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Hi. I have never read Stephen King. Which book would you recommend to start with?

Hi. I have never read Stephen King. Which book would you recommend to start with?

Neeta #recommend #horror

22
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113 Answers

Ashley

The Green Mile!

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Megan

The first one I started with was Carrie.

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John

Duma Key.

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Tammy

Misery…or Pet Cemetery…or Salem’s Lot Hard to choose!

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Stacy

Needful Things

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Sarah

I started with a book of his short stories, Four past Midnight. My favorite is Secret window, Secret garden.

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Ginger

Duma Key is one of my favorites as well as The Mist.

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Gregory

Salem’s Lot

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Samantha

I started with Bag of Bones

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Howard

I would suggest starting with his first, Carrie

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Jessica

That’s a tough choice! My first was Carrie. Still a favorite of mine.

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Lynn

Does one need to read the authors books in order of publishing? Are there trilogy’s or prequels or sequels? I’d like to start reading several of his books.

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Jessie

The dark tower is a series. Those you’ll need to read in order. But while some themes or characters are in other books, you don’t need to read them in any order.

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Lynn

Thanks for replying?

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Megan

I loved Under the Dome. Not like a “classic” of his but my fav.

His stories are good to get a feel for his writing and not give up if you don’t like one book. Different Seasons is good.

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Lyndel

The Green Mile is very good.

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Jessie

The first book I read by him was The Stand. I know, that’s an interesting choice for first read haha.

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Karen

The Stand.

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Ash

Cujo, pet semetary or IT. It’s really hard to choose

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Lavonne

The Stand

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Holly

Salem’s Lot or Pet Sematary

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Amy

i always start with the first one they wrote if i can find it, then see how he progresses in his writing as i read inorder

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DeeLight

I believe that was Carrie

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DeeLight

The Green Mile

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DeeLight

Or you could start with The Lawnmower Man

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Becky

The green mile!! X

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Carolyn

The Stand, or 11/22/63.

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Caroline

Cujo is excellent…my dad was Misery

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Caroline

That was meant to be fav ….wtf autocorrect ?

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Patricia

only read Joyland which I loved and FindersKeepers which was also very good.

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Bethany

Misery is my favorite.

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Michelle

I would suggest Different Seasons, which are 4 novellas, 3 made into movies. The focus is slightly less on horror.

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Julia

Thinner

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Jerry

Firestarter.

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Ólöf

I started with Cujo, but I’d recommend The Shining as your first. It’s really good.

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Beth

Girl who loved Tom Gordon, Cell, the trailsman series

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Becky

I loved loved the outsider!!

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April

The easiest read that I have read by Stephen King is The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon.

The Stephen King story that I was able to “get into” the quickest was Carrie

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David

Watchers by Dean R Koontz… Give King a miss as he is a slow burner 🙂

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Carolyn

The Shining!

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Carolyn

King is my favorite author. All his books have different levels of horror. The early works are better. The short stories are great and a good of way to get into his rhythm. The Stand is my favorite. I hated the Dark Tower series.

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Db

Four Past Midnight – collection of four short stories. It’ll give you a taste of King and you can decide if you like his style or not.

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Nik

The Shining!

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Roxie

Desperation

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Amanda

Green Mile!?

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Bruce

Carrie

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Nik

Children of the Corn is a great short story to give you a quick taste

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Mark

the gunslinger

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Danielle

Carrie

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Marlon

Any one that catches your fancy but let me warn you Stephen king starts out slow(for want of a better word) but by the time you get to the end of the story you’ve gotten so into the characters it’s hard to let them go

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Laura

The Shining

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Sharron

Needful Things

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Sydney

Pet Sematary

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Charlotte

IT

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Cathy

The beginning, Carrie. He changes so much as he grows.. it’s good to read at least some of the older ones first.

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Amanda

This is good advice! I wish I had read from first publication to last to really see his style grow and change ?

1
Cathy

I was lucky…I was in high school when Carrie came out.?

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Krista

Cujo!

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Jenni

Salem’s lot

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Cathy

I don’t read his scary stuff so I only read “On Writing.”

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Carole

Misery

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Barbara

IT

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Alexandra

I never read Stephen King thought about it just don’t want read pet cemetery

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Jennifer

Pet Sematary is my fav, I avoided it for years and now it’s one of the best book i’ve read ever.

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Alexandra

Just don’t think I could with all the pets I lost

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Jacquelynn

Carrie

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Sherry

The Dome

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Megan

Carrie, Misery or one of his short stories collection. If you do decide to start with one of the longer books give it time. He is very slow builder but once you get to the climax is always worth it.

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Emilie

Pet Semetary is a great start too

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Jeff

The Stand

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Mary

Needful Things or The Stand-Don’t read Salem’s Lot till later.

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Jackie

The stand

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Merri

Carrie, Needful Things also his novella The Body.

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Cathrina

The dark half

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JwSierra

Any but It or carrie are my favorites

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Sandy

The Stand is my favorite but I am currently re-reading “It” and I am really enjoying it.

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Yvonne

If you’re not looking for scary, Hearts in Atlantis is lovely. Also Green Mile! 🙂

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Tami

Misery

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Neha

The Shining

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Saleigh

Under the Dome, if big books dont scare you!

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Jess

Pet Cemetary

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Matt

Other than the darktower series, I loved Insomnia and Duma Key. I’ve read a ton of his books but those are all real stand outs.

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Arturo

pet sematary

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Christian

Insomia or Salem’s Lot. The first one is a bit fast faced so it’s easy to read.?

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Crys

Carrie. It’s one of his shorter ones and you’ll know quickly if he’s for you as a reader or not.

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Morgan

i agree with this Carrie is a good starting point.

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Maeghan

?? I just read my very first Stephen King book ever! I read The Outsider and loved it so much I just started Mr. Mercedes right after finishing. I plan on reading more of his works now! Some I’m never going to be able to pick up such as IT or Pet Sematary.

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Titilope

Bazaar of Bad Dreams. It’s a collection of stories.

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Jennifer

Carrie

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Lynna

The Green Mile

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Karen

Insomnia

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Carrie

Carrie

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NeetaQuestion author

Thanks for the suggestions. Carrie seems to have the max number of votes. ?

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Ruby

Definitely Misery

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Sen

Misery is very slow

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Jennifer

Pet Sematary, King at his best.

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Sen

@Jennifer ..have you read SALEMS LOT

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Jennifer

Yes like that too a lot.

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Jennifer

Pet’s Sematary is a bit personal for me.

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Sen

Pet cemetery and salems lot are only the two reasonable books written by him

1
Sen

All the rest are mere waste

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Jennifer

I do like the rest that I have read. I guess to each h their own.

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Sen

Have you read Tommy knockers. .Dark half. ..Gerald game..need full things. .

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Sen

Jen do you like Richard Leymon?

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Jennifer

Richard Laymon not yet. I liked Needful Things but not planning to read the other 2. I guess I’m a selective reader. I like Stephen King himself though.

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Sen

You like needful things. ..it is a surprise. ..you should try Richard Leymon …if you are a horror fan you will definitely like his books

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Jennifer

@Sen Will try him thanks and let you know how it goes.

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Sen

Are you a horror fan jen

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Sen

Cellar is a nice book to start

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Sen

Try Gary bartner the author of Howling

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Christian

Honest question on Stephen King and Religion (not trying to start any trouble, just want to know lol): I am very open minded and read books across many categories. But going by the movies, it seems every religious person is depicted as insane, a fanatic, and the villain at some level. Are the books like that as well? I wonder if I would enjoy his novels, he is obviously a brilliant writer.

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Jennifer

Honestly cannot remember, I don’t think so though. In real life he’s a pretty devout Baptist haha.

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Sen

Definitely “SALEMS LOT” it is a bit slow until page 115 after that there will be a twist and you won’t be able to put the book down

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