MovieChat Forums > Stephen King Discussion > Not a King fan, but here is what does ap...

Not a King fan, but here is what does appeal to me about him ...

posted 4 years ago by brux (14666)
4 replies | jump to latest

First, Stephen King is an amazing writer. His prose and style of writing is immersive. Whatever he writes about is believable.

Second, Stephen King creates a world that has its own logic and that you enjoy visiting and inhabiting even if you don't really like the book or plots that are going on.

Third, the characters Stephen King populates his world with and his writing about them and dialog makes you care about these people and want to know what happens to them and that they get protected and rewarded if they are good or punished or destroyed if they are evil.

Then, a trick Stephen King seems to me to employ, that causes me to be interested in his stories are that he creates the world as normal for maybe 20% of the story before he springs any supernatural stuff on you. That really bugs me. I start to like the story, and then things just get weirder and more often than not I drop the book or stop the movie/series because I cannot stand the nonsense or suspend my disbelief.

Though I am not a big Stephen King fan, I respect his skill in storytelling and characterization, and I also like his politics and disdain of Donald Trump. That is probably more than anything what got me to start watching "The Outsider" on Amazon, which is not really that great, but it is compelling and suspenseful.

I'd love to read King if he wrote a real novel without superstitious and paranormal stuff ... in general that is just not something I care for, but I have to respect a master than appeals to so many others.

[–] [deleted] 4 years ago

If you haven't read them you might enjoy the series of novels written by King under the pseudonym Richard Bachman. They are excellent stories and there are no supernatural themes. 'Rage', 'Roadwork' and 'The Long Walk' would be my recommendations.

[–] [deleted] 4 years ago

For a guy who's not a King fan, you sure sound a little like one!

I grew up reading King. Carrie was published just a few months before I was born. My parents started letting me read his books when I was around ten and I've been hooked ever since.

[–] brux (14666) 4 years ago

In the 70's I think it was when "The Shining" came out as a book I was in the Book Of The Month club and got it because I forgot to return the slips saying I did not want it. So, I read it, and ... same thing, I liked the setup and characters, but once it started to go all haywire I didn't like it any more.

Years later I read "The Stand" ... same thing, I liked it, but when it started going over the top I dumped it."

Then a few years back there the the book about the Kennedy assassination where the hero of the book can go back in time. Again, I liked the book, but it just got too long and terrible with the schmaltzy romance.

So, no more, never again, but I have to say there is something there in his writing that is seductive and interesting. But I can't say I liked any of the stories because they never ended well for me. That's just me and I only mention it because I started watching Amazon's "The Outsider" before I realized it was Stephen King. I keep watching it, but it bothers me and and the end I am sure I will not be happy. This stuff is a time-waster for me.

But I am an engineer, a scientist, and fantasy and horror just never appeal to me. There are some exceptions, but they are for entertainment. I enjoyed "Game Of Thrones" and "LOST" and even "Under the Dome", but it's just silliness that I have limited patience for. I am glad you like King, lots do.

[–] [deleted] 4 years ago

There have been a few King books that I didn't like all that much, but I finished them. The one exception was Dreamcatcher. King can ramble a bit and digress too much, but he really went too far in that one to keep me interested.

His style and compelling characters kept me reading.