Doesn't anyone here read Stephen King?
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TV ClubHouse: archive: Library - Miscellaneous thru May 2003: Doesn't anyone here read Stephen King?
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Archive through September 24, 2002 25   09/24 09:17pm

Hummingbird

Sunday, October 06, 2002 - 10:09 am EditMoveDeleteIP
I just read a book review in the newspaper for King's new opus "From a Buick 8." (I know that title should be in italics, but I can't figure out how to do it on this board.) Anyway, the reviewer hated it, calling it "a real lemon!"

He said it was neither scary nor thrilling -- just gross and has a silly premise.

One interesting note -- a character dies in a road incident similar to the horrendous one King himself experienced.

I don't read King much anymore as explained above but thought those of you who do might be interested in this review.

Hermione69

Sunday, October 06, 2002 - 02:32 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
I like his earlier work better than most of his later work with two exceptions that spring to my mind being Bag of Bones and The Green Mile. Misery seemed to be a turning point where he started to get more gory and less suspenseful.

I did love Rose Madder a lot also. I think that was after Misery also? I don't know that I will ever read it again because it hit too close to home for me for several reasons, but I loved it.

It is my all time favorite. The Shining, whoooo, I loved it. Totally wigged me out, as did Salem's Lot. Bag of Bones and The Green Mile were both such wonderful stories.

Gail

Sunday, October 06, 2002 - 02:37 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
I loved the Green Mile too. I had a hard time with his books after I read Thinner. I did not like that book at all. I loved The Stand - it is my most favorite book of all time and I loved The Dead Zone, Firestarter and the Shining and Christine and a couple others. I think I saw something that said he is not going to be writing anymore books. Bummer.

Hummingbird

Sunday, October 06, 2002 - 08:23 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
The plot line of Buick 8 reminded me of Christine. I haven't read Buick 8 and don't plan to but I read Christine years ago and the review made it sound similar. Do you think he is running out of fresh ideas? He's written what? About 500 books!

Cablejockey

Saturday, October 19, 2002 - 12:54 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
I have just finished reading From A Buick 8, and found it very readable. I am not surprised a critic disliked it--Kings novels have long been held in low opinion among the critics, who don't think that his books should be so popular. King himself admitted that people would compare it to Christine.In Entertainment Weekly he has announced that after he's finished the books he has been contracted to write he is retiring. The article said that he will continue to write at home but he wont be publishing anything more.
I have already heard people who don't like Stephen King saying this is just a publicity stunt and he'll crank out more books, and I almost wish it were true for I got a lot of enjoyment out of his books over the years.
The Buick 8 book was only like Christine in that it was about the supernatural invading our day-to-day lives.
Maybe that close brush with death he had a few years ago has brought about this early retirement.

Wargod

Saturday, October 19, 2002 - 01:45 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Well, besides the horror books he has written, he has also taught writing at the college level, plus written a ton of literary stuff. I'm hoping after some rest and relaxation he gets a second wind to start writing more.

Babyjaxmom

Sunday, October 20, 2002 - 02:27 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
I must have read my first Stephen King novel about 20 years ago. Think it was "Salem's Lot." I still remember things from that book all the time (the little boy floating by the window saying, "Let me in"; the woman trying to feed chocolate pudding to her dead/undead baby). The thing I always loved about King is that he creates three-dimentional characters who seem like normal, everyday people you would know . . . and then the creepiest, not ordinary stuff happens to them. I think that's why his books have such wide appeal. You can really relate to his characters, and the things that happen to them stay with you. (Almost invariably when I hear someone go into a coughing fit, I'll think of the super-flu from "The Stand," which by the way is almost every King fan's favorite, including mine.)

I read "Dreamcatcher" almost a year ago. Loved it, even though it creeped me out at the time. One night I spent a whole night dreaming about that red fungus, waking up and dreaming about it again when I fell back to sleep.

My favorite King anecdote, one which I always thought I'd tell him if I ever met him face-to-face: I was in Mexico about 13 years ago, lying in the sun by the pool reading a collection of S. King short stories (don't remember which one, sorry). It was about 90 degrees with about 80 percent humidity--very hot and very humid. I was reading a story about a toy monkey that whenever it started clanging its little cymbals together, someone would die (anyone remember the title of this story?). Lying in the scorching sun, sweating in my bikini, I had goosebumps! Ah, the power of the written word!

Hermione69

Sunday, October 20, 2002 - 04:48 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Babyjaxmom, That is a good story! I remember when I read "The Shining." My sister and I were housesitting in the country. It was pitch black and in the wee hours of the morning. Neighbors were few and far between. My sister had long gone to bed and I was too scared to do anything but keep reading. I was awake until the wee hours of the morning reading that book because whenever I tried to stop, my mind would go to very dark places! Not many other authors have been able to get into my head like that. Jeffrey Deaver did with "The Bone Collector" and so did Patricia Cornwell with "Postmortem," but it was never on the scale of King!

Seamonkey

Sunday, October 20, 2002 - 07:18 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
King's characters are wonderfully "ordinary" and his dialogues and monologues just exceptional.

The book he wrote On Writing is fascinating since it gives insight on where King is coming from at times.

Cablejockey

Monday, October 21, 2002 - 06:59 am EditMoveDeleteIP
I forgot to mention that at the end of Buick 8, there is an author's note, where King tells how he got the idea for the book--travelling thru Pennslyvania--how it was written in its first draft when he was hit by that vehicle, and had to drop it for awhile. He talks about getting technical advice from Pennslyvania State Troopers, and listening to their on the job stories.
I too enjoy the characters King introduces us to in his books. They seem so real, so everyman, so much like people in your own life. You feel as if you have met them and they stay with you long after you close the book. His children's characters are brought to life too. He hasn't forgotten how someone much younger feels and thinks.

Vixeninvegas

Wednesday, October 23, 2002 - 03:32 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
I just happened across this thread - I LOVE King's books - my all time favorites are "Desperation " & "Regulators" I have re-read those books like 5 times - LOVE EM LOVE EM LOVE EM.

I have not read The Stand altho its one of my all time favorite movies - I taped each installment & have watched it several times - Question to you all that have both read the book & seen the movie - would it be worth it for me to after having seen the movie to read the book?

9 times out of 10 I enjoy the books more than the movies so I"m thinking it would be a good read for me - what do you think? :)

Seamonkey

Wednesday, October 23, 2002 - 07:08 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
I'd vote for reading the book :)

Lycanthrope

Thursday, November 07, 2002 - 06:41 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Vixen, read the book. He updated it in 1990 when he added what his editor originally cut from the original manuscript. It added about 300 pages to the already large 800 page novel. I think the original 800 page novel is out of print and you can only get the updated version, which is good. I've read both books, original print, and updated print and the updated print is definitely the better of the two. Just writing this post is making me want to read it again. I haven't read it in over a decade so maybe I will. Not only is 'The Stand' my favorite King book ever, it's also my favorite work of fiction ever.

Other King favorites:
From his short story collections:
The Last Rung on the Ladder
Gramma
You Know they got A Hell of a Band
The Mist
Umney's Last Case
The Fifth Quarter
Jerusalem's Lot
Children of the Corn
Crouch End
Apt Pupil

Novels:
'Salem's Lot
Pet Sematary
Needful Things
Desparation
Rose Madder
The Eyes of the Dragon
The Dark Half
Bag of Bones
Dreamcatcher
The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon

As Richard Bachman:
The Long Walk
The Regulators

These are my favorites anyway.

Mak1

Friday, November 08, 2002 - 04:41 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Vixen, I've read The Stand and seen the movie, and plan to read it again. You get more in-depth in the book, and it's one of my all-time favorites. I definitely vote for you to read it.

Seamonkey

Tuesday, November 19, 2002 - 09:06 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
I'm reading From a Buick 8 right now..

Max

Tuesday, November 19, 2002 - 10:51 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
I'm just about finished with From a Buick 8. Been listening to it on tape. It's pretty good, IMHO. :)

Seamonkey

Tuesday, November 19, 2002 - 11:40 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Yeah, it is definitely worth reading.

On tape, is there a good reader?? The way King writes dialog, if it was well read, it could be a great way to "read" the book.

Max

Wednesday, November 20, 2002 - 10:10 am EditMoveDeleteIP
THe tape has several different readers for the different main characters. It was a good one. I listen to a lot of books on tape (better for commuting than the radio) and sometimes readers are really flat. Other times, they really enhance the storytelling. The best I've heard lately was Judith Ivey reading "The Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood". She really made the story come alive. This one isn't as good as that, but it is good nevertheless. :)

Next up from Stephen King for me is "Dreamcatcher". The tapes are on their way to me. :)

Seamonkey

Wednesday, November 20, 2002 - 07:07 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
A good reader makes such a difference..

Bbfreak

Friday, December 27, 2002 - 07:55 am EditMoveDeleteIP
I got "From a Buick 8" for Christmas , started it yesterday and finished it last night. I am a hard core King fan and I loved it!! I am so sad to hear he will retire, it will be an end of an era.

Vixeninvegas

Thursday, January 02, 2003 - 12:25 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Thanks to you all who told me to go ahead & read "The Stand" What a TERRIFIC Book - I read it over my Christmas Vacation - It took me 8 days & I really didn't want to put it down.

Mak1

Saturday, January 11, 2003 - 12:05 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
I'm glad you enjoyed it, Vixen, it's one of my favorite books ever! Click here for Stephen King's Official Website.

Seamonkey

Sunday, January 12, 2003 - 10:34 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Vixen.. soo good, huh??

I have the latest book of short stories which I may start soon.

Duncan

Sunday, January 12, 2003 - 07:12 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
I am trying to get thru Black House right now, but it suffers from the same problem that The Talisman did...it starts painfully slow. My brother assures me that it picks up, though.

Next on the list after that is Tales From a Buick 8 and The Regulators.

Allietex

Thursday, January 30, 2003 - 07:15 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
First time I have visited this site. Glad to find it. I love Stephen King. Well I love some of his work. I love the ones with the wonderful mysterious scary parts. I don't care for the the more obvious horror ones like It. My all time favorite though is The Stand which he wrote when he was still relatively unknown. I have read it several times and will probably read it again. I don't think anyone has ever matched it for the horror of a world after a global disaster. I was worried the TV miniseries would be terrible as many of them are, but I thought it was great.

Mak1

Friday, January 31, 2003 - 05:12 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
I agree, Allie, I was happily impressed with the TV miniseries. You can never be sure how they'll turn out, can you?

Bbfreak

Friday, February 21, 2003 - 08:41 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Looks Like they have made a movie out of DREAMCATCHER, It opens March 21. Morgan Freeman is perfect for the Bad Guy in this movie!

Seamonkey

Friday, February 21, 2003 - 10:31 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Morgan Freeman is perfect. Period. :)

Mak1

Monday, March 03, 2003 - 10:52 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Agreed, Seamonkey!

Every time we took our Girl Scout troop to Bangor, 70 miles south of us, we HAD to drive by Stephen King's house so they could dramatically shudder at the spider web and bats on his front gate, lol.

S. King's house

Tashakinz

Monday, April 07, 2003 - 12:26 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Just finished Dreamcatcher. It's probably just me, but it seems like it was a rehash of "The Tommyknockers". The whole "aliens want to take over the world" thing. I must admit though, I got a chill when I reached the part about the standpipe in Derry and read what had been written over the plaque...but then it refers to one of my top-two King stories.

All in all I was disappointed.

Seamonkey

Tuesday, April 08, 2003 - 03:32 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Just started his book of short stories, Everything's Eventual: 14 Dark Tales.

Lycanthrope

Thursday, May 29, 2003 - 07:02 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Seamonkey, did you like the short stories? I thought some of them were okay, but all in all, I preferred his earlier collections of short stories.

Seamonkey

Thursday, May 29, 2003 - 09:28 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
They were ok.. the main reason I even got that book was because of the annotations by King ABOUT the stories. But in general, I don't do stories..

I loved the book he wrote about writing..