Updating for Joyland.
- It
- The Shining
- Hearts in Atlantis
- Insomnia
- Black House
- Eyes of the Dragon
- The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon
- The Dark Tower: Wolves of the Calla
- The Dark Tower: The Drawing of the Three
- The Dark Tower: The Waste Lands
- Under the Dome
- Duma Key
- 11/22/63
- 'Salem's Lot
- Desperation
- The Talisman
- The Stand
- Everything's Eventual
- Joyland
- Night Shift
- Nightmares and Dreamscapes
- On Writing
- Skeleton Crew
- The Long Walk
- The Dead Zone
- Blaze
- Rage
- The Dark Tower: The Wind through the Keyhole
- The Green Mile
- Firestarter
- Christine
- The Dark Half
- Bag of Bones
- Roadwork
- Different Seasons
- Dreamcatcher
- The Regulators
- The Dark Tower: Wizard and Glass
- The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger
- From a Buick 8
- Four Past Midnight
- Cujo
- Carrie
- Danse Macabre
- The Plant
- Pet Sematary
- Misery
- Full Dark No Stars
- Rose Madder
- The Dark Tower: The Dark Tower
- The Dark Tower: Song of Susannah
- Just After Sunset
- Needful Things
- Cell
- The Running Man
- Lisey's Story
- Storm of the Century
- Cycle of the Werewolf
- Rose Red
- The Tommyknockers
- Thinner
- Dolores Clairborne
- Gerald's Game
- The Colorado Kid
- Blockade Billy
- Faithful
A hound will die for you, but never lie to you. And he'll look you straight in the face.
My Collection
I got to update mine with Joyland too, but I will have to wait a couple of days. If I do now, it will be in the top 5, and it probably shouldn't be. Loved it immensely.
Ask not what bears can do for you, but what you can do for bears. (razz)
When one is in agreement with bears one is always correct. (mae)
bears are back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well, here is my two cents. I hope it's all inclusive. I had to categorize things in my head a bit. Sorry!
NOVELS
- IT
- The Stand
- Pet Sematary
- Salem’s Lot
- The Long Walk
- The Shining
- 11/22/63
- Joyand
- Thinner
- Rage
- The Talisman
- Christine
- Misery
- Blaze
- The Dead Zone
- The Green Mile
- Carrie
- Dolores Claiborne
- Cell
- Gerald’s Game
- Cycle of the Werewolf
- The Running Man
- Firestarter
- The Dark Half
- Desperation
- Insomnia
- Rose Madder
- Under the Dome
- Needful Things
- Eyes of the Dragon
- The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon
- Cujo
- Duma Key
- Bag of Bones
- The Regulators
- Black House
- From a Buick 8
- The Colorado Kid
- Lisey’s Story
- Dreamcatcher
- Road Work
- Tommyknockers
DARK TOWER SERIESFAVORITE NOVELLAS
- Wizard and Glass
- The Wastelands
- Wind Through the Keyhole
- Wolves of the Calla
- The Gunslinger
- Drawing of the Three
- The Dark Tower
- Song of Susanna
- Little Sisters of Eluria
COLLECTIONS
- The Mist
- The Body
- Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption
- The Library Policeman
- Apt Pupil
- Blockade Billy
- 1922
- The Langoliers
- Big Driver
- Secret Window, Secret Garden
- The Sun Dog
- The Breathing Method
- Fair Extension
- A Good Marriage
- Night Shift
- Skeleton Crew
- Nightmares and Dreamscapes
- Everything’s Eventual
- Hearts in Atlantas
- Just After Sunset
NOVELLA COLLECTIONS
- Different Seasons
- Full Dark, No stars
- Four Past Midnight
DARK TOWER SERIES
Wizard and Glass
The Wastelands
Wind Through the Keyhole
Wolves of the Calla
The Gunslinger
Drawing of the Three
The Dark Tower
Song of Susanna
Little Sisters of Eluria
I thought that DOTT was hands down the best "TDT" novel, but after that I can't really disagree. The best "related novel" IMHO was "Black House", but he totally disrespected that one in the series for what I assume are legal/contractual reasons
Plus, I may have listed TWTTKH a little lower as it has no real impact on the over-riding story. Otherwise, good job!!.
28 in 23 (?)!!!!
63 in '23!!!!!!!!!!
My Collection: https://www.thedarktower.org/palaver...ion-Merlin1958
The Houston Astros cheated Major League Baseball from 2017-18!!!! Is that how we teach our kids to play the game now?????
I liken DOTT to that of the origin tale portion of the recent slew of superhero movies. I love to watch them, but they don't resonate as long with me.
Please check out: showthread.php?1780-Your-order-of-the-series.
To me, it's interesting that you place highly Pet Semetary and Thinner, and disheartening that you give Black House and Desperation such low position. I'm little hesitant to ask about Hearts in Atlantis.
and he places my two personal favorites at 41 and 42
Ask not what bears can do for you, but what you can do for bears. (razz)
When one is in agreement with bears one is always correct. (mae)
bears are back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I enjoyed "Joyland", but I don't think I would rate it that high. It feels/reads like a Bachman novel to a degree.
28 in 23 (?)!!!!
63 in '23!!!!!!!!!!
My Collection: https://www.thedarktower.org/palaver...ion-Merlin1958
The Houston Astros cheated Major League Baseball from 2017-18!!!! Is that how we teach our kids to play the game now?????
I have not read Joyland yet, but I notice that Thinner, The Long Walk, and Rage all made his top 10.
Yeah, I wouldn't put either of those at very bottom. (Nor for that matter right at the top.)
Geez, this is all quite interesting, but I sure hope that Zaius doesn't start to feel like he's being ganged up on. More people's lists needed ASAP!
I think that sometimes books just hit you differently at different points in ones life. Pet Semetary is a favorite because I was taking a course at Northeastern in horror fiction. The professor, Gary Goshgarian (who has written some fine horror novels under the name Gary Braver, brought in one of his friends to class to discuss a book we had read - yup, Stephen King. It was an amazing day. I still love the book, especially it's ending. I was actually in the middle of reading Thinner when word got out that it was actually Stephen King - so it resonates with me because I kept saying I should have known. Black House just didn't hit me well. I loved the Talisman and perhaps was hoping for more of the same. Desperation is great for the first 1/2 to 2/3, then it slows a bit. Still loved it, enough to have Don Maitz do his remarque in my limited edition.
28 in 23 (?)!!!!
63 in '23!!!!!!!!!!
My Collection: https://www.thedarktower.org/palaver...ion-Merlin1958
The Houston Astros cheated Major League Baseball from 2017-18!!!! Is that how we teach our kids to play the game now?????
I learned a long time ago not take this kind of stuff personally - it's too subjective. I love The Long Walk because I have read it so many times - each year a group of my students ends up reading it for a book club assignment and I find so much more each time I explore it. Rage too, resonates with the teacher side of me. School shootings are part of my life, luckily only on the periphery. I hate the fact that Stephen King pulled it from publication - it's actually a quite brilliant exploration of an all to real life situation.
I do agree though, that when these lists get posted you had better be prepared for the fallout.
Jean - I am genuinely honored that you are taking the time to read Geek Love!
Here I am replying to myself. I meant to say I "loathed" the Tommyknockers MOVIE. The book itself was pretty good for the first 200 pages or so. The early parts reminded me of one of my favorite movies, The Thing (the original one from the 50s). Then the story became uninteresting for me.
I've never tried to rank King's works. What I like varies from almost day-to-day for me. There are some that I like more than others, but a ranking is out of the question.
John
Doctor Zaius, glad to have you in on this thread, and that your contribution has sparked it into discussion. I liked your list, a lot more than the one or two before it, but like everyone, we have some differing of opinion. With how much variance there can be in sixty-something choices, I felt the commonalities outweighed the differences though.
I thought of Bears when I saw those two so low, Jean.
Bill, I couldn't agree more about DOTT, total disagree on the Joyland analysis. I didn't see it as trying to return to Bachman, I thought it was King doing his take on crime-fiction--giving a tremendous homage to Westlake as well-- much like in [snippets of] The Dark Half. I also think it's top-shelf drawing on Dive's analogy.
Path, it's interesting, if I'm interpreting correct, that you hold Desperation in good regard while having contempt for Cell. I'm reading the former right now and the layout and writing of the book reminds me very much of the latter.
Same here.
No, not the very top - that is reserved for It, The Stand, Black House, Desperation and Duma Key. But those two follow close.
we are! we are!!!Geez, this is all quite interesting, but I sure hope that Zaius doesn't start to feel like he's being ganged up on.
I loathed all King films with only two (possibly three) exceptions. Had nothing to do with how I felt about the novels, though.Here I am replying to myself. I meant to say I "loathed" the Tommyknockers MOVIE.
Yes, but it is stull fun. I wish you would share which ones are those you like more than others, too.
Ask not what bears can do for you, but what you can do for bears. (razz)
When one is in agreement with bears one is always correct. (mae)
bears are back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Updated List:
Books of my life:
IT
The Stand
Desperation
Black House
Duma Key
Roadwork
Loved:
Pet Sematary
Under the Dome
Blaze
Christine
The Long Walk
Carrie
‘Salem’s Lot
The Tommyknockers
From a Buick 8
The Dead Zone
The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon
Misery
Needful Things
Joyland
Really good:
The Shining
Cell
Dreamcatcher
The Dark Half
Different Seasons
Insomnia
Four Past Midnight
Good:
Cujo
Gerald's Game
Rose Madder
Dolores Claiborne
The Talisman
Cycle of the Werewolf
Average:
The Green Mile
11/22/63
The Running Man
The Regulators
Firestarter
Bag of Bones
The Colorado Kid
Didn't really care for:
The Eyes of the Dragon
Just After Sunset
Full Dark, No Stars
Lisey's Story
On Writing
Hearts in Atlantis
Thinner
Hated:
Rage
To Read:
Blockade Billy
Storm of a Century
Ask not what bears can do for you, but what you can do for bears. (razz)
When one is in agreement with bears one is always correct. (mae)
bears are back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I never thought of that. Maybe because I first read Desperation years before Cell. On the other hand, maybe you won't feel that way all the way through the book. But, anyway, I'm not totally contemptuous towards Cell. Not my favorite by any means, that's all.
Did you ever watch The Green Mile?
BTW -- I just love The Colorado Kid. In fact, I just don't say so often enough. Love that book!
I watched the Green Mile, and fell asleep... just like I did while reading... I am really sorry, I know that everyone loves it!
I would enjoy Colorado Kid much more if not for the first-person narrative which seemed to me horrible. Otherwise, its a nice little thing.
Ask not what bears can do for you, but what you can do for bears. (razz)
When one is in agreement with bears one is always correct. (mae)
bears are back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!