does anyone here read Stephen King?

[chiefs1111]

Ive really gotten into reading his books over the last year or so. So far ive read

Bag of Bones
Dark Tower Series(all of it)
It
The Tailsman
Hearts In Atlantis

Anyways im trying to think of what to get next,any suggestions? Is the new one,Duma Key any good?
Any help would be great,thanks.

[irishjayhawk]

Duma Key was awesome. Loved it.

[Ebolapox]

try finding 'different seasons,' a collection of three novellas. 'apt pupil,' 'rita hayworth and the shawshank redemption' are the two that make it worthwhile.

[Adept Havelock]

try finding 'different seasons,' a collection of three novellas. 'apt pupil,' 'rita hayworth and the shawshank redemption' are the two that make it worthwhile.

I'll agree. I really liked "The Breathing Method" in that collection too. Great Christmas Story.

I'd suggest "The Stand". IMO, it's his best work. "The Shining" is also fantastic.

[KcMizzou]

You wanna go back and catch up on the older classic, if you haven't already read them.

The Stand
It
The Long Walk (Originally part of "The Bachman Books", but it's available by itself now)

There are just too many to list. I've read practically all of his old stuff. He kind of gradually shifted away from horror though. :(

[Frazod]

Burned out on his stuff years ago. King takes a good 500 page story and makes it 1,000 pages long.

[unlurking]

Can't leave out The Skeleton Crew, Survivor Type is my favorite short story of his.

[BigRock]

Burned out on his stuff years ago. King takes a good 500 page story and makes it 1,000 pages long.
I like some of his short story collections for that very reason. Much easier than some of the dictionary sized things he's written.

[Frazod]

I like some of his short story collections for that very reason. Much easier than some of the dictionary sized things he's written.

I've read lots of his older stuff and liked it. I liked Dean Koontz, too. I sort of just burned out on the whole horror genre, though. I mainly read historical stuff now (non-fiction and fiction).

[siberian khatru]

Burned out on his stuff years ago. King takes a good 500 page story and makes it 1,000 pages long.

Same here. Read him pretty religiously from about 1978-90.

[xbarretx]

Ive really gotten into reading his books over the last year or so. So far ive read

Bag of Bones
Dark Tower Series(all of it)
It
The Tailsman
Hearts In Atlantis

Anyways im trying to think of what to get next,any suggestions? Is the new one,Duma Key any good?
Any help would be great,thanks.

ive read all of those and....

the black house (talisman sequal)
insomnia, (deal with the tower and crimson king)
the stand, (DUDE a SK fan and you HAVETN read this... ****ing read it NOW!!!)
the cell,
the eye of the dragon (ties to Flagg)
Blaze
from buick 8


out of all those i would read the stand, then insomnia (warning the first 300 pages or so is dry.. as its about an old guy and he really sets the story up...so stick with it...if you love the tower series you need to read it after the stand to understand the DARK TOWER and crimson KING..!!!) then read the eye of the dragon for some Randal Flagg history .... the cell wa a good read, i like Zombie stuff. Blaze wasnt a normal SK book but i liked it. the blsvk house was a good sequel to the talisman as its in the future when Jakes older and a detective (SP). let me know if you have questions ;)

[Chiefnj2]

The Stand
The Shining
The 4 Seasons (I'm not sure if that's the name, but it is 4 stories which became Stand By Me, Shawshank Redemption and the one about the kid befriending the Nazi)

[keg in kc]

Duma Key was his best novel in years and years.

[KcMizzou]

Can't leave out The Skeleton Crew, Survivor Type is my favorite short story of his.Heh, that one's amazingly morbid and creepy. Good choice.

[KcMizzou]

Duma Key was his best novel in years and years.
I've really gotta read that. I've heard the same from several others.

[melbar]

Ive really gotten into reading his books over the last year or so. So far ive read

Bag of Bones
Dark Tower Series(all of it)
It
The Tailsman
Hearts In Atlantis

Anyways im trying to think of what to get next,any suggestions? Is the new one,Duma Key any good?
Any help would be great,thanks.

All in the last year! Man I'm slow!
Eyes of the Dragon
The Cell
"The Stand" is my all time favorite book. Get the long version.

[keg in kc]

I tried re-reading the Dark Tower in February, but burned out about 50 pages into Wolves of the Calla. I guess I'll try to get through it after I finish A Song of Ice and Fire.

[Bowser]

Damn. Completely forgot to pick up Duma Key last time at the bookstore. I got World War Z instead.

[chiefs1111]

Yeah, im gonna go with The Stand,which is what i was thinking about doing anyways,I was just kinda worried cause ive heard thats its a such a long book,but as long as it can hold my attention,ill give it a shot. also ive seen the series with Gary S and Molly W. and didnt think it was that great,but everyone tells me the book is way better. I think i will also pick up Duma Key as well.,Thanks for the help.

[chiefs1111]

Also if anyone here hasnt read Bag of Bones yet,i would recommend it,its pretty good,though i thought it started off a little slow,but overall a very good book i thought

[Deberg_1990]

I used to read his old school stuff alot back in the 80's when i was a kid.

Carrie, Salems Lot, Christine, The Shining, Pet Cemetary.


Havent really read his new stuff...

[Nzoner]

A few of my personal favorites

Salem's Lot(if you like vampire stories,get it now)
Cujo
Firestarter
The Stand

[mikeyis4dcats.]

I enjoyed most of his books except for the Dark Tower series.

Blaze was pretty good, as was the Colorado Kid for a little different genre.

[QuikSsurfer]

I've read Pet Cemetery, The Talisman, The Stand, IT, and Dream Catcher.

IT is one of the greatest novels I've ever read.

I don't read a lot of Stephen King these days because it can be such a chore to get through his books. He spends far too much time developing characters and giving meaningless information, causing his books to consistently go over 1200 pages.

I stopped reading horror about 5 years ago but I picked up and read "House of Leaves" by Mark Danielewski. This is one of the most interesting and creative books' I (and many others - check the reviews) have ever read.

[Swanman]

I have read around 90% of King's books, here are some that haven't been discussed much in this thread:

Cell - been mentioned a few times. I'm a sucker for anything zombie, and King's take on zombies is incredible.

The Dark Half - the only King book that actually scared me. I read the last 400 pages in one sitting. The movie wasn't very good but I absolutely loved the book.

Misery - was a very good movie, but the book takes it up about 8 notches from the movie in sheer brutality.

Rose Madder - incredibly brutal story about domestic abuse

Gerald's Game - only King can take a story about a chick handcuffed to a bed and turn it into a full-length novel that's very entertaining.

Desperation / The Regulators - the first written by King, the latter written by Bachman. Both books have the same characters/names but they play completely different roles in each book. Both are very entertaining and each book showcases King's style vs. Bachman's style.

[Frazod]

I've read Pet Cemetery, The Talisman, The Stand, IT, and Dream Catcher.

IT is one of the greatest novels I've ever read.

I don't read a lot of Stephen King these days because it can be such a chore to get through his books. He spends far too much time developing characters and giving meaningless information, causing his books to consistently go over 1200 pages.

I stopped reading horror about 5 years ago but I picked up and read "House of Leaves" by Mark Danielewski. This is one of the most interesting and creative books' I (and many others - check the reviews) have ever read.

IT was the beginning of the end for me and my Stephen King experience. I found the whole bunch-of-kids-gangbanging-an-11-year-old-girl thing both offensive and disturbing. IMO, it was both pointless and nasty.

[Deberg_1990]

I found the whole bunch-of-kids-gangbanging-an-11-year-old-girl thing both offensive and disturbing. IMO, it was both pointless and nasty.

Is it fair to say that Kings mind is fairly warped???

[Frazod]

Is it fair to say that Kings mind is fairly warped???

My mind is warped. That goes beyond warped, IMO.

:spock:

[QuikSsurfer]

IT was the beginning of the end for me and my Stephen King experience. I found the whole bunch-of-kids-gangbanging-an-11-year-old-girl thing both offensive and disturbing. IMO, it was both pointless and nasty.

That wasn't part of the main story but a story from a news headline when getting background of Dairy.
King can definitely cross the line but I still enjoyed the book all the way through.
Some parts were very disturbing and hard to read.

[Swanman]

That wasn't part of the main story but a story from a news headline when getting background of Dairy.
King can definitely cross the line but I still enjoyed the book all the way through.
Some parts were very disturbing and hard to read.

If King is too warped for any of you, do yourselves a favor and do not read anything by Clive Barker. He's been described as King without a conscience. However, if you love King's most warped stuff like me, try out Clive Barker (Great and Secret Show, Books of Blood, The Hellbound Heart, etc.).

[mikeyis4dcats.]

My mind is warped. That goes beyond warped, IMO.

:spock:

do you not read newspapers then?

[vailpass]

'Green Mile' is a good read.
'Everythings Eventual' is an okay short story collection. 'Night Shift' and 'Skeleton Crew' have some good short stories.
Anyone who doesn't like the Gunslinger series has forgotten the face of his father and should be sent west.

As you read King's stuff Chiefs1111 you will recognize a lot of characters that end up in the Dark Tower books. He is not afraid to cross-polinate his characters.

[The Franchise]

If King is too warped for any of you, do yourselves a favor and do not read anything by Clive Barker. He's been described as King without a conscience. However, if you love King's most warped stuff like me, try out Clive Barker (Great and Secret Show, Books of Blood, The Hellbound Heart, etc.).

Ummm trying reading anything by Richard Laymon. That guy writes pure gore and sex...with a little bit of horror thrown in.

[The Franchise]

As you read King's stuff Chiefs1111 you will recognize a lot of characters that end up in the Dark Tower books. He is not afraid to cross-polinate his characters.

That's exactly what I like about King.

[Swanman]

'Green Mile' is a good read.
'Everythings Eventual' is an okay short story collection. 'Night Shift' and 'Skeleton Crew' have some good short stories.
Anyone who doesn't like the Gunslinger series has forgotten the face of his father and should be sent west.

As you read King's stuff Chiefs1111 you will recognize a lot of characters that end up in the Dark Tower books. He is not afraid to cross-polinate his characters.

In the books published fairly recently, there's the big list of all the books/stories he's written, and they bold the type on the books that are somehow related to the Dark Tower series. I'd say close to half of his books are tied in one way or another.

Another thing I love about King is that he wrote his accident when he got hit by a van into the final installment of the Dark Tower series. It's scary how close he came to dying before he could complete his masterpiece.

[Fairplay]

IT was the beginning of the end for me and my Stephen King experience. I found the whole bunch-of-kids-gangbanging-an-11-year-old-girl thing both offensive and disturbing. IMO, it was both pointless and nasty.

No doubt. It was one of the last books i read from King. He even mentioned later that the book "IT" should have been a 600 page book, instead of the 1100 page book and that he overwrites sometimes. No sh*t sherlock.

That was the last straw on that blabbering on author. Like Frazod, anymore i read historical books with non-fiction from time to time.

[penguinz]

Ive really gotten into reading his books over the last year or so. So far ive read

Bag of Bones
Dark Tower Series(all of it)
It
The Tailsman
Hearts In Atlantis

Anyways im trying to think of what to get next,any suggestions? Is the new one,Duma Key any good?
Any help would be great,thanks.If you read the Dark Tower Series you need to read a lot more of his books to get the full story of the characters. If you have not noticed from a few that you have already read may of the characters from his other works make their way to Mid-World.

http://img.skitch.com/20080410-fc5sxsdjad8khnm7457exj7fwb.png

[ExtremeChief]

I've pretty much read them all. Duma Key was the most recent and maybe the best, but my favorite is probably The Talisman, which was co-written with Peter Straub ( I think I got the name right). You can actually pick out the difference in their writing styles as you are reading. I've got Lisey's Story partially read. Just never could get into it.

[Swanman]

I've pretty much read them all. Duma Key was the most recent and maybe the best, but my favorite is probably The Talisman, which was co-written with Peter Straub ( I think I got the name right). You can actually pick out the difference in their writing styles as you are reading. I've got Lisey's Story partially read. Just never could get into it.

I loved the Talisman. I love any book where a werewolf is one of the good guys.

[morphius]

Dang, now I'm going to have to pick up my Talisman book from my folks house so I can read it, I have Black house sitting next to me on the book shelf and just haven't gotten to it.

As for recommendations my fav's were
The Stand
Gunslinger series
Pet Cemetery
Eyes of the Dragon
Salom's Lot

[The Franchise]

I thought Dreamcatcher and Insomnia were damn good.

[chiefs1111]

I thought The Talisman was alright,I had a hard time getting through it though,some people think Black House is better but I haven't read that yet......