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With the exception of his approach to dialogue, of which I think the writer is truly a master, there is a lot of difference between King's earliest works -- say, works like Salem's Lot or Carrie and The Shining to his more recent ones like Lisey's Story and The Cell, or Duma Key, to even his most recent Under the Dome.
For me, I started seeing a big difference following the publication of It years ago, if not in actual style, then in subject matter and/or story line(s). Some of my favorites, aside from The Shining or The Stand, have to be what I call his women's libber works. I love the strong women in Misery, albeit she is crazy, and Delores Claiborne. Interestingly enough, wasn't Kathy Bates the perfect choice for the films?
Like any good writer, I think they are constantly working on their craft, and approach to their works. I'd be so disappointed in King if his works were consistently the same. I'm not sure I agree with other posters in that King has recently gone on rants. I think his works reflect how he himself has changed over the years. While the core, or essence, of who I am has remained largely the same, my attitude and outlook on things have changed considerably, and King's works reflect that. Certainly, following his own brush with death and the accident near his home, made him look at things differently, and those differences are reflected in his works. Because he is a published author, and a popular one, readers are subjected to changes in his personal beliefs, and ultimately in his works. His are just more public, but I find my stand, or take, or beliefs, have changed over the years too.
The me I am, as of this writing, is very different from the me of just a few years back, and most different from the me I was at 19, 25, 30, or even 40. I think I'd have been most disappointed in Stephen King as a writer had he, and his works, remained unchanged over the years, and picking up a novel now would strike me as same-ole-same-ole. He truly has a wide variety of subject matter and story lines, and I enjoy reading his nonfiction on the art and craft of writing, itself.
Are the books from early in his career different from recent ones? But, of course. I'd expect them to be. Whether I like them more, or less, or think the works are better or worse, is more an opinion of mine or of his readers. I think they are just 'different' in many cases, but he is still a decent writer. Many of his works, I find noteworthy; some, not-so, and a few, if I didn't try to collect King's works, I don't think I'd have wasted my money on, or the time it took to read them, looking back.
I found the old Stephen King much more entertaining. The last book I found truly entertaining was Desperation (1996). Bag of Bones (1998) and The Green Mile were good books too, but maybe not as entertaining as previous works. I think after his accident he lost something. IMO, the last 3 Dark Tower books were a real disappointment and nowhere near as good as the first 3 or even the middling Book 4 Wizards and Glass. The last non-Dark Tower book of his I read was From a Buick 8 which I thought wasn't very good.
I'd love to be shown wrong. If anyone can recommend a book he has written in the last 5 years that is as rip-roaring fun and entertaining as his old books from the 70s and 80s, I'd love to give it a try, but I think he has lost the magic.
My feeling is that we have a "kinder, gentler" Stephen King these days. It's not necessary good or bad but, yes, definitely different.
Ya really think so? Hmm..I dunno; I read "Cell" a couple months ago and thought it was pretty damn violent, and the body count in that book had to be as high--and probably higher--than just about anything else I've ever read from him. But hey, I'm no expert on King, he's not really one of my favorites. For horror I prefer Peter Straub of Thomas Harris. Or the guy from whose book you got your screen name from, the Koontzmeister!
I found the old Stephen King much more entertaining. The last book I found truly entertaining was Desperation (1996). Bag of Bones (1998) and The Green Mile were good books too, but maybe not as entertaining as previous works. I think after his accident he lost something. IMO, the last 3 Dark Tower books were a real disappointment and nowhere near as good as the first 3 or even the middling Book 4 Wizards and Glass. The last non-Dark Tower book of his I read was From a Buick 8 which I thought wasn't very good.
I'd love to be shown wrong. If anyone can recommend a book he has written in the last 5 years that is as rip-roaring fun and entertaining as his old books from the 70s and 80s, I'd love to give it a try, but I think he has lost the magic.
While I did very much enjoy "Duma Key," I agree with you. King isn't fun anymore. He doesn't make me laugh out loud anymore. I don't think he enjoys writing the way he once did. I remember when I read "Christine" years and years ago..my thought was that King had a really good time writing this book.
You Guys have brought up some interesting points. I think his writing has changed, but what you expect, or want, perhaps as a reader, from Stephen King hasn't. Sometimes, we outgrow, or if not outgrow, move on to other authors for different reasons.
His works have changed over the years, but I would have expected them to. How 'stale' if every time you picked up a book of his, got 50-100 pages into it, only to realize, same-ole-same-ole. Some authors today are most 'formulaic,' and they continue to sell well because that's what their readers want, and/or expect from the author(s). I've been entertained, and intrigued, by what i see as changes in King's writing, and in his approach(es) to subject matter, theme, characters. I still think he is a 'master' writer.
Pick up one of his works on the art of writing, the craft itself, and you'll understand him, and his work, a little better. His newer work is different. Is it better or worse? I don't know, as I really don't feel qualified to critique. . . I mean, he's in print, and I'm not. . . so about all I can do is assess whether I personally like the new stuff, the old stuff, one generation's books more or less than another, etc.
Pick up the works of other authors you have liked -- especially some of the classics -- and see if you can't find, like what Robert Frost describes in his poetry, as the road less traveled. Read criticisms of the works of authors you like, and maybe in those criticisms you'll see some argument as to why, and when, the author's work deviated from what was his/her norm. I think as King aged, his children grew up, times changed, and he had experiences like the one that almost cost him his own life, his works took on a very different mood. . . he probably is also at a point in his career when he really doesn't have to please large % of the reading population, and let the voice in his works be more his own, instead of trying to tread the middle ground.
I found the old Stephen King much more entertaining. The last book I found truly entertaining was Desperation (1996). Bag of Bones (1998) and The Green Mile were good books too, but maybe not as entertaining as previous works. I think after his accident he lost something. IMO, the last 3 Dark Tower books were a real disappointment and nowhere near as good as the first 3 or even the middling Book 4 Wizards and Glass. The last non-Dark Tower book of his I read was From a Buick 8 which I thought wasn't very good.
I'd love to be shown wrong. If anyone can recommend a book he has written in the last 5 years that is as rip-roaring fun and entertaining as his old books from the 70s and 80s, I'd love to give it a try, but I think he has lost the magic.
I would guess it has more to do with what the reader sees as "rip-roaring fun and entertaining" than whether or not his books have 'lost' something. Were there aspects of the Dark Tower series I found lacking? Yes. But I really cannot see how he could have written them differently. You may not have enjoyed "From a Buick 8" but I was completely engrossed, several times now. (I reread a lot, being unable to afford new books and having no way to get to the library for the present.) I thoroughly enjoyed Duma Key and can only think of one of his books I didn't enjoy. Still haven't been able to make myself read The Tommyknockers. And I really cannot explain (not even to myself) why I find it so hard to get through. I can't comment on Under The Dome, as I have yet to read it. (My brother bought it for me, but has yet to get it TO me.)
While I did very much enjoy "Duma Key," I agree with you. King isn't fun anymore. He doesn't make me laugh out loud anymore. I don't think he enjoys writing the way he once did. I remember when I read "Christine" years and years ago..my thought was that King had a really good time writing this book.
King's older works were real "sit on the edge of your seat" page turners. They were spontaneous sparks of creativity - I didn't want to put the book down.
And I always got the impression that King didn't want to put the pen down when he wrote those books.
Last edited by springfieldva; 02-19-2010 at 03:07 PM..
With the exception of his approach to dialogue, of which I think the writer is truly a master, there is a lot of difference between King's earliest works -- say, works like Salem's Lot or Carrie and The Shining to his more recent ones like Lisey's Story and The Cell, or Duma Key, to even his most recent Under the Dome.
For me, I started seeing a big difference following the publication of It years ago, if not in actual style, then in subject matter and/or story line(s). Some of my favorites, aside from The Shining or The Stand, have to be what I call his women's libber works. I love the strong women in Misery, albeit she is crazy, and Delores Claiborne. Interestingly enough, wasn't Kathy Bates the perfect choice for the films?
Like any good writer, I think they are constantly working on their craft, and approach to their works. I'd be so disappointed in King if his works were consistently the same. I'm not sure I agree with other posters in that King has recently gone on rants. I think his works reflect how he himself has changed over the years. While the core, or essence, of who I am has remained largely the same, my attitude and outlook on things have changed considerably, and King's works reflect that. Certainly, following his own brush with death and the accident near his home, made him look at things differently, and those differences are reflected in his works. Because he is a published author, and a popular one, readers are subjected to changes in his personal beliefs, and ultimately in his works. His are just more public, but I find my stand, or take, or beliefs, have changed over the years too.
The me I am, as of this writing, is very different from the me of just a few years back, and most different from the me I was at 19, 25, 30, or even 40. I think I'd have been most disappointed in Stephen King as a writer had he, and his works, remained unchanged over the years, and picking up a novel now would strike me as same-ole-same-ole. He truly has a wide variety of subject matter and story lines, and I enjoy reading his nonfiction on the art and craft of writing, itself.
Are the books from early in his career different from recent ones? But, of course. I'd expect them to be. Whether I like them more, or less, or think the works are better or worse, is more an opinion of mine or of his readers. I think they are just 'different' in many cases, but he is still a decent writer. Many of his works, I find noteworthy; some, not-so, and a few, if I didn't try to collect King's works, I don't think I'd have wasted my money on, or the time it took to read them, looking back.
I think Misery is a good example of King's ability to deliver beyond the same old same old . While the work is different from King's earlier "pure horror" stories, the well developed characters, the vivid writing, the riveting story line - had me on the edge of my seat until I finished the book. Some people don't like the vivid mental images that King's writing evokes, and Misery was full of those mental images (it did *hurt* to read some of those passages). But, I think Misery is a great example of King's ability to bring home a description, as well as the psychology of his characters, to his readers.
And he managed to do it without losing the story line - something I don't think he accomplishes in his more recent works.
Last edited by springfieldva; 02-19-2010 at 03:28 PM..
Reason: spelling
King's older works were real "sit on the edge of your seat" page turners. They were spontaneous sparks of creativity - I didn't want to put the book down.
And I always got the impression that King didn't want to put the pen down when he wrote those books.
Beautifully stated!
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