I once wrote a paper arguing that King was one of the greatest contributors to American contemporary literature and my chosen work was The Stand. Part of the project required analyzing a piece of his bibliography. The instructor, who had started with no regard for the horror genre or of King’s work was so impressed that they not only rewarded me with an A+ on the assignment, they also later became a fan of King’s work.
watched the whole thing. thank you, can’t explain the feeling of discovering his books as a 13 year old. I lived over an hour away from school, and King was my company during long morning and evening train commutes. I remember getting of the train and literally having to sprint home past dark alleys and empty streets after reading IT or Salem’s Lot. Those were some scary walks too lol. The real magic is the timelessness of his writing and storytelling. It amazes me how my 12 year old nephew sends me memes about Pennywise lol. I’m really happy of the legacy King has created for himself.
11/22/63 was my first King story, changed my life completely. I’ve fallen in love with reading because of that story & King’s words have taught me things I never thought I would understand.
The thing about King is that, while a lot of his stories include some kind of supernatural horror element, the ghosts and ghouls and goblins are almost never the _real_ threat in the story. The real threat usually comes from the human element, and the supernatural menace merely forces the characters to deal with their baggage. A really interesting example is _Carrie,_ where the supernatural "menace" also happens to be the protagonist; and the threat comes from her abusive home and school environments, from the people around her who just keep pushing and pushing and _pushing_ her until she breaks. But it holds for other books, too: _Christine_ isn't *about* a killer car, _Cujo_ isn't *about* a rabid St. Bernard, _Salem's Lot_ isn't *about* vampires, and so on. They're *about* growing up and growing apart from old friends, and finding out what you *really* prioritize when the shit hits the fan, and loss of faith and the destruction of community, and so on. I think this is why adaptations of his stories so often miss the mark. All too often, the screen versions of the stories focus way too much on the supernatural elements, at the expense of the "mundane" (but relatable) human concerns that really make the stories _work._ I think that's why the non- and less-supernatural stories tend to make better movies: _Apt Pupil, Green Mile, Misery, Stand By Me,_ and _The Shawshank Redemption_ are all free to focus on the character drama, with no werewolves or haunted hotels or wacky psychic abilities to distract from the real meat of the stories. But what do I know? Nobody's paying _me_ millions of dollars to turn iconic American horror novels into profitable films. I'm just some random jerk on the Internet, and my opinion is worth exactly what you're paying for it.
You know what man, I’ll take your advice. I want to be a filmmaker someday, might not happen, but we’ll see. One of my dreams is to adapt a couple of Stephen king Stories that I think bear some film abilities. What you’re saying makes total sense!
New Stephen King reader here! Big fan of Lotr, Dune and Discworld. 25 years old and have always been a bit reluctant to immerse myself in the King universe (especially horror). I have now decided to buy four of his books (the ones that I feel could give me an understanding of the author at least for his older novels) The Shining, IT, Misery and The Stand. Can't wait to read them! Love from Rome, Italy!
@@reginaldforthright805 I know, right?! The vast majority of people that have died in regards to covid, have died WITH covid, but very few have died exclusively FROM it. And the very small percentage of people that have truly died FROM it have been those that are elderly and/or suffering from serious preexisting health conditions to begin with. But these comparisons to the virus in The Stand are completely asinine. The only similarity is that they both happen to be flu viruses. The key difference is that Captain Trips had a 99.7% fatality rate (so literally almost the entire population of the country was wiped out!) while Covid-19 has about a 99.7% survival rate. So yeah, no comparison. Apples to oranges.
His 2010s work has had way more hits than misses. 11/22/63, Revival, Wind Through The Keyhole, Joyland, Full Dark No Stars, The Outsider, The Institute ... all phenomenal (just to name a few).
Thank you, this is what I was wanting to hear. I know it’s one persons opinion (no offense) but I’d heard from man this newer stuff wasn’t as good by a long shot. Interested in 11/22/63 and the outsiders.
Dude....I LOVE your videos.....I'm a huge Stephen King fan, (have all his books), and I'm reading Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time.....great reviews....makes me want to read all your choices 👍👍👍
Dude. This feels like I'm sitting and having a conversation with you. You're really good at keeping the flow chill and conversational. As a fellow King nerd dating back to 1990, when I was 11 and my aunt gave me Cujo to read because I was bored. Hooked from that day forward
This was the book i told my mom she should make her 8th grade english class read. She didn’t put it on the list, but she read it, and said it was too sad, but that it was a good book.
My first book of Stephen King’s was Cujo when I was in Junior high. It terrified me! I still re-read it now and then. I’m glad you mentioned it! A lot of people ignore Cujo and it makes me sad.
Wow, I really love this video. I started reading SK in high school during one of the truly dark periods in my life, and I think the books really helped me. When real life is so dark and bleak, the nightmares between the pages become a welcomed escape. Everyone has their own SK story; it's really nice to hear about yours.
You nailed it. I was 15, living in a new city and King became my escape. I like to think his books helped me get through a lot of the sucky parts of growing up.
I'm 37 years old and the first serious read I did was 11/22/63 four years ago (Before that I never read books essentially). It blew me away is all I can say! Now I consistently read daily and have started collecting everything he has as well fantasy & sci-fi genres all thanks to Mr. King. He truly turned me into a book worm.
He was my gateway to the long-form novel, for sure. 11/22/63 was so damn amazing in that it came at a time where I thought he had lost his touch. He's had a great decade plus after that, too.
daniel cooper Scary in multiple ways, too. As a parent, I can’t think of anything as horrifying as losing a child to street traffic because you weren’t paying attention.
Michael Moorcock is the first fantasy writer to ever do a shared universe I believe. All his Eternal Champion stuff are directly connected in insane ways. He doesn’t get enough credit imo. Love King more and more with age.
It was cool to hear your story sir! Thanks for sharing. My first book I read by King was Pet Semetary and it's been a big influence to me in my writing and that started my interest in reading recreationally. He's such an important figure in American literature.
Superb video. Thanks so much for sharing how you became a Stephen King fan. I’m the same age as your brother being born in 1972 and like you I began reading SK at 15. My first book was Salem’s Lot and I was hooked. That “It” mini series from 1990 was quite well done I thought. I also remember so well when MTV played music videos.
I found your channel somewhat recently and really appreciate your take on King. I had only read Carrie and Christine many years ago in HS, but now in my 40s I decided to re-discover King’s books. So far, I’ve read Salems Lot, Needful Things and am just starting Pet Sematary. I can’t stop! Usually after reading 1-2 books in a row by the same author, I’m ready to change it up. But not with King, and lucky for me there are TONS of books to choose from to keep up my reading streak. Thanks for your thoughtful videos and reviews :) they always help me choose my next King read.
Hearing you talk about your Mom makes me grateful for my own Mother, she stopped trying to censor my reading material about the time I turned 11, and I started reading Stephen King not to much later , by that point I guess she figured if I was mature enough to want to read it, I was old enough to handle it.
I was not into reading at all until I found Stephen King....then I read everything I could buy or borrow or check out of the library. If you're reading this Stephen, you have taught the world to read.
Mike, i had a similar experience with my mom hating my Stephen Kings books. My mom wanted to take all my Stephen King novels, Motley Crue tapes and my Oakland Raiders flag and burn them. She claimed they brought an evil spirit into the house. I had to fight/strongly debate with her, to keep them all. I basically told her she could destroy them as much as she wanted but i would just keep re-buying them. She eventually gave in. That is why i dedicate very one of my novels to Stephen King, Motley Crue and the Oakland Raiders
I’m so hyped to start the lovely hardcover of 11/23/63 I got at the thrift shop now! My dad has been telling me to read it for years, just haven’t gotten to it. I was on a King strike for a while despite also being a fan since I was a teenager thanks to his Twitter / political comments. But I’m eager to recapture that joy. Fantastic video!
Rewatched this video after two years. I have to say, my opinions on King have changed a lot since I first warched this. Love your channel. I listen to it when I want to be inspired to write.
My first Stephen King book was Skeleton Crew at age 11 (My cool uncle let me borrow it). Second one was The Stand, read on a weeklong road trip through Colorado the summer before 6th grade. Been hooked ever since.
Wow, great video. I have read SK off-and-on since the 70s. This year (2020) I have collected all his books in hard cover and started reading from his first books. Also read ”The Institute”. Great! Oh, on Hulu is a fantastic adaption of 11/22/63 with James Franko. Wow. Not to be missed.
Edmond Dantes My mom went back and forth with stuff like that. One day she would say she doesn’t care and then the next day my Guns ‘n Roses album were the music of the devil. We laugh about it now, but it was an annoying way to grow up.
So many people don’t even realize King wrote Shawshank. I think it’s more of a terror that could happen to anyone so they don’t associate it with him. My husband that don’t even care too much about King loves that movie and he was so surprised to learn that King wrote it!
Im so happy I found this channel, thanks to my wife im getting into Kings stuff, then come here and listen to him talk its just awesome, wish I had found it soon and gotten into king sooner!
IT was my first Stephen King book; I read it the summer I turned 11, when I was roughly the same age as The Losers, and it was one Hell of an experience. I was hooked going forward, my next one was Pet Sematary and those are still my two favorite SK books. Also love Doctor Sleep and Night Shift. I reread IT every couple of years, but in 6 or 7 years I will be about the same age as the Adult Losers so I'm looking forward to re-experiencing IT at the same age as the protagonists once again.
I stumbled upon Stephen King's work quite by accident. I was 13 years old and the year was 1986. The first King book I read was Cujo. I had seen the film a couple of months previous and loved it. I had never heard of Stephen King at that point and while browsing through a book store one day, not looking for anything in particular, my eyes happened to fall upon the cover to Cujo. Immediately I thought of the movie and wondered weather this was the same story. After reading the plot synopsis on the back cover I found that it was. I decided to buy it and to this day I don't regret that decision. I started reading it as soon as I got home and finished it in about 2 days. Immediately after finishing it I went back to the book store (we literally lived across the highway from a major shopping centre) to see what other books this man had written. The second book I bought was It. Over the course of the next year or so, I had bought and read every book that King had released up to that point.
Thank you for this video, I can really feel your passion, love that! I‘ve read three King books so far (not his most famousand loved one’s) and I liked them a lot!! Looking forward to „real“ famous ones;)
I love how we can all feel different as fans. The Dead Zone is by far my favourite King book. I just love the thoughts that there is more to the Human brain that we know. Can we really access the abilities Johnny Smith possess? The movie and series were both great too. The likes of IT, The Stand, Misery, The Shining and Pet Sematary are all generally loved, very few think otherwise, as is 11/22/63, wow, that really is a classic. Salem's Lot is generally up there too as is Carrie. Hell, just what I have mentioned ... what a collection. I loved Doctor Sleep too. I so enjoyed The Outsider, it is underrated in my opinion.
I remember when I read my very first Stephen King novel, was when I watched my first Stephen King movie. Which was a very bad adaptation-which was Stanley Kubrick’s film adaptation. I only say it was “horrible,” because after I saw the book of Stephen King’s novel The Shining. I saw the true Torrance family as how it was intended; and I felt sympathy and connection for Jack Torrance and Danny Torrance. The idea about how alcoholism is like a poison, that damages both the addict’s soul, mind, and body slowly. I will always love Stephen King and his work. He’s my favorite author for my teenager years in my high school and adult years. The Shining is one of his books that holds a special place in my heart for the humanity, care, and sympathy Jack has as supposed to the literal monster in the Kubrick film. I related with Jack, because I too had a fear of becoming an alcoholic, and what I could do if I kept on drinking as I am now as a twenty-one year old. But now I’ve gotten over that fear; but that fear is still lingering deep down inside of me.
I love your page! I also read It first and it hooked me. I've read at least 20 of his books and he is one of my favorite authors ever. His voice is so recognizable and comfortable.
I listened to a comic book podcast and one of the guys briefly mentioned the dark tower and how big of a fan he was. I got the gunslinger to read and it sat on my shelf for months. I finally got it on audible and flew through the whole dark tower series and started reading and listening to all of his stuff. I’m currently at 20 books so far
I grew up in rural America in the 80s and my mother was also very strict on movies, music, and tv. However, she always tried to foster in us an intellectual spirit. She was an avid reader and loved books. So as long as you were reading a book that wasn't obvious smut, she was ok with it. Any book I ever said I wanted to read, she would get it for me. This is how I read IT at age 13, which scared the shit out of me but also made me a constant reader.
When I was 11 years old I was reading the Tommyknockers In Southern California. When the dog started glowing green there was an earthquake. I was in the most secluded room in the house. Though I acknowledge it sucks, it still has a special place for me
I’m so happy you mentioned the greatness that is the movie Clue! Thank you! Also, your videos are such a treat for my life as a fantasy reader and massive King fan!
Wow this brought back memories. Reading Stephen King in the 90s, Dark Half, It, Needful Things, internet messageboards. Stephen King is a storyteller, as you say, and his characters are real people. Very easy reading, I can probably read a Stephen King 1000 page book faster than some other authors' 300 page books. You've finally convinced me to try the Dark Tower series, I'm currently halfway through The Stand.
THE CELL. It is quick and easy. Have not watched the movie but will at some point. Taken at face value not much but if you read and truly hear what you have read it is deep. Scary. So underrated.
You are spot on about his works evoking nostalgia of era or events we have never personally experienced or lived through. I live and grew up in Asia, but his stories connect with me. His writing is universal. Have you read Joyland? I thought it was short and sweet, one of his better recent outputs.
I first read The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon and then Carrie when I was 12-13, back in 2005ish. That's when I first fell in love with reading, and then I read Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn, which I also fell in love with. I didn't read much in my teen and college years, but in 2020 I read The Institute, and that really got me back into reading. Two years ago my wife and I bought a house and I started collecting King books, once I had the space. Since then, I've collected 112 copies of Kings book, which includes duplicates - I enjoy having different covers. This was a fun video!
I think the 90's were his best decade. Needful Things, Desperation. The Green Mile. Hearts in Atlantis. Bag of Bones, Storm of the Century, The Wastelands. Wizard and Glass. These are all great to me.
Loved hearing your thoughts on being a Constant Reader. I'm pushing 30 Stephen King books now myself. A lot of the ones you've mentioned I've read, a lot are still on my list. He's so enigmatic and his brain is just unlike anybody else in the world. It's so interesting to hear your thoughts on the ending of The Dark Tower. I wasn't someone who had to wait in between books, I was able to just shoot straight through them and I loved every second of it. I hope you liked Doctor Sleep, I loved both book and movie.
Your stephen king trajectory almost mirrors mine. You started reading before i did. I read Eyes of the Dragon, Needful Things, The Dark Half, and The Gunslinger from 1988 until whenever the latest book of the ones listed came out. I tried reading Desperation, but that was just too big for me. While it lasted, I loved the book. Around 1996, i fell off stephen king (i graduated hs in 1997 like yourself). The next Stephen King book i read was 11-22-63 on release day, and now, here i am. Between 2000 or so and when 11-22-63 came out, i was big into Dan Brown, of Da Vinci Code fame!
Love your vids! I was about 12 when a friend of mine gave me The Bachman Books and The Talisman. I was a little overwhelmed because both were big thick books to me. I may have started into The Bachman Books but i remember really starting with Pet Sematary. When i bought the PB I told the cashier what a big book it was lol. That book cemented my love for King and i was completely hooked. I saved up money and bought IT and loved it! From then on i had to have every book King wrote. I started buying his books day one starting with Misery! I went back and read most of the books up until Misery and just kept going. Even though a few books I struggled with i still finished them. I do feel like he rushed the last 3 books of Dark Tower. I almost gave up on King around Dreamcatcher. But i was so invested in him i kept going. I won’t read Danse Macabre or Faithful though. 11/22/63 was so good. The tv show was pretty good. I wrote more than i intended but this video got me going!
Mike!!!! I just found your channel, because I too am a King fan. You have GOT to read The Talisman!!! I’ve been searching your channel for your review of it and just heard you haven’t read it yet. It’s worth the read. I think you’d like it. 😄
Man, this was an incredible video. I think I'll just jump in with IT. Never watched the films but I feel like I can get through the book (or can I?.. lol) I mean that in a "I'm afraid to watch horror" type of way.
I found a copy of Salems Lot laying around my house. Idk where it came from, my parents aren't a fan of horror books & I dont think my brother bought it so who knows but I read it last month & it intrigued me. Currently reading The Stand now & thoroughly enjoying it. Eager to read more of King's work.
From a Buick 8 is absolutely nothing like Christine. the only element they share is a supernatural car. It is so incredibly underrated and you should give it another chance.
I saw the 1989 film adaptation for Pet Sematary when I was 8 (I thank my crazy sister for taking me to R rated horror movies!). The film scarred me for years. I finally read the book when I turned 14. I've read it multiple times since then and am now the father of a toddler. The book has a WHOLE new impact on me and the fear I thought I lost years ago has come back with a vengeance. It scares me soooooooo much more now. I have now been reading IT for the first time. On page 639......its incredible.
Outside of Pet Sematary, which I read 30 years ago and loved - I jumped on board with The Institute! I saw it for 40% off at Costco and figured why not.I then read about 10 King books in a row - Needful Things, Dr Sleep, The 3 Mercedes books, Carrie, Cujo.... I now buy each King release the day they come out. I find that the old King books have certain highlights, but in general, I prefer the post-accident King best! He does not kill readers with as much personal details and backgrounds. As you see in Institute, he tells backstories as he needs to progress the story. I like his tone. I am a constant reader, and I started at age 50!
Brother!!! Born and raised United Pentecostal horror lover here! My parents were very lenient and let me read/watch horror productions. But I can’t tell you how many times members of the church thought I’d be demon possessed 😂. The Exorcist is the only thing they didn’t want me to watch, so I waited until about 19. Biggest disappointment ever. Demon possession bores me. Not my thing. Pet Sematary was my introduction to Mr. King, the movie. My parents slept in my bedroom with me that night. Zelda, to this day, is my nightmare. The book followed and from that day until now it’s my favorite book in the entire world. 🖤 I’m so glad your mom let you explore horror in the end. It’s always been my favorite. Freddy Kruger was my hero at 5. 😂
I had a similar experience. I'm from South Africa and when I was around 12 years old we went on a long holiday trip by train. At one of the train stations I picked up "Four past midnight", devoured it and the rest was history. I also strangely ventured into Fantasy from horror but I will always a have place for King :-)
I am from the same region in Maine as King (I am about an hour & a half away from him). Growing up all of us know who he is & our older family members have his books on their shelves so King is just part of Maine culture. I remember being 8 years old & seeing Storm of the Century amongst other SK titles on my grandfather's bookshelf. I, like thousands of other Maine kids, went to a school with a library funded by SK. The first book I read by SK was Everything's Eventual. I have been hooked on his short story collections ever since with Nightmares & Dreamscapes being my favorite thus far. As far as my favorite SK novel, it's a toss up between Needful Things & 11/22/63.
I’m from rural maine also. I left Maine and never looked back. I have a hard time with his books because the descriptions of places and how people act are way to accurate.
I absolutely love Stephen King's books! Misery remains one of my personal favourites. I love his short stories, like 'Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption' and 'The Mist'. The psychology behind his characters, his 'what if' twisted imagination and the cross-references in his novels are amazing! And his writing just makes all of his books page turners. No movie could capture the exact atmosphere that he envokes in his books. King is something else. As Christian parents, we wouldn't stop our children from reading his books. A close reader and fan will notice that 'hope' is a theme that often re-occurs in his novels (though it's often left out in the movie adaptations). Some scenes I wouldn't recommend. E.g. I loved the new IT movies. The adaptation if faithful enough and they left out some sensitive, R-rated stuff you don't need to understand the story, so I would recommend the movies above the book. Good horror should provide a good warning against evil and I think King does exactly that! Pet Sematary was indeed very scary. I read it at 15 and am now a parent of young children. Considering how emotional it got me then, I wouldn't revisit it any time soon... 🙂'On Writing' has always been my personal favourite of all the 'how to' guides on writing. It's been very inspiring and helpful in creating our own stories.
Great video. Of his more recent work the Bill Hodges Trilogy is probably my favorite. Nobody does the supernatural better so bringing that into the series was fine by me. I also liked Duma Key and Doctor Sleep quite a bit.
Joe is fantastic from what I've read so far. Heart shaped box was awesome but the ending left lots to be desired. Both myself and my girl felt the same way about that.
I discovered King in the late 70’s. Carrie was the first book I read. I could kick myself for not buying each hard cover 1st editions but I never thought of it…. I co to ie to read him to this day and am working to collect his books.
I think there must be a portion of millenials who were big on Hunger Games or general dystopian stuff who then became drawn to King. Even though dystopia is not the same as horror, I feel like they are close cousins. That may partly explain renewed interest in his work.
Didn't have the heart to break up, but since my whole journey of restarting after IT, SALEM'S LOT, PET SEMATARY, & THE STAND reading everything in published order was a big letdown with that stretch run, yeah I felt the same man...at least until 7's last sentence. However I cannot recommend enough reading the 'between/revisit tale' aka 4.5: The Wind Through The Keyhole. The stuff tying to the love of a mother shows that Sai King remembered some of the important themes from his early inceptions of the series. Plus, it's a brisk read that wouldn't keep you away from much. STORY/Within A Story/within a story. As a fellow Tower Junkie you owe it to yourself with where it lands timeline-wise.
I'm planning my Dark Tower re-reads as I progress through my Into the Multiverse series and I'm pretty excited about it. I'll probably skip ahead and do WTTK after Wizard and Glass just to keep them chronological.
I started reading King before he was famous. We read his work for different reasons and with different preferences and that is great. I liked the ending to The Dark Tower ( though I kind of agree about book six) and I loved Elevation. I love The Talisman and Black House.... LOL. I'm just glad he is here to disagree over.
I recognize that feeling of devastation you had in 1999. It was the 9th of the month Av (Jewish calender) the saddest day of the year (the Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed two times on that day 400 years apart, the inquisition had started on it, the first world war had started on that day). I was a child then, but when I heard that Stephen King was critically injured I broke down crying, and did not stop crying till nightfall.
Have you watched Storm of the Century at this point? So, so well done. Talk about brutal endings. The 90s CGI is a little hard to take, but the acting, especially by the villain, is worth the watch.
I have just got into reading Stephen king and im flying through them, just about to read pet sematary and just ordered the first book from the dark tower series
I've bounced around King for probably 17 years now, I finally just convinced myself to read everything in order. So since it's fresh in my brain from a re-read, let me argue that the only scene in The Shining that raised my heart rate more than room 217 was Halloran looking for the blankets in the garden shed. oh the anxiety 😬
I watched IT (1990) when I was 7 years old with my cousin and it freaked me out, but I didn't know it was Stephen King at the time. It wasn't until I was 11-12 when I became a huge AC/DC fan and found out that "Who Made Who" was a soundtrack for a movie called Maximum Overdrive. I know it's not the best movie ever, but it has a special place in my heart for introducing me to King. After that I started researching Stephen King and read his books. I was a fan immediately! I'd love to see an adaptation of Duma Key!
Stephen King is legend at this point. Even if somebody never read any of his books, they'd probably be familiar with scary elements from his novels from movies, television, and The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror. Kind of like of how everyone knows who Frankenstein and Dracula are. I pretty much like everything from what I consider his golden age from the 70s, 80s, and early 90s.
Salem's Lot and the short story, Jeruslems Lot hooked me through the gills, only a couple of wet firecrackers in the bunch. I've gotten so much enjoyment out of most of his stuff, and I've started reading Joe Hill Recently. Just so much there. I find it really ironic that so many people assume he is all horror 100% of the time.
I Love the dark tower series had a Couple problems with the last 2 volumes like when he put himself into the story But I like the way he basically tied the majority of his works together into 1 universe using this series
Year, I'm also that creepy year seven (that's English for eighth grade) kid with his nose buried in a horror book; last time was The Exorcist, and this time is It!
I once wrote a paper arguing that King was one of the greatest contributors to American contemporary literature and my chosen work was The Stand. Part of the project required analyzing a piece of his bibliography. The instructor, who had started with no regard for the horror genre or of King’s work was so impressed that they not only rewarded me with an A+ on the assignment, they also later became a fan of King’s work.
Wow that seems like such a big accomplishment. I want to do this someday.
Wow! I got goosebumps
watched the whole thing. thank you, can’t explain the feeling of discovering his books as a 13 year old. I lived over an hour away from school, and King was my company during long morning and evening train commutes. I remember getting of the train and literally having to sprint home past dark alleys and empty streets after reading IT or Salem’s Lot. Those were some scary walks too lol. The real magic is the timelessness of his writing and storytelling. It amazes me how my 12 year old nephew sends me memes about Pennywise lol. I’m really happy of the legacy King has created for himself.
11/22/63 was my first King story, changed my life completely. I’ve fallen in love with reading because of that story & King’s words have taught me things I never thought I would understand.
Same bro. Best Stephen King book I’ve ever read
It also has a brilliant series adaptation starring James Franco - best his role, IMO
The thing about King is that, while a lot of his stories include some kind of supernatural horror element, the ghosts and ghouls and goblins are almost never the _real_ threat in the story. The real threat usually comes from the human element, and the supernatural menace merely forces the characters to deal with their baggage. A really interesting example is _Carrie,_ where the supernatural "menace" also happens to be the protagonist; and the threat comes from her abusive home and school environments, from the people around her who just keep pushing and pushing and _pushing_ her until she breaks. But it holds for other books, too: _Christine_ isn't *about* a killer car, _Cujo_ isn't *about* a rabid St. Bernard, _Salem's Lot_ isn't *about* vampires, and so on. They're *about* growing up and growing apart from old friends, and finding out what you *really* prioritize when the shit hits the fan, and loss of faith and the destruction of community, and so on.
I think this is why adaptations of his stories so often miss the mark. All too often, the screen versions of the stories focus way too much on the supernatural elements, at the expense of the "mundane" (but relatable) human concerns that really make the stories _work._ I think that's why the non- and less-supernatural stories tend to make better movies: _Apt Pupil, Green Mile, Misery, Stand By Me,_ and _The Shawshank Redemption_ are all free to focus on the character drama, with no werewolves or haunted hotels or wacky psychic abilities to distract from the real meat of the stories.
But what do I know? Nobody's paying _me_ millions of dollars to turn iconic American horror novels into profitable films. I'm just some random jerk on the Internet, and my opinion is worth exactly what you're paying for it.
Shut up an take my Money!...Eh... LIKE!
This... all of this
Everytime someone sees me reading king. They say something like. "Oh you like dark stuff huh?" No I like suspense with interesting characters
You know what man, I’ll take your advice. I want to be a filmmaker someday, might not happen, but we’ll see. One of my dreams is to adapt a couple of Stephen king Stories that I think bear some film abilities. What you’re saying makes total sense!
Absolutely hit the nail on the head!
New Stephen King reader here! Big fan of Lotr, Dune and Discworld. 25 years old and have always been a bit reluctant to immerse myself in the King universe (especially horror). I have now decided to buy four of his books (the ones that I feel could give me an understanding of the author at least for his older novels) The Shining, IT, Misery and The Stand. Can't wait to read them! Love from Rome, Italy!
Great choices! Did you enjoy them?
There you were, Mike, in the Summer of 2019, talking about The Stand, blissfully unaware that Captain Trips was right around the corner.
Heh. Right?
Yeah, I picked a heck of a time to read that book for the first time....
Except for the fact that Captain Trips had a 99.7% mortality rate and Covid 19 has about a 99+% survival rate.
@@richardmccart7426 sometimes I don’t think a single person has actually succumbed from the virus
@@reginaldforthright805 I know, right?! The vast majority of people that have died in regards to covid, have died WITH covid, but very few have died exclusively FROM it. And the very small percentage of people that have truly died FROM it have been those that are elderly and/or suffering from serious preexisting health conditions to begin with. But these comparisons to the virus in The Stand are completely asinine. The only similarity is that they both happen to be flu viruses. The key difference is that Captain Trips had a 99.7% fatality rate (so literally almost the entire population of the country was wiped out!) while Covid-19 has about a 99.7% survival rate. So yeah, no comparison. Apples to oranges.
I watched the whole video. I didn't get bored listening to you talk once. GREAT VID!
His 2010s work has had way more hits than misses. 11/22/63, Revival, Wind Through The Keyhole, Joyland, Full Dark No Stars, The Outsider, The Institute ... all phenomenal (just to name a few).
Thank you, this is what I was wanting to hear. I know it’s one persons opinion (no offense) but I’d heard from man this newer stuff wasn’t as good by a long shot. Interested in 11/22/63 and the outsiders.
11/22/63 was really fun to read! Joyland is also a good one, and Revival was super weird but i enjoyed it!
Great list. Some of my favourites there for sure.
Ill never forget the Stand. and the 90s miniseries with Gary Sinise
Dude....I LOVE your videos.....I'm a huge Stephen King fan, (have all his books), and I'm reading Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time.....great reviews....makes me want to read all your choices 👍👍👍
We're going to get along swell, then. The King content will be greatly increased after I finish the flurry of fantasy novels.
Same here friend! A got a New videos you can checkout I love Stephen King and Robert Jordan
@@mikesbookreviews did you ever read H.P Lovecraft
Dude. This feels like I'm sitting and having a conversation with you. You're really good at keeping the flow chill and conversational. As a fellow King nerd dating back to 1990, when I was 11 and my aunt gave me Cujo to read because I was bored. Hooked from that day forward
The long walk is what made me a king fan
Such an emotionally powerful book. The last chapter tore me up.
Metoo
Where did you go? How far? I once walked a marathon.
This was the book i told my mom she should make her 8th grade english class read. She didn’t put it on the list, but she read it, and said it was too sad, but that it was a good book.
Read this and then read it again straight after. Love, love this book.
My first book of Stephen King’s was Cujo when I was in Junior high. It terrified me! I still re-read it now and then. I’m glad you mentioned it! A lot of people ignore Cujo and it makes me sad.
Stephen King means so much to me in my life, so much that he has inspired me and given me motivation to become a writer myself.
Wow, I really love this video. I started reading SK in high school during one of the truly dark periods in my life, and I think the books really helped me. When real life is so dark and bleak, the nightmares between the pages become a welcomed escape. Everyone has their own SK story; it's really nice to hear about yours.
You nailed it. I was 15, living in a new city and King became my escape. I like to think his books helped me get through a lot of the sucky parts of growing up.
I'm 37 years old and the first serious read I did was 11/22/63 four years ago (Before that I never read books essentially). It blew me away is all I can say! Now I consistently read daily and have started collecting everything he has as well fantasy & sci-fi genres all thanks to Mr. King. He truly turned me into a book worm.
He was my gateway to the long-form novel, for sure. 11/22/63 was so damn amazing in that it came at a time where I thought he had lost his touch. He's had a great decade plus after that, too.
This was fun! I could listen to you talk of King all day and all of his books 🥰
I love your reviews! 10/10 would listen again
Thanks! Nothing I love more than talking about King.
😁👍
Thank you for the company, it's very helpful. Great long video
Crazy thing is, this was me rushing it. I could have made a video for just each decade of his books.
@@mikesbookreviews , you just know people would watch that!🍂
My favorite king book is Salem's lot. I agree with you about Pet cemetery,it was scary as hell.
daniel cooper Scary in multiple ways, too. As a parent, I can’t think of anything as horrifying as losing a child to street traffic because you weren’t paying attention.
I am just starting my Stephen King journey, thanks for your many videos.
Enjoy the ride!
Thank you for great content.
Thank you for watching!
Michael Moorcock is the first fantasy writer to ever do a shared universe I believe. All his Eternal Champion stuff are directly connected in insane ways. He doesn’t get enough credit imo.
Love King more and more with age.
It was cool to hear your story sir! Thanks for sharing. My first book I read by King was Pet Semetary and it's been a big influence to me in my writing and that started my interest in reading recreationally. He's such an important figure in American literature.
IT was the first Stephen King book I ever read at age 12 and I was hooked ever since!
Once he gets those hooks in you...
Superb video. Thanks so much for sharing how you became a Stephen King fan. I’m the same age as your brother being born in 1972 and like you I began reading SK at 15. My first book was Salem’s Lot and I was hooked. That “It” mini series from 1990 was quite well done I thought. I also remember so well when MTV played music videos.
I found your channel somewhat recently and really appreciate your take on King. I had only read Carrie and Christine many years ago in HS, but now in my 40s I decided to re-discover King’s books. So far, I’ve read Salems Lot, Needful Things and am just starting Pet Sematary. I can’t stop! Usually after reading 1-2 books in a row by the same author, I’m ready to change it up. But not with King, and lucky for me there are TONS of books to choose from to keep up my reading streak. Thanks for your thoughtful videos and reviews :) they always help me choose my next King read.
Hearing you talk about your Mom makes me grateful for my own Mother, she stopped trying to censor my reading material about the time I turned 11, and I started reading Stephen King not to much later , by that point I guess she figured if I was mature enough to want to read it, I was old enough to handle it.
I was not into reading at all until
I found Stephen King....then I read everything I could buy or borrow or check out of the library.
If you're reading this Stephen, you have taught the world to read.
Mike, i had a similar experience with my mom hating my Stephen Kings books. My mom wanted to take all my Stephen King novels, Motley Crue tapes and my Oakland Raiders flag and burn them. She claimed they brought an evil spirit into the house. I had to fight/strongly debate with her, to keep them all. I basically told her she could destroy them as much as she wanted but i would just keep re-buying them. She eventually gave in. That is why i dedicate very one of my novels to Stephen King, Motley Crue and the Oakland Raiders
This is awesome. I’m laughing out loud. We hid our rock albums in the vinyl sleeves of The Monkees and Beach Boys.
@@mikesbookreviews I blasted Motley Crue as loud as I could. My mom was right to hate it!!
I’m so hyped to start the lovely hardcover of 11/23/63 I got at the thrift shop now! My dad has been telling me to read it for years, just haven’t gotten to it. I was on a King strike for a while despite also being a fan since I was a teenager thanks to his Twitter / political comments. But I’m eager to recapture that joy.
Fantastic video!
Rewatched this video after two years. I have to say, my opinions on King have changed a lot since I first warched this. Love your channel. I listen to it when I want to be inspired to write.
My first Stephen King book was Skeleton Crew at age 11 (My cool uncle let me borrow it). Second one was The Stand, read on a weeklong road trip through Colorado the summer before 6th grade. Been hooked ever since.
Wow, great video. I have read SK off-and-on since the 70s. This year (2020) I have collected all his books in hard cover and started reading from his first books. Also read ”The Institute”. Great! Oh, on Hulu is a fantastic adaption of 11/22/63 with James Franko. Wow. Not to be missed.
Franco really surprised me in that.
I grew up in a former Soviet block country in the 90s and my parents didn't want me to watch Power Rangers because it was "too violent" :D
Edmond Dantes My mom went back and forth with stuff like that. One day she would say she doesn’t care and then the next day my Guns ‘n Roses album were the music of the devil. We laugh about it now, but it was an annoying way to grow up.
So many people don’t even realize King wrote Shawshank. I think it’s more of a terror that could happen to anyone so they don’t associate it with him. My husband that don’t even care too much about King loves that movie and he was so surprised to learn that King wrote it!
Im so happy I found this channel, thanks to my wife im getting into Kings stuff, then come here and listen to him talk its just awesome, wish I had found it soon and gotten into king sooner!
I'm currently reading through King's work in publication order. I'm only on the Shining, but I love it so far. So glad I found your channel
IT was my first Stephen King book; I read it the summer I turned 11, when I was roughly the same age as The Losers, and it was one Hell of an experience. I was hooked going forward, my next one was Pet Sematary and those are still my two favorite SK books. Also love Doctor Sleep and Night Shift. I reread IT every couple of years, but in 6 or 7 years I will be about the same age as the Adult Losers so I'm looking forward to re-experiencing IT at the same age as the protagonists once again.
I stumbled upon Stephen King's work quite by accident. I was 13 years old and the year was 1986. The first King book I read was Cujo. I had seen the film a couple of months previous and loved it. I had never heard of Stephen King at that point and while browsing through a book store one day, not looking for anything in particular, my eyes happened to fall upon the cover to Cujo. Immediately I thought of the movie and wondered weather this was the same story. After reading the plot synopsis on the back cover I found that it was. I decided to buy it and to this day I don't regret that decision. I started reading it as soon as I got home and finished it in about 2 days. Immediately after finishing it I went back to the book store (we literally lived across the highway from a major shopping centre) to see what other books this man had written. The second book I bought was It. Over the course of the next year or so, I had bought and read every book that King had released up to that point.
Thank you for this video, I can really feel your passion, love that! I‘ve read three King books so far (not his most famousand loved one’s) and I liked them a lot!! Looking forward to „real“ famous ones;)
I love how we can all feel different as fans. The Dead Zone is by far my favourite King book. I just love the thoughts that there is more to the Human brain that we know. Can we really access the abilities Johnny Smith possess? The movie and series were both great too. The likes of IT, The Stand, Misery, The Shining and Pet Sematary are all generally loved, very few think otherwise, as is 11/22/63, wow, that really is a classic. Salem's Lot is generally up there too as is Carrie. Hell, just what I have mentioned ... what a collection. I loved Doctor Sleep too. I so enjoyed The Outsider, it is underrated in my opinion.
I remember when I read my very first Stephen King novel, was when I watched my first Stephen King movie. Which was a very bad adaptation-which was Stanley Kubrick’s film adaptation. I only say it was “horrible,” because after I saw the book of Stephen King’s novel The Shining. I saw the true Torrance family as how it was intended; and I felt sympathy and connection for Jack Torrance and Danny Torrance. The idea about how alcoholism is like a poison, that damages both the addict’s soul, mind, and body slowly. I will always love Stephen King and his work. He’s my favorite author for my teenager years in my high school and adult years. The Shining is one of his books that holds a special place in my heart for the humanity, care, and sympathy Jack has as supposed to the literal monster in the Kubrick film. I related with Jack, because I too had a fear of becoming an alcoholic, and what I could do if I kept on drinking as I am now as a twenty-one year old. But now I’ve gotten over that fear; but that fear is still lingering deep down inside of me.
I love your page!
I also read It first and it hooked me. I've read at least 20 of his books and he is one of my favorite authors ever. His voice is so recognizable and comfortable.
I listened to a comic book podcast and one of the guys briefly mentioned the dark tower and how big of a fan he was. I got the gunslinger to read and it sat on my shelf for months. I finally got it on audible and flew through the whole dark tower series and started reading and listening to all of his stuff. I’m currently at 20 books so far
Great video man, thanks!
While reading Salem's Lot I stupidly read it at night. And I kept hearing scratches at my window.! On the second floor!
Oh no
I grew up in rural America in the 80s and my mother was also very strict on movies, music, and tv. However, she always tried to foster in us an intellectual spirit. She was an avid reader and loved books. So as long as you were reading a book that wasn't obvious smut, she was ok with it. Any book I ever said I wanted to read, she would get it for me. This is how I read IT at age 13, which scared the shit out of me but also made me a constant reader.
When I was 11 years old I was reading the Tommyknockers In Southern California. When the dog started glowing green there was an earthquake. I was in the most secluded room in the house. Though I acknowledge it sucks, it still has a special place for me
That's a unique memory.
I’m so happy you mentioned the greatness that is the movie Clue! Thank you!
Also, your videos are such a treat for my life as a fantasy reader and massive King fan!
Wow this brought back memories. Reading Stephen King in the 90s, Dark Half, It, Needful Things, internet messageboards. Stephen King is a storyteller, as you say, and his characters are real people. Very easy reading, I can probably read a Stephen King 1000 page book faster than some other authors' 300 page books. You've finally convinced me to try the Dark Tower series, I'm currently halfway through The Stand.
THE CELL. It is quick and easy. Have not watched the movie but will at some point. Taken at face value not much but if you read and truly hear what you have read it is deep. Scary. So underrated.
You are spot on about his works evoking nostalgia of era or events we have never personally experienced or lived through. I live and grew up in Asia, but his stories connect with me. His writing is universal.
Have you read Joyland? I thought it was short and sweet, one of his better recent outputs.
Bingo. And yes, Joyland was a fun, quick read.
We all share the human experience 🍂
The Shining book was really good, and I felt the movie did it justice.
I first read The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon and then Carrie when I was 12-13, back in 2005ish. That's when I first fell in love with reading, and then I read Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn, which I also fell in love with.
I didn't read much in my teen and college years, but in 2020 I read The Institute, and that really got me back into reading. Two years ago my wife and I bought a house and I started collecting King books, once I had the space. Since then, I've collected 112 copies of Kings book, which includes duplicates - I enjoy having different covers.
This was a fun video!
I think the 90's were his best decade. Needful Things, Desperation. The Green Mile. Hearts in Atlantis. Bag of Bones, Storm of the Century, The Wastelands. Wizard and Glass. These are all great to me.
Man I’m so happy I found your channel. I love how eloquent you are breaking all this down. Subscribed. 👊
I’m not one to get down with his political beliefs, but this dude is a master author. I love reading almost everything this guy does.
Indeed. Most of my favorite authors and entertainers have politics I find batshit. But I still believe in separating the art from the artist.
Mike's Book Reviews well said, sir. Love your SK reviews btw 👍🏻. Keep it up!
@@mikesbookreviews Same here haha.
Loved hearing your thoughts on being a Constant Reader. I'm pushing 30 Stephen King books now myself. A lot of the ones you've mentioned I've read, a lot are still on my list. He's so enigmatic and his brain is just unlike anybody else in the world. It's so interesting to hear your thoughts on the ending of The Dark Tower. I wasn't someone who had to wait in between books, I was able to just shoot straight through them and I loved every second of it. I hope you liked Doctor Sleep, I loved both book and movie.
First SK book was Salem's Lot, after watching the TV series, way back when. Still gives me the chills.
started with IT in middle school, then picked up the dark tower series in high school right as the last few books were releasing. king is king!
Your stephen king trajectory almost mirrors mine. You started reading before i did. I read Eyes of the Dragon, Needful Things, The Dark Half, and The Gunslinger from 1988 until whenever the latest book of the ones listed came out. I tried reading Desperation, but that was just too big for me. While it lasted, I loved the book. Around 1996, i fell off stephen king (i graduated hs in 1997 like yourself). The next Stephen King book i read was 11-22-63 on release day, and now, here i am.
Between 2000 or so and when 11-22-63 came out, i was big into Dan Brown, of Da Vinci Code fame!
Love your vids! I was about 12 when a friend of mine gave me The Bachman Books and The Talisman. I was a little overwhelmed because both were big thick books to me. I may have started into The Bachman Books but i remember really starting with Pet Sematary. When i bought the PB I told the cashier what a big book it was lol. That book cemented my love for King and i was completely hooked. I saved up money and bought IT and loved it! From then on i had to have every book King wrote. I started buying his books day one starting with Misery! I went back and read most of the books up until Misery and just kept going. Even though a few books I struggled with i still finished them. I do feel like he rushed the last 3 books of Dark Tower. I almost gave up on King around Dreamcatcher. But i was so invested in him i kept going. I won’t read Danse Macabre or Faithful though. 11/22/63 was so good. The tv show was pretty good. I wrote more than i intended but this video got me going!
Never understood why I am so drawn to this genre but I loved the art in this!
Mike!!!! I just found your channel, because I too am a King fan. You have GOT to read The Talisman!!! I’ve been searching your channel for your review of it and just heard you haven’t read it yet. It’s worth the read. I think you’d like it. 😄
Man, this was an incredible video. I think I'll just jump in with IT. Never watched the films but I feel like I can get through the book (or can I?.. lol) I mean that in a "I'm afraid to watch horror" type of way.
I found a copy of Salems Lot laying around my house. Idk where it came from, my parents aren't a fan of horror books & I dont think my brother bought it so who knows but I read it last month & it intrigued me. Currently reading The Stand now & thoroughly enjoying it. Eager to read more of King's work.
From a Buick 8 is absolutely nothing like Christine. the only element they share is a supernatural car. It is so incredibly underrated and you should give it another chance.
I’d so love to read more about what’s found in that car
IT scared the shit out of me when I was a kid.
I saw the 1989 film adaptation for Pet Sematary when I was 8 (I thank my crazy sister for taking me to R rated horror movies!). The film scarred me for years. I finally read the book when I turned 14. I've read it multiple times since then and am now the father of a toddler. The book has a WHOLE new impact on me and the fear I thought I lost years ago has come back with a vengeance. It scares me soooooooo much more now. I have now been reading IT for the first time. On page 639......its incredible.
It really is
From a Buick 8 is actually one of my favourite Stephen King stories of all time.
Outside of Pet Sematary, which I read 30 years ago and loved - I jumped on board with The Institute! I saw it for 40% off at Costco and figured why not.I then read about 10 King books in a row - Needful Things, Dr Sleep, The 3 Mercedes books, Carrie, Cujo....
I now buy each King release the day they come out.
I find that the old King books have certain highlights, but in general, I prefer the post-accident King best! He does not kill readers with as much personal details and backgrounds. As you see in Institute, he tells backstories as he needs to progress the story. I like his tone. I am a constant reader, and I started at age 50!
I haven’t read much Stephen King. Only Duma Key and Bag of Bones, both of which were phenomenal.
Brother!!! Born and raised United Pentecostal horror lover here! My parents were very lenient and let me read/watch horror productions. But I can’t tell you how many times members of the church thought I’d be demon possessed 😂.
The Exorcist is the only thing they didn’t want me to watch, so I waited until about 19. Biggest disappointment ever. Demon possession bores me. Not my thing.
Pet Sematary was my introduction to Mr. King, the movie. My parents slept in my bedroom with me that night. Zelda, to this day, is my nightmare. The book followed and from that day until now it’s my favorite book in the entire world. 🖤
I’m so glad your mom let you explore horror in the end. It’s always been my favorite. Freddy Kruger was my hero at 5. 😂
Edit: not still a Pentecostal for many years. Gotta make that crystal clear. 😂
That's a rough upbringing ha ha
I had a similar experience.
I'm from South Africa and when I was around 12 years old we went on a long holiday trip by train.
At one of the train stations I picked up "Four past midnight", devoured it and the rest was history. I also strangely ventured into Fantasy from horror but I will always a have place for King :-)
I am from the same region in Maine as King (I am about an hour & a half away from him). Growing up all of us know who he is & our older family members have his books on their shelves so King is just part of Maine culture. I remember being 8 years old & seeing Storm of the Century amongst other SK titles on my grandfather's bookshelf. I, like thousands of other Maine kids, went to a school with a library funded by SK. The first book I read by SK was Everything's Eventual. I have been hooked on his short story collections ever since with Nightmares & Dreamscapes being my favorite thus far. As far as my favorite SK novel, it's a toss up between Needful Things & 11/22/63.
I’m from rural maine also. I left Maine and never looked back. I have a hard time with his books because the descriptions of places and how people act are way to accurate.
I absolutely love Stephen King's books! Misery remains one of my personal favourites. I love his short stories, like 'Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption' and 'The Mist'. The psychology behind his characters, his 'what if' twisted imagination and the cross-references in his novels are amazing! And his writing just makes all of his books page turners. No movie could capture the exact atmosphere that he envokes in his books. King is something else. As Christian parents, we wouldn't stop our children from reading his books. A close reader and fan will notice that 'hope' is a theme that often re-occurs in his novels (though it's often left out in the movie adaptations). Some scenes I wouldn't recommend. E.g. I loved the new IT movies. The adaptation if faithful enough and they left out some sensitive, R-rated stuff you don't need to understand the story, so I would recommend the movies above the book. Good horror should provide a good warning against evil and I think King does exactly that! Pet Sematary was indeed very scary. I read it at 15 and am now a parent of young children. Considering how emotional it got me then, I wouldn't revisit it any time soon... 🙂'On Writing' has always been my personal favourite of all the 'how to' guides on writing. It's been very inspiring and helpful in creating our own stories.
I loved Thinner. IT scared me too much as a teen and I had to put it down.
Misery is incredible and terrifying.
Thinner is super underrated.
Great video. Of his more recent work the Bill Hodges Trilogy is probably my favorite. Nobody does the supernatural better so bringing that into the series was fine by me. I also liked Duma Key and Doctor Sleep quite a bit.
The mist scared me soo bad!! I could almost visibly see the giant spiders!! I loved, loved the green mile! I read like two or three times!!
Joe is fantastic from what I've read so far. Heart shaped box was awesome but the ending left lots to be desired. Both myself and my girl felt the same way about that.
I discovered King in the late 70’s. Carrie was the first book I read. I could kick myself for not buying each hard cover 1st editions but I never thought of it…. I co to ie to read him to this day and am working to collect his books.
I think there must be a portion of millenials who were big on Hunger Games or general dystopian stuff who then became drawn to King. Even though dystopia is not the same as horror, I feel like they are close cousins. That may partly explain renewed interest in his work.
I don't think my wife would have even read The Long Walk before she got into the dystopian genre.
Just might be
Didn't have the heart to break up, but since my whole journey of restarting after IT, SALEM'S LOT, PET SEMATARY, & THE STAND reading everything in published order was a big letdown with that stretch run, yeah I felt the same man...at least until 7's last sentence. However I cannot recommend enough reading the 'between/revisit tale' aka 4.5: The Wind Through The Keyhole. The stuff tying to the love of a mother shows that Sai King remembered some of the important themes from his early inceptions of the series. Plus, it's a brisk read that wouldn't keep you away from much. STORY/Within A Story/within a story. As a fellow Tower Junkie you owe it to yourself with where it lands timeline-wise.
I'm planning my Dark Tower re-reads as I progress through my Into the Multiverse series and I'm pretty excited about it. I'll probably skip ahead and do WTTK after Wizard and Glass just to keep them chronological.
I started reading King before he was famous. We read his work for different reasons and with different preferences and that is great. I liked the ending to The Dark Tower ( though I kind of agree about book six) and I loved Elevation. I love The Talisman and Black House.... LOL. I'm just glad he is here to disagree over.
I hope you have since went back and read both Duma Key and Revival. Both great!
The Dark Half scared me more AFTER reading it. Underappreciated IMO.
I never read that one.
I recognize that feeling of devastation you had in 1999. It was the 9th of the month Av (Jewish calender) the saddest day of the year (the Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed two times on that day 400 years apart, the inquisition had started on it, the first world war had started on that day). I was a child then, but when I heard that Stephen King was critically injured I broke down crying, and did not stop crying till nightfall.
Have you watched Storm of the Century at this point? So, so well done. Talk about brutal endings. The 90s CGI is a little hard to take, but the acting, especially by the villain, is worth the watch.
The first King book I read cover to cover was The Gunslinger when I was 19 in 2017. Changed how I thought about genre.
8:35-I was so sad that movie did bad in the theatre! I loved it SO MUCH!
I have just got into reading Stephen king and im flying through them, just about to read pet sematary and just ordered the first book from the dark tower series
Buckle up.
Also, I agree ... Finders Keepers is the best of the Mercedes trilogy. Loved that one. End of Watch fell flat big time for me.
I've bounced around King for probably 17 years now, I finally just convinced myself to read everything in order. So since it's fresh in my brain from a re-read, let me argue that the only scene in The Shining that raised my heart rate more than room 217 was Halloran looking for the blankets in the garden shed. oh the anxiety 😬
I watched IT (1990) when I was 7 years old with my cousin and it freaked me out, but I didn't know it was Stephen King at the time. It wasn't until I was 11-12 when I became a huge AC/DC fan and found out that "Who Made Who" was a soundtrack for a movie called Maximum Overdrive. I know it's not the best movie ever, but it has a special place in my heart for introducing me to King.
After that I started researching Stephen King and read his books. I was a fan immediately!
I'd love to see an adaptation of Duma Key!
Stephen King is legend at this point. Even if somebody never read any of his books, they'd probably be familiar with scary elements from his novels from movies, television, and The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror. Kind of like of how everyone knows who Frankenstein and Dracula are. I pretty much like everything from what I consider his golden age from the 70s, 80s, and early 90s.
Salem's Lot and the short story, Jeruslems Lot hooked me through the gills, only a couple of wet firecrackers in the bunch. I've gotten so much enjoyment out of most of his stuff, and I've started reading Joe Hill Recently. Just so much there. I find it really ironic that so many people assume he is all horror 100% of the time.
I Love the dark tower series had a Couple problems with the last 2 volumes like when he put himself into the story But I like the way he basically tied the majority of his works together into 1 universe using this series
Year, I'm also that creepy year seven (that's English for eighth grade) kid with his nose buried in a horror book; last time was The Exorcist, and this time is It!
I loved the institute just read it last week…