Stephen King-favorite book and why

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   bulletproofchrisposted 15 years ago

   Ok, I'm sure this has been asked before, but I'm fairly new here and so it will be new to me. I love Stephen King. He's my favorite living author, and the reason I decided to pursue writing as a career. What I want to know from all you King fans out there is, which is your favorite (i know, it will be hard), and why. Take your time and thank you for playing.

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      tobey100posted 15 years agoin reply to this

      I've read everything he's written under every name.  The Stand is the book I measure all others by.

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         drej2522posted 15 years agoin reply to this

         I have to agree here...The Stand is amazing. Although, I haven't read the whole Dark Tower Series...too lazy.

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      cosetteposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      wow, i will have to read The Stand now after all these glowing comments about it.
      
      so far my favorite to read was 'Salems Lot, and my favorite film adaptation was The Shining.

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         TheGlassSpiderposted 15 years agoin reply to this

         Yeah, it's a kind of intimidating-looking book (esp. if you pick up the unabridged version), but the words peel themselves off the page at lightning speed. If you get it, you'll be looking around in no time saying, "It's done!?"

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      Laura Thykesonposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      "Black House" scared the crap out of me (Gorg!), as well as "It"!! I loved the "Dark Tower series, and read every one...It is so hard to pick just one! I've read every single thing he has his name on, I think, except "The Dome".  It never ceases to amaze me how he can tie the characters together in different books-it is like he has created an alternate universe...
      
      The thing I love about all of his books IS the length-nothing like spending 3-4 days literally buried in the storyline. I get obsessed with finishing the book, and get angry when something interrupts my reading, lol!

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   Susana Sposted 15 years ago

   Well like most Stephen King fans - I'd have to say The Stand. I also really loved the first 2 books in the Dark Tower series and Hearts in Atlantis. I've just read The Dome - it was enjoyable to read, but nowhere near his best IMO. I really like his "On Writing" book as well - that was inspiring for me.

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      Steppenoposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      I love "The Stand" as well ... Maybe because it was such a well thought out  and written book that covered so many characters lives leading up to the final showdown between good and evil... I'm a great Tolken fan for the same reasons.

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      bulletproofchrisposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      yeah, 'on writing' was truly inspiring. i just got done reading it last week, and wished i had done so a long time ago.

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   ASHWINSPGAposted 15 years ago

   Nightshift. Just love his short stories. Especially trucks.

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   jellydonut25posted 15 years ago

   It's a tough call...
   on the one hand, The Stand is amazing. I've read it four times and I always notice new stuff (or stuff i'd forgotten about) and it just feels like the most COMPLETE novel he's ever written...
   
   on the other hand, his short stories are BEYOND amazing and Night Shift had some that actually caused me to have trouble sleeping
   
   on still another hand (yeah, i've got three) The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon is amazing AND it's short, making it one of those books that's awesome to reccommend to people...

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   Arthur Fontesposted 15 years ago

   My favorite was "IT"  just a great book

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      jellydonut25posted 15 years agoin reply to this

      IT was well-written and a good story but I just thought it was too long for my tastes...didn't work for me at all

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   lorlie6posted 15 years ago

   "On Writing" is on my bedside table right now-excellent advice and read.

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      WayneAnsellposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      "On Writing" is a very helpful book about writing. I highly recommend to all aspiring writers.

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   CMHypnoposted 15 years ago

   The Shining

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      receptionistposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      Yup. Definitely. Without a shadow of a doubt.

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   Jeffrey Nealposted 15 years ago

   The Stand. The Dark Tower series also. I was so distraught when he was hit by that van several years ago, not only because his work has been very influential, but because I thought I would never get to read about Roland finally reaching the Tower.
   
   I love the short stories as well. I have a hardback copy of every single King novel and short story collection available, and soft backs of most as well. I'm a big fan.

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   bulletproofchrisposted 15 years ago

   thanks guys for all the great replies...i'm glad i found hubpages; it's given me much inspiration and many things to think about. keep em comin! i could never get tired of this topic, although i'm sure it's been done before....humor me, if you like.

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    diamondzulusaposted 15 years ago

    yaaa its very very very nice book i many time read this book

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    L. Andrew Marrposted 15 years ago

    I've read nearly all of his stuff and I could have to say either:
    
    The Shining,
    or
    Gerald's Game.

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       bulletproofchrisposted 15 years agoin reply to this

       thank you for mentioning 'gerarld's game'...i freakin love that book, and it got such a bad rap for some damn reason. another shorter book of his that didn't get the attention it deserved...

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    susanlangposted 15 years ago

    Well, thats a tuff question because I like two of his books as much as the other. So it's the shinning and nightshift. Around holloween I get those out and read them again.

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    WayneAnsellposted 15 years ago

    This is a tough question.
    
    "Misery" was a great book and a real page turner.
    
    "The girl who loved Tom Gordon" also a good read.
    
    "Hearts in Atlantis" very good reading.
    
    My favorite of all time has to be ...
    
    "Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption"
    This was the title given to the story that turned into "The Shawshank Redemption" on screen.
    
    Some of Stephen King's best work is not horror at all. "The Body" was a great story that became "Stand by Me" on film...
    
    and who can forget "The Green Mile"?!

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    Justine76posted 15 years ago

    I LOVED the Dark Tower series. I also really liked From a Buick 8. (I havent had the chance to read as much as I want to, I read all there is in my local library)

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    tobey100posted 15 years ago

    The Dark Tower series is pretty good but you need a time where you can sit and read right through.  6 books is a bit much

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       Justine76posted 15 years agoin reply to this

       winter where im at = plenty of reading time!!!

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       TheGlassSpiderposted 15 years agoin reply to this

       I have read the entire series many times now (and while I was waiting for each book, I just read what was available of the series over and over--I've read The Gunslinger alone at least a hundred times)...I dare not even hazard a number. But I've grown up awaiting the arrival of the final part of the series. I was afraid for a while there, Mr. King would die in the midst of writing it.
       
       I believe that the Dark Tower Series is King's Magnum Opus--one read is not enough to appreciate the subtlety and craft involved. I know that many people go for the Stand, but truly (IMO), the Stand is subsumed by DT. In The Stand, King creates a world, but in DT, he creates a multilevel universe in which most of his other stories dwell--it is lengthy and strange, intuitive and visceral; in some places it seems it is the literary equivalent of a Dali painting. It was a thirty year undertaking, and in a way, we can watch King grow up even as Roland completes another timeless cycle. It is post-modern Bildungsroman, and the hero's ultimate weapon is his heart. I really cannot express sufficiently the genius of this work.
       
       Ultimately though, picking just one is incredibly difficult. The Stand IS pure genius: the ultimate struggle between good and evil, and so SO timely and modern, with characters that you can almost reach out and touch. Under The Dome is subtle, but so fitting for our time. Almost no matter what he's undertaking King spins a yarn that we can feel, builds a world that draws us in, and creates characters that we love and hate. The Cell is a fabulous homage to the zombie-master himself, George Romero, and it lives up to its purpose--it gives a great twist to the zombie story, and in the end isn't really about zombies at all; an amazing trick, that.
       
       A measure of King's genius, to me, is the fact that I know who dies in the Stand and DT, and I still HATE IT EVERY TIME! Every time! I cry. And I've read them both many times. Every time I hope they'll turn their head, or hear, or see...just at the right moment and maybe this time it will be different. I know that might sound crazy, but each time I read one of King's works, it comes to life, and I can almost believe I've never been there before--that it's all unfolding for the very first time.
       
       Then there are masterpieces like Misery, The Shining, Carrie, Christine (which, along with things like Trucks and Maximum Overdrive seem to have created a niche horror genre of their own...please, correct me if I'm wrong someone, I don't know of an earlier "car possession/vehicle coming to life" tale).
       
       And these are only popular masterpieces. Glittering bits of gold like Quitters, Inc.;  Insomnia; On Writing; and so many more prove that King is not just subject to spurts of genius, he is consistently a solid and greatly talented (and almost impossibly prolific) writer and craftsman (although he would call himself a story-teller...I suppose he's both).
       
       When I was in college I had to take a course on Charles Dickens (which I enjoyed). Charles Dickens was insanely popular in his time; so much so, that people who could not read would gather in public places, like pubs, to hear his stories read aloud. I told my professor then (this would have been around 2000, 2001 or so in MD) that Stephen King was a modern-day Charles Dickens; that he was just as popular (if not more so) and for many of the same reasons (Stephen King can exalt the plight of the common man, connect it with emotion and morality on a cosmic scale--this is part of his universal appeal--it is much the same with Dickens, IMO). I told him that there would come a time when Stephen King was studied in English departments, and rightly so. He laughed in my face. It wasn't long after that I read about an English Dept. somewhere (I can't remember where, maybe someone else knows) doing just that. Ha! In your face former English Professor!
       
       Anyway, forgive my rant. I love Stephen King's work. It's personal with me. If I ever had the chance to meet him, I would have to thank him, and that wouldn't be enough. It was Stephen King who gave me a world to run to when my parents became drug addicts. He taught me that there were scary monsters in the world, but that we could have the courage and the faith the stand up to them, stand and be true--and if we did, it didn't matter if we died trying. He taught me that there was a world I could build in my head, and no one could ever take it from me. And he taught me that my world beneath the world was so amazing that sometimes we could uncover relics there...Sometimes, if we're good enough at it, we can bring pieces back to the real world and share what's inside our heads with others.
       
       Stephen King grew up poor, with a single mom; he's struggled with addiction, poverty, tragedies...he's just a regular guy, and yet just like in his stories, he's fought and won. He persevered to get published, he's overcome his addictions, he fought a van and won (then took a SLEDGEHAMMER to the van...I wish I could do that to the car that hit me!) He is a great inspiration to me. Again, sorry for the rant...but maybe...
       
       I'm his biggest fan
       
       Creepy LOL.

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          bulletproofchrisposted 15 years agoin reply to this

          thank u for the emotional response, i mean that sincerely. we are much alike when it comes to this topic, and even some of our pasts could be cousins...i very much feel what u are saying about your passion for king; that is why is posted this question.  keep on writing about your worlds, and i hope they get the chance to see the light of ours...

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             TheGlassSpiderposted 15 years agoin reply to this

             (I assume that was directed to me...)
             
             Aww. You're welcome. Thank you for the thread; I thought it was cool to see it. Thank you for the encouragement! Keep reading, keep dreaming, and keep writing!

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    sunforgedposted 15 years ago

    "It" because I remember actually being frightened to turn the page when I read it for the first time in 6th grade

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    drej2522posted 15 years ago

    ummm, GlassSpider, that was pretty long...your explanation that is.

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       TheGlassSpiderposted 15 years agoin reply to this

       Yeah...I didn't really mean it to get like that...It just happened. I hit the send button and went...Oh.

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          drej2522posted 15 years agoin reply to this

          haha..I'm just messin with ya..write what your passionate about shIt..

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             TheGlassSpiderposted 15 years agoin reply to this

             Hehehe... It seems I haven't any choice. Like I said, it just came out that way. I just started writing, then looked up and BAM...that's what was there.

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    Deborah Sextonposted 15 years ago

    The Stand
    
    In the movie they played one of my favorite older songs
    
    "Don't Fear The Reaper"
    By Blue Oyster Cult
    
    All our times have come
    Here, but now they're gone
    Seasons don't fear the reaper
    Nor do the wind, the sun, or the rain (We can be like they are)
    
    Come on, baby (Don't fear the reaper)
    Baby, take my hand (Don't fear the reaper)
    We'll be able to fly (Don't fear the reaper)
    Baby, I'm your man
    
    La la la la la
    La la la la la
    
    Valentine is done
    Here, but now they're gone
    Romeo and Juliet
    Are together in eternity (Romeo and Juliet)
    40,000 men and women every day (Like Romeo and Juliet)
    40,000 men and women every day (Redefine happiness)
    Another 40,000 coming every day (We can be like they are)
    
    Come on, baby (Don't fear the reaper)
    Baby, take my hand (Don't fear the reaper)
    We'll be able to fly (Don't fear the reaper)
    Baby, I'm your man
    
    La la la la la
    La la la la la
    
    Love of two is one
    Here, but now they're gone
    He came last night out of sadness
    And it was clear she couldn't go on
    The door was open and the wind appeared
    The candles blew and then disappeared
    The curtains flew and then he appeared (Saying don't be afraid)
    
    Come on, baby (And she had no fear)
    And she ran to him (Then they started to fly)
    They looked backward and said goodbye (She had become like they are)
    She had taken his hand (She had become like they are)
    Come on, baby (Don't fear the reaper)

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       TheGlassSpiderposted 15 years agoin reply to this

       Hey! Thanks...I love this song too, but didn't quite know all the words. Awesome!

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          Deborah Sextonposted 15 years agoin reply to this

          This last verse reminds me of my parent's love and devotion for each other.
          Mom passed first then Dad.
          
          Now I'm sad and my heart feels swollen.

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             TheGlassSpiderposted 15 years agoin reply to this

             Aww {Hugs} I'm sorry. They live on in you.

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                Deborah Sextonposted 15 years agoin reply to this

                Thank you. You have a caring and compassionate heart.
                They do indeed live on in me.
                They also taught me what marriage is all about and how to make one work.

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    TheCreditTruthposted 15 years ago

    The Stand!,  The characters in the Stands are the best from any Stephen King book.

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    Ohmaposted 15 years ago

    For me it is absolutely "The Stand" but I have to say that "Cujo" was the only book I ever read that gave me nightmares. I have nightmares from movies all the time but it was a first for me to have them over a book.

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    loriamooreposted 15 years ago

    "It" is my favorite King book because it scared the bezinga out of me! Clowns are just creepy, man.  :-)

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       StormRyderposted 15 years agoin reply to this

       
       
       
       Meeeee Toooooo!

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    Faybe Bayposted 15 years ago

    Rose Madder because it should scare the bejeezes out of "bad" husbands out there. Guy is a stalker.

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    Sa Toyaposted 15 years ago

    The Stand is literary bliss I think...so would go with that.  Plus I've never bothered reading too many of his books- SCARY!

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    Frufflesposted 14 years ago

    That is a verrrry tough dicision...probably The Stand, The Long Walk, and the Dark Tower series lol i could never choose just one.
    The Stand because it's truely an epic story about good and evil
    
    The Long Walk because its an extremely intersting plot line, though its one of his shorter stories.
    
    And The Dark Tower because i have mad respect for anyone who can write 7 long books without losing interest. True, the ending to the Series was extremely disappointing, but other than that, it was extremely supurb (not sure if thats spelled right lol) Wolves of the Calla was probably the best throughout the whole series though xD
    
    Stephan King is one of the main reasons i got into writing. He was the one who made me realize my passion for reading and writing.

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    3 Finger Readerposted 14 years ago

    I haven't read all of currently published works, so I might be a bit limited in my reply.  (I stopped reading his stuff after Gerald's Game, because I started working full time and had a full workload).  So my favorite based on my limited reading is The Stand.
    
    (And I've read the unabridged version, too)

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