Stephen King

[BillL]

Stephen King has so many good books and they far outshine the few bad ones. Unfortunately a large majority of the good books did not translate into good movies but there are few exceptions to that rule. One movie that sticks in my mind is "The Dead Zone". Maybe it was the 80's but I always remember that movie. Last one of his that I read was "Desperation" which was Ok and the one before that was "Under the Dome" which I thoroughly enjoyed even though it was close to 1000 pages. What made the book so good was the character development. The made for TV miniseries of the same name fizzled because they could not duplicate the characters.

Next on my pile of King books to read are Insomnia and Mr. Mercedes.

[chytach18-]

I was thinking about The Shining since that's one of my favourite movies, but then read somewhere that it's been a good movie made out of not so good book, but thought I'd look for further opinions. I like the fact that there's this psychological accent.

I never read much horror books but I just read one and it turned out it is my cup of tea after all so I thought I should read some of this genre. And Stephen King came first to my mind

Well, thank you for sugestion. I think I'd go for The Shining first.

I think it is the other way round - the book is fantastic; the movie is not so good. King didn`t like it. I completely agree with him.

[kimmyschemy06]

I only read two, Misery and The Dark Half, then I started having nightmares. I stopped reading Stephen King altogether.

[RussetDivinity]

I actually have the opposite question as the original poster. I read some of Stephen King's books and liked them (though it's been a while and my tastes may have changed). Are there any of the movies made from the books that people think are particularly good, especially with Halloween coming up?

[bibliophagist_]

If I had to choose my top three Stephen King books, they would be: The Green Mile, Revival, and The Stand.
The Green Mile touched my heart in so many ways, expressing an abundance of emotion and deep thoughts through his characters. Has a touch of the supernatural in it, as does any King book, but a significantly less amount than the rest of his novels.

Revival on the other hand becomes other worldly, delving into the depths of religion and human society/nature. Its progression and ending will most likely leave you in shock.

Lastly, The Stand may be one of my favorites. Beautifully written, it portrays the struggles of human society and its attempt to reestablish itself after falling into disaster. It is quite a lengthy read, but well worth it.

[andicakes9]

The Green Mile was a wonderful book and incredibly emotional. Very few books left me feeling impacted once I've finished it, but this book left an impression on me. 11/22/63 was an awesome book as well and I recommend anyone reading it even if you aren't the biggest history buff it's still really good. I have yet gotten into his darker books as I'm just beginning to read his books, but I'm excited to. Currently I'm reading Misery and while it has some good parts, it's just not dark enough for me that I would imagine Stephen King would go. Although I am only halfway so maybe it will pick up.

[Carla Hurst-Chandler]

Hmmm...Good Halloween Fare...Read or watch or both...The Shining.

[Mexahontas]

I just recently finished a short story by him called "A Good Marriage" that recently became a movie as well. I really enjoyed the story. I do have plans on watching the movie; however, the ratings are not promising on it. Oh well, I am still going to give it a try.

[Brandy Truly]

I personally liked Misery and The Mist by Steven King. An author friend of mine is reading his new book about time travel called, 11/22/63. She hasn't finished it yet, but she says it's a good story line.

B Truly

[Ellen Galecki]

...but then read somewhere that it's been a good movie made out of not so good book, but thought I'd look for further opinions.

...Well, thank you for sugestion. I think I'd go for The Shining... first.

I take it you are referring to the version with Jack Nicholson playing the tortured Mr. Torrence? Stephen King was not overly fond of the interpretation of his book as adapted for that movie. It is in reality a pretty crappy movie adapted from a wonderfully creepy and suspenseful book. Well worth the time put into the reading of it.

Two others that I always found to keep me on the edge of the seat anxiously wondering what is going to happen next, strongly suspecting what's going to happen next and not wanting it to happen next are "The Tommyknockers" and "Pet Semetary".

The horror of Stephen King's books is not mayhem, blood and gore. The horror of Stephen King's books is what takes place inside the minds of his characters. I have found myself yelling out loud on more than one occasion, "Are you crazy?!? Don't. You. Do. That." Yet, still, they do that! So, dive in. The water is warm and filled with unseen things flitting about and slithering along your feet and legs! You won't mind at all...

~ Ellen

[andicakes9]

Has anyone read Lisey's Story by Stephen King? I'm 1/4 into it and while it has some good parts, I still can't get into it like any previous books of his I've read. I'm not sure how I feel about it, but I'm not giving up. Anybody who's read it before, let me know what you think please!

[Ellen Galecki]

I read it when it first came out. I read it through but, unlike most King books, this one took effort. There are a few others I've had to plow through such as Dumas Key and Under the Dome. Under the Dome took me four tries and I still haven't completed reading it through. The Stand took two days and I've read it 19 times since. The Talisman took 26 hours and I've reread it 6 times. His more recent releases have been very good. Mr. Mercedes and it's sequel as well as Revival! Lisey's Story wasn't bad--just not among his best. It moved slowly at times. Some of the tie-ins with his previous novels seemed unnecessary. It somehow seemed to me a tribute to Tabitha for her years as a 'word widow' before finding her voice as a writer. There are only two others of his books that I have not been able to read through. Joyland and Carrie. Joyland, my beloved cat destroyed and I just haven't gotten around to borrowing from the library or replacing. Carrie was ruined for me by seeing the movie first. Now I want to read it but still can't make my imagination override the film's scenes. Suggestion? After completing Lisey's Story, and it is worth finishing, read 11/22/63. Very different from most of his offerings, fascinating and very enjoyable!

-- 07 Nov 2015, 16:14 --

I've heard Stephen King's son is a good horror author. Anyone read any of his books? How does he compare?

I read 'The Heart Shaped Box' before knowing Joe Hill was Stephen and Tabitha King's child. I thoroughly enjoyed the book. I usually read five or six books at a time. One for each room of the apartment, one in the car and one in my purse. The Box transitioned from bathroom book to bedroom book so that I could finish it more quickly. Then I read 'Horns'. Very wierd. I liked it! I don't see him as imitating his father. Same genre, different style. I want to read one of the books he's collaborated on with his father. I give him credit for this above all--he could have used his birthname and cashed in on Dad's fame--but he didn't! He's selling his books on their own merit!

My top five:
1. The Stand
2. The Talisman
3. The Shining
4. Gerald's Game
5. 11/22/63

[Veritas1325]

For me, The Stand. It's my favorite of King's books, although it suffers the same problem as many of his earlier works. King had a really difficult time, in my opinion, in writing a good ending. The Stand is no exception. After reading so many remarkable pages, the ending left me feeling deflated. I wanted more. I wanted better. Still, while the ending fell short for me, I still felt that the book was exceptional; not just my favorite King book but among my favorites of all time. It's awfully long, though, so if you're not sure whether you'll like King, you might want to start with one of his short story anthologies. Look for The Body (which became the movie Stand By Me) or Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption (which became the Shawshank Redemption) or his serial novel, The Green Mile. Each of those were excellent and later became excellent films. As for The Shining, I loved the Kubrick movie and the book. They are very different from one another but both are excellent. Of the two, I prefer the book. If you like it, too, then be sure to read the also very good (and relatively recent) sequel, Doctor Sleep.

-- 07 Nov 2015, 21:10 --

Has anyone read Lisey's Story by Stephen King? I'm 1/4 into it and while it has some good parts, I still can't get into it like any previous books of his I've read. I'm not sure how I feel about it, but I'm not giving up. Anybody who's read it before, let me know what you think please!

I'm laboring through Lisey's Story right now. I have been struggling with it for some time now. It's my least favorite of his books that I've read. At least in recent memory. I really wanted to love it because I know that he's said on numerous occasions that it's one of his personal favorites. And, yet, I really, really don't like it. I won't quit, especially as I don't have much more to go but I can't recommend it. I have been thoroughly disappointed.

[BookShelfy91]

I have read quite a few of his books. My first was "The TommmyKnockers" scared the bejeezus out of me...that was when I was about 10 years old, I am now 24...reread it recently and it still scares me a little. I loved Christine, read the book and watched the movie. Fantastic on both counts. I've never read Misery, but I've seen the movie. Is the book any good?
I loved Cujo, it made me cry. The shining and its sequel were both fantastic and I believe that Jack Nicholson was made for the part and absolutely terrifying.
The only SK book I never made it through was The Revival. I picked it up, got a couple of chapters in and I just couldn't get into it, not sure why though. Salem's lot scared me but was fantastic.

I would love to read Finders Keepers, is it any good?

Shelfy

[Melonie]

King has many good books. I'm currently reading 11.22.63. This book is captivating form the moment you pick it up. It is not a scary book if that is what you are looking for. If you like time travel, and enjoy history this might be the book for you. I've also read Misery, The Shining, and The Stand. All great books.