A friend that was a HUGE SK fan introduced me to SK a couple years ago and I can't put them down. I have been reading them on and off mixed in with other books I have been picking up. Some people have authors they cling to and SK is mine (for now). I have a question. I often recommend SK to people who are looking for things to read, at work, personal life etc.. I often find though that MANY people can't spend more then 200 pages with a SK book due lack of action and more focus on character/story development. Do any of you other SK fans have this issue with friends or family that have tried SK? I personally LOVE the 200 pages + of getting to know a character, by the end of the book I feel like I know the person, it's extremely rewarding I find. I also used to find people complain that he's over detailed. I never found it that way, in fact just right. I have been reading a book called "The Passage" by Justin Cronin. You wanna talk detail? Check that guy out lol.
Stephen King always makes his character development relevant and interesting, so if someone can't tolerate 200 pages of his stuff, they really have a very short attention span, LOL. That boggles my mind. Honestly with all the microfiction nowadays... I like The Stand, Deadzone, The Shining, and Firestarter, most of his classic stuff. What do you like?
Stephen King is alright. He's not that great. He's really good at characterization, but it seems the guy hasn't realized that the 90s are over. Under the Tome has children using now anachronistic slang from the 80s and 90s without irony, and this is a huge problem throughout his writing. This seems fitting then, because his best years were during the 80s and early 90s. Things like The Shining, Misery, Bag of Bones, Dark Half, e.t.c..
I still have a lot to get under my belt, but right now Insomnia is the first SK I have read and it really sticks with me. I also really enjoyed pet semetary and have been thoroughly enjoying the dark tower. On my to read list is DT4 wizards and glass (hopefully starting by mid june). I still need to read some of the big epics like IT and the stand. Also, I will note, he has amazing short stories and novels. The Monkey is really comes to mind from skeleton crew.
I don't mind SK, and I do think his novella "Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption" is truly excellent, but usually he bores me to death. I got 300 or so pages into The Stand (unabridged version) and set it aside with a sigh. I did get through Misery, but it's one of those cases in which I think the movie was better. I don't bother with King much any more.
You should try some of the scary stuff like Cujo, Carrie, The Shining, Christine or IT. Or Pet Semetary, of course. Also keep in mind he wrote under the pseudonum Richard Backman, and some of those books are among his best. Thinner, for instance. And yes, many of his books and stories have been turned into movies, but hardly any of them have been worth watching. I enjoyed Pet Semetary, Cujo and (of course) IT, but that's about it.
I read The Shining which paled in comparison to the Kubrick adaptation. Bought IT, which I absolutely hated. Made it to about 70 pages and was bored to death. It's King's style that I have an issue with. His stories, conceptually at least, are brilliant
My problem with King is he needs an editor who will tell him to carve about 40% out of his novels and burn it, and he needs to listen to that editor instead of only hiring yes men, if he uses an editor at all. Some of his work is fine, but he needs to put a rein on self indulgent verbal diarrhea.
Philippa Pride is King's editor. She is also a motivational speaker. She also holds a writing workshop... a week in a glorious olive grove above Turkey's Torquoise Coast for about $600. That doesn't include airfare or any other travel expenses. I've read some King in the past and steer clear of it. Sure, he is popular and he is well-known, but I consider his writing to be Harlequin Horror. I did enjoy the book "Thinner." On a side note, Christine sits in an auto museum here in Northern Minnesota. Ugly, ugly car but kinda cool at the same time. It hasn't snowed here in a week or so. Do you think the Vikings will get their stadium? My cat just hacked up a hairball. Wow, this post just went sideways. The reason? This is how reading a Stephen King novel feels to me. Disjointed. I prefer Sir Thomas Malory. ~Mordred
I am, but seldom admit to being, a King fan. While I recognize an editing problem, I just can't say no to the man and I'm seldom bored. Maybe it's just my inner loser's club child crying out but King's voice has always resonated with me. Isn't it strange how author's/books you read at certain times in your life just take hold? One of my King favorites, are you ready for this? Gerald's Game and many of his short stories.
I actually enjoy his short stories. I haven't read IT in over ten years, and I never managed to finish The Stand but I thoroughly enjoyed his Dark Tower series, I haven't read the last two or three books yet. I didn't care for Bag of Bones, and I haven't read any of his newer novels. I stick to the Dark Tower and the short stories, although I did like Dolores Claiborne, and I love the Talisman, which he co-wrote with Peter Straub.
I've read Carrie and what struck me was the racist and homophobic remarks in the book. Don't get me wrong; I think the book was great. But it seemed a little gratuitous and the racist and homophobic remarks were very out of place, as if HE was speaking, not the narrative or the characters themselves. For example, he refers to a split lip as "puffed to negroid size" and he randomly refers to minstrels, describes a Jewish student's nose as hook-like among other ridiculous things, and says some pretty homophobic statements.
^ To be fair to Carrie, it was written at a time when that was more acceptable. And English literature has a long history of antisemitism. Look at Dickens, and Oliver Twist. This doesn't excuse it, but Carrie is written from a very specific time and place, and High School lots of horrible ideas are passed around jokingly or half-jokingly.
I've been a Stevie fan for about six years now. I could list all the books I've read, but I'll just recommend some of my personal favorites: Cujo, Blaze, Rage, and Misery.
Why do you think "minstrel" is racist or homophobic? I chose it as my id here because, as far as I'm concerned, it just means a medieval singer/musician. What's wrong with that?
I'm a big King fan, but can personally see all the flaws that people bring up about him. Yes he needs an editor that will actually cut out some of his more 'wordier' segments, and yes he has issues with ending his books, but i've never been bored reading one. (Actually thinking about it i have, to my shame i didnt much care for Cujo!) But i kinda like his casual waffling style, like someone mentioned above, it makes getting to know his characters more rewarding. My fav's would be Christine, The Shining, IT and (against popular opinion) From a Buick 8. 11.22.63 is a typical example of a book needing a decent editor!!
