I know I'll be in the minority here, but--at least when it comes to King's fiction--I have to agree with the article. I like King's non-fiction, but I have yet to find a King novel that I enjoyed. The characters tend to do (or not do) things that advance the plot, not because the action (or inaction) procedes organically from who they are. To me, that's both lazy and annoying. In Lisey's Story (the book that finally made me say I was giving up trying to read King), Lisey finds a dead cat in her mailbox. She then "forgets" to call the police because she's so angry. Who forgets a thing like that? His books are full of that sort of convenient (from the plot's point of view) action.
I admit to annoyances, too, but I really liked the early novels. Then I quit reading them except occasionally. I didn't care for MR. MERCEDES, but I did enjoy JOYLAND recently.
I've rear THE STAND twice, the original and the uncut edition. I also liked 11/22/63. Plus several others including the early ones Bill alluded to. Some I hated, like the endless IT and particuarly CUJO, a bad book and an even worse movie.
The problem is, like most other authors and more than most of them, King needs editing, badly, and he isn't getting it.
Or not. He would bury the good book about the ghost editor in 800+ pages of Regular Guy inarticulate philosophizing and the occasional grossout. That's what he does with his Important books, anyway...
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I know I'll be in the minority here, but--at least when it comes to King's fiction--I have to agree with the article. I like King's non-fiction, but I have yet to find a King novel that I enjoyed. The characters tend to do (or not do) things that advance the plot, not because the action (or inaction) procedes organically from who they are. To me, that's both lazy and annoying. In Lisey's Story (the book that finally made me say I was giving up trying to read King), Lisey finds a dead cat in her mailbox. She then "forgets" to call the police because she's so angry. Who forgets a thing like that? His books are full of that sort of convenient (from the plot's point of view) action.
I admit to annoyances, too, but I really liked the early novels. Then I quit reading them except occasionally. I didn't care for MR. MERCEDES, but I did enjoy JOYLAND recently.
I've rear THE STAND twice, the original and the uncut edition. I also liked 11/22/63. Plus several others including the early ones Bill alluded to. Some I hated, like the endless IT and particuarly CUJO, a bad book and an even worse movie.
The problem is, like most other authors and more than most of them, King needs editing, badly, and he isn't getting it.
Jeff
Where is Maxwell Perkins when you need him?
Um, dead I believe.
Jeff
Re: Maxwell Perkins: Death should not stop a really good editor! There's bound to be a good ghost-mystery book in there somewhere 8-)
It's the kind of book Stephen King would write, in fact.
Or not. He would bury the good book about the ghost editor in 800+ pages of Regular Guy inarticulate philosophizing and the occasional grossout. That's what he does with his Important books, anyway...
Those are the ones I don't read, though.
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