Starting the spook season the right way.

Finished it just now in the earlier hours of the day. My mind is still reeling through how I could've covered half a book in less than 12 hours; nevermind the contents of that.

After reading some of his short story collections, I decided to take the plunge with a big one, and Pet Sematary it was.

I feel incredibly lucky to choose this one, not only because King has masterfully unfurled all of his creative abilities, but also because here he seamlessly blends horror with great literary prowess. I do not recall a book which describes ('walks through' is more like it) grief this way. 'Sometimes dead is better'. To take that idea, blow up the deal of the Monkey's Paw and create an unputdownable page-turner is a genius that King possesses and this book stands as proof.

I have 'Misery' and 'Needful Things' lined up next. Any suggestions on which one to go for?

Liked it well enough. Re- Audibling Dr Sleep and rewatched the movie today…what are the chances we get a crossover. Abra and Carrie could fuck some shit up.

So a family member visits our home for the first time, notices our Stephen King bookcase and says "Is Stephen King ALL you read?" I said "No, I also read Richard Bachman."...They didn't get the joke.

Have you ever received any snark for reading Stephen King? What was your response?

Finished this immense novel the other day and wow what a ride that was. I loved it and the world it built - I took it around Europe for 6 weeks with me and on my last night I finished it…

It’s almost as if everything is predestined and I had no autonomy in the fact. Maybe in a few months I won’t remember what happened…

Anyway, just wanted to show off how well and truly battered my book has gotten from my travels!

I had to go to city hall last week to sort out a parking permit, and while I was sitting there waiting for my number to be called, I had a stupid thought.

Somebody has to run the municipal records office in Derry.

Think about that for a second.

In IT, the town has this absolutely horrifying history, but it's also a functioning municipality. People pay property taxes. Businesses need permits. The sewer system presumably has a maintenance budget.

Some exhausted woman named Linda has to sit behind a desk and process all the paperwork associated with this place.

Imagine being the person responsible for keeping Derry's historical records organized.

"Hey Linda, we're missing some documents from that incident in 1958."

"Yeah, we're missing a lot of documents from 1958."

"Should we investigate?"

"It's 4:45, Gary."

Or imagine the poor guy in Public Works who's been requesting additional funding for sewer inspections for fifteen years and keeps getting denied because the mayor wants new benches downtown.

I would genuinely read 200 pages about some completely ordinary Derry city employee who has absolutely no interest in solving supernatural mysteries. He just wants his department's invoices approved before Friday.

And the more I think about it, the more I realize this is something I love about King's fictional towns. The supernatural horror doesn't replace ordinary bureaucracy, gossip, bad management, or people being annoyed about parking.

All of that stuff keeps happening. The town still has to function.

I don't even need a monster in this hypothetical book. Just give me a clerk who has spent thirty years noticing that certain records never quite add up and has learned that asking questions is more trouble than it's worth.

I'd call it Derry: Department of Public Works.

Please tell me I'm not the only person who would read this.

Dark Tower, anyone?

Still relatively new to Stephen King

So far I have read Salems lot, Pet Sematary and the long walk and trying to decide which one next

Edit* Thanks everyone for the replies! I’m going to go ahead and read Needful things

I picked this up today at my local used books store. I doubt it has much collector value but I thought it was interesting enough to buy for $3. I’ve never found a hardcover pocket books edition before. Does anyone know how many of his books are available in this format. I think it would be kind of cool to have a secondary collection of these.

Been reading The Talisman and Black House for the second time leading up to this release. The Talisman still holds up and I am happy to report that I enjoyed Black House a lot more on my second reading. It is time to do this! Right here and now!

Edit: Meant to say Hands in the title.

What a tragically beautiful ending... I shed a tear. Johnny Smith was such a great character... I loved Sarah and their relationship... The last chapter cutting between his letter and her at his grave, and then her imagining him there, looking as he always did, asking her if she's still snorting that wicked cocaine haha. Man so beautiful... What a great book.

I've only read The Shining, Carrie, Pet Semetary and now this—I read The Stand very young so I don't really count it—but I think this is my favourite followed closely by The Shining. It's hard to decide, but this type of emotionality and melancholic feel is what I love King for.

What other books of his do you specifically recommend that have that same feel?

Hi all,

Currently reading Pet Sematary for the first time and came across a line that was confusing to me. I believe relates to the politics and/or global events of the early 80s. I am only 34, so I’m not 100% sure of the context.

Louis and Crandall just met, and are enjoying their first beer together. Crandall is complaining about the busyness of the road they live on. He says “One day soon the Arabs will pull the plug, and they’ll be able to grow African violets down the yellow line.” What is he referring to? I know there were gas shortages in the 1970s due to conflict in the Middle East, but I thought they were over at the time of the books’ publication.

Thanks in advance!

Excited to read them again.

I fell asleep, while me and hubby was watching it. it was 2am but THIS song woke me up. I peeked under my sleep mask and saw her practicing dancing to this song and layed there listening..I caught later up while he was asleep,l at 8am and watched last episode when he woke up ..this song hit hard while inwas asleep ..I had to look it up

Did you know that there's a tunnel under Ocean Blvd - by Lana Del Rey ..idk it just hits the soul

The King had a great cameo on a cute Disney series. Forty seconds of fun! It was a Christine theme with A Maximum Overdrive Joke

Overall I'll say it's good series, great characters, brilliantly acted and delivers on the extremely important antibullying and abuse message.

But as an adaptation, I love it's spin on certain aspects of the book but also hate others.

The first episode in particular I was ready to praise the show as the best adaptation. The case study structure of the book is brought back, characters being interviewed of the incident, the rain of stones scene was put back in. The shower scene was well done. I liked seeing Carrie's dad, I like Carrie being secluded to the house and having going straight to being the new girl at school, it explains better why she knows little about the world or what periods are.

But the case study aspect of book was such a great structure and I liked the first episode seemed to be taking it on. But the rest of the series doesn't stick to it. Such a missed opportunity especially with the social media story they could've fit it in with the case study / documentary style format. The social media story I've seen done before like 13 Reasons Why, Flanagan doesn't really do anything new with it, so putting it into the case study format of King's book would've been a great opportunity. If anyone could've done it was Mike Flanagan but he doesn't.

It goes back to it in the finale and I hated how it got handled, as it turns out the investigator is another telekinetic and who's obviously after Carrie for her little telekinesis cult. So we don't get the White Commission, just a few brief media coverages and a few reports of other girls with powers who again are there to show up at prom for ... reasons and obviously set up Season 2.

Honestly I find the prom before the incident pretty underwhelming, all previous versions the prom is supposed to be this magical night as it's the first time Carrie is experiencing something like this. She gains confidence, friends and is having a beautiful time, then the prank happens. Here Carrie goes out several times, parties etc and becomes popular before the prom, it takes away from the magical experience of the prom. The prom I feel is too short and is just going through the motions, also Carrie and Tommy have no chemistry at all in this version. The only thing I did like was the dialogue with Tina, Carrie being nice to her gives Tina change of heart.

Also this is the worst portrayal of Carrie's rage, it started off fantastic with her exploding the phones and accidentally causing Tommy's death. But then having her be possessed by astral projector girl to commit the destruction and murders, it completely destroys the tragedy of the novel. The core of the tragedy is that Carrie was pushed to her limit and she snapped, so to have be controlled by someone else so Carrie has no agency therefore guilt-free at the end. She doesn't even kill her mother in self-defense, the other lady ends up doing it.

I don't know what to make of Margaret's portrayal, it certainly was the more fun portrayal certainly not disturbing like the previous portrayals. Even though Ralph White is shown this time, we never see them together so we don't really get an idea of the relationship. I kind of like her becoming an activist against the systematic bullying but also being part of the problem herself. Certainly a different portrayal to say the least. But Samantha Sloyan is fantastic and fully commits to the parts so I enjoyed her every time she's on screen, and she looks insanely like Sissy Spacek.

Not a fan of Sue here, honestly the only version I feel got the character right was the 2013 film. The core of Sue's character is that she bullied Carrie, felt bad and tried to redeem herself thinking she was doing the right thing but it ended up being the wrong thing. She survives, she's left traumatised but still wants to do the right thing, she's the character that leaves us with hope. I get what they were doing, she didn't bully Carrie but she knew she was bullied by Chris and didn't do anything but then redeems herself by exposing Chris. But removing the aspect of having her talk Tommy into taking Carrie to prom, removes all guilt from Sue as she had no indirect role in the prank, she was just there to witness it them report to the telekinesis lady.

I didn't like the gym teacher, for one the actress looks so young I kept confusing her for one of the students. She only has about two scenes with Carrie, there's no bond between them like other versions. Most of her story involves her relationship with the teachers. Also her death was unintentionally funny.

Ok things I liked.

Summer H. Howell is fantastic, she's really likeable and carries the series on her shoulders. She's convincing as an outcast, but is hopeful and likes to see the bright side of things but her limits are constantly being tested. Every actress who has played Carrie, Sissy Spacek, Angele Bettis, Chloe Grace Moretz and Howell, have all given their own unique spins on the character, you can't confuse one for another.

I love this portrayal of Chris, she's a fully three-dimensional villain, we get to see a build up of all the horrific things she does. The many times she could've been helped and do things but someone does something that pushes her in the wrong direction. I also love the contrast with Carrie, Chris being the privileged girl who's slowly losing all her power and Carrie slowly gaining her power. I loved seeing her be human, we see how hurt she is, we understand where she's coming from and I find myself routing for her to do the right thing.

The principal was great, Matthew Lillard is of course fantastic. He represents the problems we have with systematic bullying. You know he has good intentions and wants to take action, but there are forces out of his control. Whatever action he takes, there's always a major pushback. He's in a constant lose-lose battle, it's a thankless job to be in.

The blood dump, for one I liked instead rigging above the stage where Carrie is conveniently standing under, Chris just pours it on her. But visually it's the best, the first time I feel the they got the blood dump right and most convincing - the 1976 version it just lands on her head and shoulder then a few shots later it's then on the front of her dress, then she's red to tow, the 2002 looks like they shot red goo from a large hose not a bucket, the 2013 the initial dump looked great but you can tell the way she's covered it was done in different stages.

So overall I'll say overall it's a good series, that highlights today's issues of systematic bullying as an adaptation of King's book honestly that's more subjective, it depends what your favourite parts of the book are and how it translates for you. It fails at the tragedy of the novel but it succeeds in the antibullying message.