Worst Stephen King novel

[BenG]

Originally Posted by Timoleon

It just refused to engage my interest --- I'd put it down, then pick it up a week later, put it down again...

I was really surprised, because I had read and enjoyed "Carrie", "Salem's Lot", "The Shining", and "Night Shift" before I tackled "The Stand." I guess I'm just not a walking man kind of guy.

I liked the original version, but the uncut version which he published when he had more clout has a lot of stuff that adds to the length but are unnecessary to the story or the characters.

[VaporPunk]

Sk is like the ultimate tease. So many of his works have crap endings, even his good stuff. But Dreamcatcher for me was 90% crap all the way through and the worst one that I remember.

I loved the Dark Tower series. But the ending was...well, there's no words for it.

The Stand is still my favorite. The Shining is up there too.

[hidari]

It's actually funny that you rate Stephen King so high. I can think of a dozen or two writers off the top of my head that I would much rather read then some of the drivel he turns out. Quantity does not always trump quality. Some of his dialogue is crap. I think your Stephen King pyramid is a house of cards.

The few that I have tried to read are good page turners...good pulp fiction... but far from great writing imho.

Originally Posted by raychensmith

I believe Stephen King is the most talented commercial writer working today, and his best novels, like his recent 11/22/63, are so beyond the abilities of most novelists, it's not even funny. His way with prose, character development, and most especially dialogue is just stellar. Even minor characters (for example, Lee Harvey Oswald's mom in 11/22/63) are fleshed out to an extent that rivals other writers' MAJOR characters.

Having said this, some of his stories are pretty bad. Long and meandering and anticlimactic. I nominate Under the Dome as probably his worst book; at least, his worst recent book. This novel is like 1000+ pages long and has the most ridiculous protagonist in it (this wimpy soldier guy [I forgot his name] who is somehow entrusted by the US government to help out but is promptly arrested and stays in jail for like half the story). Worse is the ending. It's like Stephen King said to himself, Hey, my novel's starting to get too long, and he just threw his arbitrary tragedy into it that abruptly ends everything. I can't really explain it more without spoiling it (though this turd of a story can't really be spoiled), but it just truly sucked.

[spindlegirl]

Don't throw anything at me, but I've tried 11/22/63 twice, in the hopes I will like it, because many people seem to say it's King's best. There are a few scenes I like so far, but the whole thing seems sloppily written to me.

[kennyc]

Who's Steven King?

[hidari]

The only one I finished was The Shining...which I would not rate as decent but not that good. I would like to try The Stand because I have heard this one is by far his best

[David Munch]

I gave up on The Stand as an audiobook, after going 1/3 into it. The way the reader portrayed all the characters as hill billies, with over-the-top voices to go, really put me of. Learned me that I should be more critical when listening to books, but also how big an impact the reader has on my reception of an audiobook.

Funny though, I don't recall the 1/3 of the book I did listen to, to be very interesting. Will return to it someday as a non-audiobook, but not with great expectations.

[bloodlover]

Originally Posted by hidari

The only one I finished was The Shining...which I would not rate as decent but not that good. I would like to try The Stand because I have heard this one is by far his best

The movie The Shining is much much better. I recommend looking at that.

Also, I found SK a very weak author with really silly books (Pet Cemetery comes to mind).

[AndrewH]

Originally Posted by David Munch

I gave up on The Stand as an audiobook, after going 1/3 into it. The way the reader portrayed all the characters as hill billies, with over-the-top voices to go, really put me of.

That's how they were written. WAY over the top characterizations. M-O-O-N, that spells over the top. My laws yes! Larry wanted to puke, but he hated to puke, and at times I felt the same way about The Stand.

[LuvReadin]

Originally Posted by VaporPunk

But Dreamcatcher for me was 90% crap all the way through and the worst one that I remember.

Yep, Dreamcatcher for me too. Awful - the story was rubbish, the characters were annoying, the whole thing was a waste of time. I ended up skimming through the last third and wishing more of them had been killed off! TBH, I haven't liked many of his later ones - Dean Koontz is far superior, IMO.

[aquabel]

I've read about a dozen SK books over the years, and have liked some. One I couldn't get into at all was Christine, I found it boring.

[Quexos]

It seems to me that Stephen King is more of a story-teller than a writer, if that makes any sense. I think that when he sets to tell a story, he does it very well and it is very enjoyable to read most of the time.

[VaporPunk]

Dolores Claiborne is a good book that many non horror fans like. Also one of my fav SK novels. He also had a collections of 4 novellas in one that thoroughly wowed me. One of the stories became that movie, the one where the kids find the body...(Stand By Me?) Argh, I can't remember the title of the book...or the movie...or who I am?

[caleb72]

Originally Posted by VaporPunk

One of the stories became that movie, the one where the kids find the body...(Stand By Me?) Argh, I can't remember the title of the book...or the movie...or who I am?

The story is called The Body. The movie is called Stand By Me.

[spindlegirl]

Originally Posted by caleb72

The story is called The Body. The movie is called Stand By Me.

It's one of the stories in Different Seasons. I read that one. I also liked Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption upon which the movie, The Shawshank Redemption was based.