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Where to start with Stephen King?

Under the Dome was published this past November. He also has a collection coming out this fall titled Full Dark, No Stars.
 
I myself started with Pet Sematary, it's scary.

I loved The Stand, it has some realness with it being it's something that can actually happen (Minus the supernatural bits), last years swine flu scare made me thing about The Stand.
 
I read my first King novel in High School. It was Pet Semetary, which led to IT (reading at midnight when you are alone NOT a recommended practice!) I think Misery may have come next and then pretty much whatever I could get. I think IT and The Stand are excellent. I also enjoyed Insomnia (not mentioned that much). I must admit to passing on The Regulators and a few of those around the same time period. Have his last three, but have not made it to them yet. I REALLY like The Dark Tower series...my husband totally disagrees on that!
 
My first SK book was Misery. It's not supernatural, but a great read and even better than the movie. After that, was The Dark Half. Those are still two of my favorites to this day. Other great SK books IMO: The Stand, Needful Things, The Dark Tower series, Four Past Midnight.
 
My first SK book was IT and I agree with grouchmo that one should not read this book after dark, even if you're not alone. My second was The Shining, which is still my favorite to date. I read this while snowed in on a ski trip nursing a hamstring injury. What a setting to be in while reading this book for the first time! I do love Insomnia as well, though it's a slow-starter. IT will either scare you away or you'll be a fan for life. My little sister is still a little hesitant about reading SK because I read IT to her when she was probably way too young.
 
angerball said:
Probably The Stand or It. :)
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I would probably second those, but I did really like 'Needfull Things' and 'The Tommyknockers.'


The Langoliers story from Four Past Midnight stayed with me for a long time after reading, another one that seemed a lot les fantastical in the film version.

Misery was also a very memorable book, but I don't know if it's the best introduction to his work.
 
My initiation came with Nightmares and Dreamscapes; King's collection of short stories. From there my fondness for anything Stephen King grew.
 
...and also one of the least Stephen King-like novels he's written, so it doesn't really give a good picture of what the rest of his novels are like.
 
I love his early works (pre-Tommyknockers), and his newer stuff is somewhat hit or miss for me. I HATE his politics, and the more I read his older stuff, the more little things I see that bother me. But, he's a very talented writer, and used to be one of my favorite horror authors.
 
Cody Craig said:
I myself am unable to get into any of King's books, i have tried to read half a dozen or so and always end up putting them down before they are a quarter read. He just can't hold me. I am a avid reader and read at least two novels a week, but King's writing isn't all that it is cracked up to be. If you are looking for something along the lines of horror/ suspense i would recommend anything by Dean Koontz, Richard Laymon and Bentley Little.

Sorry, for the anti-king post, but these are my feelings, does anyone else have the same problem with King?

Bye
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I find it hard to believe that you enjoy Koontz but not King, to each their own of course but Koontz, IMO, has nothing on King. Laymon I can definitely see, he is great and I have enjoyed one book by Little called The Return. I am an avid reader as well but when I want something I know I'm going to love, I always return to King.
 
denny said:
My suggestion is that you pick a Stephen King novel (any one, it doesn't really matter) and start with the last page!

I'm with Cody Craig on this one; Stephen King just doesn't float my boat!
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I you don't have anything good to say, why say it?

Don't listen to this person, King is one of the greatest writers of our time.
 
I'm still working on my collection of King novels. My library goal is to have all of them in hardback. I'm about a third of the way there.

I started with It and I was hooked for life, but my favorite has been The Shining. It's one of the few books I can re-read even though I remember the entire plot and ending. Most books require a ten-year interval between readings because I'll read the first few pages and think "Oh yeah, and then this, this and this happens and it ends this way," and have to put it down because I'm already bored with it.

For those of you who are not King fans, is it because he is so detailed? I have a friend who is a huge Koontz fan (I've read a few of his, but have found nowhere near the enjoyment I find reading a King novel) and he says that King bores him with too many details and he likes the "faster pace" of Koontz.
 
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