~Tell me what you think of Stephen King~

[mommybee]

We were just watching Stand By Me recently and discussing how many movies come from his stories and so it got me thinking more about him.

 

I have read a few of his books when I was younger and enjoyed them. I like scary a lot so I have no problem with the books, but I haven't decided if my son might enjoy them or not. He hasn't asked but I wonder if there is anything we are missing. I haven't read anything recently though.

 

I'm just curious if you love him or hate him what's the reason?

 

I just picked up a biography on him at the library and plan to read it. It seems like he gets criticized quite a bit so I was just looking for thoughts, not convicing either way, just thoughts.

 

Thanks so much:)

 

**I'm heading out so I won't be back on for awhile.

[JudoMom]

We were just watching Stand By Me recently and discussing how many movies come from his stories and so it got me thinking more about him.

 

I have read a few of his books when I was younger and enjoyed them. I like scary a lot so I have no problem with the books, but I haven't decided if my son might enjoy them or not. He hasn't asked but I wonder if there is anything we are missing. I haven't read anything recently though.

 

I'm just curious if you love him or hate him what's the reason?

 

I just picked up a biography on him at the library and plan to read it. It seems like he gets criticized quite a bit so I was just looking for thoughts, not convicing either way, just thoughts.

 

Thanks so much:)

 

**I'm heading out so I won't be back on for awhile.

 

scares the hooey out of me. Really. I don't know how he can sleep at night, being him. I know I could never sleep if I had that much creepy going on in my head. Just the name makes me jump :eek:.

[hana]

Well, it depends on if we're talking about his books or him. His books are WAY too scary for me. But I used to live down the street from him, and, well, you remember Molly's Mom's post about Nader? Well, you can't imagine a better neighbor than Stephen King. Like Nader, he could be found walking down the street reading a book (or talking to himself), but there the similarities end.

 

He and Tabitha have done so much for the local community. He built a Little League stadium behind his house and named it for the little brother of a friend of mine, a child who died of cerebral palsy. Okay, in all fairness, some neighbors don't like the very bright lights of the stadium, lol. He and his wife have put A LOT of money in to the local libraries. They are really responsible citizens. And he also really shows his gratitude--he regularly sends copies of his new books to his favorite English professor (a man I also adore). Can you tell I really admire the man? :) But, nope, no way, no how can I read his books. I mean, I have in the past (Tommyknockers, Firestarter, Bag of Bones, Cujo, etc.), but never, never again. They make scary thoughts in my night time, lol.

 

Oh, forgot to add. I regularly used his book On Writing with my college writing classes (not the whole book, just the middle--much of the book is autobiography, but what he says about writing is VERY good).

[Bee]

I like some of his books alot,dislike some and some I just don't really get.I think some of his short stories are very good.I like the few nonfiction things he has written.Some of the story lines stay in my head a long time and that's okay because it means they made me think...about the choices the characters make and what happens afterward.Yeah,I'm one of those people who ends up reading each book when it comes out,though I haven't read the newest one yet.Except for the gunslinger series.After the 3rd or 4th book I had to stop reading.Maybe someday I'll feel like I'm ready to tackle that world again.

[GothicGyrl]

My mother adores him. I adore him. My DD15 adores him. My DD12 wouldn't touch books like that anyway(she's self-censoring in that regard) and that's fine.

 

His writing is top notch (for which I am sure some will disagree) but I thoroughly enjoy it. Many new writers fashion themselves after his writing forumla. And many writers that I enjoy were once protege's of his (Clive Barker to name one).

 

I love trying to spot him in his movies. He's always playing the characterr you'd least expect him to play. He's a humble man and always has been.

 

But without knowing the age of your son and whether or not he'd like this style of writing, I can't say what would work for YOU. All I can say is that here, Stephen King is sort of a right of passage ;) and DD started reading him when she was 8 and totally loved every book she read.

 

Only 1 of his books ever "bothered" me or made me "look over my shoulder" and that was the Langoliers(4 past midnight I think). But once I saw the movie, the book became nothing. I absolutely ADORE IT(mainly for the cast of characters) though. ;)

[Michelle in GA]

My son 19 y/o LOVES Stepen King! He has read all of his books. The Stand and the Dark Tower series are his favorites.

[j.griff]

I like Stephen King, and actually it was reading his books that made it possible for me to bear reading the snippets of other works in my Lit. classes. His stories are so descriptive, but not boring. I started reading Stephen King in Jr. High. I have given my 13yod Eyes of the Dragon to read- that was one of my favorites. Right now I am reading the last Dark Tower book. There are some books I wouldn't recommend for a child (Gerald's Game), and most of them I'd say it depends on the reader.

[Amy in Orlando]

I love Stephen King - have since I was a teen. My 15 yos is just discovering his books and likes them too. My 14 yr old twins don't like scary stuff much and have shown no interest. I just ordered his book on writing for both of us to read. I love how he writes dialog and how he creates characters.

 

I think most of his books contain some rough language - depends if that's an issue for you or not.

[Renthead Mommy]

I used to read his books all the time. I loved the books, but the endings used to frustrate me so much! It seemed like here were these great stories, and with a chapter, or a few pages left in the book, that was it. He just ended it. It always felt like he was going along on a great roll, had a great story going, his editor called and said I need it tomorrow, he says okay and slaps a two page wrap up ending on it.

 

After feeling so let down in the last few pages on so many books, I finally quit reading him. But aside from the super quick, slap it together in the last two pages ending, I loved his books.

 

Renthead Mommy

 

PS - It is very unsettling to be reading The Stand, and it's the middle of summer, and you have a bad cold/flu. Especially if you are one of those people who never gets sick. The whole time I was reading that book I was running a fever, wiping at my snotty nose and saying "I'm not sick! I'm perfectly fine!" It was just creepy! If it had been winter and flu season I think I would have been fine, but in the middle of summer, it was freaking me out!

[Tutor]

My mother adores him. I adore him. My DD15 adores him. My DD12 wouldn't touch books like that anyway(she's self-censoring in that regard) and that's fine.

 

His writing is top notch (for which I am sure some will disagree) but I thoroughly enjoy it. Many new writers fashion themselves after his writing forumla. And many writers that I enjoy were once protege's of his (Clive Barker to name one).

 

I love trying to spot him in his movies. He's always playing the characterr you'd least expect him to play. He's a humble man and always has been.

 

But without knowing the age of your son and whether or not he'd like this style of writing, I can't say what would work for YOU. All I can say is that here, Stephen King is sort of a right of passage ;) and DD started reading him when she was 8 and totally loved every book she read.

 

Only 1 of his books ever "bothered" me or made me "look over my shoulder" and that was the Langoliers(4 past midnight I think). But once I saw the movie, the book became nothing. I absolutely ADORE IT(mainly for the cast of characters) though. ;)

 

Take everything GothicGyrl said and count it for me, too. :) I think I read Pet Semetary for the first time when I was 13yo, and I ended up reading it two more times that year. I was already leaning towards an interest in death and forensics, so his vivid description of an accident victim in that book had me hooked.

 

My favorites of his are The Stand, Needful Things, and The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon, although it really is hard for me to pick favorites because I really have liked all of them. I have enjoyed all the movie adaptations as well. I love that he puts himself into all his movies, a la Hitchcock (another of my favorites).

 

The story that completely creeped me out was The Moving Finger from Nightmares and Dreamscapes. I can't think about it without getting chills. (Great, dh won't be home until late, and now I'm not going to be able to go into the bathroom. *shiver*)

 

My oldest is 11yo, and she has expressed an interest in reading some King since she knows I like him, but she is very sensitive and suffers from anxiety, so I am holding her back for a little while still. As we work to get her fears under control and if she still shows an interest, I'll steer her toward books and stories of his I think she'll enjoy and appreciate and allow her to get used to his style without all the gore.

[GothicGyrl]

Take everything GothicGyrl said and count it for me, too. I think I read Pet Semetary for the first time when I was 13yo, and I ended up reading it two more times that year. I was already leaning towards an interest in death and forensics, so his vivid description of an accident victim in that book had me hooked.

 

Cujo, Pet Cemetary, Fire Starter, and Christine were some of the first ones I ever read and watched. And I already had a leaning in death/forensics before him. ;) Now that I have the degree in CSI, it makes his writings a bit more interesting than before.

[Mom2legomaniacs]

Scares me something crazy! I saw Cujo when it came out. Really stupid of me. I have a vivid imagination with lots of vivid crazy dreams. Those things do not bode well for me mixing with King! I am just too much of a chicken!

[Mekanamom]

I've read them all. I think I own them all. The man can turn a word. ;) The creep factor does not bother me whatsoever... what I really appreciate is the humor in every story! He is very witty!

 

I've read two novels that his wife Tabitha wrote, and I really liked those as well. One of hers was way more disturbing than any of his. LOL!

[Jenny in Atl]

I too enjoyed all his bks as a teen. In recent years I grew tired of horror/serial killer reads. I recently re-found a few authors though that I enjoy in a Stephen King kind of way; John Connolly (The Book of Lost Things) is one.

[Kat in GA]

Count me in on the LOVE Stephen King crowd. There are a few that weren't my favorites...but I really like the way that he writes. "The Shining" has to be one of the scariest books ever. One of my favorites by him is not as well known: "The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon." I like it because it suggests that what is really scary is not the written word or the stuff in the paper...but what our own mind can create...hence those that cannot read him :)

[Harriet Vane]

The books are very poorly written, rely heavily on sensational effect (rather than skill in writing), and disturbingly graphic and violent.

[Lucy in Australia]

scares the hooey out of me. Really. I don't know how he can sleep at night, being him. I know I could never sleep if I had that much creepy going on in my head. Just the name makes me jump .

 

I couldn't have said it better myself. I still haven't recovered from reading one of his books as a teenager :eek::mad:

[Vida Winter]

When I was a teen I was regularly scared silly by his writing - I think the first book I read by him was The Shining. I was scared of my shadow for a long time after that. I have always loved his character descriptions and dialogue. His book, "On Writing," is fantastic.

 

That being said, I am not very "into" his writing in my adult years, and have not kept up with him at all. Oh, scratch that - I did listen to an audio of "The Green Mile" recently and enjoyed it.

[Karen sn]

And I respect that.

But his brain comes up with creepy stuff. Some I can take - others I can't.

[Laura in VA]

Absolutely evil.

[WTMindy]

I read several of his books in highschool and I remember vividly having a nightmare about the book The Stand and I have never read a book of his since. I remember getting a weird, evil feeling from reading his work and I took that as a sign that perhaps I should stay away from them.

[Crissy]

I can't do scary, so Mr. King is out.

My sister loves his work, though.

[mrscopterdoc]

The movies based on his books aren't that fantastic most of the time so I skip them. But I have read almost every single one of his books. I'm a huge fan.

[freethinkermom]

I think he is a brilliant storyteller, but I do not always enjoys his books. His non-fiction On Writing is next on my too read list.

 

I grew up down the street from a guy that creates special cars for movies. He does all his work in the state of the art garage/studio behind his house. For months before and during the filming of Christine I would come home to "her" parked on the street in one of the car's various states. It was a little freaky to have Christine parked up the street.

[6packofun]

We own every one of his books. Some are better than others, but we've enjoyed seeing his writing style and subject matter broaden and deepen over the years. I think he's an amazing writer; it's difficult sometimes for people to see the talent beneath the horror or bizarre, but he is a master at creating characters with rich *minds*. He's got this odd stream-of-consciousness thing going with so many of his characters that is totally believeable--I always catch myself saying, "People DO think like this! We DO have weird thoughts and imaginings and mental tangents like that!" I also enjoy seeing so much of HIM in his work...he loves to use cultural icons and music (no doubt his favorites) in most of the stories.

 

That said, our children will not be able to read them (if they choose) until they are 17 or 18. I don't think that all people can handle the imagery or should even try. I was not a Christian when I began reading King as a young teen and think I should have waited. Now, as a Christian, I have no qualms about putting down one of his stories if it's too much and there are a few of his books I will not revisit but keep for nostalgia. :)

 

Also, please don't judge King's work by the MOVIES that have been made from his books! LOL Ack! Not very many good ones. :) Misery was good, though, and a few others.

 

If you'd like a suggestion for a first book to read that is less horror-ish, try Bag of Bones. Very good ghost story. Every Stephen King fan has their favorites and LEAST favorites. (I couldn't stand Tommyknockers or Lisey's Story, although the latter was well-written.)

[Valerie in Chicago]

I haven't read one of his books in a long time, but I used to dive into one now and then from adolescence into early adulthood. My college boyfriend was almost completely ignored for daaaaayyyssss as I read "It." And "The Stand" took over my mind for weeks. It was a blast! I liked various others of his earlier works too. But he's so prolific, I don't know how anyone keeps up with all of his work! But for kids? I'd put it off until at least Junior High.

[Remudamom]

I read lots of them when I was younger, and right in the middle of Tommyknockers decided they weren't for me. I like scary stuff, but some of his things I thought were icky, just a bit beyond horror and into perverted.

 

It was very scary to me,(clowns never scared me before) and I'm a fan of The Stand. Stand by Me was good, and we have Secret Window. I haven't read his more recent writings, and my children won't read them in my house.

[Laurel]

Well, it depends on if we're talking about his books or him. His books are WAY too scary for me. But I used to live down the street from him, and, well, you remember Molly's Mom's post about Nader? Well, you can't imagine a better neighbor than Stephen King. Like Nader, he could be found walking down the street reading a book (or talking to himself), but there the similarities end.

 

He and Tabitha have done so much for the local community. He built a Little League stadium behind his house and named it for the little brother of a friend of mine, a child who died of cerebral palsy. Okay, in all fairness, some neighbors don't like the very bright lights of the stadium, lol. He and his wife have put A LOT of money in to the local libraries. They are really responsible citizens. And he also really shows his gratitude--he regularly sends copies of his new books to his favorite English professor (a man I also adore). Can you tell I really admire the man? :) But, nope, no way, no how can I read his books. I mean, I have in the past (Tommyknockers, Firestarter, Bag of Bones, Cujo, etc.), but never, never again. They make scary thoughts in my night time, lol.

 

Oh, forgot to add. I regularly used his book On Writing with my college writing classes (not the whole book, just the middle--much of the book is autobiography, but what he says about writing is VERY good).

 

A big ditto to this above post. (Including the living down the street from him. Small world...) I never got into his books (though I did enjoy On Writing), but he is really the best neighbor to have. Just really really wonderful people, who have done so much for the community. He's had a lot of struggles in life (addictive personality, accident, etc.) and I really admire how he's worked through them.

[Kris]

I used to love his stuff, but then I stopped reading it. I think it was "Desperation" that turned me off, but I'm not sure. Whatever book it was, it didn't have an ending -- I was reading this big long book and was left hanging at the end -- with no end! It was also a particularly gross one -- not scary, gross. I don't mind scary, but this one was *so* disgusting.

 

My son asked me if he could read one of his books a couple of years ago, and he started it, but I think he got bored with it because he didn't read it for long. He doesn't go in for that kind of thing anyway. Actually, as far as books go, he doesn't really go in for anything. :-D

 

I'm going to pick up a copy of his latest, though. It's recently occurred to me that maybe that one particular book was especially nasty, or I just wasn't in the mood?

 

I always thought he looked exactly like my high school sweetheart -- who was also a super great guy.

[Amy in Orlando]

What really fascinates me about SK is the fact that he's willing to take thoughts I think a lot of people have and take them as far as he can. I'm sure a lot of people don't have fears about things like the "library police" or cell phones, but, I have definitely had some dark thoughts on both subjects. SK just follows it through. Sometimes he succeeds better than others but I have to admire the way he just plows through those dark thoughts. I sometimes wonder if he doesn't sleep better than the average person because he's put the worst of his thoughts safely onto paper and out of his head.

[Melinda in VT]

Every fiction writer I have ever talked to about King thinks he's amazingly skilled. I grew up thinking he was pure evil and married a man who thinks he's the Dickens of the 20th century. :eek:

 

He convinced me to actually read a Stephen King book before I dismissed him. :o I started with Eyes of the Dragon, which is tame enough that I let my 12 yo read it. I've also read It, The Girl who Loved Tom Gordon, and The Green Mile.

 

Not all of his books are for me, but I don't find him evil or amoral.

[Chris in VA]

I have read 5 or 6 of his books, including some of the short stories he published as Bachman.

I also consider him a guilty pleasure, but I've noticed a few things about his books that hit me as I thought about it more--

First of all, several of his more recent (not THAT recent, but say, 10 years ago) books have a lot of s*x and s*xual abuse in them. Consider Gerald's Game, for instance, and Dolores Clairborne (Clayborne? sorry--someone correct me). In Gerald's Game, a woman is left handcuffed to a bed by her husband, who keels over from a heart attack during s*x. She spends the rest of the book remembering an abusive incident involving her dad, which occured during an eclipse--she actually sees a character from another book (DC), who is, I think, disposing of her abusive husband. I must confess, I liked the book. But it's not something I'd normally read, and I certainly wouldn't let my kid read it.

 

There are many other funky examples of that sort of thing, but then, you get a book like The Stand, which is very spiritual (light/dark, some say even Christian) in nature. Huge difference.

 

I think SK has an interesting take on the world, and I see him as a man who has religious convictions, but just isn't really sure what they are--or maybe better, doesn't quite "fit" into the normal "catagories" of belief. It's almost as if he is a searcher, at heart.

 

I don't think he's a terrific literary genius, but I do think he's a good storyteller, and there is redeeming value in his books--at least, some of them.

 

As far as letting your son read him, I'd steer him carefully, and preread anything you let him read, to see if it matches your values. But then be able to say why you won't let ds read the ones you think are too "out there."

If any! lol

 

How different we can be--some seeing good, some not caring, some seeing evil.

[Remudamom]

I read something SK said once about his writing as compared to Louis L'Amour's. (and I can't remember it exactly). Something about how they weren't that different, but if they both wrote books about a lake out in the middle of nowhere that the LL book would be about water rights, or cattlemen vs sheep herders, and his would be about something that ventured out of the lake at night to dine on the locals.

[mommybee]

Ooh, Thank you all so much!

 

Lots of recommendations and suggestions which give me a good place to start. I'm glad to hear so many people do enjoy his books. He has written so much it's hard sometimes to know where to begin.

 

I'm going to plow ahead with his Bio and pick one of his books to get started with.

 

My son is 13 and a very advanced reader, but not good with being scared. So although at his age I was frightened but liked it:) I think he will have to wait a little longer before he can read one himself.

 

**thanks for the info on what a nice person he is and how much he does for his community. It's nice to know especially after the stories that come out of his mind.

[Antonia]

like Stand by Me and Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption. I believe those are the works that show how well he does write, and the quality of the movies based upon them illustrates this.

[melhouse]

[but he is a master at creating characters with rich *minds*. He's got this odd stream-of-consciousness thing going with so many of his characters that is totally believeable--I always catch myself saying, "People DO think like this! We DO have weird thoughts and imaginings and mental tangents like that!"

 

I have thought this same thing while reading his books!

 

That said, our children will not be able to read them (if they choose) until they are 17 or 18. I don't think that all people can handle the imagery or should even try. I was not a Christian when I began reading King as a young teen and think I should have waited. Now, as a Christian, I have no qualms about putting down one of his stories if it's too much and there are a few of his books I will not revisit but keep for nostalgia. :)

 

I would also agree with this. I read them younger than this, and I grew up in a Christian home. However, my mom never monitored this kind of entertainment. My dd, 14, has not shown an interest, but I would rather she wait until 17 or 18.

 

The Stand stayed with me for a long time after reading. The mini-series is not a bad retelling. It comes on the Sci-Fi channel fairly often. It's a very thought-provoking story.

 

HTH,

Melissa

[jmgconner]

I'm a Stephen King fan - have read most of his books. I tend to steer away from his scarier books. I enjoy his short stories, and really started reading them after The Shawshank Redemption.

[nancypants]

Yuck. That sums it up. :D

[hana]

Truly, if you (anyone) are open to reading his work, but haven't yet, you might want to give him a try. He is truly a skillful writer. I tell my students that, just as Steinbeck was a master of the sentence, King is a master of the paragraph. His paragraphs form neat little packages in themselves. As I said before, On Writing is both really useful about writing and interesting autobiography. When my children are older, I will use On Writing with them as well. I wish he wrote more that wouldn't scare me so much. :o

[Sunny]

I really liked the bizarre, strangeness he could deliver. I, however, HATED the movies they made from his books. They changed the endings! So disappointing.

I can't say that I've read anything of his as an adult. Maybe it is something about growing up and not needing that escape?

[dragons in the flower bed]

Well, it depends on if we're talking about his books or him. His books are WAY too scary for me. But I used to live down the street from him, and, well,

 

His daughter Naomi was our (UU) church's minister, and she was the best minister I have ever had in any congregation or denomination, just a thoroughly good human being. She moved down to Florida last year and we miss her terribly.

[Maria from IN]

When my son was 11 we watched The Dead Zone together and he really liked it. I think that with movies and books like that one and Firestarter he would do okay.

 

The Long Walk is one of my favorite Bachman books, and I think he (now 13) and I would enjoy discussing some of its social implications and how it would be to live in a society like that.

[classicallyrelaxedmomof3]

Love Stephen King. Started reading his books when I was a teen and have collected and read his books ever since. My husband does not care for him...he's a Dean Koontz man. Like DK but love SK!!

[mcconnellboys]

I don't know anything, really, about his personal life. I like his stories (haven't really liked the movies made from them) because they make me feel totally creeped out, as if they are real. I hate his stories because they make me feel totally creeped out, as if they are real. I have read some of his earlier stories, when I was younger, but I stopped in my late 20's, because I just couldn't really handle being creeped out and alone late at night, LOL, after reading them. I guess I might recommend them to a teen who really, really likes scary stories, IF I felt they could read them without that creeping feeling that they were real.

[newbie]

Scary, I too stopped reading him in my twenties. But if you like scary him and Koontz are the best.

Jeannette:willy_nilly:

[Mrs Mungo]

I have read probably 11 or 12 of his books (but I read a LOT). The thing that I don't like and made me stop reading his books is his 15 year-old boy need to insert random extreme vulgarities with no apparent reason other than to make the reader uncomfortable.

[Desert Rat]

I love Stephen King books, for the most part. My favorite was the Stand. I put him under the catagory of "fluff" reading. It's like junk food or candy. Lately, I've had quite the sweet tooth! :o)

[Rhonda in TX]

I loved him back then, but I can't read that kind of stuff anymore.

 

I won't hand his books to my kids, but if they want to read him when they are in their upper high school years, I won't stop them. They'll figure out pretty quickly if he's too scary for them.

[Jenny in Atl]

I loved some of his bks as a kid, The Shining was my favorite. As an adult I've enjoyed his short stories better like, The Shawshank Redemption (Different Seasons) and the Green Mile.

[Vida Winter]

I love his writing. I hate his politics. I have read some (by no means all) of his work, and enjoyed it for pure escapism. His book, "On Writing," is excellent.