Stephen King Fans - The Books (1 Viewer)

[UndeadSnoopy]

all my stephen king books have the last chapter removed and a note saying " no need to go on, the ending is exactly the same as every one of my other books---- a twisted, incomprehensible batch of literary excrement that will make you wish you never got caught up in my excellent writing until now"

I may have mentioned this on another thread.

King's approach to writing both helps him and hurts him.

He rarely starts a novel with an outline which allows the freedom for the story to go in infinite directions. The build-up in his stories is usually pretty great but then he finds he has painted himself in a corner. It is probably the best example. We get over a thousand pages of epic work but in the end we get a big spider.

 

[Optimus Prime]

I’m a huge Robert McCammon fan, I’m usually more drawn to his books than King’s

I’ll admit I haven’t read the Stand but I’ve read Swan Song at least half a dozen times

 

[Brad Mojo]

...I decided to giv a quarantine run. I just got to 33% according to my kindle and it just now got interesting. But extremely so. ...

Is it worth a read if I have already seen the HBO series?

 

[Zack Lee]

Is it worth a read if I have already seen the HBO series?

not sure. First because I know nothing about the series but it is part of the reason I picked it up. I am about to get HBO so I can catch up on Westworld so I figured I may as well have two series to watch
But also because IMO the book just got good. I’ll let you know what I think when I’m at least mostly through it.

 

[Zack Lee]

I’m a huge Robert McCammon fan, I’m usually more drawn to his books than King’s

I’ll admit I haven’t read the Stand but I’ve read Swan Song at least half a dozen times

which other books did you like of his? we talked about him some earlier in the thread. I thought Boys Life was amazing. Swan Song wasn’t too far behind it because I love post apocalyptic. I also enjoyed Stinger.

Now the bad. They Thirst was out of print but came very highly recommended so I got a copy. I thought it was just ok.“Mine” was hot garbage. I felt like he mailed that in. I read something else I didn’t care for but can’t remember it.

 

[Optimus Prime]

which other books did you like of his? we talked about him some earlier in the thread. I thought Boys Life was amazing. Swan Song wasn’t too far behind it because I love post apocalyptic. I also enjoyed Stinger.

Now the bad. They Thirst was out of print but came very highly recommended so I got a copy. I thought it was just ok.“Mine” was hot garbage. I felt like he mailed that in. I read something else I didn’t care for but can’t remember it.

Boys life is one of my favorite books of all time, I’ve probably read it a dozen times

I also love Wolfs Hour and Gone South

I hated stinger when I first read it in high school

I reread it years later and I think it’s really good

I really liked his latest book the listener

I’ve only read the first 3 Matthew Corbett books but I thought they were great

I only thought the Border and the Five were okay but I only read them once, I need to revisit them

I just reread (listened to the audiobook) Mine a few months ago - didn’t hate it but not my favorite okay at best

Same for They Thirst

By far my least favorite of his is night boat. Ugh

I didn’t like when I first read it but after loving stinger the second time around I thought the same might be true for night boat

Nope. Still terrible

I’ve always wondered why there weren’t any movies based on mccammon’s books

 

[Optimus Prime]

For those of you who’ve read both

How does the Stand and Swan Song compare?

I know they are always mentioned as being similar

 

[sfidc3]

For those of you who’ve read both

How does the Stand and Swan Song compare?

I know they are always mentioned as being similar

First, Boy's Life is one of the best book I've ever read.

I got through about 90% of Swan Song and never got back to it....I found it a bit tedious TBH....I think the Stand is a much better book, just IMO.....

 

[Zack Lee]

First, Boy's Life is one of the best book I've ever read.

I got through about 90% of Swan Song and never got back to it....I found it a bit tedious TBH....I think the Stand is a much better book, just IMO.....

i think I agree on The Stand. I remember liking Swan Song at the time but now there are very few parts I can remember. In contrast, I can remember most of the Stand. That has to mean something.

 

[Zack Lee]

Outsiders was very good. I enjoyed it start to finish. There were more questions I would have liked see come out in the final conversation with the supernatural force in this one, but it the questions left was infinitely better than say an asteroid origin with a turtle "good" force like he did with It. I think he just said "you know I don't know how to end It so I'm just going to trip on acid and write an ending"

You learn with King to look for the Easter Eggs. There were two mentions of balloons floating in this book but not definitely references to It.

There are also recurring themes with him that you become accustomed to. Like dreams or flashbacks of being in bed with a dead person or just the image of them decayed in their death beds. The most memorable for me was the arthritic sister in Pet Cemetery. Dr Sleep has Danny wake with a dead woman he had a drug binge with. This one has a detective wake up with his dead mother who had died of cancer. And those are just the two most recent I have read. I wonder how many times this imagery is repeated.

 

[UndeadSnoopy]

Outsiders was very good. I enjoyed it start to finish. There were more questions I would have liked see come out in the final conversation with the supernatural force in this one, but it the questions left was infinitely better than say an asteroid origin with a turtle "good" force like he did with It. I think he just said "you know I don't know how to end It so I'm just going to trip on acid and write an ending"

You learn with King to look for the Easter Eggs. There were two mentions of balloons floating in this book but not definitely references to It.

There are also recurring themes with him that you become accustomed to. Like dreams or flashbacks of being in bed with a dead person or just the image of them decayed in their death beds. The most memorable for me was the arthritic sister in Pet Cemetery. Dr Sleep has Danny wake with a dead woman he had a drug binge with. This one has a detective wake up with his dead mother who had died of cancer. And those are just the two most recent I have read. I wonder how many times this imagery is repeated.

He references other authors in his novels too.

Two that come to mind are John Irving.

The Dark Tower III: The Wastelands
The cider-press is a nod to The Cider House Rules.

It
"We all float down here" from It and "Sorrow floats" from The Hotel New Hampshire

 

[Zack Lee]

He references other authors in his novels too.

Two that come to mind are John Irving.

The Dark Tower III: The Wastelands
The cider-press is a nod to The Cider House Rules.

It
"We all float down here" from It and "Sorrow Floats" from The Hotel New Hampshire

oh that reminds me. There is a movie buff in this one looking through her collection. She sees on of Stanly Kubriaks movies and says how much better it was than the Shinning. Says directors are so much more willing to take risks when they are young. Pretty funny shot at him For their Shinning beef.

 

[MLU]

My personal top five...

1. It
2. Wizard and Glass
3. The Green Mile
4. Misery
5. Different Seasons

 

[Zack Lee]

My personal top five...

1. It
2. Wizard and Glass
3. The Green Mile
4. Misery
5. Different Seasons

I decided to pick back up Different Seasons for an easy quarantine read. Misery would also be a good choice.

 

[Zack Lee]

Crazy. Last night I opened Outsiders back up by accident on the kindle. Before I closed it back out, I happen to see the title of another book, Finders Keepers I had no idea one of the characters of Outsiders was a recurring character. I didn't follow King for many years because I had sworn him off after the mid 90s.