thanks. I was wondering if there were more ah ha moments if you read one to the other in a certain direction?
Desperation
The Regulators
thanks. I was wondering if there were more ah ha moments if you read one to the other in a certain direction?
You're absolutely correct, good sir. However, FWIW I read Desperation first (purely by chance) and therefore always had the impression that The Regulator's was the "Alternate Universe" compared to the reality of Desperation. I have no real evidence or theory to back that up, just a hunch I suppose. For some reason Desperation always fely like the "Reality" to me that's all. JMHO
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I agree, Bill. Regulators always had a "dream/nightmare" feel to it, while Desperation seemed more "real" to me.
John
Well, yeah; if Desperation isn't the main book, then how come that is not the one credited to Richard Bachman?
I usually advise reading The Regulators first, just because it's not as good. If you can handle that, reminding yourself that the next one will be better.
The Regulators has more of a Bachman style. That is why it is credited to Bachman. I highly doubt that King wrote both books, decided which he liked better and credited Bachman with the other.
tons of food for thought. You guys are awesome, thanks.
I don't know first hand, of course, it's just my opinion. After reading the forward to the Bachman Books, I get the sense that King liked Bachman and didn't feel one was "better" than the other, just different. In my statement I simply meant that I believe that King wrote Desperation in his style and wrote The Regulators in Bachman's style, and knew going in what he was going to produce.
Well, yeah; I just said that crediting The Regulators to Richard Bachman indicated that it was not "the main book," not that Stephen King necessarily thinks that it is not as good. I only said that Desperation is the better book later in that post because, whether he knows it or not, and whether y'all do or not, that happens to be true.
I agree that Desperation is the better book.
I read both back to back, Regulators first, and I have always reminisced on that one more than Desperation. The reason why is probably because it reminded me of my favorite Twilight Zone. The one where there's a boy who can send people out to the field with his mind when he became mad at them. I also enjoyed that they were confined to the street; I can envision being in a suburb better than being in a desert.
They're both due for a reread though.
"That which you think, becomes your world" Matheson
Super old thread, but gotta comment. Desperation was actually the first King book I read, and after that I couldn't stop! It's also the only book I currently have autographed by SK (my father arranged that for me - SK comes into his place of work pretty often and they've spoken a number of times...so jealous).
I didn't read The Regulators until years after I read Desperation. I did like it, it creeped me out almost as much as Desperation, but I still prefer Desperation. I like the story a bit more, but I'm probably also just biased My only complaint is the botched TV movie that came out awhile back. I feel like they could have done both Desperation and The Regulators in the form of two actual full movies (or more) and they would have done well. I did like Ron Perlman as Entragian, though.
"Booker, are you afraid of God?"
"No, but I'm afraid of you."
I found Desperation more engaging. It sparked my imagination quite a bit more than The Regulators.
All that's left of what we were is what we have become.
Here is The Losers Club podcast series on the two novels:
I like both ... but prefer The Regulators.
Desperation was bigger, more epic, but sloppier. I don't recall much about it, honestly, but at the time I remember that it felt like King didn't know where to go with it, and kept writing until he found his way again. The Regulators was tighter, and had more drive. Some of the ideas are a little strange - even silly - but when considering a reread I'd go with Regulators first.
I think I've said before here that I think it was a mistake to publish them at the same time as "linked" novels - or to read them that way. I read them back-to-back when they came out, and was too distracted by having the same characters in both, and with looking for connections between the two novels when there were none, really. I've since reread both separately, and enjoyed them both more.
HBJ
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Even after all this time, Desperation is still my favorite non-Tower King book. It does so many things well - atmosphere, dread, creepiness. The Regulators was a fun read but was just too silly at times, Desperation is just on another level.
I'm pretty sure I've read both books multiple times but Desperation was soo much better than Regulators. I don't know if it was the fact that I read Desperation first or not but the characters seemed to "fit" better in that novel.
Hearts are tough, she said, most times hearts don't break, and I'm sure that's right . . . but what about then? What about who we were then? What about hearts in Atlantis?