Stephen King Fans:

Ever notice how so many of his novels start off good, then seem to lose steam as they go on -- as if they were just too long? I'm reading "The Stand." I'm near the end, and though it's taking longer than usual, it seems to be turning into a perfect example of what I'm talking about.

"The Stand," while it has no trouble remaining interesting, is just too long, I think.

I loved the original, but yes, it was a bit too long. The new version includes a longer scene in the desert with the Trash Can Man. That was my least favorite part of the book.

It remains a well-written novel, but I guess enough is enough and too much is too much.

I don't even know if it even exists anymore. The uncut version goes on **way** too long, adds **nothing** to the plot, and demonstrates why some writers need good editors. King was right on in his foreword to the uncut version that some people may see this as self-indulgence on his part. I would add shameful self-indulgence -- when well-established authors do that just because they can (because they know people will buy the book mainly because of the star power behind it) that is perhaps the biggest insult they can give to their readers.

The earlier version of The Stand is much more tightly plotted and faster paced; thus much more suspenseful and readable. Let me put it this way: I can probably count on one hand the books that were hard for me to put down, and I read The Stand almost cover-to-cover in just a couple of sittings. That's about 600-plus pages. I recently reread the uncut version after another discussion of it here on DU, and my opinion hasn't changed. It didn't need to be released in its unedited state. Leave well enough alone.

Just passing through here and felt I had to add my 0.02.

and that a writer who thinks his words are too valuable to cut needs to find a new job.

The original is one of my favorite books ever. The unabridged version, not so much.

I think I read about eight of his books in my younger years, then haven't read him for a while.

I decided last week to read "It" and was pulled in pretty quickly. Halfway through I was seeing the outcome a mile away, but the last hundred pages left me thinking, "This isn't nearly as cool as what I imagined!"

Concept=8
Build-up=9
Finale=3

Started reading his stuff when I was 12, I am 37 now. I can relate to your point, though, I still love the man. I think that he is a brilliant writer. Picked up "Insomnia" again this week and that is what I'm reading now. The Stand was a bit too long, I agree!

That book was 75% whuthufu.

Steve must have been heavy into the substance abuse then.

I swear, by the time I got to the end of that book, I had to look at the cover to remind myself what I was reading.

I generally like Stephen King. And since this whole thing started with a comment about The Stand, I'll tell you that The Stand was one of the most fascinating things I'd ever read at the time. And the WTF was spread around and not clumped. And I always had a sense of the linear-ness (there's gotta be a better word than that) of the story.

But "IT" just kept fraying and unwinding 'til there was nothing left. Might as well have been Dean Koontz at the end there.

Very few books have made me absolutely pissed off for having invested the time to read them. "It" was one of them.

Stephen King does have a tendency to paint himself into a corner with his stories that not even he seems to know how to get out of. Even "The Stand" suffers from sort of a sudden, deus ex machina ending. But it's not an egregious ending, it fits with everything that happened before and, as you say, the story is so absolutely fascinating and well told along the way that you don't mind.

No one dare suggest that he trim some fat.

Whoever he uses as an "editor" probably just re-types his manuscripts and checks spellings.

When you become way too important for anyone to tell you "no".

It can be fatal.

And "The Stand" was one of his best. I have read both versions.

I thought The Stand was great all the way through.

That said there is something wonderful in the Stephen King tales. I'm 56 years old. I didn't start reading Stephen King until I was 53 years old. Since then I have read nearly every one. I'm so glad I waited.

But The Stand? That's pure gold all the way through.

It does seem like he includes scenes in the final cut that he was just rattling around with while trying to figure out what happened next.

He drops an occasional dud but King is still my favorite author. I think people will be reading his best work 500 years from now.

Is one of the most gripping tales I've ever read.

That one was flitting around in my mind.

I like his short stories, sometimes better than his novels. Some of the non-supernatural ones are actually the best.

Do you remember a story called (I think), "The Shortcut?" I haven't read it in years, but I enjoyed it.

The Stand is great. It is one of my favorite Stephen King novels.

One of those Grocery Store rack magazines anyway. I just remember that because it's the type of magazine I'd have never purchased in a hundred years otherwise.

A fucking car chase. In a book.

Prior to his death, I always pictured the main protagonist in Dean Koontz's books as being portrayed by Robert Urich.

:rofl:

"Bag of Bones" - he is a much better writer now than he was in the early days.
He has learned to shut up a bit and not inject himself into the stories so often, and has improved greatly.
Much of his early stuff, such as "Salem's Lot", is near unreadable to me any nore.
"The Stand" was an ego festival.


mark

This is the first I have ever heard that he did drugs.

years, especially since his accident.

mark

lol

I find the new version of "The Stand" quite readable, but just too long. Now . . .

FREE THAT DUCK!!! :evilgrin:

All of them rest of them, it's like I was in a coma for the last 1/5th of the book.

I don't think he really maps out his books before he writes them... he just gets an idea and runs with it.

Great hooks; good characters; clunky, often pretentious writing style; lazy endings.

Still haven't forgiven him for the ending to The Dark Tower either.

There is a whole section in the middle of the book (where the lead character is talking to aliens, or something), that I just skipped over entirely because it went on sooooooooo long.

I am a huge King fan, but that book (at least, that portion) couldn't keep my attention.

Good premise, then peters out. Funny you mention 'The Stand', the cross country journeys during societal collapse made me think of the Stand. I haven't read any other Stephen King so I'm not sure if that's a pattern.

Cell was one of my favorite Stephen King book, until I read the last page!!!!!!!!! GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!


I loved Duma Key, but why do that to Wireman, after the story had basically finished/

That's one book of his I think could be a killer movie.

I hate when he leaves you hanging like that!

and I have to think it's not because the guy can't write, but because in the old days he tried to write about massive concepts and he didn't have the tools, so he... meandered. I think his writing has improved as he's aged, though I don't find myself so jolted by the new books as I did the old. Supposedly a new novel, not part of the Dark Tower series, is due either late this year or early next year, a big book like "The Stand."

Here's a link to the Official Stephen King Bookstore here in Bangor. It's just a couple blocks away from the King's house and I'm good friends with the owner. Check it out for basic info, plus limited edition and signed edition books. He does tons of mail order:

http://www.bettsbooks.com/

Thanks for the link! :)

The Talisman? I don't know if it was my state of mind at the time, swamped with art school and work, but it became a challenge to finish. There was some sort of entity, or energy, that was described as a swirling in the sand . . . something like that, and the imagery, the lengthy description, I don't know, I don't remember much except the sand thing, just kept me from being able to read more than a few pages at a time. It took me a whole summer to read. That was my last King book.

I've been thinking about reading a couple of newer ones, not sure where I'll start.

Then again I love the vast majority of King's work.

If I might make a suggestion, check out The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon. I can't pick a favorite King book, but that's one of my very favorites for sure.

This thread has made me want to re-read one of his books... but which one...

Called Black House, about the same kid grown up.

Whether it was King or Straub, they made a mess of Talisman. They over-described everything--something King does when he's not on his game, anyway--and get you to the point where you don't care what happens next because you are so frustrated with the description. The other thing I hated was the way they dragged out character reactions long beyond what was believable. Wolf's overreaction to everything, the cousin's disbelief and attempts to convince himself he was sick... They got to the point of farce. I couldn't finish reading the book, so I got it on audiobook and made myself listen to it. That was hard, too, because the reader was awful. By the end they had a pretty good story, but the journey of getting to the end was excruciating.

The sequel, "Black House," was much better. The characters were more interesting in themselves, and the villains more believable (within the context of the book). It was closer to the type of story King usually writes. Not my favorite King work (I've never read anything by Straub), but I liked it.

....and King might start writing novels that are worth a shit, again. A sharp-eyed, empowered editor would help, as well.

King's not alone in this phenomenon, of course; there are plenty of 900-page novels being written now that should have ended at 500 pages, tops....

His early stuff was pop genre fiction with some flair to make it slightly better than average. His later work has started getting good. I'll put "Duma Key" or "Lisey's Story" up with the respected literary/mainstream fiction any day. From his early days, maybe "The Shining" was that good, maybe. Mostly "The Shining" looks so brilliant because of Kubrick, though. He's learned to write now. "Duma Key" was one of those books I didn't want to end. "Bag of Bones," too. I remember reading his early stuff and not even finishing "The Dead Zone," and getting about fifteen pages into "Pet Cemetary." He's left that fluff way behind.

And beyond that, a real disappointment, given how I used to enjoy King's works.

Not surprised to see that you and I differ on this.....

Well, so much for party unity. :rofl:

Long, slow build up to very exciting, scary ending.