Stephen King

Babe and I were discussing Pennywise the Clown from "It" in another thread, so I used the search feature and was surprised to find out that we've never had a thread specific to Stephen King here. Especially since so many of his works have been adapted into movies. Did you know that he is now the best selling living novelist, with over 300 million books sold?

I realize that selling books has little to do with being a great writer these days, but in my opinion King is prolific. When the literary snobs dismiss him as a "genre" writer it drives me nuts. Is he my favorite author? No, he's not, but I enjoy him immensely.

The first King book I ever read was "The Shining." I read it in hardcover in 1977 as a college freshman, and it's still my favorite. I wasn't crazy about the film because it wasn't very faithful to King's story. I did enjoy the Steven Weber mini-series, though. It was much more faithful to King's vision. My favorite film adaptations are "The Shawshank Redemption" (based on "Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption"), and "Stand Ny Me" (based on "The Body").

Anyone else?

Stephen King is a favorite writer of mine. Because his books are so dense in internal thoughts and description they tend not to transfer well to film imo. He had a collection of short stories called "Night Shift" which contains the story "Last Rung on the Ladder" which doesn't have any supernatural elements and for me is the most powerful story he ever wrote.

As far as film adaptations "The Mist" was pretty good despite some key changes. I know that King was not crazy about Kubrick's version of "The Shining". But I still like it because I think Kubrick captured the isolation perfectly. The first adaptation of "Salem's Lot" with David Soul and James Mason was worthwhile.

Yes, Lilo. That's a great one. Although most of his stories do have elements of the supernatural, he can be quite effective without them. In that regard, "Hearts in Atlantis" may have been his Magnum Opus. A phenomenal grouping of related stories (although none of them supernatural), and one of the best novels I've ever read covering the 1960s and the Baby Boomers. But yeah, the movie sucked .

Pizzaboy, I too enjoyed The Shining, and while I liked the jack Nicholson movie, I preferred the mini-series that you mentioned. Another mini-series, based on his fiction, that I enjoyed was "Rose Red."

I started reading King back in junior high school with "'Salem's Lot". It scared the bejeepers out of me. I then moved on to "Carrie" and just kept going. I sort of lost interest during his admittedly bad writing period, mostly written when he was so zonked out on cocaine that he barely remembered getting up to piss, much less write a coherent sentence. Then I picked up "Hearts in Atlantis" the other day, and little Bobby has me completely enthralled.

I think that Andy Dufresne is probably my favorite character of his, although now it's so intertwined with the movie after repeated viewings that it's hard to say. I really enjoyed most of that mini-series, although Molly Ringwald as Mother Earth?? Really?? Who did she screw to get that part?? However, the rest of the cast was mostly wonderful, from Bill Faggerbakke (sp?) as Tom Cullen (M-O-O-N), Gary Sinise as Stu, Rob Lowe as Nick and Miguel Ferrer as Lloyd - all terrific.

His non-fiction "On Writing" is extremely entertaining as well. He stirs in just enough autobiographical information to keep the book interesting.

Yeah, Andy was really easy to root for, but for me the film made it even easier. Tim Robbins just has a nice guy quality about him, that made him perfect for the part of the innocent man done wrong.

Love Stephen King,from his bible length epics to his extremely clever short stories,the man just entertains. I can't think of one of his books that i never liked. I have yet to read Cell and Duma Key but i will get round to them soon

While I haven't "read" as much of his work as others, I've enjoyed many of the movies based on his books. Among my favorites, The Shining, Carrie, Silver Bullet, It and others. Oh, and let's not forget Misery(with Annie, his #1 fan).

A couple years ago they had a biography on King and said that he threw his script for "Carrie" in the trash because he didn't think it was any good. He said his wife took it out and encouraged him to keep/sell it.

TIS

"Duma Key" was great, Yogi. It reminded me a lot of "The Shining" because it takes place in a very isolated area of Southwest Florida during the summer "off season," much like "The Shining" took place during Colorado's winter isolation.

My 13 year old daughter who is vampire crazy just now, wants to read SALEMS LOT. She has read the TWILIGHT books,but i warned her she may find King's vampire tale a bit scarier

I've never read any of his books, that's due to the fact that I've never been a real big reader. I've been known to take 2 years or more to finish one book.

But I've seen some of the movie adaptations my favorites being.

Christine(my all time favorite)
The Storm of the Century
The Stand
Rose Red
Firestarter(another personal fave)
The Shining(the Steven Weber one, I've never seen the Kubrick version yet)

I forgot about Christine. Perhaps not a huge hit, but I liked it too. Oh, and I liked Pet Semetary too.


TIS

Believe it or not, I find the Weber version to be superior. Yes, the Kubrick version had a way over the top Jack Nicholson, but the Weber version was much more understated and truer to the original work.

PB,

While I can't say it's better, I agree that the remake with Weber was superior for a remake. I liked it too.


TIS

The character who I found the most suprior in the remake was the wife. Rebecca DeMornay was awesome in the mini-series, while Shelley Duvall was HORRIBLE in the original. She had a serious "Olive Oil" thing going on .

King's books generally DON'T translate well to the screen (two very notable exceptions, and among my favorite movies are "The Green Mile" and "The Shawshank Redemption").

I can't believe how prolific a writer he is... he is the Edgar Allan Poe of our day. I LOVE how he can take a story and make three or four separate sub-stories all come together in a neat bundle at the end.

He has a wonderful gift (the ability to tell a story) but even more than that, he is a true genius by virtue of him coming up with the ideas about the stories.

Great description, SC. That's exactly what I was trying to convey when I started this thread, but couldn't phrase it quite as well as you just did .

Ha ha... Was The Shining after she played Olive Oyl? Yea, she has the O.O. look that's for sure.

TIS

I didn't like the ending of the new adaptation of "The Shining". Weber does disturbed pretty well but he's no Nicholson.
*Check out Weber in the movie "Farmhouse". It was pretty good.

Here are a couple of reviews that are more supportive of Kubrick's version.

http://www.chokingonpopcorn.com/popcorn/2003/10/the-shining-1980/

http://www.cornponeflicks.org/shining.html

There's always so much subtext, secondary stories and narrative going on in King's work that much of it doesn't transfer to the scene very well. I thought "Needful Things" was one that did ok in movie form.

Love Stephen King. 'The Shining' was first book of his that I read, too. Could not put it down. Remember screaming out loud reading a particular passage that involved a bathtub. Funniest thing is that while reading it I thought to myself that Jack Nicholson would be PERFECT as the father if and when it were made into a film...before even knowing that Nicholson had already been cast in the part!

It was such a disappointing film though, although it did depict well the complete isolation of the hotel. I remember reading somewhere that having the hedges coming to life in a realistic, frightening way was technologically unachievable at the time (without looking ridiculous), which is why they went with the maze and 'frozen' ending. Talk about anti-climactic!!! There I was waiting for a boiler to blow!!!
Weber tv version was much better.

Another King all time favorite of mine is 'The Stand', which also was made into a pretty good mini-series. I never managed to read 'It', but enjoyed that on tv as well, so I can only hope it was true to the original story.

I haven't read many of his books; such that I can't remember if it is the movie I'm thinkin about or the book. I think I read "The Shining" and "Stand By Me", but I know I read "Dreamcatcher" which was very weird. But I do love the movie versions of "The Green Mile", "Shawshank Redemption" and "Stand By Me".

Ditto to what SC said so very well! He's a delightful storyteller, and the deep insight into all of his characters is what makes me wish I could continue reading about them even when the story's over. He gives such amazing descriptions of everything, and I truly love the details.

I guess I got started on him by watching the movie versions of The Shining first, and I've since read that novel, along with Misery, Desperation, The Stand, Carrie, The Green Mile, and Hearts in Atlantis. Since I was little, I've always been a bit OCD with my reading, trying to make sure I take in all of the details, so I'm quite slow in doing so...but I've got about ten more by him that I'd love to get to someday. Anytime I have a chance to do non-school reading, it's by him.

The Stand is what I most recently read, so I'd really like to check out the miniseries.

I think my least favorite adaptation of King's book to film was "The Dead Zone". The movie was not even close to the book, which is one of my favorites. Johnny Smith was a tragic character that could make you smile, a wonderful coup of characterization on King's part. However, the movie strayed so far from the original plot that it got just plain silly. Martin Sheen as the evil politician was devilishly good, though.

Stephen King is an excellent writer...but not as good as Richard Bachman

richard bachman is 100x's better than king

Yeah...but John Swithen could kick both their asses in no time.

I have not read any of his writing, though I have enjoyed quite a few movies based on his novels. I love Shining and Shawshank Redemption.

Last night I picked up the complete novelization of "The Green Mile." I read it in serial form back in the '90s, prior to the film coming out, so I'm looking forward to reading it straight through for the sake of continuity.

great book...

Huge news, Stephen King fans. A sequel to "The Shining" may finally be in the works.

Stephen King plots The Shining sequel
Horror writer Stephen King has revealed that a sequel to The Shining would focus on a 40-year-old Danny Torrance

By Alison Flood, The Guardian

Jack Torrance's little boy Danny was last seen recuperating in Maine after escaping the insane evil of the Overlook Hotel, but Stephen King is now plotting a sequel to The Shining which would age the clairvoyant boy to 40 and transport him to a New York hospice.

Speaking to an audience of fans in Toronto about his new novel Under the Dome, King divulged that he'd begun working on a tentative idea for a follow-up to The Shining – first published in 1977 – last summer.

Danny, he said, was certain to have been left "with a lifetime's worth of emotional scars" after his experiences at the Overlook, where his father was possessed by the hotel, tried to kill him and his mother and eventually died.

How Danny deals with both his nightmarish experiences and the clairvoyance, or "shining", which saved him, might make "a damn fine sequel", King said, according to local Toronto news website the Torontoist. His vision of the book – tentatively called Doctor Sleep - sees Danny now aged 40, working at a hospice for the terminally ill in upstate New York. He is apparently an orderly at the hospice, but his real work is to help make death a little easier for the dying patients with his psychic powers – while making a little money on the side by betting on the horses.

King attempted to calm expectations about the sequel, telling the Toronto audience that he wasn't "completely committed" to it, and adding: "Maybe if I keep talking about it I won't have to write it." The Shining was made into a film in 1980 by Stanley Kubrick, starring Jack Nicholson as Danny's father Jack Torrance and Shelley Duvall as his mother Wendy.

King also revealed this month that he has an idea for a new book in his epic Dark Tower fantasy series, which follows the adventures of the gunslinger Roland based on Robert Browning's poem "Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came". The working title for the eighth book in the series, King announced on his website, would be The Wind Through the Keyhole, but he added that he hadn't yet begun writing it and it would be "a minimum of eight months" before he did.

I respect King in that he does have a tremendous imagination, and the amount of good (and bad) movies based off his short stories/novels is quite numerous and astounding.

And yeah he is prolific, but I think King at his worst at times can just job his plots and characterize people with contrived convenience so he doesn't have to waste time thinking it through and dish out another book by the Christmas market. It says something when a stilted thriller like THE MIST is "faithful." I rather have a good movie, thank you very much.

For example, lets look at THE DEAD ZONE novel of his. You have an opening with the hero as a kid getting his psychic powers, and eventual villain revealed to be a rotten ambitious son of a bitch. King goes on and on with the in-depth backstory of all these characters, relevant or not.

As David Cronenberg's terrific movie showed, you don't need all that bullshit. Indeed the best King adaptations from THE DEAD ZONE to CARRIE to SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION to CHRISTINE and GREEN MILE and yeah even Kubrick's THE SHINING....they all realize King has great ideas.

Keep them. The rest, well at your own risk sunshine.

"The Dead Zone" was a wonderful novel, Ronnie. Those backstories made you care about John and Sarah, and made you loathe Stillson. They were essential to advancing the plot. While I agree that sometimes King's novels are way too long and the backstories aren't really essential, "The Dead Zone" isn't one of them.

And you said it yourself, you're a bigger film fan than book fan, which is fine. But it leaves you with a clear bias against the written word .

Except it didn't make me care about them more. Mate, length doesn't necessarily equate better.

The only book of Stephen King i've read is IT and that was an excellent book was also a fav film of mine growing up. Im just about to read The Shining and im very much looking forward to reading it..

Yeah, but you're a sociopath .

That's not what your girlfriend told me .

Owned. You just got OWNED by a 50 year old man .

I hated the film adaptation of "The Dead Zone", despite the fact that martin Sheen was so wonderfully evil as Stillson. It was not faithful to the book and the changes seemed ridiculously arbitrary. "Christine" was pretty darned good, but the best adaptation of one of King's horror novels, IMO, is "Carrie". While some of "The Stand" is great, the casting of whiny Molly Ringwald as Fran was akin to Sofia in GF3. Just ruined it for me.

And then, of course, there is the excellent "Green Mile" and, in a class by itself, "Shawshank".

I enjoyed the screen adaptation of "Thinner" (about the guy who accidentally killed an old gypsy woman when he hit her with his car).

There's a part in the story in which the main character resorts to using a mobster for help. That character, in my mind, would have been perfectly portrayed by Joe Spinell (Willie Cicci in "The Godfather"), although the actor who portrayed him (Joe Mantegna) did a very good job.

I never knew there was a screen adaptation of "Thinner".

Yes! "Thinner" was a pretty good adaptation of a good short story. I also liked it.

Stephen King chips in to help soldiers.

Stephen King Helps Out

King seems like he would be a cool guy to hang out with, especially now that he's clean and sober. His non-fiction can be hilarious.

Pet Semetary was also very good.

The book was MUCH better than the movie.

Many of King's works didn't translate to the screen as well as they were in print. I think the best example of this was "Cujo". The book was awesome but the movie could not capture the horror experienced by the trapped woman and her child.

Fred Gwynne was a decent actor (I had seen him on Broadway in the role of Big Daddy in "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" and he did a wonderful job) but somehow seeing Herman Munster in "Pet Semetary" was a distraction.

I agree about "Pet Semetary". The book had all that backstory between the protagonist and his father-in-law.

I wasn't a big fan of "Cujo" in book form and so I never saw the film...

King did an interview with Colbert tonight. Once it's posted on the web site, I'll share it here because I think any SK fan would enjoy it - it was hilarious!

Damn! I wish I had known, Gina. King is a great interview; a naturally funny guy, with a very dry wit. He's also very political, so I assume he and Colbert had a lot of fun together. Now hurry up and post it!

We don't get to see much of King's wit because of the other Stephen acting like a goofball the whole time - this style of interview that he does is always like that, so it'd be fun to see King do the "real" interview that Colbert has at the end of the show sometime.

But The Shining fans will love this, anyway!

Here you go:
http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert...---stephen-king

I only got to watch the beginning, but it looked hilarious. LOVE the tricycle.

That was good. I haven't seen either Stephen in a while.

SB, continue watching and you'll see your favorite clown. He's so adorable.


TIS

That was great, Gina!!

Colbert is the funniest guy on television. When he was talking to King about the gay protagonist in "The Cell," I almost peed myself .

Like what exactly?

SPOILER ALERT SPOILER ALERT

I just finished "Bag of Bones." Amazing, but it made me cry, so I'm kind of annoyed with Stephen right now (haha)...it's so hard to pull yourself from his fictional world when the book's over!

There is something really incredible about the way he writes that makes a story so special. And though I love the spooky themes, I've really enjoyed when he takes a soft, nostalgic, and even sad tone in his writing.

Gi, that's how I felt after finishing "Cujo".



I usually enjoy rereading King's books, because he's so descriptive and the details are so rich, but that's one I've never picked up again. The movie, thankfully, had the ending changed.

Great book, Gina. A lot of reviewers have written that "Bag of Bones" is King's most "literary" novel. Whatever the hell that's supposed to mean. In the eyes of the literary eggheads that review books, so called "genre" fiction has no business being mentioned in the same breath as "literary" fiction. That's why I can't stand critics. Those who can't do . . . teach. Those who can't write . . . critique.

But back to "Bag of Bones." From the very first page, you knew it would be a tear jerker. And Max Devore was one of King's more memorable villains. But I agree that the ending was very sad. Although you do end up hopeful:

I didn't read the book, so you can call me wacky (again),BUT I liked the movie Cujo. Perhaps not the best King movie, but I thought it was pretty good.


TIS

I didn't dislike the movie at all. If you read the book, though, you'd know that they changed the ending. Some might disagree with the concept, but I was actually happy that they did. The ending of the book was emotionally painful, and thank goodness for Happy Hollywood Endings.

One, maybe lesser known film, I was disappointed in was "Sleepwalker".


TIS

Read the Shining whist in Germany,took me 4 days to read and very much enjoyed it, very different to the film but better.

SB, I've still got Cujo on my to-read list (along with many others!), so I won't read your spoiler just yet. haha And I always like doing the book version first, then movie, so hopefully it'll work out that way. But I can now prepare myself for more tears, thanks to your warning!

PB, I've never been able to understand the mind of a critic very well, so I judge books just on how I enjoy them - but I'm glad to hear I enjoyed a "literary" novel.

The Shining and Carrie were by far my favourties when I was younger, I've now swapped over the The Stand. His sci-fi/fantasy series The Dark Tower never got me even slightly interested, which is a shame since I've read all his others but I just can't get through those ones. I'm also kinda struggling with his latest, Under the Dome.

I got Under The Dome for Christmas, but haven't tackled it yet. It's supposed to be great! I started "Hearts in Atlantis" and loved the beginning. Then I got distracted by something, and never went back to it. It couldn't have been TOO compelling.

I never got into the Dark Tower series although some have told me it's his masterpiece. I know it's supposed to link to a lot of his other works, including The Talisman, The Stand, Salem's Lot and so on. One of these days I'll have to give it a shot.

If you start it, Lilo, you won't want to stop until you're finished. It's an undertaking, for sure, but by the time you get to the final chapter of Book 7, you'll wonder where the time went, and be saddened by the fact that it's really over. You'll come to care a great deal about the characters (especially Roland).

SB, I picked up "Under the Dome" a few weeks before Christmas, but put off starting it until after New Years because my in-laws were up from Florida for the holidays. Anyway, I'm a little more than 2/3rds of the way through it as we speak, er, type . It's a bit like "The Stand," in that it's very apocalyptic, and it creates a real "us versus them" attitude with the survivors (those living "Under the Dome"). The good guys are likable and the bad guys, well, you just can't wait for them to be dead.

So typical King, I guess. But in a good way, because it's not formulaic in the least (like so many other writers who publish 20, 30 or 40+ novels).

just bought his last short story collection JUST BEFORE SUNSET from a bargain book store in town for £2

Brand new and hard cover at that

Yogi, read "A Very Tight Place" first. You'll never use a portable toilet again. Trust me on this.

Ok PB. Thanks!

Speaking of Stephen King, last night there was a John Cusak movie on HBO based on King's short story entitled, "1408". I never heard of it. Unfortunately it was on too late and I only saw the beginning. It did look good though and I hope to see it "On Demand" soon.

The premise is that John Cusak's character is a writer who dismisses many of these haunted house theories. He goes to this NYC hotel where room 1408 is supposedly haunted. Ha ha..that's as far as I saw the movie last night. I want to see the rest.

TIS

Picked up DUMA KEY yesterday at work. found it in one of the day rooms when i was looking for a wheel chair

I finally tackled "Under The Dome". It really was very good.

Funny, my husband often says that if you took away the "civilized" things in our lives (running water, electricity, courts of law, etc.), it wouldn't take us very long before society would completely collapse. "Under The Dome" proves that theory very well.

I enjoyed it, and I think that Barbie just might be one of my favorite King characters ever.

Just blasted through it as well. Very good. One armed men drawing spooky pictures and fighting the Queen of the Dead and her pirate ship of soul sucking zombies with his art is right up my street

Who doesn't love a good tale about soul sucking zombies??

I recently re-read "Cujo," Babe, and I have to say that this is a very mean, cruel book. I mean, I can't say that King's protagonists always end up well at the end of his novels/stories, but all I can say is poor Vic.



It seems King must have been in a very bitter frame of mind when he wrote this book, but I guess we can't ask him since he doesn't even remember much about writing it. I mean it's still a great read, but so, so cruel.

I think the most heartbreaking part of that book had to be when
I remember thinking that the book was cruel when I first read in my early 20s. Now, as a mother, it kills me.

Yeah, thank God the film's director didn't have the stomach for that ending. If I remember correctly, the little boy from "Who's the Boss?" played Tad in the movie.

Man, I hope that kid is sitting somewhere getting rich off his residuals!

I was going to stick this in one of the movie threads, but I thought I'd get a better shot at a reply over here.

Has anyone seen the film adaptation of "Apt Pupil"?

It came out in '98 but I never got around to seeing it (I had heard they changed King's ending and that turned me off at the time).

I changed my mind after recently reading the novella again, so I was going to order it from Netflix, but was a bit put off by the mixed reviews, and I trust the judgement of BBers a lot more anyway .

It did make some changes to the book, primarily though not exclusively the ending. It also played up (ahem) a not so subtle Ho Yay element that wasn't really there in the original story if I recall correctly.

That said it's still a good movie. It stars Gandalf (!) (Ian McKellen) and he does a very good job. The kid is more disturbing in his evil in the movie than in the book.

Not the best adapatation of King's work but far from the worst.
FWIW, I think King liked it.

if you want the worst adapatation of King's work, look into the lawnmower man.

For King fans, the Syfy channel is having a Stephen King marathon this weekend. Actually I'm watching The Langoliers right now, which I never saw all the way through.

Anyway, it starts tomorrow for those who get SyFy. I haven't seen the full list of films, but I'll try to get them for you. I do know that "The Tommyknockers" is one of the films.


TIS

Thanks, TIS!! Desperation is a good one, that I both read and watched. Some of them I want to wait to see until I get to the book, but that might take me too long! I'm working on The Dead Zone right now.

Here's their schedule:
http://www.syfy.com/schedule/index.php?date=2010-09-3

It's about time, woman .

Remember how I told you how the ending would make you cry?

Well, pm me when you're balling your eyes out .

Johnny Smith just might be my favorite King character EVER. His story is definitely King's most tragic. I know I've mentioned before how much I disliked the movie, despite a fantastic performance by Martin Sheen, but the book is top of my list.

PB, as for King's books, no ending made me cry like "Cujo". Although the movie was changed to Happy Hollywood Ending, which I usually despise, I was actually relieved that it was.

I mentioned that just for you. I get to work early and read it in the car, then read more at lunch - the only time I can justify reading King over a textbook nowadays. But yeah, someone's bound to see me crying my eyes out eventually. And I'll be sure to let you know.

SB, thanks for your comments - with yours and PB's recommendations, I know I'll enjoy it. And someday I'll see about the movie. haha

Wow, quite an undertaking for Ron Howard!

There's quite a bit to cover here (the series currently totals seven full length King novels, and counting). But a film trilogy AND a television series?

All I can say is, I hope Opie is up to it!

Universal to produce three films and TV series based on Stephen King's 'The Dark Tower'

Entertainment Weekly
Lynette Rice

Universal announced today that it has acquired the rights to produce three films and an NBC series based on the seven novels, short stories and comic books from Stephen King’s The Dark Tower. Ron Howard will direct the first film and the first season of the TV show, which will be written by Akiva Goldsman (The Da Vinci Code).

“I’ve been waiting for the right team to bring the characters and stories in these books to film and TV viewers around the world,” said King, in a statement. “Ron, Akiva, Brian along with Universal and NBC have a deep interest and passion for the The Dark Tower series and I know that will translate into an intriguing series of films and TV shows that respect the origins and the characters in The Dark Tower that fans have come to love.”

More than 30 million copies of The Dark Tower have been sold in 40 countries. After the series of seven books was completed, a prequel of comic books based on one of the characters was also published.

“The worlds of Stephen King’s The Dark Tower series are richly detailed, inter-locking and deeply connected,” said Goldsman in a statement. “By telling this story across media platforms and over multiple hours—and with a view to telling it completely—we have our best chance of translating Roland’s quest to reach The Dark Tower onto screen. We are proceeding with tremendous excitement, fidelity to the source material and, quite frankly, no small amount of awe at this opportunity.”

King is also a columnist for Entertainment Weekly.

In stores tomorrow, November 9th. A brand new collection (4 all together) of novellas, all dealing with the theme of retribution and vengeance.

I went up to Barnes and Noble in Co-Op City yesterday, but the snot nosed kid wouldn't sell it to me yet. But in all fairness to him, I assume these publishers are kind of strict about their release dates.

Full Dark, No Stars

My daughter's boyfriend works in Toys R Us. They wouldn't sell a customer a video game ahead of its release date for his son's birthday gift. He got so irate, they had to call the police and have him escorted from the store. Were you there, too?

Yeah, that was me .

I saw his new book in the shop today PB. Different cover though!

I saw the new book in the local Kroger. It was marked down 20% but that's normal for Kroger. I think it's a price discrimination thing. Anyway it got pretty good reviews. I need to check Amazon b/c I may have already pre-ordered it. If not then I'll pick it up on the weekend.

Lilo, do you realize that a lot of those one and two star reviews are solely based upon the price of the e-book? Apparently, the e-book costs more than the hardcover.

These Amazon reviewers (morons) are striking out against the publishers, and the authors are paying the price. In some cases, they're giving out zero star reviews without even having read the book.

I didn't realize that PB. But I was referring to reviews in print media.

Speaking of e-books and King here is a short recent WSJ interview with the man himself in which he discusses e-books and the whole digital wave.

Stephen King has filled HIS share of printed pages: Since "Carrie" was accepted for publication in the spring of 1973, he has written more than 40 books and countless short stories. His latest work, coming Nov. 9, is a collection of four stories titled "Full Dark, No Stars." In an author's afterword, Mr. King notes that he wrote one of them, "A Good Marriage," after reading a piece about Dennis Rader, the "BTK Killer" (for "bind, torture and kill") who murdered 10 people in Kansas between 1974 and 1991. He wondered what would happen if a "wife suddenly found out about her husband's awful hobby."

Mr. King is realistic about where books are headed. In digital publishing, as a writer, he's what might be called an "early adopter." Back in March 2000, Simon & Schuster Inc. issued Mr. King's story "Riding the Bullet" as an e-book that was downloaded from the Web onto hand-held devices or computers.

More recently, Mr. King's novella "Ur" was written exclusively for Amazon's Kindle e-reader when the second generation of that device went on sale in February 2009. In the interview below, Mr. King discusses his thoughts on the future of digital reading and publishing:

The Wall Street Journal: Do we get the same reading experience with e-books?

Stephen King: I don't know. I think it changes the reading experience....
King's thoughts

I saw that King interview, Lilo. Elmore Leonard recently stated that he's glad that e-books hit the market only during the "twilight" of his life. He hates the idea.

From a recent interview:

As for e-books, I'll give the last word to Elmore Leonard, who's still cranking out his customary 3 to 4 pages each day from 10-6, even as he prepares to turn 85. "To me, a book is a book, an electronic device is not, and love of books was the reason I started writing," Leonard told me recently. "I don’t have a word processor, e-mail, any of that stuff. I write in longhand mostly, then put it on my typewriter as I go along. I don’t have any interest in any of that electronic stuff, but I’m going on 85, and won’t have to worry about it too much longer.”

What about the rest of us, Elmore?

Actually I didn't preorder the new book. Amazon is selling it new for $14.51. I know that Kroger was already selling it for 20% off but I can't remember if there were more discounts on top of that. Have to check this evening.

I got the new SK book for $19. Started the first story.

I already finished the first novella, Lilo. Send me a pm me when you catch up .

I have put this on my Christmas list along with 754 other books.......

Has anyone else picked up the new SK book yet? I have just finished the first story. I don't want to do a review here but I can say that King has still got it. In spades. He's just a really really good story teller and he does his research. He's able to describe human nature pretty well. That's what makes him such a great writer.

I got it from the library, but haven't started it yet. I do most of my reading at night, and King's usually too scary. I like to save him for airplane trips...

Well so far there are no clowns...

That's a plus!

SB wouldn't be interested then. She loves those cute little clowns. Right SB?


TIS

NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!

Speaking of King, I just saw "The Dark Half" (with Timothy Hutton) a few days ago on CHILL station. It was pretty good. Creepy but good.



TIS

The sparrows are flying again! I loved that book.

Don't read the Langoliers on a plane trip Babe

I finished two more of the stories in his latest book, one more to go.
He's a sick twisted SOB and I mean that as the highest of compliments.

Finished the first two and started the third. King is such a great storyteller that his books are always compelling.

Finished it. I wrote a quick review.

I finished it, albeit reluctantly. I did enjoy the book, although I wouldn't say the stories were his best.

Where is your review, Lilo?

Edit: Never mind! Found it!!!!!!

Speaking of which, that and other movie versions will be on the SyFy channel in a King marathon, January 2nd:
http://www.syfy.com/schedule/index.php?date=2011-01-2

I do like The Stand, with the exception of Molly Ringwald. She's like the Sofia Coppola of the mini-series!

Molly: "(whines) I'm Fran! I'm carrying the savior of the new world. (whines)Stuart! Where are you going?? (whines) Vegas with the boys?? Noooo....(whining)"

UGH! I wanted to smack her. Gary Sinise had to pretend to love her, which makes his acting even more impressive.

I have just started to read "Misery" so far so good..

SB, you're hilarious!

But wasn't Fran the character also that way? Can't believe I've already forgotten what I read, but I thought even in the story she was whiny like that? Regardless, the whole idea of complaining about Stu going to Vegas is ridiculous of her! haha

DeNiro, I enjoyed both the book and the movie - Kathy Bates is wonderful to watch as Annie!

Fran was a bit of a spoiled snob in the beginning, but then grew as a person under the new challenges. Molly? Not so much.

I got an e-mail from Stephen King.com regarding his next book. This one will definitely appeal to some of the board members. The title of the book is 11-22-63, and it's about a man who goes back in time to try to prevent the Kennedy assassination. I recall a two or three part episode of "Quantum Leap" that touched on the same fantasy.

On November 22, 1963, three shots rang out in Dallas,
President Kennedy died, and the world changed.

If you had the chance to change history, would you?
Would the consequences be worth it?

Jake Epping is a thirty-five-year-old high school English teacher in Lisbon Falls, Maine, who makes extra money teaching adults in the GED program. He receives an essay from one of the students—a gruesome, harrowing first person story about the night 50 years ago when Harry Dunning’s father came home and killed his mother, his sister, and his brother with a hammer. Harry escaped with a smashed leg, as evidenced by his crooked walk.

Not much later, Jake’s friend Al, who runs the local diner, divulges a secret: his storeroom is a portal to 1958. He enlists Jake on an insane—and insanely possible—mission to try to prevent the Kennedy assassination. So begins Jake’s new life as George Amberson and his new world of Elvis and JFK, of big American cars and sock hops, of a troubled loner named Lee Harvey Oswald and a beautiful high school librarian named Sadie Dunhill, who becomes the love of Jake’s life—a life that transgresses all the normal rules of time.

In stores November 8, 2011.

http://www.stephenking.com/promo/11-22-63/announcement/

Sounds interesting!! I can imagine a "King" touch to the story. I am not a huge book reader, but may check this one out. However, I read its 1,000 pages???

Thanks for the heads up.


TIS

You were the first board member I thought of, Tis. Honest to God.

Even though you don't read .

Just to be clear I do know HOW to read (and actually do read) but am not a huge book reader.

There was a movie I think made in the 90's (maybe 80's) and it had a series of short stories. One of the stories was in this same line. Someone going back trying to stop the assassination. It wasn't popular (evidently). The title had "Time" in it but I'll be darn if I remember it.

TIS

Now if I thought you couldn't read, would I have addressed the post to you?

I just checked Amazon and you can pre order for $18.85. Not a bad price no? I mean considering the length of the book.


TIS

And for the record, Tis. The story you're thinking of is "The Longoliers."

No, it wasn't a King story. It was a regular move...maybe a tv movie. I know The Longoliers."


TIS

Oh, okay. When you mentioned the time travel aspect, I figured you were talking about "The Langoliers." That wasn't a bad adaptation, for a made-for-tv movie. It's funny, a few of King's made-for-tv adaptations are better than some of the theatrical ones.

Ok. This is it I think. God, it's been so long. I remember the character going thru several time travesl. It's called "Running Against Time." If you do watch the trailer, it's a spoiler, but what an interesting twist.

TIS


http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi1736442137/

Stephen gets political and blasts Florida governor Rick Scott.

Go Stephen!

Larry, Moe & Curly?

I had seen the link to King's remarks, but didn't watch it til just now!!!! Very good!!



TIS

I didn't even know there was a Stephen King thread here. Does anyone remember The Library Policeman, a novella by King? One of the wackiest stories I've ever read .

Here it is, Don T.

[/quote]

I just finished reading it today. It is a huge book, and I kept putting it off because of the sheer size of it, but once I started reading, I couldn't stop.

It wasn't only a really good story, but a very candid commentary on our reliance on oil, internet, cell phones, and how, like you said, what would probably happen if all of those things were taken away from us.

And while it wasn't a typical King "horror" novel, I gotta say, it was a pretty terrifying read, nonetheless.

I also agree with you about Barbie. And what about that "Big" Jim Rennie, feller? My goodness, I've never hated a fictional character more than I hated him!

Big Jim was scary, wasn't he? Only because there are so many of him out there.

Good news for King fans. The long awaited adaptation of "Bag of Bones" is a go, with Pierce Prosnan in the lead.

A&E Greenlights ‘Stephen King’s Bag Of Bones’ Miniseries Starring Pierce Brosnan

By NELLIE ANDREEVA

EXCLUSIVE: A&E Network has greenlighted for production Stephen King’s Bag of Bones, a two-night, four-hour mini-series starring Pierce Brosnan. Annabeth Gish will co-star in the project, based on Stephen King’s bestselling novel. Kelly Rowland also is expected to join the cast of the mini, from Sony Pictures Television, which will premiere on A&E in the fourth quarter of 2011. Mick Garris will direct from a script by Matt Venne. Filming is scheduled to begin next month in Nova Scotia, Canada.

Bag of Bones centers on bestselling novelist Mike Noonan (Brosnan), who is unable to stop grieving after the sudden death of his wife Jo (Gish). A dream inspires him to return to the couple’s lakeside retreat in western Maine where he becomes involved in a custody battle between the daughter of an attractive young widow and the child’s enormously wealthy grandfather, the mysterious ghostly visitations, the ever-escalating nightmares and the realization that his late wife still has something to tell him.

Bag of Bones is executive produced by Mark Sennett for Mark Sennet Entertainment, Mick Garris for Nice Guy Prods., Stewart Mackinnon for Headline Pictures and Craig Sheftell. Brian Gary and David Davoli are the co-executive producers. Garris, Sennett and Venne had been working on a Bag of Bones adaptation for several years, originally as a feature and then as a mini.

This is the second high-profile miniseries fronted by a movie star to be greenlighted at a A&E Network over the past couple of months. A&E’s sibling History in May picked up The Hatfields and McCoys, starring Oscar winner Kevin Costner. CAA-repped Brosnan is already in business with Sony Pictures TV on an international private investigator series project from veteran ER writer-producer Jack Orman. Gish is with Innovative and Thruline.

I don't know that particular story but I like most of King's work and look forward to seeing it. Thanks for the heads-up.


TIS

BAG OF BONES is a good book as i recall.

Wow, thats definitely interesting. Im not a huge fan of either Brosnan or Gish (though the former did alright in "The Matador", and the latter did some great work in "Brotherhood") but I will definitely be checking this out, being a huge King fan.

On sale now:

11/22/63, by Stephen King

On November 22, 1963, three shots rang out in Dallas,
President Kennedy died, and the world changed.

If you had the chance to change history, would you?
Would the consequences be worth it?

Jake Epping is a thirty-five-year-old high school English teacher in Lisbon Falls, Maine, who makes extra money teaching adults in the GED program. He receives an essay from one of the students—a gruesome, harrowing first person story about the night 50 years ago when Harry Dunning’s father came home and killed his mother, his sister, and his brother with a hammer. Harry escaped with a smashed leg, as evidenced by his crooked walk.

Not much later, Jake’s friend Al, who runs the local diner, divulges a secret: his storeroom is a portal to 1958. He enlists Jake on an insane—and insanely possible—mission to try to prevent the Kennedy assassination. So begins Jake’s new life as George Amberson and his new world of Elvis and JFK, of big American cars and sock hops, of a troubled loner named Lee Harvey Oswald and a beautiful high school librarian named Sadie Dunhill, who becomes the love of Jake’s life—a life that transgresses all the normal rules of time.

In stores November 8, 2011.

Sounds good. A "what if". I was wondering what King would write about in regards to JFK. I'm definitely interested.


Thanks

TIS

It looks like (just from my brief skimming of the book) that the theme is, if you change something for the better, you may just change ten things for the worse.

PB, you said you have it already. Is it in the stores? Link said it would be for sale on Amazon on 11/22.

LOL They are closing so many book stores, I'll have to see what's left.



TIS

It's been out since Tuesday, Tis.

Here's the BN link: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/11-22-63...;usri=11-22-63#

King looks so old. He never really bounced back from that car accident, did he? Terrible shame.

Thanks PB

I guess it's easiest to sit here by the computer and order on-line but then it's not like I don't have time to go buy it.


TIS

I hear ya, Tis. But I have two Barnes and Nobles within ten minutes driving distance of me, so it's no big deal for me .

If you old timers would just break down and buy a NOOK or a Kindle, you'd never have to go searching for a book store...

I downloaded a sample on my NOOK. I've read the first few chapters. It has certainly piqued my interest, but I haven't read enough to determine whether or not I want to invest in another almost thousand page Stephen King novel. I loved UNDER THE DOME, though, so I'll probably end up buying it.

I saw his new book in the book store the other day. A nice, big, fat, shiny hard back which whispered my name as i walked past. It's on my Christmas list

I hear nearly a thousand pages. I haven't looked for it yet. Amazon has it for I think $20.

TIS

Speaking of Stephen King, AMC is running SK films based on his books: Cujo, Pet Sematary, Pet Sematary Two (which I don't think is actually SK), Thinner, Christine.



TIS

I'll give King this: It's an intriguing concept. But really, why a thousand pages? He'll never know his subplot/background plodding ultimately don't matter as much as he believes, right? Still I'm sure the inevitable movie will be decent.



No more than CHILDREN OF THE CORN PART 6.

One of the channels recently (maybe AMC) had films "creepiest kids." Many selections to choose from including the boy from Pet Sematary..."I wanna play with yooooooou." I always did find him creepy.


TIS

My bitchings at King (well his faults) aside, the dude has had quite many a decent movie based off (or more like "inspired off") his books. Including two, which people forget, that got nominated for the Best Picture Oscar.

Few authors can claim that, and even fewer alive.

RR, refresh my memory which two? Misery/Carrie??



TIS

"The Shawshank Redemption" and "The Green Mile."

Yikes, I was way off. I never saw Green Mile but loved Shawshank and am glad that was acknowledged. Both movies I tend to forget are King's. I think Shawshank became even more popular when it hit video. I saw it on tv and don't even remember when it was on the theater to tell you the truth. Yet, it's one of those I'll usually tune into every time it's on and watch at least some of it.



TIS

"Shawshank" was an epic film, Tis. Maybe in the same class as "The Godfather."

Really. It's that good.

Strong praise indeed, PB. It's been a while since I watched "Shawshank". Can you explain more why it's such a good film?

Ok, I couldn't resist. I liked the concept of the story, so I purchased King's 11-22-63. I'm not a regular book reader unless something sounds good. I got the hard cover at Walmart and thus far (I've read 300 pages of 849) I am really into it. I'm not even at any part about JFK, as there's another story it starts with that I found really fascinating. An added plus is the guy goes back to the fifties and the way King describes the era, people, stores, etc I can totally remember.

I'm babysitting today and brought the book with me. I hope it continues to fascinate.



TIS

The problem with babysitting when trying to read a new book is kids ripping the pages out of said book when you have dozed off on the sofa

Just got back from vacation. I had downloaded King's new book onto my Kindle (so there, X! :p) before I left. The book is amazing. I could NOT put it down, especially as it headed towards the last stretch.

King is an incredible story teller. There was a nice visit back to the location and a few characters from "It", which caused a bit of a shiver down my spine (I've always thought "It" was his scariest book). Every character, from major to minor, is beautifully drawn, especially the main female character Sadie. If you're remotely interested in the events surrounding JFK's death, the book is a must.

I didn't think it was possible, but King was able to humanize Oswald. He didn't make him likable, but did make him human. The main character Jake is appropriately torn between his old life and his new, and he finds himself capable of much more than he ever thought possible.

Wonderful read that moved me to tears at times. Frank Dunhill may be the most poignant character ever written. Just wonderful job by King.

SB,

I am around page 600 and it is just now getting into Oswald. I too love it thus far. Don't say, but I can't imagine how it's gonna end. I love King's description of the past and his description of Oswald on a personal level and Jake, Sadie characters. You're right Oswald is NOT likeable.

So far anyway, very little politics. I'll let you know. I expect to finish it in the next day or so.

Btw, today is 11-22 I remember it like it was yesterday.

TIS

There were lots of specials on The History Channel today. Did you catch any of them???

Actually I'm sorry to say I missed them. I'll check throughout the week and hopefully catch a couple if they repeat.

Thanks


TIS

Really good specials, especially the one debunking a lot of the info in Oliver Stone film.

Finished book on Thanksgiving. Especially toward the end, when the chase was on, so to speak, I couldn't put it down.

I don't do a lot of reading unless something really appeals to me. This went quickly and even a few days later, I kind of miss the characters and the flashback to the good part of the olden days.


TIS

That's two in a row for me from King. I had stopped reading him for a bit, as I didn't like books like Desperation or Insomnia. However, I loved this and Under the Dome. Perhaps his sobriety has something to do with it.

Actually, he wrote "Desperation" and "Insomnia" after he got sober. He claims to have had his last drink in 1988. He wrote "Desperation" and "Insomnia" in the '90s.

Maybe he started drinking again, and that's what was missing!

I was thinking about reading this and I think after reading your review, you've sold me on it. I'm fairly interested in the Kennedy assassination and like everyone else, to hear Stephen King tackle the subject in a way is appealing to my curiousity. I won't be able to have time to read it for a while, but I think it's going on my list now. Thanks!

Stephen King writes a letter/op-ed response to a conservative columnist's critique of Kennedy.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/01/opinio...king&st=cse

Partial Quote

Speaking of King, I heard them advertise that "Bag Of Bones" was going to be a tv movie soon. I am not sure of the date/channel.



TIS

There was an article about 11/22/63 in my local paper. It's allegedly being made into a movie and Jonathan Demme, of Silence of the Lambs fame, is going to be making it.

Really? Cool, I was hoping they would but didn't think it'd be this soon. It'd be nice to see while the story's still fresh in my mind. Yet, it'll probably be a year before it's released.

Just found this link:

http://www.movies.com/movie-news/stephen-king-jonathan-demme/4038

TIS

Thanks, TIS. I hope it happens.

December 11th, Tis. If you hurry up, you can read it first!

It's one of my favorite King books, and certainly his most "literary."

Here's the trailer-interview with Brosnan:

Wow, thanks PB, that does look good. I like Pierce Brosnan too. The book isn't nearly 1,000 pages like 11-22-63 is it? I may give it a read. I will see the movie though

TIS

It's only about 600 pages, which is actually considered short for a King novel. Hell, his "short stories" are over 200 pages .

Just a reminder for those interested, Stephen King's "Bag Of Bones" debuts Sunday on A&E. It's a two part story.

I didn't read the story but previews look good.


http://insidetv.ew.com/2011/10/13/stephen-king-bag-of-bones-trailer/

TIS

TIS, did you get a chance to watch it? PB?

I definitely want to check it out but might need to convince someone to watch it with me because scary movies become a lot scarier when I'm by myself.

Gina,

I did watch it. It is pretty good. I never read the book so I can't compare it. Story was interesting but IMHO not one of King's best, yet still worth watching.

Kind of a neat scene from the movie (and won't give anything away). Pierce Brosnan is an author and is at a book signing. A young man carrying several books for him to autograph approaches him and his wife. He says to Pierce's character, "I'm your number one fan." (Misery) His wife who was on her way out whispers to him, "I'll leave you with Annie Wilkes I have to go." King also had a small cameo in the film.

TIS

I should watch it, it's still available on demand.

I'm currently about a quarter of the way through 11/22/63. Love it so far!

Glad to hear it, X. I just reread it, actually, because I felt it needed a second run to capture all its nuances.

I didn't re-read the book but I do find myself (especially right after I finished reading the book) thinking of George, Sadie and the story, AND the entire "era". For some reason reading the book put me right there and it was kind of nostalgic if that makes sense.

I do hope there is a movie cause I look forward to seeing it.


TIS

I enjoyed it, Gina. I've liked Annabeth Gish since "Mystic Pizza," and Pierce Brosnan is usually pretty good, but it wasn't 100 percent true to the book.

Only click on this link if you don't mind seeing the changes the producers made from the book to the mini-series:

http://sciencefiction.com/2011/12/19/bag-of-bones-the-book-vs-the-miniseries/

TIS, I read the book awhile back and really enjoyed it. King made it a very emotional story to follow, so I was excited to hear about the series being made. I love the inside jokes that you mentioned - sounds funny!

PB, thanks for the link; I think I'll watch it first, though, since I know my curiosity will get the best of me eventually! I always like finding out which things they kept true to and which they did their own way when his stories are produced.

Here's an update on the potential Shining sequel:

Article with video clips

I'd watch a Shining sequel. I know they did a remake of the original which wasn't bad actually. Though, nothing matches the original.

I still look forward to the movie version of 11-22-63. Anyone who finds updates on the project, please post info here. I, for one, am interested.


TIS

I heard a rumour that HBO are re-making THE STAND and Ben Affleck is to direct it???

Anyone else hear this?

I just Googled it, Yogi, and it looks like it's true. However, Affleck just picked a screenwriter, so it looks like we're not going to see it for a long while.

I actually loved the original mini-series. It had a fine cast, with the exception of Moly Ringwald as Fran. SHE was supposed to be carrying the future of the world?? UGH! She "Sofia'd" the whole thing for me.

However, the rest of the cast was top notch: Rob Lowe, Gary Sinise, Bill Fagerbakke, Ruby Dee, and Jamey Sheridan as Flagg. It stuck fairly close to the book, too.

Speaking of "The Shining" movie, there is a documentary, Room 237, which is about the meanings of Kubrick's film. Evidently King, who was of course not a fan of the film, didn't participate.

Jonathan Demme Adapting Stephen King’s JFK Time-Travel Novel 11/22/63

Source: GiantFreakinRobot.com



I just finished reading the book yesterday (LOVED it!). It's one of those stories that you can't wait to finish, but are sad when it is over. Demme is a formidable director and screenwriter, so I'm interested to see where he takes this. It's a HUGE book though, so I'm concerned about how much will have to be left out to make it "film friendly"...

The strangest thing happened after I finished reading the book. I clicked on the TV and there just so happens to be a JFK documentary on the NatGeo channel. It was pretty eerie watching the lead up to the motorcade entering Dealy Plaza after only just reading the climax of the story.

My brother was over on Saturday. He was on page 800 of the book, and he finished it on Sunday. Once he hit the last section of the book, you really just can't put it down, can you?

For some strange reason I haven't caught the miniseries yet. I LOVED the book. Epic in every sense. I really have to catch it, everyone says how true it is to the original.

I had to think for a second too, but Bill Fagerbakke also played the rascist hack Metzger in Oz. What did you think of his portrayal of Tom Cullen (easily one of my favourites in the book, J-O-K-E, that spells MOON!!)? He's always come across as a pretty good actor to me.

I noticed Marvel is supposed to be doing a series of graphic novels on it as well. I like what they did with The Dark Tower, Ill definitely have to check that out.

Cant wait for the movie! Hopefully it wont bog down in development and they'll start shooting before long.

You hit the nail on the head, SB! The final section of the book literally had me on the edge of my seat.

And I won't lie...I actually cried a little once I got to the end...

LOL I read the last of the book on Christmas Day. I'm walking around my daughter's kitchen saying, "ok, just a minute. I'll be right there to help." I told her "if you only knew what was going on, you'd know why I couldn't put the book down." Big help I was. Ha ha



TIS

I loved this book even more than UNDER THE DOME, and UNDER THE DOME was a fantastic read in its own right. I've always had a fascination with Oswald and the JFK assassination, and I love time travel stories, so this was a win-win for me from the get-go. King has a unique ability to transport his readers into the story, making you feel like you are right there in the thick of it.

11/22/63 is a story that sticks with you while you're reading it, and stays with you long after you finish it. I'm still having dreams about it.

X, I finished it, then went right back and read it again. I had to, because there was just so MUCH. The visit back to Derry, seeing Bev and Richie again, Harry's family and his sister who was like Lucille Ball, the bookie in Florida, moving to Texas, meeting Sadie, the plays, just all of it, and then Oswald and Marina, the other Russians, I couldn't absorb it all in one read. I had to go back and look at it again. And of COURSE I cried at the end!

Mickey, He was a great Tom Cullen. He and Rob Lowe (who played Nick) had a very good chemistry. When I see him on HIMYM as Marshall's father, I keep waiting for him to say, "M-O-O-N, that's how you spell Eriksen!"

I have it sitting on my table waiting to be read......and i have to say you folks are giving it a great build up

I've gone back and started reading it again. It's a story that is absolutely rich in detail and characters. King has a unique ability of painting a picture with his words, and I find myself yearning to get lost in the worlds he creates, especially in this book.

Exactly right X. As a matter of fact, 11-22-63 story happens late in the story but I found myself wrapped up in not only the story but the characters, even minor characters (ie Green Card man?). In every flashback segment I pictured the town, shops people a certain way. For me many of the little things mentioned were nostalgic too. I can't wait to see a movie of it.


TIS

I agree, TIS, King is a master when it comes to the little details.

After re-reading 11/22/63, I've decided to give DUMA KEY another try. I started it a while back but never got around to finishing it, for one reason or another.

Because my husband is in IT, his eyes are usually too tired at night to read, so I got him the audiobook of "11/22/63". DAMN! It was expensive. I hope he likes it.

Stephen King Daily Beast Column

He IS a charmer, isn't he???

I see King has another new hardback out......a new Dark Tower tale. Damn but this fella churns them out doesn't he??

Just borrowed 11/22/63 from a coworker. I can't wait to start reading it. Probably not gonna get a chance until the end of month when I start vacation!

Not long finished that Irishman. I thought it was billiant, his best work for a while!

New Movie

Lilo,

I read about the remake and am looking forward to it tho most of the time the remake is not as good as the original. Still, that's one of my favorite King stories. I'm anxious to see who the cast is. In particular, who'll be Pennywise.




TIS

I'm not sure how I feel about this. I just watched the TV movie yesterday and I'm not sure how they're going to improve upon Tim Curry's performance. I haven't read the book yet but am leaning towards it.

I'm currently reading 11/22/63 and LOVE it. If I have the stamina, then I'll read IT afterwards. I'm only 350 pages into 11/22/63 but it's so interesting. This is only my second King novel that I've read (THE SHINING being the first).

I12,

Aren't the characters interesting and isn't the era vividly described? I really enjoyed the book.


TIS

It is and I remember reading you saying that. I wasn't born then but the way he describes it in his book, I feel like I'm in there with him, feeling the excitement Jake is. Difficult to put down but doesn't seem like I can put a good dent into it. Been reading it for almost 3 weeks and I still have 500 pages left!

I don't think this is a SPOILER since I've read the book and didn't even notice it, but...

In researching reviews/info on King's 11-22-63 book, I found a few links questioning the meaning of dates on the last page of the book. These dates appear on final page:

January 2 2009- December 18, 2010 Sarsota, Flordia/Lovell, Maine.”

Checking my copy (hard copy) it is on page 842. It's been suggested that King does that at the end of all his books indicating the time it took to write the book. I don't read all of King's books (usually see the movie) Still, a little fun mystery to fit the topic I guess. Or does he always do this?


http://www.jamierubin.net/2012/04/03/the-dates-at-the-very-end-of-stephen-kings-112263/


TIS

Lilo, not sure where exactly you are in the book, but one of Jake's desinations is Derry, Maine where he meets two tweens, Bev and Richie, two of the characters from "It".

While 11/22/63 sagged a bit in the middle for me, the last 150 or so pages just FLEW! I literally couldn't put it down.

Great book!!

He always does that, Tis. It's his way of letting everyone know how much time goes into the writing of his books.

LMAO

11/22/63

Only my second Stephen King book that I've read with THE SHINING being the first. I was very excited when I began reading this and by chapter 2 it had me hooked! I was originally on vacation when I started it, but I made sure to try my best to read at least a chapter every day that I could.

I agree with some here who have said that the middle tends to drag and somethings could have been shortened/cut out. I wish more time and chapters would have focused more on JFK and Lee Harvey but the last few chapters seemed to have made up for it.

Another complaint that I'd heard and I can kind of agree with, is that this book is more of a time-travel and love story rather than trying to prevent the JFK assassination. Still, the concept was quite interesting and as I eluded to, it was interesting to see how changing the past could effect the future.

Overall I was pleased with the book. Early on when King was describing Jake Epping's surroundings, I swear I felt as if I was there with him (and I was nowhere near the 1950s/1960s). King does a FANTASTIC job at recreating the world and all of the nostalgia. I know for those readers who were alive during this time period that King's use of words seems to be spot on.

My next venture is to tackle the longest book that I would have ever read: Stephen King's IT!

Glad you liked it I12. Yea, I too thought there would be MORE of JFK but I found myself getting into the story early on and still enjoyed it. Like you say, the ending made up for it and for a while I was on the edge of my seat.

I can't wait for the movie AND I also look forward to the remake of IT, tho the original was pretty decent if you ask me.



TIS

I12, let me know how you like IT, which scared the heck out of me. It takes place in Derry, which is one of the places Jake visits when he's back in 1958.

Me too. The movie should be interesting. I'll definitely be in line for that.

As for IT, I'm looking forward to the remake too and it's coming to the theaters, correct? It's not going to be another made for TV movie? I'd almost wish they'd rehire Tim Curry since he did such an awesome job last time!

Absolutely, but it's gonna take me a while coming in at 1138 pages!

I know this is a little off topic but has anybody read or seen the movie THE STAND. I saw bits and pieces of it, can't really find it through my library (although if I wanted to try hard enough I could find it online). After reading IT I'll have to determine if I can stomach another 1100+ book.

Also, I remember enjoying the movie THE STORM OF THE CENTURY. Again, anybody read the book?

I read The Stand and saw the movie. As usual I thought the book was better. King writes so densely and has so much going on that's it's difficult for a film to capture that, although in my opinion Dreamcatcher and The Mist came closest.

Storm of the Century was never a book.

I thought that they did a decent job of making The Stand miniseries. They had some really solid actors, with the exception of Molly Ringwald as Fran. IMO, she "Sofia'd" the damn thing. The most surprising was Rob Lowe as Nick, who did an outstanding job. I think it was his first big acting job after the video scandal, so everyone was sort of waiting to rip him apart, but couldn't!

The book, as Lilo correctly pointed out, is a far richer experience and the characters are more fleshed-out. However, given King's propensity for background and detail, which couldn't possibly be captured in a TV miniseries.

As good as IT. I really enjoy the movie and like I said, it's takes a long investment to read books this long. Is THE STAND worth it? I probably need to get a hold of the DVD and watch it first.

To each their own Irish but my $0.02 is that The Stand is definitely worth the investment and you would slightly ruin your enjoyment of the book if you watch the miniseries first.

King's done a lot in the years since and tied a lot of storylines together in his Dark Tower series and crossovers with Straub but I think The Stand is one of his top five works. I believe he's described it as in part his take on creating an American Lord of The Rings. There's a lot of stuff going on in there, at some points it's almost stream of consciousness type writing. I have to always go back to revisit subplots and characters I forgot about.

Was this based off of the movie then?

STORM OF THE CENTURY book

Yes, that is the screenplay. It was not written as a novel before being adapted as a movie. It was conceived as tv from the beginning.

Stephen King wrote about publishing the expanded version of The Stand that he got the idea for the book when he was listening to a gospel preacher from the South talking about a plague. He said that writing the book was like "tap-dancing on the grave of the world", which he admits was somewhat gleeful at times.

This may be a silly question but how come when King writes, his chapters have numbers in them? Almost like verses?

Ok, I need someone to talk me off the ledge. I'm only 3 chapters into IT but I'm not feeling it and considering not "wasting" my time with the rest of it. I'm sure it gets better, but how soon? I know it's a long book and I should give it more time, but I'm having a difficult time just picking it up and reading a chapter to get to that point.

JUMP! JUMP!! JUMP!!!!
Seriously it's been a looooooooooong time since I read IT so I couldn't offer you advice. The Stand made much more of an impression on me. It's very long but opens fast.

I12, I never read the book, only saw the movie and I DID like the movie.




TIS

Well I read half of chapter 4 tonight (man, some of those chapters are long). It piqued my interest a little bit more. It's dealing with Ben Hanscrom flashback as a kid. Will finish it tomorrow before work and we'll go from there. Thanks for the advice to you and TIS.

I rarely have trouble finishing a book, so I can't advise you. I do know that IT scared the bejeepers out of me, but I scare easily, so that's not much of a barometer for you.

While I agree that The Stand was a superior read, I have a soft spot for the characters of IT and how brave they were, brandishing their innocence as a weapon. The love these characters develop for one another (most were strangers at the beginning of the book) was wonderfully portrayed.

IT

Well, I finished it. The longest book I've ever read and just a tad over a month. It took some determination to accomplish. I'd be lying if I said it was an easy read. I almost gave up after the first few chapters. Overall, I prefer the mini-series to this one. I liked the way the story was presented in that one. The first part is them mostly as children whereas the second part is them as adults. The novel, it's run parallel throughout and I wasn't a big fan of that. Not to mention it got too weird at the end when they were adults taking on It again. And I felt the chapters were too long. The book's 1,138 pages long and it's only 23 chapters with 5 Interludes. At times, I had to split the chapters up and read some of it then finish it another time, which I don't like doing either. I'd rather just finish it all in one sitting but sometimes that just wasn't possible. However, I did enjoy the novel for one reason: it was more descriptive and gruesome than the mini-series since that was made for TV. Overall, I'm not sorry I read it but it wasn't as good as I was hoping. Honestly, I'm glad to be done with it now. I recently got THE STAND for my birthday, but I don't have the energy to read it anytime soon (and yes, it's longer than IT by 14 pages).

I told you to jump!

I think The Stand moves more quickly and has more interesting characters. IIRC The Stand also links more to King's other works (Dark Tower, The Talisman) though I could be wrong about that. Well glad you enjoyed IT somewhat at least.

You did Lilo, but I don't like starting something and not finishing it. A friend of mine told me THE STAND was good. I want to watch it too but having difficulty getting my hand on a copy. Like I said though, it'll be a while before I read it. Interested in reading these other Stephen King books as well: CARRIE, MISERY and NEEDFUL THINGS. I've seen CARRIE and MISERY but also want to see NEEDFUL THINGS.

If you want a short and easy read, Irish, go with "Misery." It actually started out as a short story. Great book, by the way.

How's it compare to the movie pizzaboy? And thanks for the recommendation.

I like "Misery", but have a soft spot for "Carrie". King was catapulted to fame with that book and the subsequent movie (with excellent jobs by Sissy Spacek, John Travolta and Piper Laurie). He says it has a breezy, teenage-confidential field to the first half (pre-prom), and he's right. I've always liked the idea of the bullied girl getting even, although Carrie may have gone a bit too far.

I almost always favor the book, Irish (with "The Godfather" being one of the few films that improved upon the author's original vision). That said, "Misery" was a damn good movie. Kathy Bates didn't win the Oscar for nothing. But read the book anyway. It's short, fun and well written.

Will do. I'll mark it on my list, not sure when I'll get to it though. Thanks pizzaboy and SB!

You ever read "Thinner? Its a nice creepy book to read

Never read THINNER but I've seen the movie

I posted this on the Movie random thread, but the other day the SyFy channel ran King's "The Mist." I had never seen it, and I liked it. The ending was really a surprise IMHO. Good movie and good actors.




TIS

I heard the ending of the movies was better than the books. I've never read it but I did see the movie.

I have had it a while but for some reason only just read it. King's last volume of short stories JUST AFTER SUNSET. Very,very good indeed, but there again i expected nothing else!

I'm a tad late to the show, but I finished "Under the Dome" a couple of weeks ago and enjoyed it just as much as my fellow King fans here seemed to have. It was a funny experience for me because, as hooked as I was on the book, I was also just as addicted to watching Breaking Bad at the same time.. so with the similar drug theme, I'm surprised my dreams weren't crazier than they were.

Same! He creates such wonderful heroic characters, always with very endearing and accessible qualities... he's so good at making you want them to do well, and making you wish you could know the person.

Jim Rennie had such a huge mental influence on me throughout the book, just completely grinding my gears in a way that went beyond the story.. I really HATED him! Ughh.

Yogi! I'm reading these right now! My friend told me about the cat one (because I'm a notorious cat lover) so I'd read it awhile back, but I'm just now checking out the rest of the stories in that collection. I think my favorite, because it was most disturbing to me, was the one about the therapist and his patient. Really scary, because the OCD theme is so realistic.

Gina, since I got my Kindle, I feel lucky to not have to lug around books like "Under The Dome". I took it on vacation to Florida a few years ago, and left it there because I couldn't stand the idea of hauling it back up north! LOL We were down there last month and I picked it up again, and loved it just as much the 2nd time around. I have not yet read "Just after Sunset", but will look into it if it's recommended.

I've got a Kindle, too! Present from my brother, and so very useful. I didn't even realize how big "Under the Dome" is because I'd been bringing just that thin piece of technology with me to work everyday and reading it at lunch. But it's apparently too large to store in NY!

I was interested in discovering King's short story style, since he's a notorious windbag in describing his characters, and I liked getting to see what he does with the limited space. But I'd have to say I still prefer those long-winded novels more so.

I love my books, and I completely resisted getting a Kindle for the longest time. I just love the feel and smell of cracking open a book for the first time. My husband gave me a Kindle for my birthday last year and, after "Under The Dome" and the last couple of Ken Follett books, I embraced it gratefully! It really is great for traveling. My poor husband had resigned himself to carting books in the carry-on in order to keep me quiet on a plane. I think he loves the Kindle now more than I do! (The poor man has the patience of a saint.)

He's a doll! See, the wisest gift giver is the one who gives to both the recipient and himself.

Just tonight, I got my dad started on "Under the Dome" since it's exactly the type of story he'd enjoy. He asked how many pages it is, and I told him I honestly didn't know. Maybe there will eventually be a time when Kindle-pages is an acceptable unit of measure!

My husband's always had a theory that, if society as we know it collapsed, it wouldn't take us very long to be back in the trees flinging crap at one another. For that very reason, I think he would like "Under The Dome", as it is every bit a sociological study. He stares at a computer screen all day, though, and his eyes hurt too much to read at night. I'll have to get him the audio version.

"Doctor Sleep," the long awaited sequel to "The Shining," was released two weeks ago. Little Danny is now forty years old and an alcoholic himself.

I'm only 200 pages in so far, but I wanted to put the word out there because I'm loving it. So here's a nice review:

http://www.startribune.com/entertainment/books/225410022.html

This is on my Christmas list PB. There was a great interview on the BBC last week with King where he said he never liked the film version of The Shining and didn't care for Kubrick either. Interesting stuff!!

Look, Yogi Bear. The film was iconic because of Nicholson's performance, but it wasn't very true to the book.

In my opinion, and I realize that I'm in the minority here, the 1997 mini-series, starring Steven Weber (the "Wings" guy), was much truer to the novel, and an overall superior film.

But no one can touch Jack's performance for sheer terror.

Oh I enjoyed the film, never seen the mini series. I was a young fella when I saw it and it scared the poop out of me. Those twins and that woman in the bath........

I agree completely. The mini-series did an excellent job in sustaining suspense from scene to scene. It was much more captivating in heightening the interest as to what was causing the breakdown in the father.

I never read the book, but saw the mini-series with Steven Weber and I thought it was very well done. I enjoyed it.

I also agree, Nicholson's performance can't be topped. Yet, I am probably outnumbered when I say tho that was an excellent performance, to me Nicholson is always over the top. LOL



TIS

Never read the book?? Really? It was pretty scary.

It's featured in one of the funniest episodes of "Friends". Joey agrees to read Rachel's favorite book "Little Women" if she will read his, "The Shining".

I picked up Dr. Sleep but likely won't get to it for a few weeks. Is it just me or is King getting crankier in his old age. Usually he's complimentary of other writers or just doesn't say anything if he doesn't like them but lately it seems like he's holding back less. I dunno. I haven't read many of his reviews so maybe I missed his more acerbic side. I've not read Meyer or E.L. James and can safely say I never will but if I were of King's status I wouldn't be slamming them either. Different strokes for different folks.

Of course, I guess everyone is competitive to an extent and King's no different. He's entitled. BTW his rant about slow writers makes me wish he would go talk to one George R.R. Martin.

Stephen King Interview (Long)

It's definitely not you, Lilo. That's my one knock on King. For a guy who has been absolutely torn apart by the more "literary" critics over the years, you'd think he'd be a little more open minded about young writers. Not that I have any use for "literary" critics, anyway. These are the same assholes who dismiss guys like Elmore Leonard and Walter Mosley as "genre writers."

But you get my point .

Yeah. Writing is a contact sport, I guess. Still that's got to be a blow to the ego-one of the best writers out there says that you can't write worth a damn.

His new book got a great review in the NYT by Margaret Atwood, the author. I remember several years ago when King won some kind of literary award and "serious" writers went ballistic.

I think King has always been pretty cantankerous, and more so after he was seriously injured years ago.

BTW I hear he goes to Red Sox games all the time.

That was a horrible accident. He almost did his own Johnny Smith.

Got Dr. Sleep on my Kindle...flying out to California in a couple of weeks...should fill the time.

Nice time of year to be in SoCal DT. Northern or Southern CA?

Enjoy!





TIS

Family Guy did a parody of Shawshank, Misery, Stand By Me. It was funny.

Anyone see the remake (2nd I think) of Carrie this weekend? I'm reading it didn't do as well as expected.

I remember seeing King in an interview a number of years ago and he said he had thrown the story (Carrie) in the trash and it was his wife who took it out and encouraged him to publish it.





TIS

The reviews I read said that the actress who plays Carrie is not quite pitiful enough, that she seems more than capable of taking care of herself, with or without telekinesis. I also read that Julianne Moore steals the film with her portrayal as Carrie's crazy mom.

What's your favorite Stephen King Book and/or movie. I read thinner and liked that a lot better then the movie. I remember the IT always creeped a lot of people out whacky f'n movie

Why are they doing another remake of Carrie?

I understand they also recreated the shower scene. I'm sure some were wondering about that....

$

Freaking hilarious. On Wheel of Fortune, the puzzle was as follows:

STEPHEN KING'S UNDER THE DO_E

The guys solved as "Stephen King's Under the Dove".

Ha ha ha ha!!!!!! Obviously not everyone is a King fan, but that is hilarious.


TIS

I finally got around to reading Doctor Sleep. It is a refreshing change from more cynical writers. If you like your heroes good and your bad guys very bad indeed you might enjoy this book. Also if you think the arc of the universe really does bend towards justice this is the book for you.

That said some of King's characters are a little flat from time to time. Or maybe it felt like I had run into a few of them already from The Stand or Insomnia. Anyway as I've said before I remain amazed that King STILL holds a grudge over Kubrick's adaptation of The Shining (as he makes painfully clear in the epilogue to Doctor Sleep). Let it go, dude. Dang!

If you are curious as to what Danny Torrance did when he grew up then Doctor Sleep satisfies on that front. The bad guys aren't quite as scary as Barlow from Salem's Lot or the ghosts from The Shining but they are just as malicious.

Spot-on, Lilo. Especially about Kubrick. King can be very malicious, especially for an ex-hippie (and ex-addict) who'll have you believe that he's all about acceptance and forgiveness .

That said, I enjoyed the heck out of "Doctor Sleep." And I start "The Long Fall" this weekend, so I'll be in touch .

Thanks, Lilo. That's the first rap song I've enjoyed since Whodini were in their prime .

Just read DOCTOR SLEEP and really enjoyed it, great follow on to THE SHINING!!

I have JOYLAND to read next.

11/22/63 looked good , guy gos back in time to stop the Kennedy assassinion , doctor sleep was ok, IT was a great book and film damn tim curry freaked me out as penny wise as a kid

That's a good one, Yogi. Short by King's standards. You'll read it in a weekend .

I'm reading Mr. Mercedes. It's very good.

I'm about half way through MR. MERCEDES. I'm loving it so far!

Joyland was REALLY good. It's light on the supernatural though. But it will remind most readers of the first person they really loved who didn't love them. As King writes, that stuff leaves scars..

Speak for yourself, Lilo. Never happened to me .

Great book, though .

Yes. I forgot that this was your theme song back in the day...

Great song, but that's not me. The reason it never (okay, seldom) happened to me is, as soon as I found someone crazy enough to love me back, I married her .

DYING TO SEE THIS NOW, FIRST ONE HORRORIFED ME AS A KID

Stephen King’s clown slasher film, It, is being remade and revamped in a two-part series. Talented newcomer Cary Fukunaga will be co-writing (along with Chase Palmer) and directing. This horror classic turned the iconic childhood figure of a friendly clown into a child-eating monster.

Stephen King published his bestselling horror novel It in 1986 under Viking Press. After great reviews, It was developed into a TV miniseries aired on ABC. Tommy Lee Wallace directed and co-wrote, along with Stephen King and Lawrence Cohen. The series was a hit and even won an Emmy for its musical score composed by Richard Bellis. The cast included a number of very talented twelve-year-old child stars, and Tim Curry as the killer clown himself.

To some, clowns are extremely scary even when they are not evil, but to most they are funny thespians painted up. Therefore, the idea of a monster clown is very silly, and most movies that portray the concept do an awful job. That is, until Tim Curry’s legendary performance as Pennywise the Dancing Clown. Curry brings a lot of energy to every bizarre character he plays, but Pennywise showed a dark demented side to his acting never before seen. This role could have easily made scary look more like ridiculous, but was flawlessly executed by the seasoned actor. Although fans rave how Curry should stage a comeback with the new films, that most likely will not be the case. This leaves fans eager to see who will be the new face of this classic killer.

Cary Fukunaga definitely has his work cut out for him if he is going to please the crowd. Although Fukunaga has only directed a handful of films, his track record is untarnished. His first big film, Sin Nobre, was a popular 2009 movie released in Mexico. However, he did not come into the limelight until Jane Eyre in 2011. The dark romance film was nominated for an Oscar for its costume design. Since then, he has been working with HBO on their popular True Detective series.

Stephen King’s new “It” remake is already shaping up to be increasingly more violent and bloody than the original. The film follows a group of people who were attacked by Pennywise as children one summer but survived. 30 years later, they return to their hometown to reunite the Losers Club. Pennywise has returned and started taking children again, leaving behind nothing but blood splatters and body parts. Although no one in the group remembers what happened during their encounters with Pennywise, it is up to them to somehow stop him.

From the sounds of the plot, the new It movie could easily be a sequel as opposed to a remake, considering the first movie followed the kids and not the adults. One of the most creepy things about It was that he hurt children, which is one of the few subjects that can still elicit a reaction out of horror movie goers. Horror movies are making a fierce comeback, and Stephen King’s It remake is rumored to be released sometime in 2015.

Is anyone else following the tv series of "Under The Dome?" It airs every Monday.




TIS

I watch it, Tis. But it's a real departure from the novel at this point. Not that it matters. It's still a fun show .

Just finished reading MR. MERCEDES. I thought it was terrific. This is Stephen King's first "hard-boiled crime" novel, but he did a great job. A suspenseful (and often times frightening) plot with a memorable cast of characters. Retired detective (Det. Ret.) Bill Hodges is a likeable main character who you can't help but root for (I can picture Michael Harney of NYPD BLUE fame playing the role should the book ever become a film or mini-series), and Brady Hartsfield is exceptionally evil and deranged. The supporting cast is great as well, especially Holly, whose character literally leaps off the page.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, King has a way of painting pictures with words, and this is another one of those novels where you become utterly absorbed in the world he has created. This is a no-brainer for King fans, but I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good "cat-and-mouse" type thriller. An excellent (and quick) read!

I gave up on Under The Dome after 3 or 4 episodes. It was terrible.

Once that mini-dome chrysalis hatched and out popped the Monarch butterfly it was over for me. Liked it at first too Moe!

My favorite Stephen King Movies:

1) Shawshank Redemption
2) The Shining
3) Misery
4)Carrie

I keep forgetting that Shawshank is King. Yea, that's definitely at the top of my list. I like also Misery, Carrie and Pet Sematary, It. I'm sure I'm missing a couple



TIS

He also did Green Mile, Cujo and Children of the corn. I liked Green Mile. Tom Hanks was great in that as was the Black actor who recently died.

1408 is very good. I prefer the darker ending.

Secret Window is also pretty good.

And Christine! Who knew a car could be so scary?

I wish they would remake The Stand. Although the mini-series had some great performances, it was ruined for me by Molly Ringwald as Fran. She was doing that whiny sneer thing, and this was supposed to be Frannie - the Mother Earth, the hope for the human race! Puh-leeze!

Who wuld you have casted for the role?

Maria Bello

Looked her up. I remember her from ER. I can see that. Molly Ringwall will always remind me of the role in Sixteen Candles! She does have that annoying habit of biting her lips!

Hawt .

When I look at her I know how women feel when they say "too bad he's gay." Because she's s beautiful woman, who happens to be a lesbian.

No big deal, but a great blow to heterosexual men everywhere .

She has that perfect combination of beauty and strength that Fran possessed.

Absolutely. She's gorgeous, and the strength that you mentioned is what makes her so sexy to boot.

I like that movie she's in with viggo mortenson or what it was and he was some half ass wisfeguy from philly can't remember the name off the top of my head but the cheerleader scene on the steps was classic

Here's the name of the movie : A history of violence
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0399146/

The Shining was the best movie adaptation of his books. I think the movie Thinner was good too. I finally got to see saw Salem's Lot and was very disappointed. The movie did not do the book justice.

Just got done re-reading The Shining,Misery and Carrie. All great!

Hey Tis. I remember how you enjoyed "11/22/63."

Well, it's going to be a nine hour mini-series on Hulu. But it won't be "small budget" because it's being produced by Warner Brothers:

http://nypost.com/2014/09/22/stephen-kings-book-on-jfk-assassination-to-be-hulu-series/

I read that this morning pizzaboy. I'm excited for it. I had heard rumors that they might adapt it into a movie but this 9-hour mini-series definitely allows for more adaptation rather than a 2 or 3 hour movie.

King's stuff always works better as a mini-series, Irish.

I've always said here that I'm in the minority camp who preferred the Steven Weber mini-series version of "The Shining," as opposed to Nicholson's campy (yet iconic) version.

You just can't take a Bible length novel and adapt it properly into a two hour movie.

I saw that too. I never used Hulu. I wish it were on regular tv though. But, I am glad they are making it a mini series.


TIS

SB, speaking of King and Maria Bello, Lifetime has been advertising a new King movie with Bello. It's called "Big Driver." Have you heard of it cause I have not. Looks good tho by the previews.



TIS

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/stephen-kings-big-driver-heads-714555

That should be a good one, Tis. It's from his novella of the same name. It's about a woman who gets raped and takes revenge Stephen King style .

Lookss good and previews. Sounds real "Kingish" lol

Btw, for Hulu, you watch on line right? And how much does it cost and how reliable is it to download without virus or computer problems?


TIS

Hulu is a million percent safe, Tis. As for the price, Basic Hulu is free. But there's a charge for Hulu Plus.

I recently reread 11/22/63. It was even better this time around. Did they say anything about casting? I wonder who will play Sadie?

Would you recommend it for me?

Absolutely. I wish Paul were alive. He would have loved it.

I also read 11/22/63, and just loved it. Especially Sadie's character. I am so happy they are going the mini series route as well. I heard rumors they were thinking of mini series, movie, or go Under the Dome route.

Also, since PB brought up The Shining. I wonder if Doctor Sleep will be made into a movie or mini series as well.

I second that recommendation. I'd rank it up there as one of the best novels I have ever read. Definitely check it out!

Any of you King fans read MR. MERCEDES yet? I thought it was excellent!

I enjoyed it. But I was puzzled by King's description of the book as his first detective novel. He wrote an excellent novella about 8 or 9 years ago called "The Colorado Kid" for the Hard Case Crime series. I thought it was great. Same goes for "Joyland," which came out last year.

But then again, both of those books were very short by King's standards. So it's possible that he meant that "Mr. Mercedes" was his first full length crime novel.

The Body is my favorite Novella by him...wound up being stanf by me and the dialogue is verbatim

BIG DRIVER was a great story!!

"IT" used to be my favorite book by him but now it's "11/22/63". Short story....that's hard. My favorite of his longer ones is probably "Dolan's Cadillac". Of the shorter...probably "The Man Who Loved Flowers".

I got to say I was a bit disappointed by Mr. Mercedes.

I mean it was very good (as anything by King is likely to be) but he gave way too much about the villain away too soon. He was piteous. He should have went the route of making the villain more psychologically durable and scarier - more Max Cady-ish. In fact, seeing as it would have fit the character more, the Columbine killers wouldn't have been a bad place to start when trying to mold the character.

Some of the procedural was a bit contrived too and I wasn't buying some of the supporting characters the black neighbor kid (Jerome) and the two main female characters.

The ending was also a bit of an anti-climax.

All being said I can't wait for the sequel - Finders Keepers.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/stephen-king-fearful-and-feared-author-on-new-movie-a-good-marriage/

I didn't hear anything about this until now. King doing the screenplay for a new movie - his first since Pet Sematary - that is out on 3 October. Based on the BTK killer.

That story was in "Full Dark, No Stars." It was EXCELLENT. But I'm always a bit leery when novelists adapt their own work for the big screen. But I'm hopeful for this one because I really like Anthony LaPaglia as an actor.

Hope HBO pick up the rights to the dark tower , luv to see that on screen someday

Did anyone else catch King's "Big Driver" on Lifetime last night? I actually really liked it. I hadn't heard of it before and didn't know the storyline (except for brief previews).

The the attack scene was disturbing, I thought the story was good as well as the acting. One of the better King stories I think.



TIS

Just finished JOYLAND. Really enjoyed it but have to say I worked out who the bad guy was almost straight away!!

Really enjoyed this interview with Stephen King.

http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/features/stephen-king-the-rolling-stone-interview-20141031

I see he has another new one out called REVIVAL.

The man is an absolute writing machine.

It's really inconceivable that he could be writing this much at his age. Hell, at any age. His wife and son are both novelists. I wonder if "Stephen King" has become a family effort. I doubt it, I'm just throwing it out there.

Why not -- how long has the Phillips family milked the Dear Abby gig?

It's certainly possible, but I doubt it. The big difference between Stephen King and...say, James Patterson, is that King is (for the most part) consistently good, and often great. Patterson (who does "collaborate" with other writers) hasn't put out anything decent in years.

James Patterson is the biggest joke in the literary community. By leaps and bounds. He'll put his name on anything for a buck. I can't stand him.

I'm just glad that Elmore Leonard, my favorite novelist of all time, took a few swipes at him before he passed away last year. But he was clever about it. In an interview he said something like, "I could be like that guy that will co-author anything for a ham sandwich. What's his name?"

This isn't completely off topic, either. Because Stephen King absolutely revered Elmore Leonard.

Elmore Leonard is superb!!

I recently read THE HOT KID by Elmore Leonard, and quite enjoyed it!

Great period novel.

And you sound like you're hanging in there, XDCX. I hope your family is doing likewise .

A few months ago, I picked up DOCTOR SLEEP from B&N in the bargain section for 7 bucks. But having never read THE SHINING, I felt it was a crime to read the sequel without reading the original. Plus, I had always heard that the novel (THE SHINING) was very different (and better) than the film, so I picked that one up as well, and read them back to back.

I tore through THE SHINING in about a week, and was amazed at how much better the book was compared to the film. Much heavier on the supernatural, and it better explains Jack's descent into madness than the film did. I immediately watched the film after I finished the book, and couldn't help but be disappointed.

DOCTOR SLEEP was a huge surprise. I didn't think it would hold up to the original, but I'd rank it right up there among King's best. Terrific story, and equally as spooky.

Joyland is a good book.

I was disappointed by Mr. Mercedes considering the story's potential. Felt very contrived in places and the characterization was poor enough.

Anyone read Bazaar of Bad Dreams?

I want to look forward to 11.22.63 but James Franco is in it.

Moe,

I read the book and really want to see movie too. However, it's only gonna be on-line thru Hulu??(I think). Not sure of release date but I thought it was this month.

Btw, I've never used Hulu, Netflix, etc. Can you use it to see one movie only and how much does it cost. Also, I assume, like all movies, it'll show on tv eventually no?

Thanks



TIS

The Shining is my favorite.

Thinner was on TV the other night too, quite like that movie. Forgot that it was another based on the Stephen King novel, i believe under his pseudo-nym Richard Bachman according to wikipedia.

Horror Movie Action Figures

TIS,

I'm afraid I am not really good with technology but I hope someone else can answer that for you. I do believe it will end up on traditional TV in a matter of time though.

11.22.63 was an excellent book. I enjoyed that & Joyland more than Mr. Mercedes and Revival.

Really hope the show is good - but, again, I have doubts.

Under The Dome was dreadful IMO.

I agree, I just couldn't get into UNDER THE DOME. The book was incredible, and is one of my all time favorites, but the show deviated so far from the novel it was unrecognizable.

11/22/63 is my favorite King novel, and ranks in my top 5 of favorite novels of all time. I have high hopes for the HULU series.

TIS, regarding the series, I don't think there is any way (right now) for you to legally view 11/22/63 unless you sign up for HULU PLUS. But I imagine it'll come out on Blu-Ray/DVD eventually.

Anyone ever read the short story "Bad Little Kid" from Bazaar of Bad Dreams? I really wish someone would try and adapt that into a movie. It's incredibly disturbing and resonated with me for a while after reading it.

Elevation was a novella, really more a short story that read like a Christmas story. It's a mug's game to try to figure out an author's intentions but King certainly seems to be more insistent in letting us know that we don't have a lot of time on earth and that we should be nice to each other. You could finish this story in one day. A man discovers that he's losing weight and can't explain why. He also decides to help some new neighbors who don't want his help.

I don't think it's a coincidence that it took him 50 years until his daily Trump bashing on Twitter to write a story like this. Seems very cynical to me.

Especially coming from someone who has written stuff like "he had thick, negroid lips" and various other offensive stereotypical stuff in his older books.

I have The Dark Tower, the film, here is it worth watching?

I didn't mind it. I never read the books although I'd like to. I need to see the movie again and I remember being excited about a possible sequel, which has all been squashed soon after it's release. But I don't remember the film being bad. I remember it being an origin story.

I'm planning to go through The Shining, It and Pet Sematary novels in the next few weeks.