Frownland

Source please. I might have said he can come up with a good plot but that's about it.

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Studies show that when a given norm is changed in the face of the unchanging, the remaining contradictions will parallel the truth.

Chula Vista

Classic Frowny.

Based on what I know of you, you would love 'The Drawing of the Three'. You don't even have to read 'The Gunslinger' first to fully appreciate it.

King's biggest problem is his massive output. He really needed to take some long sabbaticals back in the day. He just couldn't help himself and, of course, his publisher egged him on. Quantity over quality doesn't negate any of his masterpieces though.

The first 3 Dark Tower novels are King at the top of his game. Skip the rest.

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“The fact that we live at the bottom of a deep gravity well,
on the surface of a gas covered planet going around a nuclear fireball 90 million miles away
and think this to be normal is obviously some indication of how skewed our perspective tends to be.”

Frownland

I might read it eventually, doubt it tbh. His schlocky writing style is the hardest part to get past for me, and this includes his renowned novels like The Stand, It, Carrie, Christine, Pet Sematary, etc.

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Studies show that when a given norm is changed in the face of the unchanging, the remaining contradictions will parallel the truth.

The Batlord

I know I've seen you praise at least a few of his books, but I'm certainly not implying that you like his actual writing ability. Nobody who can actually read does.

And don't think I didn't see you edit my quote to call yourself Christ. GFY TBH.

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Frownland

Oh I know what you're thinking of. I gave him his dues as a short story writer because 1408 and Shawshank are both fantastic, storywise and stylistically. I think with his novels he feels the need to go more in depth and just succeeds in writing filler.

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Studies show that when a given norm is changed in the face of the unchanging, the remaining contradictions will parallel the truth.

Chula Vista

A lot of this is that the novels are now dated and that we've become use to the writers who have taken what King did and moved it forward. Clive Barker, Dan Simmons, and Peter Straub come to mind.

Trust me, it wasn't schlocky when the dude was taking over the horror writing world back in the late 70s and through the early 80s.

For the record: Carrie and Christine were never good. Pet Sematary only really works if you are a parent - to some degree. The Stand and It are just outrageously dated.

Salem's Lot will hold up as a creepy novel for a long time.

__________________

“The fact that we live at the bottom of a deep gravity well,
on the surface of a gas covered planet going around a nuclear fireball 90 million miles away
and think this to be normal is obviously some indication of how skewed our perspective tends to be.”

Frownland

Nah, his writing style is firmly awkward and dull. By the 70s and 80s there were already writers like Sebald, Gilman, and Beckett exemplifying the type of writing style that I appreciate. His widespread appeal does not equate to having a good writing style, why why why do you ever think that kind of point is going to convince me of anything?

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Studies show that when a given norm is changed in the face of the unchanging, the remaining contradictions will parallel the truth.

The Batlord

Makes sense. I've only read a few of his early short stories from when he was writing under a pen name (before Carrie I believe) and they were more focused and generally effective even though they were early works (I keep meaning to read Apt Pupil but never get around to it). His prose and writing style are definitely basic. I think of him sort of like a better version of George Lucas for books: his technique isn't that great to say the least but he's a brilliant idea man when he wants to be.

But the longer his books go the more it's clear that his real skill is at evoking atmosphere and creating effective scenes rather than being able to coherently string them together.

Hey, **** you, Carrie was his best that I've read. It wasn't at all accomplished, and lost steam after the dance, but it's just so raw and effective at what it tries to do. There aren't many characters in any medium I've been pulling for as hard as I was for Carrie, even if it was all just cheesy, heart string goofiness. It's also a great example of why it's unfair to pigeonhole King as a horror writer. The book was actually at its best when it wasn't a horror novel, and it still was never a genre horror book.

And aside from the ending I loved Pet Semetary. Certainly a bit cheesy at times (the cat was stupid) but so many great scenes that stick in my mind even after years: when he digs up his kid, when he goes to do the ritual and it's all trippy and subtly demonic, and the whole beginning that really feels picturesque and positive to contrast with the rest of the book. So **** you, parent.

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Chula Vista

Classic Frowny. I'm not trying to convince you of jack ****. Just because you choose to set your tastes far away and clear from anything that is popular (God Forbid), is just part of your overriding pretension. You just can't help yourself.

I enjoy King's writing style in his better works.

And Bat: I didn't enjoy Carrie as much as you obviously did. And it's hard for me to relate to Pet Sematary except for the fact that I read it about a month after Sherri was born.

Miles may vary.

__________________

“The fact that we live at the bottom of a deep gravity well,
on the surface of a gas covered planet going around a nuclear fireball 90 million miles away
and think this to be normal is obviously some indication of how skewed our perspective tends to be.”

Frownland

I mean it's kind of weird to bring that up in response to me saying his writing was schlocky if you didn't think it was some kind of valid counterpoint to that opinion.

Either way, I don't "choose" what might be an unpopular opinion anymore than you "choose" to take up very popular ones. It's just the respective ways that we appreciate art. Address my actual points, not how you think your hyperbolized image of my character affects my opinions. It's better for both of us that way.

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Studies show that when a given norm is changed in the face of the unchanging, the remaining contradictions will parallel the truth.