The 5 Best Books by Stephen King

The name “Stephen King” evokes a sense of fear and horror to readers, but he also displays sentiments of hope, redemption, and just the every day horror that people face in their lives. He is a master craftsman of words and displays some of the best phrases in literature today.

The list below features King’s most famous books. It is a good primer on some of his best writing, but it cannot even begin to cover all his work. The reviews are from avid readers like me and you.

If you want to purchase any of the books listed below, click on the titles. They are affiliated links that will take you directly to the store.

The Shining

"The Shining," one of his most notorious books, follows the Torrance family from Room 217 at the Overlook Hotel on a snowy autumn night in 1974. That new father Jack has been given the choice to become caretaker of the hotel for the winter season on very little money until he can get on his feet again as a writer.

Misery: A Novel by Stephen King

Misery: A Novel by Stephen King Misery is a classic novel that was originally released in 1988. It is about superstar author Paul Sheldon who has the unfortunate luck of being rescued from a car wreck by Annie Wilkes, his biggest fan.

Annie falls into an obsession with Paul, taking him to her home even though he fears for his life because she repeatedly threatens him with crazy stories of what she has done or will do to other famous authors.

The twist in this book occurs when Annie finds out that Paul writes children’s books instead of horror novels. Annie catches the horror novelist ego off-guard so Paul gives in and tells her he writes for children which then leads into chaos.

It

I was expecting a sprint when I started reading the book just as it felt like a marathon. I had no issue identifying with the characters when they were younger, but I struggled with their older forms. I like the story and the ramifications of both eras, but I completely overlooked how well-crafted it was. It took me three weeks to finish the book, but I was pleased of myself for completing the approximately 1200 page tome, put it on the shelf, and...put it out of my mind for nearly twenty-five years. Almost, and completely accidentally, like the book's characters...

I approached Stephen King again twenty-five years later, when I was on a craze of re-reading books I'd read as a kid. In the meantime, I'd consumed his works, as well as thousands of others by dozens of various authors of varying skill levels, and when I thought, "I should re-read some Stephen King," I considered it, and it came down to reading "IT" or "The Stand," with "IT" being the better book. For a teenager, I recall it being a mountain. I was unsure how I'd fare this time.

It turned out to be SO MUCH BETTER THAN I HAD EXPECTED!

The Stand

For the past 40 years, I've been a Stephen King devotee. My favorite of his books is The Stand, which I will continue to read. I enjoy all of them, but there are a handful that I particularly enjoy, and The Stand is at the top of the list. If you're a King fan who hasn't yet read The Stand, you'll enjoy this novel. The general theme is Biblical, and he pays special attention to specifics in well-known Biblical stories. Don't get me wrong: this isn't "Christian Fiction." This is the best Sci-Fi/Horror that King has to offer. The characters have been well-developed and are a lot of fun to read about.

The dystopian tale is gripping and plausible. If you're a fan, you'll recognize some of the characters, such as Randy Flagg and Tom Collin, because this is one of his early works. You'll learn to know the characters and care about them if you're a new King reader. This isn't a book to read in one sitting. Rather, it'll be a book you'll want to read every day and won't be able to put down. Though some may criticize King for being overly verbose, I believe his comprehensive account of the story ties the reader to the characters in a way that few authors can. This is the sixth time I've read the book, and the first time I've listened to the audio version. This time was equally as good as the last.

If It Bleeds

If It Bleeds is a collection of four novellas with varying tones and structures, each of which is well worth reading. A few spoiler-free observations:

King is a master of contemplative stories, especially ones that begin in childhood, as evidenced by "Mr. Harrigan's Phone." Craig, the protagonist and narrator of this novel, is extremely appealing, and his relationship with Mr. Harrigan, the titular figure, is well-developed.

"The Life of Chuck" was a little difficult for me to get into at first because it felt a little too familiar. While I've generally loved King's take on cataclysmic catastrophes, I wasn't sure this one would be one of the finest.

Fans of the Bill Hodges Trilogy and The Outsider will be thrilled, as I was, to see Holly Gibney return in "If It Bleeds." The plot contains all of the qualities that made earlier books so popular, and it truly fleshes out Holly's character as she pursues her inquiry. You might not like it as much if you haven't read those novels, despite King's efforts to provide background. There are also some spoilers for prior works, particularly The Outsider.

"Rat"-King has written a lot about writing, but that doesn't mean he's run out of things to say. He takes us inside the head and experiences of an author once more, and the result is a compelling character and a compelling story.