Stephen King: Legend or Loathesome?

[AdaBrummieblue]

This is my first attempt at a thread so please forgive me if I have made any mistakes.

There are a few things in life that I'm truly passionate about. Everton is obviously one. Stephen King is another.

Since I was just a wee whippersnapper I've enjoyed spending time with the fellow. His first published book was also the first I read: Carrie. I was probably around 9 at the time so I kept it to myself. I found it in my mothers closet and was hooked by the cover image. The eponymous Ms. White, mouth agape, dripping in blood. Turns out it was only from a pig, but hey, I didn't know. So began my love affair with his work.

I know from experience he isn't everyones cup of tea though. A lot of people dismiss his work as merely shlock horror or cheap thrills. I suggest they should read The Green Mile books or perhaps a short story collection. There are many of the latter. A lot of folks aren't aware that he is responsible for The Shawshank Redemption (in a very condensed novella form) or the aforementioned Green Mile. Surprising to some.

I won't go on too long because I'd love to know if any of you have reasons to like him, or, for that matter, despise him. I will leave you with my favourites though. I have read almost everything he has produced in book form and enjoyed almost all of them.

These few are my tops: "It" (huge book, utterly compelling), "Rose Madder" (one of the least known, dark and tragic), "The Shining" (classic- Redrum anyone?), "The Dark Tower" series (Kings' Magnum Opus, his Odyssey, his LotR - majestical, magical, riveting).

Thanks for reading. I hope you have enjoyed Sai King at some stage. I surely have.

 

[Groucho]

Used to really be into horror but it's faded for me a bit.

The Shining though....

 

[Maxwell]

I really need to read some of these.

 

[The Cowboy]

Have only read The Green Mile so I can appreciate it without being biased by his horror bibliography. Its a decent book, not the best I've read but good nonetheless.

I have seen Salem's Lot though, that shaat me right up.

 

[jaycee]

the stand was a good read i find his books a bit hit and miss at times

 

[AdaBrummieblue]

I have seen Salem's Lot though, that shaat me right up.

The bit at the window??? Me too!

 

[Basil Fawlty]

Used to read a lot of Stephen king when I was younger. Some really great books like it, the stand, the shining, hearts in Atlantis etc. Some of his later work looks a bit samey though but I will probably have a read of the dark tower series at some point

 

[Bruce Wayne]

I read IT and The Stand as a youngster, but haven't read any of his books in a long time. I always have to resist the urge to ask anyone called George if they float though.

 

[AdaBrummieblue]

but I will probably have a read of the dark tower series at some point

Excellent story I think. Will take up some time though. Flippin' huge!

 

[BlueLlama]

Not read anything by him in years but remember enjoying The Stand a lot.

 

[Black Belt Jones]

Liked a lot of his older ones - he knows his craft (or maybe he knew his craft before he became un-editable). I've always assumed that he lost his way somewhere around the tommyknockers - don't know if that is true with respect to being the precise point he started to suck, just heard it said a lot. He certainly put out some real dross in recent times.

 

[atrottel]

His "On Writing" is excellent.

As far as novels go, I thought the Kennedy book was a welcome return to top form. He went through a dreary period when his life was tough and with some of the more recent stuff (Under the Dome, Duma Key, for example) he seemed to have been running on autopilot.

 

[Hellerad]

Thankee sai.

My favorites are probably: Dark Tower III, The Stand, IT, Dark Tower V, Desperation/Regulators, Talisman/Black House, Dark Tower IV, From a Buick 8.

He has suffered post-accident from a complete inability to end a book well.

 

[AdaBrummieblue]

11/22/63 was the Kennedy book. A good return to form. I admit that Lisey's Story and Duma Key where rather poor though. For anyone looking at reading The Dark Tower books: also read The Talisman/Black House and Hearts in Atlantis. They tie in quite nicely. As do a few others.

 

[L4Everton]

Legend instantly, for filmography alone, 'Misery' 'Rita Hayworth & TSR' 'Carrie', thats a set of classics few other writers could dream of being so successful with, but the list just goes on. Last one I read I think was 'the dead zone'. As a mild criticism, some of his works havn't always been so necessarily all his own ideas. For instance 'The Tommyknockers' was 'Quatermass and the pit' in nearly all but title.
For sheer workaholism and hit rate I can only compare his with P.K.Dick's record and success.