I know I'm super late to the party, but I just read my first Stephen King novel (Thinner) and absolutely devoured it.
I loved it, so I'm reading Pet Semetary and while it started a bit slow, it's got its hooks in me now. I've already got 4 more books lined up for when I'm done.
I don't even know why I didn't start sooner because I love horror, I used to read Goosebumps books as a kid constantly and I love films like The Shining and The Green Mile.
I'm working my way through the more well-known ones (IT, Cujo, Green Mile, Different Seasons etc) but can anyone recommend some deeper cuts that I might also enjoy? I've seen on a few rankings that Thinner is usually relatively low and I loved it so I'm looking forward to exploring his back catalogue!
I have been through just about everything I could find before around 2010 and a few of his newer ones and in my opinion I would just read everything.
Of course his supposed Opus are the dark tower books (which is what originally drew me in) and there are a fair few other books based around that world and gives nods to each other, some bigger than others.
Ones that I enjoyed a lot personally though (dark tower aside) are Talisman, Black House, Desperation, Needful Things, Cell, Under the Dome and definitely 11/22/63.
My least favourites were probably Cujo and Misery but people seem to rate them so that is more personal I think.
Thanks! I definitely will check out the Dark Tower series eventually. I'm quite curious about 11/22/63 too so I might do that one next.
I went into every book blind, if I had read about 11/22 prior I probably wouldn't have ever bothered giving it a go but as it is it is one that I have enjoyed a lot and come back to a few times. I hope you enjoy your journey, I'm jealous I can't go back through King again with no knowledge :D
Dark Tower series is actually what put me off him. Individually as separate books? Fantastic reads.
Together as a single universe? Messy, egotistic, and derivative.
I wish he stopped the gunslinger series past the first book. Just my opinion, though
I had the same reaction. I read most of his books, loved the first gunslinger book. Didn't mind the second one. When I reached the end of the third, I realized I was done and haven't read anything by him since. He's actually put out a couple since then that I'll probably read one of these days, but it's hard to go back.