I'm sure I will at some point, but I'm a horror boi and it's guilty by temporal association please respect my irrational takes.
Well, if youre like me and have good opinions, I too hated Under the Dome. So it's looking good for you and 11/22/63! edit - it's not really a horror book, so maybe you'll be less into it. It's still damn good.
I dont read a lot of horror but the last one I read was pretty good. Hex by Thomas Olde Heuveux (sp) Check it out Iron Mickey
I found it kind of boring. Idk remember my exact criticism. I mean it was made into a TV show, so I think that's where a lot of the following comes from. idk
It was the epitome of how King is caricatured by detractors. Incredible concept, fantastic buildup, comically two dimensional morality, and the dumbest fucking conclusion.
I have not, but I have it on my list. It's been mentioned on a book podcast I listen to a few times. Im not really into Horror all that much, but that one sounds good. Lock Every Door is more suspense than Horror, but that's another good quick read that was pretty fucked up
Probably in the minority here but I liked Dolores Claiborne a lot (8/10). Thought it was an interesting narrative in first person and the story was fun. Recommend if you want a quick read. It’s pretty different than the movie so don’t feel like you already know what happens.
Under the Dome was garbage. Second book of his I read (after 11/22/63) and tbh I'm happy it wasn't the first.
Wizard and Glass is the book of King’s I enjoyed the most. If you liked The Shining, then read Dr. Sleep. The movie is also an enjoyable watch.
Read 11/22/63 due to the love it got on TMB. 1st King book I'd read since Wizard and Glass () when it came out. Thought 11/22/63 was kinda meh. Good in parts and then just dragged in places. Spoiler Main gripe was we were made to believe that changing the past didn't affect the future much as it wanted to remain as it was. I was cool with time trying to stop the changes, thought that was a cool concept. I didn't like how once he got back to the present it was "Nope the future is way effected, huge butterfly effect. The groundwork laid down for you to accept about time during the book was wrong"
it’s been years since I read it so I’m not going to argue the finer points since they’re not that fresh for me but that is not at all the feeling I got when I finished the book nor when I look back on it. I absolutely loved it and thought it was one of the few endings King got right. Spoiler Wizard and Glass is one of my all time favorite books
Just finished reading this. I loved it. Characters were great and I thought the ending was awesome. Makes me want to get back on a King kick.
Going to read it next. Just finished watching the Doctor Sleep movie which was really good. Was a big fan of the book.
Seems like others itt disagreed with my take on it but I thought it was a fun book with an interesting plot.
What do y'all recommend as a good jumping off point with King? Have never read him and figure it's time to give it a try.
Based on what I think you'll like, start with Dark Tower series. Book 1 The Gunslinger, is the worst book in the series, but definitely gets good. https://www.goodreads.com/series/40750-the-dark-tower Then I would do 11/23/63 next, or The Stand I think Wizard and Glass is my favorite King book, and it's in the middle of the Dark Tower series.
If you just want to dip your toes into King, Pet Sematary, Misery, ‘Salem’s Lot, Revival are all somewhat shorter King books.
Eyes of the Dragon is very different than most of Kong’s work, but it’s an outstanding book and will always be one of my favorites. There is one character in particular who plays a large role in many of his books, but the novel is definitely completely stand alone.
I like Pet Sematary because of how amazing King is able to keep up a sense of dread and foreboding. Like, he completely 100% unflinchingly telegraphs/foreshadows what's going to happen and yet it's still terrifying. Really well done keeping the tension up throughout the entire second half of the book.
2nd this rec. These were my first king books, and the same order as well. Would add The Shining and IT as his other "masterpieces."
While I love The Stand and TDT would be tough intros IMO. Really enjoyed Cell, Thinner, Misery, Insomnia and the Mr. Mercedes series.
I think The Stand would be a good into, but I agree on Dark Tower. Dark Tower is his magnum opus, and it touches on so many of his novels that I think someone would appreciate it a lot more of they had read some of his more popular books before tackling it. Also, The Talisman and The Black House and The Shining and Doctor Sleep are both novels/sequels which are pretty easy to digest on their own. The Talisman, in particular, is a really fun and easy read.
Update: my Ebay copy of Pet Sematary arrived on Tuesday. As I read it last night the original sales receipt from November 7, 1984 from a store at the Lihue airport in Kauai, Hawaii, fell out. This seems ominous.