I read a lot of SK when I was a kid. Loved pretty much everything: It, Carrie, Shining, The Stand, Tommy Knockers, Misery, Green Mile and the short stories that Shawshank Redemption and Stand By Me came from. Then – probably in the early 90s – I mostly stopped reading him. Recently I’ve read 11/22/63 and The Institute and loved them both, but I think I also started to read Mr Mercedes and Under the Dome and couldn’t get into either (it’s been a few years, but I’m pretty sure the reason is that both were just too graphically violent – just not my cup of tea).
So…knowing all this – suggest me a SK book that I haven’t read, but you think I would enjoy (so clearly not any that are super violent). I really don’t know his work of the past few decades so I’d love to hear what everyone thinks the stand outs are.
by Hot_Ad_8234
15 Comments
Desperation! I remember wanting to read it because it’s ginormous but I ended up loving it.
I read Duma Key recently and it was alright. I liked Wireman. Dr sleep is good too if you liked the shining
The Eyes of the dragon. The Girl who Loved Tom Gordon. Thinner. Elevation. The Body (short story).
Fairytale is really great and non-King-like.
Delores Claiborne. Not a horror book; an excellent story that is well written.
My favourites
*Duma Key*
*Lisey’s Story*
*Dolores Claiborne*
*The Green Mile*
All the collections, most recently *You Like It Darker*
The gingerbread girl was fast-paced and a good read.
Insomnia is really good. I couldn’t put it down.
On writing
My favorite SK book is Revival. There is a super graphic road accident (on par with Pet Sematary), but the rest of the book is more cosmic horror.
I will recommend my favorites: Duma Key, bazaar and story of Lisey
Try his short story collections (he has a few). You Like It Darker just came out, but there are also Nightmares and Dreamscapes, Night Shift, Skeleton Crew, and Just After Sunset to name a few. Some stories are in his traditional style and content; some are not.
you should def try *The Long Walk*! it’s an older one under his pseudonym (Richard Bachman), but it’s really gripping and less graphic than some of his others. it’s all about this brutal walking contest, but it focuses more on the psychological side than gore. also *Joyland* could be a good pick too, it’s more of a mystery with some emotional moments and not super violent. both have that classic king feel without being too intense!
I wasn’t a fan of Mr Mercedes either (it wasn’t bad, but I just couldn’t get into it) but I did like Holly, which has some of the same characters. You might want to give that one a try.
The Dark Tower series. It is fantastic and completely different genre.