How To Start Reading Stephen King
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- Опубликовано: 10 сен 2019
- My recommendations on how to start reading Stephen King Books!
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BUY THE BOOKS HERE:
The Shining: amzn.to/32DYRmD
IT: amzn.to/2A5L6k7
Dark Tower: amzn.to/2Loimty
11/22/63: amzn.to/34BAjfA
The Stand: amzn.to/2NastnQ
Pet Sematary: amzn.to/2N8opED
Without getting into spoilers, how far along are you? Can you say?
And I finished Dark Tower last night and am probably going to start It tomorrow
sem de tovenaar My boss made a bet that I can finish it in a week, but no im not trying that.
Salam's Lot is where I started back in the dizzle as a ten year old - No book ever scared me like that did and I've been hooked the last 25 years. Reading King feels like coming home to me. It only takes a sentence or two for me to get that feeling "ah yeah, Stephen King book, this is going to be time well spent, I'm really going to enjoy this". My defences come down, I feel like a kid wrapped up warm in a blanket with a storm outside my window, warm, safe, then slowly, so slowly I begin to feel an unease in the air.. there's something under the bed...Hang on a minute, I'm a fully grown man, there's nothing under the bed.. I better take a look.. In a minute.. I'm just going to lie here first for a bit.. and imagine What if.
Shinning you dont wanna get sued
I don't understand why dropping those big books was so satisfying to hear
also, incredible breakdown of why Pet Cemetery is absolutely genius and hits so close to home
@@merphynapier42 yes
I love your channel.
I think it’s a book worm thing 🐛❤️📚
Cool 1k like
Imagine being Stephen Kings kids. The bedtime stories you would be told. 😱
*tonight son i'll be telling you the story on how a bunch of loser kids defeated an interdimensional alien that looks like a clown*
@@skeletonentertainment4201 8 hours later good night
His son Joe Hill, is an author in his own right (horror and suspense, thriller genre) and played the kid in the first Creepshow movie.
@@maximcypher3109 so is his other son and also his wife.
@@dylanoshea9647 I didn't know! I have read Joe Hill novels/novellas, and Locke and Key. But it didn't look into the whole family.
11/22/63 is one of the best books I have ever read. I don't understand how King is still considered a "commercial" author and not "literary". He's a genius.
11/22/63 is my absolute favorite of his. I love that this book subverts what you think it is going to be and the ending absolutely broke me. If this book doesn’t pull on the heartstrings then nothing will.
The fact that King wrote Pet Sematary and thought it was too dark to release and stuck it on a trunk for years says a lot. Such an amazing book and truly haunting.
I've watched the movie and wanted to know if it was still worth it to read the book. Do you (or anyone who reads this comment) think it is?
@@bl.gabe- it is one of my favorites of his and I’ve read most his novels. 100% worth a read.
@@SpencerJ289 okay thank you! I'm currently reading the silent patient so I'll read it afterwards
@@bl.gabe- I watched the movie a few years ago when it was released. Now I’m halfway through the book which I started reading yesterday and will say it’s WAY better than the movie. Watching the movie first hasn’t taken away from the book for me. I can’t stop reading! This is my 5th King book I’ve read and I’m blown away so far. Worth the read even if you’ve seen the movie.
@@averageape wow ty! I'm only on page 130ish.. but ur telling me U STARTED READING IT YESTERDAY AND IS ALREADY HALF WAY THROUGH??? damn i wish I could read that fast. but anyways thanks for the advice
I feel like Misery is often overlooked and makes an amazing entry point to Stephen King. Especially for fans of psychological horror. Annie Wilkes is one of the scariest characters ever written.
I started reading king with Misery and I absolutely loved it!
I just started with Misery, and I have to force myself to put it down to get to bed. I’m enjoy it so much. Annie Wilkes is frightening.
Misery is honestly chilling
You're right on.
💯💯
It's a good thing that people are starting to rediscover the joy of reading.
M S R I never read a book in my life apart from school I don’t know how to get into it seem like I exhausted all the sci-fi movies and Netflix
@@stevesalvant80 hmmm we live in an era where visual media are more popular.
Nobody ever stopped reading. Harry Potter, lord of the rings, twilight, 50 shades, they were all books first. And they dont make movies out of books that aren't being read
M S R Ok boomer
@@mokushdapoorgamer2869 actually it's millennial
"The Stand" is an absolute masterpiece, no other book has made 1100 odd pages not feel like a slog to get through. It's absolutely insane just how good the book is as a whole.
The Stand and IT are the only 1000+ page books I've enjoyed
@@brainderp808 Well if you haven't read it yet, it's like if the military made COVID, except covid had a 99% death rate and cooked be spread by walking past someone, and it was accidentally released
Took me nearly two weeks to get through that behemoth.
I was reading 100 pages of small print for 6 hours every day.
Probably my greatest reading achievement.
@@seancopeland1037
I read the 1200 page trilogy book His Dark Materials.
That was a great book, easy to get into and a great story.
I read it over the course of 5 days.
Edit:
Forgot to mention, His Dark Materials is the only book i've ever read twice.
@@seancopeland1037 I don't know if you're interested, but my favorite 1000+ page book is "Bleak House" by Charles Dicken. It has his usual Victorian prose, but what makes it special to me is the absurd comedy and irony within the story, as well as the well developed characters.
I have The Stand on my bookshelf, but haven't read it yet. I just finished book 4 of the Dark Tower. Perhaps I should read it now.
My dad told me to try Stephen King. I picked up The Gunslinger and 1 year later I have read 50 of his books. The best living author without a doubt.
King is the KING of horror.
Thank ur dad lol
FIFTY?!? I am so jealous, It's amazing if I'm able to read just ten in one year, and that's not even for just one author.
Atwood, Lahiri, Alice Walker, Coelho, Palahnuik, I'm not saying they're better than King, and I'm certainly not saying King is better than them. But there are some incredible authors out there, many of which can write entire novels dictating race and gender without having to rely heavily on racial slurs and stereotypes like King often does.
I dont like the idea of people starting with IT because it's so long most people lose interest
Spongi To me, there was not one slow part in all 1,090 pages I read. Read it in a week. To each their own
@@civoreb it's not slow but it's long, but dang is it a masterpiece
I started with It and i'am 13, but I red the hole book in one week, and it was amazing😍
I started It, it’s my first Stephen king book and I’m about 530 pages in. I have points where I’m glued to it and can’t put it down and then there’s sooo much over explaining that gets boring to me. So I’m enjoying and struggling at the same time
My first book from him I just finish reading and now here I am pondering on which one to pick up next
I started with Salem's Lot, was not disappointed.
Me too, second was pet sematary
Yes!
It was my second! Pet Semetary was my first.
Started with The Stand
Go big or go home I guess lol
Same !
Imagine the people in Stephen King's books like: Goddammit, first a telekinetic girl that burned Chamberlain down and now an extraterrestrial being that takes the form a 7 foot clown.
Wait, so Pennywise is 7 foot tall?
To a giant benevolent turtle God that is connected to the Tower at the center of existence and is the enemy of IT
I got started with Salem's Lot, and while it's not the most conventional pic, I would recommend it as a starting point for anyone. It introduces a few very important things, namely, it shows you his love of small towns, and the story building he does inside them without going as long as IT did. It also introduces the more traditional fantasy elements with Vampires, and combines the two well.
And yes I agree, don't start with the Dark Tower. There is to much cross reference, and you will miss a lot.
Yooooo i started with the shining too. What a book !
I started with Salem's Lot too, great kicking off point!
Yoo, I started reading salem's lot a few days ago, already more than half through the book, and now I'm just really confuse on what to read next, I'm thinking between the shining and pet sematary, any thoughts?
This is my first stephen king book by the way
@@felipao2134 oh hey nice!
From Salems Lot I would either read The Shining next or one of his short story anthologies, maybe Graveyard Shift.
A lot of people recomend IT, but I would stay away from that one unless your really dying to read it.
@@GrimgoreIronhide yes, I'm planning on keeping IT for later, I would only consider maybe the stand has I started reading it on a bookstore and the plot seems compelling with recent times
"Thankfully for us, Stephen King likes drugs!"
I lost it at that lmao
Liked drugs!
@@livingcorpse5664
⚠️ CORRECTION APPROVED⚠️
I think his drug addled state contributed to the more disturbing scenes he has written. There have been times where I am like "Stephen you are a shitty person for writing that" but then I get over it.
Where does he say this?
The old canard, "Stephen King's writing was never as good after he went sober in the late 1980's." While not exactly true, his writing is probably better and more structured, but it did lose a lot of the sheer trippy insanity his early works from his drug days had.
11/22/63 also crosses over with IT in a fantastic way
I find it a BIT ham fisted but still fun.
That's IT??? 😉😉😉
Yes
But it misses out by not having a single Randell Flagg cameo
Is IT actually a good book?
I read “The Long Walk” by Stephen King last year and it was a quick read but I absolutely loved it!
I’m reading it right now and I’m loving it
it’s so good. i liked roadwork a lot, too, if you’re getting into his bachman stuff.
I love the Richard Bachman books and how different his style was than Stephen King himself. By using a pen name, SK was able to experiment without affecting his career, and what we get is super raw goodness.
One of my favorites. Rage is also phenomenal
Reading it right now eish its dark
I remember walking into a bookstore one day as a kid and thinking _"I wanna be rebellious and read something helllllllllaaaaa dark"_
I picked up Carrie by Stephen King...
Best choice of my life, been hooked for years since.
Just start at Carrie and read them in publication order. Best way you could ever read SK.
Started with Carrie as well, then went back and forth with his books, publication-wise(?). Our bookstores are scarce where I live, and libraries are non-existent.
I started with Carrie too
I was listening to the audio book and I was just fascinated. I drifted away from reading with school and I regret returning Carrie so soon.
@@possibeelity ironic right? How school made you not be able to read, I hated reading until I got out of it.
Elvis Henry yessir
"One of the greatest starts to Stephen King is The Dark Tower."
You know that image macro of Charlie Day from It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia having a breakdown in a mailroom filled with trillions of pictures and a whole bunch of twine connected with pushpins as his mind slowly unravels?
That's The Dark Tower.
Do not start with The Dark Tower.
noted.
I actually started with The Gunslinger lol. But I haven't read the rest of the series
@@gaffyguck2616 I highly suggest you give it a go. ⚫
@@gaffyguck2616 The Drawing of the Three will just suck u in and keep u wanting to know more.❤❤❤
I started with Eyes of the Dragon then The Dark Tower at 14. Then a few months ago I bought that new one on audible, and fell back down the rabbit hole. The Stand is a great start too.
I started reading The Stand a few days ago, first time reading Stephen King, and my God, the way he develops his characters and describes emotions in this book makes me want to read more of his books. I'm reading the complete & uncut version.
Quadri Osho masterpiece! Read it last summer. If you’re comfortable reading his longer stuff I agree with the man in the video and read IT next. While pop culture has been full of IT for the last couple of years the movies still don’t do justice to the book! You’ll be in suspense the whole time
I finished The Stand few years ago and I’m still in love in this book. Enjoy your time of reading because for sure after finishing it, you will miss this story and characters 💕
The stand has to be my favorite book the way he develops every character to such an incredible extent and links every characters story into an absolute masterpiece
Welcome to the obsession 😍 He’s also written tons of fabulous short stories. The Monkey is soooooooo great!
First King book I read as well! Fantastic Book! If you liked that book then check out Swan Song (Robert McCammon) next! Very Very good!!
Bro no hate but the guy Stephen king's smile looks like the grinch's
true
Ouch
Step one: Open Carrie
Step two: Start reading
That’s how I got started...
So did I. In the 70s. Then The Shining & Salem's Lot.
Start with Carrie. 199 pages. Masterpiece.
J H 290
I didnt like Carrie tbh. I thought it was one of his weakest books he has ever written
I plan on getting into stephen king after i finish Wheel of Time
This is my plan too. Stephen King then Dean Koontz then SK... repeat
Me too. I read few of his books before but I wanna really dive in to it. I'll start with The Stand, Dark tower and IT.
@@mr.teekanee9750 goodchoices dont miss institute
I plan to get int Steven king after I finish light bringer
Everyone who starts reading WoT is in this situation for a year, unless you have nothing else to do except read.
He makes the joke himself in The Dark Tower:
“Stephen King sells by the inch and readers buy by the pound”
Also, thank you for bringing up 11/22/63. It’s overlooked WAY too often. The last few pages of my copy may or may not have water damage from my three read throughs
Anyone who wants to fully enjoy the dark tower: read it last. I wish so deeply that I could forget that series and read it again for the first time with more knowledge of the multiverse
i read that one first so i was waiting for it to be brought up too
I didn't know what a service I was doing to myself by putting off the dark tower for so many years of being a king fan
Finished 11/22/63 yesterday it was the best book I’ve read in years
So what would you read before dark tower? What would you start with as an intro to Stephen king ?
@@sc6520 honestly; I’d read chronologically. I didn’t; but in retrospect I wish I had
Best true starting place in my opinion is “Night Shift” a brilliant short story collection written in Kings prime. Having read around 30 of his books and loving most, I honestly rank this collection at the top of the heap.
There is no prime each book is his prime
"most people try to pin him down as the Spooky Spooky Scary Clown Man" is the best sentence i've heard in... well, ever
I tell people that all the time. I recommned him to anyone that reads and they go "oh im not really into all that horror" THEY JUST DONT KNOW
“Pet Sematary” scared the f**k out of me. I read it in one night and I got rid of it the next day. I didn’t want that book in my house.
I have ordered it and will arrive in 2 days... I'm scared of the book now...
@@tusharjoglekar
Oh, don't be- people are pussies. It's good but not traumatizing or anything. Just finished it & I'll sleep fine tonight.
In thinking of reading this question is it similar to the film or better
@@newbornassassin7291 Better
I have no idea why King thought Pet Sematary was over the line/too inappropriate and then comes out with the fucking Outsider, which has some of the most depraved, sickening portrayals of child molestation I've ever read...
As a fantasy and Stephen King fan, you should read "Eyes of the Dragon".
And "The Talisman"!
Yes :) my dad told me that . Start with this “easy” book not so scary :D I was 10 .
my first stephen king book! 5th grade or somethin
that one wasn’t too bad! but it was forgettable & i wouldn’t read it again
i mainly read dragon because randall flagg was in it - did king ever continue that story? because the way it read, it seemed like he wrote it as a dark tower tie-in
I cannot recommend the Stand Enough as an SK starting point. Hands down my favorite novel of all time. An absolute masterpiece. The characters and emotion are amazing, the plot is fantastic. It's just an unforgettable journey. I'll always treasure the time I spent reading that book.
'Pet Semetary' was the book that made me fal in love with reading and with Stephen King. It is a masterpiece.
Absolutely agree! King himself said he was scared whilst writing this
Hehehe, my mom loves the movie and the book. I've lived with this name for 13 years now, and none of my schoolmates have realised it yet.
Same
My cat's named Churchill.😾
Pet Semetary was the 1st King book i read. Friggin awesome book.
Definitely the same. It was my first book of Kings and I even had a dream (after finishing it) that I was in the pet semetery 💕 thats why later I read more than 30 of his books 😂✌🏻
Because people know I read a lot of horror, I get this question a lot. I personally recommend Pet Semetary for people looking to get into Stephen King because I think it's one of his most brilliant and most main stream books with a lot of emotional depth.
TheShadesofOrange Booktube Channel *you basically said what Daniel said..*
I agree! I went into that book expecting an extreme horror thriller but instead it ended up bringing me to tears at some points, especially the ending. I wasn't expecting it to be so emotional.
11/22/63 was my introduction to King. I loved it! I'm now reading Insomnia. Kind of seems like an under the radar pick. Love reading a couple lines that make you snap out of the book and really process it. Gets an audible "Wow" and a chill down your arm. Then continue to read on!
Two of my favorite King books. Insomnia was hard at the start and I ended loving it
The Shining was my first, then really got in to his shorter stories. The Body, Shawshank, The Langoliers, Library Policeman. Came back to IT, Carrie, Salems lot and Pet Semetary. Picked up The Stand (unedited version) the other day and haven't been able to put it down!
I really liked Different Seasons. 4 novellas. All excellent. Been reading King for 40 years.
Different Seasons is about to become the only Stephen King collection that has had every story adapted
William Avitt whats the last one? Is it the pregnant decapitated woman one?..forgot what its called, but great!
@@TheAmateursOriginalMusic The Breathing Method. Should be coming out as a movie in 2020 from what I've heard
William Avitt thats the one! Great story told by some old fellas in a strange gentleman’s club i believe? Forget the name🤔
Thanks for the recommendation because I wanted to read the body but my library doesn't have it although they do have different seasons which includes the body, so I'll probably get that.
Daniel: Hello my beautiful wonderful subscribers.
Me:*blushes* "you think I'm beautiful"
Whoever you are, I hope you're having a wonderful day.
@@SuperMovieLvr933 You're breathtaking!
@@SuperMovieLvr933 thank you random person hope you have a wonderful day as well
@@thattheresagirl No 'you're' breathtaking
Wow what a lovely community :))
All of you have a wonderful day as well, thank you all for being so positive!!
When my son was 5 I read him The Eyes Of The Dragon. He is 13 now and has a Kindle full of King.
I'm re-reading that book right now. One of my favorites and such an easy read.
And I thought I started reading King's books at a young age 😄
Cujo was my first entry into the world of Stephen King way back in ‘83. It’s very underrated in my opinion, and illustrates why he is a master at understanding human emotions and actions. I also like it because he doesn’t write himself into this one.
Cujo was mine too. Couldn't put it down I think I finished it in like 2 days in middle school
Pet semetary first
Then the shining
Then Salem’s lot
Then please don’t judge me
Also Dr sleep
I did that but read The Shining first
I did, Salem's Lot, then The Shining then The Stand. So yep, I'm not that far into his books, but they have been good so far.
I really loved dr. Sleep! I thought it was great
I went Pet Semetary, then Desperation, and now I'm listening to an audio book of The Shining.
I started with The Shinning then went straight into the Dark Tower series. Loved the Dark Tower so much i immediately started to reread them when I was finished. Over the years I’ve read the whole DT series 6 times with other King book in between like Pet Semetery and Dr. Sleep to name a few. Going to start his newest book If It Bleeds next.
11/22/63 is my favorite book of all time. I am so glad you included this. I also HIGHLY recommend The Dead Zone. Love it!
Same here man read it through multiple times now and the end still gets me in my feels
King is brilliant when it comes to conveying mourning and grief. No one does it better that I know. It's also why I couldn't stand King back when I was a teen.
Revival was a great example of that
I’ve read It, Misery, The Shining, The Outsider, etc, but something about Carrie was too much for me to finish reading. Every time I picked up the book my heart would start racing and I’d feel sick, even just from when I was around it. I just have bought a cursed book.....
You’ve got this....I read “Carrie” when I was 9 years old, which probably explains what is wrong with me today. Finish it so you can overcome that feeling. That way you know what happens and your anxiety won’t be triggered by it anymore. You’ve got this.
I think that The Long Walk is the perfect starting point for new King readers.
Exactly, that’s where I started. It’s a taste of his work in a size of book that’s good for starters. Also I don’t think it’s really connected to his written universe but it goes into detail on what he can do.
@@Akeboun Same here
My all time fav
@@freeleonardpeltier4148 Me as well, It remains an absolute masterpiece in my book.
That first King book I read this summer. Such a great starter, but still a brilliant story. I’m 3 King books deep now, haha.
Thankee-sai for including 11/22/63, one of the most, if not most, underrated Stephen King epics.
Everyone loves it
I've re- read that book at least four times :)
It's one of my favorite tv shows I don't realize that was a book.
@@jeanfish7 4 times? I pray you read fater than me!
I love how you said thank you. Stephen Kings The Dark Tower V, Wolves Of The Calla, said so many times in that one (my favorite of the series)
I started reading The Shining this weekend based on this recommendation. Usually I am not the type to power through books really quickly, I tend to take my time getting through them, but I haven't been able to put it down. I finished it in 4 days, it was great and INCREDIBLY different from the movie
Yes, Stephen King was not a fan of the Kubrick film or so I’ve read. Personally I agree with him. The movie has grown on me over the years, but I watched it the first time right after finishing the book and was so disappointed. The only good thing about it was Jack Nickleson .
I love Shawshank so much (the story and the movie is my absolute favorite movie) because it was just this amazing story that touches on the human experience. How Andy survived an evil and kept going, coming out the other side into the light. I always thought it was about hope, perseverance, and to strength to keep fighting even when everything feels lost. At least that is how it felt to me.
I started with "Night Shift", a short story collection. For me it was a great way to get a bit of a wider introduction to his style. And he is also absolutely brilliant at short stories.
I was thinking the same thing... his short stories might be a good place for a new King reader to dip their toe.
Absolutely: One perfectly good way to get started with Stephen King is to read some of his short stories. Or novellas.
Skeleton crew is great too.
@@MrRadiantMan Something to add to the long list of Stephen King books to read in between everything else...
@@pieter_kok One of the short stories is right up there as one of the most disturbing things that Stephen King has ever written.
I was 10 when my grandfather handled me the Talisman, his favorite book ever. Been hooked ever since.
Caitlin Brewer i love it too. Read it about 10 times now
That one may be my favorite!
The sequel Black House is one of my favorites of all time! Check it out if you haven’t.
Joshua Wilt have it sitting next to my bedsite table😊 just waiting for „The Buick“ to be finished
Can’t wait to hear your thoughts on it!
You summarised my feelings on Pet Sematary perfectly. It was actually the first book I read by him and I instantly got why he is so loved. That book haunts me. HAUNTS ME. I have never seen an author depict emotions so realistically, it's crazy. so many years later and I still experience horror thinking about it. The crazy thing about the book is that you kind of know what is going to happen because the characters are so realistic that they share the same thought with you.
My first Stephen King book was Christine, I was about 11 or 12 at the time and have been 100% addicted to King's works since. I am currently in the middle of The Dark Tower right now and recomend the hell out of it. So, so good, I can't even explain.
Pet Sem also has one of the darkest endings of Steve's books. Cheers.
"All things serve the beam."
Puts Church & Gage down, buries & reanimates Rachel- same as the movie.
@@allamericananti-christ666 the movie is no where near as good though
I think the ending to Revival gave it a run for it's money tbh
Read The tommy Knockers. In my opinion is much better than Pet Semetery
@@ThisIsJaysWorld Revival's ending is all kinds of fucked up, yo. Great Read.
How to start reading Stephen King.
Step one, pick up book written by Stephen King
Step two, read.
Damn I should have read through more of the comments before I posted basically the same thing.
That just proves you don't get it
I get it just fine. Getting it =/= agreeing with it
Orale.
*starts with Song of Susannah*
"The fuck's a Gunslinger"
A great introduction to Stephen King, man. Really love how you laid out the video too. Pet Semetary is one of my favorite novels and my first taste of Stephen King, it's scarily disturbing, I just started reading The Stand and can't put it down, it's super interesting reading it during this coronavirus pandemic.
I also recommend Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King! It's a collection of short stories. Quick, easy reads, but masterfully written.
I read R.L Stine as a Kid.
Growing up I started reading Stephen King.
R.L. Stone is either a joke to Stephen King fans, or a great introduction to horror writing, and most come to Stephen after exhausting all of Stines ideas...
@@nathancarpenter5761 R.L. Stine is like Stephen king for middle schoolers. He gave us our first taste and then we graduated to the real deal.
@Doctor Feinstone
Yep, crept I read R.L. Stone in the first grade, advancing quickly to Stephen king by the third grade,
R.L. Stine also wrote the novelization of the movie spaceballs
Stine is a legend.
The ending of pet cemetary had me SHOOK. I literally could not stop thinking of it for 2 weeks
😭😭😭
I really - really love The Stand, and I'm sad to admit never to have read The Dark Tower, but what I really love from him is The Talisman which shares many similarities with the Dark Tower.
I also recommend The Eyes of the Dragon if it's about fantasy.
My very first SK was Cujo at the age of around 13 btw and Carrie right after that.
The Eyes of the Dragon and The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon are 2 awesome books for kids. I can't wait till my son is old enough to read one of them.
I just finished the Shining and I absolutely loved it from front to back. Spot on review of how King gets into the characters heads--and your own! I read IT over a looooong stretch of time, and while it was good, the Shining is the way to go. The Shining has actually made me want to become an avid reader because of how great it was (just started Dr. Sleep!)
I feel like Salem’s Lot is an easy, seamless way to get into his work. It’s a classic vampire story, but brilliantly written. Also if your copy of the book has the One for the Road and Jerusalem’s Lot nuvellas, then you also get a smidge of that extended kingverse
Plus, people wouldn't want to put it down with all three of those. One could say they'd be reading into the....come on.....you know where this is going.............night shift. :)
I began 35 + years ago with The Shining.
"There isn't really a beginning" because there are neither beginnings nor endings to the turning of the wheel of time?
The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth returns again.
The Eyes of the Dragon was a great Stephen King book and it is a complete fantasy. He wrote it for his daughter who liked princes and dragons and knights and magic. I loved it so much. I also really like The Long Walk. I've read that one a dozen times. One thing to know about King is that most of his books take at least 20 pages to get into. You really have to put in the work for the first 20 pages and then I tend to fly through his books.
I myself started with IT and have never looked back. I'll be reading The Stand asap. Thanks for the recs!
I started with Mr. Mercedes in the 6th grade and have been hooked ever since
Excellent video. I would usually just recommend either Salam's Lot or The Shinning to start with
I ALMOST put Misery or SL instead! Still tempted to say those instead. UGH!
For people that aren't into straight horror stories, "The Dead Zone" is pretty good as well.
@@DanielGreeneReviews Should have done an Honorable Mention segment where you recommend those depending on people's taste of stories, e.g. do you like vampires? etc
"You mean The Shining?"
"Shh wanna get sued?"
Charles Tosti I started with misery and it was amazing
I started with "different seasons" (the book with 4 short stories, one of which is Shawshank redemption) and was hooked since..
This is definitely the video I have been looking for!! I have wanted to try reading Stephen King’s works but have had NO idea where to start. I loved the way you described which readers would enjoy each book. I’m off to the library to pick up The Stand!
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People who start the dark tower should know that the first book isnt that good but it gets better from there
I thought the opposite, I thought book 1 was excellent and they got worse from there. I quit in the middle of book 4.
I loved the first book! Admittedly, I have enjoyed them more as they've gone on (I'm still not finished; I just have to get my ass in gear lmao), but the first one hit me in a weirdly emotional place. I think they're all great thus far.
I think it gets better on rereads but it is definitely a rough book to start on for sure.
I completely agree with you, didn't like the first book at all but it got so good after that! In book 3 things started to look really interesting to me.
Personally I enjoyed the Gunslinger, but it is definitely a different kind of story than most readers are expecting. King really had no idea what he was getting into lol
I feel like it should be mentioned that "It" contains some pretty disturbing child abuse and domestic violence. It's also the most terrifying book I've ever listened to. I had to stifle actual screams to keep from waking my boyfriend in the middle of the night, and walking around in the dark that month was... unpleasant. It's definitely not for everyone.
Hi River. It is the best audiobook I've ever listened to. Steven Weber does an incredible job of bringing Stephen King's writing to life.
May I ask why you picked this book to listen to in the middle of the night......in the dark? Its not exactly going to help you get to sleep now is it!!!!
I read IT as a kid and it actually was like having new friends and being part of the losers club, but I know what you mean. Since that time I literally hate clowns. The most disturbing part for me at that time was however freaking Patrick Hockstetter and how he tortured the little puppy dog.
I watched both movies and am currently halfway through the book. Didn't even flinch once 😬
@Trent What is wrong with you?
@@niamhohaileagain7748 dont worry he's the dumb bitch
I’m reading The Stand at the moment and despite the heavy going at the start with a lot characters; once you’re settled into it... it’s AMAAAAZINGG
The question is actually easy to answer: 1. Start reading, 2. Don’t stop
My first was Duma Key, if anyone wonders
Jam Drew well Insomnia is fantastic, then Rose Madder, Desperation, Christine,....and most definitely the Dark Tower series. Oh yes, and the sequels to Mr. Mercedes, the Finders Keepers and End of Watch. After those two I recommend The Outsider :-)
‘Salem’s Lot was a good start for me
Reread The Stand bout a month ago. Hands down the grittiest, most REAL book i ever read.
Getting through it was like a pilgrimage.
You ain't no nice guy, Stephen King.
You ain't no nice guy.
I prefer the original version of The Stand. Much better in my opinion. Not sure if you can even find that version anymore though except maybe in a used book store.
@@johnchafin3817 what's different about it? What'd you prefer,
@@johnchafin3817 Why are there so many different version of Stephen King's books?
@@nunyabizz3357 I would liken the difference to sort of like the original Star Wars and the Specialized edition. The original flows better and the "authors cut" has more fluff and in my opinion non essential info that take away from the mystery and flow of the story.
Summer colds are the worst...
I got into stephen king 2 weeks ago. And picked up "revival". It started off sorta slow but after the 2nd to 3rd chapter everything started to come into place and I'm loving it.
Kevin Feige: Look at my connected universe of several different superheros
Rick Riordan: I started mine before Iron Man was a thing, get on my level.
?????: Amateurs
Kevin Feige: What was that punk
Stephen King: Amateurs!
Masahiro Sakurai: A new challenger has appeared...
Brandon Sanderson? His cosmere is bigger than anything
@@silvercyndaquil8472 bro super smash Bros is not canon
Me :guys I am going to create not only one interconected universe but 5 interconected universes when I grow up
Got disagree with starting with the Dark tower as alot of the characters in the dark tower are in his previous books,
George Buchan yeah I was going to comment this as-well. Plus as a big fan of the Dark Tower books? They’re... definitely not his best. I mean I personally find he’s gotten better with time. His new work is more literary and he plays with the audience in interesting ways (like killing the main character of a book 40 pages in) also he didn’t know how to end a book in his early days. The Stand, It, Salem’s, they all fall flat at the end.
Mercedes, Revival, 11/22, Institute, Outsider, Cujo ,DoloresDome (kinda) all have great endings: everything wrapped up in a nice little bow or have powerful dramatic endings: rather than just ending
I feel like he started improving around the 80s & really couldn’t disagree with this videos list more.
But that’s just me of course, only opinions.
Although I agree Pet S. is amazing I loved that part of the video
@@edgarbachman9037 I only started reading king last year as I thought his books would be really hard to grasp and complicated, I am now on book number 7, so far I have read Carrie, Salem's lot, The shinning, Misery, Mr mercedes, Revival and reading Pet Semetary just now, I think his books are brilliant and very addictive, yes the endings can be flat and predictable but his imagination is out of this world, I was going to try and read at least fifteen of his books before I went onto the Dark tower series as I heard alot of his characters from previous books play a part in it and that just sound awesome
Just finished the Stand yesterday! Took me almost 2 months...granted i missed a few days of reading to do hw but damn what a massive book. Loved every second. I read the uncut edition btw
May i ask you whats it in your profile pic, i dont get 😶
@@anshidapt3957 haha it's a monkey in a space suit and there's a banana in front of it.
Lol i tried in different directions 😂😂
@@anshidapt3957 is it really that difficult to tell what it is?😂
Yess kind of tricky, i felt like a foetus , wanted confirmation 😑And it turned out to be a monkey! 😂
I literally just bought "The Shining"... im scared
That was my first King book when I was in 7th Grade. I had to stop reading at a point in the book and marked the page. I discovered my mom stopped at that same point, and she never gets scared. Eventually I picked it back up again and finished it. Then moved on to the rest of his books to that point (early ‘80s).
Dude Daniel, I'm really surprised you didn't mention The Talisman! Its one of my favorite books of his. It's probably the closest thing to a fantasy novel he's ever done, and he friggin' nails it!
I started with “It” , finished “The green mile” few days ago and i say that i loved Stephen King after reading only two of his books .After watching this video next one is “Pet semetary”
Great job on the video dude. Salem's lot is the first book that a beginner should read. Then night shift collection then Christine.
I bought the “Night Shift” book at the public library for $0.10, it has a tad bitta mold on the back cover, but that helped with the atmosphere of the damn good stories inside. My favorite collection of his short stories, and I can say I’ve read em all, besides rage because I cannot find a copy of that... for valid reasons I suppose. I thought Salem’s lot was kinda slow though, and Christine mad a helluva good film. I really loved “The Dome” that was a long but good one, and it’s a great intro to more modern day Stephen books. Let’s not forget Fire Starter, Carrie, The Shining, hell read alla them cuz they are all fantastic, and every sing,e on is as good a place to start as the next. My favorite and pretty much only Dark Tower book I have read is Wolves of the Calla, I’ve read others but not all, and that was the one I started with (I was like 8, and got it for free, so I just read it once, then again, then again. I loved it. And it was hard to read the others after that amazing one, so I kinda just jumped around, I did read the ones that took place after that 5th one in order though.)
Night Shift is like The Twilight Zone, pure genius.
I don't often see it mentioned, but The Eyes of the Dragon is definitely one of my favorites and the first King I read. I was in middle school and can still remember being home sick from school and pulling it off of my brother's bookshelf. I completely forgot about being sick and just became absorbed in the story. It was great.
It was my first King book way back in 5th grade, loved him ever since
The first book I read of his was IT and thoroughly enjoyed it, so I looked through a couple of his other books and chose to read The Stand next as it seemed interesting, I ordered the book this morning and am watching this video in the evening, and I'm glad to hear I made a good choice lmao
I’m glad you finally made this video
I needed this. Thanks.
1408 is another fantastic read. It's a simple plot, but still held my attention and is one of my favorite King stories to date. I've listened to the audiobook 'Blood and Smoke', narrated by King himself, and 1408 is just as captivating as the first time I listened to it. SO INCREDIBLE!
I've read "On Writing", "11/22/63" (my favorite so-far), and "The Gunslinger." I'm going to read "The Eyes of the Dragon" and "The Institute" before the year's up.
@David Meads I just finished reading it last night. It was really good!
Started with The Mist. It didn’t scare me, but oh my goodness. Amazing!
Started with IT, I’m literally OBSESSED with the book and it has launched me into my goal of reading every novel by Stephen king. I’d recommend if you want to Still have some sense of relating to A character without having to accept too much crazy, read IT.
It's also fun to find when he was writing a book, and learn what he was going through in life at the time before you read it. Most of his stories also serve as him working through something himself, and he tends to take it head on. I'll opt not to provide examples to not ruin anything for you. I will say that Misery is an extremely good example though.
Sidenote: Read his short story compilations too. Especially Night Shift.
Cody Fanning same Im reading it rn then my teacher recommended the jfk book
I’m almost through IT (pg. 813) because one day my brother showed me the movie. It was my first horror movie but I got hooked immediately. I think my brother might regret showing it to me now, haha. I was upset for a long period of time because libraries are closed and we don’t have the book, then I remembered the internet exists. The books is extremely captivating to me so far and I can see so much of myself in every one of the characters. So I 100% agree with you!
By far some of the best reads I’ve ever had. Just something about the way he writes is just so damn engaging and immerses you into the story in ways no other authors can!!
I’ve read most of all his books over the past 2 decades. But recently the one that I TRULY enjoyed SO DAMN much was 11/22/63. A few years back was Under the Dome. Before that it was The Stand and so on and so on and so on....
I started reading Stephen King with "The Green Mile" and when I tell you I CRIED. That book played with my emotions and the movie just finished the job. Went on to "Stand by Me" and then I got my hands on "The Gun Tower" and then "IT", honestly Stephen King is amazing 👏🏽
i wanted to start reading stephen king, so my boyfriend gifted me “pet sematary” .. i’m so exited and so scared
How’d you like it?? Got ya addicted to reading him, didn’t it? Read “The Shining” or “Christine” next.
@@carolynlomax9498 omg yes, thank u, i will read them both!
Hearts in Atlantis was my introduction to Stephen King.
I'm sorry.
Great recommendations here. Especially with a love of classic King. But honestly, outside of love for Fantasy, if adore the fact that you lamented about 11/22/63. I truly believe it is the peak of his modern writing and some peak storytelling in general. It's a just as long as It or the Stand but is a far more digestible story with a resoundingly cool premise. In this instance, a man going back in time to stop the JFK assassination. But it has so much more heart than that. I have read nearly all of King's books. 11/22/63, for me, has some of his most moving character writing that he has ever displayed. I have read it 3 different times and it has crushed my favorite book list time and time again.
I love love love your recommendations. I have read several of them but I'll have to get on those that I haven't.
My fav Stephen King books are IT and The dreamcatcher. There's just something about the way he writes about friendship that is so real and touching to me, even if the background is fantastic and/or supernatural, that makes those books so great. They make me feel the same way everytime I read them, they never loose their touch
I love how he connects his stories with each other. Just finished night shift. Idk if he intended to make them “feel” connected, but I felt that way at least
I appreciate and love his versatility. The same guy who wrote The Dark Tower and It also wrote Shawshank Redemption and Stand By Me/The Body and that blows my mind
Yees
After being a lifetime Harry Potter Fan, I decided I wanted to start reading Stephen King books as well as the potter franchise . I decided to go with The Mist and thus far very impressed. This video gave me ideas on what to start reading next and might go with the shining or Misery. Thanks for the video and even though I will always be a true potter fan, I’m still very excited to try out King’s books
I'm currently reading Bag of Bones. Not his most popular work, but I'm thoroughly enjoying it
I read it years ago and i loved it
I like this as a video idea. I'd definitely watch more
Insomnia is one of my favorites. The Richard Bachman book the Talsmin which is continued in Black House, are awesome.
Yes, Insomnia is totally underrated. Love that book and it's characters!
It's been a looooong time since I read it, but Insomnia is one of the few King books where I found it a struggle to get through. Maybe I'll give it another go some day.
Finally someone else who loves Insomnia!
I read Joyland as my first Stephen King book and I LOVED IT! Honestly it’s a brilliant entry point for anyone who likes reading mysteries or crime thrillers 😍