Stephen king

[Moominfan]

So I've never read any Stephen king. Always avoided him. Had the impression he was very long winded. Currently working my way through pet cemetery and loving it. What are your SK must reads? How good is it when you find an author you love with loads of material

I’ve enjoyed nearly all mentioned especially Bag of Bones. I’ve never got into the Dark Tower books though, must give them another try.

I found Under the Dome to be disappointing at the end. It felt like he didn’t know how to end it. Mainly though he’s brilliant.

Although there are a fair few adaptations of his books to films that have been badly done.

I loved horror and SK as a teen. 'Desperation' was one of my favourite books back then so when I saw it in a charity shop recently I bought it to re-read. I was so disappointed! Thought it was very poorly written. Will I feel the same if I re-read others? There are some I haven't read at all - like Pet Cemetery and Misery.

SK is a literary genius

The Stand
IT
The Shining
Misery
Cujo
Salems Lot

My faves. Also a big James Herbert fan

I think the Book that for me had the most disturbing atmosphere was The Tommyknockers.

Cell has to have one of the best opening chapters of a horror novel.

But in terms of read firsts, I don't think you can go wrong with The Shining.

Also every horror fan should read the short stories The Jaunt (in Skeleton Crew) and 1408 (in Everything's Eventual).

Stephen King is fabulous. No one writes like him, it’s like being given a big hug and being scared to death at the same time.

Most of his best have been recommended here, i would add Needful Things and Gerald’s Game. It’s also worth checking out his short stories, specially the Shawshank redemption (called Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption) and The Body which is the story Stand By Me is based on.

Enjoy, am jealous, i would love to go back and discover all those books again!

King is the best (and I am very smart!!!) .

I think his absolute worst are Needful Things, The Tommyknockers, Dreamcatcher, Gerald's Game, Delores Claiborne and Revival.

For somebody new to him, I always recommend:
The Green Mile
Misery
The Girl who Loved Tom Gordon
Bag of Bones

It and The Stand are his two best imvho. 'It' is really clever in the way it flits between the child and adult central characters. For me, it's even better than The Stand.

And some of his short stories are brilliant. You can find 'Survivor Type' free online, and it's well worth a read.

Yes to The Jaunt - great fun!

I love SK. He has written some duds, but he has also written some really great books.

My absolute favourite of his is Duma Key - both because it reflects his own lived experience of recovering from serious injury, but also because he portrays dementia and recovery from acquired brain injury so very well. I also love The Shining and Doctor Sleep - I remember watching my late husband read the latter and hoping that he would recognise himself in Danny Torrance the alcoholic. He didn't, but it's still a great book.

The Dark Tower series is a different thing altogether - you either dive into that universe, or you don't. I would suggest you do.

You have a lot of great reading to look forward to.

Ooh speaking of his accident, On Writing is superb.

@RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie I agree with you on Needful things and Revival. I didn't enjoy those and I am a big SK fan!

I did enjoy Needful Things, though I'm prepared to admit it isn't his best - a bit soap opera. I haven't read Revival, I am way behind on all my reading.

SK writes brilliantly about the art of writing.

Isn't Desperation the weird one that was published as two novels about the same event told from 2 different points of view? One of the versions is very good and the other is rubbishm

I would have said The Shining, but then I read The Green Mile. I absolutely loved it. In fairness I've yet to pick up an SK book that I didn't enjoy.

Just been inspired by this thread to re read an SK short story that has stayed with me for years - Strawberry Spring - and happily it's as good as I remembered

Currently reading It.

I think SK’s greatest talent is the way he finds the little gaps in your subconscious and fills them with stuff you didn’t know you were afraid of until he wrote about them. I’ve phrased that really badly, but agree with those upthread bothered by the Jaunt and Pet Semetary

F

Isn't Desperation the weird one that was published as two novels about the same event told from 2 different points of view? One of the versions is very good and the other is rubbishm

I think The Regulators was a lost book that got rediscovered. Desperation was written new when the old book came to light. It uses the same events as a premise but they are set in completely different locations and with different characters. Least that is my understanding.

IT is one of my favourite books ever. If you can arrange to read it during a rare trip back to the town you grew up in then it's even better! This happened by coincidence to me a couple of years back and it was a great way to really relate to the book.

Is Desperation the one with the crazy cop? I really liked it, if so. It and The Regulator s need to be read as companion pieces but I think my brain is mixing bits up from both of them. I feel a re-read coming on.

I can remember a family in a camper van, and various kids (maybe one of whom is aut istic?) running around in the woods like the Scooby Doo gang. It's been a long time!

Yep, you're mixing them up, Remus. The camper van family is Desperation, the running around in the woods is The Regulators. I really like both of them.

Has anybody mentioned The long walk yet ? My favourite SK book of all time and I've read lots. It's an absolute gem of a story and I always wished it would become a film but somebody bought the film rights and then never made it. He's such a diverse author and this isn't his usual 'style' - I've recommended it to loads of people and nobody is ever disappointed

I read loads as a teen and they absolutely terrified me. I used to lie in bed reading them and scaring myself silly when I turned the light out. I had a massive cupboard in my room which didn’t help. I haven’t read anything published after 1995 though, maybe I should revisit King.

He is my favourite author.

The Stand is just amazing.