View Single Post
Old 01-02-2015, 08:31 PM   #27
gmw
cacoethes scribendi
gmw ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.gmw ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.gmw ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.gmw ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.gmw ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.gmw ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.gmw ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.gmw ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.gmw ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.gmw ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.gmw ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
gmw's Avatar
 
Posts: 5,818
Karma: 137770742
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Australia
Device: Kobo Aura One & H2Ov2, Sony PRS-650
Quote:
Originally Posted by HoopyFrood View Post
The thing about those stories is not the subject matter, it's the way the stories are written. Not much filler, just an honest scary story.

I would put "Salem's Lot" on the short list of King's books to read.
I don't disagree about the "it's the way the stories are written", it's mostly a difference of opinion on which stories reflect that best - versus which stories tend toward the schlock-horror that many people think of when they think of King.

Even in the books that I really don't like (eg: Cujo, Misery etc.), I can still appreciate the way King writes - his characters are wonderfully constructed. I just don't like those particular stories, I find them ugly rather than scary. (About the only King book I found truly scary, the first time I read it, was Gerald's Game.)

One good example of the distinction I'm talking about is Pet Sematary - the first two thirds of that book were wonderfully done, King at his best, but the last third could have been taken from any of a dozen horror movies. My notes from the last time I read it conclude: "more like a Simpsons Halloween special than part of the story."

I do agree that Salem's Lot is a good book. It's not in my top picks, but I would recommend it as worth reading once someone decides they like the way King writes.

ETA: ucfgrad93 mentioned Firestarter - this is another one that I enjoyed very much.

Last edited by gmw; 01-02-2015 at 08:39 PM.
gmw is offline   Reply With Quote