Stephen King Fans discussion
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Introduce Yourself- part 2
mrbooks wrote: "It's true I have a mini Library but I have also been working for over 40 years and buying books sometimes 4-5 at a time so what I have kept is important to me. I give my books to the British heart ..."Inspiring. Thanks.
Get ready for the movies, Johnathon!
Hello I'm amanda. Biiig Stephen King fan although I can't recall my it's ever SK book 😬 I probably started sometime in high school due to the fact my dad had several Stephen King books in his collection (which I inherited and continuously expand). My favorite is It. It's a long read but I always enjoy going back to it. In recent years I haven't been reading as much as I have in the past and it's a habit I'm trying to get myself back into! Currently not sure my amount of Stephen kings but one day I'll have to sit down and do inventory. I have books on a book shelf, in a spare room closet, trunk of my car..etc
Johnathon wrote: "Hello! My name is Johnathon..."Welcome, Johnathon! Always nice to meet another DT fan :)
Amanda wrote: "Hello I'm amanda. Biiig Stephen King fan..."Welcome! I started King in high school, too. I borrowed all my stepdad's books and now I work on growing my own collection :)
Welcome Jonathon and Amanda if you love Stephen King you have come to the right place.
Hi y'all, im cheryl, i'm a huge fan of stephen king since my teens, im read most if them
Hi y'all, I'm cheryl, im a huge fan of stephen king since my teens. I've read almost all of them. I highly recommend all of his books, they're all gems. My favorite so far are 'the dark tower series', rose madder and thinner. Normally i can't put down a book once I've started it I've got an obsession that i absolutely have to finish it. But well, there are 2 books that i couldn't handle, Gerald's game ( I cant explain why ) and IT (at 3/4 of the book i was scared out of my mind) . I have started over reading IT 6 days ago, , I'm determined to read it all this time come what may.
Welcome Cherly, Like you I couldn't finish Gerald's game I left it with the wife tied to the bed and the dogs coming in and nibbling on her husband that is where I decided it wasn't for me.
I've been following Stephen King thoughts and insights from fans for a couple of years now and thoroughly enjoy the strong influence of Stephen King fans - first one for me was Carrie in the 70s and haven't stopped sinceEnjoy everyone!
Chéryl wrote: "Hi y'all, I'm cheryl, im a huge fan of stephen king..."Welcome, Chéryl! I hope you enjoy IT this time around! :)
Vicki wrote: "I've been following Stephen King thoughts and insights from fans for a couple of years now and thoroughly enjoy the strong influence of Stephen King fans - first one for me was Carrie in the 70s an..."Carrie was also my first Stephen King book, It is an excellent book. I find it strange one of my other favorite The girl who Loved Tom Gordon has seen very little response on this site. It must just be me.
mrbooks wrote: "Vicki wrote: "I've been following Stephen King thoughts and insights from fans for a couple of years now and thoroughly enjoy the strong influence of Stephen King fans - first one for me was Carrie..."Mr. Books - "The Girl Who Loved" is way up on my list of favorites. Top book for non-horror fans unless they hate baseball. Also a great audio book.
That one have not read- but going for it!Thank you
Vicki wrote: "That one have not read- but going for it!Thank you"
I'm sure you'll like it, Vicki.
Hi, I'm Amanda. I joined this group because I am always eager to discuss Stephen King's works with fellow fans of his books. I have been pretty much obsessed wtih everything he writes since I was 12 years old and read Cujo followed by Night Shift (which is what officially propelled me into my Stephen King obsession). There seems to be a lot of great discussions going on within this group and I hope to eventually catch up on some of them. Long days and pleasant nights, everyone!
Erin wrote: "Welcome Amanda"Thanks, Erin!
Amanda wrote: "Erin wrote: "Welcome Amanda"Thanks, Erin!"
You're welcome!
Hi everyone. I'm Femmy from Indonesia. I was a big fan of Stephen King when I was a teen (back in early 90s). I read every book he'd written back then, from Carrie all the way to Dolores Claiborne (except his Bachman books). Then in mid 90s I got bored reading Insomnia and Desperation and stopped buying his books.Recently I met other Indonesians on Goodreads who are fans of Stephen King, which got me interested again in his books. I just finished Mr. Mercedes a couple of days ago, and I thought it was fantastic. I think I'm a fan again. I'll definitely read his other books and play catch up.
Hi from the Netherlands, I posted (most of) this text as a Joyland comment elsewhere, but it’s more general and this is a Hello really ;-)I am new here though have checked comments on books now and again, they’ve been helpful. So, a first comment. Having read one or two Stephen King novels in the 80s when I was about 16 or so, I’ve neglected his work ever since. I’ve been an on-and-off reader for years, but have become a more avid reader again in the last few years. All that time I kinda looked down on King. Why? Would-be-snob behaviour – based on nothing because knowing absolutely nothing … I don’t know, maybe it was because I linked him with pulp and I could read better than that. The horror Konsalik. In truth, I just forgot about him really – obviously I was familiar with who he is, but it was in the not-for-me corner. The man who wrote the books which became sometimes bad movies or TV series. Shrugs – not for me.
Until … until. I read one high brow literature with a big L too many. It was a Dutch novel called Omega Minor and after 10 unreadable pages I threw it away in disgust. And decided to turn 180 degrees and do a King. It was 11/22/63 (in its Dutch translation). Remember a friend recommending it and at the time I thought, “meh” – but I gave it a shot.
As soon as Jake stepped back into time I went, “o christ here we go”. Go where? Well – to one of the best and most compelling novels I ever had the pleasure to read. I was hooked. And when the novel ended, I was hooked on King. And will I ever look down on his books again? Not a chance. In fact this was about a year ago and I have not read anything but Stephen King since. I’ve bought most novels by now.
I’ve just started on The Gunslinger and must admit am in consfused mode – as in WTF is this about? But am informed I should stick with it, so I will!
Some bad movie adaptations made me look down on Stephen King for years and I truly missed decades of great work – lesson is, shouldn’t judge him on what others made of his work. The plus side of this is: I have this huge backlog of King books and even the one I liked least (Duma Key with its overblown finale, some content in one or two short story collections) I still like. So, Joyland ended for me a few days ago (I was teary eyed at the end. This never happens!) and now I’ve started with The Gunslinger and I don’t know what to make of it yet. It’s the revised edition and it starts with The Little Sisters Of Eluria and I have no idea where this goes to, but I’ll go for it. As said so far it is kinda of the WTF kind … haha.
Koen wrote: "Hi from the Netherlands, I posted (most of) this text as a Joyland comment elsewhere, but it’s more general and this is a Hello really ;-)I am new here though have checked comments on books now an..."
I'm glad you decided to give King a chance. I think a lot of people are turned off by the idea of reading his work because they judge him based off of (usually poor) movie adaptations of his stories, but there is SO much more to him, and so many layerst to his stories.
Also, I agree with anyone that has told you to stick with The Gunslinger. Most fans of The Dark Tower will tell you that they were also a bit confused/lost over the beginning of The Gunslinger, but once you reach a certain part, you are HOOKED. I hope you stick with it and enjoy it. :)
Welcome, Femmy and Koen! Glad to have you in the group :)
Koen,I hope the Gunslinger grows on you! I agree with Amanda, we hear a lot in this group that the first book is slow or confusing for people to get into (I'm also surprised they released a version with Little Sisters of Eluria at the start. Book 1 should start with "The man in black fled across the desert and the Gunslinger followed." and nothing else in my opinion! which would also be less confusing, I think).
99.9% of the people I've known that get through book 1 are addicted by the beginning of book 2. I've only met one person that gave up during book 2 and didn't finish it, but at least they gave it it a proper try, as book 2 is a better example of the tone of the rest of the series and meeting the additional characters helps. They are wonderful and so is their affect on Roland's character.
I'm Charlotte from Alabama, and love Stephen King's work. My favorite King books are The Stand, 11/22/63, Bag of Bones and so many others.
Hi everyone. My name's Sam and I'm from southern Maine, basically right in that sweet spot between all of the horrible things that happen in the King universe and all the weird madness of the Lovecraft world. Aside from SK, I like reading weird sci fi and horror, as well as the occasional comedic memoir. Lately I've been reading stuff by Philip K. Dick, Cormac McCarthy and Dmitry Glukhovsky. As for King stuff, Jerusalem's Lot is my favorite, but I also want to say that I LOVED Revival. Anyways, I look forward to talking to you all :)
Thanks Nicole and Amanda! This is how Goodreads is a great site for info on this stuff, trying to make sense. Pure fantasy is normally not really my thing, yet one of my favourite books has always been Lord of the Rings, the classic zenith of fantasy. Reading it while trekking for months in Ireland in the early 90s possibly helped ;-) … but I remember after that – and The Hobbit – I tried Tolkien’s Silmarillion and he lost me there, that to me went a stap too far regarding fantasy. Back to Stephen King, The Stand sits obviously partly in fantasy territory too (I somewhere read I’ll meet Randall Flagg again in The Dark Tower too). So … I bought the whole Dark Tower series last year in hardcover – in its Dutch translation – and it cost a fair bit too (slightly odd for a series you’re not sure about), but have kept it at a distance since … “I’ll get to it”. But then I heard lots of other King books tie in with this series too. And King hasn’t let me down so far – plus most seem to agree it’s his masterpiece. So, yeah I have to bring myself to it. Having just finished Joyland – a great book, far from fantasy – I thought now’s the time!
I didn’t know King revised The Gunslinger so was extra confused when I started reading and it didn’t at all start with "The man in black fled across the desert and the Gunslinger followed". Green creatures and weird nurses instead. So I was absolutely in WTF mode from the go, wondering whether I had the right book at all – maybe a misprint! It now makes sense: so Little Sisters of Eluria isn’t originally part of the book. Well “making sense” isn’t the word, because I have no idea (yet) why this later story was chosen to open the revised book, and the book thus loses that famous first sentence. I’ve only had two short in-bed-before-sleep reading sessions in Eluria (haven’t had time for a longer reading session yet). It’s a very weird story – but – the way King writes remains compelling and it’s a bit dream/nightmarish-like even though I’d stare back at you openmouthed in a silly face, should you ask me what this really is about!
By now I’ve had a peek further in the book and do see the Famous First Line, albeit on page 99 this time! Anyway, by reading comments here I know I should just hang on in there even if I do probably remain in said WTF mode for a while yet. It’s not the most enormous of books, so yes I’ll keep on reading and await the apparent later rewards, ha ha. I loved Lord of the Rings, I loved The Stand. I guess that’s a start when it comes to coming to love The Dark Tower.
As far as being put off by movies is concerned. I remember having seen The Langoliers a long time ago, probably shortly after it was made. Atrocious movie or TV series, whatever it was, but the highly original story somehow stuck with me. It’s silly how I then linked King with the movie. Whereas I should have linked him with the story obviously! I had forgotten most of it, but remembered the time-thing and what those Langoliers did because of the movie from long ago. The story is great, but it’s probably impossible to make a proper movie out of it at all. Certainly with 90s special effects: I mean on TV The Langoliers was laughable – it was then, let alone now. In the book however it’s pretty horrifying. The image of flying over vast nothing below remains cool nightmare-ish.
It’s the same how having seen Dreamcatcher as a movie a long time ago will put me off reading the book (well apparently it’s not among his best anyway). And how reading The Shining was better than watching it (however good a movie that was – after reading it I understand why King hated the Kubrick movie. Then again he was all for the TV series, which cannot hold a candle to the Kubrick movie in my opinion, YET it follows the book more closely).
So, however tempting it is to see movie adaptations (some are good) it’s a better idea to not first see these, because it is always someone else’s adaptation and a bad adaptation may forever put you off the books they originate from. This is why I’ve always put King in the to be avoided pulp corner until last year when this whole world opened up for me and I’ve been hooked ever since.
I saw some bits and pieces on YouTube of the The Stand miniseries (after reading the book). Well am I glad I didn’t take that for judgement ... but came to the book fully fresh, not having an idea where it led to, and not have things pre-butchered in my mind because of a bad TV series someone else made of the King book. Coming back to The Dark Tower, I will so definetely NOT see the forthcoming movie – or not before having read the books, anyway. Going back to Tolkien, I am glad I watched the movies a decade and a half after reading the books, so things are not spoilt by images others have created. (though that movie series certainly did not butcher the book, like some King movie adaptations do – that was lovingly/fantastically done – still, when I read the book, Frodo was not Elijah Wood at all!)
PS Sam (hello). Jerusalem's Lot was a magnificent story, probably my favourite of the short stories I've read so far (N and The Man In The Black Suit not far behind). You'd need to have read the actual Salem's Lot to fully appreciate this short story, but it's a true beaut. In my copy of Salem's Lot the short story Jerusalem's Lot is added at the back. Happy I didn't read Night Shift (where the story is in originally) before Salem's Lot.
PS and now I confuse Jerusalem's Lot with One For The Road - sorry - THAT's the one to fully appreciate after reading Salem's Lot :-) ... both Jerusalem's Lot and One For The Road are in my edition of Salem's Lot & both are in Night Shift.
I actually read Night Shift pretty recently, picking out stories here and there when I felt like reading but didn't want to dive into whatever novel I was currently on. I loved One For The Road, it was a pleasant surprise follow up to Salem's Lot that I'm glad I read *after* the actual novel. I also loved Jerusalem's Lot. It was a fun homage Lovecraft.
Koen wrote: "Hi from the Netherlands, I posted (most of) this text as a Joyland comment elsewhere, but it’s more general and this is a Hello really ;-)I am new here though have checked comments on books now an..."
Hey, Koen, I'm happy that you and others like 11/22/63 so much. I really think it's one of King's best and am glad that others share that view. BTW: I almost never watch movies of King's works but I did see the mini-series based on this one and thought it was pretty good. Very far from the Under the Dome TV series which was a disaster.
Hello Nick, aha that was another one. I've seen Under the Dome (first season), my wife loved it and I was more like "meh". I didn't bother with the 2nd season. It's one of many books by SK bought recently, but again because of the TV series it's pretty much bottom of the barrel right now. Yet - the book seems well loved, so looks like another one where I really should not link one with the other. The 11/22/63 series I've not (yet) seen ...
Koen wrote: "Hello Nick, aha that was another one. I've seen Under the Dome (first season), my wife loved it and I was more like "meh". I didn't bother with the 2nd season. It's one of many books by SK bought r..."King tells great loves stories and I thought 11/22/63 really captured the love story very well. I liked the novel of Under the Dome a lot.
Nick wrote: "Koen wrote: "Hello Nick, aha that was another one. I've seen Under the Dome (first season), my wife loved it and I was more like "meh". I didn't bother with the 2nd season. It's one of many books b..."King DOES tell great love stories, which is something most people would probably scoff at when you look at his works.
(I think my favorite may be Johnny and Sarah from The Dead Zone. )
Amanda wrote: "Nick wrote: "Koen wrote: "Hello Nick, aha that was another one. I've seen Under the Dome (first season), my wife loved it and I was more like "meh". I didn't bother with the 2nd season. It's one of..."I'm listening to The dead Zone right now and it's all coming back to me... a heartbreaker.
The Dead Zone gets a reprint edition this coming July here in The Netherlands. Very well timed in this day & age ...
Koen wrote: "The Dead Zone gets a reprint edition this coming July here in The Netherlands. Very well timed in this day & age ..."Great... read it and let us know about it.
Nick wrote: I'm listening to The dead Zone right now and it's all coming back to me... a heartbreaker."It really is. I have always thought it was one of King's most underrated (or unspoken about) books.
Amanda wrote: "Nick wrote: I'm listening to The dead Zone right now and it's all coming back to me... a heartbreaker."It really is. I have always thought it was one of King's most underrated (or unspoken about)..."
I read Cujo before I read this, and some of the events in this book are referred to in Cujo. Because of that, I was a little disappointed in the dead zone. But now that I'm getting into it again, it seems like a much better book, in fact, a really great book so far. I guess the moral of that story is, it would be best to read this book BEFORE reading Cujo. Not that the stories depend a lot on each other at all, but just because it won't complicate your expectations.
Hello everyone!I'm a writer of dark fantasy and horror mostly (and maybe dark scifi if this idea in my head won't leave me alone -- okay, now I sound like a psycho...)
I love Stephen King, and have since I read Pet Semetary way back when. Some of my favorites are: Dark Tower series, IT, Duma Key, Revival, The Shining, and The Stand.
Looking forward to reading more. And then more.
Hi, everyone! I'm brand new here, and this is one of the first groups I wanted to join. Ha! I've been reading Stephen King's work since I was a teenager (and I'm in my forties now). I've read pretty much everything he's written, but my very favorites (just sitting here, off the top of my head) are the Dark Tower Series (LOVE -- this series is my absolute favorite), The Stand, The Dead Zone, Lisey's Story, Duma Key, The Talisman, 11/22/63, and I also find him to be an absolute master of the craft of writing short stories.It's great to be here, and I look forward to chatting with y'all!
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)
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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)
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What a lovely story of giving. I'm happy for your girl and applaud your efforts to give back.