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RE: What's the best Stephen King Book?

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RE: What's the best Stephen King Book? - 10/12/2008 9:23:38 AM   
losthighway


Posts: 3166
Joined: 25/1/2006
From: Manchesterford
 I would recommend The Green Mile (his best book IMO) as it is the only book to have ever made me cry! Plus, you have to read it if only to get over the bastardised ending of the film...the book's ending is A LOT better.

If not up that one, then Misery, Dolores Claiborne or The Dark Half.

(And what is Cell like - I bought it ages ago from a second hand book shop but have never read it. Any good?)

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RE: What's the best Stephen King Book? - 26/3/2009 4:36:30 PM   
blackduck


Posts: 1559
Joined: 1/10/2005
I'll be predictable and go with the Stand (but it reallt suffers from his inability to write satasfactory endings.) Really don't get the dark tower, read the first one after a friend raved about it, maybe I was in the wrong frame of mind, but really didn't get it....

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Post #: 32
RE: What's the best Stephen King Book? - 26/3/2009 6:11:29 PM   
Woger


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I much preferred Salems Lot over The Stand. I was reading It and had about 50 pages to go and i left the bloody thing on the train. FAIL.

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RE: What's the best Stephen King Book? - 28/3/2009 11:04:04 PM   
Mike TV


Posts: 161
Joined: 1/10/2005
From: Parentville
quote:

ORIGINAL: Squidward Hark Bugle

"It" is in my top 5 books ever, and is my favourite Stephen King book. Read it.

I still need to read The Stand.




IT is awesome, definately my favourite of all SKs work to date. In the final thoes of Needful things at the moment & really enjoying it. Honorable mentions however go to Wizard & Glass, The Talisman & Eyes of the Dragon.
At the risk of upsetting a few people I found the Stand to be a bit over blown I just couldn't get into it. Maybe just me. Oh and Christine was just terrible, sorry, but a killer CAR?. Give me a break.

The best of the Recent stuff is probably Duma Key and the short story "N" from the sunset collection. N really astounded me as a post lovecraft piece.

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Post #: 34
RE: What's the best Stephen King Book? - 29/3/2009 12:21:03 AM   
The Hooded Man


Posts: 2714
Joined: 12/7/2006
did not like the stand far too long like a lot of king salems lot is great mind you

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Post #: 35
RE: What's the best Stephen King Book? - 1/5/2009 2:53:14 PM   
Woger


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Joined: 30/9/2005
Thinking os starting The Dark Tower series. I liked It, The Stand (a bit padded but still a good story), Salems Lot and Pet Semetary but wasn't too mad about Cujo. Do you recommend the series?

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Post #: 36
RE: What's the best Stephen King Book? - 1/5/2009 4:42:36 PM   
kaner316


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From: Not Wales !!!
 the Gunslinger is the ideal start to the series, in that it's quite short, so if you find it's not your cup of tea, you won't feel like you've wasted your time.

that said, i love them and have re-read the whole series twice since the last one came out, so I would heartily recommend them.

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Post #: 37
RE: What's the best Stephen King Book? - 1/5/2009 5:22:33 PM   
Woger


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quote:

ORIGINAL: kaner316

the Gunslinger is the ideal start to the series, in that it's quite short, so if you find it's not your cup of tea, you won't feel like you've wasted your time.

that said, i love them and have re-read the whole series twice since the last one came out, so I would heartily recommend them.


Sounds good, thanks.

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Post #: 38
RE: What's the best Stephen King Book? - 1/5/2009 10:52:27 PM   
Tech_Noir

 

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quote:

ORIGINAL: blackduck

I'll be predictable and go with the Stand (but it reallt suffers from his inability to write satasfactory endings.) Really don't get the dark tower, read the first one after a friend raved about it, maybe I was in the wrong frame of mind, but really didn't get it....


I never got the hate for ending of The Stand, how else would it end?

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Post #: 39
RE: What's the best Stephen King Book? - 2/5/2009 7:33:23 PM   
steffols


Posts: 7613
Joined: 3/10/2005
From: Jungleland
 Ive not read many of his books.  Im not the biggest fan of his marathon books, I tend to get weighed down and tired of them.  My absolute favourite is Cujo.  Its creates an atmosphere that I havent really experienced in any other book.  It scared the shit out of me.  I really must read it again.

Carrie is brilliant as well. I read that in a day.  Its very concise and well written.  He doesnt need a lot of space to let you know whats going on in Carries head.  The ending is the best part.  Must read that again as well.

Ive always been more of a fan of his short stories.  Especially the collection 'Nightmares and Dreamscapes'.  Some stand out stories in that book

Suffer The Little Children
The Night Flier
Popsy
The End of The Whole Mess - this I thought was a very different tale from The King.  It really struck my emotions more than any other story by him.
You Know They Got A Hell of A Band
Sorry, Right Number

Those are my personal favourites.  I like Different Seasons as well but I thought that maybe the stories could have been better with a bit more fleshing out.  The Breathing Method is excellent.  One of those stories you read late at night and dont expect much from.  That story out of the four is the one that stuck with me the most.


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Post #: 40
RE: What's the best Stephen King Book? - 5/5/2009 1:41:59 PM   
Super Hans


Posts: 2291
Joined: 30/9/2005
From: Watford
 I've read and enjoyed the following:

Carrie
Misery
The Green Mile
Different Seasons

Attempted but failed to get into:

The Shining
The Dark Tower - The Gunslinger

I've literally just started Duma Key, which my other half got me for my birthday in January, hopefully should be interesting.  I've had It sat on my shelf for years but never started - given that I'm not a particularly fast reader the sheer size of it has daunted me a bit!

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Post #: 41
RE: What's the best Stephen King Book? - 11/6/2009 8:03:10 PM   
wellygirl

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The Green Mile is my favourite without a doubt. I also like Dolores Claibourne. Doesn't really count, but I really enjoyed the book he wrote about writing for wannabe writers after his accident.

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Post #: 42
RE: What's the best Stephen King Book? - 11/6/2009 8:08:53 PM   
Lazarus munkey


Posts: 1651
Joined: 20/3/2006
From: out of nowhere
quote:

ORIGINAL: richCie

i aint read a whole lot, i got bored of him pretty quickly, and tbh he's rubbish at endings...
only one i was really happy with was Salem's Lot so try that.


Very true. I really enjoyed The Stand because it had an extended epilogue that went some way to erasing the memory of the end of the 'proper' story.

**SPOILER**



Hand of God indeed!!

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Post #: 43
RE: What's the best Stephen King Book? - 12/6/2009 6:53:46 PM   
MathewRed


Posts: 708
Joined: 10/2/2006
'The Green Mile' was rather excellent. I also rather enjoyed 'The Dead Zone', one of his lesser known works.

< Message edited by MathewRed -- 12/6/2009 6:54:10 PM >

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Post #: 44
RE: What's the best Stephen King Book? - 14/6/2009 10:38:49 PM   
damo1104


Posts: 4091
Joined: 27/9/2006
From: Cornwall
 Loved Green Mile too.. I did however like the "Bachman" stories that he wrote.. Running Man was far better as a book than Arnies show piece..Thinner was well creepy letting your mind do all the work which is another reason why I really lik The Dark Half as well.. Do I really have to make up me mind for 1 fave???

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Post #: 45
RE: What's the best Stephen King Book? - 16/6/2009 2:06:19 PM   
Edge

 

Posts: 52
Joined: 30/9/2005
At the moment my favourite it "The Shining" - I am currently reading his Dark Tower series and throwing Salems Lot into the mix also...

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Post #: 46
RE: What's the best Stephen King Book? - 16/6/2009 5:35:41 PM   
MB2


Posts: 322
Joined: 16/6/2009
I very recently finished The Stand, what a marvellous piece of work it is, even if it does prove that King adheres to that pop-culture cliche of the loyal, cute dog surviving when everyone around it dies.

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Post #: 47
RE: What's the best Stephen King Book? - 21/6/2009 6:30:30 PM   
MustangErin

 

Posts: 8
Joined: 30/3/2009
From: British Columbia, Canada
 My 2 favorites have to be The Shining and IT. I stopped reading The Shining at night because it creeped me out.

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Post #: 48
RE: What's the best Stephen King Book? - 22/6/2009 3:03:10 PM   
grucl

 

Posts: 2433
Joined: 11/2/2008
Pet Cemetary really creeped me out when I first read it. It made me think about death for the first time and what it would feel like to lose someone close to me.

I finally got to finish the Dark Tower saga after a 15 year gap and must say I wasn't too impressed.

I can also recommend IT and Cujo.

< Message edited by grucl -- 22/6/2009 3:06:03 PM >

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Post #: 49
RE: What's the best Stephen King Book? - 22/6/2009 4:16:07 PM   
Gremill

 

Posts: 4
Joined: 18/8/2008
Nice guide for King n00bs

I'm a huge fan of his short stories and as a collection, you cannot beat Skeleton Crew and Night Shift imo, which has The Mist (one of my all time favourite shorts of his) for ultimate win.

Cell was a major disappointment for me.  The first half was awesome, like the terrifying King of old, but then he completely fumbled the 2nd half by trying to explain the (what should be) unexplainable.  He had a cheek dedicating it to George A Romero too.  For much better King-penned zombie carnage, look up his short 'Home Delivery' from Nightmares & Dreamscapes.

The Dark Tower series goes like this:

1:  Hmmm, not sure if I like this...
2:  Wow, this is pretty fucking amazing.
3:  Holy shit, this may be the best Stephen King book I've ever read!
4:  No, wait!  This is the best Stephen King book I've ever read!
5:  I'm really enjoying this, how can it get any better?  Hang-on, what's going on here?  Surely he's not going to do that?
6:  Ah, okay, WTF happened?  Did he have a stroke writing this and no-one noticed?  This is terrible!
7:  Riiiiiiight.  Still, I'll always have 2-5.

That said, the good far outweighs the bad in his work.  The Stand, IT, Misery, The Shining, The Talisman/Black House (astoundingly great), Desperation, Eyes of the Dragon etc etc etc - all should be read by everyone with eyes and half a brain.

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Post #: 50
RE: What's the best Stephen King Book? - 23/6/2009 9:43:56 AM   
m_er


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 It for me, no doubt.

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Post #: 51
RE: What's the best Stephen King Book? - 16/7/2009 2:03:12 PM   
Super Hans


Posts: 2291
Joined: 30/9/2005
From: Watford
 Just thought I'd recommend Duma Key - I finally finished it on holiday last month and really enjoyed it. Very much a slow burner but I liked it! Not read enough of his to know how it ranks alongside all his others though.

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RE: What's the best Stephen King Book? - 16/7/2009 2:14:24 PM   
CORLEONE


Posts: 4594
Joined: 2/11/2005
From: Green and Pleasant Land
 I liked Dreamcatcher. No, really.

Anyone read Cell?

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Post #: 53
RE: What's the best Stephen King Book? - 19/7/2009 10:46:51 AM   
CAD36


Posts: 85
Joined: 30/3/2007
From: Cheshire
 Jees, I'm 39 and been reading King since I was 16 and I have to pick a favourite 

Okay I'd have to go with:

1. The Stand (the updated version, not the original)
2. The Talisman
3. Blackhouse
4. Ghost Story (with Peter Straub)
5. Salem's Lot (the original, not the updated version)
6. The girl who loved Tom Gordon
7. Gerald's Game (this has to be the best one-setting book I've ever read)
8. Misery
9. Insomnia
10. Dead Zone

If you like King, you should try Dean Koontz too.

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Post #: 54
RE: What's the best Stephen King Book? - 29/7/2009 5:32:54 PM   
chrismart83


Posts: 375
Joined: 14/1/2007
For me its a toss up between 'IT' and 'Hearts in Atlantis', il go with 'IT'.

So many to chose from though :

Green mile
Salems' lot
The Stand
Dead Zone


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Post #: 55
RE: What's the best Stephen King Book? - 30/7/2009 11:46:00 AM   
separkin

 

Posts: 88
Joined: 29/7/2009
From: sunny Yorkshire
 I go with either Salem's Lot, The Shining or Misery at a push.

I wasn't a fan of Dolores Claiborne, and I still haven't got round to Carrie, but I also recommend the Night Shift short stories, which include Graveyard Shift and the fantastic Sometimes They Come Back.

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Post #: 56
RE: What's the best Stephen King Book? - 30/7/2009 11:54:48 AM   
chrismart83


Posts: 375
Joined: 14/1/2007
quote:

ORIGINAL: separkin

I go with either Salem's Lot, The Shining or Misery at a push.

I wasn't a fan of Dolores Claiborne, and I still haven't got round to Carrie, but I also recommend the Night Shift short stories, which include Graveyard Shift and the fantastic Sometimes They Come Back.


Agree there, Night shift is an excellent read.


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Post #: 57
RE: What's the best Stephen King Book? - 11/8/2009 3:24:33 PM   
Ebony Heart

 

Posts: 11
Joined: 11/10/2006
Gremill has it totally spot on with the Dark Tower series.
Best King books have to be either Dark Tower 2-5; The Mist; Misery or The Stand.

I have two qualms with King though; one is his constant referencing to other books and himself (writing himself into the Dark Tower series! gah!) and two his writing style after a while, begins to grate on me.
He has bloody brilliant ideas though, apart from Cujo, which I'm sorry, I thought was a bit shit..



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Post #: 58
RE: What's the best Stephen King Book? - 14/8/2009 9:50:44 PM   
Strange Zero

 

Posts: 4
Joined: 15/1/2009
I'd really like to start reading Stephen King's books (I've seen loads of the movie adaptions, and its obvious the source material is good), and since there's so many fans of his discussing his books here, which one do you think is the best book to start off on? Sorry is I'm kind of interrupting the thread, I was just wondering...

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Post #: 59
RE: What's the best Stephen King Book? - 22/8/2009 9:08:25 AM   
Tech_Noir

 

Posts: 20203
Joined: 12/10/2005
Could try Different Seasons (short stories) but if you wanna dive right in I say go for The Shining, The Stand or IT (the latter two are very long but worth it).

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Post #: 60
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