Recommend me a Stephen King book

Sconsey

old gregg wrote: »

marginally off topic ...... but ..... I thought The Long Walk to be a pretty excellent story.

Agreed! the Long Walk was a great story, I had read about ten of his books before reading that, it's the story I always think of when someone mentions King.

Having said that, 'It' was brilliant too, I read that book more than once in my youth .

Quazzie

Start with collections of Novellas and progress from there imo.

Eoin

Two that I liked, but don't seem to get recommended that often are: "The Dark Half" and "The Dead Zone".

Pet Sematary is very good - I think it's one of his more disturbing ones.

I must be the only one who wasn't that keen on Salems Lot!

stargazer 68

There are lots of books that you folks have mentioned that I haven't read!! Guess I better start trawling the net for old copies!

r3nu4l

Dovies wrote: »

There are lots of books that you folks have mentioned that I haven't read!! Guess I better start trawling the net for old copies!

The good news is that there's often bargains to be had on Stephen King books now. Here in England there's shops that do 3 for £5 deals and quiet often it's possible to get Stephen King books in those deals, sometimes I've seen his books for £1 (not second-hand books either!). I'm sure there must be discount booksellers somewhere in Ireland doing the same.

CatFromHue

Dovies wrote: »

There are lots of books that you folks have mentioned that I haven't read!! Guess I better start trawling the net for old copies!

Carrie was first published in 1974 and Salem's Lot in 1975! King has been writing for a long time. It actually surprised me how long!

smallerthanyou

I bought IT on Kinde cos hadn't read it and saw mentioned on this thread. In apartment on my own though so too scared to start reading it!

Elevelyn

IT is the only book that gives me nightmares, still doesn't stop me reading it again and again though!!!

Quazzie

IT is my favourite book of all time. There are so many layers to it, it's an amazing piece of work. Whenever I read it, I was always amazed that someone could write like that. It read more like a man's life work due to the development of the story.

Elevelyn

Also if anyone is looking for a real scare read Gramma... its only a short story but really freaked me out, dunno why but its SCARY

Phoenix Park

His early stuff is definitely where i'd start. I'd agree with a post above regarding them being like comic books, and would mean it as a compliment, reading back over them now reminds me of when i was about age twelve reading them under the duvet at 2am knowing i should get to sleep but just one more page..one more page!!. For me these would be the best:

1. The Shining
2. Pet Semetary
3. The Long Walk
4. Carrie
5. Needful Things

Misery is great but everyone has seen the film now and there is little point reading the book if you have seen the film as it just takes the fear factor away!

He has written some awful stuff too. From A Buick 8 was awful i thought. Desperation was very disappointing. I lost faith soon after those.

Mr. Presentable

Salem's Lot
The Stand
IT
The Talisman (with Peter Straub)

Elevelyn

Worst for me were From a Buick 8, Geralds Game, Liseys Story, Duma Key and ..... the Shining - just didn't think it was great.

I reread Misery lately and its still great to me, couldn't put it down (again)

smallerthanyou

I'm definitely not starting it now! Will wait until holidays next week. Half way through 63-11-22 as well. Quite like it.

Niles

Elevelyn wrote: »

Geralds Game

Reading this at moment, only about a third of the way through so too early to call it. It's different to the other King stuff I've read, don't think it's going to be a favourite but I've read worse.

GrauballeMan

Carrie is superb. Misery too. The old stuff was gold.

I haven't read him much in a long time. I couldn't get into the Tommyknockers and I gave up then. One that I really enjoyed was Thinner, less supernatural than some of his books and all the more macabre for that.

livinsane

Salem's Lot was the first King book I read. I loved it. Cant remember much of the details but it was a real teenager's book.

The Stand is very impressive. Has a great mix of real life disaster and the dark supernatural. Some seriously eerie moments in the book and great characters. I have the TV production with Gary Sinese. It's great.

Under The Dome has similar tones to The Stand with society breaking down. It shows that King has matured as a writer. Very different to earlier books and shows his experience as a writer. I flew through it. Very entertaining and again, wonderful characters. Some fairly sick parts in it too.

God, I really want to read some Stephen King now!

Niles

Finished Gerald's Game the other day... interesting twists. But a bit depressing at times, wouldn't go so far to say I didn't like it but it's far from a favourite.

grohlisagod

Carrie, Needful Things and Under the Dome are all excellent.

Skeleton Crew has some brilliant stories in it, including The Mist.

I read The Gunslinger and the story never really took me. It was grand but I had no real desire to follow up the series. However, someone said earlier that that was probably the weakest book, so I was just wondering if you guys though it would be worth giving the series another crack? Does it get significantly better as it goes along?

Niles

grohlisagod wrote: »

I read The Gunslinger and the story never really took me. It was grand but I had no real desire to follow up the series. However, someone said earlier that that was probably the weakest book, so I was just wondering if you guys though it would be worth giving the series another crack? Does it get significantly better as it goes along?

I think it gets better anyway. I too thought The Gunslinger didn't have much going on but it's worth continuing with the series.The second book kind of sets up more of the characters; it's really the third book that sets the story in full swing. But I'd definitely recommend giving it another go.

Elevelyn

grohlisagod wrote: »

Carrie, Needful Things and Under the Dome are all excellent.

Skeleton Crew has some brilliant stories in it, including The Mist.

I read The Gunslinger and the story never really took me. It was grand but I had no real desire to follow up the series. However, someone said earlier that that was probably the weakest book, so I was just wondering if you guys though it would be worth giving the series another crack? Does it get significantly better as it goes along?

I didn't think much of the first book but they are by far the best series of books that I have ever read, the only ones I cant wait to start again after I have finished!! To me the first and fifth books in the series are a bit of a let down but they are still great

theoneeyedman

Just finished 11/23/63 or whatever its called. Not a big king fan tbh but liked the concept of this. The idea was well executed up to a point but ran out of steam imo about 3/4 ways through and kinda fell flat. About a 6/6.5 out of 10th from me....

calex71

uncle ernie wrote: »

Pet Semetary and It (my favourite of his) would be the two i would recommend. Of his later stuff Bag of Bones is quite good. There are a couple of good early short story collections too, Night Shift (great) and Different Seasons that contains the original versions of Stand By me, the Shawshank redemption & Apt Pupil.

I loved the Dark Tower series despite a weak first book but once you're past that its fairly entertaining stuff

But yeah... his earlier stuff is your best bet

Really ????? I thought it was great, maybe on it's own it was weak and confusing in places, but in the context of the series it was a great start.

Had the best opening line in a book since Dickens wrote "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times"

Any way I've dipped in and out of his books over the years and aside from the Dark Tower stuff wouldn't be a lover of his books, but he does do characters well. I'll buck the trend and recommend a newer book "under the dome"!!!!!! Could not put it down although the ending has been criticised for valid reasons i couldn't have seen it ending much differently though and the "journey" was worth it over all. Read more like it was written for TV though I found.

What was 11/22/63 like anyone ???? Wazs tempted to pick it up the other day.

Eoin

calex71 wrote: »

What was 11/22/63 like anyone ???? Wazs tempted to pick it up the other day.

I'm about two thirds through and it's flagging quite a little after a promising start. I'm hoping that the part I just finished is actually relevant and not a load of unnecessary filler.

uncle ernie

calex71 wrote: »

Really ????? I thought it was great, maybe on it's own it was weak and confusing in places, but in the context of the series it was a great start.

Had the best opening line in a book since Dickens wrote "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times"

agreed on the opening line! he did go back to the first book 25 years after it was written and tidied it up because by his own admission it was all over the shop so the revised one would be more cohesive

calex71

uncle ernie wrote: »

agreed on the opening line! he did go back to the first book 25 years after it was written and tidied it up because by his own admission it was all over the shop so the revised one would be more cohesive

I should have added that I've only read the revised ed. So maybe the flaws of the first where lost to be. I read all 7 books back to back last year

ceadaoin.

calex71 wrote: »

Really ????? I thought it was great, maybe on it's own it was weak and confusing in places, but in the context of the series it was a great start.

Had the best opening line in a book since Dickens wrote "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times"

Picked this up at the airport last year. It definitely made we want to continue the series anyway and it does get better.

I actually couldn't remember the opening line at all. I just had to go to the bookshelf and take a look

Aside from the Dark Tower series, 'It' is great. Even scarier than the made for TV film, although when I read it it's impossible not to visualise Tim Curry as the clown

OldeCinemaSoz

My poor pennies were in The Banba in 1977 or so...

and the first King I bought for maybe 25p was
'SALEMS LOT.

For such a big read I was never as hooked.

:cool:

I think Tobe Hooper's TV rendition has gotta be
possibly the best ever King adaptation ever.

smallerthanyou

theoneeyedman wrote: »

Just finished 11/23/63 or whatever its called. Not a big king fan tbh but liked the concept of this. The idea was well executed up to a point but ran out of steam imo about 3/4 ways through and kinda fell flat. About a 6/6.5 out of 10th from me....

This exactly. Exactly. It was pretty dull in parts and I never thought I'd say that about the great man.

Honey-ec

calex71 wrote: »

I should have added that I've only read the revised ed. So maybe the flaws of the first where lost to be. I read all 7 books back to back last year

I'd say very few people here have read the original version, it was published in 1982 and was pretty obscure. The current version was published in 2003 and I'd say that's what the vast majority of people have read.