# Most Boring Stephen King Book? (Spoilers, I'm sure...)
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-boring-stephen-king-book-spoilers-im-sure/225182
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [January 19, 2004, 7:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-boring-stephen-king-book-spoilers-im-sure/225182 "2004-01-19T07:26:45Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)
#### Post date: [January 19, 2004, 7:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-boring-stephen-king-book-spoilers-im-sure/225182/1 "2004-01-19T07:26:45Z")
I just finished slogging through _From a Buick 8_. What a snooze. Yawn-o-rama. So this car that isn’t a car sits in a shed for 25 years? WHOOP DE FREAKIN’ DOO! Maybe the point of the book was not supposed to be the action, but was supposed to be about the characters and all, but damn was it boring! Normally, I love wordy ol’ Steve. I’ve read all of his books, and found all of them interesting (even _Gerald’s Game_, where the protagonist spends the entire book alone and chained to a bed.)
So, all you Stephen King fans out there in internet land, which of his books did you find the most boring?
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### Author:  [@Reverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reverse)
#### Post date: [January 19, 2004, 9:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-boring-stephen-king-book-spoilers-im-sure/225182/2 "2004-01-19T09:03:14Z")
I’m not sure of its English name, but it’s about this girl who gets lost in the forest and she imagines that a famous baseball player is there with her. And then some demon bear tries to eat her.
That was pretty boring.
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### Author:  [@Stephe96](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stephe96)
#### Post date: [January 19, 2004, 9:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-boring-stephen-king-book-spoilers-im-sure/225182/3 "2004-01-19T09:05:13Z")
Anything published after “Pet Sematary” is worthless.
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### Author:  [@Draelin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Draelin)
#### Post date: [January 19, 2004, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-boring-stephen-king-book-spoilers-im-sure/225182/4 "2004-01-19T14:55:23Z")
**Reverse** , the one you’re thinking of is called _The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon_, I believe. Though, I never read it.
For my money, the absolute worst I can think of is _Insomnia_, which is actually quite a good cure for insomnia, if you ask me. I don’t think I’ve read many King books since then, I just can’t bring myself to do it anymore. I can read _It_ or _The Talisman_ over and over without being bored, but pretty much nothing he’s written past 1995 or so can keep me interested.
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### Author:  [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)
#### Post date: [January 19, 2004, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-boring-stephen-king-book-spoilers-im-sure/225182/5 "2004-01-19T15:17:52Z")
The whole way through reading _The Tommyknockers_ I was thinking “please someone shoot me and put me out of my misery”. What a big steaming pile of wank that was.
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### Author:  [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)
#### Post date: [January 19, 2004, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-boring-stephen-king-book-spoilers-im-sure/225182/6 "2004-01-19T15:37:01Z")
> [@jjimm](#):
>
> The whole way through reading _The Tommyknockers_ I was thinking “please someone shoot me and put me out of my misery”. What a big steaming pile of wank that was.
This is the book that caused me to stop reading King’s novels. He had obviously not only run out of ideas, but was arrogant enough to believe that people would purchase any sort of dreck with his name on it. Nothing has come along to change my mind. I look at the cover, read the synopsis and put it back on the shelf. What a wasted talent.
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### Author:  [@Avalonian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avalonian)
#### Post date: [January 19, 2004, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-boring-stephen-king-book-spoilers-im-sure/225182/7 "2004-01-19T16:33:00Z")
> [@Chefguy](#):
>
> This is the book [_The Tommyknockers_] that caused me to stop reading King’s novels. He had obviously not only run out of ideas, but was arrogant enough to believe that people would purchase any sort of dreck with his name on it. Nothing has come along to change my mind. I look at the cover, read the synopsis and put it back on the shelf. What a wasted talent.
Just curious… if you haven’t actually _read_ any of King’s books since _The Tommyknockers_, then how do you know at least some of them weren’t any better? Judging them based on the cover art and the jacket copy is a pretty poor way of deciding whether they’re any good… and for what it’s worth, you’ve missed out on some great books and stories.
Mind you, I agree that _The Tommyknockers_ is one of King’s worst novels, if not the worst altogether. The only one that comes close in terms of flat-out badness is _Dreamcatcher_… but at least that wasn’t boring, just badly-written. _The Tommyknockers_ was dull, uninspired, and a waste of a book. I second (or third) the vote for that as King’s dullest work.
As far as _Buick 8_ goes, the OP hits the nail on the head (by accident) when they suggest that the book is about characters and interactions more than it’s about scary stuff. Readers who go into the book expecting another version of _Christine_ are bound to be disappointed… this book isn’t about a haunted, malevolent car that goes on a killing spree, and most of the action that takes place (with a few exceptions) is only hinted at; most of it happens out of the view of the narrators of the story. This is a very different book for King, but it played to his strengths well. To me, King has always been about creating compelling everyday characters and putting them in extraordinary circumstances… with _Buick 8_’s multiple viewpoints and intertwining story threads, I personally found it quite enjoyable. Not standard King fare, to be sure, but the mark of a maturing storyteller hitting his stride.
And indeed, the book **Reverse** refers to is _The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon_. That’s such a fast read, though (very short by King’s standards), I find it hard to imagine being too bored by it. You can read it in only a few hours. Another one I rather liked.
I suppose it depends on whether you like King as a horror writer or just as a writer who likes to experiment. While I do love a good horror novel, I find the King appeals to me because of his writing style more than his subject matter. If you prefer King solidly in the horror genre, then probably books like _Buick 8_ and _Tom Gordon_ aren’t for you.
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### Author:  [@delphica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/delphica)
#### Post date: [January 19, 2004, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-boring-stephen-king-book-spoilers-im-sure/225182/8 "2004-01-19T16:50:23Z")
> [@](#):
>
> Mind you, I agree that _The Tommyknockers_ is one of King’s worst novels, if not the worst altogether. The only one that comes close in terms of flat-out badness is _Dreamcatcher_… but at least that wasn’t boring, just badly-written. _The Tommyknockers_ was dull, uninspired, and a waste of a book. I second (or third) the vote for that as King’s dullest work.
I’d flip this scenario around for my votes for most boring – with _Dreamcatcher_ being the most boring and _Tommyknockers_ the second most boring. With _Tommyknockers_, I wasn’t bored for the goodly portion of the book because it seemed like something interesting _might_ be on the verge of happening – needless to say I was very cruelly disappointed when it turned out that no, nothing interesting was going to happen after all. At least my emotions peaked. :dubious:
_Dreamcatcher_ edges out _Tommyknockers_ for the first place slot, because it was clear from the get-go that this book was a flatliner.
I see **Green Bean’s** point about the lack of any real big action in _Buick 8_, although I enjoyed the characters and thought the writing was very good. I’m a little intrigued by the concept of what happens when people get used to having a supernatural thing in a shed, I liked seeing the “life goes on” events in the lives of the characters juxtaposed over the periodic activity of the car. Not one of my all-time SK favs, but not at the bottom of the pack in my opinion either.
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### Author:  [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)
#### Post date: [January 19, 2004, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-boring-stephen-king-book-spoilers-im-sure/225182/9 "2004-01-19T16:56:07Z")
The answer is _Rose Madder_. Oy.
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### Author:  [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)
#### Post date: [January 19, 2004, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-boring-stephen-king-book-spoilers-im-sure/225182/10 "2004-01-19T18:14:29Z")
Naw, the answer is **Gerald’s Game**. Almost all of the plot takes place in the bedroom, with whatsername handcuffed to the bed. _That_ was boring.
Remember, though, the OP didn’t ask what the worst SK book was, just the most boring. I didn’t like **Tommyknockers** very much, but I didn’t consider it boring.
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### Author:  [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)
#### Post date: [January 19, 2004, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-boring-stephen-king-book-spoilers-im-sure/225182/11 "2004-01-19T18:19:20Z")
I’m gonna say Cujo, although I’m a bad source 'cause I don’t read King too often. I liked a very few of his and there is one that was so dull I couldn’t finish, but I’m not sure what the name is. “Bag of Bones” maybe?
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### Author:  [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)
#### Post date: [January 19, 2004, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-boring-stephen-king-book-spoilers-im-sure/225182/12 "2004-01-19T18:56:08Z")
> [@Avalonian](#):
>
> Just curious… if you haven’t actually _read_ any of King’s books since _The Tommyknockers_, then how do you know at least some of them weren’t any better? Judging them based on the cover art and the jacket copy is a pretty poor way of deciding whether they’re any good… and for what it’s worth, you’ve missed out on some great books and stories.
>
> Mind you, I agree that _The Tommyknockers_ is one of King’s worst novels, if not the worst altogether. The only one that comes close in terms of flat-out badness is _Dreamcatcher_… but at least that wasn’t boring, just badly-written. _The Tommyknockers_ was dull, uninspired, and a waste of a book. I second (or third) the vote for that as King’s dullest work.
>
> As far as _Buick 8_ goes, the OP hits the nail on the head (by accident) when they suggest that the book is about characters and interactions more than it’s about scary stuff. Readers who go into the book expecting another version of _Christine_ are bound to be disappointed… this book isn’t about a haunted, malevolent car that goes on a killing spree, and most of the action that takes place (with a few exceptions) is only hinted at; most of it happens out of the view of the narrators of the story. This is a very different book for King, but it played to his strengths well. To me, King has always been about creating compelling everyday characters and putting them in extraordinary circumstances… with _Buick 8_’s multiple viewpoints and intertwining story threads, I personally found it quite enjoyable. Not standard King fare, to be sure, but the mark of a maturing storyteller hitting his stride.
>
> And indeed, the book **Reverse** refers to is _The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon_. That’s such a fast read, though (very short by King’s standards), I find it hard to imagine being too bored by it. You can read it in only a few hours. Another one I rather liked.
>
> I suppose it depends on whether you like King as a horror writer or just as a writer who likes to experiment. While I do love a good horror novel, I find the King appeals to me because of his writing style more than his subject matter. If you prefer King solidly in the horror genre, then probably books like _Buick 8_ and _Tom Gordon_ aren’t for you.
That was probably too broad a statement on my part. I’m sure I’ve read something more recent of his. In fact, I did slog through _Dreamcatcher_ as I recall. And I did enjoy _Misery_, which I think came after TK. I just don’t rush to the book store for his latest like I did when he was fresh. But yes, if the synopsis sounds like more of the same crap, I won’t buy the book.
King is (or was) at his best when in the minds of children. By far the best thing he ever wrote (IMO) was _The Body_ (subsequently made into the decent movie _Stand By Me_). His ability to evoke summer and pre-teen kid behavior was nothing short of genius and instantly transported me to my own childhood, complete with smells and visuals. The hood characters of Eyeball and Ace were pure art, and the story-within-a-story (the pie-eating contest) just knocked me out.
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### Author:  [@Rabid\_Squirrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rabid_Squirrel)
#### Post date: [January 19, 2004, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-boring-stephen-king-book-spoilers-im-sure/225182/13 "2004-01-19T21:25:36Z")
Another vote for _Insomnia_. It’s the only book I read were I could skip 20-30 pages and still follow the plot. The ending bites, and middle is a muddled mess and well, to be perfectly honest, the beginning wasn’t too hot. The only two decent books by Mr King is _The Dark Half_ and _The Stand_.
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### Author:  [@Mephisto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mephisto)
#### Post date: [January 19, 2004, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-boring-stephen-king-book-spoilers-im-sure/225182/14 "2004-01-19T22:46:11Z")
I guess I’m in the minority of people who actually kind of liked _Insomnia_. Of course, I started that book the morning I had surgery and read most of it in a pretty heavily medicated state, so who knows . . . ?
Although I love most of Stephen King’s work, I must say, I thought _Hearts In Atlantis_ moved along like so much cold molasses.
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### Author:  [@rolandgunslinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rolandgunslinger)
#### Post date: [January 19, 2004, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-boring-stephen-king-book-spoilers-im-sure/225182/15 "2004-01-19T23:21:55Z")
_Dreamcatcher_
_Rose Madder_
_Tommyknockers_
The most boring books…Ever.
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### Author:  [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)
#### Post date: [January 20, 2004, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-boring-stephen-king-book-spoilers-im-sure/225182/16 "2004-01-20T00:22:50Z")
Insomnia.
It cured mine.
After about 3/4 of the through, I couldn’t stand anymore. It sits unfinished on the shelf.
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### Author:  [@Cyrokk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyrokk)
#### Post date: [January 20, 2004, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-boring-stephen-king-book-spoilers-im-sure/225182/17 "2004-01-20T00:52:33Z")
I had the same experience with Chefguy, only with _It_ which has always been my favorite.
I had a horrible time slogging through Talisman.
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### Author:  [@MattTheCroc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MattTheCroc)
#### Post date: [January 20, 2004, 10:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-boring-stephen-king-book-spoilers-im-sure/225182/18 "2004-01-20T10:36:16Z")
> [@](#):
>
> The answer is Rose Madder. Oy.
Actually, that would have been an exciting and tense thriller about an abused wife escaping her husband. It was the pointless supernatural crap that ruined it (Well, I still liked it a lot, but it would have been _better_ without the supernatural crap).
And I say this as a person who basically only reads Scifi/Fantasy/Horror, too. But even I could recognise that Rose Madder would have been a hell of a lot better without the eponymous painting.
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### Author:  [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)
#### Post date: [January 20, 2004, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-boring-stephen-king-book-spoilers-im-sure/225182/19 "2004-01-20T16:19:06Z")
Sorry, **Rabid Squirrel** , I came to nominate _The Dark Half_. I’ve read all the others, even the sucky ones, at least ten times apiece, but I’ve only forced myself through that one about three times, and it’s not getting any better. I keep expecting SK to come out and admit that Dean Koontz wrote that one.
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### Author:  [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)
#### Post date: [January 20, 2004, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-boring-stephen-king-book-spoilers-im-sure/225182/20 "2004-01-20T20:07:45Z")
> [@Mephisto](#):
>
> I guess I’m in the minority of people who actually kind of liked _Insomnia_. Of course, I started that book the morning I had surgery and read most of it in a pretty heavily medicated state, so who knows . . . ?
- Insomnia \* was very slow, but I wept pretty hard when I finished it. (And no, not just because it was over, before the jokes begin.) It’s the only King book that has ever done that to me, so I have a soft spot for it.