Book special: Stephen King's 10 most UNDERRATED books - a *spoiler free* ranking!

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  • Опубликовано: 20 янв 2025

Комментарии • 133

  • @jennifertomaiolo
    @jennifertomaiolo 11 месяцев назад +17

    I'm a Duma Key evangelist! My favorite underrated King novel. I recently read From a a Buick 8 and Christine (I thought I had read all his novels... I love how if you dig deeper, there's probably another King to read) - nice thematic connections, excellent stories - cars are evil. Christine was better than I expected.

    • @Dylan13Collins
      @Dylan13Collins 11 месяцев назад +1

      This is my second favorite novel of his behind IT (not including the tower). Absolutely incredible!

    • @DaveReadsKing
      @DaveReadsKing  11 месяцев назад

      Nice!

  • @kellykaiser7669
    @kellykaiser7669 11 месяцев назад +8

    My coworker who has read all of Stephen King’s works loves Duma Key, it’s her favorite book. I read it while vacationing in Florida and it’s so good!

  • @annstoeckl8876
    @annstoeckl8876 11 месяцев назад +9

    I subscribed because you choose Rose Madder #1. It's criminally overlooked.

    • @DaveReadsKing
      @DaveReadsKing  11 месяцев назад

      For sure! Thanks for subscribing!

  • @scatsandwich38
    @scatsandwich38 3 месяца назад +3

    Thanks for loving on Duma Key. Love that book and no one talks about it. Such great writing on pain, loss, grief, and disapontments in life. Great characters too as always.

  • @jenner666
    @jenner666 2 месяца назад +3

    I love that you included Insomnia, From a Buick 8 and Duma Key. I'd put Revival in there too. I see a lot of ppl hating on it, but i thought it was a fun read.

    • @DaveReadsKing
      @DaveReadsKing  2 месяца назад +1

      I would back the inclusion of Revival too - a cracking book!

  • @jonnie7891
    @jonnie7891 11 месяцев назад +3

    Agreed Duma Key is a sleeper hit and for some strange reason people sleep on King’s short stories. I would argue he is one of the greatest modern short story writers of all time. His short story collections are top tier.

  • @erinyokley
    @erinyokley 11 месяцев назад +5

    Great list 😁 I just stated reading Insomnia, it deserves so much more love, it is so underrated
    And Rose Madder is one of my favorite King books. Rose Madder is the first King book I read.

  • @BookishDrummer
    @BookishDrummer 11 месяцев назад +2

    completely agree with you about the dead zone, my all time favorite king book!

  • @nigelmilner1514
    @nigelmilner1514 11 месяцев назад +2

    Love this list, think it's your most complete clip ive agreed with. Buick 8 seems ti get so much hate, its a great fun read!! Only one I might add is The Outsider, a superb read, the amount of people who haven't read it boggles my tiny mind

  • @matthewmedley8532
    @matthewmedley8532 11 месяцев назад +3

    Great list. Agree about Dolores Claiborne. One of my favourite kings. I’ll give from a Buick 8 a read also. Good video.

  • @christinedarrock8486
    @christinedarrock8486 11 месяцев назад +2

    I totally agree with your picks. I love them all!

  • @gruffyddwilliams7633
    @gruffyddwilliams7633 2 месяца назад +1

    I’d never heard of rose madder til I bought it in a shop for like £2, I took it on holiday with me. And when I remember that holiday I mainly think about me poring over that book. It’s so good and I’m glad you chose it for number 1.

  • @FCSchaefer
    @FCSchaefer 4 месяца назад +2

    You have instant credibility by including Duma Key and From a Buick 8 on your list.

  • @yodaeatsporgs7997
    @yodaeatsporgs7997 11 месяцев назад +8

    Top 5 underrated sk books (in my opinion)
    1-Blaze-in my top 5 favorite king books good stuff
    2-Desperation-Awesome setting and a terrific bad guy
    3-End Of Watch-I love his crime books and honestly this one gets too much hate
    4-The Institute-One of his most entertaining and least talked about books
    5-Christine-I feel like a lot of people forget about this one but I really loved it

    • @storiedworlds6261
      @storiedworlds6261 11 месяцев назад +4

      Blaze is great and definitely overlooked.

    • @geritisdale-brock7247
      @geritisdale-brock7247 11 месяцев назад +1

      The Institute was actually the book that got me back into reading while I had to quarantine in 2020. Once I finished it, I wanted to immediately reread it.

    • @DaveReadsKing
      @DaveReadsKing  11 месяцев назад +1

      That’s a pretty good list!

  • @yamilrojas4910
    @yamilrojas4910 7 месяцев назад +2

    Great video! Another fun one would be same idea, but with short stories. There are a lot of hidden gems. Saludos desde Argentina!

  • @eliasisthegreatest
    @eliasisthegreatest 11 месяцев назад +2

    Thank you for this video! I always appreciate your content. The only one of these I’ve read is the Dead Zone and I loved it. I’ve read a few Stephen King books that everyone raved about that I thought were good but not amazing. The only one aside from Dead Zone that I would say is underrated is Song of Susanna. Going into I was expecting something terrible but I actually really enjoyed it. I also had a possible video idea for you. Stephen King books with mind blowing or just extremely dark plot twists. Or possibly endings that caught you off guard. The Long Walk for me had a very unsettling ending.

    • @DaveReadsKing
      @DaveReadsKing  11 месяцев назад

      Oh, that’s a cool idea - spoilers aplenty though! 😂

  • @fassin666
    @fassin666 3 месяца назад +2

    I love Duma Key

  • @kellywalker9827
    @kellywalker9827 6 месяцев назад +1

    Rose Madder, I've read dozens of Kings books and I didn't know that this book even existed until a week ago. I will be reading it soon. Thanks

  • @StewartyMac
    @StewartyMac 11 месяцев назад +2

    Here's my list
    1. Song of Susannah
    2. The Dark Half
    3. Rose Madder
    4. Duma Key
    5. Full Dark, No Stars
    6. The Outsider
    7. The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon
    8. The Langoliers (Was released as a standalone, so I'm including it, can't believe it wasn't on your list, lol)
    9. If it Bleeds
    10. The Dead Zone

    • @DaveReadsKing
      @DaveReadsKing  11 месяцев назад

      Yes to all of these!
      Except the Langoliers 😂

  • @But.Must.I
    @But.Must.I 9 месяцев назад +1

    The absolute best part of this video is Dave struggling with saying the dates the books were published, when he went to check the date inside one of them really made me laugh.
    Absolutely agree with your No 1 pick by the way, it’s a fantastic and terrifying book that really left me shaken by the end.
    I believe for similar reasons Bag of Bones deserves a place on a list of underrated King books, I thought it was fantastic and rarely see it referenced.

    • @DaveReadsKing
      @DaveReadsKing  9 месяцев назад +1

      Bag of Bones was very close to making the list!

  • @littleaussierippa
    @littleaussierippa 7 месяцев назад +1

    Great list Dave. I'd include The Dark Half, Christine, The Talisman, Black House and The Eyes Of The Dragon as well. As an idea for a future video, would you consider doing a list of what you think are some of King's darkest tales?

    • @DaveReadsKing
      @DaveReadsKing  6 месяцев назад

      Darkest as in scariest? I did have something like that in mind for Halloween this year!

  • @Kite562reviews
    @Kite562reviews 11 месяцев назад +2

    I can't think of 10 however, I can think of 4 underrated Stephen King books.
    1. The Dark Half(a wonderful experience)
    2. Four Past Midnight(langoliers, secret window, secret garden, library policeman mostly)
    3. Different seasons(just a memorable collection of novellas in my opinion)
    4. The Stand(complete and uncut edition) it was just really intriguing to me seeing all these different people act and deal with this mysterious outbreak of a super flu strain.

    • @DaveReadsKing
      @DaveReadsKing  11 месяцев назад

      I like these choices, although I wouldn’t class The Stand as underrated - overrated maybe 😉

  • @cohuirblox7145
    @cohuirblox7145 6 месяцев назад +3

    My top 10 most underrated
    10. Dolores Claiborne
    9.Bag of bones
    8.from a buick 8
    7. Gerald's Game
    6.Fairy Take
    5.Goes to the movies
    4.Roadwork
    3. The Institute
    2.Later
    The most underrated Stephen king book
    1. Duma Key

  • @abo8158
    @abo8158 4 месяца назад +1

    My mind went straight to Rose Madder when I saw the title of this video, and I’m glad to see we agree!

  • @vanierpatrick8178
    @vanierpatrick8178 11 месяцев назад +1

    Bravo always Good Dave. For me, the underrared book of Stephen king is the Regulators. Not too much people talk about this book but its awesome . Your top ten is great .

  • @superkamigurualucardmckee6181
    @superkamigurualucardmckee6181 11 месяцев назад +2

    The Regulators! As weird as it sounds I find it so good. Personal opinion but the story is so unique and good I feel like it's underrated...

    • @DaveReadsKing
      @DaveReadsKing  11 месяцев назад +1

      It was definitely close to making my list!

    • @superkamigurualucardmckee6181
      @superkamigurualucardmckee6181 11 месяцев назад +1

      @@DaveReadsKing Yeah I could see that! I mean both Desperation and The Regulators are two of my favorites. Everyone is different, and I've read 30 of his so far but those 2 still just stick out for me as both ones I really loved!

  • @AlfredoRichner
    @AlfredoRichner 11 месяцев назад +1

    I love this list, it's perfectly balanced and well thought out. Rose Madder was my first King book back when I was in high school (I think because it was his most recent paperback and the pink foil cover called to me). I absolutely loved Hearts in Atlantis and am looking forward to From a Buick 8 and Duma Key, after I finish The Dark Tower series.

    • @AlfredoRichner
      @AlfredoRichner 11 месяцев назад +1

      As to which books I'd put on my list, I think Black House (I know you loathe this one, lol, but it chilled me to the bone as I was reading it for some reason), Revival, and Doctor Sleep are three solid, fairly recent ones that don't get enough praise.

    • @DaveReadsKing
      @DaveReadsKing  11 месяцев назад

      Nice!

    • @DaveReadsKing
      @DaveReadsKing  11 месяцев назад

      I would agree - despite my thoughts on Black House 😂

  • @michaelleuchtenberger434
    @michaelleuchtenberger434 11 месяцев назад +1

    This is a great list! Totally agree about Rose Madder, Just after sunset, Duma Key and Insomnia (currently listening to the audiobook narrated by Eli Wallach). High on my list would be Wind Through The Keyhole, which I prefer to several of the original 7 Dark Tower books.

    • @DaveReadsKing
      @DaveReadsKing  11 месяцев назад

      Thanks! Wind Through the Keyhole never did it for me, but I can see why it would work for lots of constant readers!

  • @CliffsDarkGems
    @CliffsDarkGems 11 месяцев назад +2

    Excellent list! Totally agree with Dolores Claireborne and Rose Madder, two fantastic Stephen King novels. I would add The Talisman, people hate on it for its fantasy elements, I think it is a wonderful novel. Same can be said of Eyes of the Dragon, it is an excellent fantasy/ ya horror, that people write off because it is not typical King.

    • @DaveReadsKing
      @DaveReadsKing  11 месяцев назад +1

      EOTD is a good shout. As for The Talisman, that’s one of my least favourite King books so it was never making my list here 😂

    • @CliffsDarkGems
      @CliffsDarkGems 11 месяцев назад +1

      That's ok man 😂I think it's because high fantasy was my first love as a reader. I also really enjoy Peter Straub and I thought they made a great team.@@DaveReadsKing​

  • @Israel-qs9ig
    @Israel-qs9ig 11 месяцев назад +1

    Yes bro you did it lol I been waiting

    • @DaveReadsKing
      @DaveReadsKing  11 месяцев назад +1

      Enjoy!

    • @Israel-qs9ig
      @Israel-qs9ig 11 месяцев назад +1

      Indeed and I also agree with you about the dead zone I feel that this book should be a most read book of king just like the shining, it , Salems lot, the dark tower books

  • @chrisbronico3667
    @chrisbronico3667 3 месяца назад +2

    I think some of his underrated books are Desperation, Joyland, Needful Things, Cujo, Duma Key, The Institute, and Full Dark No Stars.

  • @jasonhansen8673
    @jasonhansen8673 11 месяцев назад +1

    From a Buick 8 is in my top 5 King books, definitely underrated. Great selections. I found Duma Key a challenge, but the audiobook made it easier.

    • @DaveReadsKing
      @DaveReadsKing  11 месяцев назад

      Nice! Whatever gets you over the line!

  • @geritisdale-brock7247
    @geritisdale-brock7247 11 месяцев назад +2

    Of these 10, Insomnia is the only one I've read (i got back into reading in 2020), and I definitely agree that its underrated.

    • @DaveReadsKing
      @DaveReadsKing  11 месяцев назад +1

      Yes! If you dig insomnia, I think you’ll enjoy the others mentioned here

  • @BookishDrummer
    @BookishDrummer 11 месяцев назад +1

    I agree with most of your picks, but some other books I think are underrated are Roadwork (very unpopular), Blaze, Colorado Kid, If It Bleeds, Finders Keepers, The Regulators, Song of Susannah

    • @DaveReadsKing
      @DaveReadsKing  11 месяцев назад +1

      Blaze and Colorado Kid were close to making my list…Roadwork less so 😂

  • @BookishDrummer
    @BookishDrummer 11 месяцев назад +1

    Just After Sunset is my second fav short story collection other than night shift

    • @DaveReadsKing
      @DaveReadsKing  11 месяцев назад +1

      It’s such a good collection - I think I prefer Everything’s Eventual, but it’s very close

  • @BookishDrummer
    @BookishDrummer 11 месяцев назад +2

    Duma Key is excellent, and yes the people who read it love, but not many people have actually read it

    • @DaveReadsKing
      @DaveReadsKing  11 месяцев назад +1

      Totally agree - that needs to change! I’d even take a middling movie adaptation if it got more people reading the novel

    • @BookishDrummer
      @BookishDrummer 11 месяцев назад +1

      @@DaveReadsKing I think it would make a great mini series like 5-6 episodes

  • @matthewmedley8532
    @matthewmedley8532 11 месяцев назад +1

    I’ll have to reread rose madder. Very good.

  • @victorpavymusic
    @victorpavymusic 11 месяцев назад +1

    I do have some kings books dear to my heart that doesn’t get that much love from what I see in the media or on people tier rankings videos on RUclips.
    1. Firestarter: surrounded by so many 80s classics Firestarter is often overlooked but being a father of a young girl I was really hooked on Charlie and Andy relationship and was invested all the way in the parts of the book when they are running away to escape The Shop.
    2. Gerald’s Game: I don’t see this book gets enough interest yet I think how King turned a pretty mundane kinky game into a survivor story in a bedroom is a masterstroke. How we get inside Jessie psyche and our journey to its core and the events of eclipse makes her my favourite King character.
    3. Doctor Sleep: a sequel can most time be overlooked and this is a sequel to The Shining. Talk about a overshadowing cultural phenomenon. Yet Doctor Sleep is a very solid sequel. One of its best feature is turning the iconic Danny that was for so long engrave in our collective brain as Kubrick’s actor Danny Lloyd into a very believable full fleshed and moving adult.
    4. Needful Things: King’s humour is too often overlooked. The playfulness of this novel is pure joy to read. And you can tell it was a joy for King to write. Because it doesn’t have the gravitas and heavy themes of other novels and its first and foremost fun, Needful Things is not enough praised unfortunately.

  • @angelaholmes8888
    @angelaholmes8888 11 месяцев назад +1

    Totally agree with you about Dolores Claiborne and the dead zone and insomnia I absolutely enjoyed these books especially Dolores Claiborne it's one of my favorite Stephen king books

  • @tdrdavies2
    @tdrdavies2 11 месяцев назад +2

    great video, thanks.
    I think I would consider these also - Full Dark, No Stars; Wind Through the Keyhole; Roadwork; and Joyland.
    Are you going to do an overrated video, or is that perhaps too negative?

    • @DaveReadsKing
      @DaveReadsKing  11 месяцев назад

      I could definitely look into an overrated one, sure!

  • @aofenix5961
    @aofenix5961 4 месяца назад +1

    I've Done themAll, A few times. Christine, Tommyknockers, Insomnia, Duma Key, Revival, Desperation, Finder's Keepers, Later, The Bazaar of Bad Dreams, Dreamcatcher. "Wear it Backwards Bruce" -Beav

  • @jamesphelan7556
    @jamesphelan7556 11 месяцев назад +1

    I've always thought that The Colorado Kid is underrated. People generally tend to crap on it because of the ending but I loved every moment of this book and thought the ending worked perfectly.

  • @francissookraj3202
    @francissookraj3202 11 месяцев назад +1

    Interesting collection of Underated books by Stephen King. Duma Keys is a good book and lot of people have forgotten about that one. I think it will make a good movie. I do like his short stories collection After Sunset and Hearts of Atlantis and Everything eventual all brilliant
    You left out Full dark, no stars, that has some really good but very dark stories. Check that one out. It's brill.
    Good show, Dave. I bet you're looking for to his new collection out in May, You like it darker. I am.

    • @DaveReadsKing
      @DaveReadsKing  11 месяцев назад

      Full Dark was close to making my list. And yes, definitely excited for the new collection!

  • @BookishDrummer
    @BookishDrummer 11 месяцев назад +1

    everyone i've recommended dolores claiborne to seem to love it and i very much agree! more people need to read it

  • @josephspratling3511
    @josephspratling3511 5 месяцев назад +1

    I am a car guy and I really enjoyed Christine I see alot of book tubers that dont really care for it. I really enjoyed the car chase scenes and the villain was quite dispicable. Also seeing Arnie slowly change into the villain was terrifying. Also when Dennis finally confronted Lebay who possessing Arnie was so intense. I also love the 70s highschool setting seeing kids with no cell phones switch blades and bullies all that good stuff.

    • @DaveReadsKing
      @DaveReadsKing  5 месяцев назад

      Some great points here, thanks! Although if switch blades and bullies at school are your idea of the ‘good stuff’ just promise me you won’t become a head teacher 😂😂

  • @jaredschwartz1461
    @jaredschwartz1461 11 месяцев назад +1

    Maybe not a number 1 for me, but I really enjoyed Roadwork. The party, mafia ties, and inevitable climax kept me engaged.
    Also, maybe the only two reasons to watch the Langoliers are David Morse and free streaming 😬

    • @DaveReadsKing
      @DaveReadsKing  11 месяцев назад

      Interesting! Roadwork did not do it for me, but a few people on here have commented how much they like it 👍

  • @blackcatseye22
    @blackcatseye22 10 месяцев назад +1

    The Dead Zone and Duma Key is definitely on my list.

    • @DaveReadsKing
      @DaveReadsKing  10 месяцев назад +1

      Excellent - you won’t regret checking them out!

  • @tommymarx391
    @tommymarx391 2 месяца назад +1

    I'm going to have to disagree with you regarding "The Dead Zone". Not only was the book made into one of King's better movies, it was also a well-received television series in the early 2000s that lasted six seasons. As someone who started with King almost from the beginning, "Dead Zone" was a continuation of his amazing early streak in iconic books.
    I'm one of those people that preach about "Duma Key", LOL, but I completely agree that it is far too underrated. One of my favorites.
    When I saw the title of this video, I immediately thought of "Rose Madder". I think that is one of his best books, and yeah, I think it is totally underrated!

    • @DaveReadsKing
      @DaveReadsKing  2 месяца назад

      I agree with Dead Zone being amazing but I still thinks it goes under the radar today. Duma and Rose Madder are definitely underrated though, for sure

  • @cohuirblox7145
    @cohuirblox7145 6 месяцев назад +2

    do a top 10 Stephen king novels that need adaptations

    • @DaveReadsKing
      @DaveReadsKing  6 месяцев назад

      Already got you covered ruclips.net/video/qbxCFcyXHdM/видео.htmlsi=OxNcJoeyhNhEWHQ_

  • @angelaholmes8888
    @angelaholmes8888 11 месяцев назад +3

    Here's my picks
    Black house
    The talisman
    Full dark no stars
    Eyes of the dragon
    Revival
    The long walk

    • @DaveReadsKing
      @DaveReadsKing  11 месяцев назад +1

      The Long Walk is a good shout!

  • @BookishDrummer
    @BookishDrummer 11 месяцев назад +1

    I did this video a while ago, so let's see if our lists are similar!

  • @douglasbunch3313
    @douglasbunch3313 11 месяцев назад +3

    Video idea to screenshot: half the time I mention a SK book, people immediately respond with “I don’t like horror.” I don’t see him as a horror author. He’s a character author who often uses the supernatural as an undertone to drive the story. Yes, there are true horror novels, but even then it’s subjective. Example: I see IT as an amazing character study and coming of age story, not straight horror

    • @DaveReadsKing
      @DaveReadsKing  11 месяцев назад

      So just to check, is your idea a list of King books for people who don’t like horror?

    • @douglasbunch3313
      @douglasbunch3313 11 месяцев назад +1

      @@DaveReadsKing 100%. He’s no longer longer a horror author. He just uses the undertones to drive the characters

  • @Maximus0623
    @Maximus0623 7 месяцев назад +2

    I realize I’m in the minority, but I think a lot of his newer books are underrated. I thought Fairytale, The Outsider and the Institute were all really good. Whenever I see King top 10 lists, 11/22/63 is the only relatively newer book consistently making those lists. It’s almost always that and 20th century books in the top 10. While I like his old stuff too, I think he’s still writing great books. I definitely appreciate the newer books more than most constant readers.

    • @DaveReadsKing
      @DaveReadsKing  7 месяцев назад

      I think you probably are in a minority there, but that’s fine - own it! For me, 11/22/63 is the high water mark since 2000, with Lisey’s Story and Duma Key close behind. The Outsider’s first half I thought was fantastic, and I think Billy Summers doesn’t get enough praise either. I won’t mention Fairy Tale though - genuinely my least favourite King book ever 😅😅

    • @Maximus0623
      @Maximus0623 7 месяцев назад +1

      @@DaveReadsKing I agree on 11/22/63. It’s actually my favorite King book, and one of my top 5 favorite books ever. I think it’s a true masterpiece. I still need to read Lisey’s Story and Duma Key. I’ve only gotten into King recently, and have read about 25 of his books. So I still have a lot to go. But I’m planning to read them all because he’s quickly become my favorite author.

  • @sephirothii13
    @sephirothii13 11 месяцев назад +1

    I really feel his book "On Writing" isn't talked about enough as a really good book on the craft of writing in general

    • @DaveReadsKing
      @DaveReadsKing  11 месяцев назад

      Interesting! I’ve never seen it as underrated as literally every person whose writing I admire that I’ve met IRL has it on their shelves, but I could just be lucky in that respect!

  • @storiedworlds6261
    @storiedworlds6261 11 месяцев назад +2

    I never read From a Buick 8, but all of those are good choices except Rose Madder (I hated that one.) I think Hearts in Atlantis is his most underrated. Also, I think not enough people appreciate Eyes of the Dragon these days.

    • @DaveReadsKing
      @DaveReadsKing  11 месяцев назад +1

      That’s a good shout - I didn’t include it as I’m not a big fantasy fan

  • @CactusChris
    @CactusChris 11 месяцев назад +1

    You make great reviews and videos and such, but I have a really hard time hearing you sometimes. Great book collection btw.

    • @DaveReadsKing
      @DaveReadsKing  11 месяцев назад +1

      Sorry about that - I basically have my audio maxed out so there’s not really much more I can do

    • @CactusChris
      @CactusChris 11 месяцев назад +1

      @DaveReadsKing I was wondering. But I've also noticed you have a really soft voice. When I started recording stuff I had to beef up my vocals a bit, as I'm naturally nasally. Anyway, I do enjoy your reviews, and book birthday videos.

    • @DaveReadsKing
      @DaveReadsKing  11 месяцев назад

      @CactusChris thank you, I will endeavour to project more in future recordings 😊

  • @susandevlin4712
    @susandevlin4712 7 месяцев назад +1

    Stephen King, did a good description of domestic violence, I used to wonder what his home life was like as he had drug and alcohol issues. I watched a interview recently and he said he only got stoned or drunk at home, never in public

    • @DaveReadsKing
      @DaveReadsKing  7 месяцев назад

      When he writes about addiction you can really feel it coming from experience. I think his knowledge of domestic violence is drawn from research though, pretty sure there is nothing out there to suggest he was ever violent to his family

  • @Darcy-t2t
    @Darcy-t2t 3 месяца назад +1

    Hearts might be his best writing

  • @BookishDrummer
    @BookishDrummer 11 месяцев назад +1

    i do disagree with insomnia, i thought it was fairly boring, even with me being a DT junkie lol

  • @brianmelendy1194
    @brianmelendy1194 11 месяцев назад

    The underrated books of an overrated author.

    • @DaveReadsKing
      @DaveReadsKing  11 месяцев назад +4

      Well, given the nature of my channel this won’t be surprising but…I whole-heartedly disagree that King is overrated. For me, the best, most influential, and most compelling storyteller since Dickens