crit narrative abt king is that "he can't do endings" and "needs an editor", both of which are prob true but w/ ref to the latter, i sort've admire the fact that dude plainly LIKES TO WRITE, a lot, all the time. he's a very...generous...writer, for good and bad.
worst king i've read is prob the tommyknockers, which seemed interminable
― Ward Fowler, Tuesday, 11 September 2012 10:05 (eleven years ago) link
he's a very...generous...writer, for good and bad
SUCK MY BOOKSUCK MY BOOK
― thomp, Tuesday, 11 September 2012 10:30 (eleven years ago) link
The Tommyknockers is terrible but at least it isn't Gerald's Game
― DARING PRINCESS (DJP), Tuesday, 11 September 2012 13:21 (eleven years ago) link
ok this 11/22/63 book is p great so far
― Author ~ Coach ~ Goddess (s1ocki), Friday, 14 September 2012 18:35 (eleven years ago) link
yr in for a treat!
― set the controls for the heart of the sun (VegemiteGrrl), Friday, 14 September 2012 18:44 (eleven years ago) link
If I were to purchase one Stephen King book from the last seven or eight years to read while on vacation, which one would you recommend? (That's the collective "you.")
― carl agatha, Friday, 14 September 2012 18:56 (eleven years ago) link
probably 11/22/63. It's by far the most enjoyable.
Duma Key is good but there's a lot of suspension of disbelief that has to happen - Under The Dome is great til the end and then you want to chuck the book across the room.
― set the controls for the heart of the sun (VegemiteGrrl), Friday, 14 September 2012 18:59 (eleven years ago) link
I'll be reading it on my iPad so I'll avoid Under the Dome.
I hate to be that person who doesn't let an artist grow, but is 11/22/63 scary at all?
― carl agatha, Friday, 14 September 2012 19:00 (eleven years ago) link
Cell is definitely scary.
― how's life, Friday, 14 September 2012 19:07 (eleven years ago) link
under the dome really fizzled.
but this one, i'm like 15% in and looooving it
― Author ~ Coach ~ Goddess (s1ocki), Friday, 14 September 2012 19:10 (eleven years ago) link
doesnt seem scary so far but what do i know
11/22/63 isn't scary per se, but it's v tense and has some interesting supernatural threads
Duma Key is legit scary, at least I thought so
― set the controls for the heart of the sun (VegemiteGrrl), Friday, 14 September 2012 19:30 (eleven years ago) link
11/22/63 only gets scary once Zombie Kennedy shows up and eats Dean Rusk's brain
oh shit sorry
― a shark with a rippling six pack (Phil D.), Friday, 14 September 2012 19:35 (eleven years ago) link
I've been off the King train for so long I haven't even heard of some his newest titles. 11/22/63 sounds interesting, King's love of that era is palpable in much of my favorite writing of his, but man the time travel thing he's working here seems hoary even by Twilight Zone standards. It's really good?
― The specifics are these, which is those principles I described (Dan Peterson), Friday, 14 September 2012 19:38 (eleven years ago) link
He sets up a (I think) unique set of rules re time travel that have an enormous effect on the plot, which makes it a little more interesting.
― a shark with a rippling six pack (Phil D.), Friday, 14 September 2012 19:40 (eleven years ago) link
^^^^
it's well worth it
― set the controls for the heart of the sun (VegemiteGrrl), Friday, 14 September 2012 19:42 (eleven years ago) link
I read Danse Macabre (1981) recently and there's a part in it where he says he doesn't set his books in the 60s because the horror was too real.
― get you ass to mahs (abanana), Friday, 14 September 2012 21:09 (eleven years ago) link
ya i love time travel stuff and i find his treatment of it pretty novel and fun
gonna stop reading this thread now tho cuz i dont wanna spoil anything
― Author ~ Coach ~ Goddess (s1ocki), Saturday, 15 September 2012 01:28 (eleven years ago) link
Bought 11/22/63 and I love it so far. I think the question I wanted to ask earlier wasn't "is it scary" but maybe is it spooky or is it supernatural bc for some dumb reason I thought it was historical fiction? Like accurate, non-time traveling, non-SK-world referencing historical fiction. But it's totally Stephen King in a good way. :)
― carl agatha, Thursday, 20 September 2012 04:28 (eleven years ago) link
otm
enjoy!!
― set the controls for the heart of the sun (VegemiteGrrl), Thursday, 20 September 2012 04:57 (eleven years ago) link
Haven't read Stephen King in decades, but just requested the new one from the library.
I find the guy's prolific rate really inspiring. Also, "On Writing" was so good.
― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 20 September 2012 05:07 (eleven years ago) link
My top five:
The Stand (unabridged)Skeleton Crew11/22/63It (scared the crap out of me when I was in high school)Danse Macabre
Least favorite: Insomnia - I barely remember it
Gerald's Game is terrible but it does have a memorable scene at the end in a car that I often think of when I'm alone in a car at night. So even his worst stuff can have effective parts in it.
― Sara R-C, Thursday, 20 September 2012 19:46 (eleven years ago) link
finished 11/22/63, gotta say, pretty awesome
― Author ~ Coach ~ Goddess (s1ocki), Friday, 21 September 2012 21:00 (eleven years ago) link
Alright, y'all have convinced me to try 11/22/63 if it ranks with The Stand and It and Skeleton Crew.
― The specifics are these, which is those principles I described (Dan Peterson), Friday, 21 September 2012 21:07 (eleven years ago) link
it was big and chunky and satisfying. i liked it.
― Author ~ Coach ~ Goddess (s1ocki), Friday, 21 September 2012 23:47 (eleven years ago) link
a hearty stew of a book, lol
― set the controls for the heart of the sun (VegemiteGrrl), Friday, 21 September 2012 23:50 (eleven years ago) link
yeah i've just started it, thoroughly enjoying it. there's a cameo that comes fairly early that made me cheer inside.
― balls, Friday, 21 September 2012 23:55 (eleven years ago) link
trying to figure out what you mean!
― Author ~ Coach ~ Goddess (s1ocki), Saturday, 22 September 2012 00:25 (eleven years ago) link
I like that a plot point hinges on the Rolling Stones' "Brown Sugar."
― a shark with a rippling six pack (Phil D.), Saturday, 22 September 2012 00:53 (eleven years ago) link
slocki - derry
― balls, Saturday, 22 September 2012 01:59 (eleven years ago) link
o yayayaya
― Author ~ Coach ~ Goddess (s1ocki), Saturday, 22 September 2012 03:13 (eleven years ago) link
forget about it
GODDAMN was 11/22/63 fantastic, thought he landed the ending well and the final scene actually got me pretty verklempt. not a horror novel but he definitely uses his ability to conjure up dread and terror.
― balls, Thursday, 27 September 2012 05:57 (eleven years ago) link
ya man it was tight as hell for such a long book, not to mention a time travel story!
― Author ~ Coach ~ Goddess (s1ocki), Friday, 28 September 2012 20:29 (eleven years ago) link
i liked how he has now made it impossible for me to look at photos of the book depository without getting creeped out for entirely different reasons now than I ever did before, lol
― set the controls for the heart of the sun (VegemiteGrrl), Friday, 28 September 2012 20:30 (eleven years ago) link
really dig the basic time travel mechanic too. the "reboot" thing. its fresh.
― Author ~ Coach ~ Goddess (s1ocki), Friday, 28 September 2012 20:40 (eleven years ago) link
It's still under the front seat of my car, I should get around to reading it.
― controversial cabaret roommate (Nicole), Friday, 28 September 2012 20:41 (eleven years ago) link
do it!
― set the controls for the heart of the sun (VegemiteGrrl), Friday, 28 September 2012 20:56 (eleven years ago) link
I got it at a garage sale for a quarter a few weeks ago, take that ebooks.
― controversial cabaret roommate (Nicole), Friday, 28 September 2012 20:57 (eleven years ago) link
I never find any good books at garage sales, I need to lift my game
― set the controls for the heart of the sun (VegemiteGrrl), Friday, 28 September 2012 20:59 (eleven years ago) link
ha i read this on my kindle so had no idea it was 'long', blew thru it in a little over a week. whereas before it i read 2312 and it did feel long and took almost a month.
― balls, Friday, 28 September 2012 21:05 (eleven years ago) link
i read it on my kindle too and i noticed the percentage points moved ahead real slowly
― Author ~ Coach ~ Goddess (s1ocki), Friday, 28 September 2012 21:40 (eleven years ago) link
lol i started to reread proust in kindle, they have all of it as just one big thing, and i would read for hours and the percentage point wouldn't budge. so then i thought 'maybe next summer'.
― balls, Friday, 28 September 2012 21:43 (eleven years ago) link
the idea of trying to read proust on one of those things is just ...
― paradiastole, or the currifauel, otherwise called (thomp), Friday, 28 September 2012 21:57 (eleven years ago) link
also no "i started to reread proust" in the stephen king thread please
yeah take the showing off over to ILB, lol
― set the controls for the heart of the sun (VegemiteGrrl), Friday, 28 September 2012 21:58 (eleven years ago) link
get out
― paradiastole, or the currifauel, otherwise called (thomp), Friday, 28 September 2012 21:59 (eleven years ago) link
i have been on a weird s.k. kick lately. (everyone otm abot 11/22/63.) read about six in the last two weeks. in some ways i'm finding that i havent been giving him enough credit in the 20 or so years since i last really read him. in other ways he's been disappointing as i expected. still i am going to revise my very early bitchy post on this thread to "classic but you gotta know what yr in for in some ways.)
― big-mammed punisher (strongo hulkington's ghost dad), Friday, 28 September 2012 22:48 (eleven years ago) link
was just looking for a list, surprised that 'misery' (in some ways his single best book) is from the same year as prime coke wallow evidence 'the tommyknockers'
― paradiastole, or the currifauel, otherwise called (thomp), Friday, 28 September 2012 22:56 (eleven years ago) link
i was gonna reread the shining next or tackle under the dome but i think i will reread misery instead
― big-mammed punisher (strongo hulkington's ghost dad), Friday, 28 September 2012 22:59 (eleven years ago) link