Does age reflect interest in Stephen King?

[CrimsonKingAH]

I just read a post that stated most people lose interest in Stephen King as they get older. I do not believe this... but perhaps I am wrong. I would like to find out.. so I hope a lot of people do this poll.
I am closing in on 48 (next month)... and have loved Stephen King for 35 years. In fact.. now that I have more time to read, I seem to be even more 'obsessed' with his books than ever before. I am even 're-reading' everything as well as eagerly waiting for each new work of his to come out.

Thank you everyone who participates in this poll!!

 

[GNTLGNT]

...all you need do is look at the thousands of Constant Readers on this Board and the millions of fans worldwide to see that that supposition is completely moronic...

 

[PatInTheHat]

I just read a post that stated most people lose interest in Stephen King as they get older. I do not believe this... but perhaps I am wrong. I would like to find out.. so I hope a lot of people do this poll.
I am closing in on 48 (next month)... and have loved Stephen King for 35 years. In fact.. now that I have more time to read, I seem to be even more 'obsessed' with his books than ever before. I am even 're-reading' everything as well as eagerly waiting for each new work of his to come out.

Thank you everyone who participates in this poll!!

...all you need do is look at the thousands of Constant Readers on this Board and the millions of fans worldwide to see that that supposition is completely moronic...

Ditto and double ditto (well double G is double double, indubitably gotta getta double ditto)

 

[Spideyman]

Approaching 71 in September. Been a SK reader since Carrie was published. Read the DT journey as published and waited patiently as it continued. Children grown, retired, I find I have more time to read at my leisure. I can devour a new book in a day or two, or savor it for many days. Time to re read too. Find some of the finer points that may have been missed in a too fast read in younger days. SK never ceases to amaze me.

 

[CrimsonKingAH]

Approaching 71 in September. Been a SK reader since Carrie was published. Read the DT journey as published and waited patiently as it continued. Children grown, retired, I find I have more time to read at my leisure. I can devour a new book in a day or two, or savor it for many days. Time to re read too. Find some of the finer points that may have been missed in a too fast read in younger days. SK never ceases to amaze me.

I totally agree!!! And thank you

 

[CrimsonKingAH]

...all you need do is look at the thousands of Constant Readers on this Board and the millions of fans worldwide to see that that supposition is completely moronic...

Miley Cyrus has millions of fans.. but I truly truly doubt it is my age bracket that adores her.. lol
I have a feeling the majority of SK's fans have been around for quite awhile... and does NOT lose interest.

 

[VultureLvr45]

I just read a post that stated most people lose interest in Stephen King as they get older. I do not believe this... but perhaps I am wrong. I would like to find out.. so I hope a lot of people do this poll.
I am closing in on 48 (next month)... and have loved Stephen King for 35 years. In fact.. now that I have more time to read, I seem to be even more 'obsessed' with his books than ever before. I am even 're-reading' everything as well as eagerly waiting for each new work of his to come out.

Thank you everyone who participates in this poll!!

Hi Audra, I'm 48, and enjoy Stephen King more than in my twenties and thirties.

 

[blunthead]

I'm not the best subject for this test since I started reading sK at 53, but I will assume that most CRs don't get tired of sK compared to other authors they might read. I assume this because I've rad plenty of his books and so far none of them have failed to amaze me hold my interest. I think quite young CRs, say 10-20 year olds, might be expected to lose interest but not in sK, in any hobby or partite the might assume. Much of the very young haven't figured their lives out by then nor must they or need they.

 

[fushingfeef]

Reading Stephen King is one of the few constants in my life, I've been reading his stuff since forever and will continue to do so!

 

[CrimsonKingAH]

I'm not the best subject for this test since I started reading sK at 53, but I will assume that most CRs don't get tired of sK compared to other authors they might read. I assume this because I've rad plenty of his books and so far none of them have failed to amaze me hold my interest. I think quite young CRs, say 10-20 year olds, might be expected to lose interest but not in sK, in any hobby or partite the might assume. Much of the very young haven't figured their lives out by then nor must they or need they.

I began reading SK when I was young.. but was not a CR until I was older. As you said, when we were young, our lives were busy and we did not have anything figured out.

 

[blunthead]

I began reading SK when I was young.. but was not a CR until I was older. As you said, when we were young, our lives were busy and we did not have anything figured out.

I dunno about anyone else but I had tons of nervous energy, not only when I was young but into my late 30s early 40s. I literally couldn't sit still for 2 minutes. Reading is a relaxing pastime, or at least demands one be in a relatively relaxed state to do it. I had read books but not very many until my late 40s and hence. I'm still a lousy CR example, though. I seem to prefer unhealthy to healthy habits.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

I barely started reading SK since 2011, but I would disagree. I guess people think the horror genre is for the younger crowd. People have an assumption that horror is SK's primary work. To an extent it is, but his recent books have stayed away from that. I thought Revival appeals to an older audience.

 

[blunthead]

I barely started reading SK since 2011, but I would disagree. I guess people think the horror genre is for the younger crowd. People have an assumption that horror is SK's primary work. To an extent it is, but his recent books have stayed away from that. I thought Revival appeals to an older audience.

I agree, I think sK cannot be classified, cannot be marginalized into a category which can then be placed over there.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

I agree, I think sK cannot be classified, cannot be marginalized into a category which can then be placed over there.

I told my friends that SK wrote the story for the Shawshank Redemption and they were surprised. lol

 

[Blake]

I don't think has anything to do with it. People of my age group happen to biggest representation of Stephen King devotees because they grew up when he hit it big time. They also liked his novels. Creepy. There are fifteen year olds now discovering Stephen King, and as a schoolteacher I've seen it first hand. Usually the older stuff, as they get the idea of reading his stuff from their parents.

 

[blunthead]

I told my friends that SK wrote the story for the Shawshank Redemption and they were surprised. lol

Dontcha love doing that? But the minds of the brainwashed against him are resilient; they'll then return to the fact that he's already written the Evil Books, and they'll probably not admit what they're actually thinking, replacing it with the idea that he obviously wants to take over the world.

 

[skimom2]

I don't think has anything to do with it. People of my age group happen to biggest representation of Stephen King devotees because they grew up when he hit it big time. They also liked his novels. Creepy. There are fifteen year olds now discovering Stephen King, and as a schoolteacher I've seen it first hand. Usually the older stuff, as they get the idea of reading his stuff from their parents.

I think it's natural that younger people gravitate to Mr. King's earlier books--they have a younger sensibility because he was younger. His later books were written with an older man's history and understanding of life. Had I come upon something like Lisey's at 13 (when I started reading Mr. King), I would have had no idea what to do with it. I was a bright kid, but book learnin' is different from emotional intelligence. I would have understood the words, but not the depth of the story.

 

[blunthead]

I think it's natural that younger people gravitate to Mr. King's earlier books--they have a younger sensibility because he was younger. His later books were written with an older man's history and understanding of life. Had I come upon something like Lisey's at 13 (when I started reading Mr. King), I would have had no idea what to do with it. I was a bright kid, but book learnin' is different from emotional intelligence. I would have understood the words, but not the depth of the story.

Yes, this is possibly true, especially in the case of Lisey. But I think it takes a certain, possibly atypical inherent mental constitution to enjoy even Carrie, Cujo, and Christine. If this is so, that CRs are kind of born to be, then measurements need to be adjusted, yardsticks recreated, either to a new length or out of special wood.

 

[Debbie913]

I'm not sure I believe that age really has anything to do with the interest people have in SK. Often, readers are quite young when they began reading his books and the interest is still strong as they get older. Stronger with many.

 

[bobledrew]

I have nothing stronger than anecdotes on this one, but I think there's something to it.

Because of the podcast, I end up talking about King with a lot of people. You know, you meet someone, you're chatting, "what do you do, do you have any hobbies, blah blah blah..." And I'll mention SK.

My perception is that many people "fall away" from King as they age. I'd argue, however, that it's not a King-specific thing, but a function of the genres he has worked in. Might be different now, but people who started reading with the first books were reading horror. I think there's a tendency for many teenagers to be passionate horror and science fiction fans and to move away from that in adulthood.