

juicychops · 27/04/2012 21:29

I fancy giving one a go as not read any of his since i was a teenager. I read Carrie, The Shining, and some other one which i seem to remember was about a girl walking through the woods imagining herself at a baseball game? can't really remember that one!

anyway, recommendations please...

OP posts:
Angelico · 27/04/2012 23:46

What is the one where the guy sees everything going all multi-coloured?

Oh and Dreamcatcher was AWFUL - am amazed how many people like it tbh! Put me right off King for a while! :o

MissPricklePants · 27/04/2012 23:45

mrscumberbatch, The talisman is amazing!! I do love it!!

Remus it would be very, very small but very, very awesome!!

Angelico · 27/04/2012 23:44

The Stand, Lisey's Story, Cujo, It (terrifying!!!) and agree about The Bachman Books - I loved Rage and The Long Walk is amazing until just before the end where it goes a bit Confused. Seem to remember enjoying Christine and Bag of Bones. If you're into writing I love On Writing - it's fascinating about his life and how he slogged towards success, also great bit about the accident that nearly killed him ("I realised I'd almost been killed by one of my own characters!").

I truly love The Stand and read it again at intervals.

RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 27/04/2012 23:42

:) I keep saying I'm going to have a special Jane Austen bookcase too - unfortunately it would be very, very small. :(

mrscumberbatch · 27/04/2012 23:41

The Talisman - I read it every year but I hardly ever find anyone whose read it.

It's very clever, funny and enthralling and you will most certainly have weird dreams afterwards!!

Stand is a close second for me

MissPricklePants · 27/04/2012 23:41

Remus I have a SK bookcase too...I thought I was the only one!!

RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 27/04/2012 23:40

Apt Pupil is great but really, really horrible - it's the only one of his that has made me feel quite ill.

RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 27/04/2012 23:39

I have an entire bookcase dedicated to Stephen King, although I'm a few books short of his entire back catalogue!

Imo 'The Stand' and the Dark Tower series are far and away his best, followed by Bag Of Bones and The Dead Zone, probably.

The short story about the man who eats himself is called, 'Survivor Type' and is in 'Skeleton Crew' - it is one of the best short stories ever!

The only ones I've hated of his are: Needful Things (tosh), The Tommy Knockers (completely forgetable), Dreamcatcher (ridiculous alien inspired toilet humour - dreadful) and Dolores Claiborne (boring and predictable).

MissPricklePants · 27/04/2012 23:35

eeeeek well thats the plan for tomorrow eve sorted. Perk of being an l.p is I can read whilst starfishing in bed Good luck for your first day on Monday!

Oh and OP I totally recommend Salem's Lot!

bruffin · 27/04/2012 23:33

The Dead Zone
I read a lot of Sk when he first started writing. Then stopped for a while, then read Misery and Rose Ladder the nothing until The Dome and Duma Key both of which I really enjoyed.
I have his new one to read, but Ds pinched it first.

PervyMuskrat · 27/04/2012 23:32

Miss PricklePants - worth locking yourself in a room for a few hours and absorbing yourself in it. I have the new Robin Hobb too, so that's the plan for tomorrow evening, before I start my new job on Monday!

MissPricklePants · 27/04/2012 23:27

petitfiloser he is the best!! PervyMuskrat I haven't read it yet, been busy working and stuff but I am starting it tomorrow!!So excited about it!

PervyMuskrat · 27/04/2012 23:13

Insomnia, Needful Things, any of the short stories and the Dark Tower series.

Slight hijack, but has anyone else read "The Wind Through The Keyhole" ? Beautiful and fits into the series perfectly...

MadamTwoSwords · 27/04/2012 22:04

I have all of his books. My faves are
The Stand
It
The Dark Tower Series (5-7 are best so persevere)

Struggled a bit with his later stuff, still haven't finished Under The Dome or 22.11.63, when normally I read his books in one go.

petitfiloser · 27/04/2012 22:04

miss prickle, he's the best isn't he?

Fairenuff · 27/04/2012 22:02

Thinner
The Long Walk
The Stand
The Talisman
Insomnia

ClaireDeTamble · 27/04/2012 22:02

The Long Walk - possibly the greatest, scariest short story ever written. Rage is also very good.

And not forgetting Rita Heyworth and the Shawshank Redemption and Apt Pupil.

I prefer his short stories to his novels.

Duckypoohs · 27/04/2012 22:02

I really like Insomnia, Cujo is a good one too, also Bag of Bones. I like the stand but for some reason it took me a few goes to get into it. Geralds game is another gripping one.

I re-read Pet Semetary lately and it is much more disturbing than I remember, the film is pretty good too.

MissPricklePants · 27/04/2012 22:02

The Stand
The Dark Tower Series

I own all the Stephen King books!! Huge SK fan!!

Original poster
juicychops · 27/04/2012 22:01

i think il buy a couple tomorrow then. i really do prefer to read books that are brand new from a shop but maybe i should be good and get them from the charity shop

OP posts:
balia · 27/04/2012 22:00

Rose Madder

Insomnia

InstructionsToTheDouble · 27/04/2012 21:56

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petitfiloser · 27/04/2012 21:55

best book is the stand by a long way, best short story is the long walk, best author, ever

garlicnutter · 27/04/2012 21:55

The Dark Half. It's about 25 years since I read it, but it still haunts me sometimes.

This thread's made me look at how many of his books I haven't read yet! Thanks, OP. I forecast sleepless nights in the house of Garlic ....

AnneOfCleavers · 27/04/2012 21:53

Rage is no longer included in new editions of The Bachman Books. Stephen King had it removed after a school shooting in America.

Luckily my mum managed to find an old copy of The Bachman Books in a Charity shop which contained Rage because it is one of my favourites.

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