Best Stephen King books...

GodlessM

Aglomerado wrote: »

Other favourites are Different Seasons (this has the stories that the films Stand By Me, The Shawshank Redemption and Apt Pupil were based on, all brilliant) and Four Past Midnight (especially The Langoliers!)

Definitely my favourite of his collections.

Fragglefur

probably It and Pet Cemetery. Pet Cemetery scared the living daylights out of me. I read them both as a child and we had loads of pets who were all buried (when they died) up the fields behind my bedroom, so spent countless nights awake and wondering when they were coming to get me.
Regarding It, clowns still seriously freak me out.

Patrick2010

Fragglefur wrote: »

probably It and Pet Cemetery. Pet Cemetery scared the living daylights out of me. I read them both as a child and we had loads of pets who were all buried (when they died) up the fields behind my bedroom, so spent countless nights awake and wondering when they were coming to get me.
Regarding It, clowns still seriously freak me out.

I love how you felt you had to put that in:)

For King I'd go with The Stand anytime

Courtesy Flush

So many good King books
IT, The Stand, Misery, Salems Lot, The Shining, Pet Semetary

I must also add he is a wonderful writer of short storie collections
Skeleton Crew, Night Shift, Nightmares and Dreamscapes, Different Seasons (which includes the Shawshank Redemption)

ibarelycare

I've been reading SK for years, but only read The Stand last year and it's definitely my favourite of his.

Cujo, while not necessarily regarded as one of his better novels, I loved. I've never read a book that terrified me more. I used to be scared going to bed knowing that I'd be reading it

Out of his more recent books, I didn't like Cell, I loved 11/22/63, and I enjoyed Under The Dome, although I struggled with the story at times.

I always enjoy his short stories/novellas. There was one story, Fair Extension, in Full Dark, No Stars, that really stuck with me for ages after reading it. It was so unsettling!

stannis

I recently picked up "Bag Of Bones" on a recent trip to the south of China (hard to get any modern English novels, never mind King, here in the centre of the country). The reviews on Amazon look very positive so I'm looking forward to it.

Courtesy Flush

Is 'Under the Dome' good ?
Keeps reminding me of the Simpsons movie !

Censorsh!t

Think my favourite book of King's is Carrie.

Saying that, I haven't yet read The Stand, but plan on doing so soon (got it in the post a few days back).

I quite enjoyed Cell, despite hearing some mixed reviews. I also found The Shining quite unnerving.

I'm currently started on The Dark Tower series. I'm wondering should I read The Wind Through the Keyhole before Wolves of Calla?

Eoin

Courtesy Flush wrote: »

Is 'Under the Dome' good ?
Keeps reminding me of the Simpsons movie !

I enjoyed it. The ending is pants, but that's not unusual for King. Just enjoy the read.

py2006

Must read Under the Dome before this comes out:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJPDwIvR004

pavb2

Misery & Apt Pupil

py2006

The man himself talking about Under the Dome. Really makes you want to read it, he's fascinating to listen to.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEUj_klOhd4

Necro

I love King, everything he writes I gobble up unmercilessly. It's tough though to select a favorite from his massive collection...

Joint favorites: The Stand, Different Seasons, 11/22/63, Salem's Lot, Needful Things, Under The Dome
Follow that up with IT, Pet Sematary, Desperation....I could go on for hours.

--Kaiser--

Has anyone read the original, non-extended version? Because I read the extended version and my abiding thought was 'this is waayy too long and drawn out'. I don't have a problem with long books as long as they have the content to justify it

D-FENS

ibarelycare wrote: »

I always enjoy his short stories/novellas. There was one story, Fair Extension, in Full Dark, No Stars, that really stuck with me for ages after reading it. It was so unsettling!

I found all the stories in Full Dark, No Stars unsettling, it was the first book by King in years to really do that for me.
The husband character in A Good Marriage and the “hiding” sequence in Big Driver had me sh*tting myself! Not literally!:)
But would agree his short stories are usually spot on

D-FENS

py2006 wrote: »

Must read Under the Dome before this comes out:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJPDwIvR004

I've read that this tv show will play out differently so it may not spoil the book for you.
And for the record, King had the idea for the dome before Matt Groening & co!

py2006

D-FENS wrote: »

I've read that this tv show will play out differently so it may not spoil the book for you.
And for the record, King had the idea for the dome before Matt Groening & co!

Yep, he started it in the 70's and shelved it for a bit.

Honey-ec

D-FENS wrote: »

I found all the stories in Full Dark, No Stars unsettling, it was the first book by King in years to really do that for me.
The husband character in A Good Marriage and the “hiding” sequence in Big Driver had me sh*tting myself! Not literally!:)
But would agree his short stories are usually spot on

I also found FD,NS very unsettling. For a man who has been accused of pedestalising his female characters, it felt like reading toned-down Richard Laymon at times.

Courtesy Flush

D-FENS wrote: »

I found all the stories in Full Dark, No Stars unsettling, it was the first book by King in years to really do that for me.
The husband character in A Good Marriage and the “hiding” sequence in Big Driver had me sh*tting myself! Not literally!:)
But would agree his short stories are usually spot on

Do you mean 'unsettling' in a good way?, like the old King books that could scare the bejaysus out of ya. Im thinking Pet Semetary and the Shining as examples

D-FENS

Courtesy Flush wrote: »

Do you mean 'unsettling' in a good way?, like the old King books that could scare the bejaysus out of ya. Im thinking Pet Semetary and the Shining as examples

I know what you mean, his earlier work like Salem's Lot caused me many a restless night, but no, not quite the same as the stories I mentioned don't have a supernatural theme. Both actually have serial killers as the antagonists, so the scares for me were nearly worst as they could really happen (nothing terribly far fetched either).
The other two stories (or novellas more acurately) do have a supernatural theme and are still really good, just not as frightening for me.

Courtesy Flush

D-FENS wrote: »

I know what you mean, his earlier work like Salem's Lot caused me many a restless night, but no, not quite the same as the stories I mentioned don't have a supernatural theme. Both actually have serial killers as the antagonists, so the scares for me were nearly worst as they could really happen (nothing terribly far fetched either).
The other two stories (or novellas more acurately) do have a supernatural theme and are still really good, just not as frightening for me.

Ok cool, I must read Full Dark No Stars
I was also scared by Salems Lot. I had read the story "Jerusalems Lot' as a short story which was told as a series of letters in Night Shift, I really liked that story

Ipso

Courtesy Flush wrote: »

Ok cool, I must read Full Dark No Stars
I was also scared by Salems Lot. I had read the short story "Jerusalems Lot' as a short story which was told as a series of letters in Night Shift, I really liked that story

One For the Road was also a good story.

D-FENS

We also have this to look forward to

Doctor Sleep is an upcoming novel by Stephen King, a sequel to King's novel The Shining (1977), set to be published in September 2013.

Won't put the plot synopsis from wiki on here in case it gives people more than they want to know, but doesn't appear to be a direct sequel in that there is no Overlook hotel and it focuses on Jack Torrance's son Danny (But then again, anyone who has read the Shining will know why!)

Courtesy Flush

Anyone read Duma Key ?
Ive heard its quite good , was going to pick up a copy

nc6000

Courtesy Flush wrote: »

Anyone read Duma Key ?
Ive heard its quite good , was going to pick up a copy

Meh. Couldn't finish it.

DMcL1971

I've always been fond of his claustrophobic stories. Where all the action happens with one character or in one place. It's amazing what he can do without having to create a whole world.

Cujo: Two people stuck in a car.
1408: One guy in a hotel room
Gerald's Game: One woman handcuffed to a bed.