11.22.63

[stainesmassif]

Its big isn't it? I've got it from the library for 1 week. Will it be long enough?? Is it unputdownable?

Only one week?!?

And I thought the libraries round here were being stingy with their standard 3 week lends, because it was 4 weeks where I grew up.... (unhelpful)

Can you renew it if you've not finished it in a week?

The print size put me off, so I'll be reading it on my kindle eventually. Are you a very fast reader?

if you've got the time a week should be enough. :)

i enjoyed it and got through it pretty quickly.

Because it's a best seller. I could see it was thick, but the typeface is pretty small too. I'm just going to have to give up housework/childcare/sleeping.

Brilliant, really enjoyed it. Think it took about a week, was really unputdownable!

Pretty fast if it's addictive enough. Is it close to The Stand?

I read it in two evenings, but am a v quick reader. It's okay but nowhere near as good as 'The Stand' and I was v disappointed by the ending tbh. Lots of good bits in the middle though!

Remus are you sure you read all the words??!! Shame about the end, so many books end poorly. And tv programmes for that matter.

I'm in awe of anyone who can read that fast. I wish I could but I'm easily distracted and, at best, can read 80-100 pages a day.

I read it in about 4 days, but I did have a history book alongside to supplement my, er, limited, knowledge of American history.
The end is pretty weird, I had to read it a couple of times and I'm still a bit.

Am just over halfway through and fighting a ridiculous urge to read the last few pages. I haven't done that since I was..14?

The last few pages won't help, it doesn't end on a bombshell as such, you're easier plugging through or it won't make sense at all

I liked the end. Just finished it and I had a little tear in my eye and a slightly croaky voice. This is why I can't get past Wizard and Glass in the Dark Tower series. I know I'd howl.

I read it in less than a week, but I am a very fast reader. Loved it, even with the dodgy ending - King still does people, places and times so very well.

Got the trial few chapters downloaded and being stingy haven't paid for the rest yet. Might give it a go!

I loved it. Haven't read much Stephen King and it made me want to read more. Took me three days, but that included a long train journey and a night in a hotel away from the DCs, soirée reading time than I usually have.
I enjoyed the end but was embarrassed to be almost sobbing on the train

iPhone excuse! Don't think I've ever been to a soirée, need mind on a train!

Oh crap! never mind.

I give up!

Lucky you if you haven't read much of his writing before. I kept being reminded of The Dead Zone which I'm horrified to realise I read over twenty years ago. Loads of great books for you to catch up on though!

Yes. It's always good to find a newish ( to me) author. I have read The Green Mile, which I also enjoyed but most of his sound too scary for me, so I haven't read any others.
Any recommendations for good ones that won't give me nightmares?

I think you'd like the ones that are about people more than those that are about monsters - though sometimes with King it's hard to tell them apart.

So you should read Under the Dome, which really is all about people and how monstrous they can be, and Dolores Claiborne. The Stand also fits into this section, as does The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon

Then if you feel you can handle ghosts (but not gore) then you should read Duma Key, Bag of Bones and probably Insomnia. You might also like Rose Madder, though there are some scary depictions of domestic violence in there (very obvious where King stands on this though!)

Once you've survived this lot, I'd recommend The Dead Zone, Salem's Lot (vampires, but very very well done), the entire Dark Tower series, Lisey's Story and The Shining, Needful Things (which is a kind of morality tale)

everything else comes after. You'd be reading them out of order and might need to backtrack to keep up with the mythos King builds up (around the Dark Tower, the Beam and the Turtle) but by that time you'll be proper hooked anyway.

Ones to avoid (due to bad writing): The Tommyknockers, From a Buick 8, Dreamcatcher, Cujo.

Other people on here will disagree with me about aspects of the above, take what you will from it and enjoy your discovery of King.

I wouldn't say that any of them are scary as such, although some of them are sad and 'It' has a few nasty moments.

Personally, the ones I'd avoid for being rubbish are The Tommyknockers, Gerald's Game, Dolores Claiborne (boring - could have been a short story with little loss), Needful Things (his worst by a long, long way - toe-curlingly bad) and I would have said Dreamcatcher but I recently re-read it and enjoyed it a lot more this time than I did when it came out, though it's still one of his weakest ones.

Coffee - it you liked The Green Mile, I'd try Misery or Blaze (a Bachman book) next. They are both fairly short and are character-driven, rather than 'monster books' and also they stand alone without King playing with the symbols etc that he increasingly repeats, once he's into The Dark Tower.

The Dark Tower books are magnificent btw - but don't start with them!

I'm quite a slow reader compared to some so no way would I read that in a week. I have to take my time to enjoy a book.

I couldn't cope in a reading club and left because I felt so rushed and was galloping through books to try to keep up. It just felt like homework.

Currently reading Under the Dome which is huge, but have my eye on 11.22.63.

I love immersing myself in his books, the bigger the better.

Bag of Bones is fantastic imho. I loved it.