Mr. Mercedes Trilogy- Not his best work?

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Pucker

We all have it coming, kid
May 9, 2010
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Well . . . here's the beauty:

If you liked everything equally, what would be the fun of exploring new works?

Not all approaches can appeal to all people and there is absolutely nothing wrong with being underwhelmed from time to time.

It's all a matter of taste, but as an example I like to use the one about the old guy who gets arbitrary magic powers and does some wonderful thing in service to another story. It's clearly a labor of love and you can see that a lot of work went into its crafting and its place.

I just didn't like it.

Happens that way sometimes.
 

RichardX

Well-Known Member
Sep 26, 2006
1,737
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King seems to be a big fan of the crime/detective genre. He has been at this for a long time. So he probably just enjoys trying something different. I agree they are not his greatest books, but they are readable and entertaining. For good or ill, King really hasn't been a "horror" novelist in a long while. That kind of mass market writing was held in contempt by critics back when King was writing his early books. I think he tried to become more critically accepted as a writer rather than be cast as that horror novelist guy. And he has succeeded with the critics (or maybe he has simply out lasted the old school critics who have died off) since he gets nothing but glowing reviews even with the occasional clinker.
 

OldDarth

Well-Known Member
Jul 10, 2006
730
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I've enjoyed the Mercedes books. They have showed King's ability to write outside of his normal oeuvre. The constant between these books and his others is his ability to write interesting characters. Plus in the two books so far his mastery of pacing is clearly evident. In both cases I could not put down the book once the third act kicked in. Relentless pacing.

I'm still very surprised, and delighted, that King introduced seemingly telekinetic elements into the trilogy. Sure to make the third book an amazing caper to the trilogy.
 

Aloysius Nell

Well-Known Member
Apr 1, 2014
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I'm not a one-trick reader; I enjoy lots of different types of fiction. And reading is just my hobby; writing is Mr. King's JOB and obsession. Why would you expect him to write 50-plus books, all in the same style? Ridiculous!

One of his best non-terror? How about Blockade Billy? Phenomenal!
 

Tooly

Well-Known Member
Jul 13, 2014
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Victoria, Australia
If these books weren't written by SK, I probably would not have read them. Never been into crime that much, but I've read the first one, enjoyed it a lot, and am half way through the second and I think it's better...so far.
Loved Revival, Gerald's Game and Dolores Claiborne!
 

blunthead

Well-Known Member
Aug 2, 2006
80,755
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Atlanta GA
So many here are saying that this trilogy is not his best work but I can't help thinking that their opinions are entirely subjective, based on comparison to already personal favorites. I think his work continues to improve with each publication, that he's getting better and better. It's this way with most geniuses, I think. I believe that if the time comes that he decides he's not improving he'll retire (ouch), and not until then. Meanwhile, I think he relies more on his CRs' responses to a degree we might never conceive of.
 

CrimsonKingAH

LOVE & PEACE
Jun 8, 2015
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Who am I to say what is 'his' best work and what is not? I can only say what I enjoyed the most... I will never say what I enjoyed the least because I have not and probably will never sit and think " Gee.. which one was his worst piece of work to me? " .. lol Sorry.. not my forte . I enjoy his storytelling.. all of it. No matter the genre because he tells his stories the same... by building his characters so well you know them inside and out... He is brilliant and that is why he is the only author I wish to have every piece of work available.
As for his latest trilogy.. I think they are great. Having said that, IT and the DT series are still my favorite. I eagerly await to see if any of his new works will ever replace those 'for me'.
 

carrie's younger brother

Well-Known Member
Mar 8, 2012
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Something else we need to keep in mind when discussing these books: from the subject matter/genre to the time of year when these two books have been published, it is obvious that this is SK and Scribner's attempt at getting a firm foothold on the "beach reads" set. And to this end, I feel they accomplished their mission. FK is currently at #15 on the NYT bestsellers list after 9 weeks. That's pretty good, given the competition this summer. Best work? Maybe not. But I don't think SK set out with that mission in mind. Good, fun reads to entertain and give the reader a bit of a thrill while lounging by the pool, hanging in the park, etc? Definitely!
 

blunthead

Well-Known Member
Aug 2, 2006
80,755
195,461
Atlanta GA
Something else we need to keep in mind when discussing these books: from the subject matter/genre to the time of year when these two books have been published, it is obvious that this is SK and Scribner's attempt at getting a firm foothold on the "beach reads" set. And to this end, I feel they accomplished their mission. FK is currently at #15 on the NYT bestsellers list after 9 weeks. That's pretty good, given the competition this summer. Best work? Maybe not. But I don't think SK set out with that mission in mind. Good, fun reads to entertain and give the reader a bit of a thrill while lounging by the pool, hanging in the park, etc? Definitely!
sK's not winding down.
 

AquinasMan

Member
Aug 9, 2015
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Hi I have been a constant reader for over 20 years now and I have to say that after reading Mr. Mercedes and Finders Keepers I'm just not impressed with these books. It reminds of way back when he was under contract obligation to put out a required number of books and he wrote Gerald's Game & Delores Claiborne. Mr. King is the Master of Horror and I just don't find these books That scary. Revival was IMHO better then these 2 so far. Any one else feel this way or am I alone?

I recently read the first two books (has the third even come out yet?) and I enjoyed them. They reminded me that Mr. King is a great writer in general and cannot be pigeonholed. Indeed, I think some of his best works have little to no supernatural elements at all (Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption, On Writing, The Body, Misery, Joyland). I was a little disappointed that he introduced a supernatural element at the end of Finders Keepers; it felt like a retreat of sorts.

Now, of course, after all that, I have to say that I enjoyed Revival more than either of this particular series. But I'm a big Lovecraft fan... :)
 
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Moderator

Ms. Mod
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Jul 10, 2006
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I recently read the first two books (has the third even come out yet?) and I enjoyed them. They reminded me that Mr. King is a great writer in general and cannot be pigeonholed. Indeed, I think some of his best works have little to no supernatural elements at all (Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption, On Writing, The Body, Misery, Joyland). I was a little disappointed that he introduced a supernatural element at the end of Finders Keepers; it felt like a retreat of sorts.

Now, of course, after all that, I have to say that I enjoyed Revival more than either of this particular series. But I'm a big Lovecraft fan... :)
The third won't be out until 2016.
 
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Tooly

Well-Known Member
Jul 13, 2014
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I don't get into this whole 'best work' thing, or the need to 'keep improving' thingy. I think when he writes a story, he tries to write it the best way he knows how to, using his decades of experience along with his incredible flair for words. He succeeds 9 out of 10, imo.
I'd like to think he's beyond the need to keep improving, I mean, how many words does he have to write until he's at his ultimate best? I personally think he's writing at his best, and has been for years.
 
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Kurben

The Fool on the Hill
Apr 12, 2014
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The trilogy is different, is all. Its crime fiction and crime fiction often has a formula. But Kings strong ppoint is rather not keeping to a formula but exploring the edges. He keeps well inside the formula in the first book and start to explore the boundaries in the second. It will be interesting to see where the third book will go.....

As for best book.... A rather subjective thing. He has written so many excellent books in rather different genres that it has started to become a pointless question. How to compare Shawshank with IT? The Stand with 11/23/63? Or the Dark Tower with Misery? I've liked the trilogy a lot so far but i wouldn't know where to start if someone asked me to compare it to Pet Sematary. (which, in my view is the most scary book written in the last 50 years). They come from the same parent but went through a very different creation process and had different intensions. Compare them? What are you talking about?
 
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Rockym

Well-Known Member
Feb 11, 2012
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I disagree that this trilogy is pure crime fiction. I found plenty of horror in the pages of both books. The horror genre encompasses much more than just the "supernatural" stuff. Brady and Morrie sure weren't typical criminals and were pretty damn scary.

Although, as we saw by the end of Finders Keepers, the story does appear to be heading in the supernatural direction.
 
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