Favourite Stephen King?

[Echo]

For me, it has to be The Stand. The Dark Half, Rose Madder, and The Talisman are close seconds. I haven't yet read It, but I know I have a copy somewhere.

[Mistress Gwynn]

It and The Stand for me, but I must admit to having grown out of Stephen King over the last few years.  I used to be quite a fan at one time, but I can't remember the last new one of his I bought now. Oh, yes - I think I do remember.  Was it Dreamcatcher or something?  Some chap who defecated an alien life form, or some such thing.  I put the book down at that stage.  I never did enjoy his SciFi ones as much as his horrors and psycho thrillers.  If I was going to re-read any Stephen King nowadays it would be The Stand.

Edited June 29, 2015 by Mistress Gwynn

[lopeanha]

Misery and A Long Walk

[Kara_Booker]

The Stand and The Shining. Hands down.

[timebug]

'The Stand' was the first Stephen King book I ever read,and has

a special place for me. I liked the majority of his stuff,and have

read (as far as I know) all of it to date. 'The Tommyknockers' was

a good fun romp too,and I have fond memories of 'The Dead Zone'!

[paulh2oman]

11/22/63 is definitely my favorite.

[Nollaig]

I'm bumping this thread as I'd like to get into reading Stephen King and am wondering if anyone has anything new to contribute here, and if any new members want to contribute!

 

Preference for his more horror-y books. I've read Salem's Lot and Under The Dome, and love both. Under The Dome is less horror, and I'm looking for more in the way of Salem's Lot.

 

Thanks!

[Michelle]

I'm assuming then Noll that you'd prefer the earlier books? Have tried Carrie? And The Shining is one of my favourites.

[Anna Begins]

I'm bumping this thread as I'd like to get into reading Stephen King and am wondering if anyone has anything new to contribute here, and if any new members want to contribute!

 

Preference for his more horror-y books. I've read Salem's Lot and Under The Dome, and love both. Under The Dome is less horror, and I'm looking for more in the way of Salem's Lot.

 

Thanks!

I second Michelle's recommendation for Carrie. I've been wanting to read Under the Dome for ages.

 

Edited to add: you'd probably like The Long Walk too, but I wouldn't consider it horror. I didn't know what I'd classify it as though.

Edited August 13, 2016 by Anna Begins

[Michelle]

I LOVEThe Long Walk!

[Anna Begins]

I LOVEThe Long Walk!

It's a great one I just re read it last month. Reminded me just how great it is.

[Athena]

I'd recommend Carrie, The Shining and IT. I've also read a novella called Riding the Bullet, which was also horror-y and was also nice, but I prefer the three books I mentioned before.

[Nollaig]

I'd noticed mention of The Long Walk, and thought it sounded a bit Battle Royale. I imagine I would enjoy it, so I'll get to it eventually.

 

I suppose my issue with Stephen King is I've seen the movies for Carrie and The Shining and didn't like them, and even though I barely remember the stories the vague association of dislike puts me off the books a bit. IT and The Stand are also such long books that I've always been put off them for that reason. I may just have to bite the bullet and give them all a go.

 

I also have Pet Semetary and Cujo, anyone read and liked those? 

[Anna Begins]

The book Carrie is soooo much better than the movie! I haven't read The Shinning, so can't comment. I tried Pet Seminary, but that's been the only King I couldn't get into. I'm not sure what Battle Royale is.

[Michelle]

I don't think The Long Walk is like Battle Royale.. there's no violence, it's more about what the boys go through. I also love Pet Semetary.. the film is extremely close to the book, but seems sillier. It could be a good one to try Noll.

[Anna Begins]

Ya know, it just occurred to me, my favorite S. King is Thinner... you might like that one too.

[Kolinahr]

My favorite has to be The Stand, simply because it's such a cracking good story and also a situation that one can easily imagine happening. All the characters are very well drawn out (at least in the Uncut version), and the story itself is brilliant (but I've always been interested in end-of-the-world scenarios). It's the one I'd recommend to anyone who hasn't read him yet, simply because it's his most popular book, and it's got a great story alongside the horror element in it.

 

The television movie of this book was one I really enjoyed in my teens, and I recently decided to read the novel, but only got about one third through the Uncut version before abandoning it because it was seriously beginning to disturb me. The only part I remember being actually frightening in the film was the walking trip through the corpse-riddled New York tunnel, but there were many more disturbing moments in the book, and the sheer quantity of death was truly depressing.

 

I was a bit surprised by my own reaction because I also typically enjoy end of the world scenarios, but I think it was actually the humanising touch that King handles so deftly that made this story different. So many people were given real, three dimensional characters before being killed off. Anyway, kudos to Mr. King for so convincingly and authentically handling the subject matter, because it truly deserved the title of Horror. 

[Nollaig]

Ya know, it just occurred to me, my favorite S. King is Thinner... you might like that one too.

 

I shall check it out!

 

I fully intend to read The Stand and IT at some stage, they're just such daunting tomes!

 

I read The Mist last night for a quite re-introduction to his writing. Liked it, but had problems with it too - mostly the characters.

[Athena]

I fully intend to read The Stand and IT at some stage, they're just such daunting tomes!

That's very true! I thought the same thing, but then this February I decided to read The Stand anyway and I loved it. No regrets. But with every new big / long book, I feel intimidated all over again .

[Nollaig]

That's very true! I thought the same thing, but then this February I decided to read The Stand anyway and I loved it. No regrets. But with every new big / long book, I feel intimidated all over again .

 

I just know if I'm not ready for the commitment, I'll give up partway through and that will be it, I'll never go back it to!

[Athena]

I just know if I'm not ready for the commitment, I'll give up partway through and that will be it, I'll never go back it to!

That would be a shame. Better wait until you're in the mood and ready .

[MrCat]

I read a lot of his works back in highschool when I had a crush on a girl that was a big fan. I did not enjoy his books very much but the one book that I found to be okish was Salem's Lot. 

 

The issue I have with King is that his writing is... how should I put it... too American for my taste. It's one of the reasons I also don't like Faulkner and Fitzgerald (though Hemingway is ok). I also did not find any of his books scary but maybe that's just me expecting a good scare from such a famous horror author. He also felt very outdated when I read him though maybe his recent books don't have that issue. 

[Nollaig]

Yeah I found The Mist very outdated and I think I found Salem's Lot outdated, and I don't really like that in books which is why I tend to only read stuff written in the last 15 years or so. Horror books rarely scare me, so I don't mind if King's don't, so long as they're enjoyable.

[Kolinahr]

The issue I have with King is that his writing is... how should I put it... too American for my taste. 

 

Agreed. I usually enjoy his fantasy works and short stories a lot more than his horror novels, and I think this has a lot to do with why. He doesn't tend to set up the Americana atmosphere quite so densely when he's working with fewer words or in an alternate universe of some kind. I'm a bit torn on this issue, though, because I do feel that his efforts to write about the lives of the working poor are entirely laudable, and of course that's where a lot of the American settings and attitudes come in. In theory, I should appreciate his bold attack on classism, but in practise it can be a bit grating. 

Edited August 19, 2016 by Kolinahr

[bobblybear]

IT and The Stand are also such long books that I've always been put off them for that reason. I may just have to bite the bullet and give them all a go.

 

Oh don't let that put you off! They both hook you in right from the start, and I found them very hard to put down. They are two of my favourite King books. IT is a bit more 'horrory' than The Stand, I think.

 

What about Christine? That one was pretty good, but it has been a while since I read it.