Stephen King Fans discussion
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What was your first Stephen King book?
"Firestarter" ... I worked at a Shakey's Pizza in Indiana and the bartender was reading it ... in the book, the father and daughter drive by the Shakey's we were working at ... so I was actually 'in' a King novel ;)
Pamela wrote: "I was like 10 when I read my first Stephen King and the book was “Cujo”. Scared the bejeebus outta me but I loved it. Been a fan ever since and read darn near all his books. DT series and The Talis..."Yes, Pamela I agree, I like almost everything King has written except for Tommyknockers and Dreamcatcher. I read them both a second time and found that I still didn't like them. Sorry, Kenneth. But that's what makes horseracing, or is it baseball?
It's funny not all that many people like Tommyknockers and Dreamcatcher but I really liked both of them.
No worries I know it’s not everyone ‘s cup of Joe... I’m a sucker for aliens since I know they live amongst us...Watch the skies everywhere keep looking keep watching the skies....
Ned "Scotty" Scott: Dr. Carrington, you're a man who won the Nobel Prize. You've received every kind of international kudos a scientist can attain. If you were for sale I could get a million bucks for you from any foreign government. I'm not, therefore, gonna stick my neck out and say you're stuffed absolutely clean full of wild blueberry muffins, but I promise my readers are gonna think so when we tell them we have an alien from another world....
They are among us already Kenneth your friends neighbors relatives. they are watching and learning all we say and do. They are not worries we are not advanced enough to be a threat to them, although we are a war like people our violence is self contained. I believe in Aliens but more on the lines of ET the gentle friendly gardener.
Agreed..... I have a book on my to be read soon... called communion..,
I will have to look for it. What's the Authors name
Kenneth wrote: "No worries I know it’s not everyone ‘s cup of Joe... I’m a sucker for aliens since I know they live amongst us...Watch the skies everywhere keep looking keep watching the skies...."
Actually, I'm afraid my brain is getting a little fried with all the reading I'm doing. I liked Tommyknockers a lot. It's Desperation I can't stand.
Christine. it didn't work out. we (me & Stephen king) avoided each other for years but now we are ok and Christine wasn't so bad. I guess I was too young. lol :p
The other thing with Kings books is is that some of the stories are a bit to swallow but there are plots within the stories of those books that I can dig it. For example with desperation the story was a bit over the top but what was enjoyable was that there was a group of survivors Then with Christine the haunted car was a bit hookah but I so enjoyed the 70’s and High School.,, in conclusion I try to find something positive that I can take away from each....
The Shining was the first. And wow what a book to get me hooked!!!
Mine was Salem's Lot. I read it in high school right around the time I also read Bram Stoker's Dracula. To be completely honest, I preferred King's vampire tale rather than Stoker's and still do to this very day.
My first SK book was Carrie, I read it in 1976 as a high school senior, I could really relate to her angst and isolation. Carrie is my most memorable SK book because it was the beginning of a 40 year reading journey. But Salem's Lot was the book that hooked me on SK.
Yes Carrie is always the first LOL, and Salem's Lot is one of those rare books that gets most people.
I may have told this story on here before, but I took an English class that focused on Horror in college.Among other books we read 'Salem's Lot and Night Shift. After that I was hooked.
My first SK book, many many years ago, was FIrestarter, which I followed with a chronological sequence, 'Salem's Lot, The Shining, The Stand, The Dead Zone.Since it was so long ago, the only version of The Stand available at the time was what we now call the "abridged" version. I have yet to get to the unabridged edition, although in the meantime I've read over 90% of Big Steve's books.
Among the few titles that still have yet to read: Carrie, Christine, Eyes of the Dragon, Black House, The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon, Thinner. I've read pretty much all the others at least once and in some cases as many as four times. Whew!
First Stephen King book was The Gunslinger. I had heard that it was the worst book in a great series and so I was ready to grind through, but ended being pretty intrigued by the first 70% and then loved the part in Roland's past when he becomes a gunslinger and was blown away by the ending.Then I read the The Drawing of the Three and from there I was hooked.
I first read The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon when I was in middle school. I really enjoyed the story and related to it in a lot of ways as I was living in the Appalachians at the time. The second book I read by SK that hooked me to read more SK and books in general was Insomnia.
my first book of him was "the shining"..
Jerry wrote: "My first SK book, many many years ago, was FIrestarter, which I followed with a chronological sequence, 'Salem's Lot, The Shining, The Stand, The Dead Zone.Since it was so long ago, the only vers..."
Wow Jerry, that is a good list of books to read, Carrie is just wow. Christine and Thinner will just blow your sox off. And all the rest are 4.5 out of 5.
The Shining. I really enjoyed it and here i am, being a fan since that
(Somewhat off-topic, this post; please forgive.)mrbooks wrote: "Wow Jerry, that is a good list of books to read, Carrie is just wow. Christine and Thinner will just blow your sox off. And all the rest are 4.5 out of 5."
You know, mrB, I tried Carrie just recently, and I had some trouble getting into it. The funniest thing: I've been reading a lot of "mature" King, if you will, and the smoothness his prose has acquired over the years seemed so stunningly absent in Carrie that I just had to put it down ... not that I won't try again! I had just reread Tommyknockers prior to my Carrie attempt, and that went off just fine ... perhaps because it was a reread, although it seemed to me that by the time of Tommyknockers, big Steve had already smoothed out many of the rougher edges of his earlier writing. I also tried rereading "Apt Pupil", a relatively "early" novella, which I loved the first time I read it, and which also scared the living crap out of me the first time I read it ... and I also set that one aside ... again, the writing, the style, felt a bit "rough" to me in a way that truly surprised me ... I didn't think I was sensitive to that kind of stuff. I am in fact very much looking forward to Christine in particular, but also a bit wary, for reasons I turn to now.
I do realize from all this how important it can be to hold one's expectations in check when reading a book, particularly a book by an author with which one has some familiarity. I frankly see this process working in reverse with some readers of King's later fiction, in particular with a book I just finished, and LOVED, namely Revival. Many people, it seems to me, have read that book, perhaps expecting a "return to form" (whatever THAT means) by sai King, and being disappointed by the subtlety and the refusal to "go for the gross-out" we often find in SK's later work. Too bad; it prevented these ("constant"?) readers from appreciating a truly magnificent work, IMHO.
Anyway, I'm starting to ramble here, aren't I? Thanks for your comment, it has clearly released some thoughts of mine that have lain dormant before you nudged them.
Jerry wrote: "(Somewhat off-topic, this post; please forgive.)mrbooks wrote: "Wow Jerry, that is a good list of books to read, Carrie is just wow. Christine and Thinner will just blow your sox off. And all the..."
Hi Jerry, The problem with Carrie, is it was his first published work it format is written differently and for a younger audience. Granted it isn't the first book he wrote but it is the first one published. From what I understand one of his first written if not his first was the Long Walk. As I understand it he wrote that as a sophomore in collage.
The rougher edges are what got Sai King by in the early days they were his hook to grab people and pull them into his universe and look how well it worked. As we grow and he grows as a writer he becomes more polished and as readers we have become more attuned to his increased ability to capture us and hold us.
Mine was The Shinning long time ago I was young and I pick the book just for the description. I didn’t knew who Stephen was...But it has been a ride since then, I need to have them all
My first King book was The Stand when I was a teenager. My dad gave it to me to read and before that I had never really wanted to read for fun it was always something boring we did at school. I was completely hooked after reading that and immediately fell in love with Randall Flagg. The Stand started my passion for King and books in general.
Hannah wrote: "My first King book was The Stand when I was a teenager. My dad gave it to me to read and before that I had never really wanted to read for fun it was always something boring we did at school. I was..."Amazing how that works, Hannah ... and amazing how many schools (and teachers) just fundamentally don't get the fact that igniting someone's passion for books and for reading is the most important thing ... and it trumps (forgive the word) everything else, any "required assignment" or "standardized curriculum".
BTW, one teacher who really does get it, and whose book The Book Whisperer is one of the most inspiring educational chronicles I've ever read, is Donalyn Miller. Not a relative, not a stockholder in her "brand" ... just wanted to sing the praises of someone who your post brought forcibly to mind.
Absent her as your teacher, thank heaven for your dad, passing you The Stand, and changing your life.
Hannah wrote: "My first King book was The Stand when I was a teenager. My dad gave it to me to read and before that I had never really wanted to read for fun it was always something boring we did at school. I was..."Really fell in love with that evil fruitcake.
My first Stephen King book was IT. I was in the 7th grade bought the book at a flea market. Loved him ever since
Reading a ton of comments the majority seem to be the very old classics. I feel sad my first King book was Rose Madder. I was maybe 13 yo & really didn’t like it, it was a huge struggle to get through.
Rose Madder is a tough book to start with, hell even as an adult the first time I read it I struggled with it.
That’s really sad to hear cause I think it has a very intriguing cover :(
Don't get me wrong Latasha it's a fantastic book the subject matter it what makes it hard to read at times.
mrbooks wrote: "Don't get me wrong Latasha it's a fantastic book the subject matter it what makes it hard to read at times."ohhh. don't tell me! I just remember what the cover looks like. I prefer to go into a book totally unknowing if possible.
Fear not I won't say anymore I tried to keep it vague while giving you reassurance that it is worth reading.
mrbooks wrote: "Fear not I won't say anymore I tried to keep it vague while giving you reassurance that it is worth reading."thank you. I appreciate that :)
My first book I read from Stephen King was The Stand. Till this day is one of my favorite books and in my top 10 of favorite books I read from all genres. Too bad the tv series didn't do it justice.
My first Stephen King book was The Green Mile, I enjoyed it it seemed like a twilight zone story.
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Diana *always waiting for the next vacation*
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I've tried The Green Mile when I was a teenager. I don't know if it was the German translation but I just couldn't get into it.I've read The Running Man under his pseudo name Richard Bachman which I really liked. But I stopped reading King's books for more than 20 years.
Two years ago my colleague gave me The Shining which really gave me the creeps. It was an amazing read and up to now the best book I've read by him.
I also liked Doctor Sleep and Carrie a lot. But so far my favorite is still The Shining.
Dolores Claiborne was okay and I've read three books of the Dark Tower series. These books have really great moments but at times I just want to throw them against a wall. There are many absurd parts in them which just don't seem to fit.
Diana wrote: "I've tried The Green Mile when I was a teenager. I don't know if it was the German translation but I just couldn't get into it.I've read The Running Man under his pseudo..."
Hi Diana try reading Fire starter It is an excellent and chilling book, also children of the corn will get you going as well.
Wow, I wish I could remember! In The early '80's, my family had a cabin in Maine (in between Bridgeton and Sebago Lake) that we would visit in the summer (perfect, right?). That's when I started reading his books, I think the first one was probably Carrie or The Shining.
mrbooks wrote: "Diana wrote: "I've tried The Green Mile when I was a teenager. I don't know if it was the German translation but I just couldn't get into it.I've read The Running Man un..."
Thank you for the suggestion!
I already have Cell on my to-read shelf at home and I wanted to try Needful Things sometime soon. :)
My first Stephen King book was Delores Claiborne and oh my goodness was I hooked on that book. I don't think I put that book down until I had finished it. Still one of my favorite books.
Murray wrote: "The Colorado kid is good,"I remember watching Haven SyFy tv series before it got cancelled.
My first Stephen King books was IT when I was only 10, Im now rereading it and I have to confess I'm falling in love all iver again with the book.
Stephen King Fans
Books mentioned in this topic
Nightmares and Dreamscapes (other topics)The Long Walk (other topics)
The Mist (other topics)
The Eyes of the Dragon (other topics)
Christine (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Stephen King (other topics)Kurt Vonnegut Jr. (other topics)
Ray Bradbury (other topics)
Then the first actual horror novel was It. Then I was hooked.