Kevin's Watch

Cail wrote:The Stand-I first read it when I was way too young for such things.

Wizard and Glass-Absolutely hated it the first time I read it. I was sobbing like a baby the second time. For my money, one of the most beautiful pieces of fiction I've ever read.

It-Read it in a single sitting the day before classes started my freshman year of college. Scared the bejeezus out of me.

The Shining-An absolute paranoid/claustrophobic masterpiece. Made into a crappy movie.

The Dead Zone-Johnny is such a great tragic character. Made into a very underrated movie.

Firestarter-Great premise, well-told story. Can't really say why I like it so much, I just do.

Gotta add Duma Key in here. It's as good as anything he's written.

Must find a copy of that. Still haven't managed to read it.

--A

The Stand
IT
Needful Things
Dark Tower (save last two books)
Dolores Clairborne

Dolores Clairborne I really enjoyed, big departure from his usual style. The last two DT books disappointed me. My mind has changed about the ending, though, I first saw it as a huge cop out, but upon reflection thought it was fitting.

Yeah, I felt similarly I must say. For me though, while DC was quite a change in style, I'm not sure I'd say it was one of his best. I enjoyed it for the novelty, but didn't love it.

--A

Avatar wrote:Must find a copy of that. Still haven't managed to read it.

--A

did you ever find Duma Key Av? if not, i'll send it to ya.
i haven't sent a box to south africa in quite a while now, eh?

(and i'm concurring with cail, good book)

Nah, haven't even seen it, although I haven't specifically searched it out.

--A

What I really liked about that last was the gentlemen’s club where the story is told.

It's been a long time, but IIRC, there's another one set there in Skeleton Crew.

(Which has a fine selection of brilliant stories...The Mist, The Raft and Survivor type to name just a few.)

--A

No love for Lisey's Story? and Duma Key?
....

For me, the best King is: (best highest)

It
DT3: The Waste Lands
The Talisman
The Stand

honorable mention: Eyes of the Dragon.

Most disturbing King books: Pet Sematary, Gerald's Game.

I really didn't like Lisey's Story. Duma Key was ok, but honestly I preferred The Cell.

--A

yeah I loved Lisey's Story and Duma Key. and Blaze for that matter.

it's much easier for me to say which King books I DIDN'T like than to pick favorites but the ones I read over and over are

The Stand
It
Insomnia
The Shining
Different Seasons (yes I agree that The Breathing Method was underrated!)
Dolores Claiborne
Rose Madder
Desperation
Bag of Bones
Hearts in Atlantis
and i'm adding
11/22/63
and
Joyland to the must be read over and over pile.


and i'm eagerly awaiting the release of Dr. Sleep! woot!

I don't really like Rose Madder. And Bag of Bones was the one that put me off him for a few years.

Haven't read the last two there, but otherwise I agree with your list.

--A

I like Rose Madder for the whole terrifying beginning and...it's a woman thing probably...I appreciate the depiction of what that whole situation is like. the domestic violence thing. he did a good job on that.

bag of bones...there was some very classically king creepy stuff in there.
the letter magnets, the drive up to the lake house...some good creep out stuff. heh. first time I read it I was all like omg! king gets his creepy on again! oh and did you see the movie? it was a 2 night thing on A&E tv, it was pretty good (for a tv king adaptation)!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y57K6IoAj7Y

Nah, after Bag of Bones, I didn't buy another King book (apart from the DT) until...well, probably Duma Key very recently. Which I only got because of recs here, and the fact that I'd enjoyed Cell, which sorta made me think he might be recovering from his slump.

It really put me off his new style, and The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon did nothing to reassure me...

--A

oh Av! lol!!! he's Stephen King. even his CRAP gets published!

king crap list:

thegirlwhoblahblahblah'd out in the woods
under the gnarly mysterious dome
hey cell phones are creepy
big slobbering dog goes crazy
alien byrus infects earth
is leland gaunt's real name randall flagg


and the only thing I liked about The Tommyknockers was the rhyme

...I wanna go to sleep but I don't know if I can
cause i'm so afraid of the tommyknocker man! eeeeeeeee!!!!!! scury!!


and I gotta tell ya, I wasn't all that knocked out by
Pet Sematary or Misery when I read them the first time.
fred qwynn made me like pet sematary
and kathy bates and james caan made me like misery.


still...i'll read whatever he writes. even his crap doesn't put me off him! heh.

lucimay wrote: and I gotta tell ya, I wasn't all that knocked out by
Pet Sematary or Misery when I read them the first time.
fred qwynn made me like pet sematary

I think those two are made better by watching the movies. I find Pet Sematary to be King's most disturbing book, because of the implications and also the characters' actions.

I mean, after all that happens with the cat, and the kid, he takes his wife up there. By that point the man is totally insane.

Horrim Carabal wrote:

lucimay wrote: and I gotta tell ya, I wasn't all that knocked out by
Pet Sematary or Misery when I read them the first time.
fred qwynn made me like pet sematary

I think those two are made better by watching the movies. I find Pet Sematary to be King's most disturbing book, because of the implications and also the characters' actions.

I mean, after all that happens with the cat, and the kid, he takes his wife up there. By that point the man is totally insane.

I agree totally. PS is one of the most disturbing.
there are several "what if" situations he sets up that I find
disturbing. what happened to jack torrence in the shining
was disturbing to me personally. the things rose suffered
in rose madder were disturbing. Dolores Claiborne as well.
even
while I know why his books are considered "horror", many
times, in many of the books, it's not the weird supernatural
stuff that MAKES them horror.

I liked Cell. And I like Needful Things. I still reread it every now and then.

And c'mon, Cujo was pretty good.

(Alien Virus?)

I hated the Pet Semetary and Misery movies. Misery the book was pretty creepy...more so for the lack of supernatural stuff. Pet Semetary...meh...not his worst, not his best either.

(And weren't the fist two lines "Late last night and the night before / Tommyknockers, Tommyknockers, knocking at my door...?)

--A

Duma Key was a really well written book. I haven't been a fan of his stuff recently. Did not like Cell at all. I thought it was very formula. And couldn't stand Under the Dome. That ending was terrible. But Duma Key was an introspective, well thought out book. I had the feeling it was greatly influenced by his own accident where he was so badly injured. Loved the story. And his writing of the shells under the house is brilliant. It isn't a book for someone who is looking for scary looking ghosts and boo in the night stuff.

Not read the entire King canon of oeuvres, but personal faves include:-

The Stand (though now it reads very dated).
The Green Mile
11.22.63
Needful Things
Eyes of The Dragon
Firestarter
The Dead Zone

Hope Springs Eternal: Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption
The Body
The Langoliers

In terms of movies - whether cinema or made-for-TV - there've been a good few standouts and a good few turkeys:-

I liked the David Soul Salem's lot mini-series.
I liked the Drew Barrymore Firestarter adaptation.
I really liked the Chris Walken Dead Zone adaptation.
Loved both Shawshank, Green Mile and Stand By Me.

Disliked The Stand intensely - Chockablock with 80s bratpack members.
Disliked Christine
Disliked It
Hated Cujo
Worst two of 'em all?
Schwarzenegger's Running Man and
Maximum Overdrive

Never read The Dark Tower septology....