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Stephen King - didn't like Carrie, what are the others like?

62 replies

SineadTemptation · 15/05/2011 16:26

I will be buying a kindle soon and want to stock up on book titles to download Grin I've heard a lot of people recommending Stephen King but I started reading Carrie and didn't like it. I think it was the whole court room drama thing that put me off because I hate that kind of book anyway.

I'd like to read The Shining but have been somewhat put off SK books by Carrie! Anyone read both? are they similar?

OP posts:
oaks56 · 15/05/2011 17:52

I would definatly give a few of his others a go before writing him off.

The stories are all so different your sure to find a few that suit. The Shining and Carrie are no where near the same.

I would recommend The Stand and It as the best of his in my opinion

PersonalClown · 15/05/2011 17:59

Green Mile is brilliant!
I don't know what to classify it as. It's not horror but not really sci-fi or anything else.

Ah who cares! It's still one of my favourites.

southeastastra · 15/05/2011 18:05

short story collection are the best imo

ColonelBrandonsBiggestGroupie · 15/05/2011 18:13

Carrie is quite different to most of others and v much of its time, I think. It has dated more than the other early ones.

Deffo try The Shining, which is nothing like Carrie but by no means his strongest book imho.

Misery would be worth a try for somebody fairly new to him too and yes to The Green Mile. Or maybe The Girl Who Loved Tom Garden. These are all fairly short but instantly gripping I think - and are far removed from the more conventional horror of novels such as say, The Shining, It or Christine.

Oooh - try Cujo too.

TheCowardlyLion · 15/05/2011 18:14

The Dead Zone is very good as is Needful Things; I remember enjoying The Dark Half and Cujo is good/scary!

Agree with those who say his short stories are excellent. Look at those works by Richard Bachman too - some very well-written stuff there, including 'The Running Man'. And of course if you've never read Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption but only seen the film, shame on you! Grin

Ruthie32 · 15/05/2011 19:03

His new one Under The Dome is brilliant, I couldn't put it down! Have read that it's a similar style to The Stand but I haven't read that one

ColonelBrandonsBiggestGroupie · 15/05/2011 19:56

Ruthie - Under The Dome isn't bad but it is a somewhat pale imitation of The Stand, which is masterful. Please read it! :) I liked Under The Dome except for the ending, which felt a bit of a cheat to me.

mumatron · 15/05/2011 20:05

i like his short stories best.

would recommend Misery, The shining, Insomnia and Dolores Claibourne.

I never liked carrie much either.

cyb · 15/05/2011 20:07

I loved Under The Dome

CoteDAzur · 15/05/2011 20:19

The Shining, The Stand, and The Dead Zone are classic must-reads.

Among his more recent works, Duma Key is very good. Needful Things was also quite good.

Stephen King also has a book on writing that is aptly called On Writing, which I'm sure you will find interesting.

Misery was so boring that it made me miserable. Stephen King can make a story that takes place in a room interesting (remembering the one where the woman was left handcuffed to a bed) but that magic just hasn't happened in Misery.

ColonelBrandonsBiggestGroupie · 15/05/2011 20:22

Misery - boring? I usually agree with you but you've crossed a line now!!! Wink What about when he starts losing the keys from his typewriter? Surely, for that to happen to a writer in itself is horrific enough to be not boring? :)

I hated Gerald's Game though.

ColonelBrandonsBiggestGroupie · 15/05/2011 20:24

What's great about him though (and as this thread is already showing) is that his novels are so very diverse that there really is something for everybody within his back catalogue and that even his 'Number One Fans' and 'Constant Readers' will still find some they fail to enjoy, even as they love the man!

bruffin · 15/05/2011 20:39

I was reading King from the early days as the Dead Zone, The Stand etc were being published up to the mid 80s. Then stopped reading horror for a while and apart from Misery and Rose Madden didn't read any of his books for years until Under the Dome came out. I have read Duma Key recently as well but do mean to go back and read some of the books I missed.

My favorites are The Dead Zone which I have read several times and Firestarter. I read both at a single sitting at the time. Unfortunately it takes me a lot longer to read nowadays. I don't get the time anymore and it took me months to read Under the Dome, although I did enjoy it.

CoteDAzur · 15/05/2011 20:43

Oh yes, Firestarter - how did I forget Firestarter? I read it over 20 years ago and actually wouldn't mind reading it again.

queenrollo · 15/05/2011 20:46

Gerald's Game made me zzzz

If you've seen the film Stand By Me then you should read The Body which it was based on, just a short story but I really enjoyed it.

I liked his collaboration with Peter Straub on The Talisman.

Green Mile excellent.

As the others have said there is quite a lot of diversity in his books, but also when you've read lots of them you start to see little nods to characters/events in other stories and I found that spurred me on to read more of his stuff to see if could spot more.

If you didn't like Carrie then I'd bypass Christine, because i'd place them in the same camp to be honest.

mumatron · 15/05/2011 20:47

Was rose madden the one with the painting? If it is I found that quite disturbing, but I could not put it down.

CoteDAzur · 15/05/2011 20:55

Colonel - Sorry to disappoint you Smile

"Sit and write a book or I chop off a foot" might be riveting to some but it didn't ring my bell, to borrow the parlance of another thread.

queenrollo · 15/05/2011 20:57

mumatron yes (and it's Rose Madder)

queenrollo · 15/05/2011 20:58

mumatron yes (and it's Rose Madder)

queenrollo · 15/05/2011 20:59

gah! didgy internet connection and double post.

queenrollo · 15/05/2011 20:59

dodgy

i give up. it's time for Wine

WhipMeIndiana · 15/05/2011 21:01

don't bother with cell or Lisey's story.
BEST - Gerald's Game and The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon

mumatron · 15/05/2011 21:01

[Blush] thanks Queen. I must have only been about 14/15 when I read it. Think I may download it now.

WhipMeIndiana · 15/05/2011 21:04

please reads every book by Lee Child. His hero, jack Reacher is ah-may-zing.

bruffin · 15/05/2011 21:26

Oh yes Jack Reacher is mentioned in Under The Dome Grin