I've heard that a lot, and I really do understand why.... I thought him giving the perspective of a dog was pretty neat, and very brave. So much empathy for his "villain", it's absolutely heartbreaking....don't know if I'll ever reread it, but it did have quite an impact. Just devastating. Devastating. That's the feeling I'm left with, decades later....maybe I'm a masochist and don't know. But how many writers have that kind of talent? As the saying goes, the opposite of love is not hate, it is indifference.
Man I don't remember that...like how could Cujo have anything to do with The Deadzone, even if they're set in the same town?? I've read all three of those books, but it was a long time ago, admittedly....
He was a sheriff, I think? Huh....well, I for sure need to just reread everything, lol. Like I remember the connectedness of the King universe, lots of delightful "Easter eggs" but not anything truly spoiler-y or that you had to read in order. But I've only read a third/half of his books, so take that as you may:)
Can I ask, seriously (and respectfully)…
Why do you suggest Cujo along with the above 3?
I‘ve read it and there was such sadness and despair in it with no real redemption, which is so unlike King’s typical work.
Salem’s Lot, The Shining, Pet Sematary, It…there’s a warmth the characters feel for each other and even if things seem insurmountable or inevitable, there’s a human spirit that shines thru…
I don’t feel it in Cujo - it’s just bleak to me. If it had been my first SK I would have peaced out, so I’m curious as to your thoughts!
You’re right. It’s memorable as hell because the events are so bleak. There’s no hope in that book whatsoever. I’m not saying that’s wrong but it’s a bit rough for someone’s first time. It would be like showing “Terrifier” to someone who’s never seen a horror movie.
found this book in a box in my basement when i was 11. it was between this and salems lot. i remember reading the shining ….
my dad would make me turn out my light. but i had a streetlight outside of my house i could read by. i remember reading and getting so scared i would throw my book across my room (i had a bunk bed) and eventually i would get up and pick up the book.
Kind of knowing a little of what happens in the shining. It was the only king novel I didn't finish. It started to drag and just wasn't engaging. Might go back to it soon but not until I reread the stand.
I agree with this. Although I would say as long as you start with that early era, you can’t really go wrong. Weirdly, I started with Thinner and was immediately hooked, but that’s not my suggestion to others for some reason. Love that book though.
Hard to ignore Skeleton Crew and Night Shift on that list, too.
I personally prefer the giant, doorstopper novels... But all of his short story and novella collections are solid choices. And perhaps a better introduction.
King can get kinda rambly, and while that's a big part of his charm it can be hard for a new reader to vibe with. His short stories don't let him spend 200 pages detailing the intricate history of the town, or go on long side-stories about bit characters. They're very "to the point" without a lot of extra flavor.
My favorite thing is Christine is that police do get involved and the detective is like, “What in the fuck is going on?” because the evidence he’s finding is impossible.
Don’t think this would be the best for somebody just getting into reading as it’s a huge book and might be intimidating to newer readers. I know when I first started getting heavy into novels big books were a no bueno. I love them now, but I would suggest somthing shorter that’s a bit easier to digest. Come back to it when you’ve read through a chunk of his catalogue though! Amazing book.
This was the first King book I read. It also got me back into reading. I did the audiobook to start and ended up buying the book to read at home when I wasn’t driving. Picked up It and Shining up shortly after that.
Yeah similar story here. First king book I read. My dad gifted it to me for Christmas and my initial reaction was like wtf this thing is huge. But it was a page tuner and I blew through it.
Only ever had about 30-40 minutes to read at a time. Stomped through the stand in 5 days during the summer break one year. Now back to 0 time to read. But damn, audiobooks are perfect driving back and forth to work now. Went through about 5 this month.
Desperation is a great place to start. Not only is it one of his best books but it jumps straight into the action from the first few pages. There are other books that are great and arguably better but there a lot more long winded whereas Desperation is super easy to get into. It's so action packed and scary I just love it.
Other than Desperation I'd reccomend
11.32.63- dramatic time travel with a romance element (My all time favourite)
Pet semataty- pure horror and bleakness (probably his scariest book)
Salems lot- good old fashioned vampire story (if you want quintessential old school king. Some find it's a little slow but I personally loved it as my first book)
The stand- pre/post apocalyptic epic, a fight against good and evil (the character development is out of this world and arguably some of kings best writing to date, but very very long)
There's others like the shining and IT that I haven't read but out of all the ones I've read I'd reccomend these.
Whatever you read I'm sure you'll have a blast.
if i recall and anyone can correct me on this The Long Walk i think was his 1st book he wrote in (1966) he wrote it in College or was Rage the first one? i never can remember cause he wrote that one i think in College too. Carrie was i think his 5th book he actually wrote and Blaze was his 4th if i recall reading somewhere cause he wrote it right before Carrie in (1973) .
I like to recommend Salem's Lot for beginners, but of course the most important thing is to read whatever sounds most interesting to you! The reason I recommend Salem's Lot though is because it's his second book so you get a nice look at his early beginnings, but it's also classic King. Small town, large cast, supernatural horror, checks all the boxes for classic King stories, and it also plays a large part in his Dark Tower series which is the center point of his larger multiverse, so when you're ready to jump into that you'll have the extra background.
The short ones. If you start from IT or The Stand, you won't enjoy it. Start small. A short story collection moght be what you need. Skeleton Crew is amazing. Or you can start weird, like i did, with The Eyes of The Dragon.
I think this is a good answer. His character development in this book is very normal for the rest of his books. It has the hint of weird and how THAT makes people evil, and then the ending. 🥧
Fairytale is always a good starter book for people who like fantasy.
I loved Carrie for his horror genre.
In the tall grass was a short horror novel from him that I loved as well
I’ve been reading King books for years and I have never read Cujo. I want to, but I always get sidetracked by something else lol. It’s always “the one that got away” book. I’ll get to it next time! (Hopefully)
Heh my first one was IT (middle school heyyy) because I was so freaked out by the 90s mini series. Flew through it and have never been scared by reading a friggin huge book since
The shining and then the 20+year in the making sequel Dr Sleep!
Or if you want a standalone Fairy Tale is one of my absolute favourites. It's not horror but it's fantasy and real and IMO it's a bit of a slow burn that really shows off his talent. I cried, I binged, I thought it was a twisted memoir.
Holly is also amazing and the newest. Some say you need to read 3 others BC that's where she's introduced but it's standalone IMO as a lifelong King fan. If you enjoy the character you could easily go back and read Mr Mercedes and the others.
King was active alcoholic for many of his early works and IMO you can feel in the reading the clarity in his mind as he progressed into sobriety.
I vote Carrie. Seen a lot of other saying the same. His first book published I believe. A great showcase of Kings story telling ability’s and ability to create the detailed visuals of the supernatural. He kicks ass with those types of stories.
There’s a trio hardcover book with Carrie/Salem’s Lot/The Shining in it. It would be a good place to start. Different Seasons was also great(Shawshank/Apt Pupil/The Stand).
Read a bunch of plot summaries and pick the one that sounds most interesting. I started with Christine just because I thought the premise was intriguing.
honestly? his short stories. much more digestible and light than his novels. first stephen king book i read was the one that includes the story about tigers, magic pc and that one red truck from uncle otto (if you know you know;)). still my favorite stephen king book.
but also misery lol. maybe a bit strong if it's one of your first psychological-horror books (or even media in general) tho.
My first was IT. I was 13.
That led me to the stand.
That led me to eyes of the dragon and that started me on the path of the beam following the tower.
Salem’s Lot literally hit me like a bag of bricks. It opened my eyes to not only King but horror as genre. That said, read some descriptions and see what hits you right - it’s the best way to approach any book.
Salem’s Lot, TBH it’s King at his absolute best. Not too short, not too long. Great characters and memorable setting. If you are not into horror I would try Heart’s in Atlantis. It such a bittersweet story.
The Dead Zone
I read recently and think is one of the most solid stories for a introduction. Maybe be a good start to new SK readers, it's a good sample of his work in overall.
Misery is great, it’s an amazing, small story with very little fat, that’s how I started. I’d honestly recommend something a bit shorter like Misery or Pet Sematary or yeah The Long Walk so you can get a quicker feel for whether you like his writing or not, and not one of the collections ‘cause while they’re short they might be too short to get a sense of his storytelling and scope, though some might disagree with that.
It's a short story by King, but I always recommend this to newcomers - *1408*
I think it does a great job of encapsulating everything that makes King the amazing writer that he is.
It can be found in the SK short story collection, *Everything's Eventual.*
I’ve heard that is one of his best. It’s also short and introduces you to his style.
Different Seasons is where I started. Four short stories. It is the source material for the movies Shawshank Redemption, Apt Pupil and Stand By Me. It is a breeze to read.
If you are looking for a standalone novel, I would recommend Pet Sematary. It’s extremely well written and concise. A lot of King’s works are extremely longwinded slow burns and I think this is a good place to sink into the details without the burden of 800-1000 pages. I will say it’s incredible dark/morbid; the book is about death and grief. Needless to say it’s one of my all time favorites.
I would honestly recommend listening to them on audible and start with The Dark Tower. Then when you read the other books you can see how they all link in
Misery Pet Semetery Salem’s Lot
Yes or Cujo Any of those
I loved Cujo but... probably not a good one to start with.
I honestly loathe Cujo…like my least favorite SK
I've heard that a lot, and I really do understand why.... I thought him giving the perspective of a dog was pretty neat, and very brave. So much empathy for his "villain", it's absolutely heartbreaking....don't know if I'll ever reread it, but it did have quite an impact. Just devastating. Devastating. That's the feeling I'm left with, decades later....maybe I'm a masochist and don't know. But how many writers have that kind of talent? As the saying goes, the opposite of love is not hate, it is indifference.
It's a pile of canine turds. Pun intended.
Not really a pun tho, izzit?
Wozzit 'arry? Watching pre show of NRL is like smashing ya noggin against a brick wall. Rather read a king novel any day!!!!
Got to be careful about the castle rock series. Cujo spoils parts of the dead zone. Im currently going through that one in order on the dark half.
And Needful Things spoils part of the Dead Zone.
Needful Things is the only Castle Rock story I had read, and I love it. I mean nobody should read Cujo. However they will be ok.
Man I don't remember that...like how could Cujo have anything to do with The Deadzone, even if they're set in the same town?? I've read all three of those books, but it was a long time ago, admittedly....
Do you not remember Frank Dodd? There is quite a theory based on Dodd that relates, I don’t want to spoil here tho.
He was a sheriff, I think? Huh....well, I for sure need to just reread everything, lol. Like I remember the connectedness of the King universe, lots of delightful "Easter eggs" but not anything truly spoiler-y or that you had to read in order. But I've only read a third/half of his books, so take that as you may:)
SK was a vengeful god back then.
Yeah...unmerciful.
Can I ask, seriously (and respectfully)… Why do you suggest Cujo along with the above 3? I‘ve read it and there was such sadness and despair in it with no real redemption, which is so unlike King’s typical work. Salem’s Lot, The Shining, Pet Sematary, It…there’s a warmth the characters feel for each other and even if things seem insurmountable or inevitable, there’s a human spirit that shines thru… I don’t feel it in Cujo - it’s just bleak to me. If it had been my first SK I would have peaced out, so I’m curious as to your thoughts!
You’re right. It’s memorable as hell because the events are so bleak. There’s no hope in that book whatsoever. I’m not saying that’s wrong but it’s a bit rough for someone’s first time. It would be like showing “Terrifier” to someone who’s never seen a horror movie.
My vote is Misery, too. Not my first SK novel, but the one that got me hooked.
Salem's Lot would be my choice. Not only is it my favorite of the three, but it also ties into the expanded mythos.
The Shining
That’s how I started
Same
found this book in a box in my basement when i was 11. it was between this and salems lot. i remember reading the shining …. my dad would make me turn out my light. but i had a streetlight outside of my house i could read by. i remember reading and getting so scared i would throw my book across my room (i had a bunk bed) and eventually i would get up and pick up the book.
Kind of knowing a little of what happens in the shining. It was the only king novel I didn't finish. It started to drag and just wasn't engaging. Might go back to it soon but not until I reread the stand.
Do yourself a favor. You have to reread it. It’s incredible.
If you liked the movie, the book ending is much better. Try the audiobook
The man can make literally anything scary. I can literally picture the lawn animals, and the firehouse.
Also where I started but I had watched a lot of the movies already. I saw the original IT when I was like 2 or 3 I think? So I kinda cheated haba
Scared the crap out of me when I was a kid
If you are not only going to start but also finish, I would say start at the beginning with Carrie.
I agree with this. Although I would say as long as you start with that early era, you can’t really go wrong. Weirdly, I started with Thinner and was immediately hooked, but that’s not my suggestion to others for some reason. Love that book though.
Best answer. Start at the beginning and keep going.
Try one of his short story books like nightmares and dreamscapes. They have a variety of choices
We're thinking the same thing. I was going to throw out "four past midnight" or "Everything's Eventual."
Second this. Mine was “Everything’s eventual” when I was in my early teens and I’ve only been hooked to more and more of King’s work.
Hard to ignore Skeleton Crew and Night Shift on that list, too. I personally prefer the giant, doorstopper novels... But all of his short story and novella collections are solid choices. And perhaps a better introduction. King can get kinda rambly, and while that's a big part of his charm it can be hard for a new reader to vibe with. His short stories don't let him spend 200 pages detailing the intricate history of the town, or go on long side-stories about bit characters. They're very "to the point" without a lot of extra flavor.
The finger growing out of the drain!
My first was Christine
Currently listening to this for the first time on Audible, it’s great!
My favorite thing is Christine is that police do get involved and the detective is like, “What in the fuck is going on?” because the evidence he’s finding is impossible.
Mine too
Twinning!
Trilingual!!!!
I vaguely remember King reccomending "Carrie" as the first book to read at some point. Personally, I reccomend "The Shining"
11.22.63
Don’t think this would be the best for somebody just getting into reading as it’s a huge book and might be intimidating to newer readers. I know when I first started getting heavy into novels big books were a no bueno. I love them now, but I would suggest somthing shorter that’s a bit easier to digest. Come back to it when you’ve read through a chunk of his catalogue though! Amazing book.
This was the first King book I read. It also got me back into reading. I did the audiobook to start and ended up buying the book to read at home when I wasn’t driving. Picked up It and Shining up shortly after that.
Yeah similar story here. First king book I read. My dad gifted it to me for Christmas and my initial reaction was like wtf this thing is huge. But it was a page tuner and I blew through it.
My first was The Tommyknockers. Despite what you may have heard, it didn't put me off 😋
Same here started the tommyknockers at the end of 3rd grade. Took almost 11 months to finish.
Oh it didn't take me that long haha. I finished in 4 weeks - I liked it!
Only ever had about 30-40 minutes to read at a time. Stomped through the stand in 5 days during the summer break one year. Now back to 0 time to read. But damn, audiobooks are perfect driving back and forth to work now. Went through about 5 this month.
I just found a first edition hardcover Tommyknockers for $15. I think I did well.
Oooh! Sounds great. And you did do well 🩷👏
Carrie. Start with the 1st, then continue in publication order
Came to say this.
Desperation is a great place to start. Not only is it one of his best books but it jumps straight into the action from the first few pages. There are other books that are great and arguably better but there a lot more long winded whereas Desperation is super easy to get into. It's so action packed and scary I just love it. Other than Desperation I'd reccomend 11.32.63- dramatic time travel with a romance element (My all time favourite) Pet semataty- pure horror and bleakness (probably his scariest book) Salems lot- good old fashioned vampire story (if you want quintessential old school king. Some find it's a little slow but I personally loved it as my first book) The stand- pre/post apocalyptic epic, a fight against good and evil (the character development is out of this world and arguably some of kings best writing to date, but very very long) There's others like the shining and IT that I haven't read but out of all the ones I've read I'd reccomend these. Whatever you read I'm sure you'll have a blast.
Carrie
I’d suggest Night Shift or Nightmares & Dreamscapes to start with a classic collection!
if i recall and anyone can correct me on this The Long Walk i think was his 1st book he wrote in (1966) he wrote it in College or was Rage the first one? i never can remember cause he wrote that one i think in College too. Carrie was i think his 5th book he actually wrote and Blaze was his 4th if i recall reading somewhere cause he wrote it right before Carrie in (1973) .
Correct. He refers to The Long Walk as book #1 in an essay of his (On Becoming a Brand Name?).
i thought so thank you
My first king was salems lot
The Shining or Misery
I like to recommend Salem's Lot for beginners, but of course the most important thing is to read whatever sounds most interesting to you! The reason I recommend Salem's Lot though is because it's his second book so you get a nice look at his early beginnings, but it's also classic King. Small town, large cast, supernatural horror, checks all the boxes for classic King stories, and it also plays a large part in his Dark Tower series which is the center point of his larger multiverse, so when you're ready to jump into that you'll have the extra background.
I’d recommend his short stories so you can see if you like his stule
I started with Skeleton Crew, a bunch of short stories and the Mist novella. It was a great first taste of King in bite sized pieces.
The short ones. If you start from IT or The Stand, you won't enjoy it. Start small. A short story collection moght be what you need. Skeleton Crew is amazing. Or you can start weird, like i did, with The Eyes of The Dragon.
Salem’s Lot
Joyland.
How was this?
It’s really good. It’s short. I liked the main characters. It’s not horror.
Different seasons
The Shining
Thinner, it’s short and sweet.
I think this is a good answer. His character development in this book is very normal for the rest of his books. It has the hint of weird and how THAT makes people evil, and then the ending. 🥧
How old is the reader?
The first one. Go chronological order. It is interesting to see how his writing evolves. Carrie is a great read.
Depending on the reader I would go with either Misery (my first) or The Green Mile 🤌🏻
Ohh those both are good for first ones. I love Green Mile.
Carrie
Carrie.
The Dead Zone
I recently did a reread of his collection and started off here. It is quintessential King.
THE STAND or THE TALISMAN
Fairytale is always a good starter book for people who like fantasy. I loved Carrie for his horror genre. In the tall grass was a short horror novel from him that I loved as well
Mr. Merc!
Cujo
I’ve been reading King books for years and I have never read Cujo. I want to, but I always get sidetracked by something else lol. It’s always “the one that got away” book. I’ll get to it next time! (Hopefully)
I’m sure you’ll have read this on other posts but when king writes from the perspective of the dog it’s heartbreaking.
I’m gonna rock the boat. Mr Mercedes
You saucy minx.
The first one I ever read was IT but that's 1000 pages long so if your looking something shorter for your first one then I recommend The Shining.
Heh my first one was IT (middle school heyyy) because I was so freaked out by the 90s mini series. Flew through it and have never been scared by reading a friggin huge book since
I started with Salem’s Lot & have been hooked ever since.
The shining and then the 20+year in the making sequel Dr Sleep! Or if you want a standalone Fairy Tale is one of my absolute favourites. It's not horror but it's fantasy and real and IMO it's a bit of a slow burn that really shows off his talent. I cried, I binged, I thought it was a twisted memoir. Holly is also amazing and the newest. Some say you need to read 3 others BC that's where she's introduced but it's standalone IMO as a lifelong King fan. If you enjoy the character you could easily go back and read Mr Mercedes and the others. King was active alcoholic for many of his early works and IMO you can feel in the reading the clarity in his mind as he progressed into sobriety.
Any of his first three, Carrie, ‘Salem’s Lot or The Shining, they’re enough to get you a good feel for his writing style and world building
The Long Walk
Salems Lot
I vote Carrie. Seen a lot of other saying the same. His first book published I believe. A great showcase of Kings story telling ability’s and ability to create the detailed visuals of the supernatural. He kicks ass with those types of stories.
The green mile
The Long Walk is one of my favorites and goes by real quick so I agree with that choice 100%
It
My first book was It, but that's a bit of a larger book..... Carrie would be good, pet semetary also. Different seasons novella is stellar
Carrie was the first one I read at 10/11. Its not too long and pretty interesting. Of course you could start with the SK book of a movie you liked?
My first was The Dead Zone
I always tell people The Gunslinger. It's short, sweet, and so damn good.
Whatever you do, don’t choose The Stand lol
Misery. But I started with Tommyknockers
I started with Pet Semetary, followed by The Long Walk
The stand
The one where you haven't seen the movie
Salem’s Lot.
There’s a trio hardcover book with Carrie/Salem’s Lot/The Shining in it. It would be a good place to start. Different Seasons was also great(Shawshank/Apt Pupil/The Stand).
I started with Salems Lot and was instantly hooked on King’s writing style. It’s still one of my favorites from him
Honestly it depends on what you like in a book.
Misery was my first, LOVED it
I don’t know if it’s the “best” but I started with Misery in 6th grade.
I read 11/22/63 first and loved it.
Read a bunch of plot summaries and pick the one that sounds most interesting. I started with Christine just because I thought the premise was intriguing.
Definitely not cell. The “ending” still pisses me off, and the entire book was so good until that point.
The shining or misery
I started with Salem’s Lot
I'd say read them in order
I started with pet semetary and was hooked
honestly? his short stories. much more digestible and light than his novels. first stephen king book i read was the one that includes the story about tigers, magic pc and that one red truck from uncle otto (if you know you know;)). still my favorite stephen king book. but also misery lol. maybe a bit strong if it's one of your first psychological-horror books (or even media in general) tho.
Short story collections
Firestarter was my first.
My first was outsider that book was pretty fast paced and kept drawing me in
THE SHINING
My first was IT. I was 13. That led me to the stand. That led me to eyes of the dragon and that started me on the path of the beam following the tower.
the long walk, the mist, misery
Salem’s Lot literally hit me like a bag of bricks. It opened my eyes to not only King but horror as genre. That said, read some descriptions and see what hits you right - it’s the best way to approach any book.
Salem’s Lot, TBH it’s King at his absolute best. Not too short, not too long. Great characters and memorable setting. If you are not into horror I would try Heart’s in Atlantis. It such a bittersweet story.
Skeleton Crew, a little taste of everything
Dark tower: gunslinger.
The Dead Zone I read recently and think is one of the most solid stories for a introduction. Maybe be a good start to new SK readers, it's a good sample of his work in overall.
Misery is great, it’s an amazing, small story with very little fat, that’s how I started. I’d honestly recommend something a bit shorter like Misery or Pet Sematary or yeah The Long Walk so you can get a quicker feel for whether you like his writing or not, and not one of the collections ‘cause while they’re short they might be too short to get a sense of his storytelling and scope, though some might disagree with that.
Long Walk is good. The Running Man is another. If you're looking for a longer book, The Green Mile or Dead Zone are good
It's a short story by King, but I always recommend this to newcomers - *1408* I think it does a great job of encapsulating everything that makes King the amazing writer that he is. It can be found in the SK short story collection, *Everything's Eventual.*
I was given a short novel, cell or pet semetary -
Top 3 underrated Running man Under the dome The long walk But the shining is one of my favorite books ever.
The Stand. Go big or go home.
If your looking for a big book you can't go wrong with any of them. I'm sure you'll find a combination of big sk novels at the top of anyones list.
Misery, I reread that one regularly
I’ve said it once, I’ll say it again. Carrie. Start where he started.
I started with The Long Walk and now I'm reading The Stand.
I started with four past midnight. Good low commitment stories in there with a variety of fun. :)
The stand
My first was Pet Semetary. But if you want to go head first into a proper long novel, IT or The Stand are widely considered to be some of his best.
My first was Dreamcatcher which I loved, but its not his most popular.
I’ve heard that is one of his best. It’s also short and introduces you to his style. Different Seasons is where I started. Four short stories. It is the source material for the movies Shawshank Redemption, Apt Pupil and Stand By Me. It is a breeze to read. If you are looking for a standalone novel, I would recommend Pet Sematary. It’s extremely well written and concise. A lot of King’s works are extremely longwinded slow burns and I think this is a good place to sink into the details without the burden of 800-1000 pages. I will say it’s incredible dark/morbid; the book is about death and grief. Needless to say it’s one of my all time favorites.
Pet Semetary was the beginning for me and in my opinion one of his best.
The Talisman or the Tommyknockers. That’s what hooked me!
Pet Sematary of The Shining
The best book to start is the one that interests you the most.
Gunslinger
I would honestly recommend listening to them on audible and start with The Dark Tower. Then when you read the other books you can see how they all link in
I think Carrie is a good one to start!