Stephen King - hate the movies, any good books?

[crich70]

Originally Posted by Strether

I remember reading an essay by Orson Scott Card years ago in which he said many of the things depicted in movies and books were too intense for him--that he could only watch a movie at home so he could turn it off when it created feelings he couldn't handle. He said the only books of King's he could read were The Stand and The Dead Zone.

I liked The Dead Zone, for its clever and satisfying ending, but could never get through The Stand. Never read Shawshank but the movie was terrific.

Jim

The Dead Zone has one part that I have trouble with emotionally.

Spoiler:

The part where the guy learns that his fiance has married another man and the scenes where he ends up meeting the other guy. I feel for the hero. It's a very painful experience.

[KaiReader]

I can't believe no one has mentioned the Dark Tower series (apologies if someone has and I missed it).
It's more of an odd kinda fantasy than horror/thriller.. I really enjoy it, have read it a couple of times now. The first book (also the shortest) can put people off due to the weirdness, but if you can get through that and into the 2nd, its a fantastic series. If you've read or watched a few of his other books/movies, it becomes more interesting but I won't go into that due to spoilers

I also really enjoyed The Stand, The Dark Half, Under The Dome and 11.22.63.
FYI I'm not really a fan of horror, but I do enjoy a good thriller. My most-read genres would have to be SF/F

[curtw]

Originally Posted by burnafterreading

hmm... from those 3 movies (shawshank, stand by me, green mile) - i'll admit they were good movies but it's possible that my dislike of Morgan (i've heard too much of that voice) & Hanks (esp Hanks, good god how i hate Hanks and every movie he's done) reduced my enjoyment of the SK flicks.

i've noticed The Stand being recommended here and on other web lists, so i'll give that a try as my first SK read. never saw the show/series.

I would never recommend The Stand. 1000+ pages, and the end just peters out. I will "third" the recommendation for 11/22/63. Oddly, I've never, EVER had an interest in reading romance novels, but the love story in this book absolutely captivated me.

[burnafterreading]

Originally Posted by KaiReader

I can't believe no one has mentioned the Dark Tower series (apologies if someone has and I missed it).
It's more of an odd kinda fantasy than horror/thriller.. I really enjoy it, have read it a couple of times now. The first book (also the shortest) can put people off due to the weirdness, but if you can get through that and into the 2nd, its a fantastic series. If you've read or watched a few of his other books/movies, it becomes more interesting but I won't go into that due to spoilers

I also really enjoyed The Stand, The Dark Half, Under The Dome and 11.22.63.
FYI I'm not really a fan of horror, but I do enjoy a good thriller. My most-read genres would have to be SF/F

actually i was kind of waiting to see if The Dark Tower stuff would come up! i ran across it on some SK list, so it was on my radar just a bit.

so, sounds like my SK list is:
The Stand
11/22/63
Dead Zone
Dark Tower

[gmw]

I did mention Dark Tower - but since I've never managed to finish all the books, I guess the mention isn't worth much . From the few (I think it was four) Dark Tower books I have read, I can say it is very much still Stephen King, so find out if you like his writing style before undertaking the epic journey (and be glad you don't have the epic wait that most King fans endured as he wrote the series).

I enjoyed all of 11/22/63 except the title (I'm not American) and the ending

Spoiler:

(seemed to me like someone else wrote it after King got himself in a bind)

. The rest of it was vintage King and very well done.

(Not sure if spoiler tags were really necessary, but better safe than sorry.)

[HoopyFrood]

Let me see if I have this straight: you've never read a Stephen King book, but you want to read one that isn't like what you think he writes, which you don't really know because you've never read any of his books. The movies based on his books are poop, pretty much, and you base your dislike of his books on the movies?

Geeze, grab a book, read it and then make your decision about King. Not liking an author, because movies based on his books are lousy, is pretty ignorant.

Stephen King can write some excellent short stories and a couple of his best are in the collection "Four Past Midnight": "The Library Policeman" and "The Sun Dog".

[burnafterreading]

Originally Posted by HoopyFrood

Let me see if I have this straight: you've never read a Stephen King book, but you want to read one that isn't like what you think he writes, which you don't really know because you've never read any of his books. The movies based on his books are poop, pretty much, and you base your dislike of his books on the movies?

you've KINDA got it, but not totally...

Originally Posted by HoopyFrood

Geeze, grab a book, read it and then make your decision about King. Not liking an author, because movies based on his books are lousy, is pretty ignorant.

NOW you've got it!


the whole point of this thread is (was) effectively "what SK book isn't like the SK storytelling that's portrayed in the awful movies?"

i've been able to get a few good recommendations, so that's where i'll begin my (re)evaluation of SK.

[gmw]

Originally Posted by HoopyFrood

[...]Stephen King can write some excellent short stories and a couple of his best are in the collection "Four Past Midnight": "The Library Policeman" and "The Sun Dog".

One of the things I find fascinating about being on MR is finding people with such different reactions to books. These are two stories I would put down as ones to avoid - especially for a person that doesn't like the schlock-horror movies.

[ucfgrad93]

My favorite King novels are:

The Stand
The Dead Zone
Firestarter

[HoopyFrood]

Originally Posted by gmw

One of the things I find fascinating about being on MR is finding people with such different reactions to books. These are two stories I would put down as ones to avoid - especially for a person that doesn't like the schlock-horror movies.

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.

[crich70]

Originally Posted by HoopyFrood

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've heard of "Salem's Lot"being described as a modern Dracula in a way. Certainly there are parallels in the two books.

[gmw]

Originally Posted by HoopyFrood

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.

[taosaur]

As someone who has read most of King, I would say steer clear of It and The Stand until you have a better idea whether his work is for you. They're fan favorites, but probably because they're sprawling and self-indulgent and as "SK" as SK gets. Likewise, if you're looking for less schlocky horror, Salem's Lot is probably not the way to go. 11/22/63 is a good entry point. Duma Key was one of the least typical King books that I still enjoyed; it's set in Florida rather than Maine with mostly wealthy rather than salt-of-the-earth characters. It is horror, but the horror isn't really the core of the story.

Also, yes, many mediocre and terrible films have had SK's name on them, but there are a few good ones besides the dramas. The director's cut of 1408 is one of the better horror movies of the past couple decades, and both Maximum Overdrive and The Mist are cult classics, though far from schlock-free.

[Dr. Drib]

Originally Posted by ucfgrad93

My favorite King novels are:

The Stand
The Dead Zone
Firestarter

OT:

You need to update your pencil.

[gmw]

taosaur, bear in mind that "schlock" means cheap, trashy, inferior quality. It has rarely been a very good description of King's novels, even the ones I don't like. It is, however, a good description of many of the horror movies made from his books, as it is of many horror movies of that era (it seems to me).

It is possibly fair to write off It as merely a fan favourite, but I don't think that really applies to The Stand. Despite its length and other imperfections, it has garnered appreciation from quite a wide audience.

As for self-indulgent? Well, placing a non-fiction article (and poem) about baseball in a collection of short horror stories (Nightmares and Dreamscapes) probably qualifies. But when it comes to his novels ... Yes, it's true that these days readers don't necessarily have the patience for that sort extended background to a story, but it shouldn't be mistaken for self-indulgence. It is the way King tells his stories (and he's not the only one, just one of the more famous). You either like it, or you don't.