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What was your first Stephen King book?
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Spiritedbookishbabe
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Jun 05, 2023 04:51AM
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My first King's book was It. I know maybe I should have started with carrie or salem's lot but the story of the evil clown just called me
The Dark Tower series was my first proper contact with Stephen King and while I loved those books, my next contact with his works through one of the short story collecions (I believe it was Skeleton Crew) didn't really resonate with me, so I avoided reading more of his books.Years later, The Outsider was what really motivated me to delve deeper into his other works, most of which I have read since.
So, while The Dark Tower series was my actual first contact, I'd argue that The Outsider was more important for me when it comes to exploring the rest of his bibliography.
First King book was Firestarter. This was probably in the late 80’s, and set the tone of my King obsession from there on out!
The Shining when I was a freshman in college. It was ironically one of my least favorite by him.
Misery was my first book that I read by him.
Hans wrote: "The Dark Tower series was my first proper contact with Stephen King and while I loved those books, my next contact with his works through one of the short story collecions (I believe it was Skeleto..."Did you have the pleasure of reading DT after it was complete? The anticipation of reading them as they were released was delicious, but also very frustrating as a reader.
my first one was Carrie, hearts in atlantis was second and that was me hooked
Mine was Cujo. Read the hardcover over a long weekend.
Firestarter,(Tulisilmä read it in Finnish )in 1983
i think it was Rose Madder!!! an underdog tbh I remember it being so so good
The very first one I ever got my hands on was "It." Every time I walked past the library in the mall, I couldn't resist the special rack dedicated to Stephen King's novels. The covers of that edition were so intriguing and creepy, especially the one with a teenager having his arm being eaten by a spider with gore details. It was definitely not your typical book cover, and that's what drew me in.I was just 13 years old at the time, so it took me forever to finish the first chapter, and I was shocked to find explicit language and words like "penis" being used in a book.
But the first book that truly read from start to finish was "The Stand." It happened during a difficult period in my life when I had a brain tumor and had to spend a month in the hospital for surgery. Back then, cell phones didn't exist, so I turned to literature as my only escape. I vividly remember finishing "The Stand" while lying in that hospital bed after my head had been opened up. It provided a much-needed distraction from the pain, and I consider it the best book ever!
After that, I dived into "Four Past Midnight" and got completely absorbed by the stories, especially the one about the Langoliers. From that point on, I've devoured about 90% of Stephen King's work.
Interestingly enough, I aspired to become a writer myself. However, life took a different turn, and I ended up pursuing a career in the video game industry as a game developer with fair level of popularity. Life's full of surprises, isn't it?
I might’ve answered this a long time ago: THE SHINING. It’s all because of “The One Where Monica and Richard Are Just Friends” episode of FRIENDS. One of the other storylines involved Rachel and Joey trading their favorite books to read: He reads LITTLE WOMEN, she reads THE SHINING. I knew the LITTLE WOMEN references because of the Winona Ryder/stellar 90s cast one so I had to know what THE SHINING references were about. =)
Kandice wrote: "Did you have the pleasure of reading DT after it was complete? The anticipation of reading them as they were released was delicious, but also very frustrating as a reader."No, I'm far too you for that, the DT series was already complete when I read it. I think those were the first King novels I approached because back then, I was mostly a Fantasy reader. The idea of a mix of Western, Fantasy and SciFi deeply influenced by the Arthurian legend appealed to me more than taking up one of his Horror novels, because I wasn't into Horror literature at all back than.
To be honest, I'm also rather happy that it was already completed, I think having to wait for up to 8 years for a new installment would have surely driven me mad.
Definitely not a common one mine was rage I’m relatively new to king books and I saw it was banned on TikTok and then I was like I need to read it I need to know why it was banned and then my mum bought me the Bachman books monster quad from a charity shop and to say I was happy would be an understatement I’ve only recently finished it but can’t wait to read more
mine was the green mile!! it was also the book that re-sparked my adult interest in reading; I remember being shocked that a book could really be that good
* THE TALISMAN *I first read it when I was in high school, then again years later.
I've also listened to it several times. Frank Muller was an EXCELLENT narrator (RIP).
I love that book. Such an amazing adventure! Scary and sometimes sad, but still pretty awesome.
WOLF! RIGHT HERE AND NOW!
If we talk about completed, then it would Cujo. If we talk about started in general, then It.
Mine was “ The girl who loved Tom Gordon “ 🙌🏻
Kristen wrote: "Mine was “ The girl who loved Tom Gordon “ 🙌🏻"What did you think of it..? I really enjoyed it.
Mine was “Salem’s Lot” and Turned out to be amazing
my first was misery, but then i only got to about halfway finished before i randomly stopped… happens quite often for me, unfortunately. one day i’ll pick it back up and finish it though! i did enjoy it. however, i am reading the outsider right now & im certain i’ll finish it, and soon, so i guess this one counts as my first :)
Carrie - I was 11 and already a HUGE bookworm, after reading Carrie I read anything I could get my hands on written by Stephen King, he's absolutely my favorite author. I really enjoy the Audible books he narrates; nothing better than hearing the story exactly as the author intended. I'm 61 now and still a HUGE bookworm.
I read Tommyknockers in the fourth grade, 1993. When I got my first Kindle in 2010 I remembered how much I loved that book and downloaded Full Dark, No Stars. It blew me away. I decided I would read every King book in chronological order. I read a lot of other authors as well, so I’m currently up to Black House. My favorite is Salem’s Lot.
Greetings and Salutations.
IT.
Ah, the memories of childhood, when every experience was tinged with a sense of wonder and awe. I vividly recall the first time I delved into the world of horror, a genre that both terrified and captivated me in equal measure. I must have been around 8 years old, a wide-eyed, curious soul who stumbled upon the television show series of Stephen King's iconic masterpiece, "It" (and yes, I'm really dating myself here!).
I remember being utterly fascinated by the spine-chilling tales woven within the show. It was a world where fear lurked around every corner, where the unknown held a certain allure that I couldn't resist. And then came the moment when I got my hands on the source of all this terror: the book itself.
How I managed to obtain it remains a mystery to me, but what unfolded between those pages changed my reading habits forever. As I immersed myself in the story of Derry, Maine, and the malevolent entity that haunted its streets, I found myself gripped with a mixture of fear and fascination. "It" wasn’t just a book; it was an experience that scared the living daylights out of me and yet, paradoxically, left me utterly in love
So yeah, bottom line up front (BLUF); IT was my first book. Happy reading everybody.
IT.
Ah, the memories of childhood, when every experience was tinged with a sense of wonder and awe. I vividly recall the first time I delved into the world of horror, a genre that both terrified and captivated me in equal measure. I must have been around 8 years old, a wide-eyed, curious soul who stumbled upon the television show series of Stephen King's iconic masterpiece, "It" (and yes, I'm really dating myself here!).
I remember being utterly fascinated by the spine-chilling tales woven within the show. It was a world where fear lurked around every corner, where the unknown held a certain allure that I couldn't resist. And then came the moment when I got my hands on the source of all this terror: the book itself.
How I managed to obtain it remains a mystery to me, but what unfolded between those pages changed my reading habits forever. As I immersed myself in the story of Derry, Maine, and the malevolent entity that haunted its streets, I found myself gripped with a mixture of fear and fascination. "It" wasn’t just a book; it was an experience that scared the living daylights out of me and yet, paradoxically, left me utterly in love
So yeah, bottom line up front (BLUF); IT was my first book. Happy reading everybody.
John wrote: "I read Tommyknockers in the fourth grade, 1993. When I got my first Kindle in 2010 I remembered how much I loved that book and downloaded Full Dark, No Stars. It blew me away. I decided I would rea..."
Greetings. I don't know why, but everytime I see the word Tommyknockers I always have to run my tongue against my molars to ensure they are still there.
Greetings. I don't know why, but everytime I see the word Tommyknockers I always have to run my tongue against my molars to ensure they are still there.
The Stand. I was 14. I will always have two images in my mind from this book: Larry and Rita’s trip through Lincoln Tunnel and Mother Abigail’s journey in the dark as the weasels surround her. The Mother Abigail scene scared the life out of me.
1982... (if memory serves)I'm 12 or so and managed to get my hands on a copy of Cujo.
My parents had a acquired a 'weekend' farm propoerty about an hour outside the city (pictured here) and back behind the dilapidated barn sat some abandoned cars. I hated being away from my friends on the weekends and spent most of my time wandering the fields, walking the half mile to the general store for a bag of chips and a coke, and reading.
Anyway, that summer, a particularly hot and humid one, I stretched out on the back seat of one of those rusted out cars and dug in. If you know the story of Cujo, then you know that sitting in a hot car in farm country gave the experience an extra wallop of intensity for me. From then on I was hooked.
In recent years I have come back to that book and it takes me right back there. To that car, the farm, and that summer.
Pet Sematary and I absolutely loved it
I started It in 6th grade in 1991 because all the girls were reading The Babysitter's club so I walked in with a Steven King book lol. Didn't read fiction for a long time after that.
Read The first book to Dark Tower about a year ago.
My reading goal this year is to read as many Steven King books as I can.
@Gabriel Tait That's a cool story. :)
Gabriel wrote: "1982... (if memory serves)I'm 12 or so and managed to get my hands on a copy of Cujo.
My parents had a acquired a 'weekend' farm propoerty about an hour outside the city (pictured here) and back ..."
I spent a summer on my uncle's farm and read Cujo the same summer! I can still vividly remember the heat, the chaff in the air, chickens around, cows, pigs, horses and asses in the fields. I'd gather eggs, feed pigs, check stock water, and then get comfy on hay.
It's a breakneck book with no let up and I read it three times that summer.
@Kandice - That’s crazy!!! So you know…
Frst King novel for me was Dead Zone. My interest was more medical at the time as I'm a Nurse Practitioner; but after that first read I was smitten..really enjoy the way King hooks his reader with down to earth, come-alive, characters who unwittingly become entrenched in conflict, suspence, and of course the supernatural. So glad to have found this group and am looking forward to participating!
I honestly can't remember. I would guess Carrie, but possibly Night Shift as I do remember reading Jerusalem's Lot when I was 9. absolutely loved it and still do.
People might find it a little weird or funny, but my first King novel was “Cell”. I knew who Stephen King was as a kid, but didn’t sit down and read any of his stuff until “Cell”. Now, I’m still trying to get caught up on his classics.
The Shining… because of a Friends episode. Shortly after that episode aired, the miniseries with Steven Weber and Rebecca De Mornay aired.
I'm a newcomer to King. My first read was Fairy Tale. An unusual starting point, but it did the trick :).
Hunter wrote: "hmmm, going back a long way, i'm guessing Salem's Lot. HELLO, B"Classic!
It . im still hooked onto it, the 14 year old me was in for a journey having never gone for horror this was a whirlwind. I saw a glimpse of pennywise from the movie and coincidentally my friend happened to let me borrow the book . havent looked back from then
Carrie. I was 19 & a freshman in college. It was a book that stuck with me for years!
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