Stephen King: Trash, or Literature?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by JBI

Using your twisted logic, you rank Dan Brown, and Grisham amongst the most important/influential writers of the 20th century. What is importance? Importance means he has had influence/brought about some sort of change, whereas I pointed out already, there are so many other authors who are so much more influential.

Judge not an author by how many books he has sold, but how good the books he sells are.

---

Ditto.

Scholar S.T. Joshi put it aptly on speaking of Stephen King's horror novels, "bloated, illogical, maudlin, and prone to deus ex machina endings".

Academically speaking, 20-40 years down the line, Stephen King is going to offer way too much fodder for literary criticism.

King recreated the Modern Vampire. NOT. that is one of the most absurd comments I have ever heard. Haven't you heard of I am Legend by Richard Matheson by matter of fact.

READ MORE LITERARY HORROR AUTHORS!

I can't believe how much King owes to the likes of Richard Matheson (King self admittedly claims Matheson is his largest influence) but there are many others that have contributed to his literary voice:

(Nice reviews too, saves my breathe.)

Richard Matheson: Collected Stories Volume 1

Richard Matheson: Collected Stories Volume 2

Richard Matheson: Collected Stories Volume 3

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

Dark Ladies by Fritz Leiber

The Other by Thomas Tryon

Harvest Home by Thomas Tryon

The Auctioneer by Joan Samson

The defense of King is a prime example of mistaking imagination for invention.

My experience with Stephen King is limited to his Dark Tower series, but based on that alone I think he is an excellent storyteller. For those who are only familiar with King as a horror writer, I think it would be worthwhile checking out the series (King himself describes it as his magnum opus). The whole thing feels very original and extremely imaginative, and meshes together so many genres so cohesively. It's like Lord of the Rings meets the wild west, with a little Arthurian legend thrown in for good measure.

As I was saying, I think he is an accomplished storyteller and that in my mind marks him out as great. I doubt there are many authors who can sustain an interesting plot and momentum across a seven-book series. I suppose it boils down to what you want out of your literature. Stephen King writers clever, entertaining novels. His style may be relatively simple but it's his style, it's unique, and I like it :)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Chigurh

The defense of King is a prime example of mistaking imagination for invention.

---

Good to see sensible criticism rearing its head.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by jenoir

My experience with Stephen King is limited to his Dark Tower series, but based on that alone I think he is an excellent storyteller.

---

You've given me an idea to try and some headway here.

A lot of the criticsim appears to be directed at some of King's books and I would agree wholeheartedly with some of it - a couple of his books have been outright rubbish and a couple of others only fair.

I'm going to arbitrarily (since I started the thread) pick several of King's books and ignore the rest, for the time being.

The Dark Tower
The Green Mile
On Writing
The Stand
It
Insomnia
Desperation
Carrie
Thinner

Can I get some specific criticism on this range of books; these being his novels which will, in the fullness of time, prove both his longevity and his greatness.

I reiterate that if we were to review Orwell based on A Clergyman's Daughter, Keep the Aspidistra Flying and Coming up for Air, I suspect he wouldn't be viewed the way he is.

I think the deus ex machina criticism is valid, in some of those, but it's also essential in a couple of them, given the subject.

So how many "mystical black" characters inhabit the above list? lol. I can think of two off the top of my head...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by The Atheist

I'm going to arbitrarily (since I started the thread) pick several of King's books and ignore the rest, for the time being.

The Dark Tower
The Green Mile
On Writing
The Stand
It
Insomnia
Desperation
Carrie
Thinner

Can I get some specific criticism on this range of books; these being his novels which will, in the fullness of time, prove both his longevity and his greatness.

I reiterate that if we were to review Orwell based on A Clergyman's Daughter, Keep the Aspidistra Flying and Coming up for Air, I suspect he wouldn't be viewed the way he is.

---

Right, out of those works listed, I have read: It, The Green Mile, The Stand, Desperation, and a bit of Carrie. Speaking with these works specifically in mind, I reiterate my previous problem with King: I just don't think he can write well. I just find his writing, specifically in these works, to be extraordinarily unrealistic (even with the context of the novels in mind) - a horror story like It doesn't need to be based on realistic events but it has to be believable (and I simply find it completely unrealistically written).

Most novelists write a couple of shockingly awful novels, though not all. James Joyce, anyone?

My opinion of Stephen King was completely reversed after reading 'The Dark Tower' which completely blew my mind. It is fascinating that many of your criticisms were actually highlighted by him in the 'Dark Tower' which has made me reluctant to read any more of his novels. Based on this limited experience though, if an author is capable of creating the brilliance that is 'Dark Tower' then he surely will rank as one of the greatest authors of all-time - in my opinion, anyway :)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Seb

if an author is capable of creating the brilliance that is 'Dark Tower' then he surely will rank as one of the greatest authors of all-time - in my opinion, anyway :)

---

Shakespeare, Milton, Dante, Cervantes, Tolstoy, Proust....King. Hey, he wrote the Dark Tower....

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Chigurh

Shakespeare, Milton, Dante, Cervantes, Tolstoy, Proust....King. Hey, he wrote the Dark Tower....

---

Yes, The Dark Tower was quite impressive feat of imagination but I am not glowing with praises or gushing over it either. There were alot about it that annoyed me particularly one schizophrenic black lady with no legs. Bad characters.

And another thing everyone is forgetting, Stephen King has written over 70 novellas and books. Consistant enough to be named with these other literary legends... NO!

I repeat over 70 (not counting individual short stories)!

I used to get angry when somebody held King to be a literary great. Then, for a while, I laughed. Now I'm almost indifferent. There's no point in arguing *edit*. The culture is going to continue to decay whether we waste our breath or not.

OT:

Btw, I find the UK site, Fantastic Fiction indispensable when searching fantasy, sci-fi, and horror author bibliographies. I have discovered missing authors yet it covers plenty of ground.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Chigurh

So how many "mystical black" characters inhabit the above list? lol. I can think of two off the top of my head...

---

That would be the two.

Is there some point to that comment?

There are several women in them as well.

As King says, The Dark Tower series really is his 'magnum opus'. I've only read short stories and one of his novels (The Dark Half), and they really weren't that great at all. Actrually, they were quite bad. I thought 'Ride the Bullet' was okay.

The Dark Tower however, is quite impressive. His style actually works well here, and it just forces you to keep reading. I know King might be a bit painful to literary types, but the Dark Tower is really worth it, especially as a feat of imagination. I will however agree on some of the ridiculous characters being almost too much (yes, the legless black schitzophrenic pissed me off too).

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by patbox

As King says, The Dark Tower series really is his 'magnum opus'. I've only read short stories and one of his novels (The Dark Half), and they really weren't that great at all. I thought 'Ride the Bullet' was okay. The Dark Tower however, is quite impressive. His style actually works well here, and it just forces you to keep reading. I know King might be a bit painful to literary types, but the Dark Tower is really worth it, especially as a feat of imagination. I will however agree on some of the ridiculous characters being almost too much (yes, the legless black schitzophrenic pissed me off too).

---

The Dark Half is definitely one of his only good for recycling.

If you liked The Dark Tower, kick off with The Talisman, a combined effort with his buddy, Peter Straub.

And Stephen King's second child, Joe Hill aka Joe Hillstrom King, has written published short stories many collected in 20th Century Ghosts and just released his first full length novel Heart-Shaped Box that is being adapted into a film.

Joe Hill Fiction