Best Stephen King Book

[Sugar Ape]

I wouldn't really call them all horror.

 

Exactly. He is much more than a horror writer. Films like stand by me, the running man, misery, the shawshank redemption and the green mile are all based on King books.

[Sugar Ape]

Fellow King fans, I've all but decided to start The Dark Tower series next instead of The Malazan Empire books. A few questions :

 

1) What is the correct order to read the books in? I've heard the last book is set between books 4 and 5, so should it be read last or in order?

 

2) Are The Talisman and Black House part of the series?

 

3) Anyone give a general overview of the series? I've heard it starts great but the ending is a bit of a let down?

 

Ta.

[withnail71]

1963. Brilliant.

[Guest davelfc]

1963. Brilliant.

 

I had great trouble putting that book down, I'd really love to read it again but think I'll have to wait a while.

[silverlining]

Fellow King fans, I've all but decided to start The Dark Tower series next instead of The Malazan Empire books. A few questions :

 

1) What is the correct order to read the books in? I've heard the last book is set between books 4 and 5, so should it be read last or in order?

 

2) Are The Talisman and Black House part of the series?

 

3) Anyone give a general overview of the series? I've heard it starts great but the ending is a bit of a let down?

 

Ta.

 

I love King. I've read virtually all his books, but as I've mentioned earlier in this thread, The Dark Tower at times veers into cringe-inducing self-referential wank.

 

It's entertaining, but one or two of the later books have long passages that are virtually unreadable, which actually caused me to stop for about a year.

 

Read in the normal order 1) Gunslinger through to 7) The Dark Tower - the rest are extraneous novellas (Wind through the keyhole etc).

 

The first book is pretty shit. But thankfully short. 2-5 crack along at a fair old pace, and then you do start to hit lulls. The last book is huge, but rather unsatisfying. As ever with King, he has no fucking idea how to finish books.

 

As for his Straub collaborations (the Talisman and Black House), these are interesting. I read The Talisman when I was about 13 and it's a brilliant stand-alone fantasy horror novel. I loved it as a kid. I bought Black House and started reading it without realsiing at first it was a sequel (of sorts) to The Talisman. It's still great (although not as good as The Talisman), but it's obvious in this one who wrote which bits, and you couldn't say that for The Talisman.

 

Unfortunately, by the time "Black House" was written, King was fully immersed in his rather grandiose idea that almost his ENTIRE wriitten body of work was somehow connected to the (laughably haphazard) world he created in The Dark Tower (from "It", "Salem's Lot", "The Stand", through to "Hearts In Atlantis" and "Insomnia") and so does the same with Black House, much to the novel's detriment.

[Edward.]

The Gunslinger, The Drawing of the Three, The Wastelands, Wizard and Glass, Wolves of the Calla, Song for Susannah, The Dark Tower, The Wind through the keyhole.

 

Nope. Although with a lot of Stephen King books there may be crossover characters.

 

I really enjoyed parts of every book and found other parts really boring (with the exception of drawing of the three which was brilliant throughout), especially song for Susannah

 

I often ind a lot of Stephen King's book ending pretty shit to be fair.

 

 

Or what he said.

[silverlining]

The Gunslinger, The Drawing of the Three, The Wastelands, Wizard and Glass, Wolves of the Calla, Song for Susannah, The Dark Tower, The Wind through the keyhole.

 

Nope. Although with a lot of Stephen King books there may be crossover characters.

 

I really enjoyed parts of every book and found other parts really boring (with the exception of drawing of the three which was brilliant throughout), especially song for Susannah

 

 

I think it's Song For Susannah that nearly made me give up.

 

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She's a fucking annoying cunt at the best of times - what with her wincingly awful personality changes - but she then spends two books quacking on about her fucking "chap", and at the point I'd lost interest and the only thing I hoped for was that she die in agony during child-birth.

 

But when King then names the chap Mordred I was just fuming. Like fuck off, at least try and hide EXACTLY WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN AND HOW MANY DIFFERENT STORIES AND LEGENDS YOU HAVE RIPPED OFF, YOU MAY AS WELL FUCKING CALL ROLAND "KING ARTHUR GUNSLINGER CLINT EASTWOOD WHO LOOKS A BIT LIKE STEPHEN KING"

[Edward.]

Hmm I remember seemingly waiting for ages for the next one to come out. That I had to read that book(not quite what I was going to write) that I didn't skip bits, however when I read the series again, I did so with pleasure I almost looked forward to it, I may have even been the reason I read the lot again.

[Total Longo]

"11.22.63" is well written up to the denouement of the first part. After that it drags on and on and on without really getting anywhere.

[Pony Princess]

Whats everyones favourite film-based (quite accurately) on a King book? The Running Man is in my top films but it is quite considerably different than the book.

 

Misery is a cracking book and film - and remains true to the book IIRC.

 

The Green Mile is highly-acclaimed as is The Shining, Carrie...

 

IT had low production values but was awesome and Tim Curry was great as Pennywise. They removed the bit from the book though where after temporarily defeating 'IT', Beverley lets all the rest of the 'Loser's Club' gang-bang her.

 

Any others I have missed worth watching?

[Edward.]

I quite liked Christine, but that was years ago, so who knows?

[setreal]

The Shining and Stand by Me for me.

 

I have also enjoyed the It two parter, but I liked the book a lot better.

[Karl_b]

I've only ever read The Dark Tower series so I'll be using this poll as a buying guide.

 

I've picked up quite a few since this post, from charity shops mostly but I also found a pile in the top of a paper bin at our old flat (don't judge me for taking them - I don't know why somebody was throwing them out rather than taking them to the charity shop) and have read IT, Misery, Talisman and Salem's Lot with about half a dozen stacked up ready to go.

 

IT was my favourite from those although I really enjoyed them all. Easy to read, great stories and suitably creepy.

[silverlining]

Whats everyones favourite film-based (quite accurately) on a King book? The Running Man is in my top films but it is quite considerably different than the book.

 

Misery is a cracking book and film - and remains true to the book IIRC.

 

The Green Mile is highly-acclaimed as is The Shining, Carrie...

 

IT had low production values but was awesome and Tim Curry was great as Pennywise. They removed the bit from the book though where after temporarily defeating 'IT', Beverley lets all the rest of the 'Loser's Club' gang-bang her.

 

Any others I have missed worth watching?

 

Shawshank & The Shining are probably the best two films, but Carrie, The Mist, Salem's Lot (TV film), The Dead Zone, Misery and The Green Mile are all very good.

 

Interestingly, King hated The Shining - and specifically the casting of Nicholson - because his book was about the haunting of a man, not a place, and the subsequent descent into madness of Jack Torrance was diminished by casting Nicholson, because he looked fucking insane from the start.

[Trumo]

Interestingly, King hated The Shining - and specifically the casting of Nicholson - because his book was about the haunting of a man, not a place, and the subsequent descent into madness of Jack Torrance was diminished by casting Nicholson, because he looked fucking insane from the start.

 

Probably explains why Kubrick took it out on Shelly Duvall instead. You can't drive somebody crazy if they are already madder than a box of frogs. Even so, for me Duvall's performance in that film is jarring with the rest of it because I thought she was appallingly bad.

[aws]

Shawshank & The Shining are probably the best two films, but Carrie, The Mist, Salem's Lot (TV film), The Dead Zone, Misery and The Green Mile are all very good.

 

Interestingly, King hated The Shining - and specifically the casting of Nicholson - because his book was about the haunting of a man, not a place, and the subsequent descent into madness of Jack Torrance was diminished by casting Nicholson, because he looked fucking insane from the start.

 

Stand by Me and Dolores Claiborne are pretty good adaptations as well.

[Ian Sea]

As mentioned on the Book Thread, I've never read any of King's work. I've recently bought The Stand though and am looking forward to starting it. It's fucking massive though!

[Hand Shandy]

As mentioned on the Book Thread, I've never read any of King's work. I've recently bought The Stand though and am looking forward to starting it. It's fucking massive though!

 

The Stand is awesome.

 

Awesome.

[The Great Jacko]

Is it the extended version? Seriously?

[Sugar Ape]

I am undecided again now after the lukewarm reviews.

[Flying Pig]

Has King gone blind yet?

 

On another note, with the amount of his books available now on Kindle I might actually buy one now rather than have shelves of books etc.

 

Also about 'It' I can't really remember the book ending but can't remember it being as shite as the movie showed. Maybe it was the production but after 3 hours it was a massive letdown.

[aws]

I am undecided again now after the lukewarm reviews.

 

Dark Tower series is well worth a read. It's massive so it'd be amazing if it didn't have some sections which are weaker than others. Whizz through the first book and you'll be hooked soon after starting the second.

[silverlining]

I am undecided again now after the lukewarm reviews.

 

If that's directed at me, I was being a bit harsh. I still enjoyed more of it than I hated.

 

But if you haven't read It, The Stand, or indeed the aforementioned Straub collaborations, they're all far better.

[Sut]

Rereading Stephen King | Books | The Guardian

 

A really good series on the Guardian's books site. This writer is rereading King in order. So far, he's up to The Dead Zone.

[Carvalho Diablo]

The Stand is awesome.

 

Awesome.

 

Shit ending though.