Leaving in that weird visual glitch near the beginning because obviously this video is haunted 😂 I can’t wait to nerd out about these stories with you in the comments! (Also no nightmares so far 🙏 send good vibes my way so I stay nightmare free 😅)
Though your videos can be quite entertaining to watch you look like a cat whore in the icon and the end of the video. (Doesn't matter if it was for the "thrill" of Halloween) The chevage is absolutely unnecessary and I personally find it extremely distasteful. I know you want more views, but I actually paused the video at the beginning to type out this message to you. After the other video I watch bringing something VERY important to the attention of the public in regards to YA books being more sexual then ever..... you go and do this. Right, Consider someone unsubscribing to you and your adolescent bullshit for views.
The thing about Stephen King is that once you finish the book you’ll probably rate it about 3 stars but you’ll keep thinking about the book and characters for a long time and then you’ll realize how good of a book it actually was and you’ll remember the characters and book so vividly from how good his writing is that you’ll end up changing your rating to 5stars haha!
@@Horrorbabe4 Tommyknockers is crazy underrated. I really don't understand the hate it gets. Yes, it's got some goofy stuff in it, but so does It and The Stand and lots of his other work and they are still (mostly) great.
@@kaboomzzz yeah i saw the tommyknockers hate on reddit. people were saying its his worst book! i definitely dont think its bad though! its just not a pageturner for me. ironically it was my introduction to good old stephen.
This was my first reaction when I finished The Gunslinger. It was strange and weird, like a dream. But book 2, The Drawing of the Three, was so much better.
This is so funny because the reason I curled my hair is my original costume was going to be Chappell Roan in one of her pink pony club performance outfits. But I didn’t finish my costume in time 😂❤️
Misery and the Shining I think you would like! They're both very winter-y spooky vibes so they would be great to read in the coming months... if you like more real-world horror, Misery is definitely the way to go. It's one of my favorites. If you don't like the way that King writes a lot of his female characters (me neither), I would recommend avoiding Carrie... its use of period blood as a motif is questionable, and for a main character, Carrie just feels really half-baked. I know it's his first book and a classic that inspired so many good stories, but in my opinion his later works are worth a bit more of your time. As I'm sure you've heard, IT has some really weird sex stuff and (in my opinion) really goes off the rails at the end lore-wise, but the audiobook is so well done, and the spooky fall vibes are really, really good. I would recommend the audiobook if you ever get around to reading IT. And the characters! Since we get to see the characters as kids growing up into adults, you can really get attached to them. I love your videos! You did such a great job with this, and I love how you so concisely voiced all the reasons why I LOVE (and roll my eyes at) Stephen King.
Thank you so much for your recommendations! I'm so glad you enjoyed the video and that I was able to articulate my feelings about King's work in a way that resonated with you ❤️ I’ll definitely check these out! It is probably never going to be something I read, because I have a particular fear of clowns 😅 I’ve also heard so many wild things about It that make me want to back away slowly 😂
@PlantBasedBride I second reading Misery. I'm not a huge horror fan either but I absolutely loved this book, it's definitely anxiety-inducing (in a good way) of needing to know what will happen and how our main character will end up. Plus the winter settings are perfect for this time of year!
Not us going on a Stephen King binge at the same time 😍 I had only read Fairy Tale and enjoyed it, but my grandmother insisted that’s not “real King” and bought me more of his books. 😂 I’m still in the process of working through my stack but was so excited the second I saw your video title! Can’t wait to keep watching and hear your thoughts 🫶🏻
@@KittyxKult Agree! My biggest problem with King's books is that they aren't even really scary so much as just really messed up. Fairy Tale was so completely different and enjoyable.
M-O-O-N that spells Tom Cullen! 😌 I listened to The Stand as an audiobook earlier on this year (my first every audiobook as well and was a whopping 40+ hours 😅) and I genuinely think about it still quite frequently, it was just incredible. I have only ever read one short story collection of Stephen King and it was a more recent one of Bizarre of Bad Dreams - you've definitely intrigued me with Night Shift that's for sure! Really enjoyable video to keep me entertained on my nightshift, thank you!
You absolutely have to read "Survivor Type" in Skeleton Crew! It's one of my favorite short stories ever! This is my first time seeing you on RUclips. Subbed!
My favourite King is non-horror King. The Body, Rita Hayworth and The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile which were all made into great movies.(The Body Is Stand By Me in film form). 11/22/63 is a great time travel, if you could change history would you novel. Mr Mercedes is good though the tv series may actually be even better.
I just started the video, but felt compelled to share my own Stephen King experience so far. I tried to start several novels of his in the past (Firestarter, Cell) and couldn't get into them. I saw an online recommendation by Daniel Greene that people who are new to King should start with either The Stand or Pet Semetary, and I read Pet Semetary in February of this year - and loved it! I am now willing to try more King.
The Stand was the first Stephen King Book I read waaaay back when I was 14. I finished it in 3 days during a week long school trip in autumn - while everyone but me and one or two of my classmates had a cold. Let's just say I was just the tiniest bit creeped out. But I loved the story and still do about 30 years later. In case you decide to go on with the Dark Tower series, you may also want to read the following books, because they really tie in to the story at later points: The Stand (which you obviously already did) The Eyes of the Dragon Salem's Lot Hearts in Atlantis Insomnia There are even more of King's books connected to the Dark Tower universe in one way or another, but I think these are the most important ones. Edit: I almost forgot two of my favorites - The Talisman and Black House, both written by Stephen King and Peter Straub.
Thank you for these recommendations! It’s interesting to see how many of his stories are connected. I feel like I need a mind map 😅 I’m honestly glad I didn’t read the stand at the start of the pandemic because I was already anxious enough as it is, and I think it would’ve not been good for my mental health 🫠
Oh please read The Talisman! I've read everything Stephen King has published and that one is my favourite. Even named my child after the main character. It's not perfect but is a wonderful story. I've probably read it 10 times by now.
@@PlantBasedBride There is a map! Just google pictures for "Dark Tower extended universe" and you'll find that almost all of his (older) stories have at least a tiny connection - even if it's not obvious at first, it's still there.
As a literatue student i just wanna say thank you. You're the only booktober i'm able to see and enjoy watching withouth clicking away rolling my eyes, and choses putting quality over quantity, so thank you for reading what you want to read and not whats popular or trending; thank you for the amaizing and cozy content.
It’s so interesting hearing you talk about the gunslinger! I read the revised version and found it to be a quick and easy read that got me sooo into the rest of the series! I’ve now finished the entire dark tower series and really enjoyed it (despite not liking the ending, but it didn’t bother me too much since I loved the characters and their stories).
Wow - what an epic reading vlog! Based on this, I am definitely more easily scared than you are, so I haven't read much Stephen King. I did mostly enjoy The Dark Tower, but didn't end up reading the rest of the series. My only recommendation is Mr Mercedes, which I did like and doesn't have anything supernatural in it, so may be one to try!
Honestly surprised you didn’t pick up rita hayworth and the shawshank redemption or the body. While both are not horror they’re def classics. Movies are alright too. I didn’t really like stand by me but shawshank was fantastic
I'm honestly impressed with how much of King's material that you covered in this video. I find your review to be insightful. I would recommend his short stories contained in 'Skeleton Crew', namely 'The Mist' and 'The Jaunt'. 'Word Processor of the Gods' is another favorite from that collection, along with 'Mrs. Todd's Shortcut'. I think you might really like 'The Jaunt'.
Elizabeth, first of all, THE HAIR! Girl. Gorgeous. Secondly, I’m so glad you gave King another chance! Bless the person who brought you those books-although they’re not what I would have recommended for an (almost) first time King reader. If you ever feel like reading another King doorstopper of a novel, I highly recommend Under The Dome. More suggestions: Carrie, Misery, The Shining (very big differences in the portrayal of Book Jack and Movie Jack), Pet Semetary, Rose Madder & Revival (this last one is a tough read in that it doesn’t really end on a high note, but I love the character exploration and the philosophical discussion greatly appeals to this fellow agnostic/atheist).
You really made me want to read the Stand now, thank you so much! Maybe I'll try the short stories too :) the way you talk about books is so well articulated and interesting, you're truly one of my favorite channels out there! You're always honest, and it is evident how much passion and respect you have for literature!
Elizabeth, thanks for the best thumbnail ever! Wow…Your cat costume with curls is so pretty! As for SK, I had my time with him in my youth with the Stand, Carrie, IT, etc. while I can’t go there anymore, it was interesting to get your take on some of his work. While I haven’t read the book, I think the Dolores Claiborne movie was really good. Thanks for the post Halloween fun, you are the best!👏🏽🎃👻🫣🎉
Ohhhhh what's funny is that I just finally roped a friend into reading the Dark Tower extended list, which is a list of 52 books/short stories that include the core Dark Tower series but also every book/story that has any reference, however small, to the DT themes, characters, location, plot, etc. Your annotation video will be INVALUABLE to track everything for it because not only will we read and talk about the common threads but have a philosophical conversation about the stories. I'm a huge King fan, though, and read my first of his books when I was 8. (WAY too young, but we were raised on a steady diet of King, VC Andrews, and Judy Blume back then lol.) Even though I have an entire bookcase dedicated to his books and I'm feral when there’s a new release, The Stand (uncut version) is definitely one of my favorites. I hope you enjoy! 😊
Loved this! I read The Stand for my high school English paper on the theme of good vs evil back in 1993 and have read it again since then. My favourite King novel is IT, although it has one particular scene that hasn't aged well. I haven't read many of King's short stories and it sounds like I should. I did read the whole Dark Tower series a few years ago and then the Gunslinger again last year with a view to carrying on.
Maybe it's a controversial take, but I think that King's books aren't actually scary - they're usually just disgusting. I prefer psychological horror and he always focuses on gore/body horror and disturbing sexual themes. He has interesting ideas that could be scary in theory. But practically, with his overwriting style, when something scary is finally happening, the next 50 pages of descriptions leave me bored out of my mind.
I agree. I’ve read Carrie and a chunk of the stand (in middle school when my bff BEGGED me to read it). Both experiences made me feel like King is just kind of a creep obsessed with kids having sex and a strong disgust for female bodies (not in an interesting way). I was pissed when I read Carrie this year (as part of a reading challenge: prompt “an author everyone but you has read”) because it COULD have been great if it was written but someone else 😂
I definitely found some of what I read for this video scary, but largely I would agree his work is not nearly as scary as I’d expected. Though again, I have only read a very small sampling despite how much I read for this video! I was actually expecting even more disgusting content, especially because my only exposure to Stephen King before this video was seeing the movie the shining and reading the short story Survivor type. I was honestly a bit surprised how little gore/body horror content was in these books and stories! Even the weird sexual content, which was too plentiful for my taste, was not as frequent as I’d expected/been worried about. To me his strength is really in his characterization, which is why it bugs me so much that he seems to fall short when a character is a woman 🥲
@@PlantBasedBride Most female writers can't write convincing male characters either. King can't write women convincingly because he isn't a woman. He doesn't have a woman's experience of the world, so all he can do is interpret women from the outside. This is true for most authors.
@@GlynDwr-d4h I disagree - I have read books written by many authors, whether they be men, women, or nonbinary, who can portray characters in a way that makes them feel complex and fully realized as human beings regardless of their gender.
Elizabeth, I'm thrilled that you're giving King another chance, and that you enjoyed so much of what you read! He’s my all-time favorite, so… I have thoughts. :-D I love supernatural stuff, but I totally understand your opinion on COTC. I too am far more scared by realistic horror (Saw, Hostel, etc.). As far as SK goes, I think “Gerald’s Game” is one of the scariest. It’s psychological, quite grounded in reality, and *terrifying*. I actually had to put that one down a few times. O_O Sometimes Uncle Steve could write three books from what he puts into one, and every once in a while, I can’t quite suspend my disbelief enough to love a story. lol The Gunslinger is problematic, for sure. SK has talked about it. The revised version is helpful, and the series gets much better! TDT is my favorite series of all time, but I very much relate to your confusion at Book #1! I will say that book 4 (Wizard and Glass) is probably the most beautiful of the series - there’s just a lot to love there, so I won’t write a book about it - but, that said, almost the entire book is a flashback to Roland’s youth. The *only* thing I don’t like about that book is that the journey to the Tower is stalled while this story is told. Otherwise, it’s fantastic. Also, there are a handful of scenes in his works that left me (and many others) saying, “Why?” (“It” has one of the WORST), and most of them are “weird sex stuff”. I will say that it’s mostly in his early writing, when he was young and dealing with addiction. Overall, I feel SK is worth the aches and pains. He really does have some beautiful writing, and I would love to recommend some of those! For example, I loved “Rose Madder” because it’s about a bunch of badass women! The thing I tell people about King is that he writes quite a lot about *people*, and he makes you love them, and love to hate them. I love the way he writes people! He also writes plenty that isn’t true I horror; that’s just the label he carries. Lastly, I love all your reviews here, but I think your review of The Stand is so spot-on and absolutely fair. I’m so glad you enjoyed it as much as you did!
I appreciate your insights! I am definitely curious about Rose Madder. I do think one of his greatest strengths (as far as I know so far!) is writing deeply flawed, complex characters. And you’re right; so many of them are easy to love, but just as many, if not more, are very easy to hate! Another commenter talked about feeling that King was working through what he perceived to be his own character flaws in his early writing, which is such an interesting perspective. I’m so glad you enjoyed the video as someone with a lot more experience with King’s work! ❤️
The Dark Tower is a tough one! You literally have to read the entire series to understand it. The first book took me fifteen tries but it is worthwhile to get through and I’ve read darn near every single book. My recommendation for you for a beautifully written Stephen King book is Duma key! I’m posting this before I’ve finished watching your video so I can’t wait to hear what you think of The Stand.
I am also a redhead (it's tribal) and inveterate Constant Reader (iykyk, read the introductions!)--and old AF compared to you, probably 😂 if you truly love horror as a literary genre than you cannot give up on King. He writes in a different voice in almost every book and story, especially as he progressed. I'm gorked that you're a big horror fan but unaware of the HUGE number of Children of the Corn movies (very bad and not his story) and other existing screen adaptations of the other works you reviewed. His endings are famously messy and/or disappointing btw 😂 seems you noticed that he really shines in shorter-form fiction, less time to get super weird at the end! If you really like very well-written and engrossing alt-genre books, then read 11/22/63, the first of his novels to gain wide recognition as a "legitimate good book" and not just horror schlock. Alternatively, Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption or The Body (the novellas that the excellent films Shawshank Redemption and Stand By Me are based on). First vid of yours I've seen, so forgive me if you've covered any of this ground before.
Fairytale by stephen king lives in my head rent free everyday. It is not a horror but a true fantasy novel. The Institute is another big favorite of mine that is just suspense and not horror.
I really think you would love Dolores Claiborne ; it's a story he wrote based on critiques around his female characters : it brings around my favorite female protagonist ever and is very based around human nature being frightful. I really, really think you'd love it please read it - loved the video and your channel :)
It’s been recommended so much in the comments of this video that I’m definitely going to be reading it! I hope I’m not getting my expectations too high 😂
Hi first time viewer here! So the first book in the Dark Tower series can be a little rough if you don’t really know what you are getting into. 1. All of Stephen King’s books are connected via the Dark Tower, some have stronger connections than others. It’s all one big Multiverse kind of deal. Some characters cross over between the Dark Tower and other books. Randal Flagg is a reoccurring villain in several books. 2. The Dark Tower is essentially a fantasy epic but there are other genres mixed in there. Like western with the way the Gunslinger is dressed and his trusted revolvers. 3. The first book in the series was originally published in parts in a magazine. Reading it feels rather choppy because it is several installments all smooshed together in one novel. Knowing that going in makes the Dark Tower an easier read and it does get better going into book 2. I’ll be starting book 3 soon but hope this helps! I first started my journey with Thinner written while Stephen was using his Richard Bachman persona. Cujo was my second book and lord what an ending don’t get too attached there.
I just love the eloquent way Stephen King writes, especially in his later books. His stories are definitely strange and weird and sometimes he describes women in an icky way. However, I think we do need a writer in this century like him who explores these strange concepts and stories and weird dreamlike scenarios. I recently read his new book, You Like It Darker, another book of short stories and I appreciated that in his afterword he talks about the critique he’s received over his weird stories but how he kind of just goes with it in his way. I’m not explaining it well but definitely recommend reading that part haha
Love this video, glad you gave him another chance and found some things to enjoy! You mentioned the story about the brother genius and Stephen King's brother, hadn't read the story but I did read his memoir (on writing) and how you described the story does sound like the dynamic he had with his brother. His brother had a lot of schemes that he followed along with as a kid, even when they were dangerous. Also when you discussed the Schizophrenia vs. DID, you actually are correct that when Drawing of the Three was written (late 80s) definitions were different. When I was doing my psych grad work I had read in one of my texts that Schizophrenia became kind of a catch all diagnosis when things were less clear. It's been nearly 40 years since then and mental health is definitely better understood (thank goodness!) and less stigmatized than it used to be.
I fell in love with King at age nine, when I first read It (yes, I was a morbid child), and have very find memories of reading The Stand in hardback on a chartered bus from Sweden to England when I was thirteen. King has a way of writing childhood through a lens that is both nostalgic and horrible, and I think that he has an understanding of what drives us as humans in terms of thoughts and motifs that are not brought to light that often. I collected his novels for a very long time, but have only read a few of his short stories. For me, King's real horror stories are the ones where there are monsterous people instead of monsters or supernatural elements. I love The Long Walk, and I think you'd find it intriguing as well, and one of my absolute favorites are Rose Madder, which is way too underrated.
I’m so glad you gave King a second chance. He is my favorite author. I do think he shines in his non horror stories. Best example of that is “11/22/63”or even “The long walk” or “the talisman”. I think he’s written some of the best female characters in my opinion. I think “Liseys story” is my favorite. I’m reading “Holly” right now and she’s starting to really grow on me too. Anyway I love your videos 💖
Talk about highs and lows. That's what most people seem to experience when they crack the cover of Nightmares and Dreamscapes. For story collections, I would instead recommend Skeleton Crew or Mr King's newest collection, You Like it Darker. Also the Novella collection Different Seasons is excellent. Other favorites: Under the Dome Revival The Institute Needful Things The Girl who Loved Tom Gordon (cuz you like baseball) Fairy Tale (this one is not universally liked, but I personally loved it) Excellent video. Enjoy your journey into the SK universe.
King always writes very character driven stories and that's what I love most about him. As far as The Dark Tower, I'm with you! I still haven't read farther in that series than this first book. Everyone says I will like the others more, so I wil eventually trudge on. His other novels, like The Stand, IT, and so many others are wonderful tho.
Yayyy! So glad you read more King; I love this man and his mixed bag so much, even though he’s given me a lot of night terrors and once a literal fever during a certain scene of Eyes of the Dragon. 🐲 🕷️ That outfit is great and hope you and the family had a lovely Halloween!
Oh wow, I had almost zero interest in reading Stephen King before now, but the way you discuss some of these stories makes me think they'll be right up my alley!! I love all the info you provide in your book reviews!!!
@@PlantBasedBride The boogeyman and the End of the Whole Mess especially - but the way you talk about all of Night Shift makes me want to pick it up!! Also all the stories you mentioned with body horror - I feel like when it's done right that is my favorite genre of horror!
@@TrinaHours if you like body horror you’ll probably also enjoy Gray Matter and I Am the Doorway (both in Night Shift)! Nightmares and Dreamscapes didn’t really have any body horror to speak of.
I had to listen to Dark Tower as an audio book while on a road trip with a friend. Being able to pause and talk about what the heck just happened helped a lot. It was the only way I could get through it. Also, the line " I don't like people. They F*$% me up" still hit's me so hard
I’m so glad you gave Stephen king another try, we have very similar tastes in books, and I’ve read It, The Shining, The Stand, and The Mist. Which isn’t much considered his work, but I enjoyed all of them! I read The Stand at the beginning of this year and it really felt like I lived in that world with how immersive and long it was. I also gave it four stars! I think if I were to recommend something I’d want your opinion on The Shining and Misery. I also work at a book store so I’m definitely going to check out Night shift. 🎈
The Shining is definitely on my list! I love the film. Misery has been recommended a few times, but I honestly know nothing about it, so I might have to check it out 👀 I hope you enjoy the stories in night shift if you pick it up! Obviously it was a bit hit or miss for me but there are some real gems in there and some of those stories I can see myself thinking about and coming back to many times for years to come!
GodDAMMIT I love The Dark Tower and I’m SO sad that no one on booktube ever talks about it. So I’m so excited that you’re reading it at all. Not me pumping my fist at my TV when you said you were gonna continue and read The Drawing of the Three and then going Noooooo when you didn’t like it 😭😭😭 it’s one of my faves in the series, but I think that’s an unpopular opinion. Most people seem to like book 3 the most, so maybe still give the next one a shot? The Dark Tower is an absolute fucking mess, it’s so bloated, it’s so unhinged, the world building just gets progressively more and more nuts, parts of it are really unsatisfying, and parts of it made me sob like a little baby. I just love all the characters so much and some of the imagery is just so imaginative and like psychedelic, idk how to explain it better. It’s my number one series that I can’t defend, but love with my whole silly little heart. I recommend reading through book 4 and then if you’re over it, you’re over it. But book 4 is where we get Roland’s backstory and without spoiling too much it’s like a slow burn tragic romance??? That’s another thing that I love so much about the series: all of the books have such different vibes from each other and I’ve never read anything like that before. Anyways I’ll shut up, I’ve just been waiting for a chance to yell about this series on the internet for awhile now haha
I recently read Salems Lot for a book club and it was a complete chore. Nothing happens til the final 100 pages. It's just a tour throughout the town, each character (and there are a billion) has their own boring chapter. Why do I need a chapter that waxes poetically on how many trailers Larry has??? Is this gonna be important enough to commit to memory? Is this gonna be on the test??? No. It's a complete waste of time. 500 pages of meandering pedantic bullshit that had me begging for the vampires to just show up and kill every boring bastard in town. I was rooting for them all to die! Carrie was pretty good, though. Short, sweet, and straight to the point. I won't be reading another long Steven King book in the forseeable future. Salem's Lot really pissed me off.
Ma'am! Excuse you! Your hair PLUS everything else, I nearly fainted. And I can't believe I'm now interested in reading Stephen King lol! I'll have to add some of these short stories to my tbr now! Thank you once again for an entertaining and interesting vid.
It seems like you geared more towards the less horror stories. I recommend Misery, Dolores Claiborne, The Body, The Green Mile, Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption, 11/22/63. All but the last one have movie adaptions that are wonderful also. The last one is a series on Hulu and it has mixed reviews.
Huge King fan here. Hopping on board to recommend Different Seasons and Misery...I think you'll like those. I do not think you'll like Dolores Claiborne or (potentially) Needful Things, even though I LOVED them, just because of knowing your tastes a bit. My all time favorite King book is "Salem's Lot". Fucking masterpiece. Confession: I loved Battleground 😂 It was so different from anything I've ever read that it drew me in. I found it super entertaining.
The last rung on the ladder is also my favorite story in The night shift, it stayed with me for so long. I want to reread it now that I heard you talking about it
The Gunslinger is the worst possible representation of the Dark Tower series, read a few pages of Drawing of the Three (#2) and you'll see that it's infinitely more readable and enjoyable. I had to read Gunslinger like three times before I could get up the give a F to start the rest of the books, and I should have just read the Cliffs Notes and moved on after the first time 😂 The series also serves as a kind of biography of the villain in The Stand, if you didn't know. The short and very lovely (yet brutal) novel The Eyes of the Dragon is another good look at the main baddie in the Stephen King Cinematic Universe, very fantasy/horror. If you like anything about Hunger Games or other poorly-written YA dystopian stories, then read The Long Walk and The Running Man by King's alter-ego Richard Bachman for pretty much the same story but less painful to get through lol
The Stand is one of my favorite books, ever. Stephen King is one of my favorite authors; I am slowly working my way through all of his books. My favorite are The Stand, 11/22/63 (English teacher goes back in time to save JFK - not horror), the Mr. Mercedes trilogy (detective noir style), The Outsider (child sexual abuse/monster true crime horror), basically anything that has the character Holly Gibney in it (The Outsider, If it Bleeds, Holly), and Fairytale. It is well known that King struggles with his endings lol. He is definitely a character writer, if that makes sense. I leave a lot of his books thinking a lot about his characters and his portrayal of the human condition. I don't think he's really a horror writer, just a sci-fi/fantasy writer that happens to be good at writing horror situations. Hope you continue on your King journey! Also a note on The Gunslinger - King wrote that very early in his career, I think even before writing Carrie. It was originally published in a magazine as periodical story, and was then stitched together later as a book. So it doesnt make a lot of sense, lol. I am still making my way through the whole series, but the rest of the books are very different, and more similar to Kong's normal writing style. The Dark Tower is my husband's favorite book series.
You look gorgeous (as always 💚) I think you'd love Dolores Claiborne. It explores misogyny, incest and other typical King themes but from a different perspective. It's sometimes heartbreaking in a good way and our protagonist is a woman. The audiobook is also nice.
Thank you! This book has been recommended so many times across the Internet and it’s been brought up in these comments a few times, so I think I may need to bump it up to the top of my list once I eventually feel ready to dive into Stephen King again!
Hi! Great video as always. I've never been interested in Stephen King cause I'm generally a scaredy-cat but I'm currently working my way through Dracula and your description of Jeruselum's Lot actually has me interested in it. Quick question: Have you ever considered doing a library tour or is it a video that you might've already done for your patrons? I ask cause some of the book spines in your video background always draw my attention and I'd love to know what books they belong to. 😅 Edit: Checked out of curiosity and according to google the distinction between DID and Schizophrenia was made in 1994 while book 2 in the Dark Tower series was published in 1987 so the misrepresentation of the two might've come from the general populaces misunderstanding of it at that time.
Night Shift was one of my first adult fiction books I read as a kid (I was 10 or so, good times) and I still return to it every decade or so. In my most recent re-read as a graying older man who has has been pigheaded aplenty in my life, I realized just how many of the stories are deeply dealing with younger pigheaded men who should have listened to the people who loved them more. It actually irritated me to reread some later King stories where the pigheadedness was treated as a feature not a bug but at the time of Night Shift I feel like he was trying to work through the horror of being a failing adult trying to deal with a lot of things and relationships. Pet Semetary is likely the culmination of dealing with that vibe until he got older and returned to it more.
This is such an interesting perspective! Thank you for sharing it. It does often seem that he’s working through his own flaws and demons through his stories.
I was really nervous to start The Shining, as I was worried it was going to give me nightmares too, but I took my time with it, never read it at night, and did enjoy it. The reason I read it was because I heard such good things about the followup, Doctor Sleep, which I didn't find freaky at all, more suspense than horror. ❤ I think Stephen King is an author I will read selectively and enjoy, rather than being an author I would binge-read. Enjoyed The Shining, but was relieved to reach the end after the last 1/4 of the book, but Doctor Sleep was satisfying to read, felt very just and right when I got to the end, and felt that the continuance of the main character's story was done perfectly.
Of all the Dark Tower novels, I think my favorite are The Waste Lands and Wizard and Glass. That's when I feel like the ka-tet is at their strongest and most united, and their strengths as individuals get to be shown the most as well. Everything after that feels very down hill for anyone whose major stake in the books is those characters as individuals and as a group that care for each other.
I think you would have enjoyed the abridged version of The Stand more than the unabridged version where King's vision was on full display, in a good way and a bad way. One of my favorite King stories is the novella, The Langoliers. It is a fascinating step into the paranormal. Has a lot to say about time.
Thank you for this spooky vibe video that accompanied me while working. I've read a lot of king and enjoyed them except Fairy tales, but I haven't read any if this video 😅
1:26:10 That's where he was hitting a wall with the story. He got all the characters in Colorado and Vegas, but what do with them? Meetings, ordinances, nominations. Then Harolds dynamite changed everything!
1:25:25 If you go back and re-read The Stand(which I have read about 15-20 times) the character of Fran is one of his more poorly written characters. He struggled somewhat in general with female characters, but he did get better as time went on. I've read all of his books. He's a spinster, but also somewhat formulated. He even said he's the Mikey D's of writing; eaisly digestable.
The only thing I’ve read from King is The Dead Zone and I remember nothing from it 😂 but I’ve tried to read The Stand several times and I think it’s the length that keeps holding me back. I’ve kind of given up on reading King but now I’m thinking of picking up Night Shift and reading your favorite stories from it. Also, the lighting, the makeup, the hair, the costume: LOVE! 🤴
I really like the dark tower series, its the messiest thing I think Stephan King has though. Each book feels like it belongs to a different genre, and the final books start to have a meta narrative about storytelling and our relationship to stories. I found the first half of book one a slog, and the second half a lot more engaging. Book two, the drawing of the three, I absolutely loved. All of your criticisms of the racial aspects are absolutely true, and I understand how the book feels to have a "stuck" quality to it. But I liked how the narrative flows, because Roland knows that these people have to be his allies if he is to succeed. The ticking time bomb of Rolands infection and the three's personal problems that have to be resolved before they join him made the whole book feel like it was at a dead, desperate sprint to the finish line. I think book three is an interesting book, and has a very memorable unorthodox character in the form of Blane. I think some of the elements you were uncomfortable about are still here though, and those weird sexual elements persist to book four as well. But I think book three will have a much clearer "marching to our destination" feeling you say you wanted from book two. This is my first time seeing your videos, so I'm not sure if you decided to visit Dark Tower again or not. I hope you do! I really like the books quite a bit, and I like Roland's relationship with the characters and how they develop. They really feel like a close knit party by the end of the series.
he has sooooo many books, mostly good or great, that there is something for everyone. kudos for digging into his early 70s/80s work first. im guessing you'd like him more as a writer with his newer material (with your issues of his writing/issues). The Green Mile is my favorite. He has a sweet side, and. character is always first in his stories.
Without spoiling anything: the stand and the dark tower are related. The stand is somewhat of a prequel to it. Randall flagg is crucial to the dark tower
Dolan's Cadillac from Nightmares & Dreamscapes. What do you think of The Stand expanded edition? I think It and The Shining are ..... even for me. Yes, tall corn IS menacing, wth!
Nope! I’ve only read what was featured in this video and the short story Survivor Type last year ☺️ I’ve heard of all three of these but wasn’t sure if they’d be to my taste!
Hi! I highly recommend his novellas more than his novels. I've read and dnf'd a lot of his works, but I highly recommend his novellas: Different Seasons, and his writings under his pen name Richard Bachman: The Long Walk, The Running Man etc. I also enjoyed The Green Mile and the series 112263, as many others have already commented above.
The only book of his Iv read was the institute and goddd was I bored. I guessed the outcome in chapter 3 and just left me feeling numb to the rest of the story. But this video gave me hope, I still have a large list of King books I want to try and I guess I should go try him out again
i think it's so hard to explain king. he's my favorite author, the one i've read the most, but i recently tried to do a ranking of it and i realized that i actually have just as much misses as i've had hits with him? the thing is that his lows are really low but his highs are just so high to me... some things that work in some books dont work in others and the point where he was in life usually tells me how i'm gonna feel about the book, so i tend to skip the books at the height of his addiction after i read IT and hated it for, yes, weird kid sex stuff. but he's been around for so long and has such a vast catalogue that i know i can always come back to him and find something i'll instantly have as favorite. as for my recs: different seasons (my favorite short story collection which includes shawshank redemption and the body), the eyes of the dragon (for more flagg content) and under the dome (the ending might - probably will - put you off but the first half was so so good i just didn't care though i wished it was different)
It’s so interesting to hear this emerge as a common theme - though I suppose such a prolific writer over such a long period of time, especially one playing with genre and dark themes, would easily be hit or miss for people! I’m definitely looking forward to trying more of his work, though it will be a little while before I dive in again 😂
I read it a long time ago but I remember liking Heart in Atlantis, not horror at all if I remember correctly. It's one of his collection but more novella types than short stories.
It’s been a while since I read (listened) to dark tower but it’s a fascinating series. It’s pretty much all of King’s ideas and tropes in a blender, it even becomes about being exactly that. It’s not always good because king is pretty hit or miss, but it’s super interesting imo.
his oldest books are his best. including short stories. Different seasons is another worth picking up as it has The body (Stand by me), Shawshank Redemption, Apt Pupil (another movie) and The Sun DOg (the only story NOT to be made a movie in the book). Also the bachman books.
As well known as Stephen King is for his horror, I honestly prefer his thriller and drama work. The short story collection Different Seasons is a personal favorite (3/4 are movies now, one of which is the Shawshank Redemption!)
I know it’s a lot to say keep going with a series that you’re not vibing with, but I would really recommend giving the third book, The Wastelands, a try. King has spent the first two books setting up all the characters and now the real plot is going to get going. We also spend our time in Midworld and you get the experience more of that atmosphere and environment that DotT doesn’t really have because so much of it takes place on our world.
When it comes to Stephen King people either hate or love his writing. I really enjoy the Meta Level he's putting in most of his stories. I haven't gotten through the whole "Dark Tower"- Series, since it's seven books, but I will get there :) I think it's also important to mention, that in my opinion, his novels are way better than his short stories. I'm having a hard time with his short stories and if it was only those, I would never read him. But there are many amazing novels he wrote! The books I've read, really enjoyed and definitely recommend are: "IT" "Cell" "Lisey's Story" "Duma Key" "Sleeping Beauties" "The Institute" "Later" Sending love and creative vibes
for non horror i recommend sleeping beauties and fairy tale, i havent finished either because theyre super huge and im not good with books that huge my attention span sucks but i really enjoyed them before i quit them.
We must travel in separate circles, because I have never heard anyone say Drawing of the Three was their favorite Dark Tower book. I usually hear Wizard and Glass (book 4) as the favorite. For me, it's the last book, with some caveats
Leaving in that weird visual glitch near the beginning because obviously this video is haunted 😂 I can’t wait to nerd out about these stories with you in the comments! (Also no nightmares so far 🙏 send good vibes my way so I stay nightmare free 😅)
I would try The Green Mile and maybe Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption.
Yeah they’re outstanding, especially Rita Hayworth is a great recommendation because it is shortish 🥰
Though your videos can be quite entertaining to watch you look like a cat whore in the icon and the end of the video. (Doesn't matter if it was for the "thrill" of Halloween) The chevage is absolutely unnecessary and I personally find it extremely distasteful. I know you want more views, but I actually paused the video at the beginning to type out this message to you. After the other video I watch bringing something VERY important to the attention of the public in regards to YA books being more sexual then ever..... you go and do this. Right, Consider someone unsubscribing to you and your adolescent bullshit for views.
The thing about Stephen King is that once you finish the book you’ll probably rate it about 3 stars but you’ll keep thinking about the book and characters for a long time and then you’ll realize how good of a book it actually was and you’ll remember the characters and book so vividly from how good his writing is that you’ll end up changing your rating to 5stars haha!
Elizabeth let us breath 😭😭 The beat / fit in the thumbnail are so good I gasped!
Haha Halloween: the one day a year I will try anything new at all with my hair and makeup 😂
If ever you read classic King and wonder "What was that?!" It was cocaine.
me reading tommyknockers (i mean...i couldnt keep reading it but i might go back to it)
Hey hey hey hey hey…it may have just been an enormous quantity of booze.
@@Horrorbabe4 Tommyknockers is crazy underrated. I really don't understand the hate it gets. Yes, it's got some goofy stuff in it, but so does It and The Stand and lots of his other work and they are still (mostly) great.
@@kaboomzzz yeah i saw the tommyknockers hate on reddit. people were saying its his worst book! i definitely dont think its bad though! its just not a pageturner for me. ironically it was my introduction to good old stephen.
This was my first reaction when I finished The Gunslinger. It was strange and weird, like a dream. But book 2, The Drawing of the Three, was so much better.
I love that we all bowed down to a queen when we saw Elizabeth’s curly hair and cat costume ❤
Y’all are making me blush ☺️
I had to do a double take when I saw the thumbnail. I was very confused about when I started following Chappell Roan on RUclips 😅
This is so funny because the reason I curled my hair is my original costume was going to be Chappell Roan in one of her pink pony club performance outfits. But I didn’t finish my costume in time 😂❤️
Misery and the Shining I think you would like! They're both very winter-y spooky vibes so they would be great to read in the coming months... if you like more real-world horror, Misery is definitely the way to go. It's one of my favorites.
If you don't like the way that King writes a lot of his female characters (me neither), I would recommend avoiding Carrie... its use of period blood as a motif is questionable, and for a main character, Carrie just feels really half-baked. I know it's his first book and a classic that inspired so many good stories, but in my opinion his later works are worth a bit more of your time.
As I'm sure you've heard, IT has some really weird sex stuff and (in my opinion) really goes off the rails at the end lore-wise, but the audiobook is so well done, and the spooky fall vibes are really, really good. I would recommend the audiobook if you ever get around to reading IT. And the characters! Since we get to see the characters as kids growing up into adults, you can really get attached to them.
I love your videos! You did such a great job with this, and I love how you so concisely voiced all the reasons why I LOVE (and roll my eyes at) Stephen King.
Thank you so much for your recommendations! I'm so glad you enjoyed the video and that I was able to articulate my feelings about King's work in a way that resonated with you ❤️ I’ll definitely check these out! It is probably never going to be something I read, because I have a particular fear of clowns 😅 I’ve also heard so many wild things about It that make me want to back away slowly 😂
@PlantBasedBride I second reading Misery. I'm not a huge horror fan either but I absolutely loved this book, it's definitely anxiety-inducing (in a good way) of needing to know what will happen and how our main character will end up. Plus the winter settings are perfect for this time of year!
Not us going on a Stephen King binge at the same time 😍 I had only read Fairy Tale and enjoyed it, but my grandmother insisted that’s not “real King” and bought me more of his books. 😂 I’m still in the process of working through my stack but was so excited the second I saw your video title! Can’t wait to keep watching and hear your thoughts 🫶🏻
Your grandma sounds awesome 😂 love the perfect timing!!
Fairy Tale is King’s best book and it doesn’t really feel like his lol
@@KittyxKult Agree! My biggest problem with King's books is that they aren't even really scary so much as just really messed up. Fairy Tale was so completely different and enjoyable.
M-O-O-N that spells Tom Cullen! 😌
I listened to The Stand as an audiobook earlier on this year (my first every audiobook as well and was a whopping 40+ hours 😅) and I genuinely think about it still quite frequently, it was just incredible. I have only ever read one short story collection of Stephen King and it was a more recent one of Bizarre of Bad Dreams - you've definitely intrigued me with Night Shift that's for sure!
Really enjoyable video to keep me entertained on my nightshift, thank you!
Before I even started the video, my child-like glee when I saw the 1 hour 45 mins, long form content makes my old heart sing! thank you
Haha I love long videos, too! I hope you enjoy it 🥰
You absolutely have to read "Survivor Type" in Skeleton Crew! It's one of my favorite short stories ever! This is my first time seeing you on RUclips. Subbed!
My favourite King is non-horror King. The Body, Rita Hayworth and The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile which were all made into great movies.(The Body Is Stand By Me in film form). 11/22/63 is a great time travel, if you could change history would you novel. Mr Mercedes is good though the tv series may actually be even better.
I just started the video, but felt compelled to share my own Stephen King experience so far. I tried to start several novels of his in the past (Firestarter, Cell) and couldn't get into them. I saw an online recommendation by Daniel Greene that people who are new to King should start with either The Stand or Pet Semetary, and I read Pet Semetary in February of this year - and loved it! I am now willing to try more King.
So, Firestarter and Cell are normally considered two of his lesser books. But you can only go up from there.
You should definitely try 11/22/63, especially if you don't love horror as much!
The Stand was the first Stephen King Book I read waaaay back when I was 14. I finished it in 3 days during a week long school trip in autumn - while everyone but me and one or two of my classmates had a cold. Let's just say I was just the tiniest bit creeped out. But I loved the story and still do about 30 years later.
In case you decide to go on with the Dark Tower series, you may also want to read the following books, because they really tie in to the story at later points:
The Stand (which you obviously already did)
The Eyes of the Dragon
Salem's Lot
Hearts in Atlantis
Insomnia
There are even more of King's books connected to the Dark Tower universe in one way or another, but I think these are the most important ones.
Edit: I almost forgot two of my favorites - The Talisman and Black House, both written by Stephen King and Peter Straub.
Thank you for these recommendations! It’s interesting to see how many of his stories are connected. I feel like I need a mind map 😅 I’m honestly glad I didn’t read the stand at the start of the pandemic because I was already anxious enough as it is, and I think it would’ve not been good for my mental health 🫠
Oh please read The Talisman! I've read everything Stephen King has published and that one is my favourite. Even named my child after the main character. It's not perfect but is a wonderful story. I've probably read it 10 times by now.
@@PlantBasedBride There is a map!
Just google pictures for "Dark Tower extended universe" and you'll find that almost all of his (older) stories have at least a tiny connection - even if it's not obvious at first, it's still there.
Two thumbs up for The Talisman and Black House.
As a literatue student i just wanna say thank you. You're the only booktober i'm able to see and enjoy watching withouth clicking away rolling my eyes, and choses putting quality over quantity, so thank you for reading what you want to read and not whats popular or trending; thank you for the amaizing and cozy content.
Thank you, that’s so kind of you to say ❤️ I’m glad you find my content enjoyable and feel it’s worth investing your time in!
It’s so interesting hearing you talk about the gunslinger! I read the revised version and found it to be a quick and easy read that got me sooo into the rest of the series! I’ve now finished the entire dark tower series and really enjoyed it (despite not liking the ending, but it didn’t bother me too much since I loved the characters and their stories).
Just got to the second half commentary and so excited to see that you’re going to continue the series!
Wow - what an epic reading vlog!
Based on this, I am definitely more easily scared than you are, so I haven't read much Stephen King. I did mostly enjoy The Dark Tower, but didn't end up reading the rest of the series. My only recommendation is Mr Mercedes, which I did like and doesn't have anything supernatural in it, so may be one to try!
Honestly surprised you didn’t pick up rita hayworth and the shawshank redemption or the body. While both are not horror they’re def classics. Movies are alright too. I didn’t really like stand by me but shawshank was fantastic
Shawshank is amazing, but not really horror
I'm honestly impressed with how much of King's material that you covered in this video. I find your review to be insightful. I would recommend his short stories contained in 'Skeleton Crew', namely 'The Mist' and 'The Jaunt'. 'Word Processor of the Gods' is another favorite from that collection, along with 'Mrs. Todd's Shortcut'. I think you might really like 'The Jaunt'.
Elizabeth, first of all, THE HAIR! Girl. Gorgeous. Secondly, I’m so glad you gave King another chance! Bless the person who brought you those books-although they’re not what I would have recommended for an (almost) first time King reader. If you ever feel like reading another King doorstopper of a novel, I highly recommend Under The Dome. More suggestions: Carrie, Misery, The Shining (very big differences in the portrayal of Book Jack and Movie Jack), Pet Semetary, Rose Madder & Revival (this last one is a tough read in that it doesn’t really end on a high note, but I love the character exploration and the philosophical discussion greatly appeals to this fellow agnostic/atheist).
oh my god an almost 2 hr video!!! i’m so excited this is about to play in the background while i clean hahaha
I’m happy to keep you company while you get stuff done 🥰
You really made me want to read the Stand now, thank you so much! Maybe I'll try the short stories too :) the way you talk about books is so well articulated and interesting, you're truly one of my favorite channels out there! You're always honest, and it is evident how much passion and respect you have for literature!
Oh my gosh I was just rewatching your spooky rec/halloween videos thinking I wish you had a spooky video this year and you delivered!!!!!!
Oh yay I love that! I hope you enjoy this one 🥰
Elizabeth, thanks for the best thumbnail ever! Wow…Your cat costume with curls is so pretty! As for SK, I had my time with him in my youth with the Stand, Carrie, IT, etc. while I can’t go there anymore, it was interesting to get your take on some of his work. While I haven’t read the book, I think the Dolores Claiborne movie was really good. Thanks for the post Halloween fun, you are the best!👏🏽🎃👻🫣🎉
Ohhhhh what's funny is that I just finally roped a friend into reading the Dark Tower extended list, which is a list of 52 books/short stories that include the core Dark Tower series but also every book/story that has any reference, however small, to the DT themes, characters, location, plot, etc.
Your annotation video will be INVALUABLE to track everything for it because not only will we read and talk about the common threads but have a philosophical conversation about the stories.
I'm a huge King fan, though, and read my first of his books when I was 8. (WAY too young, but we were raised on a steady diet of King, VC Andrews, and Judy Blume back then lol.)
Even though I have an entire bookcase dedicated to his books and I'm feral when there’s a new release, The Stand (uncut version) is definitely one of my favorites. I hope you enjoy! 😊
Loved this! I read The Stand for my high school English paper on the theme of good vs evil back in 1993 and have read it again since then. My favourite King novel is IT, although it has one particular scene that hasn't aged well. I haven't read many of King's short stories and it sounds like I should. I did read the whole Dark Tower series a few years ago and then the Gunslinger again last year with a view to carrying on.
Maybe it's a controversial take, but I think that King's books aren't actually scary - they're usually just disgusting. I prefer psychological horror and he always focuses on gore/body horror and disturbing sexual themes.
He has interesting ideas that could be scary in theory. But practically, with his overwriting style, when something scary is finally happening, the next 50 pages of descriptions leave me bored out of my mind.
I agree. I’ve read Carrie and a chunk of the stand (in middle school when my bff BEGGED me to read it). Both experiences made me feel like King is just kind of a creep obsessed with kids having sex and a strong disgust for female bodies (not in an interesting way). I was pissed when I read Carrie this year (as part of a reading challenge: prompt “an author everyone but you has read”) because it COULD have been great if it was written but someone else 😂
I definitely found some of what I read for this video scary, but largely I would agree his work is not nearly as scary as I’d expected. Though again, I have only read a very small sampling despite how much I read for this video!
I was actually expecting even more disgusting content, especially because my only exposure to Stephen King before this video was seeing the movie the shining and reading the short story Survivor type. I was honestly a bit surprised how little gore/body horror content was in these books and stories! Even the weird sexual content, which was too plentiful for my taste, was not as frequent as I’d expected/been worried about. To me his strength is really in his characterization, which is why it bugs me so much that he seems to fall short when a character is a woman 🥲
@@PlantBasedBride Most female writers can't write convincing male characters either. King can't write women convincingly because he isn't a woman. He doesn't have a woman's experience of the world, so all he can do is interpret women from the outside. This is true for most authors.
@@GlynDwr-d4h lol..... incel spotted..... cry somewhere else
@@GlynDwr-d4h I disagree - I have read books written by many authors, whether they be men, women, or nonbinary, who can portray characters in a way that makes them feel complex and fully realized as human beings regardless of their gender.
Unrelated to the video but will there be a November bujo theme?
Elizabeth, I'm thrilled that you're giving King another chance, and that you enjoyed so much of what you read! He’s my all-time favorite, so… I have thoughts. :-D
I love supernatural stuff, but I totally understand your opinion on COTC. I too am far more scared by realistic horror (Saw, Hostel, etc.). As far as SK goes, I think “Gerald’s Game” is one of the scariest. It’s psychological, quite grounded in reality, and *terrifying*. I actually had to put that one down a few times. O_O
Sometimes Uncle Steve could write three books from what he puts into one, and every once in a while, I can’t quite suspend my disbelief enough to love a story. lol
The Gunslinger is problematic, for sure. SK has talked about it. The revised version is helpful, and the series gets much better! TDT is my favorite series of all time, but I very much relate to your confusion at Book #1! I will say that book 4 (Wizard and Glass) is probably the most beautiful of the series - there’s just a lot to love there, so I won’t write a book about it - but, that said, almost the entire book is a flashback to Roland’s youth. The *only* thing I don’t like about that book is that the journey to the Tower is stalled while this story is told. Otherwise, it’s fantastic.
Also, there are a handful of scenes in his works that left me (and many others) saying, “Why?” (“It” has one of the WORST), and most of them are “weird sex stuff”. I will say that it’s mostly in his early writing, when he was young and dealing with addiction.
Overall, I feel SK is worth the aches and pains. He really does have some beautiful writing, and I would love to recommend some of those! For example, I loved “Rose Madder” because it’s about a bunch of badass women!
The thing I tell people about King is that he writes quite a lot about *people*, and he makes you love them, and love to hate them. I love the way he writes people! He also writes plenty that isn’t true I horror; that’s just the label he carries.
Lastly, I love all your reviews here, but I think your review of The Stand is so spot-on and absolutely fair. I’m so glad you enjoyed it as much as you did!
I appreciate your insights! I am definitely curious about Rose Madder. I do think one of his greatest strengths (as far as I know so far!) is writing deeply flawed, complex characters. And you’re right; so many of them are easy to love, but just as many, if not more, are very easy to hate! Another commenter talked about feeling that King was working through what he perceived to be his own character flaws in his early writing, which is such an interesting perspective. I’m so glad you enjoyed the video as someone with a lot more experience with King’s work! ❤️
The Dark Tower is a tough one! You literally have to read the entire series to understand it. The first book took me fifteen tries but it is worthwhile to get through and I’ve read darn near every single book.
My recommendation for you for a beautifully written Stephen King book is Duma key!
I’m posting this before I’ve finished watching your video so I can’t wait to hear what you think of The Stand.
I truly appreciate how long your videos are and how thorough you are
I am also a redhead (it's tribal) and inveterate Constant Reader (iykyk, read the introductions!)--and old AF compared to you, probably 😂 if you truly love horror as a literary genre than you cannot give up on King. He writes in a different voice in almost every book and story, especially as he progressed. I'm gorked that you're a big horror fan but unaware of the HUGE number of Children of the Corn movies (very bad and not his story) and other existing screen adaptations of the other works you reviewed.
His endings are famously messy and/or disappointing btw 😂 seems you noticed that he really shines in shorter-form fiction, less time to get super weird at the end!
If you really like very well-written and engrossing alt-genre books, then read 11/22/63, the first of his novels to gain wide recognition as a "legitimate good book" and not just horror schlock. Alternatively, Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption or The Body (the novellas that the excellent films Shawshank Redemption and Stand By Me are based on).
First vid of yours I've seen, so forgive me if you've covered any of this ground before.
Fairytale by stephen king lives in my head rent free everyday. It is not a horror but a true fantasy novel. The Institute is another big favorite of mine that is just suspense and not horror.
Oo interesting, thank you for these recommendations ☺️ I was surprised by how much I enjoyed his non-horror stories!
Two of my absolute favorites. Good call.
Two excellent picks! Current King is FAR under-appreciated
I really think you would love Dolores Claiborne ; it's a story he wrote based on critiques around his female characters : it brings around my favorite female protagonist ever and is very based around human nature being frightful. I really, really think you'd love it please read it - loved the video and your channel :)
It’s been recommended so much in the comments of this video that I’m definitely going to be reading it! I hope I’m not getting my expectations too high 😂
Hi first time viewer here! So the first book in the Dark Tower series can be a little rough if you don’t really know what you are getting into.
1. All of Stephen King’s books are connected via the Dark Tower, some have stronger connections than others. It’s all one big Multiverse kind of deal. Some characters cross over between the Dark Tower and other books. Randal Flagg is a reoccurring villain in several books.
2. The Dark Tower is essentially a fantasy epic but there are other genres mixed in there. Like western with the way the Gunslinger is dressed and his trusted revolvers.
3. The first book in the series was originally published in parts in a magazine. Reading it feels rather choppy because it is several installments all smooshed together in one novel.
Knowing that going in makes the Dark Tower an easier read and it does get better going into book 2. I’ll be starting book 3 soon but hope this helps!
I first started my journey with Thinner written while Stephen was using his Richard Bachman persona. Cujo was my second book and lord what an ending don’t get too attached there.
Your hair in that thumbnail!!!! If only dying my hair wouldn’t fry it to hell I would 😭😂 you look stunning as always!
Thank you! It took ages to curl my hair and I burnt myself a few times but I loved it while it lasted 😂❤️
I just love the eloquent way Stephen King writes, especially in his later books. His stories are definitely strange and weird and sometimes he describes women in an icky way. However, I think we do need a writer in this century like him who explores these strange concepts and stories and weird dreamlike scenarios. I recently read his new book, You Like It Darker, another book of short stories and I appreciated that in his afterword he talks about the critique he’s received over his weird stories but how he kind of just goes with it in his way. I’m not explaining it well but definitely recommend reading that part haha
Love this video, glad you gave him another chance and found some things to enjoy! You mentioned the story about the brother genius and Stephen King's brother, hadn't read the story but I did read his memoir (on writing) and how you described the story does sound like the dynamic he had with his brother. His brother had a lot of schemes that he followed along with as a kid, even when they were dangerous. Also when you discussed the Schizophrenia vs. DID, you actually are correct that when Drawing of the Three was written (late 80s) definitions were different. When I was doing my psych grad work I had read in one of my texts that Schizophrenia became kind of a catch all diagnosis when things were less clear. It's been nearly 40 years since then and mental health is definitely better understood (thank goodness!) and less stigmatized than it used to be.
Excellent video, Elizabeth. As a King fan I loved to hear your thoughts. Second part, maybe? 🤡🩸🔪
I fell in love with King at age nine, when I first read It (yes, I was a morbid child), and have very find memories of reading The Stand in hardback on a chartered bus from Sweden to England when I was thirteen. King has a way of writing childhood through a lens that is both nostalgic and horrible, and I think that he has an understanding of what drives us as humans in terms of thoughts and motifs that are not brought to light that often.
I collected his novels for a very long time, but have only read a few of his short stories. For me, King's real horror stories are the ones where there are monsterous people instead of monsters or supernatural elements. I love The Long Walk, and I think you'd find it intriguing as well, and one of my absolute favorites are Rose Madder, which is way too underrated.
I’m so glad you gave King a second chance. He is my favorite author. I do think he shines in his non horror stories.
Best example of that is “11/22/63”or even “The long walk” or “the talisman”.
I think he’s written some of the best female characters in my opinion. I think “Liseys story” is my favorite. I’m reading “Holly” right now and she’s starting to really grow on me too.
Anyway I love your videos 💖
11/22/63 was a great book! And Holly is wonderful, I really enjoyed that story!
Talk about highs and lows. That's what most people seem to experience when they crack the cover of Nightmares and Dreamscapes. For story collections, I would instead recommend Skeleton Crew or Mr King's newest collection, You Like it Darker. Also the Novella collection Different Seasons is excellent.
Other favorites:
Under the Dome
Revival
The Institute
Needful Things
The Girl who Loved Tom Gordon (cuz you like baseball)
Fairy Tale (this one is not universally liked, but I personally loved it)
Excellent video. Enjoy your journey into the SK universe.
I just finished Needful Things the other day and I really enjoyed it! I don't really get why so many people hated it.
King always writes very character driven stories and that's what I love most about him. As far as The Dark Tower, I'm with you! I still haven't read farther in that series than this first book. Everyone says I will like the others more, so I wil eventually trudge on. His other novels, like The Stand, IT, and so many others are wonderful tho.
Yayyy! So glad you read more King; I love this man and his mixed bag so much, even though he’s given me a lot of night terrors and once a literal fever during a certain scene of Eyes of the Dragon. 🐲 🕷️ That outfit is great and hope you and the family had a lovely Halloween!
Oh wow, I had almost zero interest in reading Stephen King before now, but the way you discuss some of these stories makes me think they'll be right up my alley!! I love all the info you provide in your book reviews!!!
Oh awesome! I’m so glad my reviews are helpful 🥰 which ones are you interested in?
@@PlantBasedBride The boogeyman and the End of the Whole Mess especially - but the way you talk about all of Night Shift makes me want to pick it up!! Also all the stories you mentioned with body horror - I feel like when it's done right that is my favorite genre of horror!
@@TrinaHours if you like body horror you’ll probably also enjoy Gray Matter and I Am the Doorway (both in Night Shift)! Nightmares and Dreamscapes didn’t really have any body horror to speak of.
@@PlantBasedBride oh that makes me want to pick it up for sure! Thank you so much for recc, I know what I'm reading for next Halloween!
I had to listen to Dark Tower as an audio book while on a road trip with a friend. Being able to pause and talk about what the heck just happened helped a lot. It was the only way I could get through it. Also, the line " I don't like people. They F*$% me up" still hit's me so hard
I’m so glad you gave Stephen king another try, we have very similar tastes in books, and I’ve read It, The Shining, The Stand, and The Mist. Which isn’t much considered his work, but I enjoyed all of them! I read The Stand at the beginning of this year and it really felt like I lived in that world with how immersive and long it was. I also gave it four stars! I
think if I were to recommend something I’d want your opinion on The Shining and Misery.
I also work at a book store so I’m definitely going to check out Night shift. 🎈
The Shining is definitely on my list! I love the film. Misery has been recommended a few times, but I honestly know nothing about it, so I might have to check it out 👀
I hope you enjoy the stories in night shift if you pick it up! Obviously it was a bit hit or miss for me but there are some real gems in there and some of those stories I can see myself thinking about and coming back to many times for years to come!
GodDAMMIT I love The Dark Tower and I’m SO sad that no one on booktube ever talks about it. So I’m so excited that you’re reading it at all. Not me pumping my fist at my TV when you said you were gonna continue and read The Drawing of the Three and then going Noooooo when you didn’t like it 😭😭😭 it’s one of my faves in the series, but I think that’s an unpopular opinion. Most people seem to like book 3 the most, so maybe still give the next one a shot? The Dark Tower is an absolute fucking mess, it’s so bloated, it’s so unhinged, the world building just gets progressively more and more nuts, parts of it are really unsatisfying, and parts of it made me sob like a little baby. I just love all the characters so much and some of the imagery is just so imaginative and like psychedelic, idk how to explain it better. It’s my number one series that I can’t defend, but love with my whole silly little heart. I recommend reading through book 4 and then if you’re over it, you’re over it. But book 4 is where we get Roland’s backstory and without spoiling too much it’s like a slow burn tragic romance??? That’s another thing that I love so much about the series: all of the books have such different vibes from each other and I’ve never read anything like that before. Anyways I’ll shut up, I’ve just been waiting for a chance to yell about this series on the internet for awhile now haha
The scream I scrumpt
😂
I recently read Salems Lot for a book club and it was a complete chore. Nothing happens til the final 100 pages. It's just a tour throughout the town, each character (and there are a billion) has their own boring chapter. Why do I need a chapter that waxes poetically on how many trailers Larry has??? Is this gonna be important enough to commit to memory? Is this gonna be on the test??? No. It's a complete waste of time. 500 pages of meandering pedantic bullshit that had me begging for the vampires to just show up and kill every boring bastard in town. I was rooting for them all to die!
Carrie was pretty good, though. Short, sweet, and straight to the point. I won't be reading another long Steven King book in the forseeable future. Salem's Lot really pissed me off.
The books are great but boy you looked breathtaking and enchanting!!
Oh I’m a real one, I watched every minute of this 😂❤❤❤
Love when y’all enable these long ass videos 😂❤️❤️
Ma'am! Excuse you! Your hair PLUS everything else, I nearly fainted. And I can't believe I'm now interested in reading Stephen King lol! I'll have to add some of these short stories to my tbr now! Thank you once again for an entertaining and interesting vid.
It seems like you geared more towards the less horror stories. I recommend Misery, Dolores Claiborne, The Body, The Green Mile, Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption, 11/22/63. All but the last one have movie adaptions that are wonderful also. The last one is a series on Hulu and it has mixed reviews.
I’m obsessed with your videos ❣️❣️❣️ keep on!
I honestly have never read a book where weird sex stuff with kids made the story better, I wish they’d stop including this
Agreed 100%
Huge King fan here. Hopping on board to recommend Different Seasons and Misery...I think you'll like those. I do not think you'll like Dolores Claiborne or (potentially) Needful Things, even though I LOVED them, just because of knowing your tastes a bit. My all time favorite King book is "Salem's Lot". Fucking masterpiece.
Confession: I loved Battleground 😂 It was so different from anything I've ever read that it drew me in. I found it super entertaining.
Different seasons has great stories that are not frightening like the body and the Shawshank redemption!
The last rung on the ladder is also my favorite story in The night shift, it stayed with me for so long. I want to reread it now that I heard you talking about it
I’ve been thinking about it so much since reading it last week. It’s such a beautiful and heartbreaking story ❤️
The Gunslinger is the worst possible representation of the Dark Tower series, read a few pages of Drawing of the Three (#2) and you'll see that it's infinitely more readable and enjoyable. I had to read Gunslinger like three times before I could get up the give a F to start the rest of the books, and I should have just read the Cliffs Notes and moved on after the first time 😂 The series also serves as a kind of biography of the villain in The Stand, if you didn't know. The short and very lovely (yet brutal) novel The Eyes of the Dragon is another good look at the main baddie in the Stephen King Cinematic Universe, very fantasy/horror.
If you like anything about Hunger Games or other poorly-written YA dystopian stories, then read The Long Walk and The Running Man by King's alter-ego Richard Bachman for pretty much the same story but less painful to get through lol
The Stand is one of my favorite books, ever. Stephen King is one of my favorite authors; I am slowly working my way through all of his books. My favorite are The Stand, 11/22/63 (English teacher goes back in time to save JFK - not horror), the Mr. Mercedes trilogy (detective noir style), The Outsider (child sexual abuse/monster true crime horror), basically anything that has the character Holly Gibney in it (The Outsider, If it Bleeds, Holly), and Fairytale. It is well known that King struggles with his endings lol. He is definitely a character writer, if that makes sense. I leave a lot of his books thinking a lot about his characters and his portrayal of the human condition. I don't think he's really a horror writer, just a sci-fi/fantasy writer that happens to be good at writing horror situations. Hope you continue on your King journey!
Also a note on The Gunslinger - King wrote that very early in his career, I think even before writing Carrie. It was originally published in a magazine as periodical story, and was then stitched together later as a book. So it doesnt make a lot of sense, lol. I am still making my way through the whole series, but the rest of the books are very different, and more similar to Kong's normal writing style. The Dark Tower is my husband's favorite book series.
You look gorgeous (as always 💚) I think you'd love Dolores Claiborne. It explores misogyny, incest and other typical King themes but from a different perspective. It's sometimes heartbreaking in a good way and our protagonist is a woman. The audiobook is also nice.
Thank you! This book has been recommended so many times across the Internet and it’s been brought up in these comments a few times, so I think I may need to bump it up to the top of my list once I eventually feel ready to dive into Stephen King again!
Yes, definitely read Dolores Claiborne. It’s not a horror book and shows King’s versatility 🧡
Hi! Great video as always. I've never been interested in Stephen King cause I'm generally a scaredy-cat but I'm currently working my way through Dracula and your description of Jeruselum's Lot actually has me interested in it.
Quick question: Have you ever considered doing a library tour or is it a video that you might've already done for your patrons? I ask cause some of the book spines in your video background always draw my attention and I'd love to know what books they belong to. 😅
Edit: Checked out of curiosity and according to google the distinction between DID and Schizophrenia was made in 1994 while book 2 in the Dark Tower series was published in 1987 so the misrepresentation of the two might've come from the general populaces misunderstanding of it at that time.
Night Shift was one of my first adult fiction books I read as a kid (I was 10 or so, good times) and I still return to it every decade or so. In my most recent re-read as a graying older man who has has been pigheaded aplenty in my life, I realized just how many of the stories are deeply dealing with younger pigheaded men who should have listened to the people who loved them more. It actually irritated me to reread some later King stories where the pigheadedness was treated as a feature not a bug but at the time of Night Shift I feel like he was trying to work through the horror of being a failing adult trying to deal with a lot of things and relationships. Pet Semetary is likely the culmination of dealing with that vibe until he got older and returned to it more.
This is such an interesting perspective! Thank you for sharing it. It does often seem that he’s working through his own flaws and demons through his stories.
Also you make me wanna dye my hair again your hair is sooooo pretty
Aw thank you! It’s a hassle to maintain but I love being a ginger so it’s worth it to me 😂❤️
I was really nervous to start The Shining, as I was worried it was going to give me nightmares too, but I took my time with it, never read it at night, and did enjoy it. The reason I read it was because I heard such good things about the followup, Doctor Sleep, which I didn't find freaky at all, more suspense than horror. ❤ I think Stephen King is an author I will read selectively and enjoy, rather than being an author I would binge-read. Enjoyed The Shining, but was relieved to reach the end after the last 1/4 of the book, but Doctor Sleep was satisfying to read, felt very just and right when I got to the end, and felt that the continuance of the main character's story was done perfectly.
Of all the Dark Tower novels, I think my favorite are The Waste Lands and Wizard and Glass. That's when I feel like the ka-tet is at their strongest and most united, and their strengths as individuals get to be shown the most as well. Everything after that feels very down hill for anyone whose major stake in the books is those characters as individuals and as a group that care for each other.
I think you would have enjoyed the abridged version of The Stand more than the unabridged version where King's vision was on full display, in a good way and a bad way. One of my favorite King stories is the novella, The Langoliers. It is a fascinating step into the paranormal. Has a lot to say about time.
Thank you for this spooky vibe video that accompanied me while working. I've read a lot of king and enjoyed them except Fairy tales, but I haven't read any if this video 😅
1:26:10 That's where he was hitting a wall with the story. He got all the characters in Colorado and Vegas, but what do with them? Meetings, ordinances, nominations. Then Harolds dynamite changed everything!
1:28:00 AGREED! SK is definitely guilty of shoe-horning in the sexuality sometimes! The Kid is maddening after a bit: "you like that Happy Crappy?"
1:29:10 like the tractor trailer pile up in Ohio. The traveling "zoo."
1:25:25 If you go back and re-read The Stand(which I have read about 15-20 times) the character of Fran is one of his more poorly written characters. He struggled somewhat in general with female characters, but he did get better as time went on. I've read all of his books. He's a spinster, but also somewhat formulated. He even said he's the Mikey D's of writing; eaisly digestable.
This thumbnail is 🔥🔥🔥🔥 and to read close to 3000 page! You work hard for us. 🙏🏾
Haha thank you! It was a lot of work but I (mostly) enjoyed it 😂
The only thing I’ve read from King is The Dead Zone and I remember nothing from it 😂 but I’ve tried to read The Stand several times and I think it’s the length that keeps holding me back. I’ve kind of given up on reading King but now I’m thinking of picking up Night Shift and reading your favorite stories from it. Also, the lighting, the makeup, the hair, the costume: LOVE! 🤴
I really like the dark tower series, its the messiest thing I think Stephan King has though. Each book feels like it belongs to a different genre, and the final books start to have a meta narrative about storytelling and our relationship to stories. I found the first half of book one a slog, and the second half a lot more engaging. Book two, the drawing of the three, I absolutely loved. All of your criticisms of the racial aspects are absolutely true, and I understand how the book feels to have a "stuck" quality to it. But I liked how the narrative flows, because Roland knows that these people have to be his allies if he is to succeed. The ticking time bomb of Rolands infection and the three's personal problems that have to be resolved before they join him made the whole book feel like it was at a dead, desperate sprint to the finish line.
I think book three is an interesting book, and has a very memorable unorthodox character in the form of Blane. I think some of the elements you were uncomfortable about are still here though, and those weird sexual elements persist to book four as well. But I think book three will have a much clearer "marching to our destination" feeling you say you wanted from book two.
This is my first time seeing your videos, so I'm not sure if you decided to visit Dark Tower again or not. I hope you do! I really like the books quite a bit, and I like Roland's relationship with the characters and how they develop. They really feel like a close knit party by the end of the series.
he has sooooo many books, mostly good or great, that there is something for everyone. kudos for digging into his early 70s/80s work first. im guessing you'd like him more as a writer with his newer material (with your issues of his writing/issues). The Green Mile is my favorite. He has a sweet side, and. character is always first in his stories.
Keep going on the Dark Tower. It gets so much better!
Without spoiling anything: the stand and the dark tower are related. The stand is somewhat of a prequel to it. Randall flagg is crucial to the dark tower
Your hair is BOMB ASFF! 😍😍
Dolan's Cadillac from Nightmares & Dreamscapes. What do you think of The Stand expanded edition? I think It and The Shining are ..... even for me. Yes, tall corn IS menacing, wth!
Have you read Misery, Dolores Claiborne or Pet Sematary?
Nope! I’ve only read what was featured in this video and the short story Survivor Type last year ☺️ I’ve heard of all three of these but wasn’t sure if they’d be to my taste!
I think they’d be more to your taste than some of the other ones 😅 King’s work is very heterogenous I think 😄
Hi! I highly recommend his novellas more than his novels. I've read and dnf'd a lot of his works, but I highly recommend his novellas: Different Seasons, and his writings under his pen name Richard Bachman: The Long Walk, The Running Man etc. I also enjoyed The Green Mile and the series 112263, as many others have already commented above.
The only book of his Iv read was the institute and goddd was I bored. I guessed the outcome in chapter 3 and just left me feeling numb to the rest of the story. But this video gave me hope, I still have a large list of King books I want to try and I guess I should go try him out again
MY favorite book by him was The Long Walk. Such an interesting concept.
The thumbnail slayed!
Haha thank you! 🥰
Good collection of stories
i think it's so hard to explain king. he's my favorite author, the one i've read the most, but i recently tried to do a ranking of it and i realized that i actually have just as much misses as i've had hits with him? the thing is that his lows are really low but his highs are just so high to me... some things that work in some books dont work in others and the point where he was in life usually tells me how i'm gonna feel about the book, so i tend to skip the books at the height of his addiction after i read IT and hated it for, yes, weird kid sex stuff. but he's been around for so long and has such a vast catalogue that i know i can always come back to him and find something i'll instantly have as favorite. as for my recs: different seasons (my favorite short story collection which includes shawshank redemption and the body), the eyes of the dragon (for more flagg content) and under the dome (the ending might - probably will - put you off but the first half was so so good i just didn't care though i wished it was different)
It’s so interesting to hear this emerge as a common theme - though I suppose such a prolific writer over such a long period of time, especially one playing with genre and dark themes, would easily be hit or miss for people! I’m definitely looking forward to trying more of his work, though it will be a little while before I dive in again 😂
I read it a long time ago but I remember liking Heart in Atlantis, not horror at all if I remember correctly. It's one of his collection but more novella types than short stories.
It’s been a while since I read (listened) to dark tower but it’s a fascinating series. It’s pretty much all of King’s ideas and tropes in a blender, it even becomes about being exactly that. It’s not always good because king is pretty hit or miss, but it’s super interesting imo.
This makes me more intrigued to continue on in the series and just gird my loins for the misses 😂
his oldest books are his best. including short stories. Different seasons is another worth picking up as it has The body (Stand by me), Shawshank Redemption, Apt Pupil (another movie) and The Sun DOg (the only story NOT to be made a movie in the book).
Also the bachman books.
1:06:24 Your hair😍😍
🥰
My first Stephen King book was Fairytale, and I really liked it. I want to read Dark Tower.
As well known as Stephen King is for his horror, I honestly prefer his thriller and drama work. The short story collection Different Seasons is a personal favorite (3/4 are movies now, one of which is the Shawshank Redemption!)
I know it’s a lot to say keep going with a series that you’re not vibing with, but I would really recommend giving the third book, The Wastelands, a try. King has spent the first two books setting up all the characters and now the real plot is going to get going. We also spend our time in Midworld and you get the experience more of that atmosphere and environment that DotT doesn’t really have because so much of it takes place on our world.
When it comes to Stephen King people either hate or love his writing. I really enjoy the Meta Level he's putting in most of his stories. I haven't gotten through the whole "Dark Tower"- Series, since it's seven books, but I will get there :) I think it's also important to mention, that in my opinion, his novels are way better than his short stories. I'm having a hard time with his short stories and if it was only those, I would never read him. But there are many amazing novels he wrote!
The books I've read, really enjoyed and definitely recommend are:
"IT"
"Cell"
"Lisey's Story"
"Duma Key"
"Sleeping Beauties"
"The Institute"
"Later"
Sending love and creative vibes
I love how even when his characters "win" they're often left with emotional and or physical scars. There are no 100 percent happy endings.
I want to recommend Mr. Mercedes it's the first of a trilogy that King wrote a while back, and it's really good.
I feel like Chappel Roan would very much appreciate your costume
My original costume was going to be Chappell Roan which is why I curled my hair! I didn’t finish my costume in time 😂
for non horror i recommend sleeping beauties and fairy tale, i havent finished either because theyre super huge and im not good with books that huge my attention span sucks but i really enjoyed them before i quit them.
We must travel in separate circles, because I have never heard anyone say Drawing of the Three was their favorite Dark Tower book. I usually hear Wizard and Glass (book 4) as the favorite. For me, it's the last book, with some caveats
I remember liking The Dead Zone when I read it. From what I can recall it's not scary at all, and it's not very long.