Books

[Mooncat]

"'Salem's Lot" by Stephen King. Very enjoyable. Not as good as "The Dead Zone" but good fun. Looking forward to watching the film.

Is Stephen King's "The Stand" worth reading?

As in - if I watched one of the TV adaptations - would I be as well off?

I read "It" a few months back and found myself flicking to the back to see how many pages were left. There's a great 650 page novel within the 1200 pages. 

Also loved Salem's Lot and had a similar experience with It, just too overly long with no real justification for it, though I did still get sucked into its world and enjoyed it (terrible ending notwithstanding).

The Stand is definitely up there with his best, some scenes just leave you with your mouth hanging open. Can be slightly draggy in parts as well, but tons of really engaging characters.

I reread it right at the start of covid and the whole first 3rd was a real trip to read in those times 

[StoutAndAle]

I have both The Stand and The Dead Zone in the waiting to be read pile, I'll get there someday! Salems Lot was a good read but I just got done with Pet Semetary and I enjoyed that a lot more.

"The Dead Zone" is brilliant - you can really rip through it. The David Cronenberg adaptation starring Christopher Walken is great craic as well.

I haven't read "Pet Sematary" yet.

[StoutAndAle]

Also loved Salem's Lot and had a similar experience with It, just too overly long with no real justification for it, though I did still get sucked into its world and enjoyed it (terrible ending notwithstanding).

The Stand is definitely up there with his best, some scenes just leave you with your mouth hanging open. Can be slightly draggy in parts as well, but tons of really engaging characters.

I reread it right at the start of covid and the whole first 3rd was a real trip to read in those times 

Sound. I think I'll pick up "The Stand" so.

I enjoyed "It" but I could have been done much sooner. And yeah, the ending is bunk.

[Maggot Colony]

Any fans of 'Revival' by King? I picked it up after years of ignoring his output and really enjoyed it. I'd recommend it to any fans of Lovecraftian horror.

[StoutAndAle]

Any fans of 'Revival' by King? I picked it up after years of ignoring his output and really enjoyed it. I'd recommend it to any fans of Lovecraftian horror.

I only started in on his novels last year (teenage read of "Carrie" notwithstanding) after I had read his book about his writing process.

I'll add that to the list. Though I picked up a fair few of his secondhand recently.

[Carnage]

Never heard of that one but it sounds interesting. The most recent King book I read was From A Buick 8 (2002), a christmas present from my father. It's ridiculous but enjoyable enough. I read The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon and Gerald's Game around the same time and hated both, so I just left him behind then.

[Mooncat]

Any fans of 'Revival' by King? I picked it up after years of ignoring his output and really enjoyed it. I'd recommend it to any fans of Lovecraftian horror.

I only started in on his novels last year (teenage read of "Carrie" notwithstanding) after I had read his book about his writing process.

I'll add that to the list. Though I picked up a fair few of his secondhand recently.

If you're still in your early days of King the other ones I'd recommend are Pet Sematary and The Shining. The Shining in particular is quite different from the film, but just as good. Romped through Misery pretty quickly too.

[Carnage]

Cujo and Christine are good too. In fact, the first one I thought was poor was The Tommyknockers, so everything up to that. Even The Eyes Of The Dragon, his (now out of print) fantasy novel I enjoyed.

[Mooncat]

Cujo and Christine are good too. In fact, the first one I thought was poor was The Tommyknockers, so everything up to that. Even The Eyes Of The Dragon, his (now out of print) fantasy novel I enjoyed.

I've been trying to read Tommyknockers for about the past 3 years lol. Keep on starting it and giving up. Apparently he wrote it in a blizzard of cocaine...

[Carnage]

Sounds about right. I remember nothing about it other than hating it. There were ads for it on the radio at the time (1990-ish) so I couldn't wait to read it, but it was such a disappointment that I rarely went back to him after that.

[astfgyl]

I thought the Tommyknockers wasn't the worst when I read it but I sort of unwittingly gave up on King at some point as well. Did read the short stories again lately but haven't tackled a novel of his in a while. I have Misery there which I haven't read though so I might give that a shot soon

[Carnage]

Do, it's a cracker.

[ldj]

Got a box set of LOTR + The Hobbit a few years back and never read them for whatever reason, flew through the Hobbit and now I'm bet into the first LOTR book, should have read them ages ago, they're class!

[StoutAndAle]

If you're still in your early days of King the other ones I'd recommend are Pet Sematary and The Shining. The Shining in particular is quite different from the film, but just as good. Romped through Misery pretty quickly too.

Sound I'll add "Pet Sematary" to the list. I have a fair stack to read that I've found second-hand over the last while;

"The Dark Half"
"The Shining"
"Misery"
"Doctor Sleep"
"The Outsider"
"If It Bleeds"
"Full Dark No Stars"

[Eoin McLove]

I read It and thought it was ok but way too long and kind of one dimensional. For think I'd bother my arse with anything else.