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RE: What's the best Stephen King Book? - 2/2/2011 4:27:15 PM

horribleives

Posts: 4178
Joined: 12/6/2009
From: The North

I dunno but both of which are the main reasons I refuse to watch My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding.

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RE: What's the best Stephen King Book? - 2/2/2011 9:32:52 PM

From_Hell

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quote:

ORIGINAL: horribleives

quote:

ORIGINAL: From_Hell
I've had Bag Of Bones kicking around for some time now, so I might take a look at that next. Is there any love for BOB around here?

It's one of his most peculiar books. It's 12 years since I read it but as I recall it was�a bit all-over-the-place - an awkward study of grief, midlife-crisis, corruption, history�and racism all wrapped up in a supernatural mystery (which isn't particularly scary). Though at the time it was the first book of his I'd enjoyed in a while so for its intrigue and twist-turny story I'd definitely put it in the 'superior potboiler' file.
Mind, he does lay on the Rebecca-isms a tad too much. Subtle it ain't.

Well, I might take a break from King, read something else, and then have a crack at Bag Of Bones. It certainly sounds interesting!

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RE: What's the best Stephen King Book? - 3/2/2011 9:38:35 AM

keithyt1999

Posts: 204
Joined: 26/1/2011

quote:

ORIGINAL: horribleives

I dunno but both of which are the main reasons I refuse to watch My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding.

haha

but that one is subtitled "Fatter"

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Post #: 123

RE: What's the best Stephen King Book? - 5/2/2011 8:01:37 AM

gunslinger19

Posts: 66
Joined: 5/1/2011
From: Twin Peaks

Keithy in response to your earlier post.
If you log onto Stephen King.com theres a whole lot of info about the Marvel adaptation of The Stand, a few spoilers though, but they don't really matter if you know the story anyway.
From what I've seen and read so far they are pretty much true to the original story, just stumbled across them myself recently.
Maybe worth you getting hold of a copy if you like The Stand, the story looks quite good graphically represented.

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Post #: 124

RE: What's the best Stephen King Book? - 15/2/2011 8:49:42 PM

Mr Terrific

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I don't know the best Stephen King book, my opinion changes regularly. I think one of his best an underrated books is The Dead Zone. Sure it's a bit dated and has a downer of an ending, but I found it well written and quite thought provoking.

I think IT and The Stand have to be in the top five though!

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RE: What's the best Stephen King Book? - 16/2/2011 11:48:35 AM

sharkboy

Posts: 6025
Joined: 26/9/2005
From: Belfast

I agree completely Mr T, The Dead Zone was IMO not only one of his better books, but also one of the better movie adaptations. Personally, I liked the ending

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Post #: 126

RE: What's the best Stephen King Book? - 16/2/2011 12:20:24 PM

elab49

Posts: 51558
Joined: 1/10/2005

Ditto - I'd put it in the top 5 tv/film adaptations from his books.

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RE: What's the best Stephen King Book? - 16/2/2011 1:13:19 PM

matty_b

Posts: 12847
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The Dead Zone is a superb book and a superb film. Still one of Christopher Walken's finest roles.

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Post #: 128

RE: What's the best Stephen King Book? - 17/2/2011 3:09:57 PM

horribleives

Posts: 4178
Joined: 12/6/2009
From: The North

quote:

ORIGINAL: elab49

Ditto - I'd put it in the top 5 tv/film adaptations from his books.

Yeah, I'd put it at number two - just behind Stand By Me but ahead of The Mist, The Shawshank Redemption amd Misery.

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Post #: 129

RE: What's the best Stephen King Book? - 17/2/2011 5:53:34 PM

Tech_Noir

Posts: 20203
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Looking forward to The Stand graphic novel (once compiled).

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Post #: 130

RE: What's the best Stephen King Book? - 11/3/2011 9:16:30 AM

From_Hell

Posts: 1383
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From: The foot of the MegaTree

So that's Bag Of Bones done. It was a good solid read, I liked the supernatural element, but it didn't go so far as to blow my socks off. I hear it shares some similarities with Duma Key which I haven't read yet but now I've read B.O.B I'm less excited about reading Duma Key. I think I'm all Kinged out for now, and if I read the following phrases within the next sixth months I think I might cry:

- "Ayuh"

- "Threw back his head and laughed"

- "Nape of his neck"

On to other books for a bit, but I think my next King book is going to be part one of the Dark Tower series....

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RE: What's the best Stephen King Book? - 14/8/2011 11:41:05 AM

horribleives

Posts: 4178
Joined: 12/6/2009
From: The North

I'm loving the sound of King's new novel 11/22/63 - kind of sounds like a cross between Don DeLillo's Libra and Goodnight Sweetheart.

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RE: What's the best Stephen King Book? - 8/9/2011 8:55:51 PM

TrendMeUp

Posts: 977
Joined: 11/10/2005

IT blew me away. It broke my heart and genuinely frightened me and frequently cracked me up. A beautiful book. I also think The Shining gets overlooked because of its popularity, but it's a stunning book.

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Post #: 133

RE: What's the best Stephen King Book? - 17/9/2011 3:03:19 PM

DeppBurtonAlliance

Posts: 198
Joined: 15/8/2006

Salem's Lot & The Dead Zone, plus the collections lke Night Shift and Nightmares and Dreamscapes aren't to be overlooked.

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Post #: 134

RE: What's the best Stephen King Book? - 14/11/2011 6:07:29 PM

jonson

Posts: 8059
Joined: 30/9/2005

quote:

ORIGINAL: horribleives

I'm loving the sound of King's new novel 11/22/63 - kind of sounds like a cross between Don DeLillo's Libra and Goodnight Sweetheart.

I'm 200 pages in and I'm really enjoying it. Slightly different to his previous stuff (so far) but gripping nonetheless.
Without wishing to give too much away, there are some nice references to IT, even going so far as introducing/featuring 2 of the characters from IT, which excited me no end (and I didn't think was in the least bit cheesey - I know it sounds it)
The whole premise of time travel is more sci-fi than King would normally do, but again it conjures up some nice ideas and scenarios which has got me pretty gripped to the book to be honest.

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RE: What's the best Stephen King Book? - 22/11/2011 1:14:13 PM

sharkboy

Posts: 6025
Joined: 26/9/2005
From: Belfast

I started 11/22/63 yesterday and I'm already about 100 pages in. So far it seems to be a good addition to the King canon, and I like the first person perspective for a change.

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Post #: 136

RE: What's the best Stephen King Book? - 23/11/2011 7:56:51 AM

jonson

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I'm halfway through and loving it Sharky. I'm wanting to read up on Oswald and JFK now, and see what facts King based his story on.

Slightly Off Topic, my colleague at work bought the audio book the same day as me. 30 hours long I think he said it was (he loved it btw - not normally a King fan) I was winderong roughly how long it took me to read.
I'm no slouch but I don't speed read like the missus does, and what with having a lot on my mind I tend to suddenly realise I have read half a dozen pages and took nothing in.

I was hoping to race him, but I lost. I was thinking I can read quicker than someone can speak it, but whereas he sits at work with an earphone in listening, I can hardly sit reading a book

Anyway, not sure what the point of the post was, other than perhaps to enquire as to who actually has listened to audio books? I had Harry Potter in the car when the kids were little, which I must admit were brilliant, but I'd feel lazy doing it with "grown up" books.

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RE: What's the best Stephen King Book? - 23/11/2011 8:55:05 AM

matty_b

Posts: 12847
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From: Outpost 31 calling McMurtle.

I never have.

It's daft, but it feels like "cheating" somehow.

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RE: What's the best Stephen King Book? - 23/11/2011 9:24:42 AM

sharkboy

Posts: 6025
Joined: 26/9/2005
From: Belfast

I've listened to quite a few - never as a first choice of medium, but I found them to be great while on long drives when propping a book on the steering wheel would tend to get frowned upon

Listening to Bill Bryson read his short history of nearly everything can really make that daily commute much more tolerable. However, the choice of narrator can make or break them - Tony Robinson was great at doing Pratchett books, Nigel Planer not so great.

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Post #: 139

RE: What's the best Stephen King Book? - 23/11/2011 11:37:04 AM

elab49

Posts: 51558
Joined: 1/10/2005

I've never really listened to audio books but I thought I'd try one since I started listening to more radio - Robinson and Pratchett was the obvious choice. I didn't go for the guards, say, because getting Vimes wrong for me just wouldn't work. Thoroughly enjoyed Going Postal though.

I'm not sure I'd get one for a book I hadn't read though. This really just helped on a car journey. Wouldn't it be too distracting in the car otherwise?

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RE: What's the best Stephen King Book? - 27/11/2011 5:33:57 AM

Spaldron

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From: Chair

The only King I've ever read is Salems Lot tbh. Seen all the films but only read one so far, although got 'Full Dark No Stars' as a birthday prez last year and still haven't got round to reading it!

My brother has got the full 'Dark Tower' collection so I think I may borrow them of him.

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RE: What's the best Stephen King Book? - 8/12/2011 9:07:06 AM

jonson

Posts: 8059
Joined: 30/9/2005

No real spoilers but tred with care if you get uppity about those kind of things.

So I finished 11/22/63 last night. Brilliant, utterly brilliant. Some of the critisisms King gets is his inability to finish a story satisfactory. Well this one finished perfect for me.

It kept me guessing right till the end, some of it was predictable, possibly if it were a film you'd be getting the sick bag out, but on the whole the ending made my eyes fill.
I'd invested a lot of time and thought to the character of Jake/George (in truth this book has got me through the worst 6 weeks of my life so I have had a lot of emotion attached to the story - I have lost myself in its ideas and twists and it has been a most welcome distraction) and was with him all the way in his quest, so I've spent many evenings biting my fingernails and wondering exactly why everything had to go down to the last second. Jake had 5 years yet leaves it so late. It was obvious it would be a nail-biter, and I was sure I would get frustrated at King "stringing things out" (excuse the pun if you have read the book) for the sake of squeezing in the extra pages, but it was done so well it never felt wrong.

I normally berate myself for getting excited at the latest King book. I tend to overrate them initially, and I will do for this as well. Considering it was his first "time travel" novel (how many is an author supposed to have?) whether it was down to my personal issues or just down to a good read, but this is the best King book I have read, well, since the last one.

No actually, it has been my most enjoyable King read since IT, and I'm talking over 2 decades now. Now that is a bold statement, so I might ask myself the same question in a couple of months, and get a different answer. However I was very sad to finish it last night. Jake/George has been a good friend, it was sad to see him go.

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RE: What's the best Stephen King Book? - 26/1/2012 2:04:25 PM

InvisibleDuncan

Posts: 4
Joined: 23/4/2008

I'm part-way through 11/22/63 so I've taken care to not read jonson's post above. It's limbering up really well, though.

I can easily name my favourite King book - It - but I'd have a harder time putting the others into any sort of order. The Dark Tower series was superb (the ending made my wife cry, which has never happened with a book before) and I'm looking forward to the next one (The Wind Through The Keyhole) that's out in a couple of months. Other than those, I'd probably put The Dark Half, The Dead Zone, Salem's Lot, Under The Dome and The Stand at the top of my list, along with his collaborations with Peter Straub (The Talisman and Black House).

Not much love on here for Rose Madder, I notice.

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Post #: 143

RE: What's the best Stephen King Book? - 27/1/2012 9:13:07 AM

Funkyrae

Posts: 20306
Joined: 30/9/2005
From: Just stick a pin in a map

quote:

ORIGINAL: jonson

No real spoilers but tred with care if you get uppity about those kind of things.

So I finished 11/22/63 last night. Brilliant, utterly brilliant. Some of the critisisms King gets is his inability to finish a story satisfactory. Well this one finished perfect for me.

It kept me guessing right till the end, some of it was predictable, possibly if it were a film you'd be getting the sick bag out, but on the whole the ending made my eyes fill.
I'd invested a lot of time and thought to the character of Jake/George (in truth this book has got me through the worst 6 weeks of my life so I have had a lot of emotion attached to the story - I have lost myself in its ideas and twists and it has been a most welcome distraction) and was with him all the way in his quest, so I've spent many evenings biting my fingernails and wondering exactly why everything had to go down to the last second. Jake had 5 years yet leaves it so late. It was obvious it would be a nail-biter, and I was sure I would get frustrated at King "stringing things out" (excuse the pun if you have read the book) for the sake of squeezing in the extra pages, but it was done so well it never felt wrong.

I normally berate myself for getting excited at the latest King book. I tend to overrate them initially, and I will do for this as well. Considering it was his first "time travel" novel (how many is an author supposed to have?) whether it was down to my personal issues or just down to a good read, but this is the best King book I have read, well, since the last one.
No actually, it has been my most enjoyable King read since IT, and I'm talking over 2 decades now. Now that is a bold statement, so I might ask myself the same question in a couple of months, and get a different answer. However I was very sad to finish it last night. Jake/George has been a good friend, it was sad to see him go.

Time for me to 'fess up. I'm not the biggest King fan. His older stuff was brilliant, Cujo, Carrie etc. I loved The Green Mile and thoroughly enjoyed The Bachman Books. Other than that, well, to be honest, I found him a bit hit and miss. Reading the blurb on 11/22/63 I felt a bit meh about it. Until I read what your post. I figured if something other than a prehistoric gargantuan shark made you addicted to the page, it might be OK.

So I got it for the Kindle, and I agree. So difficult to put down. You really do invest in the characters, I was desperately hoping that he would work out a way of being able to stay in the past to be with Sadie and I felt a lump in my throat at the end.

There were touches of Hearts in Atlantis with men in hats which annoyed me a little, but not enough to put a downer on this one.

Definitely a good one.

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RE: What's the best Stephen King Book? - 27/1/2012 6:01:05 PM

Woger

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Must check this out.

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RE: What's the best Stephen King Book? - 30/1/2012 6:39:20 PM

big dawg

Posts: 664
Joined: 29/4/2010
From: the house on the rock

Yeah, 11/22/63 was very good. Up there with the best of his work. I know where you're coming from Jonson, the last couple of pages had the old lump in the throat for me too (soppy gits

)...Im about two thirds through Under the Dome and Im feeling it just as good. Ive said before, King, at his best, is very hard to beat.

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RE: What's the best Stephen King Book? - 29/2/2012 12:29:56 PM

The Hooded Man

Posts: 2714
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I'm on the third book of The Dark Tower series, it's not easy to get into but still enjoying it a lot. I have a plan to read his complete works back to back this year. Ludicrously ambitious!

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RE: What's the best Stephen King Book? - 29/2/2012 12:38:14 PM

Hobbitonlass

Posts: 11497
Joined: 30/9/2005
From: Westeros

quote:

ORIGINAL: jonson

No real spoilers but tred with care if you get uppity about those kind of things.

So I finished 11/22/63 last night. Brilliant, utterly brilliant. Some of the critisisms King gets is his inability to finish a story satisfactory. Well this one finished perfect for me.

It kept me guessing right till the end, some of it was predictable, possibly if it were a film you'd be getting the sick bag out, but on the whole the ending made my eyes fill.
I'd invested a lot of time and thought to the character of Jake/George (in truth this book has got me through the worst 6 weeks of my life so I have had a lot of emotion attached to the story - I have lost myself in its ideas and twists and it has been a most welcome distraction) and was with him all the way in his quest, so I've spent many evenings biting my fingernails and wondering exactly why everything had to go down to the last second. Jake had 5 years yet leaves it so late. It was obvious it would be a nail-biter, and I was sure I would get frustrated at King "stringing things out" (excuse the pun if you have read the book) for the sake of squeezing in the extra pages, but it was done so well it never felt wrong.

I normally berate myself for getting excited at the latest King book. I tend to overrate them initially, and I will do for this as well. Considering it was his first "time travel" novel (how many is an author supposed to have?) whether it was down to my personal issues or just down to a good read, but this is the best King book I have read, well, since the last one.
No actually, it has been my most enjoyable King read since IT, and I'm talking over 2 decades now. Now that is a bold statement, so I might ask myself the same question in a couple of months, and get a different answer. However I was very sad to finish it last night. Jake/George has been a good friend, it was sad to see him go.

Couldn't agree more. A real return to the style of some of the older books even though completely different subject. Loved how there were references to IT as well (one of my favourites). I kept thinking "well, what if he did this?" to myself and imagining how it would turn out if he made different choices.

I find myself sometimes sat on the sofa with my 2 shelves of SK books staring out at me thinking that I need to revisit some of them again (I'm thinking IT needs a re-read soon)

I just remember being stood in front of the great man a good few years ago thinking "you scare the crap out of me"

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RE: What's the best Stephen King Book? - 29/2/2012 5:18:37 PM

jonson

Posts: 8059
Joined: 30/9/2005

quote:

ORIGINAL: Hobbitonlass

Couldn't agree more. A real return to the style of some of the older books even though completely different subject. Loved how there were references to IT as well (one of my favourites). I kept thinking "well, what if he did this?" to myself and imagining how it would turn out if he made different choices.

YES!!! I was thinking the same, even to the point about whether I'd go back, as it were, and change other things. The references to the IT murders also got me very excited, especially the Richie/Bev dancing sequence, which was really sweet. It could have been distracting and cheesey, but it added to the whole feel of the story as well. Loved it.

quote:

I just remember being stood in front of the great man a good few years ago thinking "you scare the crap out of me"

Wow! That is so cool you got to stand in front of him

I would love to meet him, just even for a 10 minute chat to see how his mind works. I think he'd scare me as well.

How did you end up doing that?

Slightly Off Topic, I love SK's house:-

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RE: What's the best Stephen King Book? - 4/4/2012 3:48:46 PM

horribleives

Posts: 4178
Joined: 12/6/2009
From: The North

Just finished 11/22/63 after what seems like forever (though I reckon a christmas present that lasts 3 months is pretty good value, really) and I'd agree with everyone else - it's without doubt one of his best. As with anything time-travel-related there's always the potential for inconsistencies but on the whole he pulled it off wonderfully and adhered to the story's internal logic far more believably than is often the case (I'm looking at you, Lost series 5) with few glaring plot-holes.
Also I felt genuinely gutted for Jake at the end - the final couple of pages had me bubbling like a bairn. And I'd agree with Jonson - King's been struggling to write satisfactory endings for years but this one was virtually flawless (interestingly, he says in his afterword that his son Joe Hill suggested it). I'm quite sad to be leaving that world to be honest, though for me his last three (this one plus Full Dark, No Stars and Under The Dome) have all been fantastic so if he continues this rich form with his next novel I'll be more than happy.

< Message edited by horribleives -- 4/4/2012 3:49:28 PM >

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