Stephen King's Best Novel?

GOLLUM

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OK,

Someone help me out here. I've got the Dark Tower series but I want to know what do you consider to be King's best novel??

I've heard some people mention The Stand, others The Shining or Carrie. In other words my impression is his earlier work is arguably his best.

Anyone care to nominate his best book for moi?

Cheers....:)
 
I know its not The Dark Tower.....


I think The Dead Zone was well written. Although i'm not real sure since i have read only 3 SK books + Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption collection.

Shawshank Redemption novella i would call his best story since its a novella and not a book.

Of course that might change when i read The Stand or Carrie or The Shining.
 
All depends on what you're looking for. I certainly wouldn't say Dark Tower , but The Stand and Cell are two of my favourites; then again I love post-apocalyptic/event novels so I would say that! I also have a soft spot for the Bachman novel The Running Man (NOTHING like the film btw!)

Four Past Midnight is a superb collection of 4 short (ish) stories , and features (in my opinion) King's scariest story The Sun Dog
 
Try Pet Sematary, very eerie and well written IMO. The Shining is one of his best and is very different to Kubricks sad interpretation. The Stand is probably his best, it's more about the journey and the way the world is after the superflu. I have yet to read It so can't comment on it. Needful Things was a great book too and so was Insomnia.
 
The first book of the Dark Tower was incredibly good. I really loved that book. I also like The Stand, Cell and The Dead Zone. 'Salem's Lot is pretty good too, as are parts of his first collection, Night Shift. If I had to pick a favorite though, I think it would be the first book of the Dark Tower sequence. After that though they all go downhill quickly.
 
The only King I've read is the first book of the dark tower series and I couldn't finish it; it was so dull. I have "The Mist" lined up to read next and I shall report back...
 
Stephen King's short stories are the best, IMHO. The Bachman Books is one volume consisting of 4 novellas. It is very good.

For full length novels, I think his older works are the best. The Shining is really scary.
 
The only King I've read is the first book of the dark tower series and I couldn't finish it; it was so dull. I have "The Mist" lined up to read next and I shall report back...

How far into The Dark Tower did you get? Did you get to the scene where everyone in town attacks Roland, so he guns them all down?

The Mist is pretty good. I read it when I was a kid, IIRC, and it freaked me out but good.
 
Yes, my personal favourites are the Stand and It, with Christine, Salems Lot and the Shining all getting close runner up from me.

(Interesting that i think that the Stand and It were not very good films, yet Christine, Salsm's lot and the Shining i were great movies IMO.)
 
I found it silly to be honest. I don't even think i finished it.
 
If we are going by fav its easily The Dead Zone. Character and story wise thats my fav.

Salem's Lot has very good payoff with everything that happened with the town but he killed me slowly for 100s of pages before that.
 
How far into The Dark Tower did you get? Did you get to the scene where everyone in town attacks Roland, so he guns them all down?
I don't remember how far I got to be honest. It has been quite a while since I read it.
 
To those who found the Dark Tower difficult, I'd say try to push past the first book (it's also the one I find the most dull). I think the story really picks up in the second one, and the first half of the third book, The Waste Lands, is some of my favourite stuff that I've ever read.

Depends what you're looking for, really, Gollum! King's written about a variety of things; aliens, ghosts, the undead, zombies, then there's more psychological stuff, very human horror (thinking of that period of Gerald's Game/Dolores Claiborne here). Personally, I think The Shining is the only genuinely creepy book I've ever read...the fire hose and the thing in 217...brr, it raises the goosebumps. He's done some good stuff later on, too (in my opinion); Cell, for its arguable faults towards the end (I don't mind it, but I know others have serious contention with it) gets back to a nice, fact-paced, gory story. Lisey's Story is very emotional, a focus on a couple's relationship, with lots of backtracking and filling in the past, with the supernatural and human horror elements being more of a side story.

To sut myself short, knowing how much I can go on about this guy, I don't reckon you can go much wrong with his earlier stuff. Or, here's a definite suggestion...Insomnia is a definite 'Tower' book, strong connections to it all over the place...seeing as you've read the epic, you could start on Insomnia because there will be some familar ground, but will get you used to King's style in his other work.
 
Thanks for the feedback all.

I think I'll check out The Stand and The Shining.

I've got the Dark Tower series and don't mind them.
 
The only King I've read is the first book of the dark tower series and I couldn't finish it; it was so dull.

I felt the same way, I couldn't finish it in my first attempt but my wife asked me to try to work through it and I did but my perceptions did not change. I found it dull and unengaging, even read the next 2 books and although they did improve I did not find them enjoyable enough to continue through.

Gollum, it is all personal opinion my favorite by far was the epic Stand, but his short stories are on the whole very good, he has done a few Lovecraftian tales which are very good. Cell, Cujo, Carrie, Salems Lot, and The Green Mile are also great reads.

Some of his works I did not like and I have found him a little hit and miss at times
 
The Stand ... no question

The Dark Tower series is great, truly a magnum opus but not his best. Different Seasons is probably his best "literature" - Shawshank Redemption, etc
 

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