Dear Uncle Steve,
In early 2015 I was admitted to the hospital for major depressive disorder and a suicide attempt. I wish I could say that it was my first attempt but there were countless others before that in which no one knew about until I opened to the doctors at the hospital and they informed my family who were just shocked to hear any of this. While in the hospital a nurse gave me a copy of The Gunslinger in paperback that some prior patient before me left behind. I was a fan of yours prior to being admitted, I owned about 20 of your books in hard and paperback and I had read most of them. So by the time I finished reading The Gunslinger, I was informed that I'd be going home the next day. I also wish I could say I never went back there again, but I'd be lying. After my 5th time in the hospital I knew I needed to do something different, set a goal or objective to accomplish to keep my mind off of wanting to hurt myself. I needed something that was going to be difficult but not stressful and then it came to me when I was sitting in my room just staring at my books. Which author in my collection has the most work and I already know I'd enjoy reading? It was like a neon lighted sign just turned on in my head bearing your name. When I first set out on my quest to own all of your books in hardcover I wasn't in the right state of mind and no one understood why I couldn't just own paperback copies of your work and why it had to be hardcover. I just told them that hardcover had a unique feel to them when the book was in my hands while reading and that I was able to read the print better. But the real truth was that I was looking for something to distract me from my depression and suicidal thoughts. I thought that if I was to own all of your books that it would be too easy & lazy for me to just go to the book store and buy paperback copies of all your work. I would've been done probably within a month and I needed something that was going to be a challenge for me. So I decided hardcovers were challenging to find, at least in Very Good or Like New condition, especially your earlier work. I knew it was gonna be a costly and long journey to find them all but I was determined to do it. Like Frodo setting out to destroy the ring; I had little to no idea if this was going to change anything but I knew it had to be done.
I took inventory of what I owned in hardcover & what I needed and brought my list to my local used book store which the owner and I went over and he pointed out to me which books would be difficult, expensive, and easy to find. Then he showed me to his Stephen King section and showed me what books on my list he had for sale. So I made note of what he had and then went home and jumped on Amazon to see if I could find any of the other ones on my list. It took awhile to find decent enough copies of each of the books but I did and on the 6th month anniversary of my recovery day I got Carrie in the mail and it was the nicest copy I had seen up to that point. I was finished with my quest and I felt like I had finally accomplished something that I had set my mind to. I had also left home a few days prior to getting Carrie in the mail and moved in on my own and got a job working with people who had problems with addictions and wrestled with similar demons I had too. I was starting to become happy again. So today I celebrate 1 year of recovery from depression and suicide and I owe it to you Stephen for giving me a reason to keep going everyday those first couple of months. I might've finished up collecting 6 months ago but now my new goal I have set for myself is to read all of your books. It so far has been an amazing quest, each book is not the same and I love it, I'm entertained all the way to the end. So thank you again Stephen!!!
From your Constant Reader,
Jonathan H.
In early 2015 I was admitted to the hospital for major depressive disorder and a suicide attempt. I wish I could say that it was my first attempt but there were countless others before that in which no one knew about until I opened to the doctors at the hospital and they informed my family who were just shocked to hear any of this. While in the hospital a nurse gave me a copy of The Gunslinger in paperback that some prior patient before me left behind. I was a fan of yours prior to being admitted, I owned about 20 of your books in hard and paperback and I had read most of them. So by the time I finished reading The Gunslinger, I was informed that I'd be going home the next day. I also wish I could say I never went back there again, but I'd be lying. After my 5th time in the hospital I knew I needed to do something different, set a goal or objective to accomplish to keep my mind off of wanting to hurt myself. I needed something that was going to be difficult but not stressful and then it came to me when I was sitting in my room just staring at my books. Which author in my collection has the most work and I already know I'd enjoy reading? It was like a neon lighted sign just turned on in my head bearing your name. When I first set out on my quest to own all of your books in hardcover I wasn't in the right state of mind and no one understood why I couldn't just own paperback copies of your work and why it had to be hardcover. I just told them that hardcover had a unique feel to them when the book was in my hands while reading and that I was able to read the print better. But the real truth was that I was looking for something to distract me from my depression and suicidal thoughts. I thought that if I was to own all of your books that it would be too easy & lazy for me to just go to the book store and buy paperback copies of all your work. I would've been done probably within a month and I needed something that was going to be a challenge for me. So I decided hardcovers were challenging to find, at least in Very Good or Like New condition, especially your earlier work. I knew it was gonna be a costly and long journey to find them all but I was determined to do it. Like Frodo setting out to destroy the ring; I had little to no idea if this was going to change anything but I knew it had to be done.
I took inventory of what I owned in hardcover & what I needed and brought my list to my local used book store which the owner and I went over and he pointed out to me which books would be difficult, expensive, and easy to find. Then he showed me to his Stephen King section and showed me what books on my list he had for sale. So I made note of what he had and then went home and jumped on Amazon to see if I could find any of the other ones on my list. It took awhile to find decent enough copies of each of the books but I did and on the 6th month anniversary of my recovery day I got Carrie in the mail and it was the nicest copy I had seen up to that point. I was finished with my quest and I felt like I had finally accomplished something that I had set my mind to. I had also left home a few days prior to getting Carrie in the mail and moved in on my own and got a job working with people who had problems with addictions and wrestled with similar demons I had too. I was starting to become happy again. So today I celebrate 1 year of recovery from depression and suicide and I owe it to you Stephen for giving me a reason to keep going everyday those first couple of months. I might've finished up collecting 6 months ago but now my new goal I have set for myself is to read all of your books. It so far has been an amazing quest, each book is not the same and I love it, I'm entertained all the way to the end. So thank you again Stephen!!!
From your Constant Reader,
Jonathan H.