Stephen King - Where to Start?

[LollipopViolet]

I read, while on holiday last year "Just After Sunset", one of the short story collections, and really enjoyed it. I'd like to read some more, but he's written so many books I don't know where to start. Any advice? Oh, preferably Kindle based if possible.

Thank you :)

[myusernameisnotmyusername]

My favourite of all of them is hard to choose but I think it has to be Cujo, closely followed by Christine and Misery. So I'd start with them. I loved just after sunset too. Although I found that story about the site where that man kept going and then his therapist and the therapists sister found the reports really disturbing to the point where I found my anxiety flaring up! (Hope you know what I'm on about!)

[alltouchedout]

Delores Claibourne, The Dead Zone, The Stand, Needful Things, The Long Walk (as Richard Bachman), It, Apt Pupil (in a collection but I don't recall which)- love all those. Really didn't rate Cell, Insomnia or Of a Buick 8.

[NerrSnerr]

I don't what Swartz is! I like scary.

[NerrSnerr]

just to add balance I enjoyed Pet Semetary and have read it many times. It's one of the scariest books I have ever read- but I like Swartz

[NerrSnerr]

I love the old ones, Misery, The Shining, It etc but I also love some of the recent ones- Under the Dome, Mr Mercedes, Finders Keepers.

My all time favourites are Duma Key, Bag of Bones and Cell.

[Matilda2013]

I have It on my kindle but I don't tend to read horror and this ones apparently quite a good horror...

[Henrythehoover]

I loved it until the end where it just got weird. I also enjoyed The green mile and The shining. I haven't really read any others and just couldn't get into thinner.

[user1471453601]

Have any of you read anything by Joe Hill? Steven Kings son? I'd particularly recommend Fireman (I think that's what it's called).

I'd also recommend the unexpurgated version of The Stand.

For those who have already read The Dark Tower series, apparently Idris Elba is playing Roland in the film

[strugglingstepdad]

The Dark Half is a brilliant book!

Desperation was very hard work, but made easier when I read Regulators (under his pseudonym Richard Bachman). Very good in that he's written using the same characters but under 2 names!

[Matilda2013]

Just finished my second Stephen King book with Misery. Fabulous book once I got into I was hooked! the dirty mop water makes me sick though

[neveradullmoment99]

Oh yes, I remember Ray Bradbury from school - The scythe really captivated me and stuck in my mind for years. A bit like you, I read Stephen King many years ago. Was fed up with cheap fiction and started reading it again and I have so say I have really enjoyed it. He is a master story teller. I am reading Everythings eventual. Think it was the second story The man in the black suit. Really frightening short story. I loved it!!! Really enjoying his stories. Years ago started to read the Dark tower series but I am sure he hadn't written the next one and by the time it came out, I had forgotten all about it. Must make amental note of nightmares and dreamscapes and The long walk. May have read the long walk. I have lost track [Before the days of the kindle] I cant remember what i have and have not read!

[YoungYolandaYorgensen39]

My first was Misery, lent to me in '92 by my English teacher. After that I read a few more of the older ones during my teens (Carrie, Pet Semetary, The Shining, Salem's Lot, The Dark Half, Four Past Midnight etc) but drifted away from SK for what I believed to be more 'serious' fiction.

Just recently felt drawn back to SK and I read The Long Walk - the first book he wrote I believe although not the first published. It was great. I have since added Nightmares and Dreamscapes to my pile and I got the first Dark Tower book from the library.

I think SK is a bit of a master storyteller actually. The Langoliers in Four Past Midnight is just brilliant. You can tell that SK was a big Ray Bradbury fan - another writer I love.

[neveradullmoment99]

I know it is a zombie thread but just started reading Stephen King again and was looking for another book to read that I havent read. Just finished Insomina and the dark half. Have forgotten which ones I have read in the past. Had a sample of everythings eventual sent to my Kindle so probably will start with that. Have sent Cell to my kindle as a sample so may have that second. Thanks to those who recommended it even although this thread is years old!!!!

[frenchfancy]

I've always avoided SK as I don't particularly like horror books (overdosed on JH as a teenager). After this thread I am going to try SK, but just avoid the horror ones. Thanks

[Maamaa]

Def Bag of Bones, made me realise he doesn't just write 'horror' but really really good fiction and lead me to Shawshank and Green Mile. Also love It though which is more what I would have expected from the genre and is still bloody good! Wonderful author.

[shimmy0]

Don't bother with insomnia or from a Buick 8.

I loved The girl who loved Tom Gordon, not a long story, more of a novella I think but a good story.

[AnyFucker]

I might have to get it for me hols

There is something I like about SK. He doesn't do gratuitous sex in his novels. He writes from a male POV (mostly) that never seems sexist.

I think I would like him in RL.

[insancerre]

I loved 11.22.63
I didn't expect to like it but I am already looking forward to re-reading it.
It has somethong to do with Kennedy's assassination but it's not a historical novel which is what I was sort of expecting.

[AnyFucker]

hehe

stop it !!

I shall be raiding my holiday reading before I know it !

[PuppyMonkey]

Cheered me up cos it was exciting is what i meant.

I still say I've got Captain Tripps when I've got the flu.

[AnyFucker]

I haven't read 11.22.63

is it something to do with Kennedy's assassination?

[Stannwigg]

Oooh, also The Long Walk - really tense, gripping stuff. One of his earliest I believe, written under his pen name Richard Bachman.

[Stannwigg]

Love most of his books, but was really blown away by 11.22.63, was just brilliant.
The one that sticks with me most is Pet Semetary shudder

[AnyFucker]

cheered you up ?

I am not sure it's a cheery book

[PuppyMonkey]

The Stand is great, read it on a boring holiday once and it really cheered me up.