# Are there any Stephen King novels you don’t like? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** books-writing-myths\ **Created:** [November 30, 2023, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-stephen-king-novels-you-don-t-like/993883 "2023-11-30T00:32:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![epbrown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e47774/32.png) [@epbrown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epbrown)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2023, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-stephen-king-novels-you-don-t-like/993883/21 "2023-11-30T02:55:48Z")
The Stand, needlessly bloated. Under the Dome, pointless. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2023, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-stephen-king-novels-you-don-t-like/993883/22 "2023-11-30T03:13:15Z")
Hated _The Tommyknockers_. I wonder what his career would have been like if he’d written humor. The essay he wrote about being interviewed had me laughing out loud. The guy has talents, a lot of it. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2023, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-stephen-king-novels-you-don-t-like/993883/23 "2023-11-30T03:16:42Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > I think “The Shining” should at least be in the running for arguably his best novel. Yes, totally. Spectacularly good book. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2023, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-stephen-king-novels-you-don-t-like/993883/24 "2023-11-30T03:22:11Z")
> [@Lancia](#): > > One that I _know_ I didn’t finish was _Bag of Bones_. I tried reading it again a year or three ago and also couldn’t finish it the second time around, either. You probably read the good parts. Quality declines at the end and leaves a bad taste in the reader’s mind. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2023, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-stephen-king-novels-you-don-t-like/993883/25 "2023-11-30T04:11:37Z")
I read a few of his novels early on. They felt very similar to each other. I was left with the impression that he could become a masterful writer who transcended his genre, but in those early works, it seemed to me that he would get right to the edge of something quite brilliant and then slide back into genre fiction in a way that disappointed me and felt cheap. He may have progressed beyond this, but I haven’t read any of his work since that early period. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2023, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-stephen-king-novels-you-don-t-like/993883/26 "2023-11-30T06:44:53Z")
> [@susan](#): > > in those early works, it seemed to me that he would get right to the edge of something quite brilliant and then slide back into genre fiction in a way that disappointed me and felt cheap. God yes, over and over. The Stand. And IT. right up to the edge and then, uhh now where was I going with this? Oh I know, there’s this spider… What I particularly like about The Shining is that it has all that promise but for once doesn’t leave you feeling cheated at the conclusion. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2023, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-stephen-king-novels-you-don-t-like/993883/27 "2023-11-30T06:55:37Z")
> [@Railer13](#): > > My least favorite was _The Tommyknockers_, closely followed by _Dreamcatcher_. Next two at the bottom are _Needful Things_ and _Desperation_. Exactly this. > [@Railer13](#): > > _IT_ was far too long, But I disagree here. IT would be my favorite King except for that one scene, which I find distasteful (and unnecessary), but not entirely disqualifying. But in light of it I’d probably label The Shining as King’s best novel, particularly insomuch as he stuck the landing which was not normally his great strength. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2023, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-stephen-king-novels-you-don-t-like/993883/28 "2023-11-30T11:51:45Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#): > > I’d probably label The Shining as King’s best novel, particularly insomuch as he stuck the landing which was not normally his great strength. I’d say **The Dead Zone** sticks the landing, and strikes me as more of a page-turner on the way there. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2023, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-stephen-king-novels-you-don-t-like/993883/29 "2023-11-30T12:23:15Z")
Wow, I really liked _Dreamcatcher_. No love here for Duddits and Henry, huh. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2023, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-stephen-king-novels-you-don-t-like/993883/30 "2023-11-30T12:52:31Z")
Man he’s written a massive amount of books. There’s a lot I haven’t read. There’s a lot I’ve loved, I lot that didn’t engage me, several I disliked, and then there’s _Rose Madder_ and _Duma Key_. Each of them I picked up in an AirBnB to read during a vacation on separate occasions. Both were just awful. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2023, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-stephen-king-novels-you-don-t-like/993883/31 "2023-11-30T13:08:00Z")
I’ve never been a big Stephen King fan, but I borrowed one of his books from a friend once just to see what all the fuss was about. That book was **The Tommyknockers**. I think I got about 1/3 of the way through before giving it back. (I have read a few others since then and they were much better…) ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2023, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-stephen-king-novels-you-don-t-like/993883/32 "2023-11-30T13:16:22Z")
> [@AHunter3](#): > > Of those generally regarded by others as among his worst, I have to admit I like Tommyknockers and Christine. To be fair, Tommyknockers held my interest pretty well at the time. But I completely forget what the plot was, other than “some people in a small town turn weird because of aliens or something”. ---
**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2023, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-stephen-king-novels-you-don-t-like/993883/33 "2023-11-30T13:19:11Z")
I didn’t’ like _Billy Summers_, mostly because King chose to bash us over the head with his politics seemingly every chapter, despite the fact that I happen to agree with his politics. It seemed like in every chapter he took the opportunity to bash Donald Trump. Not some fictional version with a different name, but the actual Donald Trump. The main villain also turned out to be a fictional version of Rupert Murdoch, and one of the secondary villains a fictional version of Lachlan Murdoch, and the evil organization a fictional version of FOX News. I’m also not a big fan of Dark Tower V, VI, and VII, though I did enjoy _Wind Through the Keyhole_. Before getting into specific plot points I didn’t like that those books felt rushed. They also felt like they had a completely different tone than the first four books in the series. The first four (plus Keyhole) weren’t just a nice combination of fantasy and adventure, but did a good job with growing the characters in the Ka-tet. The last 3 were more like a series of shootouts with a bunch of mooks, capped off with one of the mooks getting off a lucky shot and ruining things for our heroes. combined with various other elements pulled in from different places that didn’t make sense. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2023, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-stephen-king-novels-you-don-t-like/993883/34 "2023-11-30T13:20:53Z")
> [@Railer13](#): > > My least favorite was _The Tommyknockers_ Horrible book. I’m pretty sure I read that King said he doesn’t even really remember writing it. He was pretty messed up with his addiction at that point. At the time that book came out I was reading everything that King wrote, and this one was such a disappointment that I quit reading his work for quite awhile. ---
**Author:** ![TXRebel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6de8d8/32.png) [@TXRebel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TXRebel)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2023, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-stephen-king-novels-you-don-t-like/993883/35 "2023-11-30T13:28:10Z")
Ya know? I’ve been reading SK since I was 12. I love all his books. My only criticism would be that effer can’t end a book. It’s always weak. I think he hates the ending as much as the reader. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2023, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-stephen-king-novels-you-don-t-like/993883/36 "2023-11-30T13:29:42Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > > [@Railer13](#): > > > > My least favorite was _The Tommyknockers_ > > Horrible book. I’m pretty sure I read that King said he doesn’t even really remember writing it [I think that was a parody.](https://www.theonion.com/i-dont-even-remember-writing-the-tommyknockers-1819583598) ---
**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2023, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-stephen-king-novels-you-don-t-like/993883/37 "2023-11-30T13:32:28Z")
It’s a parody for _The Tommyknockers_. But he did say he barely remembered writing _Cujo_, mostly due to his use of alcohol at that time. [Cujo - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cujo#:~:text=Stephen%20King%20discusses%20Cujo%20in,put%20them%20on%20the%20page). ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2023, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-stephen-king-novels-you-don-t-like/993883/38 "2023-11-30T13:33:08Z")
Well, I’ll be dipped. I don’t remember where I read it, but I remember thinking “well, that makes sense” at the time, because the book was so awful. ---
**Author:** ![LVBoPeep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/858c86/32.png) [@LVBoPeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LVBoPeep)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2023, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-stephen-king-novels-you-don-t-like/993883/39 "2023-11-30T13:35:01Z")
I don’t mind _Tommyknockers_- it’s definitely not my favorite but it kept me reading. I am having a hard time finishing _Fairy Tale_ right now, it started out good but just kind of fizzled out for me. I told myself I have to finish it before I start _Holly_ but it’s been about 6 months now… Least favorites are definitely _Dreamcatcher_ (don’t they shove a border collie down a manhole or something? That’s literally all I remember about it), _Gerald’s Game, Cell & Lisey’s Story._ Just bad novels, all of them. _Insomnia, Desperation_ (which at least has the Nevada setting), and _Hearts of Atlantis_ were just snoozers but not the worst. _The Shining_ is his best novel and _Doctor Sleep_ is a decent, though not perfect, follow-up. I preferred the movie sequel over the book but both were good enough. _The Stand_ is my favorite, and yes, I mean the bloated edition- any more minute I can get with those characters is fine by me. Also feel that as novels go, _Dolores Claiborne & Misery_ are up there close to the Shining in real quality. I really enjoyed the _Mr. Mercedes_ trilogy, definitely more crime/detective than classic King but I thought Bill Hodges and Holly are wonderful. ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2023, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-stephen-king-novels-you-don-t-like/993883/40 "2023-11-30T13:53:29Z")
I just can’t seem to get into the Dark Tower series, and _Tommyknockers_ was pretty weak, IMO. On the latter, I came to the conclusion he probably shouldn’t really do science fiction. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-stephen-king-novels-you-don-t-like/993883.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-stephen-king-novels-you-don-t-like/993883.md?page=3)