# Best S. King Novel To Inspire Non-reader Teen? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 9, 2009, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-s-king-novel-to-inspire-non-reader-teen/516932 "2009-11-09T19:45:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![wonderlust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonderlust/32/7237_2.png) [@wonderlust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonderlust)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2009, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-s-king-novel-to-inspire-non-reader-teen/516932/1 "2009-11-09T19:45:00Z")
My latest evil plan to get my 16 year old son to enjoy reading is to have him read Stephen King. He is unversed in the ways of the word, so it must be direct, involving, suspenseful, and\* not too long\*. Perhaps not too gory. It’s been a long time since I read King, so I don’t have any lying about, except for **The Long Walk** , which I haven’t yet read but I just pressed into his hands (good idea or bad?). I realize we had a recent King poll, but that was for our tastes, not for a non-reader teen’s. Which ones should I get for him? ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2009, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-s-king-novel-to-inspire-non-reader-teen/516932/2 "2009-11-09T19:52:11Z")
How about _The Green Mile_? It has prison, small furry animals, and a bad guy getting payback – a teenage boy should relate to some of that. Or _Christine_ – boys and cars! ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2009, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-s-king-novel-to-inspire-non-reader-teen/516932/3 "2009-11-09T19:58:03Z")
Christine is a good one. Pet Sematary’s a lot of fun, too. You can’t go wrong with classic King. Also, the Shining. I’d say stay away from the ones that are just really bad or kind of…weird. Bag of Bones isn’t a good starter one, IMO. The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon is okay but kind of forgettable. ---
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2009, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-s-king-novel-to-inspire-non-reader-teen/516932/4 "2009-11-09T20:13:13Z")
Why not give him a book of King’s short stories? Skeleton Crew has _The Mist, The Jaunt, The Raft, Survivor Type_, and \*Word Processor of the Gods \*- some of my favorites. They might hold his attention longer than a whole novel. ---
**Author:** ![ToeJam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dfb087/32.png) [@ToeJam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ToeJam)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2009, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-s-king-novel-to-inspire-non-reader-teen/516932/5 "2009-11-09T20:15:40Z")
I’d say get a book of his Short Stories ( **Everything’s Eventual** or “Night Shift” (as there have been some famous movies out of those stories, and that’s more “horror” fun) would be my personal choice). They’re easier to read, easy to finish, and a lot of them have been turned into movies and such over the ages- get him more and more of the Short Stories, and then word into his mini-novellas (like the ones that Shawshank, stand by me, apt pupil were based on), or get him more into the Horror aspect of King (Cujo, It, Desperation, Salem’s Lot, etc). Otherwise- the Long Walk was really a good one, very gripping and all, read that one in like 5th or 6th grade and enjoyed it. But that was part of a short story collect if I recall (it was the Bachmen novels all as one). (My first one was \*Cujo \*though back in the 3th Grade… I got to learn the meaning of the word Cum that way!) I’d say try “The Night Shift” and “Everything’s Eventual” if your goal is simply to get him to read more. Also, you might want to consider Terry Pratchett or Christopher Moore (though his books tend to get a bit focused on sexual innuendo and the like) as other novelists that might appeal to him. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2009, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-s-king-novel-to-inspire-non-reader-teen/516932/6 "2009-11-09T20:24:23Z")
I have to agree with his short story collections - something there for everyone (and Stephen King is a master of short stories). I think the first novel of his I read was “Salem’s Lot” - that might be a good novel to start a non-reading teen on. As an aside, I’m just now reading the “Dark Tower” series - just finished Book IV. That’s some good shit, man. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2009, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-s-king-novel-to-inspire-non-reader-teen/516932/7 "2009-11-09T20:44:24Z")
> [@Rebo](#): > > Why not give him a book of King’s short stories? Skeleton Crew has _The Mist, The Jaunt, The Raft, Survivor Type_, and \*Word Processor of the Gods \*- some of my favorites. They might hold his attention longer than a whole novel. Oh definitely! Night Shift or Skeleton Crew. ---
**Author:** ![NicorGasMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c37758/32.png) [@NicorGasMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NicorGasMan)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2009, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-s-king-novel-to-inspire-non-reader-teen/516932/8 "2009-11-09T20:55:11Z")
Get the Bachman books. I’m re-reading them right now. Half way through the Long Walk. According to Wiki, Rage is no longer published, not surprisingly. The Running Man is also entertaining. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2009, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-s-king-novel-to-inspire-non-reader-teen/516932/9 "2009-11-09T21:20:17Z")
The Bachman Books collection, which includes Rage (about a school shooting), is easy to find in used book shops. A teenage boy might really like Rage… ---
**Author:** ![filling\_pages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b9bd4f/32.png) [@filling\_pages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filling_pages)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2009, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-s-king-novel-to-inspire-non-reader-teen/516932/10 "2009-11-09T21:24:17Z")
Another vote for the **Night Shift** collection. Some of his best work, there. Also, I’d suggest Different Seasons. It contains 4 novellas, three of which were made into movies. None of it is horror, exactly, but well worth it anyway. You’ve got “Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption”, “The Body” (filmed as **Stand By Me** ), “Apt Pupil”, and “The Breathing Method.” ---
**Author:** ![Mrs.Cake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/2acd7d/32.png) [@Mrs.Cake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mrs.Cake)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2009, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-s-king-novel-to-inspire-non-reader-teen/516932/11 "2009-11-09T22:07:30Z")
I’ll second **'Salem’s Lot**. Relatively short, gets right into the creepy stuff, should be pretty easy for a teen boy to get into. Vampires are an easier “in” than some of the more vague horrors King does. That one of the protaganists is a teenage boy helps too. ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2009, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-s-king-novel-to-inspire-non-reader-teen/516932/12 "2009-11-10T01:07:44Z")
**Different Seasons** which includes the terrific story Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption. In high school I gave that book to my younger brother immediately after I read it because I thought it contained everything you need to know about good literature. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![rolandgunslinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/cdc98d/32.png) [@rolandgunslinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rolandgunslinger)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2009, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-s-king-novel-to-inspire-non-reader-teen/516932/13 "2009-11-10T01:54:23Z")
> [@Mrs.Cake](#): > > I’ll second **'Salem’s Lot**. Relatively short, gets right into the creepy stuff, should be pretty easy for a teen boy to get into. Vampires are an easier “in” than some of the more vague horrors King does. That one of the protaganists is a teenage boy helps too. Thirded!😃 ---
**Author:** ![drastic\_quench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e36b37/32.png) [@drastic\_quench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drastic_quench)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2009, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-s-king-novel-to-inspire-non-reader-teen/516932/14 "2009-11-10T01:58:55Z")
**The Running Man**. No, really. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2009, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-s-king-novel-to-inspire-non-reader-teen/516932/15 "2009-11-10T02:06:37Z")
As a teen my little brother asked for exactly 6 books he liked enough to want to own. One was the first Redwall book, another was the Hitchhiker’s Guide Radio Scripts, and the other 4 were the first four Dark Tower books. So…start with The Gunslinger 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2009, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-s-king-novel-to-inspire-non-reader-teen/516932/16 "2009-11-10T02:16:59Z")
Quintessential Stephen King: Skeleton Crew Night Shift The Long Walk. Please start him on those… I read them when I was about 13, and I blame them for a life-long love affair with reading. ---
**Author:** ![wonderlust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonderlust/32/7237_2.png) [@wonderlust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonderlust)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2009, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-s-king-novel-to-inspire-non-reader-teen/516932/17 "2009-11-10T03:19:58Z")
What about Firestarter or Carrie? Not so much? ---
**Author:** ![Frostillicus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Frostillicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frostillicus)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2009, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-s-king-novel-to-inspire-non-reader-teen/516932/18 "2009-11-10T03:22:54Z")
**Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption** **The Body** Two novellas from **Different Seasons**. He won’t be freaked out by the length like he might if you hand him **The Stand**. ---
**Author:** ![wonderlust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonderlust/32/7237_2.png) [@wonderlust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonderlust)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2009, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-s-king-novel-to-inspire-non-reader-teen/516932/19 "2009-11-10T03:48:59Z")
I’ve ordered a used copy of The Bachman Books. ---
**Author:** ![ToeJam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dfb087/32.png) [@ToeJam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ToeJam)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2009, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-s-king-novel-to-inspire-non-reader-teen/516932/20 "2009-11-10T04:15:27Z")
> [@wonderlust](#): > > What about Firestarter or Carrie? Not so much? They’re kinda girly, I enjoyed them, but if he’s looking to nuture a love of reading, dunno. I mean Firestarter I enjoyed, but not really filled with TOO much action or such, more suspense and the bond between father and daughter. Carrier I just didn’t like. Yeah, she got picked on alot. Whooo. Didn’t do it for me. Go with Short Stories and the Bachman ones are a good choice as well. and then once he’s hooked. Hit him with Desperation and the Stand! I’d save the Dark Tower series for once he’s read 10-15 of the King novels because then they become quite a lot more fun to see all the connections [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-s-king-novel-to-inspire-non-reader-teen/516932.md?page=2)