Posted on 08/23/2011 12:07:39 PM PDT by ZGuy
I don't know if anybody has tried to really analyze his works. Probably, but I've never looked. I wouldn't be curious enough to read it if anybody had. I don't read his books to gain any kind insight into anything, although some things he's written have really made me think, like just how nasty an out-of-control government can become, in Firestarter.
Desperation and The Stand aside, what is your favorite King novel (if I may ask)? This question is from pure curiosity. I have asked Christian King fans in the past which is their favorite novels, and I just file the answer away as a data point, nothing more.
Numerous times.
But liberals just aren't the brightest bulbs on the Christmas tree.
Depends on what he talks about (and if he stayed away from politics).
Probably The Green Mile.
FWIW, even back when ‘Carrie’ was his first novel-hit, the religious ‘Mother’ was painted as a freak and was literally ‘crucified’ when Carrie realized the full extent of her psychic powers. (We must all ‘kill’ our ‘Mothers’ in one form or another - a theme as old as Time, blah, blah, blah...)
Nah. He’s always had ‘issues’ with religion, LOL!
Thanks, Wissa—that’s interesting.
Diana, that is *extremely* interesting. Makes you wonder what on earth the Methodists did to him. They’re such a milquetoast bunch at best, and uber-lefties at worst. [To any FReeper Methodists who read this, I’m again assuming it was the United Methodists. I’m sure there are still some fine conservative Methodists, but they’re in the minority]. Things like that drive my curiosity wild. A religious ax to grind doesn’t materialize out of thin air. I wonder what happened to King?
BUT - to give the guy credit (where it is due) he may have just been following the same-old-same-old that writers always have.
I mean, ‘Carrie’ was every bit as much a ‘coming of age’ (with special powers) story as any other. Or a persecuted person (through no fault of His/her own) who rose above it all (aka Jesus Christ).
It could go either way - because Carrie IS triumphant in the end.
Or it could just be a story of teenage angst, LOL!
Now my head hurts... *SMIRK*
That’s a good point. One guy in my writer’s group was telling me about a certain bestselling novel, and he mentioned that the villains are the equivalent of religious fundamentalists. He seemed to think that was very cool and satisfying, but I told him it’s a tired cliche. Who knows if the author has anything personal against ‘fundies’. He/she may just know what secular editors like.
Fwiw.
I think the mother in Carrie was always heavy into religion all her life... along the strains of the Puritans. Repent ye sinners! My little understanding of the Puritans' faith was that it was along the lines that any enjoyment of life is most likely a sin and must be avoided. Lust is the first of the seven deadly sins. All you should use your mind for is praise of God. That sort of thing.
I've never felt that King had a general animosity toward any religion, including Christianity, but I think he was critical of religion when it would be used as a tool to drive a woman clinically insane with guilt and lead to her ruining her daughter's life.
King is a story-teller. I'm guessing he thought that readers could relate to hearing of people, or even having acquaintences, that seem to be just a leetle too into their religion.
I thought his earlier ones were pretty good.
The Stand was my favorite.
Then he seemed to lose his mojo and the books became somewhat boring, tedious and formulaic, IMO.
It may be a bit more than that. Here’s some quotes I found:
“I’m not sure there is an afterlife. OK. If there is one, here’s what I think it is. I think it’s whatever you think you’re going to get. Those suicide bombers, if they really believe that they are going to wind up in heaven with 71 virgins, yeah, that’s probably what they’re going to get in the afterlife.”
“The other thing that’s interested me ever since I was a kid was the idea that’s baldly articulated in “Desperation,” and that is that God is cruel. I always in my mind equated Mother Abagail with Moses, and the story of Moses taking credit for the water coming from the rock and being forbidden to get to the Promised Land because of that one thing, that one slip, where God is cruel, and I wanted to use those things and say two things. First, that the myths are difficult and suggest a difficult moral path through life, and second, that they are ultimately more fruitful and more earth-friendly than the god of technology, the god of the microchip, the god of the cellphone.”
“I’m interested in the concepts. I’m particularly interested in the idea that in the New Testament, you’re suggesting a moral code that’s actually enlightened. Basically what Christ preached: get along with your neighbor and give everything away and follow me. So we’re talking pretty much about communism or socialism, all the things that the good Christian Republicans in the House of Representatives today are railing about in light of this bailout bill. Of course, Christ never preached give away everything to Wall Street, so they might have a point.”
Sounds like he has issues. God is cruel, suicide bombers will get their virgins, and Jesus preached communism. What a witches’ brew.
http://www.salon.com/books/int/2008/10/23/stephen_king
That's for sure.
Intersting read. Thanks for posting that.
You’re welcome. :)
Hey Steve, have at it. Do you think the average conservative cares one whit? Apparently King hasn’t come out that cave he’s been living in to realize that virtually all Hollyweird entertainment and all the network news and programming are irredeemably liberal? I guess not.
“He/she may just know what secular editors like.”
I can’t imagine getting anything published these days. Glad I don’t make my living that way; best of luck to you! :)
In reality - there are only SO many stories to tell before they overlap in one way or another. It’s been a very long time since I’ve been surprised by anything in literature; the value is in telling it in a way that’s not so transparent to The Masses.
“Every man is a hero of his own story.” ~ Brandon Sanderson
The agent I primarily query accepts less than one half of one percent of the mss he receives. Not stellar odds, I can tell you. ;)
You’re right about originality. One piece of advice I take to heart: Don’t try to be original; just try to be good.
;)
And when you hit both Original AND Good, you’re Golden...until the next ‘New Thing’ comes along. :)
The bestsellers certainly have to worry about that. In the sense that when Twilight came along, Harry Potter wasn’t that hot any more. But if you’re not in that league yet develop a loyal fan base, it’s less of an issue. I have one major advantage, which is that the agent I query really likes me and my work. He’s demurred so far on the basis of genre. That may not be an issue with the submission I mailed off this past Saturday. It’s in the most popular genre, plus he specifically requested it. So we shall see.
I know exactly what you mean. I hate that book with a passion. The pro-life characters are so blatantly stereotyped, it's almost laughable. Telling a story took a backseat to political preaching. I never felt the same way about King's novels after reading that one, and I used to be a major fan of his work.
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