Actually, I recently borrowed the audio book of The Green Mile from our local library for my mother to listen to on a trip, and she was so taken with it that she bought it for her brother for Christmas. She really liked the voice of the reader, Frank Muller, and he also reads Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption.
I highly suggest getting him started on the Dark Tower series, AKA the Gunslinger series. I also like The Stand, but am not a fan of most of King’s horror writings. The Dark Tower, is a wondereful series, and is completely engrossing.
Also, the first book in the series is relatively short, so if he doesn’t likeit oo much he hasn’t lost a large amount of time.
BTW - I just finishedWolves of the Calla, which is the fifth and most recent book of Dark Tower series. While it’s not the best of the series, it’s very well written and a very enjoyable read. THere’s two more to go in the series, and I can’t wait!
Gotta recommend Dolores Claiborne, as highly as I can.
I just finished re-reading this and wondered, “Did SK ever write anything else like this? As good as this?” Wonderful characterisation, and funny. But not at all a horror story.
There’s also a good movie of the same title, starring Kathy Bates, who’s really, really good in it.
If he is enjoying the Stand then IT and Salem’s Lot should be good choices. All three titles rotate in and out as my favorite King novel.
Not necessarily. I adored The Stand, original and restored versions as well as the mini-series, and I thought Salem’s Lot sucked the proverbial donkey penis. The big thing with a lot of SK books is his characters. They’re real and compelling, and just like people you know, so it’s easy to get wrapped up their story regardless of the plot. The first time I read the Stand, I got so pissed when I thought Stu was going to die that I threw the book across the room. With the Lot, though, I looked up about 3/4 through and realized that people were dying left, right, and sideways and I didn’t care. I finished it, but it’s the only Stephen King book I own that I’ve never read again.
(I’ve also never re-read Cujo, The Tommyknockers, or Dreamcatcher, but those were from the library.)
Stephen King is/was friends with Frank Muller. While I’ve not read the new Dark Tower novel yet, I DID read his notes in the back of that book while standing in Waldenbooks.
Frank Muller was critically injured in a motorcycle accident, and will never narrate a book again. His neurological injuries are that profound. Mr. King is giving all proceeds from the recorded book on tape of the latest Dark Tower novel, to a fund set up to assist Mr. Muller. I’d direct readers to the back of the new novel for the name and info, if one is so inclined.
As for the O.P., I would suggest The Shining, Dolores Claiborne, The Stand, and Different Seasons as well. All fine choices.
The Dark Tower series is so vast a story, and so completely engaging, that one can’t say one’s read King unless one reads the saga, IMHO.
Man, I like his work.
Cartooniverse
If he likes The Stand, get him Desperation. Trust me. It has similar themes but is tighter and has, for my money, better characters and character development. Also, Tak is, IMO, the most fiercesome villiam he ever wrote.
Desperation clocks in at just over 500 pages. A terrible mini-series is in the works.
Also good books by King in his Bachman days are The Running Man and The Long Walk. The Green Mile is also a good read.
Personally, I recommend Pet Semetary which deals with one of the most disturbing events that can happen in a persons life: the death of a child. If your pop likes reading books with downer endings, this is the one for him.
My sister used to have a book that contained these two stories, plus some shorts. One was where a kid is holding his class hostage, and I think the other involves a husband and wife wandering into a town composed of dead music stars. Any idea what that collection would be called?
Oh god, do NOT read Pet Semetary if you scare easily. That was the scariest book King ever wrote, and THE scariest movie I ever saw. I still can’t start thinking about it, or I’ll have nightmares.
My favorites are It, Bag of Bones, and Rose Madder.
Nightmares and Dreamscapes.
The second story you mentioned is called “You Know They’ve Got a Hell of a Band”.
The Shining was the first SK book I read and I was hooked ever since.
I would suggest “The Stand” also.
My favorites…
“The Dark Tower” series (Duh!)
“From A Buick 8”
“Pet Semetary”
“IT”
“Eyes Of The Dragon”
Ah Hell to tell the truth…I love all his stuff. 
The Bachman Books was the collection of four novellas King wrote under the name of Bachman. “Rage” (the one about the kid shooting his teacher and holding his algebra class hostage) is no longer printed, in the wake of various school shootings through the 80’s and early 90’s. AFAIK, though, later editions contain “The Long Walk”, “The Running Man,” and "Roadwork, " and Thinner is still printed as a seperate short novel.
“You Know They’ve Got a Hell of a Band” is in Nightmares and Dreamscapes.
Thanks, everyone. I looked for Different Seasons and Misery but I couldn’t find them at Barnes and Noble do I got him It. I’ll remember the other suggestions for future gifts, though, if he really likes It.