Is King king?

I don't know why he's so popular, and I've wondered that myself. The most plausible explanation, to me, seems to be that, especially in his early novels, he established himself as a very, very good storyteller. His prose may be occasionally abysmal (or at least in the books I've read of his it was) but unlike, say, James Patterson, the prose serves him well. It's very urban, very cozy, simple and clear, almost transparent really, so it's easy to get lost in his universe. His characters are rarely implausible. His monsters can be human too, like the lady in Misery (I forget her name).

He doesn't deserve really serious praise in the literary department, I don't think, because he simply isn't a literary writer. That said, I could never frown on someone who loves Stephen King because I know, from reading On Writing, just what King expects of himself, and in that sense he really has succeeded: he's made reading a delight for many people, including me, through virtuoso storytelling and an attention to details that doesn't bore.

he's a gifted storyteller. his prose kills me. "He walked along whistling prettily." um, yeah. so, anyrate: he's a gifted storyteller and dude is prolific. talk about a fucking work ethic. that sells a book to a publisher.

i agree with phil. king isnt literary fiction. plus, he is the kind of writer who'll beef up a book by hundreds of pages because otherwise, simply, it would be too short and would cheat his readers of value.

he finally sold his first book and it was made into a movie. one book made into a successful movie makes it easier to have the next and then a dozen more. he is well known from booksales and movies, spanning decades.

and no, i dont look down at anyone for reading king. id read six of his novels, and three of his short story collections. i cant read him anymore. ive tried. after palahniuk, many of the writers i used to read, and even champion to friends, are not even like the authors i currently read. but i cant deny that king in a roundabout way brought me before chuck. brought me before clevenger. baer. denis johnson, hempel. even took me back to huck fin and gatsby, hemingway and so on. i guess i started with king. yeah, that sounds right. which tells how old isa be.
-kabol

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Like they've already basically said, King's an easy read. He's found a format that works, one that people find very accessible, and he's milked it to death. I don't knock people for reading him - as long as people are reading period, I'm happy. I just don't like how formulaic he is and I've never liked his writing.

Some of his stories post-accident have been a bit lame (Lisey's Story, for example), and he's definately not a deep, literary writer, but he crafts some good stories. Plus The Stand is pretty much the only book I've ever read that legitamately SCARED me.

I mainly agree with Phil on this one.

But you know what - King may not be "deep" in the literary sense of the word - but the guy (mainly in his earlier novels) knows how to burrow down and hit the trigger in a lot of people. The group bullying and revenge fantasies in Carrie. Insanity in The Shining. Loss and resurrection in Pet Sematary. Fandom and immobility in Misery. And so on.

Personally, given that story is character and story is meaning, I think all of these books have a "deepness" to them, but not in an intellectual sense. It's a deepness achieved from their ability to pinpoint issues burried within many of us, and then run with them.

So yeah, he is (was?) a really good storyteller.

Plus, I do think On Writing is a very good book for the aspiring writer, King fan or no king fan, lofty literary ambitions or pulp-wannabe.

I haven't read King for about ten years, but he holds a place in my heart, as he does with others here, as someone who helped foster a love of reading.

For a guy that has written over 50 novels, he's been pretty solid. Some of his work is better then others, and some good movies have been made from his work as well. In some ways, I think his short stories are as good, or even more powerful, then the bulk of his novels. I agree that he is a fantastic storyteller, often rather hypnotic in nature. He has had some pretty original story ideas as well. THE LONG WALK is a great short novel and one of his best. IT and THE STAND are two very impressive epic tales. I'm of course a fan of THE GUNSLINGER series as well. I thought DUMA KEY was his best in awhile, but that may not be saying a whole lot. As far as production, I think he is still the most prolific "horror" writer ever. Does he often scare me? Not so much. I remember THE SHINING freaking me out. If you had to ask me who the torch should be passed to, as the future KING of "horror" I really don't think I'd have an answer. I think King has universal appeal, and is a great read.

I, much like many others, cut my teeth on King. Different Seasons is one of the best collections of short stories (in my opinion). I imagine that it had to be difficult to revisit the Dark Tower series after such a long absence but I felt that he finished the story the only way that he could. I am a bigger fan of his earlier works (IT, The Shining, Carrie, Salem's Lot). Though they are not hard reads, they are great stories.

I believe that his praise is just as a storyteller and for his longevity. I agree with most of the above posts in that he is not, however, a great literary figure. But much like J.K. Rowling, she may not be the greatest author in the world, but credit her (and King) for getting people to read.