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Originally Posted by Frownland
Oh I know what you're thinking of. I gave him his dues as a short story writer because 1408 and Shawshank are both fantastic, storywise and stylistically. I think with his novels he feels the need to go more in depth and just succeeds in writing filler.
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Makes sense. I've only read a few of his early short stories from when he was writing under a pen name (before Carrie I believe) and they were more focused and generally effective even though they were early works (I keep meaning to read Apt Pupil but never get around to it). His prose and writing style are definitely basic. I think of him sort of like a better version of George Lucas for books: his technique isn't that great to say the least but he's a brilliant idea man when he wants to be.
But the longer his books go the more it's clear that his real skill is at evoking atmosphere and creating effective scenes rather than being able to coherently string them together.
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Originally Posted by Chula Vista
A lot of this is that the novels are now dated and that we've become use to the writers who have taken what King did and moved it forward. Clive Barker, Dan Simmons, and Peter Straub come to mind.
Trust me, it wasn't schlocky when the dude was taking over the horror writing world back in the late 70s and through the early 80s.
For the record: Carrie and Christine were never good. Pet Sematary only really works if you are a parent - to some degree. The Stand and It are just outrageously dated.
Salem's Lot will hold up as a creepy novel for a long time.
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Hey, **** you, Carrie was his best that I've read. It wasn't at all accomplished, and lost steam after the dance, but it's just so raw and effective at what it tries to do. There aren't many characters in any medium I've been pulling for as hard as I was for Carrie, even if it was all just cheesy, heart string goofiness. It's also a great example of why it's unfair to pigeonhole King as a horror writer. The book was actually at its best when it wasn't a horror novel, and it still was never a
genre horror book.
And aside from the ending I loved Pet Semetary. Certainly a bit cheesy at times (the cat was stupid) but so many great scenes that stick in my mind even after years: when he digs up his kid, when he goes to do the ritual and it's all trippy and subtly demonic, and the whole beginning that really feels picturesque and positive to contrast with the rest of the book. So **** you, parent.