BLOG: The Best of Stephen King – What’s Your Favorite?

11) Needful Things  (1991) Meet Leland Gaunt, the seemingly pleasant man who opens up a new store called “Needful Things”. One seems to be able to buy anything they want at this shop, anything you’ve always dreamed of, and shockingly you can get it for a low dollar value. However, Leland also requires you to do little pranks towards other townsfolk in exchange for this reduced rate on the items. Things become increasingly uncomfortable in the town as the pranks get worse and tensions build. The story is set in King’s most famous fictional town, Castle Rock, and it’s also his last novel to be set there. This is a story about greed and excess and where that can lead. Made into a decent film as well.

10) From A Buick 8 (2002) A low key effort from King. Ned Wilcox loses his father (who was a state trooper) to a drunk driver and begins to stop by the troops station to piece together the past. The past seems to revolve around a Buick locked in a shed behind the headquarters. Is the Buick a portal to another world? Every now and then the Buick would come to life and take something away or leave something for the officers. Ned takes this trip down memory lane with his father’s friends, in order to seek answers and to help him grieve; Ned tries to come to terms with his father’s senseless death. Ultimately the book points out that we simply may not know the meaning behind many things in this world. The Buick is compared to God in the book as in “will we ever know its purpose or meaning”? A cool and quiet effort from King that could easily go unnoticed, but it shouldn’t.

9) The Green Mile (1996) Originally released monthly as six separate serial novels (each one under 100 pages), and the six were eventually combined and released as one novel. John Coffey is a big, strong African American who is on death row for the rape and murder of two young girls. Paul, the death row supervisor, tells the story as an elderly man in an old age home reflecting on his years at the penitentiary and working “The Green Mile” (a nickname for the long stretch of green linoleum that runs between cells). John Coffey has the power to heal, and it’s no coincidence his initials are JC.  A beautiful story with religious overtones in regards to the idea that Jesus or one of his disciples might be around us at anytime in some form or another.  The warm and touching conclusion will make you feel good and sad while you may actually look at mice differently from now on (because of the enduring Mr. Jingles). Coffey is ultimately a beautiful and selfless character that is hard not to love, and I’m sure many have shed a tear for the skillfully written man. A great film version with Tom Hanks was made and directed by the wonderful Frank Darabont. The movie was very popular and one of those instances where people are surprised to hear that Stephen King wrote it. Folks usually think of King as only a horror writer, but of course his constant readers know better.

8) Christine (1983) If there is only one word to describe Christine, it is fun. This is a total popcorn book. It’s not deep or all that meaningful, but it’s extremely entertaining. Arnie is the typical school nerd who gains confidence when he buys a beat up 58’ Plymouth Fury and then works on it and makes it look like a polished, beautiful ride. It’s a twist on a coming of age tale and a love triangle (or twisted quadrangle if you include the true demented love story between a boy and his car). Who doesn’t love to see a dork become cool and the bullies get what’s coming to them? Also, it’s a book that features many musical references in the story and a musical quote before each chapter. John Carpenter made Christine into a fun movie with a driving score and solid acting. Take Christine for a ride, it’s worth it.

7) Misery (1987) Paul Sheldon is a famous writer who is well known for his romance novels featuring the fictional Misery Chastain. He crashes his car in a snowstorm and happens to be found by his “number-one fan” Annie Wilkes. Annie saves Paul from freezing to death on the road, but unfortunately what she has in store for him may be way worse. I’m sure King didn’t have to dig too deep to imagine what it would be like to be taken captive by a deranged fan. What makes Annie Wilkes truly horrifying is that she is a human being; not a monster, a vampire, werewolf,  zombie, clown, ghost or any other supernatural being, but just a regular, crazy, good ol’ fashioned lunatic. Misery is very suspenseful and has one particularly brutal scene---you’ll know it when you read it. Rob Reiner directed Kathy Bates in the film version, and she won an Academy Award for her superb portrayal as Annie Wilkes. A really good movie.

6) Different Seasons (1982) I know I said I wouldn’t include short story collections, but this isn’t a collection of short stories, but rather a collection of four novellas (longer than a short story). Also, this collection includes two INCREDIBLE stories. One is The Body which became adapted into the wonderful film Stand By Me. The Body is a beautiful tale based on King’s childhood of four young men who tell their parents they’re going on a “camping trip” but rather they are really going to look to find a rumored dead body of a young man hit by a train. What follows is a wonderful, dark and inspiring tale of childhood and death. I dare you not to love the gentle The Body. The Body would be enough to get this collection on the list, but this book also includes Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption which was turned into the unbelievably good movie “The Shawshank Redemption” (currently rated #1 movie of all time on imdb.com) . This novella follows the tale of an innocent man who is sentenced to the brutal Shawshank prison. This is possibly the best prison piece ever written. These two tales are enough to catapult this book among the King elite. Also included is the dark and twisted Apt Pupil. A teenager discovers he has a Nazi living in his neighborhood. The Nazi is now an old man, but the teenager threatens to expose the old man’s secret unless he engages in some debauchery with him. It gets really dark as the two feed off each other’s negativity. An incredible collection of stories, The Body and Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption again stagger the casual person who doesn’t understand that King truly has depth and should be revered for more than his mainstream horror. This book clearly shows he is an author who deserves respect.

5) The Shining (1977) Any discussion about this book has to start with Kubrick’s movie. The movie is very different from the book---many of the components are the same, but some of the important details are forgotten in Kubrick’s vision.  The Shining is about a family who are caretakers at the Overlook hotel when it’s closed for the winter months. Jack and Wendy and their little boy Danny find themselves completely secluded in this sprawling hotel. A big difference between the book and movie is the character of Tony, Danny’s imaginary friend. Tony is actually Danny’s future self who is there to protect him. In the movie Tony is the “little boy who lives in his mouth” and speaks through Danny’s finger---which is very silly. In the book we clearly understand that Tony is Danny and is actually his future self and where he is getting some of his Shining gift (ESP) information.  Although the maze is very cool in the movie, the book has a garden of hedge animals that play an important role in showing us the hotel is coming to life and starting to show Jack’s demise into insanity. Jack sees them moving and they begin to chase him.  Also there is the important beehive incident in the book which is not in the movie. If you’ve read the book, the movie really doesn’t capture the whole point. The main concept is the hotel attempting to use Jack as a tool to kill Danny in order for it to absorb Danny's psychic abilities into it. The hotel is alive in its own right and wants the powerful Danny to make it stronger. So the house uses the weak link, the alcoholic Jack, in attempt to make him crazy, so he’ll murder his own son. I don’t know many people who grasp that when they see the movie. The absorption of Danny into the hotel is what it needs to be more powerful and alive. Also, although Nicholson is great in the film, his character seems a little off from the beginning. In the book it’s a scary and gradual decline of Jack’s sanity. Anyways, the book is awesome and goes into grave detail about the hotel. The movie is great also, but it’s very hard not to compare the two. It’s commonly known that King hates Kubrick’s movie; King often pans it. SPOILER AHEAD IF YOU HAVEN”T SEEN THE MOVIE: At the end of the movie we see Jack in a picture from the 20’s. It probably doesn’t make sense, and it wouldn’t unless you read the book.  The picture clearly implies that if the hotel kills you, your soul is now incorporated into the hotel, so Jack became linked to its past to illustrate this change in the hotel after a death by its hand.

4) Pet Sematary (1983) For me, this is clearly King’s scariest book. Good luck reading this one alone in the house. I dare you to. Tabitha King always reads her husband’s works when finished, and after reading it she agreed with Stephen’s initial instincts to not release it. Word got out that Stephen felt it was too scary and nasty to publish, so a buzz was built before the release.  A dispute developed with his former publishing company regarding royalties and contractual obligations, so he relented and released the tale. A doctor moves his family to a rural town very close to a Pet cemetery. Word is that if your pet dies and you bury it there, it’ll come back---but not quite the same. Has anyone ever buried a human there? Would you bury a loved one there knowing they might not be the same if they do come back to life? Would anyone be able to show that kind of restraint and not bury a loved one there if they lose somebody, even if they knew the consequences? These are the questions this book begs you to ask. Also made into a pretty good and scary film. “Sometimes dead is better”.

 3) Under The Dome (2009) Well, it looks like King’s latest makes the list and at an impressive spot. Yes, it’s hard to believe the 62 year old King can still be this good, and he really is, as this book really resonated with me. Dome is a simple premise that leads to many complicated social themes; it also touches on the biggest question --- what is our place, as people, in the universe? I love the premise --- an invisible barrier imprisons a town; not even the government can figure out how to penetrate it and surely no one can explain why it’s there. Most people in the town freak out but some use it as an opportunity to position more power and greed. Our hero is very likeable and our villain may be very over the top, but it works, as we really grow to hate him. The book also brings up many ecological issues for you green folks. The dome gets very dirty quickly from pollution, surely making you think about the environment and how it pertains to our day to day habits. Can the folks find a way out of the dome? Can the government find a way into the dome? Can either be done before a madman takes full control of the town and many innocents die for no reason? The book has a great intro, a suspenseful middle, and I feel a very rewarding, thought provoking and cool ending. The book is loaded with references to many King novels which is fun for an old school King fan. It’s King’s longest book in twenty years (third longest he’s written) and also his best since then. I think King purists would tell you they never thought they’d see a book this great from him again; well they did and I have a feeling it won’t go unnoticed in pop culture. The book debuted at #1 recently and word of mouth will spread on this epic gem. Also, for those who feel it’s too similar to the plot of The Simpsons Movie, King has been working on this book for many years.

2) The Stand  (1978, uncut edition 1990) This is the ultimate battle of good vs. evil. A plague/virus nicknamed “Captain Tripps” wipes out 99.4% of the world and the survivors have to come together to rebuild. Some are being lead by Mother Abigail (a god like figure), well others are being lead by antichrist Randall Flagg (who has appeared in many King novels). This is an epic tale with many characters that clearly showcases King’s ability to sustain a long story. Very much an American Lord of the Rings, it’s clearly a quest story. And for you “Lost” TV show fans who have noticed similarities with The Stand, well, some were intentional (http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/The_Stand). No small synopsis can do this multi-layered tale justice and it clearly is the fans favorite---but not mine…

1) It (1986) The bestselling book of 1986 and also a true literary masterpiece and event. It has it all: True friendship at its deepest and most meaningful connections, seven great core characters, a brave flip-flopping between two time periods and a very scary clown. Deep issues are covered in the tale: child abuse, racism, homophobia and the complexity of childhood. These friends will have the fight of their life as they face a monster that can take the shape of your worst fear; your personal nightmare comes to life and after you. Stephen King tells this tale of the kids in “The Losers Club” and makes you feel these deep and beautiful friendships as you root for them to face their personal demons. We see them as kids, and then we get to see them as adults 27 years later, as they come together again to try to fight this evil.  Forget the awful TV movie and be sure to read It and do it with the lights on. King is so clearly in the zone here. The book is his second longest (Only The Stand Uncut is longer), but yet you can open any page and read something intense, meaningful and with plenty of depth. On top of it, it’s very entertaining. Take it from me, years after reading It, you’ll think about these seven friends, because some of them will feel like friends from you past. Oh, and good luck walking past a storm drain and not thinking of this tale.

 
Thanks for taking a look at my favorite writers career. It was hard for me to leave Dead Zone and Salem’s Lot off this list, but it may simply be that I’m over ESP and Vampires; they’re great books, just not where I’m at today. Also, Carrie deserves a mention as his first book; it’s a solid debut, but he got so much better and ultimately it falls short. Also, Dolores Claiborne is worth noting as a wonderful book; a touching read with a complicated lead character.  Also, check out some of his short story collections like Skeleton Crew and Night Shift. I also want to say that King has written a few duds.  Tommyknockers is awful and King wrote it on drugs. Rose Madder, for me is painfully bad with a ridiculous plot of entering paintings. Most King books I love and I’m glad I read, but if you stick to the above list as a jumping off point, you won’t go wrong and will enjoy the cream of the crop. Good luck constant readers and enjoy this living legend. So, feel free to check out his .com where you can get a comprehensive list of everything he’s written and let me know where I went wrong.