Earlier I'd asked which Stephen King novel to read since I'd never read one & a lot of people said The Stand but others said start with something shorter but I'm a librarian so my librarian pride is like give me the War and Peace of Stephen King. I'm about a third of the way through The Stand. - ThreadSky

retired-librarian.bsky.social • 87 days ago

Earlier I'd asked which Stephen King novel to read since I'd never read one & a lot of people said The Stand but others said start with something shorter but I'm a librarian so my librarian pride is like give me the War and Peace of Stephen King.

I'm about a third of the way through The Stand.

Comments

antifascist64.bsky.social•87 days ago

Good choice

pegcoover.bsky.social•86 days ago

Cujo. Salem’s Lot. Pet cemetery. The Shining.

kattracksat2021.bsky.social•87 days ago

I listened to the audio book series of the Tower and absolutely loved it!

johannesignotus.bsky.social•87 days ago

If you enjoy it, try "'Salem's Lot," next.

newindiansummer.bsky.social•87 days ago

Great book. Enjoy!

mushybean.bsky.social•87 days ago

I undertook Under the Dome a few years ago for some light King reading ;)

tjmuirauthor.bsky.social•87 days ago

I think the best stephen King story I ever read was Mrs' Todd's shortcut. hands down.. blew me away and I didn't know he was the author when I read it:)

peckhamdog.bsky.social•87 days ago

Enjoy. It was the stand that got me into reading after I left school

grumpyoldgoth.bsky.social•87 days ago

After COVID, “The Stand” definitely hit differently for me. I read it years ago and zipped right through it. Had to take a break a few times in a recent reread.

retired-librarian.bsky.social•87 days ago

I'm reading it in between other books, which I don't usually do but it's working.

anonymousbat.bsky.social•87 days ago

I used to reread it every few years, tried in 2020 and just couldn't. Not tried again since.

tracy-prien.bsky.social•87 days ago

Most excellent choice! I’m a fan of his Gunslinger series!

roseyroseamund.bsky.social•87 days ago

Excellent book.

masuyotobi.bsky.social•87 days ago

I think I tried The Stand. The one I tried had at least two sets of characters with the same first name so I gave up after about 3 chapters.

retired-librarian.bsky.social•87 days ago

There's a lot of characters to keep track of.

toontownelizabeth.bsky.social•87 days ago

. . . and . . . ?

retired-librarian.bsky.social•87 days ago

So far so good. Just now finished book one. I like the parts with the good characters more than the evil ones but I know it's building up to conflict so both are necessary.

sarahmonster17.bsky.social•87 days ago

It's a long one, but for me it goes fast! It's not a slog.

jolly72a.bsky.social•87 days ago

If it feels like a work of nonfiction, it's only because you're living through the stranger than fiction twilight zone reality where Trump and the MAGA GOP turn america into a fascists kleptocracy which embraces ignorance, incompetence and greed.

ultraviolet308.bsky.social•87 days ago

My favorite is On writing . His short stories are great as well.

pamober3.bsky.social•87 days ago

I just reread it. It’s remarkable.

mdouglaswray.bsky.social•87 days ago

GO BIG OR GO HOME!
Booyah!

mattibee1123.bsky.social•87 days ago

If you want to read more after The Stand, I highly recommend the books he published under the name Bachman. Shorter, but soooooooooo good.

w-adler.bsky.social•87 days ago

Don't read The Road. It’ll make the Stand seem quaint, almost Harry Potter-esque

flybynight2.bsky.social•87 days ago

The Green Mile should be one you try out too. I haven't read The Stand for a long time. But I do credit King for failing Spanish lol

kbrady24.bsky.social•87 days ago

Great! Are you liking it?

retired-librarian.bsky.social•87 days ago

Yes!

kbrady24.bsky.social•87 days ago

I am so glad! I was one of those who recommended it. I loved it!

mashaw56.bsky.social•87 days ago

I’ve never read Stephen King’s books either. Recently found a few at the thrift shop. I’ve got The Stand, The Green Mile, and Misery in my TBR pile.

stef-vee.bsky.social•87 days ago

Those are all excellent! I envy you reading them for the first time

mikeof8.bsky.social•87 days ago

I've read the stand at least 8 times. The unabridged version. Amazing story about good vs. evil.

wendy76.bsky.social•87 days ago

Try 'Bag of Bones' next, and the short story collections are great. 👍

lemonsnbiscuits.bsky.social•87 days ago

I read the unabridged version as my first and never looked back.

virgilkane.bsky.social•87 days ago

harukastay.bsky.social•87 days ago

My wife has read it many times. If looking for big volumes, she also recommends The Tommyknockers.

irishwasp.bsky.social•87 days ago

I'm not sure I've ever read a bad Stephen King book - so you could start with any of them really! The one that lived in my head for longest afterward, was one of The Bachmann Books - The Long Walk - Shocking and brilliant!

catsib99.bsky.social•87 days ago

I first read The Stand during Christmas break at my university. I was a temp secretary babysitting an office in the main administration building -- top floor by an atrium looking down 3 stories. Dead silence. There was no one else in the building . . . at all. And I was getting a cold.

pstabs.bsky.social•87 days ago

I recommend the entire Dark Tower series immediately after The Stand.

ewile.bsky.social•87 days ago

The Dark Tower benefits from reading certain other books before you get to certain DT books. There's probably a list somewhere. Like you need to read Salem's Lot before Wolves of the Callah. And The Stand before Wizard and Glass.
Other's like Hearts In Atlantis and Black House just add flavor.

slygrin.bsky.social•87 days ago

That's what I came to say. Some have called it his magnum opus...

donniedonner.bsky.social•87 days ago

Next, take on the gunslinger series. You can thank me later

donniedonner.bsky.social•87 days ago

Dark Tower

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