The Best of Stephen King

[Jessiealan]

If you were helping someone get started reading Stephen King, what would you suggest for their very first book? Second book? Third book?

I believe it's possible to destroy potential fan-dom by reading the wrong SK books before one has a chance to sample some of the best.

If someone were to pick up Misery, for example, or one of The Gunslinger books,, or Insomnia, that book, with a book mark about a third the way through, might still be laying on an end table gathering dust.

So then, what would you suggest to get them off to a good start?

[josephdphillips]

The Stand

[annaj26]

The Stand is the masterpiece. Maybe start with The Shining or one of the short story collections. Four Past Midnight is a good one.

[beth]

It was very good, I thought .. also Pet Semetary. Both those move along at a good pace. Also, Thinner, written under the Richard Bachman name, is fairly fast paced and while it is typical King in many ways it's a little less horror based.

The Stand, for sure. Incredible book.

[annaj26]

I was told to mskip Revival (new one) because it isn't "supernatural" enough. I went straight and put it on my list to buy asap. I don't mind a little supernatural (The Stand, The Shining, Insomnia) but the less the better.

[Deleted]

i like his books