Definitely continue with the Dark Tower series! I just finished book 4 and I’m in love with both the story and the characters. Also, 11/22/63 is amazing. Great video. 🙌
YESSSSS, love it! The only mutual King books we have are Carrie and Misery. Carrie was such an important book to me when I was younger so I’ll always love it. If you’re a fan of how King writes kids you should definitely check out The Institute! I loved that one.
Ahhhh please tell me you think of Carrie when listening to Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?! 😄 The Institute is on my to read but idk when I’ll get around to it bc I’m trying to go in semi chronological order (emphasis on semi tho 😉)
@@valliyarnl YES ABSOLUTELY! That’s literally her song. Impressed at you trying to go in order 😯 I think at this point I’ve read more of his newer releases so I need to go back to the classics
Recently read the tommyknockers. It is about 400-500 pages too long (my edition is nearly 1000 pages) and has some crazy rants in it. There is a good book in there for sure, but like... easily his second worst behind elevation. I feel like it could single handedly make someone hate Stephen King's books forever.
The funny part about dnf’ing Cujo at 50% is that it does, in fact get a lot better in the second half. I wasn’t really that into the book but then I stayed up till 1am reading the last 170 pages non stop because it’s fantastic
Great video Wera, I have discovered your channel thanks to the Witcher video doing well and the algorithm picking it up. I have read three of his books in my mid to late teenage years. I usually read them after coming back home at dawn from hanging out with friends. Firestarter, Christine and The Shining are the three I have read. While all of them were enjoyable, I felt that they are very formulaic and follow an easy to deduct structure. I regard them as fun pulp reads and they definitely made me like the horror genre. There are still a couple of his books that I would like to read but university burnt me out on reading books. Kujo, Misery and Carrie. Good luck with the channel, and just in general. Enjoy good books and media, cheers from Hungary! Hajrá Lengyelek!
definitely try Mistery. It is so incredibly captivating and the audiobook is wonderful (might help get over the university-induced reading slump!). thank you for commenting!
I haven't read a lot of these. The only one that I read of the ones you talked about was Misery and it was by far my favourite King's books that I read. Currently I read Joyland, Mysery, The Outsider, Mr Mercedes and Pet Sematary in this order. Joyland was a great experience and a great introduction to King's writing style. I read the book at like 18 or 19 years old and since the character is a male on the same age as I was and since I worked in the summer too when I was still studying, it was really easy for me to connect with him. Also he really had a way of thinking about some things that, in many ways, is just like mine. The book has nothing scary per say but it was the first book that made me have a physical reaction when I was reading leaving me swallowing dry and really tense. This happend because through so much of the book you spend so much time through the eyes of the main chcaracter and you start like the people around him as well as if you know them yourself and then when one of them gets threatened I really felt it and felt genuinely worried fot the character. Mysery was my favourite. I liked the rush it gave me when I was rooting for Paul to escape or not be caught by Annie. I loved the portrait of drugs addiciton in it and the descriptions of how Paul felt without them. Although I felt that some parts of of the novel Paul was writing could have been cut, I enjoyed them as well. I think I might re-read it soon. The Outsider was a very interesting mystery. It was well established from the beggining and was not afraid to go unexpected and weird routes. Plus the finale felt like this would be the beggining to a trilogy and definetly made want to explore more about the King's extended universe so that I could understand this one a little more. Mr Mercedes was a great crime novel and the start to what seems a good trilogy. I really enjoyed the character of Bill Hodges and how he seems that he almost gave up on life at the beggining of the book but we see it gradualy change. Finale, Pet Sematary also became one of my favourite King novels and I really enjoyed the mystery and the thrill. I constantly kept wondering and worrying about Louis the main character and all his family, loved the friendship they had with their neighbours. It definetly explores a darker fear of the human heart and the consequences it brings to give in to our desires to lessen the pain. Even today I remember this book everytime I see a dead animal on the road so I imagine it left a pretty big impact on me.
@@valliyarnl I am glad you read it all. Comment sections are pretty much the only place where I can discuss and talk about books and stories that I like. None of my friends read and I haven't met anyone personally that I can discuss them with. I would love to hear your thoughts on it
Kudis for being able to challenge yourself to speak so succinctly about so many books. I agree that a lot of books, not just King's, are unnecessarily long. I am happy to say your video was just about the perfect length.
Great video. Really admire the completionist approach. I’ve been a Stephen King fan for decades and I haven’t read a lot of these. Maybe that’s why I’m a fan 😂 I think the only one that I had a very different experience with was ‘Salem’s Lot, for me it’s one of his best. Can’t imagine what experiencing The Stand for the first time in 2020 was like, the pandemic was pretty unnerving for me when I first read it. And that was in the 90’s!
I think maybe I was too young for Salem’s lot to truly appreciate it all? I think maybe someday that’s one I would like to reread because I think about it more than I thought I would 🧛♀️
@@valliyarnl nah, you’re a way more advanced reader than I was at your age. And I reckon way more advanced than I am now 😂 Sometimes.a book does live in your head for longer than you expect them to and deserve a revisit at some point.
Have you read his short stories: Skeleton Crew? I read it when I was eleven at a campground under street lights at a pool that had lights underwater too and it felt so surreal I remember the stories about rats to this day.
Great video, I love the idea of it too! I’ve only read Salems Lot but really loved it and am keen to get in further with Misery or Pet Semetary next I think before trying The Stand
The Stand is my favorite. Adored Running Man and Carrie when I was younger (Also loved Dead Zone TV Show as a kid). Currently Reading The Langoliers and I find it very intriguing...There is another kid you may like inside.
Hopefully Pet Sematary is on your list to read. Misery is one of my favorites from King. It feel like he put so much of himself into that book. I haven't read any of the Bachman books yet but I'm hoping to change that soon.
Spoilers for my next SK video but Pet Sematary is the first one I read for it and if you want my initial thoughts check out my Goodreads (linked in description) bc I don’t wanna spoil what I thought of it here :)
I always felt like a lot of his work is drug induced stream of consciousness. Fascinating stuff, but as you've said, it is drawn out. And sometimes not by little. It is drawn out a lot. Which is probably why his work lends itself to movie adaptations so well. You can just cut away a lot of distractions or combine them into something else that is more interesting and tell the story in 2 hours. Or in case of 11/22/63, in 8 episodes. I prefer the show to the book.
I’ve only read a couple of Stephen King books but last Halloween I decided to read Pet Sematary. I DEVOURED the book soo fast which is rare for me. Amazing shocking heartbreaking scary 10/10. Also I agree with your take on Salem’s Lot, I read it because it’s so popular & really did not get the hype. It just left me feeling unfulfilled lol
About Pet Sematary… I read it for the next King video and let me say this: I’ve never had to stop reading a book for a while because it stressed me out so much 🫣
The Dark Tower series is my favorite ever so I’m totally biased but I think you’ll really enjoy The Drawing of the Three. I also recommend The Bill Hodges Trilogy along with the Outsider. Fantastic video by the way
Thank you! I have one Stephen king book left for my next Stephen king video (but IT’s a big one 😉) For the Bill Hodges trilogy I think that will be its own video too. Maybe around October?
Ive heard that Stephen King was a hit or miss. I haven’t read anything of his as of yet but just like you, Carrie, and Misery were highly recommended as well as The Shining.. of all of these, Misery would be one I’d like to check out..I love the way you did this review, I’d be a wreck trying to describe each book in one minute! I am a little surprised at how many you did not finish but it makes sense from what I’ve heard from others.. and, he wrote Cujo during a drinking binge? Hahaha never heard that! But I’d like to read that one just because! Maybe it’s better reading while drunk?? 😮
Yess it was very stressful (I must admit there were a few takes for some of them because words weren’t coming out fast enough)! About Cujo I think it was magic mushrooms (allegedly). About misery IT IS SO GOOD ‼️‼️
That’s hilarious! Mushrooms.. Well, I couldn’t notice if you were stressed. I can’t imagine the editing that goes into making TH-cam videos but I look forward to them each Friday..
Carrie was my first stephen King book and so far my absolute favorite was MISERY and the film adaption was top notch. Also read Stephen Kings How to write book as it details his journey and also gives inspiring writers tips on how to write.
On writing is definitely on my TBR! And yeah I really need to get around to watching Misery the movie bc it’s so iconic. Haven’t had the time to yet but I will soon !!
Yeah King's biggest consistency is his inconsistencies with his quality. The middle of a lot of his books are just him waffling. It's like his descriptive paragraphs are just writing exercises that authors do. Like they are well described, but completely unnecessary 😭 I paused my read of the stand like a year ago got 100 pages in. Gotta get back. This was a great video, keep them up Edit: I actually really like the gunslinger tho 😅
Consistently inconsistent is exactly my experience with King. Thank you! As for The Gunslinger, like I said, it is my most highly rated Western (along with Red Country by Joe Abercrombie which was also a 2.5⭐️ for me). Idk what it is about them but they just don’t work for me… doesn’t mean I’ll stop trying to find one I like tho!
Really interesting to get your take on these. I've enjoyed some of the film adaptations, but I've never been drawn to his books due to the criticism that he can't do endings. Now I think he can't do middles :) I'm really interested in The Stand but I'm torn between reading that or Swan Song by Robert McCammon, as they seem to touch on similar things. Thanks for your quickfire thoughts. I hope you've had time to de-stress.
The Stand has my vote :D (and yeah he definitely struggles with middles... I just finished Pet Sematary and It has a banger ending and the intensity of the plot increases with each page so I hiiiiighly recommend it... and it isn't 1000+p long)
I love Stephen King!! Instant sub!! I read / listened to almost all of the books in your video. The Long Walk and The Stand are some of my favorites. Not sure if you’re a fan of audio books, but SK read some of them himself. It’s a lot of fun to listen to the stories exactly the way he intended. If you liked The Stand, you’ll love Needful Things!
ooo i didn't know that! I've switched to audiobooks for the Running Man onwards because of the slump preceeding it but I haven't encountered one that SK reads one himself... excited to come across it!!
@@valliyarnl I know I listened to some audiobooks narrated by King himself but he didnt do all of his books. Needful Things is one I know for sure because I enjoyed it so much! Anyway thanks for the reply! I’m looking forward to your next review (:
I have read all of them (except roadworks) back in the 90ies and totally agree on almost everything you said. Sometimes I had to laugh out loud about some of your critizism because I remember being struck by the very same thoughts when I first read this stuff. Don't go too harsh on Cujo. I think it was an experiment not to go supernatural - as was Misery (and we all know Misery was way better). Ever tried Needful Things? Maybe you will hate this one as well but in my opinion a very clever and somehow underrated book...
Good question! For me a 3 is an average book (or the good and bad stuff balance out, which was the case here). A 2.5 would be disappointing, a 2 would be deeply flawed book imo. I think Salem’s Lot was well crafted but maybe I had bad expectations going in. Hope that clears it up!
@@valliyarnl That does clear it up, thank you. For me a 3 is slightly more positive ("solid book, I liked it") but I think most people are aligned with you, with 3 being just okay.
@@TF-lk6co oh sorry yeah no when I say average book I mean it’s solid but didn’t make a big impact on me. I definitely liked things about Salem’s Lot but equally there was a bunch that bogged it down. I liked the idea more than the execution tbh
I never hear anyone talk about Duma Key. Not the "deepest" novel but a really fun/rewarding read. The characters ARE the book and there's only a few of them. On Writing is great if your interest in literature extends beyond reading and it's still pretty good even if it doesn't. The Gunslinger is odd; I like it but after it and The Drawing of the Three (I think is what it's called), I can live w/out the other Dark Tower books.
@@valliyarnl Sorry, I think the way I worded that was confusing. I did like The Drawing; I don't like the rest the Dark Tower series. Well, that's not entirely true. I didn't actually finish all of them. I read Wasteland and Wizard but I didn't finish the one after that. It's been a long time. I've thought about trying again but I just never got around to it. BTW, I watched your "classic dystopian" video after I commented on your "top 10" video and based on how much you liked Brave New World, I'd be really interested to hear your take on Philip K. Dick. Specifically Three Stigmata. I stand by Duma Key. It never really gets any recognition (so maybe i'm in the minority) but it's one of my favorite King stories.
I have to ask, though, why do you despise westerns? Have you read anything from German writer Karl May? His westerns aren't exactly high literature, but they're A LOT of fun.
@@valliyarnl You must have tried the wrong ones then. Karl May's books are pure adventure books that just so happen to be set in the wild west. Here's a short anecdote. When I was 10 or 12 years old, I was reading Winnetou II when my mom asked me to go to the store to buy some groceries. Upon returning I took the remote and tried to find the western that I thought I was watching on the TV. I completely forgot that I was actually reading a book because of how immersed I was in the book.
Wera made an excellent point regarding plotting. I think letting characters evolve the story is good to a certain extent - but purely on its own can lead to some boring sections. I think King has moved away from his "anti plot" stance a little.
It seems you've been leaning heavily on his early work (as opposed to the mid-career or later books), and avoiding the short story and novella collections. I'm not sure that's what I would have recommended. I hated The Gunslinger but loved the rest of the Dark Tower series, so I'd advise anyone not to let that first book put them off from reading further.
Is The Long Walk really printed with King's name and the pseudonym on the cover? Confused as to why that'd be? Thought the point of pseudonym were so people didn't know it was you. 😅
The Shining is fantastic, I was pretty surprised that it was so good, and also not only different than the movie, but also about something a bit different altogether. Doctor Sleep is very nice as well. It is entertaining until about 2/3 of the way, where it becomes a total shitshow imo
@valliyarnl I don't know if either one of our opinions is popular or not, but I put this book almost away and only kept reading because I already got the second book, and I'm happy I did because the overall story was really good
Awwhhh I’m sorry you haven’t found a King that suits ur tastes yet :( like u see on my list, my experience with him varies a lot but the gems are worth the find!
So… you made a bunch of TikToks about the books. For that you speak slow in the minutes. 😂😂 if this was in one take? Good one! Actually Card’s Ender and later his children (adapted) in Speaker for the Dead are well written. I didn’t have any issues with them. His Dark Materials. That was good with children too. Harry Potter no. 😂 (You said you can’t tolerate children being written…) So… more interesting question: do you think the romantasy readers eventually will be the next epic fantasy readers? We mentioned that with Petrik Leo that maybe by time they are starting to read epic fantasy but as I said a lot on booktok just join to the Sanderson readers first reading Mistborn.
… I wouldn’t call them “tik toks” …. I was inspired by Matts Fantasy Book Reviews’ video (he did 30s). As for speaking slow, that’s my normal talking speed. In the other videos I usually cut the spaced in between words … and yeah it was one take 😒
@@valliyarnl TikToks are 1 minutes (or they were not so long ago) so people had to resolve this. One thing is fast speaking the other is 0 mistakes, then there is always a hook, those are very well organised to start with a good phrase or whatever keep the viewer in or even be re-watchable without break. Even now they have to do this with a bit longer videos. Mistakes are not allowed, they cut out the “hm…” parts, they speak faster, no matter if now 10 minutes is allowed. Unless the speaker is an extremely good presenter in one way (charms)? They lose the attention with a normal video. Younger people don’t have the patience. And that’s why they are not here, on TH-cam. Well… in exchange you get views very fast there. Your content by now would be on a 10k subscriber channel if not more. You create some interesting content. As I said tho: for a one take video it’s really impressive. I couldn’t do it. Or I would need notes about all the books to be this fast yet I read them all. I tried for longer TikToks to do one takes. But as you see above, the creators said, they never do one takes, they do cut parts in record.
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Wera : Misery gave me nightmares.
Also Wera : Everyone should read this book.
She officially wants us to suffer.
😈
Definitely continue with the Dark Tower series! I just finished book 4 and I’m in love with both the story and the characters.
Also, 11/22/63 is amazing.
Great video. 🙌
Thank you!
Watching Wera go from hating Westerns to loving Cormac McCarthy is the kind of character arc I love to see. 😁
YESSSSS, love it! The only mutual King books we have are Carrie and Misery. Carrie was such an important book to me when I was younger so I’ll always love it.
If you’re a fan of how King writes kids you should definitely check out The Institute! I loved that one.
Ahhhh please tell me you think of Carrie when listening to Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?! 😄 The Institute is on my to read but idk when I’ll get around to it bc I’m trying to go in semi chronological order (emphasis on semi tho 😉)
@@valliyarnl YES ABSOLUTELY! That’s literally her song.
Impressed at you trying to go in order 😯 I think at this point I’ve read more of his newer releases so I need to go back to the classics
You will definitely want to read 11/22/63. 'The Tommyknockers' is on my wish list because of the crazy story behind the writing of it.
Hehehehe you’ll never guess what I’m reading this autumn with a few friends ;)
Recently read the tommyknockers. It is about 400-500 pages too long (my edition is nearly 1000 pages) and has some crazy rants in it. There is a good book in there for sure, but like... easily his second worst behind elevation. I feel like it could single handedly make someone hate Stephen King's books forever.
@@devildriverrule111 …. Oh no 💀 I’ll clear up that I meant 11/22/63
The funny part about dnf’ing Cujo at 50% is that it does, in fact get a lot better in the second half. I wasn’t really that into the book but then I stayed up till 1am reading the last 170 pages non stop because it’s fantastic
Great video Wera, I have discovered your channel thanks to the Witcher video doing well and the algorithm picking it up.
I have read three of his books in my mid to late teenage years. I usually read them after coming back home at dawn from hanging out with friends. Firestarter, Christine and The Shining are the three I have read.
While all of them were enjoyable, I felt that they are very formulaic and follow an easy to deduct structure. I regard them as fun pulp reads and they definitely made me like the horror genre.
There are still a couple of his books that I would like to read but university burnt me out on reading books. Kujo, Misery and Carrie.
Good luck with the channel, and just in general. Enjoy good books and media, cheers from Hungary!
Hajrá Lengyelek!
definitely try Mistery. It is so incredibly captivating and the audiobook is wonderful (might help get over the university-induced reading slump!).
thank you for commenting!
the stand has been on my tbr forever...after your review i realize i definitely gotta get around to reading it!! (p.s. the make up look SLAYS)
hope you enjoy it !!! (and thank you
Misery is one of my favorite books. I also love his novella The Body.
Oooo I haven’t heard of that one!! Adding it to my list 👀
"The Body" is one of four novellas collected in Different Seasons. It was adapted as the movie Stand By Me.
I haven't read a lot of these. The only one that I read of the ones you talked about was Misery and it was by far my favourite King's books that I read.
Currently I read Joyland, Mysery, The Outsider, Mr Mercedes and Pet Sematary in this order.
Joyland was a great experience and a great introduction to King's writing style. I read the book at like 18 or 19 years old and since the character is a male on the same age as I was and since I worked in the summer too when I was still studying, it was really easy for me to connect with him. Also he really had a way of thinking about some things that, in many ways, is just like mine. The book has nothing scary per say but it was the first book that made me have a physical reaction when I was reading leaving me swallowing dry and really tense. This happend because through so much of the book you spend so much time through the eyes of the main chcaracter and you start like the people around him as well as if you know them yourself and then when one of them gets threatened I really felt it and felt genuinely worried fot the character.
Mysery was my favourite. I liked the rush it gave me when I was rooting for Paul to escape or not be caught by Annie. I loved the portrait of drugs addiciton in it and the descriptions of how Paul felt without them. Although I felt that some parts of of the novel Paul was writing could have been cut, I enjoyed them as well. I think I might re-read it soon.
The Outsider was a very interesting mystery. It was well established from the beggining and was not afraid to go unexpected and weird routes. Plus the finale felt like this would be the beggining to a trilogy and definetly made want to explore more about the King's extended universe so that I could understand this one a little more.
Mr Mercedes was a great crime novel and the start to what seems a good trilogy. I really enjoyed the character of Bill Hodges and how he seems that he almost gave up on life at the beggining of the book but we see it gradualy change.
Finale, Pet Sematary also became one of my favourite King novels and I really enjoyed the mystery and the thrill. I constantly kept wondering and worrying about Louis the main character and all his family, loved the friendship they had with their neighbours. It definetly explores a darker fear of the human heart and the consequences it brings to give in to our desires to lessen the pain. Even today I remember this book everytime I see a dead animal on the road so I imagine it left a pretty big impact on me.
Wow thank you for such a long and thoughtful comment! I just finished Pet Sematary the other day and boy do I have thoughts… ;)
@@valliyarnl I am glad you read it all. Comment sections are pretty much the only place where I can discuss and talk about books and stories that I like. None of my friends read and I haven't met anyone personally that I can discuss them with.
I would love to hear your thoughts on it
Kudis for being able to challenge yourself to speak so succinctly about so many books. I agree that a lot of books, not just King's, are unnecessarily long. I am happy to say your video was just about the perfect length.
Aww thank you 🫶🏻
@@valliyarnl You're welcome.
Great video.
Really admire the completionist approach. I’ve been a Stephen King fan for decades and I haven’t read a lot of these. Maybe that’s why I’m a fan 😂
I think the only one that I had a very different experience with was ‘Salem’s Lot, for me it’s one of his best.
Can’t imagine what experiencing The Stand for the first time in 2020 was like, the pandemic was pretty unnerving for me when I first read it. And that was in the 90’s!
I think maybe I was too young for Salem’s lot to truly appreciate it all? I think maybe someday that’s one I would like to reread because I think about it more than I thought I would 🧛♀️
@@valliyarnl nah, you’re a way more advanced reader than I was at your age.
And I reckon way more advanced than I am now 😂
Sometimes.a book does live in your head for longer than you expect them to and deserve a revisit at some point.
Have you read his short stories: Skeleton Crew? I read it when I was eleven at a campground under street lights at a pool that had lights underwater too and it felt so surreal I remember the stories about rats to this day.
Great video, I love the idea of it too!
I’ve only read Salems Lot but really loved it and am keen to get in further with Misery or Pet Semetary next I think before trying The Stand
Both Misery and Pet Sematary are bangers. Although I like PS more it definitely has a slower build. Happy reading!!
The Eyes of the Dragon was my first King book I was not disappointed.
Ooo interesting take! Especially since the negative response to that one was the inspiration for Misery :)
@@valliyarnl I think that was because everyone was expecting something other that what it was..
The Stand is my favorite. Adored Running Man and Carrie when I was younger (Also loved Dead Zone TV Show as a kid).
Currently Reading The Langoliers and I find it very intriguing...There is another kid you may like inside.
Let when know what you think of it when finished!
Hopefully Pet Sematary is on your list to read. Misery is one of my favorites from King. It feel like he put so much of himself into that book. I haven't read any of the Bachman books yet but I'm hoping to change that soon.
Spoilers for my next SK video but Pet Sematary is the first one I read for it and if you want my initial thoughts check out my Goodreads (linked in description) bc I don’t wanna spoil what I thought of it here :)
I always felt like a lot of his work is drug induced stream of consciousness. Fascinating stuff, but as you've said, it is drawn out. And sometimes not by little. It is drawn out a lot. Which is probably why his work lends itself to movie adaptations so well. You can just cut away a lot of distractions or combine them into something else that is more interesting and tell the story in 2 hours. Or in case of 11/22/63, in 8 episodes. I prefer the show to the book.
Interesting! I’ll be reading 11/22/63 later this year with a couple of friends so I’ll be sure to watch the tv show afterwards!
I’ve only read a couple of Stephen King books but last Halloween I decided to read Pet Sematary. I DEVOURED the book soo fast which is rare for me. Amazing shocking heartbreaking scary 10/10.
Also I agree with your take on Salem’s Lot, I read it because it’s so popular & really did not get the hype. It just left me feeling unfulfilled lol
About Pet Sematary… I read it for the next King video and let me say this: I’ve never had to stop reading a book for a while because it stressed me out so much 🫣
I'm not a big Stephen King fan, but you should check out Duma Key. Great book!
On my to read definitely! I’m trying to go semi chronologically thru his works so I don’t miss the connections :D
The Dark Tower series is my favorite ever so I’m totally biased but I think you’ll really enjoy The Drawing of the Three.
I also recommend The Bill Hodges Trilogy along with the Outsider.
Fantastic video by the way
Thank you! I have one Stephen king book left for my next Stephen king video (but IT’s a big one 😉)
For the Bill Hodges trilogy I think that will be its own video too. Maybe around October?
Finally the Stephen King video!
I knowwww 🙈🙈🙈
Ive heard that Stephen King was a hit or miss. I haven’t read anything of his as of yet but just like you, Carrie, and Misery were highly recommended as well as The Shining.. of all of these, Misery would be one I’d like to check out..I love the way you did this review, I’d be a wreck trying to describe each book in one minute!
I am a little surprised at how many you did not finish but it makes sense from what I’ve heard from others.. and, he wrote Cujo during a drinking binge? Hahaha never heard that! But I’d like to read that one just because! Maybe it’s better reading while drunk?? 😮
Yess it was very stressful (I must admit there were a few takes for some of them because words weren’t coming out fast enough)! About Cujo I think it was magic mushrooms (allegedly). About misery IT IS SO GOOD ‼️‼️
That’s hilarious! Mushrooms.. Well, I couldn’t notice if you were stressed. I can’t imagine the editing that goes into making TH-cam videos but I look forward to them each Friday..
@@stevecanada4830 awww that’s so sweet thank you 🫶🏻🫶🏻
Carrie was my first stephen King book and so far my absolute favorite was MISERY and the film adaption was top notch. Also read Stephen Kings How to write book as it details his journey and also gives inspiring writers tips on how to write.
On writing is definitely on my TBR! And yeah I really need to get around to watching Misery the movie bc it’s so iconic. Haven’t had the time to yet but I will soon !!
Yeah King's biggest consistency is his inconsistencies with his quality. The middle of a lot of his books are just him waffling. It's like his descriptive paragraphs are just writing exercises that authors do. Like they are well described, but completely unnecessary 😭
I paused my read of the stand like a year ago got 100 pages in. Gotta get back.
This was a great video, keep them up
Edit: I actually really like the gunslinger tho 😅
Consistently inconsistent is exactly my experience with King. Thank you! As for The Gunslinger, like I said, it is my most highly rated Western (along with Red Country by Joe Abercrombie which was also a 2.5⭐️ for me). Idk what it is about them but they just don’t work for me… doesn’t mean I’ll stop trying to find one I like tho!
If you got time for another stephen king book, i would choose "Joyland". Its my favourit!
Definitely on the to-read list!
Really interesting to get your take on these. I've enjoyed some of the film adaptations, but I've never been drawn to his books due to the criticism that he can't do endings. Now I think he can't do middles :) I'm really interested in The Stand but I'm torn between reading that or Swan Song by Robert McCammon, as they seem to touch on similar things. Thanks for your quickfire thoughts. I hope you've had time to de-stress.
The Stand has my vote :D
(and yeah he definitely struggles with middles... I just finished Pet Sematary and It has a banger ending and the intensity of the plot increases with each page so I hiiiiighly recommend it... and it isn't 1000+p long)
I love Stephen King!! Instant sub!! I read / listened to almost all of the books in your video. The Long Walk and The Stand are some of my favorites.
Not sure if you’re a fan of audio books, but SK read some of them himself. It’s a lot of fun to listen to the stories exactly the way he intended. If you liked The Stand, you’ll love Needful Things!
ooo i didn't know that! I've switched to audiobooks for the Running Man onwards because of the slump preceeding it but I haven't encountered one that SK reads one himself... excited to come across it!!
@@valliyarnl I know I listened to some audiobooks narrated by King himself but he didnt do all of his books. Needful Things is one I know for sure because I enjoyed it so much! Anyway thanks for the reply! I’m looking forward to your next review (:
I have read all of them (except roadworks) back in the 90ies and totally agree on almost everything you said. Sometimes I had to laugh out loud about some of your critizism because I remember being struck by the very same thoughts when I first read this stuff. Don't go too harsh on Cujo. I think it was an experiment not to go supernatural - as was Misery (and we all know Misery was way better). Ever tried Needful Things? Maybe you will hate this one as well but in my opinion a very clever and somehow underrated book...
Since you thought Salem's Lot was "really boring," should the rating be 2 stars rather than 3?
Good question! For me a 3 is an average book (or the good and bad stuff balance out, which was the case here). A 2.5 would be disappointing, a 2 would be deeply flawed book imo. I think Salem’s Lot was well crafted but maybe I had bad expectations going in. Hope that clears it up!
@@valliyarnl That does clear it up, thank you. For me a 3 is slightly more positive ("solid book, I liked it") but I think most people are aligned with you, with 3 being just okay.
@@TF-lk6co oh sorry yeah no when I say average book I mean it’s solid but didn’t make a big impact on me. I definitely liked things about Salem’s Lot but equally there was a bunch that bogged it down. I liked the idea more than the execution tbh
I’m 20% through the stand.. my 3rd Stephen king kick. Stoked you loved it. I haven’t even met trash can man yet
!!!! i hope you LOVE it
Omg you have to read The Drawing of the Three. Dark Tower just isn't fairly advertised by The Gunslinger.
I will I promise!
I never hear anyone talk about Duma Key. Not the "deepest" novel but a really fun/rewarding read. The characters ARE the book and there's only a few of them. On Writing is great if your interest in literature extends beyond reading and it's still pretty good even if it doesn't. The Gunslinger is odd; I like it but after it and The Drawing of the Three (I think is what it's called), I can live w/out the other Dark Tower books.
Oh interesting. Could u lmk why you didn’t enjoy The Drawing of the Three? Curious because I’ve only seen positive things abt it
@@valliyarnl Sorry, I think the way I worded that was confusing. I did like The Drawing; I don't like the rest the Dark Tower series. Well, that's not entirely true. I didn't actually finish all of them. I read Wasteland and Wizard but I didn't finish the one after that. It's been a long time. I've thought about trying again but I just never got around to it. BTW, I watched your "classic dystopian" video after I commented on your "top 10" video and based on how much you liked Brave New World, I'd be really interested to hear your take on Philip K. Dick. Specifically Three Stigmata. I stand by Duma Key. It never really gets any recognition (so maybe i'm in the minority) but it's one of my favorite King stories.
I have to ask, though, why do you despise westerns? Have you read anything from German writer Karl May? His westerns aren't exactly high literature, but they're A LOT of fun.
Idk I guess I just haven’t found one I enjoy yet. They’re very… lethargic (the ones I’ve tried) 🤷🏼♀️
@@valliyarnl You must have tried the wrong ones then. Karl May's books are pure adventure books that just so happen to be set in the wild west.
Here's a short anecdote. When I was 10 or 12 years old, I was reading Winnetou II when my mom asked me to go to the store to buy some groceries. Upon returning I took the remote and tried to find the western that I thought I was watching on the TV. I completely forgot that I was actually reading a book because of how immersed I was in the book.
@@vs1146 that’s amazing!! Maybe Karl May, when I get around to his works will be my westerns redemption arc? 🤔
Have you read ‘billy summers’, I read it this month and I COULD NOT put it down!!
NOT YET BUT I WILL
OK, now read IT. GO!
I DID!! It’s in my other Stephen king video :)))
Wera made an excellent point regarding plotting. I think letting characters evolve the story is good to a certain extent - but purely on its own can lead to some boring sections. I think King has moved away from his "anti plot" stance a little.
It seems you've been leaning heavily on his early work (as opposed to the mid-career or later books), and avoiding the short story and novella collections. I'm not sure that's what I would have recommended.
I hated The Gunslinger but loved the rest of the Dark Tower series, so I'd advise anyone not to let that first book put them off from reading further.
Is The Long Walk really printed with King's name and the pseudonym on the cover? Confused as to why that'd be? Thought the point of pseudonym were so people didn't know it was you. 😅
It’s a more modern edition.
@valliyarnl Thank you for info, Wera 🙂
Good job👍
The Shining is fantastic, I was pretty surprised that it was so good, and also not only different than the movie, but also about something a bit different altogether. Doctor Sleep is very nice as well. It is entertaining until about 2/3 of the way, where it becomes a total shitshow imo
I didn't like the flashbacks in the Gunslinger. Just like any flashback, it distracts from the main plot.
Oh then maybe I have an unpopular opinion because in general I preferred the flashbacks 😅
@valliyarnl I don't know if either one of our opinions is popular or not, but I put this book almost away and only kept reading because I already got the second book, and I'm happy I did because the overall story was really good
@@MrLordi27 oh that’s very motivational for me!
I'm sorry but Mr King is boring sometimes I understand how important his work is to the horror genre but he isn't that exciting (in some of his books)
Awwhhh I’m sorry you haven’t found a King that suits ur tastes yet :( like u see on my list, my experience with him varies a lot but the gems are worth the find!
So… you made a bunch of TikToks about the books. For that you speak slow in the minutes. 😂😂 if this was in one take? Good one!
Actually Card’s Ender and later his children (adapted) in Speaker for the Dead are well written. I didn’t have any issues with them. His Dark Materials. That was good with children too. Harry Potter no. 😂 (You said you can’t tolerate children being written…)
So… more interesting question: do you think the romantasy readers eventually will be the next epic fantasy readers? We mentioned that with Petrik Leo that maybe by time they are starting to read epic fantasy but as I said a lot on booktok just join to the Sanderson readers first reading Mistborn.
… I wouldn’t call them “tik toks” …. I was inspired by Matts Fantasy Book Reviews’ video (he did 30s).
As for speaking slow, that’s my normal talking speed. In the other videos I usually cut the spaced in between words … and yeah it was one take 😒
@@valliyarnl TikToks are 1 minutes (or they were not so long ago) so people had to resolve this. One thing is fast speaking the other is 0 mistakes, then there is always a hook, those are very well organised to start with a good phrase or whatever keep the viewer in or even be re-watchable without break. Even now they have to do this with a bit longer videos. Mistakes are not allowed, they cut out the “hm…” parts, they speak faster, no matter if now 10 minutes is allowed. Unless the speaker is an extremely good presenter in one way (charms)? They lose the attention with a normal video. Younger people don’t have the patience. And that’s why they are not here, on TH-cam. Well… in exchange you get views very fast there. Your content by now would be on a 10k subscriber channel if not more. You create some interesting content.
As I said tho: for a one take video it’s really impressive. I couldn’t do it. Or I would need notes about all the books to be this fast yet I read them all. I tried for longer TikToks to do one takes. But as you see above, the creators said, they never do one takes, they do cut parts in record.
Dobra, jak jesteś Polką to możesz też dawać odcinki po polsku, jestem ciekawy jakby Ci to wyszło
Kiepsko. Czytam prawie 100% po angielsku no i mój “target audience” jest anglojezyczny
@@valliyarnl A mogłaś być tak wspaniała haha. Bo nie powiem, angielski przy polskim to podrzędny język