At one a.m. (also known as The Hour Of Truth)...

[pink_siamese]

I can admit it.
Two-thirds of the way through Stephen King's new novel, Duma Key, and...I don't like it.
It's long. The story arc is trying my patience. The overdone emphasis on certain bits of symbolism is trying my patience. The under-drawn characters are trying my patience.
It's feeling like a whole lot of wind. You know, that whole sorta sound-

Comments

[kittymay]

I cannot bear Stephen King. I managed 'It' and 'Carrie' and they were just about all I could manage with. His writing doesn't engage me at all, I am afraid,and he seems a classic student of the school of thought where length means more than content. I lose interest in him.
One of my favourite authors is Ian McEwan as he does the opposite. He wrote 'Atonement' in case you don't know him, but it was 'The Cement Garden' coming out when I was about 17 that made me first read his stuff. He's not wordy like King is, but he gets his point across far better in my opinion.

[pink_siamese]

The older I get, the less patience I have with Mr. King. I loved his stuff when I was young. But now it's like his argument just falls apart before my eyes.

[telera]

You read 'It'? Just the weight of the it was enough to make me choose another thing... I read 'Eyes of Fire', though... *hides*

[kittymay]

I was staying at someone's house and was very bored! It happened to be in the bookcase which was the only reason!

[ophelivia]

My teacher said once that one day Stephen King will publish a blank book that will sell a million copies

[pink_siamese]

LOL...your teacher is probably right.

[tamago23]

I have Duma Key waiting for when I've finished all my current books. I suspect I'll probably enjoy it more than you, LOL. ;)

[pink_siamese]

Maybe. I don't know. I'm not such a literary snob that I'll refuse to read SK, but this was just...bleh.

[sarisynn]

You read Stephen King too? I love you.

I haven't read that one yet, but I think I've read all the newer ones... I suppose I'll get to that one eventually. I generally think his older stuff is better than his newer stuff.

But that's just me. ^^

[pink_siamese]

I think from a literary point of view the best of his later works is Lisey's Story. Beyond that I tend to agree...his best stuff is his early stuff. I think his editors were harder on him back in the early days. Since 'too short' was never a problem of Steve's we're all paying the price of his fame with books that are just too damn long.

[mamazano]

An interesting topic since I was debating whether to read Dumas Key, seeing how it supposedly takes place off the coast from where I live. In fact, my daughter just went to a talk given by the illustrious Mr. King, promoting a new author. She came away from it inspired to write but not from what he said but that which the new author, Lauren Groff, contributed.

I prefer King's short stories to his longer novels. He is so famous now though that he probably could sell a book of blank pages, autographed in invisible ink.

[pink_siamese]

He's a nice guy and all, but this one...just not feeling it. I've found myself kind of outgrowing him.

You must live in Florida. I'm so jealous. ;-)

[mamazano]

Florida born and raised. Very few of us natives around anymore.

Stephen King was the author of my adolescence, a thrill ride to savor in the dead of night. Some of his earlier stuff haunts me still.

We grow, and our literary tastes change. Did you ever think you'd one day be touting the literary genius of Faulkner?

Life without books or literature, creative writing, poetry, etc. would be my version of hell. Fahrenheit 451 was a book that really made me think.

If you were entrusted to be one book, in order to preserve it, which would you be?

I always imagined being Lysistrata by Aristophanes.

[pink_siamese]

What part of Florida? I have a brother who lives in Orlando so I actually get down there once in awhile.

I actually liked Faulkner in high school (not that I admitted it to anyone back then or anything). If I ever change my mind about Steinbeck...now then I will be surprised. ;-) Though I appreciate Faulkner more as an adult. I think I probably see more in it than I did at 17.

To be one book? That's a question. I never thought of it quite that way. I'll have to think on that.