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Post by prufrock21 on Jul 15, 2020 21:13:46 GMT
What was your first transformative experience reading Stephen King? Mine occurred many moons ago while perusing the shelves in the library of my hometown of Hormigueros, where, oddly enough, I was the librarian and it was my first full-time job after graduation from college. (Pop quiz: name one field of work English majors pursue after graduation. You guessed it, librarian. Another is English teacher. Yep, I was one, too.)
One (fateful) day my hand lands on a copy of Carrie. (How it got there, I don’t recall. It was probably donated by some well-meaning soul, since the library had no budget at the time and many of the books were donated.) In retrospect I would like to believe that I was drawn to that shelf, my hand trembling mysteriously like a dowser's divining rod, but that would be stretching it.
So I retrieve the paperback book, open it and begin reading. Three or four minutes into the story, I'm saying to myself, "pruf (short for prufrock), this sh--t is pretty good." Hooked, I continue reading and finished Carrie in one day, more or less.
All the while I'm thinking I haven't read anything this good in the horror field since Edgar Allan Poe's Tales of Horror and the Macabre. Which I had read even before college. (Not the poetry. Just the horror.)
Needless to say, since that transformative experience (not an epiphany, to be sure, but it did motivate me to continue to pursue the writing of short stories and, later, poetry) I was converted. I became one of the faithful. I became a Constant Reader. Genuflect, and say thankee.
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Post by Wicked Esther on Jul 15, 2020 22:58:59 GMT
Good question. It was Carrie for me. When I was 12, I scared myself out of my mind by reading Helter Skelter. It was probably a bit more than my little brain could handle, but on the plus side, it led to some great conversations with my Pops. After a couple of weeks of these chats, I felt reassured that I wasn't likely to get abducted by a bunch of weirdos with X's on their foreheads and I was ready to delve into another book. I saw my Dad reading a paperback copy of Carrie, and I asked him all kinds of questions, trying to decide if it was something I could read, too. So when he finished it, he asked me if I wanted to read it. And I did. That was the first of many SK books we've shared over the years. In fact, we still share books and try to watch the movies together when we can. I say that reading Carrie was a transformative experience because somewhere around the time I read it, going into junior high, I realized that none of my friends read Stephen King books with their dads. And none of them listened to Alice Cooper or watched Rosemary's Baby with their dads. I lucked out big time in the Dad department and a paperback book with a bloody prom queen on the cover was what brought that revelation to my attention. So here I am, genuflecting and saying thankee.  |
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Post by His Majesty on Jul 16, 2020 14:46:01 GMT
Mine was in 1978, when I stumbled across my mom's dog eared copy of The Stand. I was 10 and didn't know what a lot of the words meant, but I knew I was reading something that would shape who I am forever and ever, amen.
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Post by morgan on Jul 17, 2020 2:39:46 GMT
I think I have a paperback copy of The Stand with that cover too His Majesty .
It's so weird. I remember talking about SK in the seventh grade. A teacher asked us, if we could be inside another person's brain for a day, who would it be. I answered Stephen King.
My mom was incredibly strict. There were only about three tv shows we were allowed to watch. (I wasn't permitted to listen to the radio until I was 17.) So I know I must've been sneak reading his books because I sure as heck wasn't watching his movies! But I don't recall the first one I read. That doesn't completely surprise me. We had rough times and there's a lot I don't remember.
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Post by scoup on Jul 17, 2020 22:31:09 GMT
The first Stephen King book I read was The Talisman, I had seen films related to his books before, but never read his books.
I was never a big reader of novels and only read some, this book opened up a whole new world for me. After reading this book I read a lot more of Stephen King and other authors. So for me it was a start and a book that I will never forget because of this.
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Post by Wicked Esther on Jul 21, 2020 16:54:28 GMT
The first Stephen King book I read was The Talisman, I had seen films related to his books before, but never read his books.
I was never a big reader of novels and only read some, this book opened up a whole new world for me. After reading this book I read a lot more of Stephen King and other authors. So for me it was a start and a book that I will never forget because of this. That's what it's all about. I love hearing (or reading) that.  |
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Post by His Majesty on Jul 23, 2020 22:13:38 GMT
The first Stephen King book I read was The Talisman, I had seen films related to his books before, but never read his books.
I was never a big reader of novels and only read some, this book opened up a whole new world for me. After reading this book I read a lot more of Stephen King and other authors. So for me it was a start and a book that I will never forget because of this.
Good for you!! |
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Post by darkharbinger on Jul 24, 2020 4:23:58 GMT
My first Stephen King book was Gerald's Game. I found in a pile of books my land lord stashed away. She knew i liked books and said I could have whatever I wanted and I found a lot of good books there. A mere lad of 13 i didn't quite know exactly what I was reading but SK was verbose enough to keep me interested. So I moved on to the book that hooked me and has never quite left me... The Stand. I'd read LOTR enough to know what I was seeing and it blew my mind.
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Post by truegeneration on Jul 27, 2020 3:11:19 GMT
Great question!
I got into SK a couple years ago when I was a junior in college (2014 to be exact, thank god for Goodreads to document reading certain books!) and started with The Dark Tower series first. I actually don't know what compelled me to read TDK first besides his stand-alone classics and go-to's, and just knowing it was by SK and so they must be good!
When I read The Gunslinger, it took a while for me to get into, because I always thought that book was more like a prose and sets the whole stage for the series and puts the wheels in motion.
But, when I hit The Drawing of the Three next; that's a whole different story. The scene where Eddie Dean and Roland Deschain have the gunfight in NYC, I was sold. Hook, line, sinker. I was entranced, completely lost. I have never quite read anything like The Drawing of Three. It was so different and mesmerizing. Then I read 3, 4, 5, 6, then the Wind Through the Keyhole...and then I stopped. I actually took a break to read #7..I think it was a year? And that's when I delved into SK's stand-alone novels, so the first being 'Salem's Lot, then Under the Dome and then Revival.
I think I waited so long because I knew it was the end and I didn't want the journey to end. That series made me think, "This...THIS is writing!!!" It just had everything: fantasy, sci-fi, western, humor, being completely bonkers and meta, I loved every word, every page.
I'm jealous of anyone reading The Dark Tower series for the first time, because for me, it was one of the most enjoyable and transformative reading experiences I've ever had.
"The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed" and that was that.
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Post by neesy on Aug 11, 2020 20:48:38 GMT
Great question! I got into SK a couple years ago when I was a junior in college (2014 to be exact, thank god for Goodreads to document reading certain books!) and started with The Dark Tower series first. I actually don't know what compelled me to read TDK first besides his stand-alone classics and go-to's, and just knowing it was by SK and so they must be good! When I read The Gunslinger, it took a while for me to get into, because I always thought that book was more like a prose and sets the whole stage for the series and puts the wheels in motion. But, when I hit The Drawing of the Three next; that's a whole different story. The scene where Eddie Dean and Roland Deschain have the gunfight in NYC, I was sold. Hook, line, sinker. I was entranced, completely lost. I have never quite read anything like The Drawing of Three. It was so different and mesmerizing. Then I read 3, 4, 5, 6, then the Wind Through the Keyhole...and then I stopped. I actually took a break to read #7..I think it was a year? And that's when I delved into SK's stand-alone novels, so the first being 'Salem's Lot, then Under the Dome and then Revival. I think I waited so long because I knew it was the end and I didn't want the journey to end. That series made me think, "This...THIS is writing!!!" It just had everything: fantasy, sci-fi, western, humor, being completely bonkers and meta, I loved every word, every page. I'm jealous of anyone reading The Dark Tower series for the first time, because for me, it was one of the most enjoyable and transformative reading experiences I've ever had.
"The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed" and that was that.
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mary
Full Member
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Post by mary on Aug 11, 2020 20:54:46 GMT
I found and read Fire Starter first and not long after that I found Carrie. Then I started LOOKING FOR SK books. Now, it is like an addiction. Everyone puts The Stand at or near the top but for me it just had too much white noise in it. The Dark Tower will always be my favorite series story.
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Post by neesy on Aug 13, 2020 0:43:29 GMT
I found and read Fire Starter first and not long after that I found Carrie. Then I started LOOKING FOR SK books. Now, it is like an addiction. Everyone puts The Stand at or near the top but for me it just had too much white noise in it. The Dark Tower will always be my favorite series story. For me, one of my favourites would be 11/22/63 - I read a review of it in the newspaper back in 2012 so I got the book from the library. This introduced me to the Stephen King Message Board
Plus the story is a bit of a love story and I enjoy sci-fi as well so the time travel aspect was easy for me to accept
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Post by His Majesty on Aug 13, 2020 17:49:57 GMT
I found and read Fire Starter first and not long after that I found Carrie. Then I started LOOKING FOR SK books. Now, it is like an addiction. Everyone puts The Stand at or near the top but for me it just had too much white noise in it. The Dark Tower will always be my favorite series story. For me, one of my favourites would be 11/22/63 - I read a review of it in the newspaper back in 2012 so I got the book from the library. This introduced me to the Stephen King Message Board
Plus the story is a bit of a love story and I enjoy sci-fi as well so the time travel aspect was easy for me to accept
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Post by neesy on Aug 13, 2020 17:56:04 GMT
For me, one of my favourites would be 11/22/63 - I read a review of it in the newspaper back in 2012 so I got the book from the library. This introduced me to the Stephen King Message Board
Plus the story is a bit of a love story and I enjoy sci-fi as well so the time travel aspect was easy for me to accept
Are you serious? Wow - I don't have any autographed books - we went to Toronto and my son and I both got hard cover copies of Sleeping Beauties but neither one was signed.
He wasn't doing the old style of signing - they signed 800 copies in advance (he and his son Owen) and it was apparently random or luck of the draw.
I just wonder if some of the books were kept back.
I'm probably being paranoid! lol I heard one of the girls working there asking another about some books and she replied "they're on the loading dock" at the back
{Spoiler}
I think a lot of Stephen King fans are paranoid lol ☺
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Post by His Majesty on Aug 13, 2020 18:00:19 GMT
Oh Lord, I LOVE that story. The only Stephen King autographed book I have is that one. Are you serious? Wow - I don't have any autographed books - we went to Toronto and my son and I both got hard cover copies of Sleeping Beauties but neither one was signed.
He wasn't doing the old style of signing - they signed 800 copies in advance (he and his son Owen) and it was apparently random or luck of the draw.
I just wonder if some of the books were kept back.
I'm probably being paranoid! lol I heard one of the girls working there asking another about some books and she replied "they're on the loading dock" at the back
{Spoiler}
I think a lot of Stephen King fans are paranoid lol ☺
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 19, 2020 17:07:32 GMT
The first SK book i read was Salem's Lot. And it was great. A gift from my father. But the first really transformative experience was probably IT. I had never experienced an author writing about children in such a totally convincing way before. He made 1100 pages seem like 300 when i read that book. I am now on my third copy, the other two was read so much they went to pieces. The first was in swedish and the second in english and the one i have now is also in english.
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Post by His Majesty on Aug 19, 2020 18:22:02 GMT
But the first really transformative experience was probably IT. smilie_wet_162 |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 19, 2020 19:47:15 GMT
But the first really transformative experience was probably IT.   |
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Post by Dizzy on Aug 19, 2020 21:45:43 GMT
My First Book I ever Read By SK was The Stand as well...When I was 12 or 13 I Thinkk I got it from My Dad an He Gave it to me because I started Out Reading Goose Buumps Stories an He Say You Want something that will Really Scare You an Keep You Intersted then Read this.
I Did an I Fell In Love with SK Stories I Sadly Had to Get Rid of my First Copy of the Stand because it was To Falling Apart but I have another One Now...I Love the Trash Can Man an Relate To Him a lot except for the starting Places on Fire but Being a Out cast an Made Fun off by People Yes an then Wanting to Fit in anywhere an Not Being In Control of Your Own Mind.
I Never Been So Excited to See or Find Out what Happen ina Story even though I didn't Know a lot of the Words he was Using at the Times. My Next Books I didn't Get to a Long Times in the Future when My Cousin Danielle Told me I should Read some of Stephen Kings Other Stories an then I started to. I Like Fire Starter an Desperation an Salems Lot an many others too. |
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