Stephen King's Best Novel?

[HoopyFrood]

Under the Dome. I started reading it, got about halfway or so through it, but had to stop due to other things. Was enjoying it up to then, anyway, although I could see things were going to start going downhill fast -- the good guys were getting one over the bad guys too often...

[crooksy73]

I've been a King fan for a long while now and have read almost all of his works. The ones that stand out for me:

The Stand
Salem's Lot
It

And one that stands out over the others but had the worst sequel ever (The Black House was boring!):

The Talisman (absolutely amazing)

[drush9999]

Salem's Lot or The Shining

Both are top-notch horror stories.

[Disturbed Dee]

personally, and its probably not his best but I love Salems Lot, it really creeped me out when I read it which made it so good for me.

[museatlantis]

I would have to say The Stand its just amazing to read

[kcs_hiker]

King's best novel depends a lot on where you are in your life... for example I read The Stand when it was first released in 1978 and I was 19 years old and thus it made a great impression on me. The Stand was the first King novel that I read... I read the rest of his published work in college (which consisted of half a dozen books at the time), I recall Salem's Lot standing out. Hearts in Atlantis (1999) and Duma Key (2008) round out my list of favorites.. in order they probably go like this:

1. Duma Key
2. The Stand
3. Hearts in Atlantis
4. Salem's Lot

with honorable mention going to The Shining (but I actually like the movie more)

[clovis-man]

I agree with several others that The Stand may be his best. But I also found Needful Things to be worthwhile among his many other works. I actually found an antique shop on the Oregon coast with the same name and discovered the best "finds" there in comparison to any other such retail establishment I've ever visited.

[dask]

THE STAND was very good. I read the bowdlerized version but don't feel the need to get the unabridged edition even though I've had the chance to pick one up real cheap. THE MIST, though, was my favorite.

[Hober Mallow]

I stopped reading his works in the mid '90s, just because I wanted to move on from horror to other genres. For me, the scariest was Pet Cemetery. Though his short stories from Skeleton Crew and Night Shift were scary too.

I have also read Carrie, Christine, Cujo, Needful Things, Thinner, The Stand, The Dark Half, Salem's Lot, Dark Tower 1-3, The Eye's of the Dragon, Firestarter, IT, The Talisman, and The Tommyknockers,...whew. I know there's some really good ones I've never read like The Shining, and Desperation.

[nixie]

I also enjoyed Four Past Midnight...

[digs]

Originally Posted by clovis-man

I agree with several others that The Stand may be his best. But I also found Needful Things to be worthwhile among his many other works. I actually found an antique shop on the Oregon coast with the same name and discovered the best "finds" there in comparison to any other such retail establishment I've ever visited.

I'm glad someone else likes Needful Things. It's the first King I read and has probably remained my favourite because of that (also because of how it revels in pure carnage and destruction).

For a King newbie I would recommend The Stand, It, Insomnia, Pet Sematary or The Shining as quite a few others have said.

Other King books that I liked, but probably wouldn't recommend to begin with, are Lisey's Story, Duma Key and Salem's Lot. If you do read Salem's Lot I reckon you'll get a lot more out of it if you've recently read or are closely acquainted with Dracula.

[A_J_Lath]

I notice Lisey's Story isn't here...

Understandable, really. The only King book I couldn't finish. Just seemed to go on, and on, and on ... and nothing actually seemed to happen.

[crooksy73]

I really enjoyed CELL, thought it ended in typical King fashion - or maybe set up for a follow up?

[Spade]

I've got an oddball choice. Bag of Bones. I think I read the book in two sittings. I just HAD to know what happened next. There was a dream sequence in this book that will stay with me the rest of my life. Truly creeped me out. Thus was also just something very personal and heartbreaking about this novel.

[Nosce te Ipsum]

For all time scares, read Needful Things. It's the only book as an adult I was too scared to finish. And I love horror.

If you can stomach the 1000+ page uncut version of the Stand, I'd recommend that too.

Insomnia and Desperation are up there on my top five list - Insomnia because of the different take on protagonists (the two heroes are pensioners) and Desperation because of the mash of religion with psychotic.

The Shining is incredibly well written, but for me I was so busy admiring the narrative I forgot to be scared.

Avoid some of his newer work though, like Cell - he simply isn't trying in that one!

N