Stephen King Fans discussion

Have you read a King book and didn't quite like it but later gave it another chance and liked it much better on the second read?
Roadwork, Desperation, and Cell were like that for me.

On the other hand, have you liked a King book on first read, but didn't like it on subsequent reads?
For me, Lisey's Story and the Holly books.

Along the same vein, the last two Gwendy books are ones that got one read but will get no more. The middle one wasn't too bad, but it was just barely a short story with two tons of filler added in to make it novella/novel length, and the actual story seemed to be secondary to the nothing. And the third book just didn't do it for me.

I have to mention The Dark Tower. I read those suckers three times, but there won't be a fourth. (The Drawing of the Three is my favorite.)

I’ve read several of King’s books more than once. The Body and Apt Pupil both got even better the second time through, but I liked both of them a lot the first time. The Shining, 'Salem's Lot, and The Eyes of the Dragon, were all not quite as good as I had remembered them being, but The Talisman was even better. The Long Walk and On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft were both just as good the second time I read them. As for The Dark Tower series? I have found they get better with each reading. I’ve read or listened to The Gunslinger about 7 times, The Drawing of the Three about 6 times, The Waste Lands about 5 times, and Wizard and Glass at least twice. I find new wrinkles, nuances, and subtle things every time.

Potential spoilers for The Green Mile and DT series.

I’m doing a DT re-read. Just finished Wind Through The Keyhole (after WaG) and started Wolves. First time I’ve done a full re-read since TDT was released. So. It’s been a while. It’s crazy how different these stories hit after you’ve lived 20+ years of your life. I’m loving being back in Mid World. I missed it. So I Had The Green Mile on in the background tonight during supper clean up and stopped dead in my tracks listening to Johns explanation to Paul about why he doesn’t want to be saved. What if John is Roont????? I can’t be the first person to wonder that. Sure would explain…well…him. Anyways. I’ve never posted in here and I sure hope I’ve done it right. LOL.

Fiona wrote: "Potential spoilers for The Green Mile and DT series. ..."

That's an interesting take and could possibly be. (view spoiler)[Roont involves twins from the Callas along the Arc. John Coffey, of course, is in quite a different world. But, we know there are ways that people travel between worlds. Is JC roont, and did he travel from the world of the Callas? Well, he certainly seems roont, so the first point is possible. As to the second, the tragedy with the Detterick twins, and JC's capture and his conviction happened in 1932. We know nothing about him before 1929. It's almost as if he popped into existence then. Or came from another world?<\spoiler> (hide spoiler)]

I have only read Misery twice and I liked it BETTER the second time even though the first time I already felt like it was Excellent.
I'm planning on re-reading The Shining at some point.