I still say that King is every bit as talented a writer as many of the biggies we're taught to admire in school. King has the perfect balance of a master story teller AND a great writer. He's got the gift of telling a compelling tale, and he does so with all the skill of the most talented writer you can think of. Amazing, really. No one does characters quite like he does.
And while I'm sure it's considered absolute black heresy to suggest this, I think some of the "classics" we all get introduced too really aren't that good, and only remain classics through sheer proliferation. Each generation is taught this or that book is great, so when it comes time to teach, they do it too...the arguments are already firmly developed so it's easy.
One example to me of a story with great potential that was totally ruined by a ponderous, over-blown style of writing was Moby Dick. Simple story, really, and about three times as long as it needs to be. Long, Latinate sentences that would surely get you dinged for points as run-on sentences if you dared turn in a work with them in it. Weird asides that take up whole chapters right in the middle of the story. Just...bad.
But the STORY, or the potential of the story, is really great. And when I tried to read it yet again, I remember thinking this has all the makings of a great King story. A supernatural enemy in the shape of a whale. A simple protagonist who is out of his depth, and his somewhat exotic best friend. And, above all, an antagonist character in a position of power who's already mad, and slowly growing madder with each passing day.
I mean, really...King could do WONDERS with that.
So would I pay to read Stephen King's Moby Dick? Damn right I would. Won't happen, I guess, but man do I wish it would.
So...what other classic stories would people like to see King do his take on?
And while I'm sure it's considered absolute black heresy to suggest this, I think some of the "classics" we all get introduced too really aren't that good, and only remain classics through sheer proliferation. Each generation is taught this or that book is great, so when it comes time to teach, they do it too...the arguments are already firmly developed so it's easy.
One example to me of a story with great potential that was totally ruined by a ponderous, over-blown style of writing was Moby Dick. Simple story, really, and about three times as long as it needs to be. Long, Latinate sentences that would surely get you dinged for points as run-on sentences if you dared turn in a work with them in it. Weird asides that take up whole chapters right in the middle of the story. Just...bad.
But the STORY, or the potential of the story, is really great. And when I tried to read it yet again, I remember thinking this has all the makings of a great King story. A supernatural enemy in the shape of a whale. A simple protagonist who is out of his depth, and his somewhat exotic best friend. And, above all, an antagonist character in a position of power who's already mad, and slowly growing madder with each passing day.
I mean, really...King could do WONDERS with that.
So would I pay to read Stephen King's Moby Dick? Damn right I would. Won't happen, I guess, but man do I wish it would.
So...what other classic stories would people like to see King do his take on?