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

[SineadTemptation]

I will be buying a kindle soon and want to stock up on book titles to download 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?

SK must read:*

Rose Madder - very good, scary accurate depiction of what DV does to the psyche
Duma Key - my favourite King, very scary and dark, SK's way of dealing with the trauma of his injuries, great insights into dementia, fabulous characterisations.
Under the Dome - actually, not like The Stand at all, a very good exposition of what is so scary about small town America
The Shining - Classic, must-read. The child's point of view is beautifully done (SK does seem to be good at children)
IT - Why has no-one mentioned IT? It's enormous, a big sprawling good-versus-evil novel, also a beautiful coming of age story.
Needful Things - More smalltown America, this time focusing on the downside of wish fulfilment. Recommended.
Salem's Lot - Vampires, done brilliantly.
And the Dark Tower series - takes a bit of getting into, but well worth the investment.

SK worth your time
Desperation (you will also need to read Richard Bachman's The Regulators to really get this - Bachman is King's alter ego)
Misery
Dolores Claiborne
Bag of Bones
The Green Mile
The Stand
The Dead Zone
Lisey's Story (disagree with a previous poster here, it isn't an easy one, but it is a beautifully done dissection of madness - what it is, and what it does to people)

SK novels to avoid (disagree with me if you wish): Carrie, the Tommyknockers, From a Buick 8, Pet Sematary, Dreamcatcher

Hope that helps.

I've read Carrie and I don't remember a court room drama in it... have to get my memory checked!

My favourite Stephen King books are:

IT
The Stand
Stand by Me
Tommy Knockers
The Dark Tower series (fantasy)
Firestarter
On Writing (non-fiction)
The Long Walk (as Richard Bachman)

I'm on Book 3 of the Dark Tower Series at the moment and am enjoying it so much. Not normally a SK fan but these are wonderful books. Imagine a western crossed with something like Lord of the Rings and you are some way there. They are dark in places but a very rewarding read.

I actually like Carrie, but i think for me it's so deeply tied to the time of my life I read it.

The first one i ever read was The Eyes of The Dragon, followed by IT. I was 15 at the time and have read IT once more as an adult and couldn't seem to connect with it on the same level.

The ones I come back to time and time again are:

The Stand
The Shining
IT
The Dark Tower series
Nightmares & Dreamscapes
The Eyes of the Dragon
Different Seasons (This one has The Shawshank Redemption & The Body in, also has Apt Pupil which is excellent though creepy)
Bag of Bones
The Dead Zone
The Green Mile
The Talisman & Black House (kind of a sequel to Talisman)

I liked:
From a Buick 8, Rose Madder, Hearts in Atlantis, Insomnia, The Girl who Loved Tom Gordon, Salem's Lot, Under the Dome, Duma Key, Misery

I didn't like:
Gerald's Game, Cujo, Lisey's Story, Blaze (ending was a bit of a cop out to me)

Hope that helps, if you want any for the Kindle, let me know & I can send them to you (have them all in the Kindle format)

IT and The Dark Tower set. Those are the two that stick in my mind and I think I got through over 30 when I was in my mid teens :) Enjoy! Oh and Neil Gaiman may be one to try if you like the writing style but not so keen on the horror.

Yes to trying Gaiman too.

I have re-read the whole Dark Tower series about 7 times but I want to read it again every time I think about it. Dd1 has read 6 and a half of them in the last week (she has clearly inherited my speed!) and I so envy her still having that final half to go!

ColonelBrandon, ikwym, its so amazing to watch someone read something you've recommended, especially when they love it too! Does that make sense?

Only Gaiman I've read is Stardust which I enjoyed, which others would you recommend? Oh, I read his collaboration with Terry Pratchett as well

My faves are American Gods and Anansi's Boys.

Oh and it does indeed make sense!

I've told her that she is not allowed to fancy Roland though because he's all mine. :)

Oh and I also told her the secret Roland game I play in my head sometimes so now she thinks I'm insane...but I bet she will now play it too... :)

Oooh, what's the secret Roland game?? You have to share now...

The only Stephen King I've ever read was Hearts in Atlantis, but I really enjoyed it.

Must give some of the others a go.

American Gods is an absolutely amazing book.

Tilly Re: Gaiman; I'm re-reading American Gods atm and the follow up is Anansi Boys :)

Ooops X posted!
Have to say I'm not much of a fan of SK's more recent works. Started to read Cell a few years ago, got about 4 chapters in and just had to put it down. Seemed more like pointless violence and zombies just quite ridiculous. I haven't re-read his 'classics' for many years, but I hope it's not my taste that changed! I started getting a little bored around the time of Needful Things...that's the last one I remember enjoying, although not as much as IT, but then I was the same age as the characters in IT when I read it, so it had a Deeper Meaning to me back then

In my humble opinion, two of the greatest short stories/novellas ever written are Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank redemption and Apt Pupil.
They are without peers and show King for what he is, a truly, truly gifted writer.
They are breathtakingly good.

Cell was awful. Apt Pupil v v good.

Secret Roland Game = whenever in a place where there are lots of people, I weigh them all up in my head to see if any of the men could 'be' Roland. Sadly I am yet to find him.

Thanks Fab & ColonelBrandon, will give those a try

Cell wasn't so great, I didn't like Needful Things that much either but there are good ones in between,

Colonel, lol, will definitely give that game a go. I hope they never do a film version, I don't think there is any actor who could be Roland

I haven't read many of Stephen kings newer books and I hated some of his books, Carrie being one of them.
The Shining is my top book of all time, it's fantastic, I would definitely recommend it.
Misery, insomnia and Geralds game are really good too as is Different Seasons which is a book of shorter stories including the shawshank redemption.

Tilly They are planning a film here Scroll down for the guy who may be Roland. I've never heard of him and don't think he looks right at all - too sultry and too short. He needs to be tall and skinny and sort of faded looking imho. I can only think of Viego Whatshisname but he's probably too delicate.

oooooooooooooooooooh

New book out in November - oooooooh again!

Haven't read Carrie, but the some of his best work is the non horror stuff. Try "The Green Mile", "Different Seasons" (4 short stories, one of which is the novella on which the film Shawshank Redemption is based, another is what the film Stand By Me was on).

I personally really loved Gerald's Game (although it scared me shitless) and "It" was a FAR better book than film. "The Shining" as well was great.

I'd also take a look at Dean Koontz - his books require slightly less suspension of belief and they're really enjoyable.

I never really got into Dean Koontz, his stories don't grab me

Colonel, he's definitely not Roland, Cort maybe but not Roland. I am actually quite sad they're doing a film & a tv version, I'll still probably watch it though! And his new book looks good, v interesting

SQUEEEEE!!!!

New book! New book.