Although he has been a published author for more than five decades, it doesn’t appear that Stephen King is slowing down anytime in the near future. While continuing to publish at least two books each year, several of his notable works were adapted for film such as The Dark Tower and the chilling It. Last week, it was announced that King would be honored with the 2018 PEN America Literary Service Award. Past recipients of the PEN include J.K. Rowling and Salman Rushdie and is given to an acclaimed writer whose body of works help us gain a better understanding into humanity. While reading this announcement, I came across a 2003 article from Harold Bloom in response to King winning that year’s National Book Foundation’s annual award for distinguished contributions to literature. Bloom does not hold back in his distaste for Mr. King, describing him as “an immensely inadequate writer on a sentence-by-sentence, paragraph-by-paragraph, book-by-book basis” and “as a writer of penny dreadfuls.”Bloom goes on to talk about a general dumbing down of our culture to only read pop bestsellers rather than anything of actual substance.
By Rolling Stone
Over the years, I’ve read more than a fair share of the King, and I must say that I completely disagree with Mr. Bloom’s narrow assessment. While it is obvious that King has written more than his fair share of don’t turn the lights out horror, he has written some truly memorable books that go way beyond the blood and gore thrillers. In fact, I would go as far to say that King understands the concept of humanity more than the most elite scholarly writers. One of his greatest strengths is his attention to well-developed characters. Here are some of my favorite experiences with the King through five of his novels:
The Eyes of the Dragon
This was actually the first Stephen King novel I ever read and actually holds the record for the one I’ve read the most. This book is pure fantasy through and through and tells the story of a peaceful kingdom and the evil machinations of the King’s magician Flagg. When I first read this book, it was nearly in one sitting. I immediately reread it and dreamed of being the hero Peter attempting to escape from the tower. I still have my copy sitting on my bookshelves. Perhaps it’s time to give it another read.
Misery
If The Eyes of the Dragon gets my award for my most read Stephen King book, then this one holds a close second place. Misery tells the story of author Paul Sheldon, writer famous for a series of romance novels surrounding a woman named “Misery.” After being mortally wounded in a car accident, Paul is rescued by Annie Wilkes, a woman who describes herself as his biggest fan. Paul quickly learns that Annie is quite insane and endures numerous physical and psychological horrors as her captive. Although King has created some truly memorable monsters, his real gift is in capturing the dark side of humanity. Annie Wilkes is one of King’s most frightening creations. This book is tense throughout, and I felt my own anxiety rise as I was reading it. In an interview with Rolling Stone, King talks about how the Paul/Annie relationship served as a metaphor for his cocaine addiction. If you haven’t read the book, you may have seen the movie with Kathy Bates and the insane Annie Wilkes.
It
Alright well this one is technically horror, but it also works as a brilliant coming-of-age story. I was so proud of myself for having finished this book the first time as it was one of the longest King has ever written. I felt truly connected to all seven members of The Loser’s Club. That clown was a bit scary too.
The Green Mile
When this was first published, King was experimenting with releasing each chapter in a serial format as Charles Dickens did. The story of John Coffey (like the drink, just not spelled the same) is a truly emotional one. King used elements of magical realism to weave a beautifully heartbreaking tale. I dare you not to cry. The film version directed by Frank Darabont is nothing short of fantastic.
The Dark Tower Series
I saved the best for last. As a teenager without many friends and bullied on a daily basis, the first three novels of this series (along with several other of King’s books) were my salvation. The story of Roland the last gunslinger blends multiple genres into a truly epic world-bending story. My set of the first three books were beautiful illustrated editions, and I dreamed of being one of Roland’s companions on the journey. I was so excited for the fourth volume that I had my best friend go pick it up for me while I was at work. It was a limited edition hardback that cost over $70! Can you believe I paid that much for a book! If you found the movie to be just so-so, I encourage you to read the entire series. It is life changing.
Maybe Stephen King won’t go down in history the same way of classic authors such as Poe or Lovecraft. However, I’m willing to bet that millions will be reading his works for centuries to come. I will be posting my review of his first published novel Carrie sometime this weekend. Until then, thank you Stephen King for being the inspiration behind my reading as well as my writing.
Have you read any Stephen King? What do you think about his fiction? Let me know with a comment down below!
I Would Rather Be Reading 