Do you think that Stephen King is a good writer?

[mgoblue2290]

Sort of off topic, but can some of you just read a bunch of books by the same author? I don't mean a continuing series like with George Martin, but separate books by one guy.

 

[wingsfan77]

I just finished reading the first book in the "Dark Tower" series and I enjoyed it even though it was kind of confusing because there wasn't much backstory to explain what was going on and the characters. Apparently it gets better so I'm gonna read the second book sometime soon.

 

[SethMode]

Sort of off topic, but can some of you just read a bunch of books by the same author? I don't mean a continuing series like with George Martin, but separate books by one guy.

Do you mean will I or have I? Not trying to sound like a dick, just clarifying. I assume you meant the former, and I've read a fair amount of King, a good amount of Palahniuk and other than classic authors I think that that's it. Those are probably the only two popular guys that I keep coming back to (I honestly do like how King ties his universes together, particularly in 11/22/63).

 

[mgoblue2290]

I meant when people will just knock out Tom Clancy book after book, or King, Koontz, etc. I can't do that, I have to mix up the types of books I read.

 

[SethMode]

I meant when people will just knock out Tom Clancy book after book, or King, Koontz, etc. I can't do that, I have to mix up the types of books I read.

Ah, there I definitely agree with you. I even have to mix it up when you are talking a series like GRRM's.

 

[dave]

I dislike that notion. While I agree that at times King can be a bit verbose, I think that he writes much more than "popcorn novels".

Dave being Dave.

Not Dave being Dave.

Be honest, the Sandman thing took more pages than it needed to take in The Stand.

I like Stephen King. Prefer his non-horror books, but I like him.

I just don't think most books need to be 1,100 pages. You can write tighter, IMO.

11/22/63 could have been edited way tighter ... and I felt how he handled the main dude going back to today could have been handled better. That's just me.

 

[Atom1]

The Stand is one of my favorite books.

The Stand is a great story. If you like it, I think you
also might like Robert McCammon's "Swan Song"

 

[Houston]

I meant when people will just knock out Tom Clancy book after book, or King, Koontz, etc. I can't do that, I have to mix up the types of books I read.

Animal Farm was my favorite book in high school, and not too long ago I read 1984 which I loved. So I figured ok, might as well continue with George Orwell.

I'll be the guy who tries to fool people in thinking I know alot about books just because I've read every one by a particular author.

 

[riley420]

Not Dave being Dave.

Be honest, the Sandman thing took more pages than it needed to take in The Stand.

I like Stephen King. Prefer his non-horror books, but I like him.

I just don't think most books need to be 1,100 pages. You can write tighter, IMO.

11/22/63 could have been edited way tighter ... and I felt how he handled the main dude going back to today could have been handled better. That's just me.

When I first read The Stand in 7th grade, it was a very, very edited version. Like half of what the book is now. They re-released The Stand in the early 90's to it's current length. There was some really good stuff that was cut, but also some not so good.

That said, King is my favorite author, and has been ever since I picked up Skeleton Crew when I was 10. The Jaunt was my favorite, but The Mist made me hunger for more. The Mist is King at his best....and worst. He has a large problem finishing stories....

For example: Cell, Under the Dome, The Long Walk, The Stand, and of course The Dark Tower.

I have read each of the Dark Towers at least twice. I've read the first four over a dozen times. I almost cried when I had heard he almost died, simply for the fact that I may never reach the end of such an amazing journey. Do yourself a favor. Don't read the epilogue. It completely ruined a 25 year journey for me....so disappointing.

 

[dave]

Is Under the Dome good? I might read that.

 

[Ravin]

He has good books and bad books depending on your style and what he is writing about. There is some books you are just like "meh, could have done better", while others are really well done. I finished The Long Walk and thought it was a good read, though I kind of wanted just a tad more at the end.

As an English major as well, I as well got crammed down the throat with "the classics" and told this is what amazing writing is, only to hate I'd say 75% of it. I really didn't like a lot of the "high society" shit that older writers would write about, and wanted to shoot myself when I had to read it for class. Man, talk about "first world problems".

 

[riley420]

Is Under the Dome good? I might read that.

The first 85% is wonderful. The next 10% is amazing. The final 5% is meh.

It just seems like he goes..."Hmmm. What an enrapturing story. What is it that I could do to make people go, 'huh?' at the end?

And if you haven't read 11/22/63, do. It's great...start to finish. I couldn't put it down.

 

[Saluki]

There's a compilation of short horror stories he wrote called Everythings Eventual which finds itself somewhere in or around my top ten favorites of all time. I've liked most of the things I've read from him....most

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[riley420]

If you like Everything's Eventual (the story) Dinky Earnshaw is a huge character in the beginning stages of The Dark Tower VII.

 

[Saluki]

I thought of reading the dark tower, seemed a little arduous though

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[Villain]

So, I am a Stephen King fan. I was an English Major in college, and had multiple professors that seemed to reach almost masturbatory levels of hating King. I took a break from his stuff after the 90's, just because it started to lose my interest. Recently, however, I've started to read some of his stuff again (specifically Duma Key and 11/22/63) and I thought that both were VERY good.

My question is this: do you think King is a good writer? My professor's in college (and my understanding of most of the "literary elite" -- see also, unsuccessful writers) acted as if he was just some dude that mashed together some words and just made money off of it. It always struck me as extremely disingenuous, particularly considering King spent a part of his career under a different pen name just because he wanted to make sure people weren't buying his shit just based off of his name.

Anyway, don't mean to ramble, just curious on others thoughts as far as this is concerned, as it has always been an interesting topic to me.

The books that he wrote under a psuedonym didn't have much commercial success until it was leaked that he was the actual author.

I don't have an opinion on the matter because I've never read a Stephen King novel, but I've seen a few of the movies and I did enjoy them. I imagine that I would enjoy his books.

 

[riley420]

I thought of reading the dark tower, seemed a little arduous though

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These books actually flow a lot better than the majority of his other books.

The Dark Tower is a thread that weaves through about 75% of all of King's books. It's amazing actually.

 

[mgoblue2290]

I thought I would really like The Dark Tower series but I couldn't get into the first book at all.