Stephen King recommendation?

[technomancer]

Eh, I liked how it ended, though to be honest I could have done without basically everything about anyone other than Roland. I may be remembering the names of the parts wrong, but the afterward or epilogue after the "official" ending of the book was, while for you anticlimatic, for me really the only way it could have ended that made any sense to me, and the "official" ending itself, where the book stops and King advises you not to read the epilogue or afterward or whatever, was pretty damned epic. The first half of that book was a little bloated, though, IMO.

I was more referring to the final showdown as opposed to the ending ending Also it's been a while but from what I recall you could have probably cut 50% of the last 3 books or so and the story wouldn't have suffered.

Spoiler

Also an editor should have bitch-slapped King for putting himself into the books, that was just lame.

 

[Drew]

I was more referring to the final showdown as opposed to the ending ending Also it's been a while but from what I recall you could have probably cut 50% of the last 3 books or so and the story wouldn't have suffered.

Spoiler

Also an editor should have bitch-slapped King for putting himself into the books, that was just lame.

Spoiler

Agree to disagree on that - I think he and Vonnegutt are the only two authors who've ever done that who actually pulled it off, and a lot of the reason for that is King paints himself as kind of a bumbling, alcoholic, idiot, in an extremely unflattering picture.

I think we just like REALLY different things in a book.

 

[BrailleDecibel]

I can't really add much to this thread that hasn't already been gone over, but it has inspired me to give the uncut version of "The Stand" another go after not reading it for quite awhile, and to change my user title to reflect it.

 

[milofarid]

IT!

 

[Jarmake]

I recommend reading "Blaze". It's a bit different, but still 100% King stuff. Talisman and Black house are great books too, I love them both, even if they're completely different kinds of animals. Talisman is more fantasy oriented adventure stuff and black house is more dark and violent...

The girl who loved Tom Gordon is great too, it was my favorite when I was a kid. There's a ton of great books from King and his son (Joe hill) seems to have the same talent as his father.

I haven't read the newest collaboration with his other son Owen King, which is Sleeping Beauties, but I have high hopes for it too.

 

[frogman81]

Most of these recs are giving you the "best" books by him instead of what you asked for, which is less trashy and/or blue collar. I don't know if he really HAS anything "classy." His dialogue in particular tends to be really blunt and often downright bad. His actual stories (and how accessible they are across all demographics, I guess) tend to be what makes them so popular.

As the OP I was surprised to see some postings still going in here. Credit to Wankerness for actually reading the full question (most didn’t it seems, but that’s ok) and giving a detailed answer. Nothing against Stephen King but I think the answer is that if I’m after “high brow horror” I should look elsewhere.

 

[guitaardvark]

Why not start with Survivor Type, the short story that even King admits went too far for him?

https://www.georgetownisd.org/cms/lib/tx01001838/centricity/domain/594/survivor_type.pdf