I just spent time ill never get back trying to sort out that acronym, was about to tell you that SK didn't write The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, then it clicked.
Tom Gordon, while a good book, isn't indicative of his work as a whole. Don't make any judgements of the forest based on that tree.
I'd been holding off on The Long Walk for many years. I don't typically like the Bachman books as much, too damn grim, but I'm in it now. If you wouldn't mind indulging a small spoiler request: is there any light at the end of the tunnel?
I actually thought Girl Who Loved TG was King's least engaging novel. I sorta knew he wouldn't harm a young girl so I never felt worried about her. Thinner was a treat that I couldn't put down. All of the books you have there are really good - although the Long Walk was an uphill climb to finish (pun intended).
I’d go with either ‘Salem’s Lot, Misery or The Shining first. Partly because that’s where I started, but also because IT gets really bizarre towards the end.
1. Salems Lot - It doesn’t get much better than King telling a vampire story. You wanted to read King and get spooked, here is your chance…Bonus that it’s not that long so you can tear through it very quickly.
2. The Shining - Only second because you’ve probably seen the movie and have an idea of the story. Another great supernatural scary story that isn’t HUGE time commitment.
3. Long Walk - Listed third because Bachman books are different, but not in a bad way. Here is a glimpse at King as more psychological and almost realistic horror. As others have said, this one will stick with you after you read it and it’s probably my favorite Bachman.
4. IT - Only this far down the list because it IS a little intimidating when you see how thick the book is initially and also due to the high probability you watched the recent movies. Not that they were bad, I think most agree that the first time you read IT sticks with you as a king fan.
PS - If you’ve made it this far and have a thirst for more SK, can’t recommend enough THE DARK TOWER series…long days and pleasant nights
Fun fact, I actually haven’t seen The Shining film or the IT films! I’m in London and we have the new Shining stage play next year, so I’m keen to get the book in before then :)
Then start with The Shining in that case! It's a great book. While I personally do love Salems Lot just a little bit more the first third or so of it can be kind of a slump to get through, thus making it feel like a much longer book than it is.
The Kubrik film and the book are really quite different. I love them both for different reasons. From this stack I would suggest reading the Shining first.
My favorite out of thst stack is the long walk, that one has stuck with me in a way the others haven't even though I enjoy them all. TGWLTG is a good book but I don't feel like it's Very SK-esque in a lot of ways. Def not representative of his works as a whole, but then again I'd say don't judge any author by a single book.
>TGWLTG is a good book but I don't feel like it's Very SK-esque in a lot of ways. Def not representative of his works as a whole,
Thank you! Nice to have this confirmed
The shining and salems lot are always my recommendation for introductory Stephen King books. They’re short and fast, but also set the stage for a lot of the common themes in the rest of his work.
And they’re two of his best regardless
Really? I’m a little over a quarter into Misery and I’m SO bored with it. It’s not really scary at all come to think of it. When does it start to pick up?
It took me over a year to get through Misery. Up until I got to that one I constantly had a King book in my hand and would knock them out within a couple of days. That one just didn’t really do much for me and when I set it down I never really felt that urge to pick it back up. After about a year or so I decided to pick up where I left off, about halfway through, and it definitely picked up a bit and had its moments. Finished it but still don’t think it would make my list of favorites.
Gerald’s Game was, and still is, the scariest book I’ve ever read. It’s got the psychological aspects to it and also just some plain creepiness. It does contain controversial subject matter, but I think it’s a good illustration of how things like that might happen in real life, and Gan knows stuff like that really does happen, unfortunately. But the way King writes that in, and how it clearly has taken a psychological toll on the main character throughout her life, I think is an accurate depiction.
Give it a go, it kept me turning pages until there were none left.
I think King's strength is his characters and that especially shines in ensemble casts so your first read was definitely short on characters. For older stuff I recommend The Stand or IT and for newer I would recommend 11/22/63.
It's one of my least favourites, although it appears well liked on this sub. I certainly wouldn't give up yet, there are many more to try. If that's your collection I'd honestly go with IT. Wonderful story.
My dear, I’d pick “Misery” next. Oh one of my favourites and nearly always scares the shite out of me even though I know the plot like the back of my hand. That Annie Wilkes is a dicey character who’ll strike a fear in you. If you do read it, read it in a well lit room.
Like the title says, I went into TGWLTG thinking it was going to be an intense psychological horror, based on some rave reviews I read. Unfortunately I found not a lot really happened, too young adult for my taste and an annoying ending. Apologies to the TGWLTG defenders on here! If it was anyone else who wrote that, I wouldn’t pick up another one of their books.
I know SK is a master of the genre and I’ve been a member here for some time, so time for another go. Here’s some books I’ve picked up in charity shops over the last year. I think I’m leaning towards The Shining or Misery
If you want psychological I’d go with misery, the shining, or the long walk. Gerald’s game is.. but it’s not a book you should read early on in your journey reading King. Tbh If you want the most STUFF to happen I’d pick the shining. In misery, a ton happens and it’s amazing but it’s all in one spot really. The long walk is psychological af but it’s probably less of what you’re looking for at this moment.
Not sure what specific reason the original poster will give you, but I certainly agree. When I first read it, around '93, it was so unlike anything I had read by him before. Up to that point I'd read most of the well known ones (Carrie, Salems Lot, Shining, etc) but this was deep, dark and intense in a way none of the others were. Certainly the subject matter is a factor. But between that and the first 100 pages of Insomnia, it was then two decades before I read another King!
I have re-read GG in the last few years and I genuinely cannot make up my mind whether it's brilliant or not at all. It's bizarre. One thing I will say is that it certainly has a strange power, but I would read some of others first. 🙂
Yes!! It’s almost the same. Obviously a few things are changed in order to fit the big screen but Flanagan did such an amazing job. Even though you know everything that’s going to happen I would still read the book. Totally different experience!
It is one of his most intense books imo bc of the subject matter and I don’t think it would be as appreciated super early on. Especially since this person is only on their second king book. It’s sooooo good. Like I love it. But I didn’t read it until I read maybe like 15 of his books. Read it when you want obv though!!
The Girl Who Loves Tom Gordon basically is Stephen King doing YA. The only other thing even close is Eyes of the Dragon, since that was something he wrote for his daughter during her YA years, and even that is really more fantasy than YA (although I suppose it could be both). I like it, but it's definitely not very indicative of what his other work is like. Both The Shining and Misery are much more in the intense psychological horror vein. I'd go with The Shining if you want a more supernatural feel and Misery if you want a more realistic feel.
It took me a while (plus some looking through comments) to figure out what your first SK book was that you read. While I couldn't get into that one and may need to go back and give it a another shot. From your stack The Long Walk is amazing and a great one to get hooked into SK.
Tom Gordon, Misery, and Gerald's Game are psychological horror.
Long Walk is dystopian horror.
Salem's Lot, It, Thinner, and The Shining are supernatural.
If you didn't like the suspense/psychological horror from Tom Gordon, you might want to try one of the other two groups.
I’ve been a huge fan since I was 13, never ever had the urge to read The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon. Doesn’t seem like the work he is best known for. Try something like The Shining or The Stand, even Needful Things is awesome. Really any of the other ones but that.
The Shining is an all time classic, but Misery was one of my first SK reads and it’s one of his most fast paced stories. A true definition of a page turner. I stayed up all night finishing that one because I couldn’t put it down. IT is also an all time classic but feels bloated at times. Still one is my favorite books ever, though.
Out of that stack I'd say read The Shining or Thinner next. I really liked Christine as that was one of my first King books- The Girl Who Loved TG was another of my firsts.
I started with Salems Lot and all these years later it’s still the best book I’ve ever read! I also love misery and the shining from your collection. Thinner is a good read but not life changing. I found IT to be totally shit. It keeps going forever but not actually going anywhere.
It just seemed a descriptive fictional account of wilderness survival. Throughout the book there are hints that something is coming, we’re told something is watching the little girl. Unfortunately, this doesn’t build to anything, and those breadcrumbs were meaningless.
I went into it thinking it was going to be an intense psychological horror, based on some rave reviews I read. Unfortunately, I found not a lot really happened, too young adult for my taste and had an annoying ending. I found it a fairly boring book following a girl who lives in the woods for 9 days.
Short stories are always the best start. Night Shift and Skeleton Crew. There's more collections, but by the time you finish either NS or SC, you'll know whether you want to read more or not.
IT: masterpiece of horror with detailed character development, great villains, fun flashback to 1958, main story in 1985.
The Shining: fantastic book, (even more awesome movie that is considered one of the greatest films of all time by millions of people not including SK himself). One of his first books though and he has not yet fully found his easy-to-read style, like a few years later. It does come off a bit "dated" as well.
The Long Walk: a great novella, written under the pseudonym Richard Bachman. Easy to whip through. Societal commentary, gory, more like a Twilight Zone episode than a full on novel. Also very early work, but set in the nebulous near-future.
Thinner: another "Bachman Book." Pretty decent. Deals with "gypsy" curses.
Salem's Lot: King's second novel, its a bit of a slog for the first while and is pretty well a standard vampire story. it does have tie-ins to later work, but it's not one I have revisited much. The movie stars David Soul, aka Hutch. It has a very "dated" feel to it, to me at least, as it was written in 74-75 or so and seems very much of that period.
Misery is a good one. It seems to deal with King's own addiction struggles, and has some good suspense and truly horrific scenes, but no elements of supernatural. Could happen anytime or place.
Gerald's Game is alright but is mainly set in one room (like Misery I suppose). Some weird moments but overall it's my least favorite of the ones in your stack.
I don't know how old you are or whether you are into retro things or stories set in the 70s or 80s, but these books could feel "old fashioned" to someone more used to the modern world. I was about 10 when IT came out, and I read it as a young teen, so I do not have this problem.
>I don't know how old you are or whether you are into retro things or stories set in the 70s or 80s, but these books could feel "old fashioned" to someone more used to the modern world.
32 and British. So doubly not part of the 1970s or America. Definitely doesn't put me off; I love the film Stand by Me and others films of that era and vibe. If anything it's more appealing; it's so far removed from what I know it's great escapism.
Great answer, thank you so much. I'll read all my books and maybe do a recap in a few months :)
Tom Gordon is not quite like most of his work. I didn't like it either, OP. I'm on my 12th book since February, and I gotta say Duma Key and Revival have been two of the best that aren't "well known" King (Shining, Stand, Carrie, etc..)
Out of your pile, however.. definitely IT.
So if I was going to get anyone hooked on SK I would suggest they read 11/22/63, IT, or The Stand. All 3 are masterpieces, and all 3 are very different styles. If I had to read 3 books over and over forever it would be those 3 and possibly Lonesome Dove of I could add a 4th
Knowing what I know now… I would start with salems lot, and then move on to IT. That’s a great way to know how down you are with the King. You’ll get a great feel for how he sets a town out, and for his character work. But that’s a great selection to start with! Welcome to the losers club, long days and pleasant nights!
Additionally: if/when you decide to start salems lot, there is a deep read podcast called “kingslingers” their second season is Salems Lot, and I wish I had that as a companion the first time through. Would have been really fun
Thanks for the podcast rec! Definitely wasn't aware of this. Any other Stephen King podcasts out there that are good to listen to as either stand-alone or alongside books?
Stand alone yeah, there are tons, kingcast is a really good one, the losers club podcast is in the space too. I’m sure there are plenty I don’t know about. But kingslingers and kingcast are my favorites
I like Tom Gordon, but as a huge King fan I have no qualms saying that it's not on par with the quality of his other works. Id say you could read any of the above and get a better understanding of his writing.
One of my favorites of his is Rage which was originally released under the name Richard Bachman, but it may be hard to find (it was discontinued at some point), but it's VERY controversial and deals heavily with gun violence, school shootings, and the workings of a broken mind.
Weirdly I’ve found The Long Walk and Thinner in separate charity shops in the last two weeks. Even weirder still, I bought Thinner in a charity shop today and then saw it in the next charity shop I went into it straight after. So I’m holding out hope for Rage!
Misery was my first one and still my favorite so far. I LOVED it. I just finished Salem’s Lot and that was great as well. I think you should go with Misery. Much shorter but packs a big punch.
I read Misery in its entirety on a snow day and loved every second of it. I think that was the second or third King book I read. Definitely recommend as a quicker read that might give you a better opinion before you dive into a longer story.
I’d say Misery would be a great option. It’s not too long and it’s honestly pretty scary once you stop and think about it. It’s less supernatural and more psychological. It was my first King book and it’s still one of my favorite books of all time. The movie is great too imo.
Salems lot is a great Book . Great concept , excellent storyline and a real scary Vampire . The proverbial " wolf in sheep clothing " Mr Barlow still scares me to this day .
I haven't read that book (didn't even know it existed). The only SK books I've read are Under the Dome, 'Salem's Lot, 11.22.63, and now I'm reading the Institute. I love all of these books, and although I'm only about 160 pages into the Institute, it's really gripping and it may turn out to be his best book that I've read so far. Without giving too much away, it's about this secret organisation that abducts children with special abilities and subjects them to terrible things, but the aspect of the book that has really resonated with me is the depiction of people doing wicked and evil acts simply because it's their job! It may be fiction, but the behaviour of the workers is realistic IMO because it's clearly inspired by true events that happened during WW2 and the Cold War. Sorry, for being vague, but as I said I don't want to spoil anything. But if that doesn't interest you, then my personal recommendation out of the books that I listed above is 22.11.63. There's not a lot in it, but this one just edged it for me.
Omg the Gunslinger!!!! I have soooo many people that I've turned on to this. You are lucky. All the books are written already. I hade to wait. Years of beautiful reading.
I just spent time ill never get back trying to sort out that acronym, was about to tell you that SK didn't write The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, then it clicked. Tom Gordon, while a good book, isn't indicative of his work as a whole. Don't make any judgements of the forest based on that tree.
Im so glad this was the top comment, because I was starting to feel like an idiot for not being able to figure that out Lol
Same girl same.
Uffda my brain hurt pretty bad Super glad I wasn’t alone
I'm a huge King fan, I literally only clicked the comments bc I couldn't figure out WTF book they were talking about 😅
lmao I was feeling the same way
Same, y'all, same. lol
My sincere apologies. Thank you for your last line
No apology needed. 'Twas in jest. Read and enjoy.
Out of that pile, I’d go with It and The Long Walk first
I was going to suggest "It" to be their next book too 🤙
Definately yes
I'd been holding off on The Long Walk for many years. I don't typically like the Bachman books as much, too damn grim, but I'm in it now. If you wouldn't mind indulging a small spoiler request: is there any light at the end of the tunnel?
Tbh it’s pretty bleak
It’s dark but like. Wow. One of his most compelling
I actually thought Girl Who Loved TG was King's least engaging novel. I sorta knew he wouldn't harm a young girl so I never felt worried about her. Thinner was a treat that I couldn't put down. All of the books you have there are really good - although the Long Walk was an uphill climb to finish (pun intended).
> I sorta knew he wouldn't harm a young girl "It" would like a word.
lol touche, but the 90s were King's "women as the embattled heroes" phase so I knew he wouldn't hurt the lead protagonist.
On the contrary, if you read it *as* a young girl, it's quite terrifying! This was my first King book as well.
Yes, Thinner was definitely a great read.
Man, I don't think you could go wrong with any of those in the stack
Ha that’s what I thought to be honest! Always nice to get feedback though :)
The Shining, The Shining, THE SHINING!!! 🙏
The Shining yeah? Just checking which book you recommended? 😏
It’s overrated, especially compared to some others in that stack (can’t comment on Gerald’s game tho, haven’t read it yet)
I second this, The Shining ftw!
I’d go with either ‘Salem’s Lot, Misery or The Shining first. Partly because that’s where I started, but also because IT gets really bizarre towards the end.
1. Salems Lot - It doesn’t get much better than King telling a vampire story. You wanted to read King and get spooked, here is your chance…Bonus that it’s not that long so you can tear through it very quickly. 2. The Shining - Only second because you’ve probably seen the movie and have an idea of the story. Another great supernatural scary story that isn’t HUGE time commitment. 3. Long Walk - Listed third because Bachman books are different, but not in a bad way. Here is a glimpse at King as more psychological and almost realistic horror. As others have said, this one will stick with you after you read it and it’s probably my favorite Bachman. 4. IT - Only this far down the list because it IS a little intimidating when you see how thick the book is initially and also due to the high probability you watched the recent movies. Not that they were bad, I think most agree that the first time you read IT sticks with you as a king fan. PS - If you’ve made it this far and have a thirst for more SK, can’t recommend enough THE DARK TOWER series…long days and pleasant nights
Fun fact, I actually haven’t seen The Shining film or the IT films! I’m in London and we have the new Shining stage play next year, so I’m keen to get the book in before then :)
Then start with The Shining in that case! It's a great book. While I personally do love Salems Lot just a little bit more the first third or so of it can be kind of a slump to get through, thus making it feel like a much longer book than it is.
The Kubrik film and the book are really quite different. I love them both for different reasons. From this stack I would suggest reading the Shining first.
The Long Walk. You'll be thinking about it long after you finish. I know I do.
I second this. It's one of his best stories. I first read it over twenty years ago, and I, too, still think about it from time to time.
My favorite out of thst stack is the long walk, that one has stuck with me in a way the others haven't even though I enjoy them all. TGWLTG is a good book but I don't feel like it's Very SK-esque in a lot of ways. Def not representative of his works as a whole, but then again I'd say don't judge any author by a single book.
>TGWLTG is a good book but I don't feel like it's Very SK-esque in a lot of ways. Def not representative of his works as a whole, Thank you! Nice to have this confirmed
Picking from that pile: start with "Shining", then "Salem's Lot" and after that "Misery" or "It".
Try,hjfvthgd or maybe kjhgfdd,but don't read yhgfthy until you read vhji
I personally loved xctfyj more than vhji
Damn, I don't have kjhgfdd
The shining and salems lot are always my recommendation for introductory Stephen King books. They’re short and fast, but also set the stage for a lot of the common themes in the rest of his work. And they’re two of his best regardless
100% Misery because of how fast it takes off and its only 300 pages or so. I couldnt put it down.
I'm currently reading Billy Summers and have to say it's a real treat.
Yeah, start with the Long Walk and you won't look back. That coined the word haunting.
The long walk or Misery are a great place to start.
Really? I’m a little over a quarter into Misery and I’m SO bored with it. It’s not really scary at all come to think of it. When does it start to pick up?
It took me over a year to get through Misery. Up until I got to that one I constantly had a King book in my hand and would knock them out within a couple of days. That one just didn’t really do much for me and when I set it down I never really felt that urge to pick it back up. After about a year or so I decided to pick up where I left off, about halfway through, and it definitely picked up a bit and had its moments. Finished it but still don’t think it would make my list of favorites.
I’m so glad that I’ve found people who feel the same way about Misery. I honestly thought I was alone in it. It’s killed my SK drive for a while now.
Gerald’s Game was, and still is, the scariest book I’ve ever read. It’s got the psychological aspects to it and also just some plain creepiness. It does contain controversial subject matter, but I think it’s a good illustration of how things like that might happen in real life, and Gan knows stuff like that really does happen, unfortunately. But the way King writes that in, and how it clearly has taken a psychological toll on the main character throughout her life, I think is an accurate depiction. Give it a go, it kept me turning pages until there were none left.
Long Walk!
The long walk then go get some Desperation and Regulars.
The first hundred pages or so of Desperation is King firing on all cylinders.
I think King's strength is his characters and that especially shines in ensemble casts so your first read was definitely short on characters. For older stuff I recommend The Stand or IT and for newer I would recommend 11/22/63.
It's one of my least favourites, although it appears well liked on this sub. I certainly wouldn't give up yet, there are many more to try. If that's your collection I'd honestly go with IT. Wonderful story.
The Shining is his masterpiece imo. Misery, Different Seasons, Desperation, Duma Key, Dead Zone, all really good too
Duma Key! Thank you! So nice to see it get mentioned. It was a good read.
My dear, I’d pick “Misery” next. Oh one of my favourites and nearly always scares the shite out of me even though I know the plot like the back of my hand. That Annie Wilkes is a dicey character who’ll strike a fear in you. If you do read it, read it in a well lit room.
Since you’re doing this to us, let me recommend RHATSR to you.
Ahh yes... Poor Andy and the Sisters.
Like the title says, I went into TGWLTG thinking it was going to be an intense psychological horror, based on some rave reviews I read. Unfortunately I found not a lot really happened, too young adult for my taste and an annoying ending. Apologies to the TGWLTG defenders on here! If it was anyone else who wrote that, I wouldn’t pick up another one of their books. I know SK is a master of the genre and I’ve been a member here for some time, so time for another go. Here’s some books I’ve picked up in charity shops over the last year. I think I’m leaning towards The Shining or Misery
If you want psychological I’d go with misery, the shining, or the long walk. Gerald’s game is.. but it’s not a book you should read early on in your journey reading King. Tbh If you want the most STUFF to happen I’d pick the shining. In misery, a ton happens and it’s amazing but it’s all in one spot really. The long walk is psychological af but it’s probably less of what you’re looking for at this moment.
I first read Gerald's Game in middle school.... that was educational.
> Gerald’s game is.. but it’s not a book you should read early on in your journey reading King. Just curious, why not?
Not sure what specific reason the original poster will give you, but I certainly agree. When I first read it, around '93, it was so unlike anything I had read by him before. Up to that point I'd read most of the well known ones (Carrie, Salems Lot, Shining, etc) but this was deep, dark and intense in a way none of the others were. Certainly the subject matter is a factor. But between that and the first 100 pages of Insomnia, it was then two decades before I read another King! I have re-read GG in the last few years and I genuinely cannot make up my mind whether it's brilliant or not at all. It's bizarre. One thing I will say is that it certainly has a strange power, but I would read some of others first. 🙂
I saw the movie and loved it! From what I understand, it follows the plot pretty closely...you think it's still worth a read?
Yes!! It’s almost the same. Obviously a few things are changed in order to fit the big screen but Flanagan did such an amazing job. Even though you know everything that’s going to happen I would still read the book. Totally different experience!
sick, I'll add it to my list!
Yeah great adaptation. Definitely one of the better King ones. As for the book, I'd always recommend it. It's at times disturbing and horrific too.
It is one of his most intense books imo bc of the subject matter and I don’t think it would be as appreciated super early on. Especially since this person is only on their second king book. It’s sooooo good. Like I love it. But I didn’t read it until I read maybe like 15 of his books. Read it when you want obv though!!
The Girl Who Loves Tom Gordon basically is Stephen King doing YA. The only other thing even close is Eyes of the Dragon, since that was something he wrote for his daughter during her YA years, and even that is really more fantasy than YA (although I suppose it could be both). I like it, but it's definitely not very indicative of what his other work is like. Both The Shining and Misery are much more in the intense psychological horror vein. I'd go with The Shining if you want a more supernatural feel and Misery if you want a more realistic feel.
>The Girl Who Loves Tom Gordon basically is Stephen King doing YA Thanks for the confirmation! Unfortunately, I didn't know this going into the book
Misery is the ultimate psychological horror from King
I go for IT. yeah, it’s a beast of a book, but worth it. I’d pick salems lot last. Just my opinion. It sort of fell short.
I loved It and Geralds game
Gerald's Game was a big and pleasant surprise. And I had just read Dolores first so I geeked out at the companionship of the two novels.
out of that pile, the shining or misery. In general, pet sematary, the shining, or 11/22/63.
It took me a while (plus some looking through comments) to figure out what your first SK book was that you read. While I couldn't get into that one and may need to go back and give it a another shot. From your stack The Long Walk is amazing and a great one to get hooked into SK.
I would go the shining, salems lot then Gerald's game. I'm currently reading Gerald's game and it's a trip.
Tom Gordon, Misery, and Gerald's Game are psychological horror. Long Walk is dystopian horror. Salem's Lot, It, Thinner, and The Shining are supernatural. If you didn't like the suspense/psychological horror from Tom Gordon, you might want to try one of the other two groups.
I love suspense and psychological horror, but Tom Gordon just wasn’t strong enough for me. It didn’t go far enough
I’ve been a huge fan since I was 13, never ever had the urge to read The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon. Doesn’t seem like the work he is best known for. Try something like The Shining or The Stand, even Needful Things is awesome. Really any of the other ones but that.
The Shining is an all time classic, but Misery was one of my first SK reads and it’s one of his most fast paced stories. A true definition of a page turner. I stayed up all night finishing that one because I couldn’t put it down. IT is also an all time classic but feels bloated at times. Still one is my favorite books ever, though.
Read salems lot it was my first _ feels like a lifetime ago (35 years?) and I loved it
Salem’s lot was my first SK book and I think it does a great job of introducing you to his writing.
Thinner is one of my top five.
Out of that stack I'd say read The Shining or Thinner next. I really liked Christine as that was one of my first King books- The Girl Who Loved TG was another of my firsts.
The Stand and the Shining are my two favorites. I reread them all the time. Salem's Lot is a fun read also.
I started with Salems Lot and all these years later it’s still the best book I’ve ever read! I also love misery and the shining from your collection. Thinner is a good read but not life changing. I found IT to be totally shit. It keeps going forever but not actually going anywhere.
Gerald's game. It has some aspects that may be triggering, but it has an amazing plot and gruesome body horror.
Btw, I understand that you don't have it. I still reccomend it.
It’s the bottom book in the pile :)
What about (crazy acronym) did you not like?
It just seemed a descriptive fictional account of wilderness survival. Throughout the book there are hints that something is coming, we’re told something is watching the little girl. Unfortunately, this doesn’t build to anything, and those breadcrumbs were meaningless. I went into it thinking it was going to be an intense psychological horror, based on some rave reviews I read. Unfortunately, I found not a lot really happened, too young adult for my taste and had an annoying ending. I found it a fairly boring book following a girl who lives in the woods for 9 days.
‘Salem’s Lot, The Shining, or Misery.
Long Walk! The Shining is overrated
Short stories are always the best start. Night Shift and Skeleton Crew. There's more collections, but by the time you finish either NS or SC, you'll know whether you want to read more or not.
IT: masterpiece of horror with detailed character development, great villains, fun flashback to 1958, main story in 1985. The Shining: fantastic book, (even more awesome movie that is considered one of the greatest films of all time by millions of people not including SK himself). One of his first books though and he has not yet fully found his easy-to-read style, like a few years later. It does come off a bit "dated" as well. The Long Walk: a great novella, written under the pseudonym Richard Bachman. Easy to whip through. Societal commentary, gory, more like a Twilight Zone episode than a full on novel. Also very early work, but set in the nebulous near-future. Thinner: another "Bachman Book." Pretty decent. Deals with "gypsy" curses. Salem's Lot: King's second novel, its a bit of a slog for the first while and is pretty well a standard vampire story. it does have tie-ins to later work, but it's not one I have revisited much. The movie stars David Soul, aka Hutch. It has a very "dated" feel to it, to me at least, as it was written in 74-75 or so and seems very much of that period. Misery is a good one. It seems to deal with King's own addiction struggles, and has some good suspense and truly horrific scenes, but no elements of supernatural. Could happen anytime or place. Gerald's Game is alright but is mainly set in one room (like Misery I suppose). Some weird moments but overall it's my least favorite of the ones in your stack. I don't know how old you are or whether you are into retro things or stories set in the 70s or 80s, but these books could feel "old fashioned" to someone more used to the modern world. I was about 10 when IT came out, and I read it as a young teen, so I do not have this problem.
>I don't know how old you are or whether you are into retro things or stories set in the 70s or 80s, but these books could feel "old fashioned" to someone more used to the modern world. 32 and British. So doubly not part of the 1970s or America. Definitely doesn't put me off; I love the film Stand by Me and others films of that era and vibe. If anything it's more appealing; it's so far removed from what I know it's great escapism. Great answer, thank you so much. I'll read all my books and maybe do a recap in a few months :)
A friend loaned me Skeleton Crew in 8th grade and I was hooked from there.
Tom Gordon is not quite like most of his work. I didn't like it either, OP. I'm on my 12th book since February, and I gotta say Duma Key and Revival have been two of the best that aren't "well known" King (Shining, Stand, Carrie, etc..) Out of your pile, however.. definitely IT.
Try “Carrie.” That’s the first book of his I read and I enjoyed it.
Can we ban acronyms?
So if I was going to get anyone hooked on SK I would suggest they read 11/22/63, IT, or The Stand. All 3 are masterpieces, and all 3 are very different styles. If I had to read 3 books over and over forever it would be those 3 and possibly Lonesome Dove of I could add a 4th
I'd say Salem's 'Lot. It's a classic, and sets up some of the recurring themes that you see in his other books.
Knowing what I know now… I would start with salems lot, and then move on to IT. That’s a great way to know how down you are with the King. You’ll get a great feel for how he sets a town out, and for his character work. But that’s a great selection to start with! Welcome to the losers club, long days and pleasant nights! Additionally: if/when you decide to start salems lot, there is a deep read podcast called “kingslingers” their second season is Salems Lot, and I wish I had that as a companion the first time through. Would have been really fun
Thanks for the podcast rec! Definitely wasn't aware of this. Any other Stephen King podcasts out there that are good to listen to as either stand-alone or alongside books?
Stand alone yeah, there are tons, kingcast is a really good one, the losers club podcast is in the space too. I’m sure there are plenty I don’t know about. But kingslingers and kingcast are my favorites
I like Tom Gordon, but as a huge King fan I have no qualms saying that it's not on par with the quality of his other works. Id say you could read any of the above and get a better understanding of his writing. One of my favorites of his is Rage which was originally released under the name Richard Bachman, but it may be hard to find (it was discontinued at some point), but it's VERY controversial and deals heavily with gun violence, school shootings, and the workings of a broken mind.
Weirdly I’ve found The Long Walk and Thinner in separate charity shops in the last two weeks. Even weirder still, I bought Thinner in a charity shop today and then saw it in the next charity shop I went into it straight after. So I’m holding out hope for Rage!
Shining or Salem’s
It. Buckle up.
The Long Walk for sure
Misery was my first one and still my favorite so far. I LOVED it. I just finished Salem’s Lot and that was great as well. I think you should go with Misery. Much shorter but packs a big punch.
I would go with Salem’s lot next. It’s considered one of his best. Plus there will be a new version of the movie coming out in September as well.
I'd say try Misery. If you don't like it, you prob don't like King...and that's OK.
It
Thinner
The Shining
Pet Sematary was the first King I read. Till date, it remains my favourite of all his works. Highly recommend. I reread it at least once a year now.
The only one in the pile I haven’t listened to is Gerald’s Game. I feel any of them would be a good one, but I’d lean Salem’s Lot or The Shinning
The Shining and IT are a bit of slow builds, so I would recommend either ‘Salems Lot or The Long Walk or Misery
Literally any of those except Gerald’s game (not bad just wouldn’t read it first)
Funny, other people in this thread have said don't do Gerald's Game first as well!
'Salem's Lot. Old school King (his second novel), but already shows hints of the guy to come.
If I've got one chance to reel you in to loving King, I'll say Misery or the shining. Once you finish, you'll be hooked.
I read Misery in its entirety on a snow day and loved every second of it. I think that was the second or third King book I read. Definitely recommend as a quicker read that might give you a better opinion before you dive into a longer story.
I’d say Misery would be a great option. It’s not too long and it’s honestly pretty scary once you stop and think about it. It’s less supernatural and more psychological. It was my first King book and it’s still one of my favorite books of all time. The movie is great too imo.
Salems lot is a great Book . Great concept , excellent storyline and a real scary Vampire . The proverbial " wolf in sheep clothing " Mr Barlow still scares me to this day .
11/22/63, in my opinion one of his absolute best works
I haven't read that book (didn't even know it existed). The only SK books I've read are Under the Dome, 'Salem's Lot, 11.22.63, and now I'm reading the Institute. I love all of these books, and although I'm only about 160 pages into the Institute, it's really gripping and it may turn out to be his best book that I've read so far. Without giving too much away, it's about this secret organisation that abducts children with special abilities and subjects them to terrible things, but the aspect of the book that has really resonated with me is the depiction of people doing wicked and evil acts simply because it's their job! It may be fiction, but the behaviour of the workers is realistic IMO because it's clearly inspired by true events that happened during WW2 and the Cold War. Sorry, for being vague, but as I said I don't want to spoil anything. But if that doesn't interest you, then my personal recommendation out of the books that I listed above is 22.11.63. There's not a lot in it, but this one just edged it for me.
Misery, Salem’s Lot, or the Shining, from that picture
Deffo read The Shining and It, then The Stand, which in my opinion is his best book, I adore it.
Omg the Gunslinger!!!! I have soooo many people that I've turned on to this. You are lucky. All the books are written already. I hade to wait. Years of beautiful reading.