Stephen King - Best Book??

[Serenity79]

Wow this is a hard one, I've not read an SK book in so so long, and so I'm mainly going by the films but the books are soooo much better.

The ones that really stand out to me are; The Langoliers, I can't believe nobody has mentioned it. IT, fab film aswell but scared me off clowns for life and The Stand, long but so worth it. The Shining was good. The Dead Zone, well the movie was pretty good, the series started good but got a bit lost somewhere. I've not read the book, but it's got to be better right? The Green Mile, I loved it and hated it at the same time, it was a bit grim in places and the execution, horrid. Firestarter an absolute classic.

I'm trying to get back into SK and I attempted to borrow a book from a friend, but she only had The Green Mile and Delores Claiborne. Well I've tried two or three times now and just can't get into it, I get bored in the first few pages and from what I have read here it might not even be worth trying.

I could go on and on because SK is king, but there are just too many books.

 

[paranoid marvin]

Wow this is a hard one, I've not read an SK book in so so long, and so I'm mainly going by the films but the books are soooo much better.

The ones that really stand out to me are; The Langoliers, I can't believe nobody has mentioned it. IT, fab film aswell but scared me off clowns for life and The Stand, long but so worth it. The Shining was good. The Dead Zone, well the movie was pretty good, the series started good but got a bit lost somewhere. I've not read the book, but it's got to be better right? The Green Mile, I loved it and hated it at the same time, it was a bit grim in places and the execution, horrid. Firestarter an absolute classic.

I'm trying to get back into SK and I attempted to borrow a book from a friend, but she only had The Green Mile and Delores Claiborne. Well I've tried two or three times now and just can't get into it, I get bored in the first few pages and from what I have read here it might not even be worth trying.

I could go on and on because SK is king, but there are just too many books.

YEah , you're not wrong about The Langoliers. It's a great book , and is genuinely puzzling when you're figuring out what's going on. It also got a fab TV adaption.

 

[TheLastBard]

For me? Salem's Lot is his best book... hands down. Something about his approach didn't come across as the most original vampire novel ever, but was such a great read, I couldn't put it down.

 

[thatollie]

Just personal preference

1. The Waste Lands
2. The Shining
3. Pet Sementary

 

[Tansy]

Not read Saslems lot or the Stand yet - on my pile to be read

Lisey's storey bored me about 14 chapters in

but intend to finish it maybe if the beginning bored me teh end will be fab?

 

[_Jack_]

In no particular order:

-Cell
-The Shining
-Salem's Lot

I think that It is just a hair's-breadth away from the three of those.

 

[Tansy]

It could havce been sooo good


I was hooked at the first page.. I was about 12

 

[_Jack_]

Yeah, if there was maybe just a bit more backstory, I could have given it the coveted Jack's A+.

 

[Tansy]

Wow this is a hard one, I've not read an SK book in so so long, and so I'm mainly going by the films but the books are soooo much better.

The ones that really stand out to me are; The Langoliers, I can't believe nobody has mentioned it. IT, fab film aswell but scared me off clowns for life and The Stand, long but so worth it. The Shining was good. The Dead Zone, well the movie was pretty good, the series started good but got a bit lost somewhere. I've not read the book, but it's got to be better right? The Green Mile, I loved it and hated it at the same time, it was a bit grim in places and the execution, horrid. Firestarter an absolute classic.

I'm trying to get back into SK and I attempted to borrow a book from a friend, but she only had The Green Mile and Delores Claiborne. Well I've tried two or three times now and just can't get into it, I get bored in the first few pages and from what I have read here it might not even be worth trying.

I could go on and on because SK is king, but there are just too many books.

We just have such different taste in Sk stuff

Apart from The Shining which I enjoyed I absolutely hate renditions in cellular of SK's works

I hated the Green Mile in film (might be due to my Tom Hanks aversion), actually the only few renditions of his films that didn't make me die laughing were the Shawshank Redemption, misery and erm.. let me think

possibly the green mile without hanks

I think I like his lesser known stuff, the books directors haven't ruined for me yet even now everytime I pick up one of his books I want him to amaze me again like he used to, but less and less he does

Maybe I'm just not 13 anymore or maybe I've discovered writers who move me more

I'll alway be fond of him, but I read him less and less

I might even get around to reading the last few chapters of the last book of the Dark Tower at some point before I die

I think I see Stephen King like some kids see Enid Blyton, great while you know no better but once you move on looking back reveals disappointment and bad grammar

 

[_Jack_]

I might even get around to reading the last few chapters of the last book of the Dark Tower at some point before I die

I've never been so elated and and so pissed off at the same time. Ever.

 

[Tansy]

Well when you have a version of a book where in the prologue the author apologises for a disappointing ending, you might, if you were contrary read it to spite yourself.. but when said author had disappointed you for a number of years with his dismal endings, without ever having to justify himself in a prologue you kinda assume the series youu have invested a lot of time reading probably has a really naff ending.. so to save yourself hating a once beloved writer you stop reading and go off an imagine how you'd actually like it to end

 

[_Jack_]

Haha! How very true. But I'm not gonna foolishly spend so many hours reading and then not journey to the end...am I? Should I not have?

Yeah, in the last fifteen years or so, King has had about a 25% "Aww, what the f*** is this s***?" rating.

 

[Tansy]

Yeah but eh 25% have been great

I just felt that I couldn't put myself through the emotional trauma of the DT ending...

purely as I had invested so much time reading something that wasn't to me his best.. but that in part I had enjoyed

I think the bit that totally ruined it for me was when he wrote himself in as god I lost interest after that

I know it was the story he felt he had to tell, but it wan't the Sk story Ii wanted to hear

I actually hated the gunslinger book(it bored me to tears), I was just glad it got better from there and it was thin

and anywaY In the end had he not already given it away with the kid who was there at the end but who had already died?? from what I've hear he re-uses this idea

 

[thatollie]

I think Dark Tower started to go downhill when he began referencing stories. Which was at the end of Wizard and Glass (except for a little bit of Narnia-ism in Drawing). You could see the story changing from an epic adventure into a treatise on epic adventure.

 

[Tansy]

I kinda liked how it drew his other stories together, it made sense to me since this was his magnus opus and his view of the world

all his other stories were heading this way in his head so Ii like that

Just the rest of it did my head in

 

[thatollie]

But think about, if it hadn't referenced other stories, then there would've been no excuse for all the dues ex machinas, and he could've spent more time with the main characters instead of filling in details from the lives of Pere Callahan and Ted Brautigan

 

[Tansy]

yeah but Ii liked the references lol

I'm fickle shoot me

only thing that kept me reading the Dt to start with was teh tie ins

 

[SKfan]

oh thats a tough one he is my fav I own maybe 21 of his novels and still have maybe 30 to get but so far I would have to say.

1:The stand uncut edition(many are intimidated by the sheer number of pages but if you have the time it is very much worth it)

2: beyond the stand there are several id tie for second these are IT(I know i will recieve abuse but I quite liked the ending especially the epilogue and I now have a mortal fear of clowns,not that they werent creepy to begin with),Misery,Needful things and Pet semetary

3:Salems lot

My first SK book was christine the idea of a haunted car creeped me out and I am currently 3 books into the dark tower series and have nothing bad to say about it thus far the first one has been best so far though,and one more tihng I have no idea why people dont like rose madder I found it quite good not his best but not dreadful in my opinion.

Only ones I have anything remotely bad to say about are dolores claiborne which I found very difficult to read due to its style ill go back to it later and cycle of the werewolf which had potential but I considered to short to be sold on it own at full retail price I probably would have liked more if it was part of a collection like four past midnight,nightmares and dreamscapes etc..

 

[SKfan]

Oh on another note as a whole IT and misry scared me the most but possibly for some reason I cannot grasp the ending of secret window,secret garden scared the life out of me for those who havent read it I wont spoil it you can find it in four past midnight.

 

[Tansy]

IT scared me till the end then it was stupid imo

Not read teh Stand or Salems lot yet thought they are on my tbr pile, I loved the Talisman