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I’ve been thinking about maybe reading a Stephen King book. I’ve never read anything by him before. Can anyone recommend a book to start out with?

I’ve been thinking about maybe reading a Stephen King book. I’ve never read anything by him before. Can anyone recommend a book to start out with?

Dennis #recommend #horror

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102 Answers

Courtney

The Green Mile will forever and always be my favorite.

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Al

Misery, Salem’s Lot, Thinner, Pet Sematary, The Green Mile and Different Seasons (which is four short stories) are all super easily read and should get you into his way of writing ??

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Teri

I think his short stories are good to start with.

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Arielle

First book I’ve ever read by him was Carrie which was actually his debut novel if I recall. It’s been years since I’ve read it, but I really enjoyed it. It was interesting, shorter than a lot of his other works, and not overly verbose like some of his other works.

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Sierra

Thinner that’s a sorta easy one to begin with.

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Eboni

I read Carrie first. Salem’s Lot is my favorite. The Shining is also good along with the sequel Doctor Sleep.

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Dee

Dolores Claiborne is my fave. Not scary, more suspense.

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Danielle

Carrie is a very good introductory booked

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Alisha

The first book of his I read was Thinner, but the one that I still love/fondly remember the most is ‘Pet Sematary’!!

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Joe

Dark Tower series

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Tamara

Only one I read was The Stand and my husband and I really liked it.

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Toni

my first one was The Eyes of the Dragon. It got me used to his writing style and the chapters were short as well as it not being a horror story.

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Jennifer

I’ve read several of his books & they were great till the ending..Its been years since I’ve read one of his books. Taking a HUGE chance & just got Under the Dome. But hey I’m just a crazy FEer, what do I know?

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Lisa

Finally someone who agrees about his endings! The Under the Dome had a surprise ending… It was good

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Jennifer

Thank goodness, I was braced for an attack!

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Lorna

Thinner got me hooked on Stephen King

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Gina

Pet cemetery or Misery

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Beth

Cell, girl that loved Tom Gordon, the talismans series

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Theresa

Yup green mile

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Christie

The girl that loved tom gordon was my first and i used to love that book

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Sandra

Salem’s Lot and Pet Sematary

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Maegan

Depends what you like, I started with The Long Walk. And I loved 11/22/63.

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Carol

His scariest was The Fun House.

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Al

Joyland? Or do you mean The Funhouse by Dean Koontz?

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Al

I loved both of those ☺️

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Michelle

his earlier works first. I love his short stories, a lost art.

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Kay

I loved The Stand.

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Kathy

The Stand. But it is a real commitment. It is very long.

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Kelly

Thinner to start. Then it or green mile or under the dome.

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David

try 11/22/63. It’s terrific and not in the horror genre. The Shining, Pet Semetary and Misery are his best. The Stand, like someone said, is a committment. It was too juvenile for me, but people like it.

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Bruce

Start with his first book, Carrie.

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Jeanne

The Shining, The Stand, Thinner. Actually, they’re all great!

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Jane

11-23-63 I loved it! One of my top 5 favorite books.

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Shelly

Pet sematary.

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Morena

why not try It since it’s the most popular lol

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Mary-Ann

11/22/63 has ben mentioned and it is one of my favorites but I also like one of his older ones called Dead Zone and a recent one called Joyland.

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Robyn

Mr Mercedes

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Kristi

Marvin’s Games…

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Erin

11/22/63 is my favorite!

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Jenn

Revival

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Jennie

Dolores Claiborne, Bag of Bones, The Shining, The Stand, 11/22/63 are all fantastic!

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Nika

It and The Stand are both long reads, but so worth it.

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Stephen

Try this one out. it was my first. https://g.co/kgs/L6EMYV

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Cindy

The Long Walk

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Jennifer

The Dream Catcher

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MaureenandScott

The Shining

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Linda

Firestarter!

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Rosanne

Salems Lot

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Tiffany

The first one I ever read was let cemetery when I was about 11 or 12.

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Rhonda

Oooh yeah! Start anywhere. He’s gonna rock your world ?

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Leslie

The stand

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Sandra

The Stand has always been my favourite.

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Kristina

The Long Walk

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Teresa

Dolores Claiborne

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Natalie

Salems lot. Eyes of the dragon

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Beverly

11/22/63.

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Glenda

Carrie. It was his first.

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Anne-Marie

The Stand. Classic tale of good vs evil.

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Dennis

It, is a must read.

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Louise

So pleased that you have asked this question as I have been wondering the same … I’m not a horror reader … let alone watch horror films … but if some one could suggest a book by S King they would recommend I would be only to pleased to put it on my TBR list near or at the top….

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Kristina

Misery; The Long Walk; Different Seasons

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Gyöngyi

Green mile Talisman DT

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Shana

Needful Things is one of my favorites

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Lisa

The stand

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Laura

The Stand – classic good versus evil theme and “real” characters. LT

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Terry

The Stand!

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Kayla

He’s my favorite author!!!
Of course I would recommend all of the books he has written however the ones that I have recommended to friends and family that read and also loved were Salems Lot Carrie Pet Semetary
Cujo
and the shining the stand is also very good misery is another good one!! Really any of his books are good but those are my top recommendations!

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Gyöngyi

And The Dark Tower? Green mile? Talisman?

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Susan

It

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Luanne

Start from the first.

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Sian

Carrie.

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Sue

Agreed. Start with Carrie.

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Mari

Gerald’s Game is his best.

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Andrew

I think Misery is a wonderful read.

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Donna

Go with Misery

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Heather

EVERYTHING he’s written ?

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Efi

My first was IT and then The shining i like them a lot but I will recommend The Stand .

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Kaya

The Green Mile. Misery.

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Ruth

His earlier ones would be the best way to start!??❤️?

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Michelle

Mr mercedes.

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Lisa

I agree that his earlier works are the best to start with first. Salem’s Lot if you like vampires, The Dead Zone (pyschic), Cujo (Mad dog), The Dark Tower (gunslinger) series, Christine (haunted car), and Carrie (psychic teen).

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Barbara

It

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Barbara

Or maybe carrie, Mr. Mercedes, or the dark tower series

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Karen

Green Mile, The Stand and Salem’s Lot are terrific, but truly anything he has written is GREAT!

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Melissa

I am a huge fan of anything he does so I recommend starting at his earlier works then moving forward to current.

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Sandra

Carrie , it, the shining

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Kristen

I just started reading IT before I see the movie, and it is SO good, but it is a serious commitment let me tell you. I’m a fast reader and can get through a book every few days, but I haven’t even made a dent in it after a week.

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Crystal

The Shining or it or Christine.

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Alma

The Green Mile

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Tina

It or Christine

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Loreley

The Shining

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Denise

Go with Needful Things I found this book very on the edge reading and kept you wondering too about everything and just a great read!!

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Denise

Also Desperation another great on the edge read great thinker again try it you will be surprised!!

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Erika

Rose Madder is one of his best. Completely underrated book. It does have to do with domestic violence, just as a warning for anyone who reads it.

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Erika

Also, Needful Things is my absolute favourite by Stephen King. Other really good ones are The Stand, Insomnia and It.

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Rondi

Dumas Key

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Ellen

I read them in order when they came out.

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Susan

Start with The Stand, my personal favorites, The Gunslinger series…not standard King fare, but excellent!

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Tiffy

I started off with under the dome I liked the book not so much the tv series of it

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Stephanie

It or green mile

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Anisha

Tommyknockers

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Sareena

It, Misery, Tommyknockers is a great one too!

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