Before I start talking, let me introduce myself fully; I am the husband of Scary_Nurse314, and all of "her" guides/reviews and most of her posts are mine. I am much more long-winded, and love to hear the sound of my own voice (and the sound of my own typing) much more than she does. While she certainly is a nurse (although not scary at all), I am a teacher of the history of the ancient world.
Now, on to the question at hand: what was your first book (or movie, even) that drew you into the world of Stephen King? What made you a fan of his works?
Even before I started reading SK, I was on a Boy Scout camping trip, and a high-school-aged fellow scout was talking about one of King's books (which I later learned was The Eyes of the Dragon). It was later that year, when I was still in either fifth or sixth grade, that I started reading Stephen King books. I think my first King book was "It," although I'm not terribly sure about that. I was astounded by the imagery of King's books, and remember being surprised that he used actual product brand names, like Pepsi, instead of the usual childhood books that did not. To be honest, I didn't understand a lot of what was going on at times since I was still fairly naive about the world...but I was hooked anyway. I continued reading King's books, and loving them more and more. As I grew older, and eventually outread King's writing, I started rereading them again (now in high school), and understood much better what was going on. I continued to read through college, found my wonderful future wife, and introduced her to the Dark Tower series. My first Christmas gift to her was my set of Dark Tower books, minus The Gunslinger (which I could not find anywhere since it was before the reprints). Since she had to start with The Gunslinger anyway, I had to borrow the book from my library and included it with the rest of the books that actually were a gift.
I often think that it was our love of Stephen King that finalized our life together...especially since I didn't have too much else to offer. For that (and for many other reasons), Stephen King will continue to be my favorite author of all time.
aaahhh,i remember my first experience with stephen king as if it was only yesterday....(but now that i think about it,it's been 21 years!!! i'm old...haha) anywho, i was on an amtrak train going from california to nebraska for the summer. i had brought a long a werewolf story to read for the 3 day trip (not silver bullet,and not sk...i wish i remembered the author though...it was a good book) so,as i was reading this book,a gentleman came up to me and asked if i actually enjoyed that genre of book. after confirming that,yes,i actually did,he showed me the book that he was reading called 'it' by someone named stephen king,and he said i would probably enjoy it...after i got back home,i went and bought this huge book,and started reading it...i was instantly hooked!!! so,the first time i read 'it', it took me two weeks!! now i can read it in about 3 days haha....i've read it a total of 5 times,and i own the movie (don't really care for the movie much,though...i can't get over the fact that "john boy" and his mole were in the cast...) and that is how i came to respect and admire an artist named stephen king...
The first Stephen King book I read was Pet Cemetary. I believe I was about 12. I was so hooked I couldn't put the book down. I stayed up all night and read the whole thing. I had gotten it from the public library. The next day I went back and got more of King's books from the library. I have managed to get my husband hooked on King too.
i love this question. my stephen king cherry was popped by, you guessed it, carrie...(plug it up, plug it up). i was in the eighth grade and i honestly dont remember where i picked it up, but i found i paperback copy of carrie. i carrie(d) it around in my back pocket for about three weeks. i was a slow reader. when i finished it i remember feeling like i had gotten away with something, like i had peeked into the girls locker room and seen something i wasnt supposed to. i was a freak about SK from then on. i still have that paperback...as well as about 150 other king titles and memorabilia, so much that i dont remember all of it! i have read everything that he has ever written that i can get my hands on. i recently found a large red and white bound copy of my pretty pony at a used book store...i paid 100 dollars for it...i am truly an addict.
First Stephen King book was 'Dolores Claiborne', tis a strange one I know but let me explain! It was new book in the school library back when i was 12 or 13, in the section that i was too young to be reading in! So obviously I had to read it, was good but the little praise notes for some of his other books sounded great! "IT" was next, I adored it, still do!! Greatest moment of my literary life so far, readind every single page of the Stand, fantastic!!!
Hi...you will not believe my 1st Stephen King book experience!!! I was only a very young girl. Already developed a love of reading. I couldn't have been any older than 8. I was going to my friend Carrie's house to play. As I got close I saw a paperback book outside of her fenced yard sitting in the grass on a hill. Being a good book lover I knew it was bad to leave a book outside. I picked it up and took it to her house. I said " you left your book outside". Carrie said " not my book maybe its my mom's"....Mom said " not mine never saw it before." She said keep it. The book was Carrie by Stephen King. I read it and have been hooked ever since...I am now 39. Vickie
I did not know this neighborhood existed until tonight. My first King book was The Stand. I picked it up for something to read on a summer vacation. I got started reading on that vacation and I almost got divorced over it. I could not put the book down that whole week. I have been hooked on his books ever since.
My 1st Stephen King book was the audiobook "On Writing, A Memoir Of The Craft". I like writing books myself and was interested in what he had to say on the subject of writing. As for films, The 1st show of his stories I saw was "IT". That clown scared me so bad, that I avoided all things Stephen King until "The Stand" came out on tv. I was pretty wimpy back then and was scared easily. I didn't even give him much of a chance!! lol. After I listened to "On Writing", I began to listen to many of his other books. I am a long haul truck driver so I "listen" to his books most of the time. I enjoy hearing him read his own books also. He does a great job.
As for related items for sale on ebay, I have to re-list them. But I do have some of his books for sale in my store; www.myyango.com
My mother always said to me "go read a book" whenever i claimed to be "bored". My first book was Feral i dont remember the author but i LOVED it. it made me want to read all the time. my mom read King and she went out and got me The Stand. i told her it would take me 30 years to read that book, it was very intimidating to someone who just started to read for recreation. i was maybe 10 years old. i could not put it down. i dont remember exactly how long it took me to read it lol but it didnt stop me from reading it another 3 times in the years that followed.
When I was in 6th grade I ducked into a bookstore to hide from some bullies who wanted to beat me up after school and I was pretending to look for a book when I came across "Carrie". It was just a paperback I think but I went back later and bought it and became instantly addicted. I think my next book was "Christine". This was about 29 years ago, so in a sense I grew up with King. (No wonder I'm demented!)
I'd give my left kidney to speak, or well, listen, to the man for just five minutes. I was faithful to King until college, when I had to read other books they made me read, and for awhile there he wasn't writing them fast enough. I know that's hard to believe, he puts them out so quickly, but I read "The Stand" and "It" in one weekend each.
I hope they make the dark tower series into a movie soon, I want to see the characters come back to life. I miss them all.
Anyone who hasn't been hooked by King doesn't know the transcendental feeling of getting to a point in the book where time flies by and you absolutely can't put it down until you get to the end, how you think and dream about the characters when you must put it down, how you crave another book before it even comes out on the shelves, how you forestall eating, sleeping, and other necesary functions just to read another chapter-yep-it's a real addiction.
Thanks for letting me vent. My name is DaVita and I am a Kingaholic.
just found this while looking to buy books and oh had to join immediately.
My first experience with SK was reading "the shining". I was 12-13 and the movie had just come out; I'd already learned, fairly early in life, that the book is ALWAYS better so I bought the book before seeing the movie.
I was visiting my older, married sis and her husband in a different state and started reading this book Friday night and couldn't sleep (wired AND scared all in one---strange place, scary book, ya all know what I mean) until I finished it. Finished it in the next afternoon (I kid you not) and had a headache and my eyes swam and I slept like a baby afterwards in, you guessed it, my sis's bed with her!!
We saw the movie that Sunday night and that was it. She would forever watch his flicks while I would read his books, THEN see he movie...
I think I've read them all and will never have enough. I have IT THE STAND and several short story books in the bathrooms of my home and have had for at least 15 yrs. Sounds crazy, but they are my old friends. I have read them so many times but as someone who cannot stop reading I can't afford a new book every day or so and must reread those I love. Strangely enough, King is one of the few authors whose work never disappoints me (even though I don't always like his endings and think he lets the characters take over and then goes 'now what' ?? LOL) I am never tired of his writing and always intrigued by his dialogue and character interactions. So natural. And I love how he will tell us that the guy you just bumped into likes to pick fleas off his dog, not cuz it matters, but just to add that little something to the story. Love him.
The only fight I've ever had with my long time college BFF was over Koontz vs King and it was HUGE. I called Koontz a mental masturbater who used his readers as dirty tissue's for his folly and she wanted to kill me and attacked SK and we didn't speak for about a month....THAT is love and devotion and for this author I will carry that torch long and proud.
Wow....so tired but this got me excited. I count myself in great company (oh and I DO like Koontz BTW....he just can't come close to the KING---but corner of his eye is CLOSE) having joined here and will read everything you all write.
OMG!!! I just can't believe how long I've had this love affair with this man!!I've been carrying on with him (sorry Tabitha!) since I was 13 and still loving him now at 46!! My first experience with him was back in the 70's. I was at my aunt "Greenie's" apartment and I picked up her Cosmo that had an excerpt of Salem"s Lot in it. Read that, went out and bought the book. All of my friends just had to borrow it and not long after that Carrie came out and King became a mega star. Although I do enjoy the movies, I always love the books more, except maybe Christine...awesome effects in that movie. For the most part though, I find that Kings writing and my dark thoughts are the best company I can find. So thank you Stephen King for keeping me warm in a wonderfull, scary way all these nights and thank you Tabitha for sharing your husband's talents with the world!!
I started enjoying the genre by reading Funhouse and The Amityville Horror (the same weekend) and felt I was pretty tough (at age...what?.. 12?... lol). Then I noticed that my step-mother was reading The Shining. I can still see it clearly, lying on her bed; a shiny silver paperback.
I asked if I could read it when she was done and she went into panic mode. I was WAY too young to read THAT book!
Ha! The forbidden fruit. From that moment, I was pretty much destined to read everything he wrote, if only just to prove how mature I was.
You know, I don't recall which one I read first now (nearly 30 years later). Whatever was on the library shelves in my Jr. High, I suppose. Salem's Lot, probably, but this was 1979, he only had...what?...5 novels out ...maybe.
By the time Christine was released in 1983, I was buying the hardcovers as soon as they came out and loving every page.
My name is sam. My first experience in seeing Stephen King was when I was a little child. I saw the movie adaptation of "it" and I was so scared of clowns haha. But as I got older and in my teens I started to read "the shining." I actually couldnt get into it, I couldnt stand it so I stopped and put it down.
Than I decided to pick up The Stand because I knew Stephen King was extremely talented and intelligent. It is so completley wonderful. The best book I have ever read and I was so amazed at the detail and the complete realness. I knew immediatley I was sold on a great author.
My first experience with SK was, looking back, somewhat funny. At the time, though, I was scared outta my wits. My brother and I were staying with my grandmother at the time, and for some reason, she was reading The Cycle of the Werewolf, aloud. I was probably about 8 at the time, my brother 11, and he kept whispering things to me... After she was done reading, in the dark, my brother decided we needed to go outside and take a walk... He and his friends started running around and left me to fend for myself. They then proceeded to run around near me in circles and howl. I was so scared... I was crying and running toward my grammas house when my brother jumped out and grabbed me. I was so scared and furious. I decided at that moment, though, that he (King) was my hero and I have read every book he has ever written, and own most of them, also.
Must use Buy It Now and PayPal.
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