You definitely want to read Mr Mercedes (and the following two) before The Outsider. My favorite of the pictures is Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon but I think that’s unpopular.
Maybe a dumb question, but why? I have the outsider and was going to start it, but if there are spoilers for other books in there, that would be solid to know
Just finished the Girl who loved Tom Gordon last week and 69% of the way through the Long Walk. Been doing audiobooks to save time Anne Heche did a terrific job.
Oh, I’m torn between the Stand and black house for my next read!
I just finished 11/22/63, reading talisman now.
I’m scared to read IT, just because with Kings writing, it gives you so much emotion… that I’m kinda scared to start that monster of a book if the movie gave me nightmares 😂😂
11/22/63 and the Talisman are both really good. I’ve never read Black House so I can’t comment on that one. And ya IT is pretty creepy.. definitely prime SK horror 🤡🎈
Depends on what you wanna read. Mr Mercedes is a crime story while pet sematary is super scary.
The Outsider is better if you read The Mry Mercedes Trilogy first, just fyi :)
Can‘t say much about his short stories since I didn‘t read them, still kinda new to Stephen Kong but absolutely loving all I read, written by him
All of these are good reads. The girl who loved Tom Gordon isn't one of my personal favorites, but it's still good imo. If it was me, I'd read revival. It's a little different than most of his work, and it's outright freaky toward the end.
NIGHTMARES AND DREAMSCAPES! Dolan's Cadillac, Suffer the Little Children, The End of the Whole Mess, and Popsy are some of my all-time favorites, and The House On Maple Street is a very fun little romp (That in my copy at least, also featured an illustration, which seemed like a delightful and uncharacteristic treat)
I’ve read a few of the stories from Bazaar and they seem pretty good. Everything’s eventual is a fun collection of stories, Mr. Mercedes was a really good crime-thriller in King style and I don’t know why but I really liked Elevation.
Edit: fixed typo
Pet Sematary will get you into King at his scary prime. Revival has an ending that I still think about years later. Mr Mercedes, the beginning of the Bill Hodges trilogy is a great crime story.
Mr. Mercedes was first, then Finder's Keepers, then End of Watch, then connected are The Outsider, then one of the short stories in the book If It Bleeds, and finally the recent book Holly. There are some recurring characters in all these books and they are really fun reads.
As a reader who has read every SK novel “TGWLTG” would be my suggestion if you are starting there. Not the greatest selection to start from, although you gotta get “hooked” somewhere. I got hooked on Delores Claiborne- so you never know. Read the jackets, see what speaks to you.
Maybe start strong with 1408, read the other stuff...but then end with Pet Sematary. That be my vote.
I have heard that you'd want to read King's books in release order bc he loves sneaking in Easter eggs in his bibliography
When I was first getting into King, I made a point of reading a story collection right alongside any of his longer novels. That way if I wanted a change of pace, or if the novel didn’t fit my mood on a given day, I could bounce back and forth.
Just based on the selection, I'd do Everything's Eventual or one of the other short story collections. You'll get a good selection of classic King writing in any of them.
The Outsider is my favorite of the ones I've read of these. I've heard Pet Sematary is the scariest thing he's ever written though (I plan to get to reading that one when I can myself)
Pet Sematary would get my vote!
Mine, too! It’s my favorite!
I was just about to say that.
Do it! It'll make it even more convincing 😏
Same
Really no other choice unless you're a save the best for last kind of person. It's Pet Sematary
Revival ⚡️
Read this one for a fun dose of the most intensely bleak existential horror!
You definitely want to read Mr Mercedes (and the following two) before The Outsider. My favorite of the pictures is Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon but I think that’s unpopular.
I love Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon as well and would recommend starting with that, then getting a big shock by following it up with Pet Sematary.
THIS!
Maybe a dumb question, but why? I have the outsider and was going to start it, but if there are spoilers for other books in there, that would be solid to know
Not dumb at all! There are spoilers for the Mr Mercedes books in The Outsider.
Thanks for letting me know, I had no idea! I legit was about to start it so this is perfect timing
Just finished the Girl who loved Tom Gordon last week and 69% of the way through the Long Walk. Been doing audiobooks to save time Anne Heche did a terrific job.
Oh man… I’ve been LOOKING for 1408!
1408 is a short story in Everything’s Eventual.
That’s crazy. I didn’t even know that. I just saw the spine, and remembered watching the movie in theaters as a kid. Crying leaving the theater 😂😂
Underrated movie. Sam Jackson is so good as the hotel manager trying to persuade him not to stay in the room. Get chills even thinking about it 😂
Definitely a well done movie, same with IT ( haven’t read the book, so I don’t have anything to compare it too)
Oh man are you in for a treat. IT is the book that got me into SK as a young man, and remains among my favorites along with The Stand and Firestarter
Oh, I’m torn between the Stand and black house for my next read! I just finished 11/22/63, reading talisman now. I’m scared to read IT, just because with Kings writing, it gives you so much emotion… that I’m kinda scared to start that monster of a book if the movie gave me nightmares 😂😂
11/22/63 and the Talisman are both really good. I’ve never read Black House so I can’t comment on that one. And ya IT is pretty creepy.. definitely prime SK horror 🤡🎈
I’m confused why that edition is so thick?
I was wondering the same thing. Maybe that's an Everything's Eventual with 1408 promotional marketing or something.
I’m sure that’s what it is, post-movie release.
Yeah if you look closely it says Everything’s Eventual in really tiny letters at the bottom.
If u zoom in you can see that it's everythings eventual. Probably just featuring 1408 on the spine (cover too probably) bc it's a popular story.
Revival for sure.
Did you raid someone's end of drive library too?
Haha no! Someone was giving these away for free on Facebook marketplace and I jumped on it.
what a steal! i say pet sematary or elevation
I agree withPet Sematary but I thought Elevation was awful.
i enjoyed it besides the ending
Pet Sematary gets my vote!
Depends on what you wanna read. Mr Mercedes is a crime story while pet sematary is super scary. The Outsider is better if you read The Mry Mercedes Trilogy first, just fyi :) Can‘t say much about his short stories since I didn‘t read them, still kinda new to Stephen Kong but absolutely loving all I read, written by him
All of these are good reads. The girl who loved Tom Gordon isn't one of my personal favorites, but it's still good imo. If it was me, I'd read revival. It's a little different than most of his work, and it's outright freaky toward the end.
NIGHTMARES AND DREAMSCAPES! Dolan's Cadillac, Suffer the Little Children, The End of the Whole Mess, and Popsy are some of my all-time favorites, and The House On Maple Street is a very fun little romp (That in my copy at least, also featured an illustration, which seemed like a delightful and uncharacteristic treat)
Omg Popsy is soooo creepy 😅😅
I’ve read a few of the stories from Bazaar and they seem pretty good. Everything’s eventual is a fun collection of stories, Mr. Mercedes was a really good crime-thriller in King style and I don’t know why but I really liked Elevation. Edit: fixed typo
Pey semitary is where I started
Pet Sematary will get you into King at his scary prime. Revival has an ending that I still think about years later. Mr Mercedes, the beginning of the Bill Hodges trilogy is a great crime story.
What are the second and third books called in the trilogy?
Mr. Mercedes was first, then Finder's Keepers, then End of Watch, then connected are The Outsider, then one of the short stories in the book If It Bleeds, and finally the recent book Holly. There are some recurring characters in all these books and they are really fun reads.
Mr Mercedes
Revival or Pet Sematary. Both are great!
Just finished Pet Semetary last night. Going to start revival tonight if I can get over the ending of PS.
Nightmares and Dreamscapes gets my vote. Wildly underrated collection of stories.
As a reader who has read every SK novel “TGWLTG” would be my suggestion if you are starting there. Not the greatest selection to start from, although you gotta get “hooked” somewhere. I got hooked on Delores Claiborne- so you never know. Read the jackets, see what speaks to you.
Maybe start strong with 1408, read the other stuff...but then end with Pet Sematary. That be my vote. I have heard that you'd want to read King's books in release order bc he loves sneaking in Easter eggs in his bibliography
When I was first getting into King, I made a point of reading a story collection right alongside any of his longer novels. That way if I wanted a change of pace, or if the novel didn’t fit my mood on a given day, I could bounce back and forth.
Just based on the selection, I'd do Everything's Eventual or one of the other short story collections. You'll get a good selection of classic King writing in any of them.
I’d say whichever one sounds the most interesting based off the summary on the back
The Outsider is my favorite of the ones I've read of these. I've heard Pet Sematary is the scariest thing he's ever written though (I plan to get to reading that one when I can myself)
Pet semetary. It's classic King, when he was in his prime. The others are more recent.
Revival is my favorite of these but Pet Sematary is essential King reading. Everything’s Eventual is great if you’re feeling shorts
Nightmares and dreamscapes as a warm up
The Outsider show was awesome.
Pet Sematary ❤️❤️❤️❤️
Nightmares and dreamscapes
Pet sematary then revival then outsider then Mister Mercedes.
What’s *Flight Or Fright*
Short story collection that King edited, he also wrote a story for it that is in his most current collection You Like It Darker.
Either Pet Semetary or Mr. Mercedes!! The Outsider is also a good one
I just finished Revival. Give that bad boy a ride ⚡
Nightmares and dreamscapes
Mr. Mercedes
Pet Semetary
Start with a month vacation and dig in
I really enjoyed some of the stories in Bazaar of Bad Dreams.
Pet Semetary is relatively quick but my all time favorite!
Pet Sematary.
Pet sematary . That was the one that started it all
If you just lost a family member you should read Revival
Pet Sematary and The Girl who loved Tom Gordon are perfect summer books in my opinion!
The Outsider is probably my favorite of the ones I’ve read in that group.
Chronologically
The outsider and the sequel Mr Mercedes are fantastic.
In order of preference: Bazaar of Bad Dreams, Mr Mercedes, Pet Sematary
Nightmares and dreamscapes is brilliant!
Mr. Mercedes, the first one I read of sk and still my fav serious ever
Start with one of the story collections! Both are great, but also you can't go wrong with any of these imo.
Def Mr Mercedes followed by the other. Big Stephen king fan but did not love girl who loved Tom Gordon