Well we have a thread on everyone's fav King book/story and as we know he's not got a 100% record of quality what are the ones we all think are duffers?

Personally I thought from a Buick 8 was awful. It started well enough but it was a half formed idea that went nowhere and did nothing. And although I know it’s popular with others Lisey’s Story was over long, dragged and seemed self indulgent to me.

Really, the only book that comes to mind for me is Tommyknockers. I had a real tough time getting thru that one, and didn't enjoy it much at all. I think it would be worth another try, to see if my tastes have changed enough to accept it....

Cell. Without a doubt.

I didn't enjoy From A Buick 8, either, and it may be the only King I've read only once. It feels a little unfair to label "worst" since I barely remember what it's about.

There is already a thread on this.. it's down under the book section!

Opps. Sorry about that, I looked for it under the general section where the favs thread was.

Oooh! I haven't seen that thread either. I'll have to check it out. BTW, I've always said that even a so-called "bad" SK is better than most of the stuff out there these days. I've read one or two that I didn't think lived up to his usual standard, but I still found them very readable and compelling. I've never had to put one down & I've also found that when I go back for a re-read I end up liking them better. I think part of it is we've come to have certain expectations of SK and if he goes in a different direction we are disappointed.

I have to say that, though it is a Bachman book, I really did not like Blaze.

Gerald's Game hated that book.
could find no redeeming qualities in it.

Without a doubt, The Colorado Kid. The second half of Cell was really weak too.

From a Buick 8 for me. Just didn't find it very interesting.

Needful Things. Lost my undying admiration for King after reading that one. Now I just have an undying admiration for his early stuff.

I know this may anger people, but Carrie didn't really do much for me. I am a huge fan of SK and I love the dark tower series, but Carrie struck me as sort of amateur compared to the rest of his work. I know it was his first book, but that shouldn't be as apparent as it is.

Michael wrote: "I know this may anger people, but Carrie didn't really do much for me. I am a huge fan of SK and I love the dark tower series, but Carrie struck me as sort of amateur compared to the rest of his wo..."

Carrie didn't do much for me either

Just after sunset, most of the stories were hit and miss. Wasn't keen at all. Bit of a let down!

I loved Carrie!!!! ! ! !! ! I am shocked that you guys don't like it!

Angie wrote: "I loved Carrie!!!! ! ! !! ! I am shocked that you guys don't like it! "

I don't hate Carrie, the structure of the story just made it not the easiest story for me to follow...love the movie though.

There is no such thing as a bad SK book. Only varing degrees of Great.

Rose Madder, Insomnia and From a Buick 8 are wretched.

Rob, I didn't like Needful Things either, then for some reason I decided to read it again and I really liked it the second time. I'm afraid to read it a third time, though...I might go back to loathing it.

I really did not care for Bag of Bones

King Dinosaur, may PENNYWISE come and eat you up! Insomnia is a great book, i've read it at lest 3 times. From A Buick 8 is good as well. I can understand why you may not care for Rose Madder, being a guy and all, but the story is still good. And what Rob knows we can put in a thimble,if it's not about Quentin Tarantino! I repeat myself, there is no bad Stephen King book! :)

Ugh. I will concede that Rose Madder could have been a good book. I was into the characters and the story before the supernatural stuff kicked in. I think if he would have just written a straight narrative about abused women it would have been a hell of a powerful book. As it was, it turned into unbelievable dreck. Insomnia could have been half as long and maybe...maybe...I would have liked it more. From a Buick 8 is just boring junk that goes nowhere.

"And what Rob knows we can put in a thimble,if it's not about Quentin Tarantino! "


I don't know nothin' 'bout nothin. But I do know that Needful Things was terrible. Desperation was even worse.

OH ROB YOUR KILLING ME! Go ahaed and put a knife in my back. Guess you didn't like The Regulators either? The movie wasn't that good but i liked the book.Oh well what you gona do? We can't all like the same thing, where would the fun be in that? :)

It's nothing personal, Lori. Most people here would disagree with me I'm sure...and that's all right.

And I really don't know that much about Tarantino...except for his films. I didn't like Jackie Brown...but don't tell anybody. ;)

Rob wrote: "It's nothing personal, Lori. Most people here would disagree with me I'm sure...and that's all right.

And I really don't know that much about Tarantino...except for his films. I didn't like Ja..."

Didn't like Jackie Brown?!? You're killin' me , Rob!! :)

*Stabs in the back*

*lays bleeding on the floor, clutching her DVD* Go ahead, pry it from my cold, dead hands! :)

Eh. You can have it. Now if it was Reservoir Dogs.....

oh no..i'm being buried with that one

*Cuts off ear*

my ear or your own? One way is Reservoir Dogs, the other a Van Gogh homage.

Oh. *Ahem!* Ummmm...your ear.

Only if you're playing "Stuck in The Middle With You" on the radio while you're doing it, m'dear.

But of course! I'll even dance around a little bit if you want me to.

Sure.

Hope you two got a room! Now back to business if you please. There is no bad Stephen King book! :o)

i loved duma key. the only one i haven't cared for thus far is from a buick 8. all the many others i've adored, over the past 25 years i've been reading his books!

A Buick 8 is definitely one of the worst Stephen King books, although I don't think it's horrible. It's readable, it's just kind of blah. I can't even remember the characters in it, they were very forgettable :/ (seems the book gave everyone amnesia... creepy ;D) I guess even the worst King book is better than most books though xD

I think Lisey's Story was the absolute worst King book though. Ugh.

Although Salem's Lot is a favorite for many SK fans, I really didn't like it. I felt like someone else had written it. Also I guess that since i couldn't finish The Tommyknockers and Gerald's Game and set them aside after the first chapter that they are bad also.

''Also I guess that since i couldn't finish The Tommyknockers and Gerald's Game and set them aside after the first chapter that they are bad also.''

Quite the assumption, Fatma! I loved both of those books!

i really enjoyed gerald's game, too, mark... i read it this summer while camping in a tent at a lake. perfect spot to read the book. i could see why someone wouldn't like it, though, fatma. i wouldn't let my kids read it because of the adult subject matter. and it does have quite a different feel than many of his books. but again, i really enjoyed it.

Mark, I know it is wrong to judge a book without reading it first, but I just couldn't finish The Tommyknockers and Gerald's Game. Many times I have forced my self to finish a certain book even if the first chapters of it were bad but I didn't even try with these two.

I agree with you anjee, Gerald's Game has a different feel. Maybe I should give it another try when I am in a good mood.

Fatma, you are certainly welcome to your opinion. But I think to label a book as one of King's worst without having read it is simply wrong. It's like going to a great restaurant and saying it's no good because you took a bite of a side dish, didn't like it and decided to never go again. The lobster is great! And the deserts are to die for!

I guess my question for you would be: What King books that you have read did you not like?

Mark, Do you ever get the feeling that you just cant read this book any more? That happens a lot to me. The first chapters of any book are crucial, many times if I didn't like them I will not finish the book.
And to answer your question I think that I have clearly said in my first post that Salem's Lot is my least favorite SK book.

Actually, I can't remember the last time I started a book without finishing it. And I have never started a book by one of my favorite authors without finishing it.

I think both books are excellent. Besides, since when do we want our favorite authors to present the same ''feel'' every time? That sounds kind of boring to me! If my favorite musicians did that, they wouldn't be my favorite musicians.

I hope you will one day give those books their due and read them. You may find them growing on you!

Peace.

My father used to say sometimes it's just the wrong time for a book. And I have to say I completely agree. I tried reading The Phantom of the Opera twice and was unable to get into it, let alone finish it. The third time, and a few years later, I picked it up and couldn't put it down. I loved it. For some reason the first two times, it was the wrong book at the wrong time. The first time I read The Gunslinger, the same thing happened. But the second time I picked it up, I couldn't put it down and it propelled me to read the rest of the series.

I'm like an old record that skips "There is no bad Stephen King book!" :)

Lori wrote: " I'm like an old record that skips "There is no bad Stephen King book!" :)"

Absolutely, Lori!!!!! :)

Thank you Kathy, not too many people would agree with me. :}