Forum Overview :: Dead Trees
 
I read a ton of his books a long time ago by Fullofkittens 07/23/2012, 9:57am PDT
The thing about Stephen King is that - although he might be not the scariest or the most artful writer - he's got a style nailed down where it's very easy to read without seeming too juvenile. Most writers, at some point, remind me of the bit in Bullets Over Broadway where the gangster is yelling at the playwright going "No one TALKS LIKE THIS!" King, OTOH, while he might be writing about giant spiders or whatever, never seems like he's trying too hard or trying to make the material seem smarter than it is. He respects you as a reader and gives you the giant spider story on the level.

The ones I read in order of "would I recommend them" from best to worst (keeping in mind that I stopped reading that kind of thing a while back):

The Stand
On Writing (nonfiction)*
The Shining
Hearts In Atlantis
The Dark Half
----------------------- This represents the line where I would stop if you're not a pulp horror fan.
The Tommyknockers
Black House
Pet Sematary
The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon
Christine
Danse Macabre (nonfiction)
The Eyes of The Dragon**
Carrie
The Running Man
----------------------- I didn't enjoy the books below this line at all.
'Salem's Lot
Cujo***

Incidentally, I watched all of the books that were movies as movies, before reading the books, for whatever that's worth. In most cases, the success of a Stephen King adaptation into a TV show or film rests with the filmmaker's willingness to abandon the book and do their own thing. King's attempts to do shows and movies himself are generally disasters.

*I've read and reread this book about 20 times now. It might mainly apply to creative types, but I fancy myself one of those (at times).
**I enjoyed this a lot at the time, but it's really meant for young adults, which I was, at the time.
***this book pissed me right the fuck off
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Good Stephen King? by fabio 07/23/2012, 12:34am PDT NEW
    Hearts in Atlantis is great by Vested Id 07/23/2012, 1:54am PDT NEW
    The Gunslinger is his masterpiece IMO, but the sequels disappoint from the start NT by Mischief Maker 07/23/2012, 5:02am PDT NEW
    Different Seasons is pretty great. by Jerry Whorebach 07/23/2012, 6:18am PDT NEW
    His best book is The Stand. NT by This is Chris's Blood 07/23/2012, 7:17am PDT NEW
    I read a ton of his books a long time ago by Fullofkittens 07/23/2012, 9:57am PDT NEW
    Re: Good Stephen King? by Unbitter 07/23/2012, 11:04am PDT NEW
    Check out some of the short story collections. by Eurotrash 07/23/2012, 12:01pm PDT NEW
        The Eurotrash/FullofKittens rivalry just went to defcon 1! NT by the one who infuriates you 07/23/2012, 12:30pm PDT NEW
            Eurotrash is apparently an ardent defender of the novel Cujo. NT by Fullofkittens 07/23/2012, 12:45pm PDT NEW
                Well you ARE full of kittens. NT by Mischief Maker 07/23/2012, 2:09pm PDT NEW
                no quarter asked.... no quarter given NT by the one whom infuriates you 07/23/2012, 3:22pm PDT NEW
    Started with and finished Night Shift by fabio 07/21/2017, 11:15am PDT NEW
        Night Shift is near the bottom of my list for King. Literally his ideas notebook by Mischief Maker 07/21/2017, 12:26pm PDT NEW
        I don't know whether he kept doing it but yeah there is a RFEU. by Fullofkittens 07/21/2017, 12:39pm PDT NEW
        impressions on King by fabio 07/21/2017, 12:48pm PDT NEW
        19% on Rotten Tomatoes! by fabio 08/10/2017, 11:35am PDT NEW
 
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