In the last couple of years, I have been trying to catch up to King's prolific career. I had heard about him but had not really followed his career nor seriously focused on his work. One day I decided to read all his published work in chronological order. It was one of my first long-term reading projects. It took me around 3 years. It started in 2020 and finally, in July 2023 I completed my list. I will now be able to read his new releases and stay up to date.
The journey had its ups and downs. I was surprised when I started his book, they were not all horror. They dive into complex human emotions and show the darkest side of society. The shows of grief, bad parents, and fears, yes his stories have a lot of dark and twisted topics, but most I would not consider horror. They are definitely not the Boo (jump scare) horror I imagined.
Any excuse is good right, so here are the top 5 Stephen King books.
We are not going to talk about the obvious choice IT. The scary clown is everywhere and while it is one of the most disturbing stories, it's not the one I would love to recommend. The books I'm talking about here while they do have horror or paranormal elements- even if it's not a genre I normally gravitate towards... these are the type of books I see myself rereading often. Surprisingly enough, IT is not one I really wish to read again.
#1 The Shinning
Unless you have been living under a rock, its pretty hard to miss hearing about this story. Be if due to the movie and what more after the sequel was released.
We follow The Torrance family as they move into the Overlook Hotel to live for a couple of months are caretakers. The whole family Jack, his wife Wendy, and their little son Danny a gifted boy who still does not know he's different from other people.
I have read this book only two times so far. And I was fascinated and heavily invested in it both times.
We have not only a scary presence, but it feels like the Torrance family is fighting an entity, you feel their helplessness while trapped, isolated in the place. The real magic is in the way the story unfolds- we have a family struggling, the father a man who feels stuck, and with grandeur ambitions who has hit rock bottom. We have the struggle between the couple, while they try to work with the lot they have, the boy who is trying his hardest to help but who is still a naive boy who doesn't seem to fully grasp the big picture.
It's a physiological thriller that keeps you guessing and on the edge of the seat. This is a definite page-turner.
#2 Pet Sematary
Here w follow the Creed. The family has decided to move to a nice small town, get away from the city and all that. They are the perfect suburban family- the father is a medical doctor, a beautiful ild well-mannered housewife, a lovely daughter, and an adorable son, they complete the picture with a friendly cat as a pet. They have everything they could ask for, right?
Pet Sematary is the perfect blend of character-building, suspense, supernatural, gore, horror, and gut-wrenching shocks.
This is a perfect example of how reading it at different stages in life can be especially insightful.
This story has the most heartbreaking scene I have seen in a book. And I was only able to get it the second time I read it. Not because I didn't understand what happened the first time around, but it hit differently when I read it as a teenager. It was just a part of the story for dramatic effect, it was sad but I didn't dwell on it too much. The second time around I was able to focus on it and it just wouldn't let me go. It exemplifies every fear that a parent can have. Losing a child is the scariest thing imaginable and as a reader, you might have a difficult time blaming Louis for some of his actions in this story. You don't even have to have children of your own to be able to get the desperation, the sense of loss from a life taken.
This is really such an incredible story. It draws you in and holds onto you until the bitter end. As with many of his tales, there is an overriding feeling of dread and an ominous atmosphere that seeps through every page.
#3 Cujo
Another story that will be equal measures heart-wrenching, terrifying, and immersive. We follow the Trenton family Vic, Donna, and their young son Tad, as they move to Maine. (Yes this sounds very familar, I know). They are a very typical family. The young boy is still struggling to get over normal fears, the dark, and the monsters in the closet, while his parents face a more realistic nightmare. Their marriage is rocky, with differences and struggles that become ever more present in their relationship.
This is not a horror monster, not a vicious senseless beast killing people, and it's not full of blood and guts. There is a lot of really great extra storytelling and exposition beyond the rabid dog. This is some of the best storytelling and character-building I've seen in books. You come to care about every character and how their lives all came together in the end under the shadow of a drooling, snarling, and insane St. Bernard; a monster of fate, not through any fault of his own - a truly tragic villain.
And the ending? Absolutely gut-wrenching and chilling!
It's so hard to talk about these stories because many of the details I feel so passionate about would imply spoiling the whole thing.
#4 Salem's Lot
This is a more traditional horror story. We have the creepy vibe of small towns and their inhabitants, and the nastiness that lives inside regular people even before any actual “big” evil comes into their lives. Even in his earlier works like this one, he explores the dark side of humanity, sometimes the monsters are not always the worst this world has to offer.
This is a very quick read, you feel like it doesn't lag. The suspense and sense of foreboding are rampant, and there are quite a few truly nail-biting situations. The main focus is the vampire story unfolding in the background of small-town horrors. There are no heavy-handed lessons to be learned, no deep morals to take out of the story - all we get is a thrilling and scary rollercoaster.
The ending was not my favorite, but I won't complain much.
#5 Carrie
The story of misunderstood high school girl Carrie White, her extraordinary telekinetic powers, and her violent rampage of revenge. I feel this is one of the most iconic King's works. Even if you only know it from the movies, this story holds very well.
In this story, we explore the classic coming-of-age struggles: bullying, teen insecurities part of the teenage combo, and the thirst for acceptance and popularity. Some of the common themes shown here like an abusive parent (the religious fanatic mother), and unexplained psychic abilities.
Another very satisfying thing is the format of the story. Parts of the book were told from documentation including newspaper articles, interviews, court transcripts, etc. It makes it a more immersive read.
Talking about them just makes me want to read it once more. Too bad this month is already swapped otherwise I'd just start another round of rereads for them!
These are the best of the scary books, any of them would be a great starting point for first-time Stephen King readers.
Let me know which is your favorite!
Any recommendations of books wit similar vibes are welcome!
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