Stephen King is without doubt my favorite author. The rest (with the exception of Tom Clancy--a great author himself--I must add Tom Clancy to my fovorite authors list) run a distant second or third. I know a lot of people will disagree with me and that's OK. I know he is wordy but this very wordiness helps me visulize the characters and the sceines.

There is never, well almost never, any shallowness to his people. I truly belive that Stephen King will take his place in literary history as one of the truly great authors of American literature. And, you know, that's saying a lot when you consider authors like Zane Gray, Mark Twain, etc...

I believe his writing will become as much of American folklore as the two authors I just mentioned

Please give me some of your feelings about him and his works.

Bill H

What a nice place you have here. I was just skimming the index and found you. There was a time when SK was my very favorite author. THE STAND was one of the best books he wrote and one of the first ones I read of his. It so impressed me that all those people realized they needed law and order in their lives and they had to set up a plan and then enforce it.

You two do get around a lot here. Good for you.

Lorrie, I'm off to watch a special program on the Packers. Inside 1267 or some such number. It's the address of their stadium.

Wellcome, Petite One, Yea, the "Stand" was an epoch. There was a lot of hidden information in that book. Good for you for reading between the lines. King comes across with a lot of "reading between the lines" in his books

Did you read "Rose Madder"?

Bill H

I have read just about all of Stephen King’s full length novels. It would be dificult for me to say which I thought was the best. I would have to break them down by categories, maybe then I could do it. But why try there were so many good ones. Stephen King also wrote under the pen name of Richard Bachman. Bachman was a friend of King and I understand that they worked on some books togeather. Then Bachman passed away. With permission of Bachman’s wife, King finished and had published some of Bachman’s works aways giving credit to Bachman when credit was due him. He himself then wrote a couple of more books under Richard Bachman’s name. Why he did this I don’t know, unless it was in remembrance of his friend. “The Regulators” was one of the books King wrote using the Bachman name. I liked this book very much and maybe I’ll read it again some day. One book I must recommend by S. King is “Rose Madder.” If you like a journey into real fiction fantasy then this is the one to read. He must’ve been on the top of his game when he wrote this. I think the ladies in paticular would like this one. However, if you are on the squeamish then read it with caution. This has to go on my read it again list. With all the good books I should read for the second time, I don't know why I buy new ones.

Bill H

I posted some misinformation in the previous post!! I gave S. King credit for writing "The Regulators."

Let me print from the inside back cover of "The Regulators." "Richard Bachman died in l985. His widow, Claudia Inez Eschelman, discovered the manuscript of The Regulators, along with some other writings, in the attic of the Bachman residence in New Hampshire. Both Thinner and The Bachman Books are available in paper back, the latter with a new introduction by Stephen King."

That'll teach me to get my information right before posting. So sorry.

Bill H

Excuse me, Petite One, aka Shirley: What are the Packers?

Lorrie

Without doubt I liked "The Green Mile" best of all Stephen King's films. There was something about the pathos and gentleness of that huge simple man that touched me. The book affected me a lot.

But to ask a question: How is Stephen King progressing since the awful accident he was in last year? I know he's writing again, but how is he physically? Does anyone know?

Lorrie

I have prepared a list of all the Stephen King novels that I have read. Some I thought were very good others, well, OK. Maybe we can talk about some of these books. I’d be glad to hear your opinions of them as opposed to mine. I have marked them with asterisks according to my like and only my like of them. These may totaly differ from your opinion, if so please let me know

 

					     Novels 

	Carrie ***	Misery **** 
	The Shining  ****	The Tommyknockers 
	The Stand  *****	The Dark  Tower 11:  **** 
                        The Dead Zone ***	(The Drawing  of the Three) 
	Firestarter	The Dark Tower 111: **** 
	Cujo ***	(The Waste Lands) 
	The Dark Tower:  ****	The Dark Half 
	(The Gunslinger)	Needful Things  *** 
	Christine  ****	Geralds Game 
	Pet Sematary **	Dolores Claiborne  **** 
	Shaw Shanke Redemption ****	Insomnia  **** 
	The Talisman  *****	Rose Madder  ***** 
	(with Peter Straub)	The Green Mile ***** 
	        It  ****	Desperation  ****	 
	Bag Of Bones  *** 

There were some books I didn’t put any asterisks besides. It isn’t because I forgot; I just didn’t care too much for them. But, please, tell me if you agree or adamantly disagree with my ratings of these books. One man’s poison is another man’s.....

These are just the books that I have read. I’m sure that others have read more, especially the short stories

Bill H

Good that you have Desperation in the introduction. It's an interesting work. I notice you seem to have liked it as well as I did, Bill.

Talk about sending a few messages in one book. It won't be soon when I'll be truckin' down those lonely highways, I can tell you.

Gary

Hey, Gary, I must apologize for the way post eight lined up. The tabs lined up fine on my word processor, but when I copied and pasted in the message box, well they didn't look so good. "Desperation" was great. Did you read "Rose Madder" This was a great King novel.

Bill H

Yes, I did. It was a good book for establishing images into your brain as you read. I couldn't get over how I almost 'filmed' the book personally (without recording it of course).

Welcome, Gary! What an interesting concept! You almost "filmed the book" from images in your brain. Well put!

Is Desperation your favorite King novel? As Bill knows, I'm very fond of The Green Mile. I loved that book, and the movie!

Lorrie

I listened to The Green Mile on audio before the movie came out, and I liked the way he wrote it. I wonder if his breaking it out, originally, in its parts, had anything to do with that. Probably not.

My latest read of King was Desperation. I don't have a favorite. It depends on what I'm interested in at a given stage in my life (adjusted for what he writes in any given timeframe).

I really enjoyed The Stand and The Tommyknockers (I'm a science fiction buff above all else, so even thought The TK was not a great work, it had a certain appeal to SciFi nuts like me (The Langoliers was another one like that for me).

Usually, a 'favorite' for me is one I'm waiting at the bookstore for as it comes out, and interestingly, I never did that for a King or a Bachmann novel - I always read them well after they came out.

I've waited, at the merchant's door, for (mostly) Asimov novels, some (but not very many) Clarke novels, etc.

If I had to tie myself to a King favorite, it would be The Stand.

King has written an electronic book for the web, since last year's accident. It's cheap and I'll probably kick myself for not downloading it, but I had too many other irons in the fire. I agree, I loved The Green Mile, but still have a fondness for The Stand and Cujo. go figure.

My post number 8 was so much out of allignment that even I couldn’t look at it any more. I don’t know why; they all lined up beautifully in my “word.” So I thought I’d have another go at it.

I have prepared a list of all the Stephen King novels that I have read. Some I thought were very good others, well, OK. Maybe we can talk about some of these books. I’d be glad to hear your opinions of them as opposed to mine. I have marked them with asterisks according to my like and only my like of them. These may totaly differ from your opinion, if so please let me know. There were some books I didn’t put asterisks besides. It’s not that I forgot; I just didn’t care for them.

 

Novels: 

Carrie  *** 
The Shinning  **** 
The Stand  ***** 
Firestarter 
Cujo  *** 
The Dark Tower **** 
   (The Gunslinger) 
Christine  **** 
Pet Sematary 
Shaw Shanke Redemption **** 
The Talisman   ***** 
   (with Peter Straub) 
       It   **** 
Bag Of Bones   *** 
The Tommyknockers 
The Dark Tower 11  **** 
   (The Drawing Of The Three) 
The Dead Zone   *** 
The Dark Tower 111  **** 
    (The Waste Lands) 
The Dark Half   *** 
Needful Things   *** 
Geralds Game 
Dolores Claiborne  **** 
Insomnia   **** 
Rose Madder  ***** 
The Green Mile  ***** 
Desperation   **** 
Bag Of Bones ***

Gary, I forgot all about the "Langoliers." I thought it very entertaining. I don't know why but I liked the "Tommyknockers" least of all. The summer I read it I had a ferosious backache. Maybe that's why.

If I had to pick a nostalgic King book, I guess it would be "IT." They did it on TV, but what a waste

The "Stand" is one of his best, at least I think. I read the 2nd. edition of the "Stand." When he sent the first manuscript to the pubulisher they ask King to reduce it by about a third. He was sorta new then and he complied with their wishes. But after he became a famous writer, he put all of what he deleted from the original manuscript back in plus much more and the publishers now were very glad to publish the book

So, you liked the Talisman? I have that one, but I haven't ever started it. I'm not a fantasy afficienado, and for some reason, I feel that it will be a tad bit too much fantasy and not enough intrigue, mystery, sci-fi (traditional), horror, suspense, etc.

Which other King book would you equate it to? I know that's a loaded question!

Gary: If you're a sci-fi fan, I can see why you would like The Langoliers. The concept of time frames is fascinating to a lot of people. You must have loved Timeline by Chricton. We just finished reviewing that one in another discussion.

Lorrie

Bill, that looks a lot better, thank you! I find it easier to read.

Here's an interesting bit of news. As a would be writer, myslef, I thought this was of importance: "October is the release date for King's book 'On Writing'. The front cover is below. The book is non-fiction and in a recent interview King said this about the book, "The first half of it is a memoir about how I became a writer. Because I think you have the talent built in and then there's a number of lucky accidents that lead you to the craft, and practicing the craft and getting published too. And the other half is kind of 'this is how I do it and maybe it will work for you." And then they show a copy of the book cover. I never did read his on-line book "Biting the Bullet," but I guess it was a real success.

Lorrie

This quote from Stephen King always cracks me up: "I’’m a salami writer. I try to write good salami, but salami is salami. You can’’t sell it as caviar." In another culinary metaphor, he called his work "the literary equivalent of a Big Mac and a large fries."

Lorrie

Gary, if you have the TALISMAN by all means read it!! I think you'll find in this story all that you mentioned. Stephen King and Peter Straub combined talents to write this book and they made a terrific combination. It is a very good read. You said you have the book, well, don't let a very good story--just waiting to be read--pass you by. You're going to find all the horror and suspense you want.

Lorrie,I can read that list better, also. That was good information you gave about King's non fiction "On Writing."

The Stephen King book that I’m most reminded of is IT. The book--one of my favorites, although it is long--deals with evil in the form of a clown and when ever this evil’s presence shows up in the book it is usually marked by a bunch of colorful balloons carried by a clown. Now when I see a bunch of balloons, wherever they may be either in a shopping center parking lot, in a grocery store super market or just a little kid carrying them. I think of IT. And the same holds true when I see a clown on TV, in a parade or circus. Sometimes when I see that word in a book magazine or newspaper I’m reading, I’m reminded of the book. I wonder if that is what King had in mind when he gave the story the title. The word “it” crops up every where. Try having a conversation without using the word “it.”

Gary Moore liked the story Rose Madder and so did I. Gary gave a very good description of the vivid graphics of that book. In one of his posts he said he “filmed” it in his mind while he was reading the story. You hit the nail right on the head, Gary. You were so right. I think that was one of the most “graphic” books I have read. I could “see”-like Gary- every thing as I read the story. One of the passages I remember “seeing” most clearly was Rose in the living- room of the house of the evil old woman, having tea with her. You could never imagine what Rose saw in that tea-cup and all that went on in that living room.

I keep harking back to Rose Madderand recommending the reading of it--there’s that word again. So maybe if I had to chose my number one King book this Rose Madder would be on a very short list.

Bill H

Gary, You asked me what other of King's books would I equate to the TALISMAN. Well this is going to be a long stretch, but the closest I can come to this would be the DARK TOWER series. (The Gunslinger). Now don't forget I said it was going to be a long strech, but there are some similarities. But that would be the closest.

Thanks, I'll give it a try, but it'll take me awhile to get through it - it is rather large. I usually read (or audio) four books at one time (depending upon where I'm at and what I'm driving).

LORRIE! I DON'T BELIEVE YOU. I'M GETTING OUT MY VOODOO DOLL. What are the Packers, indeed. Humrph.

Bill H, no I have not read Rose Madden but it sounds like it should be read. I have read 12 of his books, the last one in 1994 and that was Dolores Claiborne. That was a very good one. I was getting a little fed up with his overlong stories that seemed to repeat so much of what he had already written. Also, his use of language. Not needed to use all those so called "bad words". Did like catching his use of brand names for a subject. Such as Camels for cigarettes. He had some "old" words there that our generation would recognize.

Hey, Petite One! It took you long enough to get the insult. Your voodoo doll won't work, I'm completely encased in a Minnesota Viking fur body suit, and I'm wearing my helmet with the two horns on it!

But to talk about Stephen King. Don't sell him short, Petite One, he really has talent, and some of his later books are very well written. Much acclaim was given to "The Shawshank Redemption," for instance, and "Hearts in Atlantis," or "The Green Mile," all of which can't really be called horror books.

By the way, Bill and Gary, did you know that Stephen King and Peter Straub are working together again to do a sequel to the "Talisman?" That one I don't want to miss!

Lorrie

Has anyone downloaded the new ebook by King? I was tempted, but the thought of sitting staring at a whole novel just didn't appeal to me. There's something about holding a book in your hands, turning the pages, slopping coffee all over it, dropping it on the floor when you fall asleep! Ha ha Anyway, so many copies were downloaded for "Riding the Bullet," that now they're thinking of doing another one, in serial form, like the original Green Mile. What is your opinion of that?

Lorrie

Gary, it takes me a while to get through any book. I don't have the time to sit and read for long periods of a time. And as I said in an eary post I like book to last long time. I enjoy reading in the winter more so than summer.

Gary, if you do read the DARK TOWER series, I suggest you start with the very first one THE DARK TOWER (the gun slinger)and then go on to TOWER 11 and TOWER111. I think you'll find some heart warming characters in these stories, but they are fantasy. There are so many intersting things in this series. The main character is from the medievil times transported back and forth through time.and he meets a several modern day characters along the way. "Roland to the dark tower came"

Petite One, Rose Madder is about an abused woman who leaves her husband. He pursues her. And her trials and tribulations a long the way are some thing to be hold. But if you are the squemish type then use caution, but I really think you'd like ROSE MADDER.

Lorrie, I, too, heard that King and Straub are going to co-author a book again. I'll certainly read that one.

Gary, I never have audioed a book is it as satisfying as reading.

But Lorrie and Petite One, you know the Pittsburgh Steelers have the nicest looking uniforms in the NFL. I belive they beat the Vikes in the Super Bowll, oh, well the Vikes had Tarkington and we had Bradshaw at the time. and didn't the Steelers knock the "Packs" outof the play-offs a couple of years ago. However the Steelers have fell on hard times of late.

Bill H

Oh oh, Petite One, you hear that? Another country heard from about football! Do we allow that?

I am completely disgusted. I always liked Stephen King's "Carrie," and I thought the movie, when it came out, was great, too. So when someone lent me her copy of "Rage,"---"Carrie 2" I played it with great anticipation. This is a fairly new release and is supposed to be a sequel to "Carrie," and it's awful! It was a big disappointment to me, all violence and gore, sex, and no plot or story of any kind. Yuch! I heard later that SK has disclaimed any connection to that movie. No wonder.

Lorrie

Well, I have all of Stephen King's books and IMHO I still like the older books best. They have the most tension and interest, for me anyway. I've stayed up all night just to finish one of those books. I especially like "Tommyknockers" with the alien spaceship. Liked the movie too. I think his more recent books don't quite have the pizazz of the older stories and are not quite as horrific.

Bill - if you are sitting at the wheel of a vehicle in rush-hour type traffic (even on a trip) it can be a good thing. Actually, I've audioed some I've read, and it can go either way, depending upon the reader on the audio.

I mentioned that the DARK TOWER series was a triology. Well, I forgot the last one, there were four Dark Tower books, each with its own title. King points out that they were inspired by Robert Browning’s narrative poem Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came. “The Gunslinger” ( Dark Tower 1) starts the series and it explains Roland of Gileade’s early childhood in medieval times and how he was trained to be a “Gunslinger”--not the cowboy type. The second is The Drawing of the Three(Dark Tower 11) In this narrative three people are chosen, all from different periods of time. One is from 1977, another from 1964 and the last from 1987. These three accompany Roland, mostly unwillingly, in his quest to reach the “Dark Tower” which is supposed to hold all the mysteries of life and death and anything else you can think of. The third is The Wastelands (Dark Tower111) and the fourth and so far the last is The Wizard And Glass (Dark Tower 1V). All of these are really mind boggling, especially the last one. But I would suggest starting with the first “The Gunslinger.” As with any series you can readily understand the reason for starting with the first. Although, you can, read any one you chose--it is, after all, a free country.

These stories are an excursion in fantasy and they are to be read and enjoyed with this understanding in mind. You could say, hey, this is all a bunch of crap and you would be right. Maybe!! But these stories of fantasy are Stephen King and if you like King then you’ll probably like the Dark Tower books. They do take you on quite a journey. I read them with the idea of just being entertained and I was.

If you chose to read these books, please read them with the same idea I had, that being just for entertainment. It boggles my mind the imagination, I should say, great imagination that Stephen King possesses. As I read his stories, I think to myself How could any one have an imagination like his. I could never begin to imagine any of these things.

Bill - I'll admit, unknowingly, that I read Dark Tower I and then Dark Tower IV, thinking that Wizards and Glass was a separate book thread.

Since I have the beginning, and the end, I don't feel inclined, now, to read DT II and DT III. A shame. I thought it did actually show that King can be a very good Fantasy writer as well as his other exploits.

BTW, I saw a reference in King's narrative at the end of Nightmares and Dreamscapes, which contained quite a few good stories, that Bachmann died in the mid-'80s when I was in a bad time of my life (King's words). Apparently, perhaps, King's emergence from this 'bad time', probably as King and not Bachmann, cemented the thought in King's mind that he should continue on, as an author, only as himself. You have any other information on his Bachmann pseudonym?

Ann B: Don't you feel that perhaps some of King's later books were written to get away from the horror genre? Many people are saying that King's last few books have shown a marked maturity and a change in direction. Like "The Shawshank Redemption," or "Hearts in Atlantis!" Both received excellent reviews.

Lorrie

Gary:
Something I noticed while looking up something else:
The next time you face a tough career decision, think about Richard Bachman, a best-selling author who technically doesn't exist. Bachman himself was dreamed up by Stephen King, who usually specializes in nightmares. After writing best-seller after best-seller, King thought it would be fun to write with a different voice, under a different name, and see whether that struggling new author could succeed. As Bachman became moderately successful, though, some diehard King fans began to notice similarities between their two writing styles. Eventually, King acknowledged that he was indeed Bachman, but he continues to write as Bachman from time to time; some stories just seem better when told from Bachman's voice. ``I told everyone Bachman was dead. The novelist in me says there ought to be continuity. So the voice suggests maybe he left a lot of manuscripts behind. The decision to do (Regulators) as a Bachman is how it got (published) at all.''

Lorrie

Thanks, Lorrie. That was my understanding, too. I had noticed that the Regulators and Desperation had actually come out as a two boxed set, and it intrigued me why Bachmann had resurfaced. I haven't read the Regulators yet.

Gary, I confess I haven't read either one of the set. After reading Thinner, I became a little turned off by "Richard Bachman," even though I knew it was a nom de plume. I liked so many other King's books. What do you think of books being read on-line, like King's venture, "Riding the Bullet?" I haven't quite made up my mind about epublishing yet, although as a would-be writer, I'm just a wee bit excited about this new possibility opening up. For years it's been almost impossible to crack the big publishing houses unless you had a name, and this could very well change all that. I understand Stephen King is now thinking about doing an eline serial novel Would you read it, if he does?

Lorrie

Not yet, Lorrie. I simply wouldn't have enough on-line time to devote to something I usually desire to do off-line.

Lorrie, I was taken in by what King wrote about Bachman. I thought he really dd exist at one time!! It all sounded so real when he wrote about Bachman. He even gave Bachman's widow a name. I wrote this in an early post. Ha, Ha!!

I agree Thinner

was a very poor example of Kings writing. But I liked both The Regulators and Desperation. Desperation was very good. I think you'd like that one.

Garry, I didn't know that those two came in a boxed set. Did you mean an audio boxed set?

Actually, I had bought a $7 Desperation paperback and then noticed that there was a $5 Desperation/Regulators hardback set in the same store. Can't recall the store name now - it was outside my local area.

I don't think I would care to read e-line books they would have to be short novels, and I just can't seem to get interested in short stories.

I think King has taken a step in another direction --"Shawshank," etc.. but he did come back to fantasy again after the "Green Mile". If he and Straub combine on a sequel to TALISMAN and if he follows through on some day writing a Dark Tower V story, then he'll come back to writing fantasy. I think fantasy is to much ingrained in him for him to ever completely give it up. I just wonder how long he will continue writing. Maybe thats why he's turning to e-line stories.

Anne B, what did you think of IT, THE STAND and the Dark Tower series. I liked his earlier books much better, also. I feel he did his best with these books. I'll admit I liked the GREEN MILE, both book and movie were excellent.

But the two movies from his books I liked best were THE SHINING and THE GREEN MILE. No, I didn't forget SHAWSHANK. It's just that those two I mentioned appealed to me more.

Maybe Jack Nicholson made the SHINING good.

Bill, it's easy to be taken in about Richard Bachman. I don't think King would have admitted making him up to this day if some sharp-eyed reader hadn't put two and two together and finally wrote to the Library of Congress. You find these little tid bits of information as you go along researching Stephen King!

Lorrie

Gary, a hard back of The Regulators/Desperation for $5 was a great bargain. Had you all ready bought the paper back of Desperation?

I ran into the same thing with Intensity. In the bargain book dept. of the local Barnes & Noble, a hard back copy of Intensity was selling for $5 and just for the heck of it I walked back to the "horror" section and sure enough the paper back copy was selling for $7.99. It pays to check their bargain book department.

I asked the manager why this would be. He told me, that after the books had been done "selling" for a period of time, books stores would buy different lots of books from the publishers at greatly reduced prices and then pass them on to the cusomers at bargain prices.

Joyce Carol Oates introduced King at a rally at Princeton, once. I thought her introductory comments were quite interesting:


"To speak of Stephen King the literary/cultural phenomenon is to evoke remarkable statistics. King is, for instance, the best-selling writer on earth. (As for Jupiter, Saturn, distant constellations—who knows?) As of 1996, he has sold more than 200 million books in the US and an additional 50 million abroad (with more to come: his 44th book, The Dark Tower IV: Wizard and Glass is forthcoming this year). Uncommon as it is for most writers to have bestsellers, it isn't uncommon for Stephen King to have two books on bestseller lists simultaneously—hardcover and paperback; last season, Stephen outdid even himself with three books on bestseller lists simultaneously. He has published more than 30 novels including such famous titles as Carrie (a Gothic tale of familial and societal revenge), The Shining (a tale of demonic possession, to be a TV mini-series soon with a screenplay by Stephen King), Christine (a distinctly American-adolescent tale of a demonic female—a 1958 Plymouth called "Christine"; Pet Semetary; Misery; The Dark Half (a mordant exploration of the intimate relationship between a literary writer and his bestselling "horror" pseudonym); the epic The Stand; the story "Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption" from which the memorable film was adapted; the tour de force of first-person narration, Dolores Claiborne; Rose Madder and many more. Last fall, Stephen King published the highly successful 6-part serial The Green Mile, as well as twinned novels by himself and his pseudonym Richard Bachman, Desperation and The Regulators, which share characters and reflect each other thematically. In addition, Stephen has published five collections of short stories including the massive Nightmares & Dreamscapes as well as screenplays and assorted prose."

Lorrie

Have any of you folks ever read anything by Tabitha King, Stephen's wife? I have, and a fine writer she is! She has written several books relating to the area where they all live, namely the state of Maine. Her portrayal of local citizens and others of the area is accurate, sometimes biting, and very real. Although she is a gifted author in her own right, it would be hard for anyone in such proximity to Stephen King himself to not become overshadowed.

Lorrie

I was reading “ The Encyclopedia of Stephen King”--a large tomb of a book, covering just about every aspect of King's life. One reviewer of S. King's stories, upon being interviewed, said he thought the ‘Shinning” was the greatest of all the author's stories. He went on to say “that a hundred years from now it will be still standing”. Well, I really did like the “Shinning” it may have been the first King book I read I do know that of the several movies made from his books I think this was the best. Maybe it was due to the acting of Jack Nicholson. “Heeereees Johneeey.” But again that’s just my choice.

Stephen King wrote many books on horror. I think the most horrific book he wrote was “IT.” Most books of horror will have one or two, maybe even three, horror scenes in the stories. However in “IT” it seems that every 50-pages has a horror scene described and they are horror sceines.And what makes it seem more horrible is the cast of characters are mostly children. The encounters they meet with keep you turning the pages. He does a good job with “IT.” There was a TV movie of this story, but it turned out to be so woefully pitiful I couldn’t watch it. Couldn’t even begin to compare with the book.

Lorrie, I was going to ask that question! Yes, in 1993, I read Caretakers. Regret to say I don't remember what it was about but I wanted to see what her work was like. I always thought I would read more of her work but haven't found any of her books yet. I will be at The Book Seller this week and hope to find a dozen or so books to fill in some empty spaces in my box that replenishes the bookcase.

Hey, Petite One:

I'm glad you said that about Tabitha King. Whether she wanted it that way or not, this author has been greatly overshadowed by the fame of her husband, Stephen King. A pity, because Ms. King has written some very good novels, albeit not horror stories. Her series of tales about Nott's Ridge, Maine, are hard to put down, and exceed any comparisons between "Peyton Place." Tabitha King's characters are well-rounded, believeable, complex like all humans, and easy to understnd. Tabitha King's latest, "Survivor," is a gem of a psychological novel, written from experience of the setting of a Maine college town.

Lorrie

You know, Bill, I've decided to read "It." To tell the truth, I didn't like the movie, either, that's why I didn't read it, but after what you said, I think I will. I should really know by now that so often the movie version rarely is as good as the book. I'm glad you mentioned that.

Lorrie

Beware Lorrie: It was the first book of Kings, that I felt "Come on Stephen-- all right already, how many times do you need to repeat that?? I got it, OK???"

Back in March of this year I read "Bag Of Bones." Well, I had mixed feelings about this story. It was entertaining, but not one of his best works. While I read, I didn't feel it had the depth of some of his stories. Couldn't begin to compare with some of his early works.

Lorrie, I knew that King and Straub were going to get togeather on another book, but I didn't realize it was going to be a sequel to "The Talisman."

Stephen King can go to great depth and detail in some of his books,i.g. "The Stand." "The Dark Tower Series" and other books, while in others he just skims the surface. I wonder if these "skim" books are written to meet a contract assingment.

I just can't see King adhering to any contractual committments. He's always struck me as a compulsive writer who simply seizes the moment and begins to write, and can't stop, in some cases.

Alf, thanks for the warning. We've been talking about King's penchant for horror, but does anyone have an opinion about some of his more "mundane" strories? Like "The Shawshank Redemption," "Hearts in Atlantis," or my eternal favorite, "The Green Mile?"

Lorrie

Hey, did you guys take off for a convention or something? No posts since the 4th?

Picked up a book by Tabitha, THE BOOK OF REUBEN and one of his - GERALD'S GAME. Has anyone read that one?

Lorrie, I even found the GREEN MILE with four of six parts. The first two parts were missing so I left them all there.

Hi, Petite One! Yes, lately I've been getting the feeling that the public is maybe becoming saturated with just too much Stephen King. That's why we're going to throw this discussion open to all horror story authors, not just certain ones. Does anyone have a favorite horror story they're reading now? How about Ann Rice's Vampire chronicles, books by Mary Higgins Clark, Thomas Harris, Douglas Clegg? Let's hear from you horror/suspense fans!

Petite One, Tabitha King did a fine job with her tales of people caught up in the typical Maine lifestyle. Her characters all ring true, but I've always thought her talent was overshadowed by her husband's fame.

Lorrie

Petite One, I truly thought we had more S. King readers than what showed up here. Stephen King is a very popular writer. To receive so few comments about his books is very hard to belive.

Bill H

To pursue King for another moment, he was on tv just the other night. Or was it just a report about him? Anyway, he is doing just fine.

Petite One, I saw Stephen King on TV not too long ago and he did seem to be doing fine.

I heard a report that he would like to buy the truck that hit him just so he could take a hammer and smash it up!!!

Bill H

I just wrote a long post and lost it.

In essence, give credit to Tabitha for being a strong woman and writing her own stories even tho she has a strong husband writing the same.

Just like him to want to buy the truck and smash it. Then he could write a story about it. Should we help him write it?

A shame that more people don't partake in this discussion about King. Don't give up on him so fast. People are outside or on trips. This is traveltime as grandkids are graduating or getting married etc & we are all BUSY. More books are sold/read in romance but look how few are active in that folder. At least while I was DL.

Petite One: You may be right, anyway, we're taking our time here and giving the discussion a little more time, right, Bill? I'm glad you liked Tabitha King, too, Petite One. In some respects, her characters seemed more real to me than did her husband's.

Lorrie

I always come in and read what others are saying about King, but do not take the time to "speak". I do hope that this discussion continues.

I don't particulary care for the movies based on SK's books, but I did think that the Green Mile was excellent. I enjoyed both the book first, and the movie second. Another book that I read of his recently was "The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon". (At least I think that is the correct title.) It was really intriguing and held my interest all through the reading. Off hand, the most recent book, the one were they went back in time (darn, the senior moment has me), I got bored with that as it took so many similar episodes for them to escape back to the time capsule.

Well anyway, I will continue to read his writings when I have time. Right now, I am trying to do both the Cat Who, and Greatest Generation. But there too, I am mostly just browsing the discussions, which are really also interesting .

Mary, we don't care how infrequent your comments are, we are always glad to hear from another reader. I, too, liked "The Green Mile," both the book and the movie, and Tom Gordon, etc. I've been reading a lot about the private lives of Stephen and Tabitha King, and I'm impressed with the amount of money they have donated to charitable causes. I know he has made a terrific amount of money during his career, yet the proportion they have given to charity is not negligible.

Lorrie

Petite One, when you write a long post, copy it to a floppy disk before posting. Then if some thing goes wrong, you can bring it back up on the screen.

Mary, since you enjoy reading our post, maybe I can come up with some good stories for you to read. The book you read that "went back in time" was it one of the Dark Tower series. Maybe "Wizard And Glass?"

I didn't read "The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon." I'll have to read that one so many people liked it.

Bill H

Bill, thanks for the suggestion. Only trouble is I have webtv and not a 'puter so can't do that.

OK, who fooled around with the heading here? The names of our leading readers (Lorrie and Bill) are missing. Geesh, why am I always the one to find these problems?

Okay, Hawkeye Alf! The names of your illustrious DL's will be posted shortly, as soon as we change our heading here. Alf, you don't miss a trick! We're going to have to elevate you to Chief Investigator!

Lorrie

Watch it, Lorrie. You just might get fired. That wasn't Alf.

Lorrie, my dear. I keep telling you what an innocent I truly AM. When WILL you believe me??? Some one is looking for a scapegoat. Hey there!

Well, if some people didn't keep running around in disguise around here I might not get so confused. Someone, I might add, who has very poor judgment in football teams! Please forgive me, Alf! I think I've been reading too many horror stories!

Lorrie

King or Koontz would be able to pen a terrific story to describe your condition, Lorrie. Did you read Mr. Murder? Wasn't that the one that took over Koontz protoganist's authorship? Lorrie's Lunacy would be a great title.

Now i know you've been over in the Canterbury Tales with the Pilgrims, swilling down that grog they've all been imbibing! Lorrie's Lunacy, indeed!

P.s. I like it!

Lorrie

Several movies were made from Stephen King’s book. The one’s I liked best were: “The Shining,” “The Green Mile” “Shawshank Redemption” and “ The “Dead Zone.”

I liked “The Shining” because of the para-normal qualities of the picture and the visual effects. I read the book before seeing the picture, but I wasn’t disappointed at all when I watched the movie.The erie quality of the movie story came through mostly due the isolation of the hotel set in the Rocky Mountains and the loneliness (or cabin fever) of those three people in that huge old hotel.

Anyone who saw “The Green Mile” witnessed the over powering effects of those graphically photographed horror scenes. The director and producers of this movie are to be commend for their foresight in following the script of the book so closely. If you haven’t seen this movie yet, by all means rent the video, you won’t be disappointed.

”Shawshank” was very good due in part to the story itself and the acting of Morgan Freeman and others who were in the screen play. This was a suspense filled movie worthy of King’s book.

”The Dead Zone” was another movie I liked. I thought It was well produced and the acting was very good.

However, there were some real bombs of the movies made from his books. One of them I thought was just plain awful was “The Tommy Knockers” The screen play was so different from the book I couldn’t believe it. If I hadn’t read the book, I wouldn’t have understood what was going on.

As much as I liked the book “It,”I’m sorry to say the movie made from the story failed miserably Money and time both were wasted on this. In no way did this screen play follow the script of the book I don’t think Stephen King hade to be consulted after he sold them the rights to make the movie from the book. I just can’t see him giving permission for them to trash the book the way they did.

Bill H

Bill, I'm inclined to agree with you on what duds those movies were. And I guess I'm the only person who didn't like "Misery!: Oh, well!

Lorrie

There was a time when I was going to tape the King movies but just checked and only have "The Stand" and "Tommyknockers". The Stand was just on tv a week ago but didn't watch it. Actually I don't watch any of the tapes I've made. Then there was a time when I was collecting all his books too but that fell by the wayside and I don't seem to have any left. Except the one I just found last week at the resale shop and paid 25 cents for it. Big Bargain, hey?

I had written:

"I don't particulary care for the movies based on SK's books, but I did think that the Green Mile was excellent. I enjoyed both the book first, and the movie second. Another book that I read of his recently was "The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon". (At least I think that is the correct title.) It was really intriguing and held my interest all through the reading. Off hand, the most recent book, the one were they went back in time (darn, the senior moment has me), I got bored with that as it took so many similar episodes for them to escape back to the time capsule."

Bill H. had asked"

"Mary, since you enjoy reading our post, maybe I can come up with some good stories for you to read. The book you read that "went back in time" was it one of the Dark Tower series. Maybe "Wizard And Glass?"

This is my reply:

;-( Oops! - I got my authors mixed up - Sorry for the lapse of memory. The book that I was referring to was Michael Crichton's TIMELINE. I read it and joined in the book discussion that they had sometime ago.

I have just 'found' Ssenior Net and I think that I may be a little late with my comments. Probably no one will even see them but I have to tell you that Stephen King is my favorite author. I became a fan in a big way when I read Pet Semetary-one of his most 'horror' stories. His descripption of that father's grief was so intense. I marveled at how he KNEW! I liked the rest of the story, too!!! Of his more recent-Bag of Bones. I find him so intense that I have to take a vacation from him for a while-my mind needs a rest (sort of like a cow chewing it's cud!) I read a great deal and I think he borders on genius-many authors do, in my opinion, but he is the most for me!

Dear Wilan... Welcome to books.. It's good to have you post here and there is a Library Discussion where you might like to post your thoughts about Stephen King...

I do hope you have found our current and upcoming discussions.Click on the link below "Books & Literature to go to our main Index page.

Good morning all, Just found this discussion One of my favorite SK books is Delores Clairborne, has anyone else read it? My hubby liked the TV version with me. Has anyone read Dreamcatchers? Have a good day

Hello, Happy Grani. I, too, just found this post. I have been looking for a discussion of Dreamcatchers. My husband and I have been reading and listening to the audio tapes. We are on tape 13 out of 16. We both like Stephen King. We have been discussing the book, but I would love to get some other viewpoints about just what is going on in the book.

Has this book ever been made into a movie? I have been in Thailand for 16 years and am really out of touch with the modern world here in the USA.

LORRIE, would it be possible to get a discussion group going about ONE Stephen King book??? I really don't care which one.