Your Stephen King novel rankings

[dahliaclone]

Thanks to @JP4CY for this idea in another thread today. King is all over the map with types of books. Horror. Sci-fi. Religious tones. Drama. Supernatural. Would love to see how people rank their favorites and ones they really don't like. Obviously doesn't have to have read all of his novels...can list a few, just your personal favorite, etc.

Off to make my list.

 

[MeanDean]

Only one I read was 11/22/63. Liked it a lot, even though the ending seemed kind of a nothing.

 

[Candide]

Thinner
It
Cujo
Christine
Needful Things

Movies are a different list all together.

 

[JP4CY]

Green Mile (I bought the "chapters" as they came out at Walmart.)
It
The Apt Pupil story from the book that also had Shawshank and Stand By Me

 

[dahliaclone]

I can't do them all so I'll do a top 20. Note: I have not ever tried to read any of his Gunslinger novels...just not my genre but know many love them! I also stuck with straight novels not short story novels or singular short stories.

20-Under the Dome
19-Fairy Tale
18-Revival
17-The Talisman
16-Cujo
15-Billy Summers
14-Gerald's Game
13-Doctor Sleep
12-The Institute
11-Dolores Claiborne
10-Needful Things
9-Bill Hodges Trilogy (Mr. Mercedes, Finders Keepers, End of Watch)
8-Misery
7-IT
6-11/22/63
5-Pet Sematary
4-The Shining
3-The Green Mile
2-The Stand
1-'Salem's Lot

 

[dahliaclone]

Green Mile (I bought the "chapters" as they came out at Walmart.)
It
The Apt Pupil story from the book that also had Shawshank and Stand By Me

I LOVED when those six short books came out for Green Mile! That's how I read them too. Very smart and fun idea.

 

[BryceC]

Flew through all of the Gunslinger novels. Have started many other king novels but never finished a one of them. Just can’t get into them.

 

[JP4CY]

I LOVED when those six short books came out for Green Mile! That's how I read them too. Very smart and fun idea.

IIRC there were like 99c apiece. Such a cool idea.

 

[JP4CY]

Flew through all of the Gunslinger novels. Have started many other king novels but never finished a one of them. Just can’t get into them.

My mom gave me her copy of the Stand that she had when pregnant with me.
I tried. I really did but I just couldn't get into it

 

[dahliaclone]

IIRC there were like 99c apiece. Such a cool idea.

You can still buy them in the serial form...way more than $.99 though!

https://www.amazon.com/Green-Mile-Serial-Novel-Books/dp/B00192L2UA

 

[isucyfan]

I read Stephen King earlier than I probably should have. Night Shift (short stories) was a seminal book for me, as a 5th grader. Children of the Corn was one of the stories in that book. The movie was filmed in my community.

I can still pick out people in the movie that I knew who were extras. My elementary school was used as a filming location. I actually spent my wedding night in the creepy house featured in the movie, which was later turned into a B&B.

That said, it's a terrible movie.

 

[Cyclonepride]

It
The Stand
Salem's Lot
Pet Sematary
Skeleton Crew

I read King pretty voraciously early on, but kind of fell off with it in the mid-90's. I did read 11/22/63 though.

 

[Mr Janny]

I read Stephen King earlier than I probably should have. Night Shift (short stories) was a seminal book for me, as a 5th grader. Children of the Corn was one of the stories in that book. The movie was filmed in my community.

I can still pick out people in the movie that I knew who were extras. My elementary school was used as a filming location. I actually spent my wedding night in the creepy house featured in the movie, which was later turned into a B&B.

That said, it's a terrible movie.

Yeah, same here. I was in 5th grade as well, when I first read his stuff. Cujo was the first. Then some of the short story compilations. Then a bunch of other stuff. By the time I was done with middle school, I had read everything of his at our town library. The only one I couldn't finish was Tommyknockers. But some of his stuff I didn't understand at that age, and it wasn't until I reread later that I understood.

 

[Ms3r4ISU]

I read Stephen King earlier than I probably should have. Night Shift (short stories) was a seminal book for me, as a 5th grader. Children of the Corn was one of the stories in that book. The movie was filmed in my community.

I can still pick out people in the movie that I knew who were extras. My elementary school was used as a filming location. I actually spent my wedding night in the creepy house featured in the movie, which was later turned into a B&B.

That said, it's a terrible movie.

You read Night Shift as a 5th grader? Did you ever dream about walking down a mine shaft or somewhere dark where you weren’t supposed to go, and then figured out you couldn’t go back? Eww.

 

[isucyfan]

You read Night Shift as a 5th grader? Did you ever dream about walking down a mine shaft or somewhere dark where you weren’t supposed to go, and then figured out you couldn’t go back? Eww.

There was a lot of that book I didn't have the experience to understand, but I commend my parents and teachers for letting me read it despite that. I now have a library science degree and believe in letting readers decide what they read. This book banning **** that is prevalent now needs to stop.

 

[Cyclonepride]

My most memorable short story from Skeleton Crew: The Jaunt. Really Ray Bradbury type stuff.

 

[Ozclone]

Only one I read was 11/22/63. Liked it a lot, even though the ending seemed kind of a nothing.

My personal opinion is that he isn't great at endings. I've always enjoyed reading his stuff because the writing sucks you in. But it seems like he hits a point where he says "I need to wrap this up" and slaps an ending on it that feels kind of rushed.

 

[Buster28]

I honestly have only read The Stand (the restored edition that came out in 1990, I think). Not sure what possessed me to pick up a 1000 page book when I'm not a huge reader. But I really enjoyed that novel and got through it in under a month. There are a couple of Des Moines mentions in the book, too, which I thought was fun (one noting the destruction of the city).

 

[JCity]

I can't do them all so I'll do a top 20. Note: I have not ever tried to read any of his Gunslinger novels...just not my genre but know many love them! I also stuck with straight novels not short story novels or singular short stories.

20-Under the Dome
19-Fairy Tale
18-Revival
17-The Talisman
16-Cujo
15-Billy Summers
14-Gerald's Game
13-Doctor Sleep
12-The Institute
11-Dolores Claiborne
10-Needful Things
9-Bill Hodges Trilogy (Mr. Mercedes, Finders Keepers, End of Watch)
8-Misery
7-IT
6-11/22/63
5-Pet Sematary
4-The Shining
3-The Green Mile
2-The Stand
1-'Salem's Lot

I really enjoyed Fairy Tale but people's opinions seems pretty divided on that one.

 

[mapnerd]

I read Stephen King earlier than I probably should have. Night Shift (short stories) was a seminal book for me, as a 5th grader. Children of the Corn was one of the stories in that book. The movie was filmed in my community.

I can still pick out people in the movie that I knew who were extras. My elementary school was used as a filming location. I actually spent my wedding night in the creepy house featured in the movie, which was later turned into a B&B.

That said, it's a terrible movie.

I detasseled corn in Whiting as a youngster. That was kinda cool.