Stephen King's Best Novel?

I read the Long Walk, it was right after I had read Rage and those are two books- wait, three because you have to include The Running Man, that are really good. I'm surprised that they have never tried to turn the Long Walk into a movie- heck, it would make a bloody great t.v. series!

The least of what I like by Mr. King, I have to say, are the Dark Tower books. The first one nearly killed me, then I tried the second and it was great! then the third one was not bad then when they got to the back story one I fell into a deep coma and could never return to the series. (I'm sorry Mr. King wherever you are!)
 
Full Dark, No Stars was excellent, especially 1922 and A Good Marriage
 
I keep forgetting about that one. It should be out in paperback by now, need to pick it up.

I am very much looking forward to the new one coming out: 11/22/63.
 
JustPassingThrough said:
I am very much looking forward to the new one coming out: 11/22/63.
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Me, too. King is for me, the event author. I will stop everything else I am doing when a new novel comes out, and will actually got to a new-book store to get it.
 
Right then,

I think I might soon be ready to try another King novel (or collection perhaps?). I would appreciate some recommendations for what to try that might just convince me that he has written anything worth reading.

To recap, I tried to read the first book in the "Dark Tower" series and couldn't get into it. I have also read "The Mist" and while this was okay, I found the style rather wooden. So, if you recommend something, please can it be something quite different from either of these. Also, if you any idea as to what kind of horror I usually do like, that might help inform your recommendation.

I should probably add that I would like to avoid anything especially long. I want to be convinced that King has merrit but not have to consume 1000 pages in the process. Likewise, I'm unlikely to push on through the first three books in a series in order to get to get to something good. I just want to pick up something short or medium lengthed and be blown away by King's brilliance.

That's not too much to ask, is it? :D
 
Fried Egg, if you go to the thread on here with the Bibliography, I update it with one of his short stories that he wrote for The Atlantic and it's free. You might want to give that one a shot just to get your toes wet again in the ocean that is King.

Other recommendations to follow after I think for a moment (insert joke here)
 
Okay, I thought (I'm a Yank, I think quick and make love even quicker- wait. Forget that last part).

The best advice I got on the Dark Tower series was to start with the second book first. I didn't, I did as you and read the first book and it was like forcing myself to eat liver and onions. The second book however blew me away and is on my top ten of best books by him. You might try that if you go back.

As for a novella, since you didn't like the Mist, I would be tempted to recommend my favorite that is hardly ever mentioned: The Breathing Method. It's in their with The Shawshank Redemption and The Body but I think it's better than both of those (and the only one that they haven't made a movie out of).

It's short and sweet and it might be just to thing to hit your King spot.


Fried Egg said:
Right then,

I think I might soon be ready to try another King novel (or collection perhaps?). I would appreciate some recommendations for what to try that might just convince me that he has written anything worth reading.

To recap, I tried to read the first book in the "Dark Tower" series and couldn't get into it. I have also read "The Mist" and while this was okay, I found the style rather wooden. So, if you recommend something, please can it be something quite different from either of these. Also, if you any idea as to what kind of horror I usually do like, that might help inform your recommendation.

I should probably add that I would like to avoid anything especially long. I want to be convinced that King has merrit but not have to consume 1000 pages in the process. Likewise, I'm unlikely to push on through the first three books in a series in order to get to get to something good. I just want to pick up something short or medium lengthed and be blown away by King's brilliance.

That's not too much to ask, is it? :D
Click to expand...
 
Fried Egg, if you go to the thread on here with the Bibliography, I update it with one of his short stories that he wrote for The Atlantic and it's free. You might want to give that one a shot just to get your toes wet again in the ocean that is King.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the suggestion but I'm not great with reading stories on screen.
 
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JustPassingThrough said:
As for a novella, since you didn't like the Mist, I would be tempted to recommend my favorite that is hardly ever mentioned: The Breathing Method. It's in their with The Shawshank Redemption and The Body but I think it's better than both of those (and the only one that they haven't made a movie out of).

It's short and sweet and it might be just to thing to hit your King spot.
Click to expand...
That actually sounds like it could be good call. I'll pick it up if I see it...
 
I think he hit it on the head of the nail, The Breathing Method will probably be right up your alley. I also think that 1922 and A Good Marriage would be your kind of stories.
 
Shawshank Redemption novella is pretty good writing better than what you expect for his bloated novels. So is Dead Zone.

If those stories dont make you think he wrote something worth reading then nothing he wrote afterwards will make you change.
 
Fried Egg said:
To recap, I tried to read the first book in the "Dark Tower" series and couldn't get into it. I have also read "The Mist" and while this was okay, I found the style rather wooden. So, if you recommend something, please can it be something quite different from either of these. Also, if you any idea as to what kind of horror I usually do like, that might help inform your recommendation.

I should probably add that I would like to avoid anything especially long. I want to be convinced that King has merrit but not have to consume 1000 pages in the process. Likewise, I'm unlikely to push on through the first three books in a series in order to get to get to something good. I just want to pick up something short or medium lengthed and be blown away by King's brilliance.

That's not too much to ask, is it? :D
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Actually, I think it is. I haven't read a ton of King books, but the ones I have read all have one thing in common: they take a while to get in to.

I thought The Dark Tower series was pretty good. It does drag a bit in the middle of the series, and some people hated the ending* but on the whole it's an interesting and quite imaginative fantasy series (though really, it's a mixture of several genres).

Other books of his that I've read include It, which is a classic example of the "1000 page" book you mentioned, but a book I liked; The Shining (very good, but also takes some time to get into the thick of things); Four Past Midnight (which is a collection of four novellas); Dolores Claiborne and Carrie.

Now I actually didn't like Carrie as much as most, so I'm not sure I would recommend it. And Dolores Claiborne was undoubtedly one of the most mind-numbingly boring novels I have ever had the misfortune of reading. But the rest of the ones I mentioned are pretty good.

Also, though I haven't read it, a lot of people sing praises for The Stand.


* I'm not one of them. I thought it was quite fitting, in fact.
 
I think the original 4 Bachman books are all really good (and short!)
Then I'd go with "The Shining", "Pet Cemetary", "Misery", "The Dark Half", "The Stand", "Firestarter".
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A pure fun adventure read in a weekend novel, go with The Running Man. Totally different from the movie (which I liked).
 
Yes, I'm still reading. All suggestions gratefully received. When I finally get around to reading some more King, I shall report back with my findings!
 
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