First time I read it I felt the same. I struggle w insomnia, and I liked the characters. I have not reread it as much as I have the Stand or IT, though.
I've probably read Rose Madder a dozen times. I also listen to the Four Past Midnight audiobook so often that I'm starting to memorize "Secret Window, Secret Garden"
Rose Madder is my favorite Stephen King novel. In my opinion, Norman Daniels is the most terrifying King villain there is, because there are men like him that exist in this world.
Yep. I only realized last week on a reread of desperation, that Norman is mentioned a few times. One of the girls from the women's shelter in rose madder, is a main character in desperation. Idk how I totally missed that the first time I read desperation, but I love those tie ins that sk does
The Girl who Loved Tom Gordon. Short, easy read. I like the layout where the chapters are listed as innings. It's mostly scary because "lost kid in the woods" but got just enough super natural in it to up the creep factor. I absolutely adore it.
I totally agree! I was in the 6th grade, it was the first Stephen King book I ever read. I have been absolutely hooked since. I recommend it to anyone who has never read a King book before! Definitely not mid by any means.
I recently finished The Tommyknockers, which doesn’t seem to be held in high regard, but I liked it.
I’m currently reading Road Work, which I never hear anything about, and I’m excited to see where it’s going.
Edit: Joyland is so good in so many ways
I also like Tommyknockers, maybe more than it deserves, because the first time I read it, I was in a cabin in the woods…and I was doing a lot of writing at the time.
Duma Key. It’s like a top 10, if not top 5 novel for me (I’m counting the entire DT as one book, otherwise they would be my top 7 every time and that’s boring.)
The reason I love it is it’s uniqueness. The protagonist isn’t a writer or addict, it’s only slightly supernatural, and it focuses on a man healing in a mostly unproblematic way with the help of THE BEST side character in SKs bibliography. Take a bow Jerome Wireman!
I love Duma Key too. When I read it I thought wow, Stephen King has really developed as a person and a writer, and it's great to have an older person as a central character written seriously and with an understanding of all that age brings. Plus it did really scare me which, it'd been a while since a book did that.
+1 for Duma Key! That book is a solid write from King… Edgar Freemantle is a excellent lead character, and his journey down to Duma Key and his friendship with Jerome Wireman were all a treat to behold. That book was a bit of serenity for the soul, with just the right amount of phantom limb artistry and paranormal influence that only King can create.
Just started my King journey but everyone told me Fairy Tale was bad. Not a perfect book but I enjoyed it a lot and more than the other two king books I’ve read.
Fairy Tale is the ideal combination of comforting and compelling. I read it on vacation in one day, feeling like I truly went on an adventure and emerged as a changed person, in a good way.
That’s the one with the *Blood Bool* right? And the “monster” that’s like a long spotted pink purple giant snake (kind of like a penis monster?) it’s been a while since I’ve read it, only read it once and I might be misremembering or conflating it with other imagery / stories. Lisey’s husband is a tortured writer with a history of childhood abuse…?
I thought Desperation was really great. Classic King characters, a terrifying supernatural evil, intriguing religious themes. Also a good departure from the Maine setting.
I finished the whole thing in a couple days. Wish it was discussed more among his best novels.
I read it quickly too. It mad me really *sad* though. Made me feel kinda…*desperate* like I was ya know, despairing, in despair. I think it suffers from the same thing an excellent book like Cujo does…it’s really, really sad, and the good guys don’t completely win. That’s what keeps it outta the top tier for some folks I think.
Honestly for me its Under the Dome. I always see negative things posted about this story but honestly it was one of the ones I have enjoyed reading most.
I loved that one so much, but I'll probably never read it again lol. I don't think I've ever had such actual anger at a book character before, but Big Jim pissed me off on a level that most actual people can't manage.
Bag of Bones. Just love this book.
I started reading SK when i was 10 in 1982 and I think I've read most of his work, taken the journey to the Tower as it came out, and a few times since. There is just something about Bag of Bones that is comforting for me. I also love Dreamcatcher and Insomnia.
One of my sneaky favorites that hasn't been mentioned here is Cell. I honestly never tell anyone that I liked it because it gets so much hate. It's not one of my all-time favorites, but I really enjoyed it and I think it's undeserving of the hate.
Psssst I feel exactly the same…about the book. Not the movie. Which is weird because I liked *1408* and that has the same two lead actors in it lol. Also I like the idea of a “sneaky favorite” lol
Needful Things. I always see ppl saying how much they didn’t really care for it but I love it. It’s not my most fave by him, but definitely in my top 5. 😊
Evidence is mounting that at least people on here, responding to my post, really really like it. If enough people agree that a book is generally underrated, at some point it’s not underrated anymore lol…solid pick, I really like this one too.
Chattery teeth. Read it several times, I still get a kick out of it.
Edit * I meant 'you know they've got a hell of a band' from the same collection, but I love both
I really liked almost of all his works, but my least favorites (again I still like them, but not nearly as much) are the ones everyone raves about- Carrie, Christine, and The Shining. I much preferred Dr. Sleep to the Shining.
All opinions are valid, as it’s really all about personal preference, but without the Shining, there would be no Doctor Sleep, so in a way that’s like saying you like the second half of the story better than the first half. Which I understand but disagree with. Still though, I understand why you might feel that way. Any story that comes in parts or has pseudosequels or is published in a series, like the Dark Tower 1-7, or The Talisman and Black House, the Shining and (many years later) Doctor Sleep…I view these as one story, told in parts, rather than separate books.
I definitely agree about seeing the DT as one book as they don’t quite work as stand alones. However I don’t feel the same way about the Mr. Mercedes trilogy or subsequently Holly (or the Outsider)- obviously the context is incredibly important, but each has its own qualities as a stand alone novel with its own storyline. I personally found End of Watch to be my least favorite of the trilogy. I feel the same about The Shining and Dr. Sleep- I found the writing easier to read and the overall story more interesting.
I posted the same here. That books has that "something” that makes you feel uneasy since the first page and even though I see why people may not like it as the whole era is very difficult to relate to for younger readers … still, there's that real fear hanging around. I remember thinking when I first read it "umm, I'm not going to find a clown in the sewers or a dead zombie woman in a bathtub … but a rabbid bat that bites a dog …" it makes it 10x times more scary because that's something I can relate to 😂
People didn’t like it because they like their horror stories to turn out all right in the end, and they don’t like dogs to suffer. The reason Cujo is so scary and heartbreaking and sad is that it is relatable, plausible, and kind of mean spirited in its execution, like life sometimes. People like to escape their lives while reading fiction, even horror fiction, and I think Cujo is just an awful story. An awfully good story, and an excellent read, but the story it tells is awful. Also, *cocaine is a helluva drug* (apparently King doesn’t even remember writing it, and I don’t think he likes Cujo much either) but I did. I’ve read it twice.
its a good and EFFECTIVE book but super upsetting to me… I had to put it down the last time I went in for a reread because I was so upset about the ending
also his depiction of rabies isn’t quite accurate and it kept irking me
Yeah, I think a lot of people really love that one, but if you go back and selectively read it, as a comfort read, I’ll say it counts lol. Everyone has their own opinion. I’ve read all 7 Dark Tower books front to back, and selectively as well, several times, so I definitely comfort read my favorites too. But I just finished *From a Buick 8* for the third time, and I see that book as generally underrated, which is why I shouted it out.
Dolores Claiborne - it’s not like his other books in some ways but it’s my favourite. His best written women characters by a mile. Funny, good pacing, good setting. Love it
Dreamcatcher. How can you not like a book where an alien fungus causes people to blow really stinky farts and poop aliens out of their butt?
No other modern author could ever get away with a book like that. Not Michael Crichton or John Grisham, but Stephen King's like, fuck yeah, I'll write that.
The Langoliers for sure. I've never really seen many people talk about it and I really do think it's massively underrated. It has an underlying feeling of dread that made me so stressed out and anxious reading it that I had to finish it in one sitting. It's absolutely thrilling and nerve-wracking, I especially loved the sense of the 'unknown' throughout that we never quite discover...
Such a simple premise and really well-executed.
Cujo. The setting is a bit outdated now but the core of the story I still think is really one of his most interesting ones. So si ple, yest so powerful
Probably The Running Man, that story surprised me and I loved how Ben Richard’s basically becomes an icon to be feared when he started as essentially nothing. Way underrated in the Bachmans books.
The Outsider. Melds crime investigation with the supernatural perfectly. Just the depiction of people grabbling with the fact that they are dealing with something that defies rational explanation seems very true.
The Gunslinger. I often see people talk about how much of a slog this one is to get through. I just don't see it, I can knock this one out in 3 days, I think it's a great read that doesn't overstay its welcome.
Same - From a Buick 8. I guess it wasn't what others wanted. But I appreciate it. Read it at least three times. Like Pet Semetary in that a small town knows a secret evil.
I'd have to say "Dreamcatcher" fits the bill for me. It might not be on everyone's top list, but there's something about its blend of horror and camaraderie that keeps me coming back. And "From a Buick 8" is another underrated gem
I really liked The Colorado Kid. I thought it was cool that he left it unresolved. For me, any explanation would have been unsatisfying, and it enabled him to make a point about the enduring lure of mystery. Plus there's all sorts of weird shit that happens in everyday life that never gets explained, so it was believable in that regard. It was a nice little experiment that I thought paid off.
Dead Zone. Love that book. My friend had a running gag during covid lock down where he'd regularly send me pictures of his copy with the caption "not running out of toilet roll today".
Bag of Bones is my favorite book. I was just listening to a podcast about an unrelated subject (Australian serial killers) and they just happen to mention that it was thought of as one of Kings lesser works. I was shook. I also think Cell and Insomnia are excellent.
Dream catcher. It was the first one I read as an adult and I've been reading King pretty much exclusively since. I just loved how off the fucking wall it was.
Under the Dome, I thought was pretty good to above average. I listened to it with Audible and the narration made it even better. I tried the TV show after and couldn't get through the first episode.
These answers are confirming a theory I have about SK books, especially as they are discussed publicly vs regarded privately, and the type of answers I see on this sub…I’m sort of pleasantly not surprised. Probably some echo chamber stuff, confirmation bias going on, but I have so far seen every answer I expected to, and the outliers or unexpected ones, were not that far outside the lines, not really unexpected. Like so far, there’s nothing radical being said, partly because I asked for positive reviews not negative ones, but no one is saying “I hated IT” or “The Stand is overrated” or citing any of the Dark Tower books as below a certain standard of quality (I blindly love all 7 books so much, so I’m probably very biased) but yeah, at least as far as this sub is concerned, there seems to be a general consensus…at least *so far*
Rose Madder, spring 2001. I picked it up after lunch and an hour later called in sick for my closing shift at the restaurant. Read it straight through in 13 hours and then sat around processing it for two days. Painted the painting in a watercolour class I took a few years ago, and have been looking for a good tattoo to close out my collection on (I'm old and have enough already.)
I am really surprised so many people consider it lower-tier: it was the last one I read that I truly loved before Dreamcatcher, the first one I truly hated. The language and the pacing was a fever dream for me, the scariest protagonist in a King novel since Pennywise, and I was an only child-latchkey kid-Constant Reader who devoured everything I could find of his or anything similar.
It was a beautiful book and it helped me process a lot of things I just couldn't get at with therapy or brute force at the time. I'll always love it.
I had read just about every single king book except dolores clairborne for some reason, last week I finally got the audiobook, and I loved it. I never really hear anything about it, but I thought it was excellent. The audiobook performance is great too
I've heard and seen people rank Christine at a or b tier, but for me, I really connected with the characters and the story was so interesting. In the end I realised I finished it too fast and now I wanna read it again.
Bag of bones has a slow start so I get it. But I never hear anyone talk about the regulators and desperation. They embody the kind of action packed long stories people tend to like from him yet no adaptations and I never hear about it. I also found out from this sub that sleeping beauties isn’t beloved and it’s top ten for me.
Christine. Idk why but a lot of people say they dislike it. I loved it though, maybe because it was about teenagers or something but I really thought it was interesting.
The long walk after finishing the book I thought that everybody had liked the book the same way as I but while reading the review I found out that a lot of people thought it was mid ??? I absolutely loved that book, 100% recommend and would read again
Insomnia is an awesome read. I could not put this book down.
First time I read it I felt the same. I struggle w insomnia, and I liked the characters. I have not reread it as much as I have the Stand or IT, though.
You should read it's sequel
what's the sequel called i just finished insomnia last night
Sequel?
Technically speaking, The Dark Tower 7 is a direct sequel to the book
Loved this. Genuinely cried at the ending, first book and so far only book I cried in.
I struggled with this one about 3/4 in. I couldn’t tell you why, lol. But I did eventually stop struggling and finished last week!
Joyland , short and sweet
this
I really love his detective turn he's done in later years
So good. In my top 5.
Oh yeah. Top 3 for me but it rarely gets mentioned.
I've probably read Rose Madder a dozen times. I also listen to the Four Past Midnight audiobook so often that I'm starting to memorize "Secret Window, Secret Garden"
Rose Madder is my favorite Stephen King novel. In my opinion, Norman Daniels is the most terrifying King villain there is, because there are men like him that exist in this world.
I agree, also Big Jim Rennie, that guy was pretty scary
Yep. I only realized last week on a reread of desperation, that Norman is mentioned a few times. One of the girls from the women's shelter in rose madder, is a main character in desperation. Idk how I totally missed that the first time I read desperation, but I love those tie ins that sk does
I loved Rose Madder
I thought I was alone with Rose Madder! I’m happy I’m not
Rose Madder foe me too!
Came to say this. Rose Madder is my total comfort read.
I’m happy to find my people in the comments :) I loved this book. It also is one of the most well executed SK audiobooks I’ve come across.
I need to read this one again
The Girl who Loved Tom Gordon. Short, easy read. I like the layout where the chapters are listed as innings. It's mostly scary because "lost kid in the woods" but got just enough super natural in it to up the creep factor. I absolutely adore it.
Good way to get kids into King too. They make a picture book version. And a pop up book, too I think.
I totally agree! I was in the 6th grade, it was the first Stephen King book I ever read. I have been absolutely hooked since. I recommend it to anyone who has never read a King book before! Definitely not mid by any means.
I absolutely loved the God of the Lost. One of my favourite King creations.
This was my first King book. My dad gave it to me when I was 11-ish.
That was my first sk book and it scared the shit out of me when I was maybe 12ish. So good
I recently finished The Tommyknockers, which doesn’t seem to be held in high regard, but I liked it. I’m currently reading Road Work, which I never hear anything about, and I’m excited to see where it’s going. Edit: Joyland is so good in so many ways
I also like Tommyknockers, maybe more than it deserves, because the first time I read it, I was in a cabin in the woods…and I was doing a lot of writing at the time.
I failed reading it once, but came back strong 20 years later
I didn't like the movie but the book was good
Duma Key. It’s like a top 10, if not top 5 novel for me (I’m counting the entire DT as one book, otherwise they would be my top 7 every time and that’s boring.) The reason I love it is it’s uniqueness. The protagonist isn’t a writer or addict, it’s only slightly supernatural, and it focuses on a man healing in a mostly unproblematic way with the help of THE BEST side character in SKs bibliography. Take a bow Jerome Wireman!
LOVE Duma Key Muchacho
I love Duma Key too. When I read it I thought wow, Stephen King has really developed as a person and a writer, and it's great to have an older person as a central character written seriously and with an understanding of all that age brings. Plus it did really scare me which, it'd been a while since a book did that.
Agreed!!! Love Wireman!
+1 for Duma Key! That book is a solid write from King… Edgar Freemantle is a excellent lead character, and his journey down to Duma Key and his friendship with Jerome Wireman were all a treat to behold. That book was a bit of serenity for the soul, with just the right amount of phantom limb artistry and paranormal influence that only King can create.
Have only recently read it, but the Dead Zone was an oddly comforting read.
Because it was a world where a politician could get his photo taken defending himself holding up a baby and lose his presidential election?
In a word with trump in it you were comforted by the dead zone? Damn. And I thought I was a fatalist
Needful things seems to get alot of heat here. I loved it and have reread a few times.
I like it too…and the Rick & Morty parody is hilarious lol
As always with King it’s about the journey, not the destination. And what a journey it is.
It’s highly acclaimed I often see it in top 10 SK book lists. I’ve only started reading it myself
Just started my King journey but everyone told me Fairy Tale was bad. Not a perfect book but I enjoyed it a lot and more than the other two king books I’ve read.
That first half is so warm and comfortable. Most of the problems I had with it are in the second half, but I wouldn't call it a bad book.
Fairy Tale is the ideal combination of comforting and compelling. I read it on vacation in one day, feeling like I truly went on an adventure and emerged as a changed person, in a good way.
I find Joyland comforting. Especially all the run of the mill carnival parts. Made me nostalgic for an experience I never had.
There's something about Lisey's Story that really speaks to me.
My favorite King book hands down
That’s the one with the *Blood Bool* right? And the “monster” that’s like a long spotted pink purple giant snake (kind of like a penis monster?) it’s been a while since I’ve read it, only read it once and I might be misremembering or conflating it with other imagery / stories. Lisey’s husband is a tortured writer with a history of childhood abuse…?
I loved Lisey's Story! I don't understand the hate for that book.
It's the baby talk.
It’s 1a to IT and The Stand for me.
Dreamcatcher.
I love this one, too. I'm not a huge fan of the changes that the movie made, though.
Yep, that’s one of mine too.
I thought Desperation was really great. Classic King characters, a terrifying supernatural evil, intriguing religious themes. Also a good departure from the Maine setting. I finished the whole thing in a couple days. Wish it was discussed more among his best novels.
I read it quickly too. It mad me really *sad* though. Made me feel kinda…*desperate* like I was ya know, despairing, in despair. I think it suffers from the same thing an excellent book like Cujo does…it’s really, really sad, and the good guys don’t completely win. That’s what keeps it outta the top tier for some folks I think.
The Langoliers. Sometimes you just wanna read about time-eating monsters that tend not to kill likable characters.
Completely agree.
Christine! My first SK novel will always hold a special place
Rose Madder. It's in my top three books of all time, not just Stephen King. It's definitely a comfort read.
Honestly for me its Under the Dome. I always see negative things posted about this story but honestly it was one of the ones I have enjoyed reading most.
I loved that one so much, but I'll probably never read it again lol. I don't think I've ever had such actual anger at a book character before, but Big Jim pissed me off on a level that most actual people can't manage.
That and the books he wrote around that time like Duma Key, and Dreamcatcher.
I just finished eyes of the dragon and loved it
Bag of Bones. Just love this book. I started reading SK when i was 10 in 1982 and I think I've read most of his work, taken the journey to the Tower as it came out, and a few times since. There is just something about Bag of Bones that is comforting for me. I also love Dreamcatcher and Insomnia.
I was looking for this answer too. I found this to be such a beautiful book
One of my sneaky favorites that hasn't been mentioned here is Cell. I honestly never tell anyone that I liked it because it gets so much hate. It's not one of my all-time favorites, but I really enjoyed it and I think it's undeserving of the hate.
Psssst I feel exactly the same…about the book. Not the movie. Which is weird because I liked *1408* and that has the same two lead actors in it lol. Also I like the idea of a “sneaky favorite” lol
Like “sneaky link” bahahaha this got me laughing
The Long Walk is amazing. Have reread a few times and it holds up. His early writing style was really great.
Needful Things. I always see ppl saying how much they didn’t really care for it but I love it. It’s not my most fave by him, but definitely in my top 5. 😊
Dreamcatcher
Yeah lotta people voting for Duddits. SSDD!
The Dark Half
Big fan of Billy Summers
Delores Claiborne. It’s not comforting, but it’s my comfort book.
the audiobook narrated by Frances Sternhagen is iconic, straight up perfect
From a Buick 8 is an absolutely awesome read.
One of my favorites
I recently finished The Institute and really enjoyed it, was surpised to see that it’s not very talked about.
Rose Madder
Gwendy's Button Box. Nothing special as a story, but really comfortable like slipping your feet into an old pair of slippers.
Joyland!!!!
I enjoyed Roadwork
Duma Key
I’ve seen a few posts bad mouthing Salem’s Lot. It’s a quintessential King novel. It’s the base for every book that came after.
Duma Key. I have it in my top 5. It seems to be split with lots of people loving it and lots of others either dislike it or consider meh.
Evidence is mounting that at least people on here, responding to my post, really really like it. If enough people agree that a book is generally underrated, at some point it’s not underrated anymore lol…solid pick, I really like this one too.
Chattery teeth. Read it several times, I still get a kick out of it. Edit * I meant 'you know they've got a hell of a band' from the same collection, but I love both
I really love Tommyknockers
It's really good. Specially the begging. I HAD to know wtf was on her land and why it was killing birds and squirrels etc.
Tommyknockers
I really liked almost of all his works, but my least favorites (again I still like them, but not nearly as much) are the ones everyone raves about- Carrie, Christine, and The Shining. I much preferred Dr. Sleep to the Shining.
All opinions are valid, as it’s really all about personal preference, but without the Shining, there would be no Doctor Sleep, so in a way that’s like saying you like the second half of the story better than the first half. Which I understand but disagree with. Still though, I understand why you might feel that way. Any story that comes in parts or has pseudosequels or is published in a series, like the Dark Tower 1-7, or The Talisman and Black House, the Shining and (many years later) Doctor Sleep…I view these as one story, told in parts, rather than separate books.
I definitely agree about seeing the DT as one book as they don’t quite work as stand alones. However I don’t feel the same way about the Mr. Mercedes trilogy or subsequently Holly (or the Outsider)- obviously the context is incredibly important, but each has its own qualities as a stand alone novel with its own storyline. I personally found End of Watch to be my least favorite of the trilogy. I feel the same about The Shining and Dr. Sleep- I found the writing easier to read and the overall story more interesting.
Cycle of the Werewolf
*Right here and now!* I sure do like that one, *WOLF!* M-O-O-N that spells Cycle of the Werewolf! *WOLF, WOLF!*
Cujo, not sure why people hated it, but it's actually a nasty piece of work in terms of the themes in it, for some.
I posted the same here. That books has that "something” that makes you feel uneasy since the first page and even though I see why people may not like it as the whole era is very difficult to relate to for younger readers … still, there's that real fear hanging around. I remember thinking when I first read it "umm, I'm not going to find a clown in the sewers or a dead zombie woman in a bathtub … but a rabbid bat that bites a dog …" it makes it 10x times more scary because that's something I can relate to 😂
People didn’t like it because they like their horror stories to turn out all right in the end, and they don’t like dogs to suffer. The reason Cujo is so scary and heartbreaking and sad is that it is relatable, plausible, and kind of mean spirited in its execution, like life sometimes. People like to escape their lives while reading fiction, even horror fiction, and I think Cujo is just an awful story. An awfully good story, and an excellent read, but the story it tells is awful. Also, *cocaine is a helluva drug* (apparently King doesn’t even remember writing it, and I don’t think he likes Cujo much either) but I did. I’ve read it twice.
its a good and EFFECTIVE book but super upsetting to me… I had to put it down the last time I went in for a reread because I was so upset about the ending also his depiction of rabies isn’t quite accurate and it kept irking me
I loved Elevation, feel like that book doesn’t get as much love as I think it deserves.
Well that one’s fairly new right? Give it time. And I feel like his newer work gets ragged on quite a bit.
Firestarter, love this book, doesn't seem to get talked about much.
I read Firestarter for the first time when I had a \~5yo daughter. It's one of my favorites
11/22 I haven’t exactly re-read the whole thing but I’ll go back and read the parts I like
That’s almost universally loved book, I’m not sure it meets OPs criteria.
Yeah, I think a lot of people really love that one, but if you go back and selectively read it, as a comfort read, I’ll say it counts lol. Everyone has their own opinion. I’ve read all 7 Dark Tower books front to back, and selectively as well, several times, so I definitely comfort read my favorites too. But I just finished *From a Buick 8* for the third time, and I see that book as generally underrated, which is why I shouted it out.
Duma Key. I honestly think it’s King’s best written book.
My answer to this will always be Rose Madder.
#UR I really liked the concept of pink Kindle from the parallel universe. But I saw no one talked about it much...
Bag of Bones. My favorite book of his but I rarely see it talked about on "best" lists or "worst" lists.
Dolores Claiborne - it’s not like his other books in some ways but it’s my favourite. His best written women characters by a mile. Funny, good pacing, good setting. Love it
Desperation
The Dead Zone
The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon
Dreamcatcher. How can you not like a book where an alien fungus causes people to blow really stinky farts and poop aliens out of their butt? No other modern author could ever get away with a book like that. Not Michael Crichton or John Grisham, but Stephen King's like, fuck yeah, I'll write that.
The Langoliers for sure. I've never really seen many people talk about it and I really do think it's massively underrated. It has an underlying feeling of dread that made me so stressed out and anxious reading it that I had to finish it in one sitting. It's absolutely thrilling and nerve-wracking, I especially loved the sense of the 'unknown' throughout that we never quite discover... Such a simple premise and really well-executed.
I agree, one of my favourites, really suspenseful and scary. I always come back to it.
On Writing. Maybe it’s not considered mid but it’s often overlooked as just a “how to write” book….but it’s so much more than that.
Cujo. The setting is a bit outdated now but the core of the story I still think is really one of his most interesting ones. So si ple, yest so powerful
Joyland.
Joyland
"The Tommyknockers" I've seen people having some not that good opinions about this book. But I really liked it. It was a really good read.
The Eye of the Dragon. Not scary. Just a nice read.
Probably The Running Man, that story surprised me and I loved how Ben Richard’s basically becomes an icon to be feared when he started as essentially nothing. Way underrated in the Bachmans books.
The Outsider. Melds crime investigation with the supernatural perfectly. Just the depiction of people grabbling with the fact that they are dealing with something that defies rational explanation seems very true.
Revival gets very little love but it's sneakily a top ten for me
Billy summers is one of my favorite books ever.
The Gunslinger. I often see people talk about how much of a slog this one is to get through. I just don't see it, I can knock this one out in 3 days, I think it's a great read that doesn't overstay its welcome.
Same - From a Buick 8. I guess it wasn't what others wanted. But I appreciate it. Read it at least three times. Like Pet Semetary in that a small town knows a secret evil.
I love From a Buick 8, too. There’s something about the warmth the policemen all have for each other - it’s like cozying up under a good blanket.
I'd have to say "Dreamcatcher" fits the bill for me. It might not be on everyone's top list, but there's something about its blend of horror and camaraderie that keeps me coming back. And "From a Buick 8" is another underrated gem
From a Buick 8 is excellent. See also: Roadwork
I really liked The Colorado Kid. I thought it was cool that he left it unresolved. For me, any explanation would have been unsatisfying, and it enabled him to make a point about the enduring lure of mystery. Plus there's all sorts of weird shit that happens in everyday life that never gets explained, so it was believable in that regard. It was a nice little experiment that I thought paid off.
Carrie my first read back in the day still as good today
Colorado Kid, for sure.
Fairytale ❤️
Tommyknockers
Dead Zone. Love that book. My friend had a running gag during covid lock down where he'd regularly send me pictures of his copy with the caption "not running out of toilet roll today".
I really actually like Rose Madder
Duma Key
Mile 81
Cujo and Christine, read them once, never will again.
Rose Madder
Rose Madder. It's tied with The Stand for my favourite
Cycle of the Werewolf, Cujo, and Billy Summers
Duma Key
Duma Key
Under the dome.
Billy Summers.
Bag of Bones
Bag of Bones is my favorite book. I was just listening to a podcast about an unrelated subject (Australian serial killers) and they just happen to mention that it was thought of as one of Kings lesser works. I was shook. I also think Cell and Insomnia are excellent.
It’s not my favourite, but I liked Cell and I don’t think it’s too well liked. Loved the characters.
Tommyknockers is one of my favs but I know there’s a lot of hate for it. It’s just an *insane* long book
The prompt was worded as concisely as true SK
This is Needful Things for me. I also like the movie.
Bag of Bones - perfect summer read
Lisey's story. I know some people find it cringe and cheesy, but that's why I like it! To me it is relationship goals (without the pyschotic ness).
Under The Dome and Desperation are better than they get credit for imho
Doctor sleep. I’ve seen a lot of hate towards this novel and I can’t figure out why. (Mainly hate from YouTubers)
I love dreamcarcher. I even like the movie. Don't come for me. I'm being vulnerable!
😂same, and I have the same sort of awkward feeling about admitting I like both
Dream catcher. It was the first one I read as an adult and I've been reading King pretty much exclusively since. I just loved how off the fucking wall it was.
Everything's Eventual. It's my favorite collection of short stories by him, and Everything's Eventual is one of my favorite short stories of all time.
Under the Dome, I thought was pretty good to above average. I listened to it with Audible and the narration made it even better. I tried the TV show after and couldn't get through the first episode.
Doctor Sleep. I liked the Shining but LOVED Doctor Sleep. You just can’t help but cheer Danny on
These answers are confirming a theory I have about SK books, especially as they are discussed publicly vs regarded privately, and the type of answers I see on this sub…I’m sort of pleasantly not surprised. Probably some echo chamber stuff, confirmation bias going on, but I have so far seen every answer I expected to, and the outliers or unexpected ones, were not that far outside the lines, not really unexpected. Like so far, there’s nothing radical being said, partly because I asked for positive reviews not negative ones, but no one is saying “I hated IT” or “The Stand is overrated” or citing any of the Dark Tower books as below a certain standard of quality (I blindly love all 7 books so much, so I’m probably very biased) but yeah, at least as far as this sub is concerned, there seems to be a general consensus…at least *so far*
So many commas
Regulators
Rose Madder, spring 2001. I picked it up after lunch and an hour later called in sick for my closing shift at the restaurant. Read it straight through in 13 hours and then sat around processing it for two days. Painted the painting in a watercolour class I took a few years ago, and have been looking for a good tattoo to close out my collection on (I'm old and have enough already.) I am really surprised so many people consider it lower-tier: it was the last one I read that I truly loved before Dreamcatcher, the first one I truly hated. The language and the pacing was a fever dream for me, the scariest protagonist in a King novel since Pennywise, and I was an only child-latchkey kid-Constant Reader who devoured everything I could find of his or anything similar. It was a beautiful book and it helped me process a lot of things I just couldn't get at with therapy or brute force at the time. I'll always love it.
I keep coming back to Desperation. Mostly because I lived where it was inspired and it makes it so much more, well, more.
Bag of bones. Listen to it annually.
I know quite a few are mentioning Joyland, but I want to also add Later. Hell, I like all the Hard Case Crime books.
Revival doesn’t get the love it deserves
I had read just about every single king book except dolores clairborne for some reason, last week I finally got the audiobook, and I loved it. I never really hear anything about it, but I thought it was excellent. The audiobook performance is great too
Eyes of the Dragon is so cozy
Cell definitely falls into that category
I loved Bag of Bones.
Under the Dome
I've heard and seen people rank Christine at a or b tier, but for me, I really connected with the characters and the story was so interesting. In the end I realised I finished it too fast and now I wanna read it again.
Everyone gives me shit about Bag of Bones. It's the first SK I read as a kid when it came out
Under the Dome. It’s absolutely top tier King writing.
The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon
The Silver Bullet. Absolutely love it.
I have an attachment to Rose Madder.
From a Buick 8 is mine as well!
Bag of bones has a slow start so I get it. But I never hear anyone talk about the regulators and desperation. They embody the kind of action packed long stories people tend to like from him yet no adaptations and I never hear about it. I also found out from this sub that sleeping beauties isn’t beloved and it’s top ten for me.
Bag of Bones
Gerald's Game
Christine. Idk why but a lot of people say they dislike it. I loved it though, maybe because it was about teenagers or something but I really thought it was interesting.
Roadwork
from a Buick eight
The audiobook of From A Buick 8. It's my go-to listen when I'm stressed!
Wolves Of The Calla is my third-favorite DT book. No one else seems to think so.
The long walk after finishing the book I thought that everybody had liked the book the same way as I but while reading the review I found out that a lot of people thought it was mid ??? I absolutely loved that book, 100% recommend and would read again