any STEPHEN KING fans out there?

[asterisk]

Serious critics have been snubbing Stephen King for a long time and they have valid points, but King can also be superbly crafty and very good in literary terms.

Unite Constant Readers.

Tell me what you like about Stephen King, his books, his philosophy about horror, his prose, etc.

What is you favorite Stephen King book?

Etc. etc.

[Ira]

I don't much like his recent books, I prefer the older ones like Tommyknockers, Misery, and It. His recent ones just seem to be duplicates of tried-and-tested plots; while the scenarios are different, there isn't anything really that will make them stand out the way his older books did. The only surprise he's written recently was Bag of Bones, inspired by du Maurier's Rebecca, in that it strayed off his usual trite plots by adding more satire and reality. Has he sold out to Hollywood and big moolah? Probably. I prefer reading Clive Barker for horror stuff at this point, and better-written books than the pop-fiction King offers.

[asterisk]

Ira, you are right about his old works, when he still like struggling. His first book "Carrie" is really absorbing. His short story collection "Night Shift" is really mind-blowing.

I am half-way through "Bag of Bones." Then comes "The Girl Who loves Tom Gordon" and then "Hearts in Atlantis." Have to read those pa. Has anyone read the latter two?

I think he is getting to top form with his most recent books.

[???§ÎNNëÐ???]

sorry asterisk, i am not a stephen king fan. although i read the green mile recently because of the film which is going to be shown here soon.

[Ada]

I’ve read more than half of King’s books but somehow, he hasn’t made it to my list of favorite authors. I like the way he pays a lot of attention to detail, the way he takes his time to develop the story and his characters. However, none of his books has really scared me. For someone who’s supposed to be the master of horror, he fails me big time.

I think he should seriously consider writing more non-horror fiction for a change. His short stories are really good. I liked Apt Pupil and The Body. As for his novels, I liked The Stand and Thinner the most. It was almost okay but the ending really sucked. Same with Needful Things. Why do I feel that King almost always resorts to aliens when he can’t think of a suitable ending?

[asterisk]

Ada, King has veered away from the common notion of horror first with his four-novella collection "Different Seasons" which includes "The Body" "Apt Pupil" and "Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption" all have been made into critically acclaimed films.

Lately, his kind of horror is sublimated delving into the dark recesses of the human mind, as well as the darkness of common relationships and everyday events. Consider "Dolores Claiborne" and "Rose Madder" which tackle the horrors of sexism and domestic abuse. "The Green Mile" explores the horror putting to death the wrong man. Afterwards he returned to the supernatural with the double offing of "Desperation" and "The Regulators" (under pseudonym Richard Bachman)

[Kamatayan]

Yep most of Kings novels have real good build ups but the endings are just plain anti climactic (especially The Stand and It). His non-horror works though are something else, Shawshank Redemption and Stand By Me (siya nga ba to). It's like he's got a split personality...

[ross]

i haven't read any stephen king novels kse i have the impression that i wont be able to sleep. pero i like anne rice and shakespeare. hahaha

[asterisk]

Anne Rice's prose is too unwieldy and, well, syrupy.

Shakespeare is another matter. A literary god.

[Moiraine]

I used to read Stephen King's books a lot, but ever since Rose Madder (which I never got around to reading) the only book of his I've read is Bag of Bones.

Ada have you read The Shining or Pet Semetary? I think that they're the scariest of his books, especially Shining. I kept looking behind my shoulder while I was reading that. He also has some great short stories, some of them quite creepy, like Jerusalem's Lot and Grandma (if I got the title right).

[jepoy]

I've heard that King's wife is actually responsible for writing some (if not most) of his works.. is this true?

[asterisk]

That's mostly likely not true. Although Tabitha King is also a novelist and Stephen admits she helps a lot by being his first reader and making suggestions. She even edits his works.

Having a ghostwriter is one of the most prevalent accusations among writers, especially prolific ones.

But, jeez, he writes so fast and so heavily, there must be not one of him.

[Ada]

Moiraine: Yep, I've read both The Shining and Pet Sematary. Somehow, the idea of a haunted hotel didn't scare me enough, and dead animals brought back to life are, errr... not that frightening.

But don't mind me. It usually takes a lot to make me hide under the covers.

[jepoy]

Ada: what if i send you a pic of myself? That will surely put the fright in you.

[Ada]

Jepoy: Go right ahead. Let's see just how frightening you are. <;g>;

[Ira]

I have a couple of Tabitha King's books, and knowing the way she writes, I seriously doubt if she ghost-wrote Stephen King's books. Their styles and topics are too different.

I agree with Ada, while I have read most of his books, he isn't in my list of favorite authors. I read his stuff because his imagination amazes me, but otherwise, his horror stories don't scare me one bit.

I saw an interview on Dateline recently of Stephen King after his accident, and apparently, he's having a MAJOR writer's block. The Girl who Loves Tom Gordon was written and in the process of publication prior to the accident, while Hearts in Atlantis was in his storage na. He hasn't written anything for the past 6 months or so (probably more), and looks like his block is going to stay on for a long while.

[This message has been edited by Ira (edited 12-22-1999).]

[she]

So far, I liked every Stephen King book I've read. My list includes: Eyes of the Dragon, Carrie, Misery, Needful Things, Dolores Claiborne...

My favorite: Eyes of the Dragon... It's a lot different from his usual works coz of it's fairy tale-like story. Parang fairy tale lang but I really loved the plot and the way the story was narrated.

Needful Things: This book scared me knowing that people can be so easily manipulated because of their worldly desires and needs...

[asterisk]

Really, Ira? Hmmm....That's very similar to what happened to his main character in "Bag of Bones." This novelist-character Mike Noonan is having this writer's block so he puts out previously written books and books in storage. The only difference is that King had an accident and Noonan's wife dies in an accident.

[jepoy]

Ada: Be careful what you ask for.. mwa-ha-ha-ha

[Ada]

Jepoy: Dare? What if your pic doesn’t frighten me? Can I post it on the PEx homepage for everyone to see?

she: I think I’ve read Eyes of the Dragon. Is it about this prince who was imprisoned in a tower who escaped by making a rope out of threads from his napkins?