Is It Best to Read the SK Books Sequentially?

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aintshesweet

Well-Known Member
Mar 24, 2011
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New Orleans, LA
I have been reading SK for a very long time. I probably should have read more of his books than I have. I am currently reading The Bazaar of Bad Dreams. More recently, I tend to read the SK books as they are published. Has anyone read his prolific collection in order and has it made a difference in your opinion of King or his growth as a writer? Should I continue to cherry pick books or should I start reading the ones I have not read sequentially? I just want to hear some of my fellow friends' opinions. It feels good to be back on the SKMB!
 

GNTLGNT

The idiot is IN
Jun 15, 2007
87,651
358,754
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Cambridge, Ohio
I have been reading SK for a very long time. I probably should have read more of his books than I have. I am currently reading The Bazaar of Bad Dreams. More recently, I tend to read the SK books as they are published. Has anyone read his prolific collection in order and has it made a difference in your opinion of King or his growth as a writer? Should I continue to cherry pick books or should I start reading the ones I have not read sequentially? I just want to hear some of my fellow friends' opinions. It feels good to be back on the SKMB!
....glad you're back little one....I have read them sequentially, but don't think it matters in the long run....what matters is the content of each one-not worrying about connecting the dots...
 

summer_sky

Well-Known Member
Oct 15, 2015
414
2,003
I read the early writings sequentially as they were released. In the late-80s, life happened and took me away from reading for pleasure, for the most part. I read King in the '90s... all I could find in the English section of the Library of the town where I lived in Europe.
Currently, I have many of King's books on my bookshelf waiting to be devoured. I have a lot of catching up to do and am looking forward to many hours of escaping reality into the world of SK, again :cool2:
 

mjs9153

Peripherally known member..
Nov 21, 2014
3,494
22,165
I also read them pretty much as they were published,and think that is a good way to go,though not mandatory..I just think it helps to understand SK's development as an author,and where he was,to what he is now..but you can't go wrong with him,I think.. :)
 

aintshesweet

Well-Known Member
Mar 24, 2011
201
191
42
New Orleans, LA
Thanks for all of your advice! I guess I am asking because I realize I have a poor memory, especially for books and movies, for some reason. I am thinking of writing summaries of the books I read so I can remember how good they are...I can remember them being good, but not why!
 

do1you9love?

Happy to be here!
Feb 18, 2012
9,284
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Virginia
Thanks for all of your advice! I guess I am asking because I realize I have a poor memory, especially for books and movies, for some reason. I am thinking of writing summaries of the books I read so I can remember how good they are...I can remember them being good, but not why!
This is a great idea, especially if you don't remember things well. I do a book journal for books that I read for my book club because they are often authors/subjects I would not have picked up on my own and jotting down what I read helps me decide what I want to bring to the discussion.

As far as order, I have read the majority of his works in order, but some I just happened upon and fit them in wherever I was. I also re-read his works a good bit and may jump around in order based on characters that appear in multiple books. Enjoy what ever works best for you!
 
Nov 9, 2015
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I only read the ones that need to be read sequentially, like The Dark Tower and the (unfished) Bill Hodges trilogy.


If you read all the books (which I haven’t) up to each installment of The Dark Tower, you would recognize more characters. That said, someone who has never read King could read, enjoy and have no problem understanding what was going on.


But, I read 11/22/63 before The Stand and It, Dr. Sleep before Christine, and so on. It’s just a matter of personal preference.
 

aintshesweet

Well-Known Member
Mar 24, 2011
201
191
42
New Orleans, LA
I'd say yes, if only so you can see King's progression as a writer.

As well, it'll make books like Insomnia, Rose Madder, Hearts in Atlantis, and Desperation much more rewarding.

I've read all of those, except Insomnia, which I am currently reading. I may reread them though, because I really enjoyed all of them. Rose Madder became a little strange toward the end, but I liked it. A reread would be good because I read them when I was fairly young (14, 15 years old) and it may give me a different experience.
 

Takoren

Well-Known Member
Nov 25, 2015
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I'm glad this question was asked because I'm actually doing this, right now.

Back in the 90's and 2000's I read King in whatever order I felt like, barring the Dark Tower books, natch. From that, I would say that there is not a need to read King sequentially, but now that I'm doing it, I will say that it's a pretty rewarding experience.

I created an Excel spreadsheet of every short story, novella, novel, etc., that he has written, excluding non-fiction and comics, in the order they were initially published. This is going to take...a while. A very long while. I'm presently about halfway through The Stand and I've already read so much. There's been much picking up Night Shift for a story or two, putting it down and picking up Skeleton Crew, putting it down after a couple of stories and so on, and so on. I'm doing it for a blog, not just for fun, but I'm having a lot of fun regardless and noticing little connections I never picked up on before, like how the family from The Last Rung on the Ladder were likely neighbors of Abigail Freemantle from The Stand (they both lived in Hemingford Home, Nebraska).

Would I recommend this? Only if you're planning on committing to it. There's so much to read, but I think it's worth it.
 

GNTLGNT

The idiot is IN
Jun 15, 2007
87,651
358,754
62
Cambridge, Ohio
I only read the ones that need to be read sequentially, like The Dark Tower and the (unfished) Bill Hodges trilogy.


If you read all the books (which I haven’t) up to each installment of The Dark Tower, you would recognize more characters. That said, someone who has never read King could read, enjoy and have no problem understanding what was going on.


But, I read 11/22/63 before The Stand and It, Dr. Sleep before Christine, and so on. It’s just a matter of personal preference.
....care for a worm?....:biggrin2: