Stephen King Fans discussion
Welcome to Our Group
>
Introduce Yourself- part 2
message 601:
by
Keith
(new)
May 13, 2014 02:26AM
Hi i'm Keith and i have been reading SK since i was 14. i have read 85% of his books, but am struggling with the dark tower series. My favourtie sk books are Bag of Bones and Duma Key.
reply
|
flag
Keith wrote: "Hi i'm Keith and i have been reading SK since i was 14. i have read 85% of his books, but am struggling with the dark tower series. My favourtie sk books are Bag of Bones and Duma Key."Nick wrote: "Hey Jasmine, welcome. Hoping to visit Croatia next year. Look forward to your ideas on King's work."
Hello Keith, I felt the same about the DARK TOWER books, but then I read and LOOKED at them in SK'S GRAPHIC NOVELS of the series and I couldn't stop reading them.
Hi, my name is Camilla and I am from Finland. I have enjoyed King's books for the past 30 years and still do, just bought Doctor Sleep but haven't had time to start it yet.
Camilla wrote: "Hi, my name is Camilla and I am from Finland. I have enjoyed King's books for the past 30 years and still do, just bought Doctor Sleep but haven't had time to start it yet."Welcome!
I'm a 57 year old man. I am a social worker in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. I have a BSW from Hawaii Pacific University and I also have some classes from Jacksonville State (Alabama) University. I am a little left of center politically and am a liberal Christian. I read my first Stephen King book way back in the day. I picked up a paperback of a book called "Salem's Lot."I was in my hometown mall in Gadsden, Alabama. The clerk said "I think you might like that one. Some people think this writer will be big if he keeps going." The rest is history. These days I like Classic Rock, Alabama football and Atlanta Braves baseball. I read more non fiction (music bio's and historical true crime.) But, I will always be a "Constant Reader" ;-)
welcome new readers! Stephen, my 1st SK book was also Salem's Lot & is still one of my favorites.
Stephen wrote: "I'm a 57 year old man. I am a social worker in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. I have a BSW from Hawaii Pacific University and I also have some classes from Jacksonville State (Alabama) University. I am a lit..."Nice Bio, Stephen. Glad you're here. I went to Notre Dame and live in San Francisco so I guess we're sports rivals. But at least we can agree on Mr. King.
My name is Sam. I have joined GoodReads before but was never very active. I've joined again hoping to make some online friends with similar interests. I love to read but my 18 month old daughter has made that more difficult. Lately I have been staying up late to get some the to myself. I am currently reading the Dark Tower series and am on Wizard and Glass.
Samantha wrote: "My name is Sam. I have joined GoodReads before but was never very active. I've joined again hoping to make some online friends with similar interests. I love to read but my 18 month old daughter ha..."Welcome Sam! I remember those days of thinking I would never get to read again! lol. My daughter is 8 now and a bookworm herself. :)
I just bought The Gunslinger but I haven't started it yet. Right now I'm reading Salem's Lot.
Hope you have fun here!
Glad you joined us Sam. There are some really good people here. I've made some good friends along the way and picked up some wonderful reads thanks to their referrals.
Hi my name is Laura and I am actually finding my way BACK to this group bc my other Goodreads account got deleted when I hit the wrong button. Been a lifelong King fan. The DT series is my favorite although not my first experience with Stephen King. Looking forward to being back in the group. :)
So I'm introducing myself in "Introduce Yourself - part 2"... Well, I suppose any group that has sequels must be good enough to draw crowds. :) I'm new here on GR and I'm still figuring out how everything works. Don't Facebook or Twitter, so I'm hoping to make some friends here. I'm pretty much a book person, and like many others, my literary education began with books written by Stephen King. It's hard for me to say which ones I haven't read yet. In fact, I got tired clicking the button on all the books I read when I joined up on GR. Guess I'll never get through all of that. Anyhow, nice to meet you all. :)
Matilde wrote: "Hi, everyone! My name is Matilde, I'm from Genoa, but now living and studing in Bologna (Italy). I love Stephen King... My passion for reading started as a little child, but growing up I met a long..."Welcome Matilda... and you know there are so many other dark tower inspired King works that you can keep going on and on.
Hello all, I like to think of myself as the "Constant Reader", and will be probably be in good company here! Have been a reader of King for more years than I want to admit to, but he is definitely an addiction!
Matilde wrote: "Hi, everyone! My name is Matilde, I'm from Genoa, but now living and studing in Bologna (Italy). I love Stephen King... My passion for reading started as a little child, but growing up I met a long..."Welcome, from another italian Constant Reader and Dark Tower believer!
e allora ci incontreremo in giro per questo fantastico gruppo!
Hi, I'm Hannah; relatively new King fan but quickly reading and falling in love with his writing! :-)
Heya. I'm Mason--I grew up on horror movies but didn't come from a partticularly literate household, so it wasn't until I borrowed a friend's copy of NIGHT SHIFT in the fifth grade that I discovered the joys of getting lost between the pages of a good book.IT was almost my first King novel, but I was twelve or thirteen, and it proved to be too much. When I was fifteen, I picked up THE DARK HALF, and the hook was set--there would be no looking back.
My favorite King novel must be THE GUNSLINGER (original version), because it's the one I've re-read the most. THE LONG WALK is another favorite, and I won't argue with you if you suggest that 'SALEM'S LOT should be shelved next to Straub's GHOST STORY as one of the most important horror novels ever written.
Through King, I discovered Clive Barker, Skipp & Spector, Richard Matheson, and a host of other genre greats, and because of King, I decided to try my hand at writing, twenty years ago. Last year, I had the honor of sharing a CEMETERY DANCE Table of Contents with him, and that's almost as good as it gets.
King continues to amaze me. His books aren't always great--Harlan Ellison described King's body of work as a series of peaks and valleys, but I think the same can be said for any artist--but there is always something of value to be found, even in his minor works.
I didn't love DOCTOR SLEEP, found 11/22/63 to be among his finest work, and am champing at the bit for REVIVAL.
I dig this group, too. I think I'll stick around...
Welcome Hannah, I'm sure you will now be a lifelong King fan! Once you start you can't stop!Hi Mason, welcome to the group!
Mason wrote: "Heya. I'm Mason--I grew up on horror movies but didn't come from a partticularly literate household, so it wasn't until I borrowed a friend's copy of NIGHT SHIFT in the fifth grade that I discovere..."Hey Mason, welcome. I think your assessment of King's best books is pretty much right on. Though I hope you'll agree that there are more peaks than valleys in his work. We look forward to your commentaries. Also, what did you do for Cemetery Dance?
Hi Mason, welcome to the group!"
Thanks!
Welcome Mason...and I agree with your assessment of 11/22/63.
"Hey Mason, welcome. I think your assessment of King's best books is pretty much right on. Though I hope you'll agree that there are more peaks than valleys in his work."Certainly. The novels aren't all great, but they're almost all GOOD, and for a student of his work, they're all essential.
As a novel--meaning, as a standalone work viewed only as a standalone work--DREAMCATCHER is, I feel, not very good. It's too long, it's monotonous, ponderous, and makes points he's made before, only not as well.
Taken as a part of a larger body of work and as a reflection who and where he was, at that time (post accident, in pain most of us will never know, laid up and drugged out, writing longhand), it's absolutely required reading.
"We look forward to your commentaries. Also, what did you do for Cemetery Dance?"
The occasional review, here and there over the years, and most recently, a short story (writing under my daytime name, RJ Sevin) King, Hill, and Ketchum were on the Fiction ToC as well, which was kinda mind-blowing.
Scott wrote: "Welcome Mason...and I agree with your assessment of 11/22/63."Thanks!
I had some issue with the very end, at the time, though for the life of me I cannot remember what it was. It's maybe a little too idealistic at times, but King is an eternal optimist, so...
The characterizations, the scope of the piece, the amount of research evident on the page, and the slow build to those walk up the stairs at the book depository--a climax that felt nothing short of mythic. I loved it. That's one I'll read again.
Mason wrote: "Scott wrote: "Welcome Mason...and I agree with your assessment of 11/22/63."Thanks!
I had some issue with the very end, at the time, though for the life of me I cannot remember what it was. It's..."
Totally agree on both these books. 11/22/63 one of King's best... would recommend it to anyone. DREAMCATCHER... makes my list as one of King's worst. After reading the comments by Mason, it at least puts the book into perspective, and makes me feel better about the fact that I took the time to read it.
I don't take issue with King for writing bad books. He's human--whatever it is that we do, we do it well sometimes, and sometime we do it poorly. I do, however, take issue with the fact that he publishes the bad books. DREAMCATCHER should have gone into a the proverbial trunk--ostensibly. The reason it didn't, though--the reason it should be viewed as an accomplishment (the reason it IS an accomplishment), is because he WROTE the damned thing at a time where other people would have given up. For that, I respect it, and him.(It DOES have some choice moments, to be fair.)
Mason wrote: "I don't take issue with King for writing bad books. He's human--whatever it is that we do, we do it well sometimes, and sometime we do it poorly. I do, however, take issue with the fact that he pub..."I agree about the choice moments too. Very much so.
Mason wrote: "Taken as a part of a larger body of work and as a reflection who and where he was, at that time (post accident, in pain most of us will never know, laid up and drugged out, writing longhand), it's absolutely required reading."Welcome to the group Mason and like all members I am a fan of King at least his early works (first 25 books or so) but after that there is such a sharp decline in his quality I find it difficult to sit through his books.
I have not read Dreamcatcher but my point is if a book is crap it should not have been published irrespective of whether the author took great pains in writing it.It is required reading for whom?A handful of King fans maybe but at the end of the day to casual readers it ultimately belittles King as a writer who is publishing sub par works.This is no judgement against your taste and I am glad you enjoyed parts of it.
What appeals to one person may not another, but I don't think it's fair to say it should never have been published in the first place. If somebody gets some enjoyment out of it, what's the harm in that? I often like books that most others don't and that's my choice. The important thing is to read, no matter what it is.
Kathryn wrote: "What appeals to one person may not another, but I don't think it's fair to say it should never have been published in the first place. If somebody gets some enjoyment out of it, what's the harm in..."I definitely agree Kathryn! Well said! :)
Kathryn wrote: "What appeals to one person may not another, but I don't think it's fair to say it should never have been published in the first place. If somebody gets some enjoyment out of it, what's the harm in..."Sorry if my point was not clear, I was not against anyone enjoying a particular book, some people enjoy Twilight so no accounting for tastes.As I said I have not even read the book I was speaking on general terms that if someone is enjoying a book,it should be enjoyed on its own merits (think characters, plotting etc) and not because the writer took great pains in writing it as was the case here.
On a connected topic I would rather have a writer write 20 books in his career, where say 15 of them get a majorly positive reaction rather than a writer write 50 books in his career where 30 of them get a good reception. Simply because the first writer would leave a greater legacy and be remembered more fondly by fans.
Aditya wrote: "Kathryn wrote: "What appeals to one person may not another, but I don't think it's fair to say it should never have been published in the first place. If somebody gets some enjoyment out of it, wh..."Speaking as a writer, I have to say that, honestly, I don't really know if my books are good or not. I write them. Put them out there, feel great when people like them, hurt when people don't. I work as hard as I can on every paragraph. I never set out to just crank out a book, or to create the great American novel. I just love to write. I have no idea how many books I'll be able to come up with in my lifetime. But I do know this, I have written at least one book that I know just didn't work out, and I'm really struggling with whether to publish it or not. Since I don't know how good my books are, I figure someone else may think it's great... and it might be... so is it up to me to lock it in the trunk (like King did with Blaze) and then finally succumb to the pressure to publish it? Don't know.
Hi. I'm Claire and love the tales Mr King tells me. I am a constant reader as well as a Constant Reader, and of the three or four books usually on the go, it's a safe bet one of them was written by him.
Nick wrote: "Speaking as a writer, I have to say that, honestly, I don't really know if my books are good or not. I write them. Put them out there, feel great when people like them..."I understand your dilemma as the hard work you had put on your book demands that it bears some rewards for you, even if a single individual appreciates it in a random message board or a conversation, I guess that can make your day in such a situation.I don't begrudge any aspiring or an unestablished writer to put out a book which may not have the potential to be the next big thing.
At the same time I expect greater accountability from someone of King's stature, another recent example would be Grisham; there used to be a time when he used to write great legal thrillers, his writing may not be as good as say King but his stories were always well researched and had an interesting plot but now a days everything Grisham writes is mostly derivative and unoriginal. My point was when best selling authors like King or Grisham realize that there has been a sharp decline in their output (it is tough to argue that there has not been a decline) they owe better to themselves than to publish a book that ruins their reputation. Though all the reviews I have read state some of the recent King books had been wonderful and the slump was just temporary.
Nick wrote: "Aditya wrote: "Kathryn wrote: "What appeals to one person may not another, but I don't think it's fair to say it should never have been published in the first place. If somebody gets some enjoymen..."
Nick, I think you should publish, in my opinion. My feelings are this: I see an author as an artist and I would expect any artist puts part of himself in every piece of work, whether it's a painting, sculpture, or a book. If others don't like it, that's okay. I think you should be proud of what you put out there after you have poured your heart and soul into. If an author is just putting stuff out there for money, maybe he's not a real artist after all.
Nick, I think you should publish, in my opinion. My feelings are this: I see an author as an artist and I would expect any artist puts part of himself in every piece of work, whether it's a painting, sculpture, or a book. If others don't like it, that's okay. I think you should be proud of what you put out there after you have poured your heart and soul into. If an author is just putting stuff out there for money, maybe he's not a real artist after all.
Nick, I agree with Katherine. Publish.
On Dreamcatcher, perhaps we should consider King's most reliable critic - Tabitha. I can't see her letting a novel through that she thought would damage her husband's career, particularly if he was in a vulnerable state.
Hi, I'm Debra McCauley. I am 63 years old and I am a retired Nurse/ Law Clerk/. Now that I'm retired I'm a full time constant reader/ author . I working on My first book " THE FIRST YEAR". I have many other writings but they are all material for my book. I also write poetry. I kni while I write, and crotchet all while writing, utilizing my microphone. But that is only a "sometimes" tool. I have adored Stephan King once the late 70's when I finished one of my numerous college courses. HE turned me into ."a constant reader."I have 100's of books in my Library. Classics, biography, history, poetry, Shakespeare, pulsar prize winners, religions of the planet, NOVELS, modern lit, The Masters,geography , reference, law. Etc...I LOVE TO READ. Any suggestions? New books? Authors?
Glad to meet y'all.
Aditya wrote: "Nick wrote: "Speaking as a writer, I have to say that, honestly, I don't really know if my books are good or not. I write them. Put them out there, feel great when people like them..."I understan..."
Aditya: Thanks for the advice. I agree. I expect greater accountability from the folks who have already done great work. Still... they say that the best time for a writer is before he or she becomes successful because after that you are tied into a schedule and obligations dictated by the publisher. There are contracts and commitments and you may be forced to bring out books that you don't think are very good. I know that King, shelved Pet Cemetery because he thought it was too dark (imagine that). But then he had a contract to fulfill so he turned over the manuscript and it became one of his most popular. I read On Writing and was surprised to learn that some of my favorite King books (like Rose Madder) are ones that he doesn't think much of himself. Some he's very proud of I don't care for.
I do think that some of King's recent books are among his best.
Claire wrote: "On Dreamcatcher, perhaps we should consider King's most reliable critic - Tabitha. I can't see her letting a novel through that she thought would damage her husband's career, particularly if he was..."King doesn't know how lucky he is to have Tabitha in his life... or maybe he does. Same with Tabitha and Joe Hill.
Kathryn wrote: "Nick wrote: "Aditya wrote: "Kathryn wrote: "What appeals to one person may not another, but I don't think it's fair to say it should never have been published in the first place. If somebody gets ..."Thanks for the encouragement Kathryn and Lanie. Maybe I should be clear about one thing. The book I have coming out next week (Bloody Bess and the Doomsday Games) is not the book I'm talking about here. I was always very happy with Bess and the sci-fi vampires surrounding her. The book I'm referring to (currently called Alien Inquisition) has a great premise, but got so complicated, I'm just not sure it works. But it sure wasn't for lack of effort. Guess we'll just see how this one goes and then decide.
Welcome to all new members!@Nick- you should definitely publish!
Hi I'm Mike and new to Goodreads. I'm enjoying reading all the comments from fellow Stephen King fans. One of these days I guess I'm going to have to branch out and discover some new authors. These days King is about all I read. We're on vacation next week so Mr. Mercedes is coming out at just the right time for me. Can't wait to dig in to it. Enjoy what's left of your weekend!
Welcome Mike! Enjoy your vacationTo start off with, you could try reading something by Joe Hill, and keep it in the family!
Michael wrote: "Hi I'm Mike and new to Goodreads. I'm enjoying reading all the comments from fellow Stephen King fans. One of these days I guess I'm going to have to branch out and discover some new authors. Th..."Mike make sure you check out the work of King's son, Joe Hill. Very close to his dad in subject but with maybe a stronger sense of humor. It's hard to say which of his 3 books is better, but I think I'd go with Nos4a2 (or however you spell it.)
Stephen King Fans
Books mentioned in this topic
Pet Sematary (other topics)The Dark Tower (other topics)
The Stand (other topics)
Pet Sematary (other topics)
The Shining (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Oscar Wilde (other topics)Jonathan Franzen (other topics)
Jonathan Franzen (other topics)
Pierce Brown (other topics)
Bentley Little (other topics)
More...
