Hi Everyone - someone gave me Lisey's Story on CD to try and my interest in Stephen King has been ignited. I wanted to get some opinions...

I searched the forums and it appears that most King fans HATED this book. I wanted to know why. Is it very different from his other books?

I haven't finished it yet. It's just getting good...Lisey has just found out that Zach McCool can't be called off and she has spent a manic night looking for the cedar box. Mainly I like it because of all the different thoughts on writing that King brings up when talking about Scott Landon. The pool with all the sayings that everyone pulls from, the "space-cowboys", etc. And I find it very interesting that Lisey and Scott have a whole second world/reality that they live in outside the public eye.

Now, I haven't really run into anything that's sci-fi-ish or horror-ish yet...I'm hoping it doesn't go there because it's really good as it is focusing on the mental aspects of Scott, Lisey, Manda, etc.

But why do so many people dislike it? and if I love it, will I dislike King's other work?

I like King when I can believe, or almost believe, what is happening.  Therefore, I liked Misery (totally believable to me), The Green Mile (I can believe in an occasional miracle), and others.  Lisey's story starts out believable and likable; however, as you will later see, when she goes off into this strange place, I didn't like it.  I finished it, but I really didn't like that part of it.

I am a real fan of King's older work, and my husband is a fan of his old and newer writing.  We played this book while painting a room, and we couldn't get past the first cd.  We were both bored close to tears.  We never got to anything supernatural!  Normally, we find his writing so true that when he gets to that off beat stuff, it rings so true and natural that we can believe it.

for me it was just too long. there was a story in there that had a good premise but it was buried under too many words.

Lisey's Story wasn't my favorite, but I did like it-except for Scott's family history-SOO gruesome and sad! 

There is some King work I like and some I don't.  Like one of my bookfriends says, it's a chocolate/vanilla world!  I find that for me, I don't like his Richard Bachman books-too gorey, his Gunslinger series, or his sci-fi type books.  Some of my favorite King books are:

The Shining, Misery, It, The Mist, Cujo, Bag Of Bones, The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon, 'Salem's Lot, Pet Semetary, and Duma Key. 

Cujo scared the heck outta me-we live in the boonies and something like that could happen so easily out here!  The Mist scared me that much too, because my family used to have a cottage on Lake Ontario and big storms would sometimes come from across the lake from Canada just like he described! 

Although they were very different, I did like On Writing and Eye Of The Dragon.  To me, Eye Of The Dragon was like a grown up fairy tale.  I also enjoyed his short story collection Night Shift.

I wouldn't be afraid to try other books by King.  He has written a variety of books, so IMO there's probably something for everyone.

I'm in the minority, but I really enjoyed Lisey's Story and I've been  SK fan since the very beginning.  I don't get the overwhelming disdain.  The only books of his I didn't like much were Gerald's Game and Rose Madder.   My favorites are Duma Key, The Stand, The Shining (Stanley Kubrick's movie version was horrible and a disservice to the story, also not a popular opinion) and The Dark Tower series. 

His nonfiction books, Danse Macabre (a history of  horror films and books) and On Writing, are also great reads.

<<My favorites are Duma Key, The Stand, The Shining (Stanley Kubrick's movie version was horrible and a disservice to the story, also not a popular opinion)>>

Sandy, I totally agree with you.did you ever see the remake TV mini series of The Shining?  It had Rebecca DeMorney and Steven Weber in it.  It was closer to the book, so much better and so much scarier than the movie version.  I loved it.

I did see the tv mini-series and it was a much, much better version.  Don't think I'll ever forgive Kubrick for the mess he made of the story.  Shelley Duvall as Wendy?  Seriously?  Rebecca DeMorney was so much closer to the character, as was Steven Weber.  The story made more sense and the scares were back without the silly nonsense that wasn't in the original story. 

hmmm I might have to try another one after Lisey's Story. but I'm not big on horror or sci-fi...what is a good one to go for next?

Count me as another SK fan who hated the Kubrick version of The Shining. I was among a group who stood and boo'ed when the movie ended. Deadful!

Hannah, since horror isn't your thing, you might want to try The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon, Misery, The Green Mile and/or Eye of the Dragon.  Except for the last one, all of the others are more suspense than horror.  As someone said earlier, Eye of the Dragon is more of a fairy tale/fantasy novel.  If you enjoy non-fiction then give On Writing a try.  I'd also recommend Danse Macabre, my personal favorite of the two.

I enjoyed Lisey's Story (I listened to it as well) and I love some of his work, but others...not so much.  I could never get into his Dark Tower series.

You might also try Cujo; more suspense than horror.  I can remember reading Christine, which has a really stupid premise (haunted cars...yeah, right) but I loved it!!  There were a couple of parts where I laughed so hard...just his phrasing.  I think he's very talented.  I need to read Duma Key...everyone that I've talked to loves it.

Has anyone read the Cell?

Thanks for all the advise!

Wasn't Misery the movie with Kathy Bates? I think I might go with that next.

The Cell is extremely gory for SK.  I enjoyed it, but I also like slasher flicks, so YMMV. *g*  It's an end of the world as we know it story. 

Yes, Misery was a movie with Kathy Bates and a pretty decent adaptation of the book. 

hmmm I will definitely go with Misery next then.

Damn!  I just typed a whole freaking dissertation and tapped some wrong key and lost everything!!!!

I will repeat just one thing: Vicky, I hated and could not finish Cell.  Bored.  Mike liked it a lot!

I have always been a HUGE SK fan but his writing after his accident seems to be missing "something". I just haven't enjoyed any of it quite as much as his "pre-accident" writing. I agree that THE CELL is very gory, THE STAND is my all time favorite, and my best friend ALWAYS suggests GERALDS GAME to SK newbies b/c she thinks it is frighteningly possible.

I loved Lisey's Story!  I've read most of King's older books and liked them, but I am loving his newest works.  I'm surprised nobody mentioned Hearts In Atlantis!  It is one of my all-time favorite books.  Typical of King, it gets a little into the sci-fi area, but for the most part this book is believable.  Again, it's one of my favorites that I've read a number of times.  And if you've seen the movie, you've got to read the book.  The movie was horrible, didn't do the book justice at all!!

I am so glad to see there are other Stephen King fans who appreciate "the eyes of the dragon."  I have read most of his books over the years.  The Eyes of the Dragon is my favorite Stephen King novel even before Misery. 

I have Duma Key that I will be starting in a few days. 

The Shining (Stanley Kubrick's movie version was horrible and a disservice to the story, also not a popular opinion) 

I so completely agree.  I finally saw the movie after reading the book and was completely not scared.  I was more scared of the book.    I have sat through bits and pieces of the new version but have not completely watched it through and through.  It's always on the SciFi channel so I may have to Tivo it. 

I loved King's On Writing, and thought the part about his ears was one of the scariest things I have ever read.   Talk about chills!! 

I'm a big King fan and Lisey's Story is maybe my favorite of his.

It's not a typical King book, but it still has his "voice" and his knack for realistic characters.  If you like the style and the characters, you may like more of his books.

Well, I'm definitely going to start reading more of them that's for sure. I really like the way Lisey's Story is written in general.  I always seem to like stories where an author has made a character into a writer. It's interesting to see the ideas and theories that they come out with.

I'm a huge King fan and I liked Lisey's Story. It wasn't my fave but as someone said upthread, it has King's characteristic realistic characters. My fave is definitely The Stand which is a post-apocolyptic tale. Actually parts of Cell remind me of The Stand. I loved listening to Hearts in Atlantis on audio CD. It made the story so much better and King actually reads part of it himself. For those not too into the gore I would recommend The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon for sure. The only King books I don't like are the Gunslinger series.