I’m a closet SK fan myself… actually I used to be quite open about it until the general “oh, he’s popular and he must not be that good” thing got a hold of me. Then came the Dark Tower series- I still am not the biggest fan of The Gunslinger, but the three subsequent books reminded me why he’s such a good storyteller. In the book IT - there is a part where the writer character Bill is in a college writing class- where everyone is writing about these pretentious “issues” or “feelings” - where the teacher wants to see “real meaning” or some other abstract idea. Bill just wants to write good stories, ones that people will enjoy and remember. He writes a good story- it doesn’t “mean” anything, its just a good read. The teacher gives him a poor grade- Bill takes the same story and gets it published in a magazine. King’s book- On Writing- talks about going to college in a similar environment. Why does writing necessarily have to be a high order thing? Why can’t it be enjoyed by the normal person as well as the intellectual for what it is? Some of Kings books and stories do mean alot- without banging you over the head with it or making you guess what he’s trying to say. Even the books I don’t like, most of them more recent ones but also some of the old- strung out on coke and beer ones- are still good enough to keep me reading. I may have liked them more if I hadn’t loved so many of his other works. Don’t be ashamed of King- he writes a good story. Isn’t that why we started reading in the first place?
Talk about embarrasing reads though… right now I"m reading Colleen McCullough’s Caesar’s Women. Thought it would be a good historical novel. I never read The Thorn Birds but I figured she must be a good writer, very prolific and popular. Its so horrible I can’t put it down- its so badly written. A couple of examples of things that bug me in this book - Julius Caesar calls his father “dad” . He doesn’t call his mother “mom”, but as should have been done calls her by what you would expect a Roman to call his mom. I have no idea why she would do it right on one count, but then use “dad” on the other side. Can you imagine? Really breaks the mood. Then she has a scene where Cicero- one of the greatest orators of time- tells some one to “stick it up your ass!”. Somehow I can’t see it. Its entertainment, but not in the way the author intended I’m sure LOL.
I enjoyed the flick, Walken was wonderful, so I’ve considered reading the novel. Ditto with Firestarter – “You son-of-a-bitch…you’re blind!” – I think I even have a mass-market copy of that one around here someplace.
Anyone else watching the series The Dead Zone ? Did you see where the Firestarter girl showed up with her family driving a motorhome in one of the newer episodes?
I really liked the book too, and I did like the movie with Christopher Walken - who was good in it but who was NOT the right type of person to play Johnny Smith. Johnny Smith was supposed to be the teacher everyone loved,the grown up (nice) jock type, just a good guy that everyone likes. Christopher Walken, IMHO, is too edgy and weird an actor to play Johnny Smith. If I hadn’t read the book, I wouldn’t have been bothered by his character, but I have to say the series Johnny Smith- played by Anthony Michael Hall- hits it right on the mark. This is not to say I think Hall is a better actor- he’s good but not in the same league as Walken- but that he is a better fit for the part. I’m addicted to the series, and I’m not usually a series watcher but both *The Dead Zone * and Monk are starting to become habits.
One thing I like about King is how he references other stories and other characters in his books. There’s a book called The Stephen King Universe which says that every story King has written is connected and the common factor is The Dark Tower. Sort of like a Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon game, except with King books.
I always wait for paperback. Not for price, but for comfort. That ought to tell you something. I usually leave a book where I am when finish it. Stand by me, based on the short story The Body, is my favorite King movie by far, but that was probably due to what’s-his name, the director. The short story was good too.
That would be Rob Reiner, who directed Stand By Me as well as Misery… two of his better films, actually, though I also like The Story of Us.
The best director for King’s work so far, to my mind, has been Frank Darabont. His take on “Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption” was pretty much spot-on perfect, and The Green Mile was also quite good, even though I liked Shawshank more. Yet another example of a good story which many people are still surprised to learn came from the mind and pen of King.
I agree completely; it’s my understanding that Darabont has also purchased the rights to do King’s (rather long) short story “The Mist” (I think it’s in Skeleton Crew). IMO, these long short stories (“Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption” qualifies, as does “The Body”) make great movies. When movies are made from novels, a lot of stuff needs to get cut, or else you end up with a 6 hour movie. But withe these short stories, you can do the whole thing!
I was a big SK fan when I was a teenager, but his books aren’t a must-buy for me any longer. Except, of course, for the Dark Tower books. I thought Rose Madder was his worst book. Did he even finish it before it went to publication? That’s the only one of his that sticks out as horrible for me. I guess I don’t waste the brain space on remembering the mediocre ones.
As for being embarassed about the books I read in public, I can’t think of any. I love to read.
Dreamcatcher is his worst book IMHO… I really didn’t care about any of the characters or what happened to them. I thought it was too much like “War of the Worlds” how the aliens got sick and died. And damn if he didn’t give that stupid parasite to a Border Collie- my favorite breed and one that doesn’t deserve such indignities as being stuffed into the water supply. However, even though I didn’t like the story or the characters, his writing style was still interesting enough to keep me going. *Gerald’s Game * isn’t too hot either- except the interesting connection between that book and Dolores Claiborne (which I did like very much).
For years I never read any Stephen King novels for the already stated reason of “if they’re so popular, they can’t be any good”. However, after having enjoyed several of his stories on film and reading some Cafe Society threads discussing King, I picked up The Shining and later The Stand. I enjoyed both books very much, and I recently purchased On Writing.
I felt the same way about J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series, but I started reading them and have found them entertaining, even if they are a bit repetitive.
Same thing with Terry Pratchett. I heard a lot about his Discworld books but never considered reading them. However, after reading Neil Gaiman’s American Gods, I moved on to Gaiman and Pratchett’s Good Omens, and then onto the Discworld series, which I have found to be very funny so far.
I give a lot of thought to what I read, as I spend a lot of time reading online book reviews, discussing books and authors with others both online and off (I’m currently reading Orlando Furioso, a book recommended in another Cafe Society thread, as well as Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, lent to me by an intern at work), and roaming through the bookstacks of both big stores like Barnes & Noble and little used bookshops and sidewalk vendors scattered throughout the City. Because of the amount of consideration I give when looking for books, I never really feel any embarrassment for what I read, as I have good reasons for reading what I read.
I didn’t think Dreamcatcher was any good either, and it should have been. I think King fell into the old trap of endowing handicapped people with “special powers”, as if to make up for something lost. The story could have much shorter, imo. But I did read it all. I won’t be seeing the movie.
I didn’t really like the one about the little girl who loved the baseball hero, and that’s one of the few books I put down before I finished the story.
Some people read as much for the intellectual exercise and for what others think of them as for the story, and that’s cool. To each his own, I say. But for me, reading is an emotional experience. If the story doesn’t affect me, I’m just not interested. That’s probably part of why I liked Dolores Clairborne a lot, but When I re-read it I could see that maybe it wasn’t very well written.
So I don’t care at all what “Title Snoopers” see me reading.
I agree that Dreamcatcher was King’s worst book to date, closely followed by The Tommyknockers – seems King just can’t do good long-form science fiction.
And Banger, enjoy On Writing. It has some very canny observations in it, and it’s the sort of book that makes you want to write. At least, that’s the effect it had on me. Plus, King’s recounting of his near-fatal car accident a few years ago is quite chilling.
I did like Tommyknockers- Its a bit of a rambling, dark tale and not a very happy ending- but it was interesting seeing the two main characters- characters I really liked- slowly fall apart. Different in that way from his other novels where someone prevails in the end. In a way they did prevail, as in the world wasn’t destructed- but on a personal level, most of the “good” people in the book meet a bad end.
Anyone who hasn’t read Misery, should. The connection between the story and his real life accident, mentioned above by Avalonian was pretty scary. At least on the surface.
The movie was also very good. Totally convincing performances by both actors, I thought. One of those rare times I enjoyed both the movie and the book.
I recently read a couple of Tom Clancy novels. It’s pulp, I make no bones about that, but it sure can be fun to read. If anyone gives me crap, I point out that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes books were basically equivalent “pop fiction” books from 100 years ago. That usually shuts them up.
see me reading.