Working with fish is a horror story bigger than anything King's written.
I'm frustrated that I haven't been able to read fiction for years. Politics overtook my mind. There may be other exceptions but the only one I recall was Albert Camus's plague which was apt during the first covid lockdown.
However, Stephen King was my teen and young adult passion. I read everything he had done during that life stage but nothing after his accident in 1999. I even had a photo taken of me at school, my English prize a Stephen King book (and that only happened after I refused the prize because they had an approved conservative list to choose from).
'The Stand', 'It', 'The Talisman' and 'On Writing' made a big impression. I wish I'd finished 'The Dark Tower' series, and I'm interested in reading his newer crime novels. Movie wise, '11.22.63' was a good adaption.
I'm obliquely thankful to King for being the biggest praise Clive Barker got, undoubtedly assisting his popularity. 'Imajica' is the best fiction book I've read!
True, I don’t know what’s worse, a killer clown in the sewer or getting a faceload of gurry (rotting herring juice) while being tossed about all day on a lobsterboat on a Maine winter day. Tossup.
Reading The Plague during lockdown still fits firmly in the “political” category. I did the same.
Love that you declined a literary award in high school. That’s on par with Sartre declining the Nobel. Sounds like you had politics on your mind even then.
This piece brings back memories of my teenage years when I attempted to read King's work. I started reading "It" and got too scared, so I put in another bedroom and slept with the light on for a few nights. I read "The Tower" but could only read the first book, too scared again. I loved the movie "Stand By Me," and my friends and I would often recite it to relive the great characters. "It was a total barfarama!" When we wanted to confirm our friendship, "Skin it" was our handshake. My friend from Maine and I drove by his house once and hoped to catch a glimpse. It was a big old mansion surrounded by a black steel fence with steel bats perched on the pillars.
You know your book isn't boring when your reader exiles it to another room and still refuses to turn off the lights...
“It” is monumental. As for Stand by Me, my main memories are the scene of the kids running on the bridge train tracks (we used to do the same on a similar train track bridge in the neighboring town, fortunately without trains coming at us) and the one where the kid finds leeches in his underwear (again, grew up by a river, but only got leeches once on my feet). That's Maine for you.
Thank you so much for this article. Like you, I came late to liking Stephen King's writing until I read the entire Tower series from our public library. I was duly taken into the King fold. I still have never read Carrie or seen either of the movies, but I think I might check it out now. Love the wild man photo, too. Oh, and I also read myself to sleep at night; at least I try. It has to be a book on paper, though. Ebooks don't work when you are an insomniac. Kudos to your well written tribute to the admirable King of horror. \m/
Thanks, Grimalkin. Haven't read the Tower series yet. Easier for me to commit to a solo book than a series. But I've been told by a number of people that that's their favorite King work (unlike The Internet, which puts The Stand at number one)
Nothing works when you're an insomniac. So you may as well read Carrie :)
My mum was a big Stephen King fan but wouldn't let me read the books she'd collected for ages. She finally gave them to me the summer of my 15th year and I binge-read most of his 70/80s stuff. I think Dolores Claiborne and Needful Things were the last ones she'd bought. When new books came out, I'd have to wait and then borrow them from the local library, but I never enjoyed them as much and can remember feeling rather disappointed. So I gave up on his new stuff in the end.
I read one of those old books every August and still enjoy them. They make me think of long summer days, fuzzy picnic blankets and the smell of warm lawns. They're like sitting round a camp fire, under a starry-night sky, whilst someone tells a story with a torch shining under their chin.
As a kid I devoured any book I could get my hands on, I didn’t really care what it was. I read a lot of the classics too, and loved some of them. But when I re-read those, they don't give me that rush of nostalgia that the King books do. For me, that counts for something. I think he's a great storyteller. He's not a poet or a fancy wordsmith, I don't think he's ever claimed to be. You don't read his books to find beauty. You read them to find small, visceral thrills, to marvel at the real, everyday horror that lies within human nature ... and to escape. At least, I did/do.
Wow, you are an accomplished King reader! I haven't read any of his newer books (aside from On Writing, but that doesn't quite apply). All his novels I've read (I think) are Misery, Pet Sematary, It, Cujo, The Shining, and Carrie.
A King book every August. That's not everyone's idea of light summer reading. So then what do you read in December...?
December tends to be a busy time for me so I don't always get as much reading done. But, in general, the winter months bring out the Russian classics, Dickens, MR James, Poe, Shirley Jackson ... ghosts and gothic season.
Working with fish is a horror story bigger than anything King's written.
I'm frustrated that I haven't been able to read fiction for years. Politics overtook my mind. There may be other exceptions but the only one I recall was Albert Camus's plague which was apt during the first covid lockdown.
However, Stephen King was my teen and young adult passion. I read everything he had done during that life stage but nothing after his accident in 1999. I even had a photo taken of me at school, my English prize a Stephen King book (and that only happened after I refused the prize because they had an approved conservative list to choose from).
'The Stand', 'It', 'The Talisman' and 'On Writing' made a big impression. I wish I'd finished 'The Dark Tower' series, and I'm interested in reading his newer crime novels. Movie wise, '11.22.63' was a good adaption.
I'm obliquely thankful to King for being the biggest praise Clive Barker got, undoubtedly assisting his popularity. 'Imajica' is the best fiction book I've read!
True, I don’t know what’s worse, a killer clown in the sewer or getting a faceload of gurry (rotting herring juice) while being tossed about all day on a lobsterboat on a Maine winter day. Tossup.
Reading The Plague during lockdown still fits firmly in the “political” category. I did the same.
Love that you declined a literary award in high school. That’s on par with Sartre declining the Nobel. Sounds like you had politics on your mind even then.
Late teen rebellion, but that's all politics is, children in ties screaming and stomping whilst their richer parents tell them what to do.
Well said. A confederacy of dunces
PS: Enjoyed your anecdotes!
The Stand is probably my favourite. The first time I read it, if somebody coughed near me, I got goosebumps and really paranoid!
This piece brings back memories of my teenage years when I attempted to read King's work. I started reading "It" and got too scared, so I put in another bedroom and slept with the light on for a few nights. I read "The Tower" but could only read the first book, too scared again. I loved the movie "Stand By Me," and my friends and I would often recite it to relive the great characters. "It was a total barfarama!" When we wanted to confirm our friendship, "Skin it" was our handshake. My friend from Maine and I drove by his house once and hoped to catch a glimpse. It was a big old mansion surrounded by a black steel fence with steel bats perched on the pillars.
You know your book isn't boring when your reader exiles it to another room and still refuses to turn off the lights...
“It” is monumental. As for Stand by Me, my main memories are the scene of the kids running on the bridge train tracks (we used to do the same on a similar train track bridge in the neighboring town, fortunately without trains coming at us) and the one where the kid finds leeches in his underwear (again, grew up by a river, but only got leeches once on my feet). That's Maine for you.
Good memory on the steel bats.
Thank you so much for this article. Like you, I came late to liking Stephen King's writing until I read the entire Tower series from our public library. I was duly taken into the King fold. I still have never read Carrie or seen either of the movies, but I think I might check it out now. Love the wild man photo, too. Oh, and I also read myself to sleep at night; at least I try. It has to be a book on paper, though. Ebooks don't work when you are an insomniac. Kudos to your well written tribute to the admirable King of horror. \m/
Thanks, Grimalkin. Haven't read the Tower series yet. Easier for me to commit to a solo book than a series. But I've been told by a number of people that that's their favorite King work (unlike The Internet, which puts The Stand at number one)
Nothing works when you're an insomniac. So you may as well read Carrie :)
Get the uncut version of 'The Stand'.
I keep meaning to but the sheer size of it keeps putting me off. As in, “Do I read The Stand or do I read five other books…?”
The Stand IS my favorite single King novel. You really should read it.
Sold, it’s next on the King list
I apply the shortest to my to-do lists but with books its different. I just read this 1200pg book will make you the only person at the party.
The Stand: The Complete and Uncut Edition (1200pgs) - extra 400pgs over the original.
My mum was a big Stephen King fan but wouldn't let me read the books she'd collected for ages. She finally gave them to me the summer of my 15th year and I binge-read most of his 70/80s stuff. I think Dolores Claiborne and Needful Things were the last ones she'd bought. When new books came out, I'd have to wait and then borrow them from the local library, but I never enjoyed them as much and can remember feeling rather disappointed. So I gave up on his new stuff in the end.
I read one of those old books every August and still enjoy them. They make me think of long summer days, fuzzy picnic blankets and the smell of warm lawns. They're like sitting round a camp fire, under a starry-night sky, whilst someone tells a story with a torch shining under their chin.
As a kid I devoured any book I could get my hands on, I didn’t really care what it was. I read a lot of the classics too, and loved some of them. But when I re-read those, they don't give me that rush of nostalgia that the King books do. For me, that counts for something. I think he's a great storyteller. He's not a poet or a fancy wordsmith, I don't think he's ever claimed to be. You don't read his books to find beauty. You read them to find small, visceral thrills, to marvel at the real, everyday horror that lies within human nature ... and to escape. At least, I did/do.
Wow, you are an accomplished King reader! I haven't read any of his newer books (aside from On Writing, but that doesn't quite apply). All his novels I've read (I think) are Misery, Pet Sematary, It, Cujo, The Shining, and Carrie.
A King book every August. That's not everyone's idea of light summer reading. So then what do you read in December...?
My mother threw away all my books out the flat window, saying they were Satanic. Ahh, the beautiful childhood memories :)
Kinda like Margaret White from Carrie!
:)
Magic moments! I do hope you got your books back!
I left soon after, age 17, and built a new collection, only to realise later that I didn't need things.
Loved this
For some reason we all looked like Manson in those days. I remember my father seeing a picture of me and exclaiming; Manson!
I’m a fan of the look. Been there myself a few times, Of the man, not so much
December tends to be a busy time for me so I don't always get as much reading done. But, in general, the winter months bring out the Russian classics, Dickens, MR James, Poe, Shirley Jackson ... ghosts and gothic season.
Russian classics is a strong start to the winter