Journal logo

On Stephen King

His appeal as a writer

By KJ AartilaPublished about a year ago 3 min read
1
On Stephen King
Photo by Kelly Brito on Unsplash

I love the classics. Dickens, Dante, Faulkner, Thoreau, Poe and so many more. The ideas, the imagery, the feel of the words in my mouth. The thought of their works makes me salivate and my heart quicken. But I love the works of Stephen King. Is this my guilty pleasure? I love the characters he creates, and his ability to weave such strange and extraordinary events into the lives of regular people in a way that seems feasible for anyone. Things happen.

King’s writing style has clearly evolved over time, and not everything hits the mark, but overall, his success and development as a writer leaves me in awe. I find the work entertaining and magical in his ability to transcend my experience as a reader. I have not read even close to everything he has written, but a good portion. His written work includes 65 novels to date, short story collections, collaborations and a pen name. His are the books I turn to for entertainment and escape, although they usually come with a deeper message.

His earlier works seemed to include more focus on brain powers, such as telekinesis. I’m thinking “Carrie,” “Firestarter,” and The Dead Zone,” as well as “The Shining.” “Cujo” really had none of that, it was just terrifying. I also quite enjoyed “The Stand,” which included the world beyond what we know and an evil presence and sinister events. It’s a story about trust and friendship and listening to gut instincts.

One of my favorite novels by Stephen King is “Bag of Bones,” a novel copyrighted in 1998, It includes a paranormal twist, an evil presence, and an alternate reality in time travel, but also tackles love, death, racism, oppression and friendship. I’ve read that one several times over the years, but every time I start it, I can’t put it down.

According to interviews that he’s done, one of King’s favorite novels to write was “Lisey’s Story,” a 2006 novel. It is also spectacular. The book deals with love and mental health and mental illness, regarding it’s effects on family and relationships and its impact on an author. It also includes an alternate world, heavily representative of realms of thought. The story is terrifying and heart-wrenching, but also beautiful.

My absolute favorite by Stephen King is “The Dark Tower” series. I loved the storyline, the events, but I really fell in love with the core characters. They were so clear to me and I greatly enjoyed watching their growth throughout the journey. I grew too attached to them. I would wonder about their choices and responses, I would dream about them and even converse with them in my dreams! It was weird and disturbing, but also really delightful in it’s immersiveness. Also inspiring was the way in which he included characters and events in the story from a number of his previous novels.

Many of his books have been made into movies, either on the big screen, or for television. Some are better than others. I think the earlier movies, based on the original stories from early on in his career, translated much better to the screen than more current attempts, and lets not even talk about the disappointing disaster that was “The Dark Tower” movie!

Stephen King’s stories are certainly not for everyone, but they’re unique, too. Pretty much anyone can find something to like. I encourage every aspiring author to read a few with an open mind. Even if you don’t like what you read, it’s bound to be a learning experience.

Thank you for reading! Do you read the works of an author or genre that you might consider a guilty pleasure? What or who is your favorite?

book review
1

About the Creator

KJ Aartila

A writer of words in northern WI with a small family and a large menagerie.

My Substack

Reader insights

Be the first to share your insights about this piece.

How does it work?

Add your insights

Comments (1)

Sign in to comment
  • Melissa Ingoldsbyabout a year ago

    I love King, especially his short stories in Nightshift. The Last Rung on the ladder is particularly excellent! Hearted great writing

Find us on social media

Miscellaneous links

  • Explore
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Support

© 2024 Creatd, Inc. All Rights Reserved.