Stephen King

[Eleusinian Mysteries]

I don't like horror books, so I have only read one book of his, 'Salem's Lot. I loved it however, but maybe that's just because I love vampires. I've watched a couple of the movies, and they haven't impressed me much. I haven't watched nearly enough to notice the similar plot line or anything.  

[SJC^Superslacker^]

Shinobi 1977

I've never actually read any of his books (shame shame!). If the movies are any indication, his early stuff was better. I loved It, but couldn't stand Rose Red. The Shining, I had high expectations for but was disappointed by it. They put too much supernatural stuff in it. When it comes to supernatural, less is more.

everyone knows movies are no representation of books  

[Tiezu Star]

Well you also have to take this into account at why all his books are so similar.

He does have like 53,54 books. And 90-sum short stories. You can only be so creative. But thats just my thoery.

p.s. Stephen King is Love . . . hes my favorite author even though Dreamcatcher wasn't a one of my favorites but I heart heart heart Misery!  

[Keren]

To be honest, the only books I've read of Steven King's are IT and Needful Things.

It seems to me like the plot always drags in the beginning before it picks up pace. That makes it rather hard for me to read his works, but when it does pick up, it moves fast. I ought to read other works of his, but I haven't had the time to.

My cousin read Rose Matter and said it was horrible. Anybody disagree? I'm looking for a good one read.  

[Mekaama]

lancekatre

W0mb4t

What I enjoy about Stephen King is how many of his novels are tied together. A lot of the earlier books have references to some of the events in his Dark Tower Series, and I love scouring the text to find them.

Those were the best books ever. But I haven't read enough of his works to know that he makes references to that 7-book monolith in other stories...it kinda makes you want to believe that Roland and the Crimson King were real and really did talk to Stephen King that one day in 1977...

I'm currently working through that series (just finished VI, about to start VII). Those are the only books I've read by him, and I'm absolutely smitten. I almost don't want to read the other books. I'm afraid they'll ruin it for me.  

[.Never.Forever.]

I've read a lot of his books, but you have to take into account that most of them are tied in with the Dark Tower Series, like W0mb4t said. That would explain the supernaturally intelligent 11-year old you were mentioning.

As for the fact that he puts himself in the book, I didn't enjoy that too much. It just doesn't seem right. He ties it all together really well, but I just didn't like it.

Note on the Dark Tower ordeal: I was disappointed by the ending only because I don't know what happens. That definately peeved me a little.

I really do love some of his books, like From A Buick 8 (I really am drawing a blank on how to spell Buick, but I'm pretty sure that's right.) But most of them are terribly slow in the beginning. After the first few chapters of Insomnia I gave up. I still haven't come around to finishing it.

The only other problem with Stephen King is that in the books that don't tie in, still have similar characters. I've read at least two books about a writer, I found a third and put it down before I could read anymore.

 

[SeeBeeFlee]

I gave up on King a while ago. I read an article on Bookslut about "judging a book by its cover" that summed up my feelings pretty well. It said that you should probably skip over a book if the author's name is larger than the title, because it means the writer is such a well-known that they just write the same book over and over, and therefore the writer's name is really all you need to see.

That's how I feel about King, nowadays. There are a couple of his earlier books that I still like, but now when I pass his section of the bookstore I feel no urge to pick up his latest. He needs to realize that editors are there for a reason, and listen to them.  

[McRabbit]

Well, I'm not really sure. >.< I've only read one book of his, The Eyes of the Dragon.

 

[Missy Wyvern]

I've noticed that in the books that I have read of his that there is whole lot of child molestation or references to it. And a lot of homosexuality issues. And a lot of sex... And a lot of psychos and incredibly intelligent children... There are definitely repeats of basic stories and ideas in all of his books. I heard it was where he was born that influenced all of the creepiness. Apparently, his little town in Maine is just as freaked out over sex as he is.

Some of his books are still good reads, however recycled the ideas are.