Stephen King Novels

[Dr Spankenstein]

I've seen a number of movies inspired by the man's books, but I'm now just starting to read the novels.  I read Misery when I was a kid and I'm currently reading Salem's Lot.  What are some others worth reading?   

[Paul L]

IMO: His early ('70's & '80's) titles are stellar, 'Salem's Lot his magnum opus. I also specifically recommend the story collections Night Shift & Skeleton Crew.

I've read & liked most of his stuff, up to & including Bag of Bones. I know, I know, I should write a zillion best sellers, but I've been unable to finish anything he's written after that point.

[missdead13]

dont ask me that.. I see his books anywhere ( like thrift stores. yard sales. antique stores even ) & it automatically goes into my cart.
I think I have multiple copies of most his books.  especially the older ones. .
The Shining
Christine
Pet Semetary
Needful Things
Misery
Creepshow
It
Dead Zone

and the list goes on all day... there are a few like possibly from 2000 to now that I may have missed??, but,
its from 1970s thru 1990s .. I have it . and you should too !!

[Fester]

I read and enjoyed almost everything of his up to Pet Sematary.   
Carrie was a great but short book. The Stand was almost too long and ponderous to bear.
The Shining was actually creepier than the movie.
His short stories and Novellas are usually pretty good.
But I think his best was Salem's Lot.

One thing about his writing that wore on me was his seeming compulsion to cram in way too many details. Most of the details, brand names, song lyrics, hyper detailed scene descriptions and other minutia, while adding verisimilitude to the story make some of the scenes drag on for way too many pages.  It is as if he gets paid by the word. 
About the time I was reading Kings books (as they came out--I'm that old) I discovered Harlan Ellison.  If King's stories were a bloody axe-- Ellison's were a razor blade.  Ellison could do in three pages what it took King 75 or 80 to achieve.  Sadly Ellison is nowhere as prolific.

[Haunted hearse]

I loved both Christine as a book and as a movie.  The book actually had a richer texture, and more developed characters, but the film worked better as a movie.  The same with "The Shinning".  However in the case of the Shinning, King wanted a movie that was more like his book, and that was a mistake.  Movies and books are different mediums.  Kubrick's version worked better as a movie, then Kings approved version.  Some of the things in the book, like the topiary comming to life, and a firehose which suddenly has a mouth with teeth, looked laughable on the screen.  Webber did a fine job, showing a character struggling with inner demons, but let's face it, Nicholson was far more entertaining as Jack Torrance.  I do agree with King, when it came to Salem's lot, I never liked the way they made Barlow look like Nosferatu, but the original miniseries was very entertaining, and again, I liked the book. 

[Fester]

I agree that Kubrick's vision for The Shining worked better.  Nicholson's Axe was more threatening than a croquet mallet. However, I was disappointed in the fate of Dick Halloran--how could a man with the Shining not know someone was lying in wait?
But, therein lies one of the major issues with adapting King's books to the screen. Many of the events in his stories which are quite frightening when you read them would be completely laughable when shown on the screen. 

[Haunted hearse]

But, therein lies one of the major issues with adapting King's books to the screen. Many of the events in his stories which are quite frightening when you read them would be completely laughable when shown on the screen.

In Robert Bloch's Psycho, Norman beheads Marion. The shower stabbing was far better, when it came to the film. Norman's also middle aged and fat.  In the book, that works, and makes more sense than Norman being a young man in his twenties.  As a film, Psycho is a masterpiece.  As much as I like the novel, I have no interest is seeing a "faithful" film made based on it.

[Dr Spankenstein]

Thanks for all the suggestions!  I'm really enjoying Salem's Lot.  I'm thinking after Salem's Lot I might read a collection of short stories, possibly followed by The Shining or The Stand. 

[Dr Spankenstein]

One thing about his writing that wore on me was his seeming compulsion to cram in way too many details. Most of the details, brand names, song lyrics, hyper detailed scene descriptions and other minutia, while adding verisimilitude to the story make some of the scenes drag on for way too many pages.  It is as if he gets paid by the word. 
About the time I was reading Kings books (as they came out--I'm that old) I discovered Harlan Ellison.  If King's stories were a bloody axe-- Ellison's were a razor blade.  Ellison could do in three pages what it took King 75 or 80 to achieve.  Sadly Ellison is nowhere as prolific.

I agree.  Length really doesn't both me, but in the 100 pages I've read so far in Salem's Lot, a bulk of that could have been either edited out, or cut down in detail. 

[general gruesome]

'Salem's Lot'
Night Shift
The Stand
The Long Walk
Cujo
The Running Man
Pet Semetary
Cycle of the Werewolf
The first three or four Dark Tower books

those are some of my favorites

[Inkfink]

I've read a ton of Stephen King books... don't get me started on the Dark Tower series! His short story collections and novellas are, in my opinion, his best. To go off topic, his non-fiction books, Danse Macabre and On Writing, are top notch!

[Dr Spankenstein]

Thanks again for the suggestions!  I'm a little over half way through 'Salem's Lot, and I think I'm going to read Night Shift after that, possibly followed by IT or The Shining. 

[Haunted hearse]

There's a book by Stephan king called "It"?  I had no idea he had written a novel about Justin Beiber.

[Dr Spankenstein]

Finished 'Salem's Lot a few nights ago.  I'm kind of a slow reader, so when I first picked the book up and saw how thick it was, I thought it would take me a couple months to read it, but in fact, it only took me a few weeks.  I couldn't put it down!  Really enjoyed it!  I just starting reading Night Shift and so far I'm enjoying it. 

[Zackuth]

Stephen King does get into a great amount of detail, but I think that is what makes his books so good.  There does become a real feel to the books as you're reading them.  Also, with all of the details you get from characters he is just going to kill off, they are no longer cardboard victims but people, someone you know.  And when some one you know dies, regardless if you liked them or not, you're affected by the death.