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Somehow, I have made it to this point in my life without ever reading any Stephen King. So many people have been ranting and raving about the Dark Tower series. The Gunslinger be a good way to start in on him?
Posts: 16551 | Registered: Feb 2003
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I don't read King. And I have a very very hard time reading the couple of Dean Koontz books I have read. Actually, even OSC's Maps in a Mirror was almost more horror than I can handle in literary form
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I tried "it" and didn't get far. Too scary. So if the question is, can you live without reading King, the answer is definitively yes. Posts: 3526 | Registered: Oct 2001
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Go for 'Salem's Lot. His best that I've read.
I have not read the Gunslinger series, but I hear that's better.
The Talisman is good; Black House is mediocre, but in my opinion, it was published because it has his name on it, not because of good writing.
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The Stand Four Minutes Till Midnight (collection of short stories/novellas) Different Seasons (another short story/novella collection) Bag of Bones On Writing
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I don't read horror books and I don't watch horror movies, but I liked both The Stand and The Green Mile.
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I myself have watched almost no horror movies, and for the most part, I could take or leave movies in general.
But I keep hearing about how good an author King is. I want to find out if he really is, but I don't want to start with something that isn't a fair representation.
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King is sort of hit and miss. When he gets it right, he gets it right. Shawshank Redemption (the movie) was an adaptation to screenplay from King's novella Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption. The Green Mile (now a single book) was a release of a serial novel...six of them I think. It was torture waiting for each to come out...each in tiny 100 page bits...not that I'm bitter.
The Stand is just incredible.
On Writing is a neat bit of work and certainly a good read for any aspiring writer (or anyone interesting in writing in some sort of vague way).
His two novella collections are markedly different from his horror novels.
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the only trouble with trying out "The Gunslinger" is that it's the start of a seven-book saga.
I haven't read too many of King's novels, but I think "The Stand" was a really great read - and it is connected to the Dark Tower series.
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I tried to get into the Dark Tower books, and just couldn't. The "rules" of the world were too arbitrary. And the second book introduces a drug addict character, and I just don't have any patience for characters with addictions... so I never got past the first few chapters of the second book.
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I liked Eyes of the Dragon and Dolores Claiborne was OK. Loved Green Mile... I haven't read too many more. Though On Writing was GREAT. I love that book.
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I would go with something from earlier in his career, like The Stand, The Shining or Salems Lot. As time went by, he seemed to be going more for quantity than quality.
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I have to agree with sndrake--The Gunslinger is good, but it is the start of a long, long story. I agree with what many people have said...start with either The Stand, or some of his short stories (or novellas, like the Bachman Books). Some of his recent stuff is just out of left field, though, so pick and choose carefully.
Also be aware that he pulls few punches when it comes to sex (though it isn't exactly frequent), and even fewer punches when it comes to profanity. It doesn't bother me because I think his storytelling ...what...is better than that? Makes it worthwhile? I don't know. Eyes of the Dragon doesn't really go that route, but that's because it was originally intended to be a young adult novel. It is still completely wonderful, though.
Edited because everything I listed is part of his writing that isn't horror per se. If you're wanting to read his "horror" novels, I agree with zgator: stick with early in the career. I particularly enjoyed The Dead Zone--which is why I can't watch the USA show.
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I would actually recommend not starting out with The Stand. It's a great book, but very long. It might be better to start with one of his regular length novels.
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IT Eyes of the Dragon The Stand The Shining Salem's Lot The Dark Half The Talisman The Dead Zone Drawing of the Three The Waste Lands Wizard and Glass Wolves of the Calla Skeleton Crew Four Minutes 'Til Midnight Nightmares and Dreamscapes
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Oh, hey, you're right, mack, I forgot about Hearts in Atlantis! I thought it was good (and don't go by the movie version, which had almost nothing to do with the book).
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I'm afraid I got a few pages in, thought, "Okay, so this is going to be another Rose Madder," and stopped reading.
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I actually couldn't stand the book. I think because I didn't "get" it. At all. What was the point of the story?
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Mack, honestly, it's been a while since I've read it, so I'm not sure. I just remember thinking, "Hey, this is much better than a lot of his recent non-Dark Tower stuff. Maybe I'll see the movie after all."
Posts: 4077 | Registered: Jun 2003
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Mack- I felt the exact same way. When I whined about it to the friend who leant me the book ("That was the longest book Ever! And it didn't even have a Point!), he claimed it wasn't supposed to have a point, that I was just supposed to enjoy it for the beauty of the stories.
I haven't picked up any King since. Posts: 186 | Registered: Dec 2000
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The Gunslinger was written when he was very young, and has very, very little of his signature style. I liked it, though. I immediately sympathized with the cold, determined protagonist, even though I had no real reason to do so. I can't explain that.
The reason I like King si because all of his stories (or the ones I've read, anyway) have a definite moral center. You can get away with that in Horror without seeming like a fundy. Don't ask me why that is. But, anyway... even when his characters are doing something wrong (or something right for the wrong reasons and vice versa) he has a clear sense of good and evil, and people struggling with choices.
And, yeah. There are monsters and blood and spider babies eating their mothers and whatnot. I don't care for the spatter/gore (which he usually has a bit of, though not so much in some stories) but I hold my nose and get through it because I want to see what happens next.
I liked the Dark Tower series. I started it because I'm a big Browning fan, and was sucked in. The STAND was also very good. I liked Bag of Bones and Heart sin Atlantis (though some bits were self-indulgent, I thought).
Start off with Everything's Eventual. It's a collection of short stories that will let you get a taste of his style without a huge commitment. The title story introduces Dinky Earnshaw, who is important in the final Dark Tower book (which I am very close to finishing). It'll give you an idea whether-or-not he's your cuppa, as they say.
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The Stand! Yes, it's a big old book, but darn it's good. I read on average at least one book a week, and have for at least the last 10 years, and The Stand is definately in my top 3.
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King is ok... I like Misery, Eyes of a Dragon and Delores Claiborne. I reckon he is better than John Saul but my taste lean a bit more towards young adult fiction for some reason.. But I don't think I am being elitist for thinking King is ok but not the greatest....
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I didn't enjoy Gunslinger very much, but I kept reading the series and it immediately picked up with the second one. With the Dark Tower series, sometimes it's a little boring, but sometimes it's fantastic. So if you're up for reading more than one book, go for the series- it's great!
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My absolute favorite King books: Insomnia, Tommyknockers Absolute least favorites: Gerald's Game, Buick, Dreamcatcher (in that order)
If you're seriously going to start on the Dark Tower series, my recommendation is to skip Gunslinger for now. Read Drawing, Waste, Wizard, THEN Gunslinger, then back to chronological order. Gunslinger is much more of a Western than the rest and it's very difficult to get to liking any of the characters. Took me four attempts over a span of about 5 years to finally complete it. By the time you finish Drawing through Wizard, you'll have a much better idea of what drives Roland and things will make more sense. At least that was the way it went for me and for several of my friends on the King boards.
Posts: 4515 | Registered: Jul 2004
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I don't like King, either. I've read The Shining and a book of his short stories, including the ones that Stand by Me and Shawshank Redemption came from. He keeps me turning the pages but in the end he leaves me with a bad taste in my belly. There's just no light there. I won't read any of his others.
Posts: 6246 | Registered: Aug 2004
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Oh, look! A lot of people have instinctual fear about people with masks or makeup? I'll make the antagonist a clown!
Re-reading DarkTowerSeries again. I just like how he creates characters that darn near LIVE in my brain while I'm reading. While waiting for book7 to release, I was seriously throwing out bits of Gunslinger-talk. Still do, actually.
I found context to use the line "the world has moved on" the other day at work. The customer didn't seem to know why I suddenly began cracking up, at my own comment. Must think I'm crazy.
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I have found myself using "ka," "the world has moved on," and "thankee-sai" in normal conversation. Posts: 37449 | Registered: May 1999
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Oh! And I've been working on adapting my fencing salute, either bringing hilt to forehead or neck-level, depending on the gender of my opponent.
'Cry your pardon' works well in conversation without causing weird looks too.
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That's cool, Ken. I have caught myself saying Thankee-sai and so forth, too. These characters have just... taken up residence in my brain. Dang, I wish I could do that.
Posts: 1664 | Registered: Apr 2004
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King is an awesome writer. I haven't read much of his stuff, but it really draws you in and he really makes you feel true empathy for the characters...so in the case of Shawshank Redemption you cheer and cry and stuff... and in the case of IT or The Stand it makes you cry out for the suffering of those characters. He will build up a person, history, motivations, emotions, personality... and then just kill them! But as OSC said, that's the most powerful form of fear...dread. But of course King said that when dread doesn't work he'll go for the gross out... but he's talented enough where he doesn't need to do that very often.
Posts: 4953 | Registered: Jan 2004
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quote: But of course King said that when dread doesn't work he'll go for the gross out... but he's talented enough where he doesn't need to do that very often.
The dread sure didn't work in The Tommyknockers then. He seemed to rely completely on the gross out in that one.
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