Stephen King books you recommend reading.

[Utahraptor Ostrommaysi]

Seeing the current state of the world, The Stand would be the obvious choice. Wonderful book.

The Dark Tower series is amazing, the best of his work without a doubt. And when you get deeper into his work, you'll find all the little links in his other work, to The Dark Tower.

Salem's Lot has long been my favourite, but The Dark Tower surpassed it.

The Mist is great, though the movie had a better ending IMHO.

The Long Walk is bone chilling, at least I thought so. Must have read that book at least half a dozen times, and every single time, I finish it in one session, can not put it down.

Never made it through IT, mostly because I ff-ing HATE clowns.

Thanks, although I do think you should finish reading IT at some point. It's an incredible read.

 

[sangreporsangre]

I'm currently reading Pet Semetary, it's great. The gangbang scene is not as bad as people make it out to be. There are way more disturbing scenes in IT than that IMO. For me, Eddie Corcoran's death was the most disturbing part of the book. Now that was all kinds of fucked up. King is a sick, twisted individual. But that's what makes his stories great.

We'll have to agree to disagree I guess. It was a graphic description of a group of 11 year old boys running a train on an 11 year old girl, complete with detailed descriptions of penis size and how they "finished". And shoehorned into the story in the most bizarre way ("this is how we'll find our way out" wtf??). The guy is a great writer but a very sick man.

 

[Utahraptor Ostrommaysi]

We'll have to agree to disagree I guess. It was a graphic description of a group of 11 year old boys running a train on an 11 year old girl, complete with detailed descriptions of penis size and how they "finished". And shoehorned into the story in the most bizarre way ("this is how we'll find our way out" wtf??). The guy is a great writer but a very sick man.

Well again, the gangbang scene was a disturbing scene in a novel filled to the brim with disturbing scenes.
I think Stephen King is a complex individual that has a lot of darkness in him. And (like a lot of horror writers) he chooses to express his inner darkness through his art. And that's what makes his art (in my opinion) so compelling.
But from what I've seen from the times he has been interviewed, he seems like a pretty chill guy in most cases.

 

[Utahraptor Ostrommaysi]

It, for me, was too damn long. Am I the only here that prefers The Shining movie to the book? Never understood King's hatred for it.

IT is a good book, but it's not for people dislike long reads.
I think it's mostly because of the way the Jack Torrance character was portrayed in the movie. In the novel, Jack was a good family man (although he had rage issues and problems with alcohol) who was eventually driven into madness by the hotel. But in the movie, Jack was pretty much a maniac from the start.
I think King hated the way Jack was portrayed so much because he basically based the character off himself, and he didn't like the fact that a character that was essentially a caricature of himself was depicted as a murderous and abusive psychopath.

 

[Bob Gray]

Yeah, it sure does. LOL.

But, I'm not among those who adhere to the cliche notion ( IMO anyhow ) that the vast majority of his endings are shit. I'm not going to say that they're his strong suit but I feel that far too many of them have been denigrated.

How about you?

I think his endings are great, but its his climaxes that come up short. He acknowledges this himself and says its one of the reasons he like short stories and novellas. WIth a novel you must explain everything and wrap it all up, which is challenging when dealing with things like supernatural elements that are by nature illogical. You tend to require some kind of dues ex machina that solves everything all at once. He says when he writes a short story he can just say "This happened just because it happened. I don't need to explain why theres a giant finger coming out of a drain".

Even so, I do agree that while its a weakness he's shown multiple times it isnt something that's so universal to his work.

 

[bowened]

About ten years ago I started snatching up the hardbacks whenever I’d see them at the used bookstore. I’ve got some classics on my shelf. There’s something about reading his stories in those big old hardcovers that feels special.

1. Salem’s Lot
2. The Stand
3. IT
4. On Writing
5. The Shining
6. Pet Semetary
7. Night Shift (short story collection)
8. Cujo

Have got a nice copy of Bachman Books but haven’t started it yet. I need to.

 

[Doughie99]

I've been getting into Stephen King's work lately and I have to say it is pretty fucking great. from what I've seen so far. My question is, what are some of the Stephen King book that you recommend reading? So far I've read IT, listened to The Shining and Carrie on audio, and I'm currently reading Pet Sematary.
What SK books should I read/listen to next? Let me know, Sherbros.

Christine.

Read that in 1986.
Still like it now.

ps. Watch the 2 part TV-series "Salem's Lot" (David Soul, James Mason).
It's excellent and still pretty scary.

 

[Utahraptor Ostrommaysi]

Christine.

Read that in 1986.
Still like it now.

ps. Watch the 2 part TV-series "Salem's Lot" (David Soul, James Mason).
It's excellent and still pretty scary.

Cool, I'll be sure to read it.
As for Salem's Lot, I think I'll read the book first, then I'll watch the TV series.

 

[TankAbbott4Eva]

I don't recommend IT, that scared the shit out of me.

 

[Utahraptor Ostrommaysi]

I don't recommend IT, that scared the shit out of me.

Already read IT, but thanks.

 

[The Witcher]

Carrie still holds up. The dark tower is amongst the greatest fantasy series ever written.

 

[SalvadorCollie]

Insomnia turned me into a reader. Hated books growing up, but the concept of the book intrigued me. The book is slow the first couple hundred pages, be forewarned. Now I read everyday, Laird Barron, Brandon Sanderson, Clive Barker, Steven Erikson, Peter Brett, Piers Anthony, Richard Laymon, Robert Aickman, Adam Nevill, Simon Strantzas, I’m sick and I can’t stop reading..

beyond the obvious “It”, “The Stand”, “The Dark Tower” IDK, Dark Tower was my GOAT, but I’ve yet to read a work I haven’t liked, I have over 30 of his books but I space them out, I don’t want to burn through all his stuff too quick. I’m like a junkie with the last gram on earth, I’m going to spread it out and enjoy it.

Beyond his big hits I’d read “The Long Walk” (My personal favorite), “The Talisman”, “The Dark Half”, “Thinner”, “Needful Things” “11/22/63” “The Regulators”...

avoid his new stuff, read it when there’s no more King to be had. I’m pretty sure “Elevation” gave me cancer..

 

[SalvadorCollie]

Hate vampire stories, own Salem’s lot but haven’t read it, it will be the last King novel I read. May be saving the best for last.

 

[GordoBarraBJJ]

a lot of his short story collections are great as well.

 

[Hans Gercmiov]

I've probably read 8 or 10 King books and the unabridged version of The Stand is by far my favorite. In fact, it's my favorite novel in general.

 

[Bob Gray]

Oh, yeah. I forgot to mention that Desperation and The Regulators is a neat little 2 book rotation you can do. Without giving it away, you can read them in any order, but they should be read in rapid succession imo.