Books Stephen King

Grinner

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has written a sequel to 'The Shining' called 'Dr. Sleep' (shit title). I haven't read a King book for about 10 years now as he got really shit after 'It'. Didn't bother with that Dark Tower series either but my interest is piqued by this new book since 'The Shining' was really cracking book back in the day.

So has King regained his mojo or will this be as shit as the last few books? I read and re-read all of his classics back in the 80's and have probably read 'The Stand' more than any of them. Of all the books that wanted a sequel, I'd have thought 'Salems Lot' would have been the one though.
 

Mihajlovic

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Grinner said:
has written a sequel to 'The Shining' called 'Dr. Sleep' (shit title). I haven't read a King book for about 10 years now as he got really shit after 'It'. Didn't bother with that Dark Tower series either but my interest is piqued by this new book since 'The Shining' was really cracking book back in the day.

So has King regained his mojo or will this be as shit as the last few books? I read and re-read all of his classics back in the 80's and have probably read 'The Stand' more than any of them. Of all the books that wanted a sequel, I'd have thought 'Salems Lot' would have been the one though.
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I read all of his older classics but then, over the last decade or so, just lost all interest. However, I just recently finished reading Duma Key, and it was very good, creepy, scary, instantly likeable characters, story set in a believable background, maybe a bit lengthy at times but it felt like reading the old Stephen King again. I want to start reading more from him, as soon as I get my kindle dingle.
 

NJ1979

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The Dark Tower series started really well, and ended up being pure shit. He's written some great books in his time, but it's been quite a while since he's done anything decent and I'd be wary of bothering with anything new he comes out with these days.
 

Sarni

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Mihajlovic said:
I read all of his older classics but then, over the last decade or so, just lost all interest. However, I just recently finished reading Duma Key, and it was very good, creepy, scary, instantly likeable characters, story set in a believable background, maybe a bit lengthy at times but it felt like reading the old Stephen King again. I want to start reading more from him, as soon as I get my kindle dingle.
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Duma Key is one of my favorite King's novels, definitely the best he wrote in the last ten years or so. I thouth Under The Dome was utterly crap but plenty of my friends liked it for some reason. Last year's Full Dark, No Stars was decent albeit there was one story in there that I don't remember precisely which was crap beyond belief.

I agree that his early novels are much, much better than current ones though. Christine is probably my favorite, followed by Pet's Sematary and The Shining.
 

Moonwalker

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My parents used to be absolutely devastated with my King obsession when I was a kid. I wouldn't read any other author, and just kept asking for more Stephen King. Watched all the TV adaptations I could get my hands on too.

Lost all interest in the last 10 years though. Watched The Mist, just because another Darabont movie sounded interesting. Bag of Bones was the last book I've read though, and that was ages ago.
 

Grinner

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I'd like to see 'The Stand' redone as a series. The miniseries was badly cast, badly acted, and generally very shit.
 

Moonwalker

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Grinner said:
I'd like to see 'The Stand' redone as a series. The miniseries was badly cast, badly acted, and generally very shit.
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Unfortunately that applies to most of his TV adaptations, with scarce exceptions. Don't think The Stand was even that bad compared to some of the other shit. I mean it had Kareem Abdul Jabbar after all, and King himself.
 

Randall Flagg

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Grinner said:
has written a sequel to 'The Shining' called 'Dr. Sleep' (shit title). I haven't read a King book for about 10 years now as he got really shit after 'It'. Didn't bother with that Dark Tower series either but my interest is piqued by this new book since 'The Shining' was really cracking book back in the day.

So has King regained his mojo or will this be as shit as the last few books? I read and re-read all of his classics back in the 80's and have probably read 'The Stand' more than any of them. Of all the books that wanted a sequel, I'd have thought 'Salems Lot' would have been the one though.
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Dark Tower Series is one of my favourite books of all time. Give them a chance
 

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I have read the Stand and It. I found both books very enjoyable until it got to the underwhelming endings. Especially the Stand!
 

SteveJ

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I like several King novels, and think he's an excellent storyteller, but that's not quite the same as being an excellent writer.
 

SteveJ

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Synopsis of Doctor Sleep, The Shining's sequel, from Stephen King's official website:

On highways across America, a tribe of people called The True Knot travel in search of sustenance. They look harmless—mostly old, lots of polyester, and married to their RVs. But as Dan Torrance knows, and tween Abra Stone learns, The True Knot are quasi-immortal, living off the “steam” that children with the “shining” produce when they are slowly tortured to death.

Haunted by the inhabitants of the Overlook Hotel where he spent one horrific childhood year, Dan has been drifting for decades, desperate to shed his father’s legacy of despair, alcoholism, and violence. Finally, he settles in a New Hampshire town, an AA community that sustains him, and a job at a nursing home where his remnant “shining” power provides the crucial final comfort to the dying. Aided by a prescient cat, Dan becomes “Doctor Sleep.”

Then Dan meets the evanescent Abra Stone, and it is her spectacular gift, the brightest shining ever seen, that reignites Dan’s own demons and summons him to a battle for Abra’s soul and survival. This is an epic war between good and evil, a gory, glorious story that will thrill the millions of hyper-devoted readers of The Shining and wildly satisfy anyone new to the territory of this icon in the King canon.
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Aided by a prescient cat, Dan becomes “Doctor Sleep.”
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*splutters tea everywhere*
 

Wibble

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It is about some bloke who finds a time slip that links him to the 1960's which gives him the idea of trying to stop the Kennedy assasination. Apart from a bit of King silliness in the final third it is a decent novel with a solid satisfying end for a change. He is a brilliant writer but his endings often drift off into extreme silliness. Not this time.
 

The Don

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Wibble said:
It is about some bloke who finds a time slip that links him to the 1960's which gives him the idea of trying to stop the Kennedy assasination. Apart from a bit of King silliness in the final third it is a decent novel with a solid satisfying end for a change. He is a brilliant writer but his endings often drift off into extreme silliness. Not this time.
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Ah, no I haven't read it, but I will. The book I was thinking of wad called The Dome or Under The Dome. Was pretty decent, I thought. (Apart from the ending).
 

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Just finished reading Full Dark, No Stars. Thought it was very good. I see from reviews that it's regarded as pretty bleak although I didn't think it was. I suppose compared to real life and Brexit it just didn't seem that bad.
 

Cascarino

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I read the Outsider last year and thought the first two thirds were pretty damn good. Felt that the final third was a letdown.
 

lsd

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Cascarino said:
I read the Outsider last year and thought the first two thirds were pretty damn good. Felt that the final third was a letdown.
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Tends to be the case for King does it not ?

He just does not seem to be able to write a good ending and instead just goes with "Aliens " or whatever
 

Massive Spanner

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Cascarino said:
I read the Outsider last year and thought the first two thirds were pretty damn good. Felt that the final third was a letdown.
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I'm reading it now and I agree. I'm very disappointed that

there was no rational explanation for what was happening and it just turned sci-fi/supernatural out of nowhere.
 

oneniltothearsenal

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lsd said:
I read the first three books and just gave up . When I heard the ending I was so glad I did
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The best ones were the middle 3 (by far imo) Wizard and Glass, Wolves of the Calla and the newer one Wind through the Keyhole

Basically the ones that dealt with older Roland, Cuthbert and Alain in that earlier era were much better.
 

DouLou

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lsd said:
I read the first three books and just gave up . When I heard the ending I was so glad I did
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I actually liked the majority of them, especially the first 3 (although the 1st is probably the weakest).

It wasn't just the ending, it's just how he dealt with the major characters like Flagg and the Crimson King.

Argh... getting annoyed thinking about it.
 

Sarni

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lsd said:
Tends to be the case for King does it not ?

He just does not seem to be able to write a good ending and instead just goes with "Aliens " or whatever
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Yeah nearly all his books are like that. It’s like he has an idea how to build and present the fictional world he has imagined but then realizes he needs to stop the narrative and finish and makes up some lazy storyline.
 

FreakyJim

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The man thought the ending of the film "The Mist" was amazing when in reality his own ending of the novel was quite a bit better. Says it all really.

He doesn't know anything about wrapping up stories, most of the time. I feel if there's a good ending of a book, he stumbles upon it accidentally.
 
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