Stephen King certainly isn’t the only author who does this, there are many popular ones guilty of it, but if the pretty pink purple flower that you wrote about for three pages is insignificant to the story, then I don’t care about the pretty pink purple flower.
There’s one book in particular, the title escapes me now, perhaps Cujo, where he wrote about a town’s substation for several paragraphs.
He’s the author equivalent of writing to hear (read?) himself talk. I can’t do it. Do I respect and appreciate his characters and the universe he’s created? Sure.
I like IT, as a concept, The Dark Tower, Cujo, Misery, etc. Stephen just can’t get to the damn point sometimes.
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Lmao what’s your rush?
Some people prefer the journey over the destination.
I could not agree more. A Stephen King book is about as entertaining as watching paint dry
The scariest thing about Stephen King is that I might die of boredom reading his book
Who do you like to read out of curiosity?
Honestly i love his books but I think he could use an editor sometimes.
The ending of IT is enough to turn me off from him
I like his books but they’re definitely slow to pick up. I don’t mind it when an author goes into hyper specific details about something mundane, but it does make it slow paced.
Prepare for some hate from a lot of people. I up voted because it is unpopular, BUT the King is the only author I actually enjoy this from, especially The Dark Tower series! To each their own I suppose.
Downvoted because I agree. I love the stories King comes up with, but I can’t stand his writing style. That’s why I tend to prefer the movie adaptations of his books.
I totally agree. I’m so bored reading all the descriptions etc like get to the point already
Downvoting because I just agree with the overall statement.
Stephen King’s writing is, at times, unbearable; his ideas and stories are incredibly unique.
Sometimes, however, he writes nonsense.
Cujo comes to mind, with the whole chapter devoted to the old guy farting non-stop.
If you understand his life, and where he was at when he was writing the books – it makes more sense; a lot of them were during his alcoholic years, and the rest were during his withdrawal period.
An amazing storyteller, but I abhor his writing.
Stephen King is an incredible author! His works are exemplary in their intricacy and character development. If at all there is anything to complain, it is he does not write great endings. It kind of gets lost and seems hurried in most of his books.
I can understand when it comes to his longer books especially, but man is he good at populating his towns with interesting characters, locations, side stories and everything. It all just feels so real.
Also, Pet Sematary is one of my favorite books ever. The ambiance and dread throughout are just, chef’s kiss
I like writing. One of my favorite things about writing, is when people can describe a turd like the titanic.
Meh, to each their own🤷♀️ I’ve always enjoyed him very much. It, Pet Sematary, Bag of Bones, and Needful Things are my favorites by him. I do fully agree that his style isn’t for everyone.
Dean Koontz is the same way. I like thrillers and suspense
It works sometimes in his books
They are descript and dialogue heavy. Often to paint a picture of blue collar/lower middle class, and idiosyncratic characters in the Midwest or northeastern United States.
I love it as I find the characters interesting and as a Canadian with exposure to some similar types but different enough , it’s semi relatable but refreshing
My wife on the other hand does not enjoy it as much. She’s a fast communicator and likes to get where she’s going. She’s also from an immigrant family so her communication style is blunt, direct, with brevity , and to the point so everyone understands. She doesn’t like metaphors or aphorisms or communication styles that draw out long winded parallels or are just random comparisons and musings and pontifications mid conversation
I’m a bit of a storyteller and I like ramblers who take me on the scenic route of a story but I get that sometimes not everyone is given the same time or the same floor to speak
Stephen King is like that colourful neighbor who takes scenic route conversations .
Stylistically I can see why not everyone is about his writing though
I feel the same way about Dickens. There’s so little actual story.
I had to have a classmate retell a story for me.
Everyone is entitled to their own.opinion and taste in books.
To say that SK is unbearable to read just because you came across a couple of long or very long descriptions sounds a bit strange and is kind of generalizing.
I usually love his writing (did not read all of his books) and one of the reasons is because of his descriptive talent. His prose is very atmospheric and evocative at times.
If you dislike descriptions in books, that is fine. No harm in that.
I know everybody loves the Dark tower series but I didn’t make it past the first book, because it was unbearably slow. I read SO many of his books! But the quantity over quality word count is a drag. Anne Rice books can be the same way. I read most of the Vampire Chronicles and Mayfair books, but the description of every flower and cobblestone is exhausting. I would skim through a lot of it to get back to the story.
The man was on large amounts of cocaine when he was writing. Have you ever had to be around coke heads? He writes exactly how they talk.
There was a literal CP scene in IT. I had to put the book down for a hot minute before I could even finish it. Haven’t looked at him the same since then…
Part of the appeal with books are the extra details
I said this to my wife 2 weeks ago hahaha. Got done one of his newer books and it was much easier imo to his older stuff. I don’t think I ever got through It because of the 3 page discussion on the chip in the windowsill that happened when he was a kid and how it always reminded him of that exact day…..(this is made up but accurate)
I’ve read a few books from King and while I personally like him I can see where you’re coming from OP.
Also people here are being unreasonably snarky. 1. It’s an unpopular opinion sub and OP’s opinion is unpopular so he’s right and 2. Disliking King doesn’t mean you’re a dumb reader. Someone in the comments tried to imply because OP doesn’t like King he probably only reads tik tok descriptions. It’s not that deep.
Upvote for unpopular even though I disagree.
Edit: grammar
To be fair, King has admitted he doesn’t remember writing Cujo, so I’m not sure that’s a great example. Also, I’d say some this has to go on his editor
Disagree. Some of his books you just can’t put down…like misery for example. Firestarter, carrie, the stand, pet sematary also fantastic reads
I don’t like all of his stuff, but his writing style is great. He really is a master storyteller. Unbearable? Really?… Unbearable?
Are you just reading the book to get it over with?
hard agree. i read gerald’s game and when i finished i just thought….this would have been a much more compelling short story.
This is hardly an uncommon opinion
It’s one I don’t agree with at all but that’s besides the point
If you’re open to King recommendations (it’s totally understandable if you’re not), I think some of his more “atmospheric” books might be more tolerable to you when it comes to that level of detail. Salem’s Lot and Eyes of the Dragon (fantasy, not horror) are two where I think his uh… wordiness doesn’t get in the way at all
He’s well aware that he has diarrhea of the word processor
I disagree strongly with you but that’s OK, people can like different things
Some of the greatest chapters in literature ever written seemingly have nothing to do with the story or plot, such as the entire 42nd chapter of Moby Dick, “The Whiteness of the Whale.”
It is an entire chapter dedicated to considering the color white.
Yet, without it, a reader would severely hamper obtaining a full meaning and interpretation of the entire book.
Not that everyone is Herman Melville or that all books are as great a work as Moby Dick. Still, you may want to consider a bit more deeply why an author, let alone an editor, would choose to include something so “useless” in a book which costs more to print, takes up more shelf space at a bookstore (something sellers are very keen to manage), or may negatively impact pacing or reader perception.
I’ve been a SK fan since I was little in the 90’s, but I can understand why he may be off-putting to some. There are some books like The Stand (which is already waaaaay long) that I wish were even longer, but I think he needs someone to cut most of his books in half.
I read a few and I just can’t bring myself to read them anymore. They are soooo freaking wordy.
Steve is great. He knows he’s too wordy sometimes.
Try Firestarter.
It’s called world building bruh
And yet in my humble opinion The Stand The Complete Unedited Edition which is a monster of a book is his best ever work.
It’s ok to be wrong
I really love under the dome for absolutely no reason, it’s the biggest book I own lol I tried to read insomnia because I was told by my foster father it was so boring it would definitely put me to sleep ( I unironically have insomnia from ptsd ) i just couldn’t. I liked rose madder as weird as it was. I hated it and the shining movies and books. Those are the ones I have strong feelings for, I’ve read so many that they just blend together somehow probably due to the fact that I stayed up all night reading trying to sleep.
( I did watch insomnia the al Pacino movie thinking it was based on the book. Good movie )
Yeah, I think most of his novels could have 3/4 cut out.
I’ve only read the Dark Tower books and I thought they were amazing and very well-paced, but that could be an exception
It presents a cohesive setting for a lot of readers. Having one particular aspect that is focused on gives a focal point and can shift your perspective to that object, from your example for instance that flower is important as it draws attention to it being pretty and vibrant, meaning the rest of the area surrounding it is less so to some degree. What gets me is when an author does that with EVERYTHING in the location constantly. Ever read the Game of Thrones series? lol
Interestingly, I think that his strongest point is in descriptive writing. For me the weak part is when his characters open their mouths and immediately say something that no human being has ever thought before. The level of description is very reminiscent of classic gothic horror, though; if you don’t like that you’re not going to have a great time with King.
Bro wants cliff notes. Got it.
I remember thinking this about some of Anne Rice’s work, lengthy descriptions of the wallpaper, curtains, couches, chairs, etc in living rooms where two people eventually have a conversation, like c’mon! I understand painting a picture with words and that I might have a more active imagination than others but let’s get to something happening!
James Clavell spent pages writing about a Japanese garden. Neal Stephenson spent at least five pages talking about eating a bowl of Captain Crunch. Michael Chabon had a single sentence go on for more than a page.
Stephen King can be descriptive, but not deleteriously so.
I love King, and at his best he is phenomenal. But I respect your opinion. Everyone’s different. I couldn’t give a shit if you like King or not – it won’t change my opinion of him one bit – but all I hope is that you have authors you do love yourself, and that they mean as much to you as King does to his fans.
Not unpopular. His early books were original and exciting. Then those long Bible let him books became formulaic. While the plot was different, the trajectories were the same. And they could have easily been half as long
Just wait for the movie. Then you won’t have to tolerate any of those pesky immersive nuances.
I like how you made up a criticism and were too lazy to even pretend you could apply it to one of his books. Nobody read Cycle of the Werewolf. You could have claimed it happened in that book
Never read Lord of the Rings or The Wheel of Time. You get it a Lot.
I’ve always thought of King as more of an ideas guy. That is, if you pitched his books to someone, they would sound awesome and really interesting, but then when you actually read them it’s a slog to get to the good stuff. I think that’s why adaptations of his novels are usually better than the source material.
When I was in highschool, I got a gift card for a local bookstore, and I remembered adults talking about how good Stephen King was, so I spent the card loading up on his books. The Shining, Misery, IT, Dreamcatcher, 11/22/63, and The Long Walk. Every night when I should have been asleep id stay up for a few hours reading, and I really enjoyed the books, aside from dreamcatcher… but then I got to 11/22/63 and that one I REALLY enjoyed, until he started writing about the sex the main character was having with his girlfriend, every other chapter or so, I was starting to get mad to the point where I said if I have to read one more sex scene im done with the book and moving onto IT, I stuck it out though, but I remember just being really confused on why king spent 10 pages writing about a child orgy in the sewers in IT.. was pretty grossed out by it, like I get the point and what it was trying to convey, but 10 pages? (5 pages front and back). I finished IT and dont think ive had any desire to read another king book in over a decade
You should read William Faulkner. It sounds like you would enjoy his books.
I upvoted. I disagree but i don’t think your opinion is awful. Admittedly I haven’t delved in Stephen King’s deep cuts but everything I’ve read benefits from these long form tangents he seems to go on. This is definitely a basic pick but if you haven’t read Salem’s Lot or at least try too. I think it’ll change how you feel about his writing style.
Saying Stephen King is unbearable to read is like saying that air is unbearable to breathe and I resent that on a personal level 😆 But yes, it is a very unpopular opinion, so at least you are in the right place.
I love him to death but you’re right.
I skip every other page and miss nothing
Yeah…writing books under the influence of mega coke generally does that
He’s drawing a picture of the world in which the protagonist lives. He did this with The Stand. I remembering reading it through the course of a few days, closing the last page and te/reading from the beginning.
His short stories are amazing and memorable. He’s one of my favorite authors, but I didn’t like his Richard Bachman style. I’m
I’ve never read one of his books and not been able to vividly remember at least some portion of it. He has a great ability to write compelling characters and interesting stories with fantastic scenes. Pet sematary read by Michael C Hall is an incredible for being kinda a stupid story in theory
Lmfao. I tried to read cujo and thers like 10 pages in the first 100 of one conversation at a damn coffee shop. Gave up on it haven’t tried since.
Now dean koontz can write a book
God damn tic toc, vine, YouTube and other short form media has ruined humanity. People cannot exist without constant, non-stop stimulation to the extent that context and story is a distant fourth to anything.
Agreeee! I can’t get through his books, but he has great ideas. I like every movie theyve ever been made into
His short stories are amazing and my absolute favorite author- he’s a master short story writer.
His other works? I tried The Dome book or whatever and threw it across the room after 2 full pages of this chipmunk running around a forest, only to be killed.
He had a documented cocaine problem in the late 70/early 80s and his unrestrained superfluous flowery way of describing mundane things drives me cray. I did like “Carrie” and “Gerald’s Game” though
He writes like a kid who just found a thesaurus
Thank you! I’ve had so many arguments over how overrated he is. Certain movies have been interpreted well and look great on the big screen. For the most part, very James Patterson formulaic.
I cannot stand his novels but have recently discovered that his short stories and novellas are really easy to read and not filled with random descriptions of things that don’t matter to the story.
I read his novella Sundog and it was actually pretty good and currently I’m reading his book of short stories called The Night Shift and the couple stories I read in there haven’t been too bad yet.
What? You don’t think the many, many descriptions of the bodies of teens girls are a form of high art?
His work is creepy. No one can tell me any different.
I don’t fully disagree, some are easier to get through than others I throw him in that same boat with Lovecraft. Great stories/ideas awful prose
I was big into spooky books as a child and at about age 9 i borrowed some Stephen king novels from the library. My grandmother offered to read a bit of it to me. I don’t remember which book it was, but it ended up involving a description of dairy queen soft serve ice cream, and how the bubbles the milk reminded the protagonist of a paragraph long, graphic description oral sex… Grandma and I never read much together after that day.
I’m glad to finally find someone else who shares this opinion. I’ve said it forever, but no one has taken the same sentiment.
I actually don’t mind it. It might not be important to the story, but it’s part of the mood being set.
Like, a cinematographer might have focused on that flower during the intro to the scene if it were a movie instead of a book
I think it depends on the book. Some of his books are more character studies vs. nonstop action.
I would argue what you are talking about is more reminiscent of George RR Martin or even Tolkien to be honest.
I find his world building, his character creation, and the initial plot development are all really good, but most his stories just seem to inevitably die in the ass and when they reach the conclusion, I feel a deep sense of dissatisfaction.
I think not liking descriptive writing whether or not it’s a key element of the plot is a bit weird. I love when books are filled with descriptions. I’d understand if descriptions that are out of place that disrupt pacing but just descriptive writing as a whole I don’t understand. When I pick up a Stephan king book I’m looking for a dense story not a plot that’s placed in an empty world. I want to see what the character is seeing and description heavy writing really works for that.
I don’t know, I think Tolkien is much more dedicated to describe each gram of dirt his characters walk through. He spends most of the time describing the landscape, I always thought Stephen King left a lot of that to the reader’s imagination
To me, if you can make it past the crazy details at the beginning, it makes the story better later when referencing details from earlier. He’s probably my favorite writer
I’m guessing you’re thinking about Hap’s station in the Stand. Happy to finally see an opinion I don’t agree with. Take my upvote!
He’s very easy to read
To be fair, him and alot of authors probably think they’ll circle back to the substation, whatever, ect. Alot of them like to be surprised what their characters do just like everybody else; that being said, AGREE get to the point sometimes.
Cocaine. Look up his cocaine binge lol. Keep in mind this man was zooted out of his mind and still made more money than probably all of us combined
Yeah, I love his books but he does have a tendency to waffle on for paragraphs about a flower or someone’s jacket. I dont think this is that unpopular opinion, even among his most ardent fans. Another thing is when you’re caught up in the story and you start to feel there are too few pages left to adequately wrap up the story.
You would hate J.R.R. Tolkien then
One of the most popular writers in history…yea this isn’t an “unpopular” opinion. It’s just bullshit and objectively untrue.
I have always said this. I can’t read him. Pages of description about something.
I like his stories,. I just can’t read them.
You’re just jealous of what a man can accomplish with an 8 ball and a can do attitude
He comes up with some really good plots, but he doesn’t know how to tell a story or write dialogue.
TommyKnockers made me quit King. 1000 pages of cocaine, Nyquil, and booze rolled into a migraine burrito of a book.
Read many of his books, and haven’t really noticed this as being a problem.
It helps to understand that until the early 90s, all of King’s books should really say “co-authored by Cocaine” on the cover. He claims he doesn’t even remember writing Cujo because he was too coked up.
@Anne Rice
For some people like me, that’s the point. It feels nice to live in a book for a few hundred pages, taking your time.
That being said, if you like his stuff maybe try his short stories? They’re a lot more to the point.
Also his son, Joe Hill, is a similar author but better adapts his stories to modern day. His short story collection “Full Throttle” is really good!
Like what you like, and your criticisms aren’t wrong or inaccurate. Just wanted to give some recommendations in case it was the minor tweak you needed!
Completely agree with you.
I pretty much refuse to read King books. He writes without knowing where he’s going with any given plot…that’s fine…but then at least do your readers the courtesy of editing your books after you’ve figured it. Just feels inelegant and the antithesis of what I enjoy in my reading. I prefer being taken on a journey where the author has a clear itinerary
I LOVE 11/22/63 sooo good
His short stories are where he really shines anyway imo
He’s talked about his writing process as planting a seed and then watching it grow into something, which is another way of saying he makes stories up as he goes along. Now, that obviously works fine for a lot of people, and his success speaks for itself, but it does often lead to a type of story that’s unsatisfying for some people. Many people agree that a bunch of his endings come out left field, and his stories often appear to be setting things up that are then never paid off, or paid off in a dismissive “the story’s starting to wrap up and I’m not sure how to resolve this” hand wave sort of way.
I personally enjoy stories most as a sort of vehicle for painting truths (or what the author believes are truths) about the human condition and making statements. I’m not mandating that anyone else feel this way, but it’s what I get out of stories. And so for me, the best kind of story is one that’s built from the ground up with a point in mind, an observation to make, and details throughout reflect this and cohesively lead up to some sort of emotionally satisfying climax that brings all of its themes together and slam dunks the reader with meaning. And I just personally don’t get that from King at all. To be fair, I don’t think that’s at all what he’s trying to do. He might think my way of enjoying stories is snobbish. I think I approach them as fun thematic puzzles whereas he’s going at them with the mentality of someone telling a really involved bedtime story. More power to him, I guess, and to anyone who’s gotten any joy out of his writing. I personally really like some of his short stories, but I don’t think his writing style lends itself to longer works as well; rather, I think longer works bring out and make obvious some of the potential downsides to his approach to storytelling. I’ve read The Dark Half, The Stand, and Needful Things, and I enjoyed them for what they were, but they didn’t make me want to spend my time seeking out any of his other novels. (Maybe The Dark Tower someday.) They don’t stand out in my memory very much. I guess it’s possible that I just read all the wrong stuff and that his other novels might blow me away, but I doubt that given my specific issues with his stories and how they seem tied to his stated philosophy on writing.
That man fucking loves describing a street before the street is actually in the story lol.
I love a few of his books though lol.
Oh you would just HATE to ready anything by Aym Rand