Book Talk discussion
This topic is about
Stephen King
The Best & Worst of Stephen King
I agree with every one of those worsts. I also hated BAG OF BONES when I first read it, but loved it when I heard the audio.
"The Stand" is missing from the best of list. I would also throw all the short story collections with the exception of "Everything's Eventual" into the best of list.I haven't read the Dark Tower books so I don't know where to place them.
BEST (NOVELS ONLY):PET SEMATARY
THE DEAD ZONE
THE STAND
IT
MISERY
DARK TOWER SERIES
THE GREEN MILE
CHRISTINE
UNDER THE DOME
BAG OF BONES
DUMA KEY
THE TALISMAN
WORST:
11/22/63
NEEDFUL THINGS
CUJO
ROSE MADDER
EVERYTHING'S EVENTUAL
JUST AFTER SUNSET
The GoodSALEM'S LOT
CARRIE
THE SHINING
PET SEMATARY
THE DEAD ZONE
THE STAND
CHRISTINE
IT
MISERY
THE GREEN MILE
THE TALISMAN
CUJO
DOLORES CLAIBORNE
NIGHTSHIFT
FULL DARK NO STARS
4 PAST MIDNIGHT
DIFFERENT SEASONS
SILVER BULLET
THE GIRL WHO LOVED TOM GORDON
The bad
ROSE MADDER
DREAMCATCHER
INSOMNIA
THE TOMMYKNOCKERS
JUST AFTER SUNSET
EVERYTHING'S EVENTUAL
BAG OF BONES
DUMA KEY
FROM A BUICK 8
CELL
11/22/63 (my opinion of the books just keeps dropping as time passes)
Gatorman, hove you not read "Salem's Lot?" It is probably my all time favorite King book.
Chris wrote: "Gatorman, hove you not read "Salem's Lot?" It is probably my all time favorite King book."I read it and liked it. It's just not in my top 10-12.
Anybody read BLACK HOUSE?
Yeah, I read it. It was a huge disappointment for me. Really big disappointment.
I don't see how two guys can create a masterpiece of a horror/fantasy story like The Talisman and then come back years later with Black House. I just don't get it.
Your expectations were too high......
GOOD:THE STAND
SALEM'S LOT
IT
CARRIE
THE SHINING
THE GREEN MILE
THE TALISMAN
PET SEMATARY
THE DEAD ZONE
MISERY
FULL DARK NO STARS
CHRISTINE
CUJO
11/22/63
DOLORES CLAIBORNE
NIGHTSHIFT
4 PAST MIDNIGHT
DIFFERENT SEASONS
SILVER BULLET
THE GIRL WHO LOVED TOM GORDON
FROM A BUICK 8
DUMA KEY
UNDER THE DOME
NOT SO GOOD
THE TOMMYKNOCKERS
ROSE MADDER
DREAMCATCHER
INSOMNIA
JUST AFTER SUNSET
EVERYTHING'S EVENTUAL
BAG OF BONES
Jon Recluse wrote: "Your expectations were too high......"My expectations were very high. To this day, whenever I think about Wolf, I tear up. : )
Jon Recluse wrote: "Anybody read BLACK HOUSE?"I read it and liked it. It wasn't The Talisman but I didn't expect it to be. From comments I've read, I think a lot of people dislike it because it didn't compare. I took it for what it was.
Best:BAG OF BONES
PET SEMETARY
IT
CUJO
SKELETON CREW
DIFFERENT SEASONS
UNDER THE DOME
DUMA KEY
MISERY
DESPERATION
Worst:
DREAMCATCHER
FROM A BUICK 8
DREAMCATCHER
ROSE MADDER
DREAMCATCHER
INSOMNIA
Not enough to rank?
Watching the miniseries was a mistake.
The fact that it starred Pierce Brosnan wasn't warning enough?
I don't really remember much about that book, except for the refrigerator magnets. I wonder why they stick in my head? ; )
*hands the ball off to Jon*
BAG OF BONES has been my favorite of his for awhile. This is dumb, but what won me over was the "... And the next time he saw her, she'd be dead" line. He hadn't used that for awhile and I'd forgotten how much I missed it.
forgot about that one. started and never finished.
Kealan wrote: "How about LISEY'S STORY? What's the verdict? I've tried to read it three times now and each time I get mired at about the 100 page mark."I finished it. Liked it, didn't love it.
This is a little off, but I'm also going to say that Joe Hill is one of SK's best :) 20TH CENTURY GHOSTS and HORNS were both incredible, and HEART-SHAPED BOX was really good.
Chris, have you seen that they are making a film of Horns and it's going to star Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter) as Ig?
No, I had not heard that, but I'm looking forward to it.
Lisey's Story? I just threw up in my mouth a little.Have to agree with most of the lists. Bag of Bones is on my great list, however.
Also, I gave up on Under the Dome when the twelve year olds kept saying things like "that's rad."
I still haven't started UNDER THE DOME.And now I won't.
Rad? What decade is it in Maine?
Yeah, I'm not seeing Harry Potter as Ig, but who knows, maybe I'll be surprised. : )I liked UTD. I really did. : )
I read an interview where King admits that he doesn't get kids right in his stories any more. Mainly because he doesn't have kids in his house to model them after. Joe was a boy when he wrote "The Shining" so he knew what 6 year olds acted like.
He certainly used to get them right though. The Body and IT proved that to me.
And Salem's Lot too. All early works when his kids were young.
King's kids in Under the Dome, as well as my wife's urging, motivated me to write my coming-of-age novel Nothing Lasting. I wanted to write something definitive in that sub-genre before I got too old.
Yep..those are two of them where kids are involved that I forgot about.
Glen wrote: "King's kids in Under the Dome, as well as my wife's urging, motivated me to write my coming-of-age novel Nothing Lasting. I wanted to write something definitive in that sub-genre before I got too ..."Now that I gotta read!
Glen, when is that coming out?One of my horror group friends just finished reading The Nightmare Within and said she really liked it.
Charlene, Right now it's with a publisher who wanted to look at it. Kinda up in the air.Back to King, Full Dark, No Stars is top notch all the way through. Most writers would be lucky to produce the quality of novellas in this collection during a lifetime's work. To put it in context with King's vast body of work... holy crap, he's good.
I always thought novellas are King's strong point.It's the only time the editor in his head is on duty....
Glen, I 100% percent agree with your assessment of Full Dark, No Stars.I hope the publisher recognizes your greatness. : )
Jon, I have always had a fondness for King's shorts as well.
I've not read FULL DARK, NO STARS yet, but I picked up the paperback w/ bonus story the other day. I think I'll take it to work tomorrow.
Hi, Glen.In what language, Texting after a Head Injury?
I picture it as a vampire vanity license plate.
Jon Recluse wrote: "Boxers or briefs? :P"HA!
'SALEM"S LOT
THE SHINING
THE DEAD ZONE
IT
PET SEMATARY
MISERY
NEEDFUL THINGS
DOLORES CLAIBORNE
THE GREEN MILE
FULL DARK, NO STARS
THE NIGHT SHIFT
DIFFERENT SEASONS
BAG OF BONES
FROM A BUICK 8
CHRISTINE
WORST:
DREAMCATCHER
THE CELL
ROSE MADDER
INSOMNIA
THE TOMMYKNOCKERS
GERALD'S GAME
LISEY' STORY