Danse Macabre

[BillyxRansom]

I haven't read this one, but I've read a synopsis of it. A point was brought up that I feel is a fairly good point.

It would be appropriate for King to write a follow-up to the non-fiction book. Being that it's been close to 30 years since the first one, which covered a 30 year period, I would love to read that. (I would also love to read the first one, though.) I agree with the article. It would definitely be appropriate.


Thoughts?

Has this thread been made before?

[Daghain]

Nope, I think you're the first to want to start a thread for this one.

While parts of it were very interesting, I found it fairly tedious. I just recently finished it after putting it down years ago. It does feel fairly textbookish to me, but you do run across some really good gems. And there are a couple of personal anecdotes in there that are worth reading.

On Writing was much better, IMHO.

If he did a second book, I'd probably read it, just to see if it was better than the first. :D

[Jean]

I read it with some interest, because I just love literary criticism, it's one of the few genres which never bore me even when the text itself is not really interesting. Which was totally the case with DM; but I have had many occasions to notice, reading Sai King's other non-fiction (On Writing, or his introductions-forewords-interviews etc) that it isn't really his cup of tea. All his intelligence, brilliance, intuition, wit, depth, insight are manifested only when he does what he was intended by God for, namely, writes fiction; and disappear leaving only a faint trace (if any) in all other cases.

[Daghain]

Maybe that's what's coming across in his literary criticism, then - the fact that he's just really not into it.

[MonteGss]

If he wrote a Danse Macabre Part Two, I would avoid it at all costs. I wouldn't even think about reading it. That book was just plain terrible. He should stick to what he knows...fiction.*




*On Writing was good though.

[Jean]

I still didn't finish On Writing. I will give it another try when I'm through with that trunkful of books I've brought from England (thank you thank you thank you once again my friends http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k291/mishemplushem/Facilitation/bear_happy.gif)

[theBeamisHome]

I loved On Writing, but never got as far as picking up Danse Macabre in the bookstore... I couldn't even tell what it was about. Seriously, this is the first time I've even had the slightest idea. I think I picked it up when i was like 13 or 14 and I haven't since so... *shrug*

[ICry4Oy]

I bought Danse Macabre when it first came out. I don't think I made it past page 30 when I closed it forever. I think I got rid of it in a garage sale several years ago......either that or the little bald docs came in and stole it.:orely:

[BROWNINGS CHILDE]

The best thing about DM for me was Kings top 10 horror novels. It lead me to read several books that I might otherwise never have had the inclination to read. It also gave me a better sense of Kings influences and personal likes and dislikes, which I found interesting. All told, it was a decent read. It gave me some insight, but I wouldnt reread it.

[amd013]

I just finished this book about a year ago. I had started it once about 20 years ago but never finished it. After reading it I decided to order some books from Amazon. I think they were all books I had considered in the past anyways (probably from other mentions of them by King).

They are :

Dracula (got an annotated version)
Ghost Story by Peter Straub
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

I've finished Dracula (kind of disappointed in that one, not sure why Bram Stoker has an award named after him), and am about 200 pages into Ghost Story.

Just curious how many people read books or watched movies based on Kings mentioning them in DM. I wonder if some books had a noticible increase in sales after DM.

[mae]

Here's the link to The Losers Club podcast discussion of the book:

https://consequenceofsound.net/podcast-episode/episode-28-danse-macabre/

[St. Troy]

Interesting that DM is relatively unpopular amongst this crowd (or at least those that popped in on this thread); I enjoyed it. I think King excels at making what is essentially an analytical endeavor entertaining by virtue of how conversationally he is able to relate the concepts (Joe Sixpack, who happens to know his way around the library, the language, the canon etc.).

I re-read this in 2013 and quite enjoyed age markers such as "…if you get it in your area, warm up the old Betamax and send me the complete catalogue by way of the publisher."

I would welcome a DM2.

[Heather19]

I've had this book sitting on my bookshelf for years and I've been dying to read it. Don't know why I always pick up something else instead. Hopefully soon, I love anything to do with horror and the history of it.

[St. Troy]

...I love anything to do with horror and the history of it.

Then this is for you.

[amd013]

Here's the link to The Losers Club podcast discussion of the book:

https://consequenceofsound.net/podcast-episode/episode-28-danse-macabre/

Wow, was going to listen to this, but saw it is 3hrs long. don't have that much time to listen to a podcast.

[mae]

They're good. I spend an hour commuting one way plus an hour lunch break, so I usually end up listening to an episode over the course of a day.