Looking for a really dark King book

[satansarsel]

First, I apologize for any misspellings.
Second, what I’m looking for is kinda hard to filter down in a search machine, but if it’s been posted here before, Mods can remove this one

Anyway, greetings folks. I don’t know if I’m a Constant Reader, but I’ve read twenty of King’s books (+ seventeen of screenplays which I haven't read) and when I pick up one of his books I always read them through, even if I don’t find them as anything special. One thing that I really appreciate in his books, compared to the movies, is that they have this darker tone in the environment and the characters. In my point of view, there’s been some kind of family-translations of King’s books on the screen (not all of them off-course), which excludes all the juicy parts, all the strange visions and horror, the brutal details of violence, the profanity, the degenerated personalities that lurks beneath the shell of the characters and so forth… all the dark in humans. In his books, however, there’s also quite a few of the characters that are so emotional and weak, sometimes like nerve-wrecks, which is a bit “…trifle upsetting”. That’s why I loved reading The Long Walk. It didn’t bothered so much upon the weak and full-of-drama personalities – all they did was walking for their life or fall under the gun, and had to build bonds to support each other, which was fascinating (although I understand that the story also criticize elitism and the only-the-strong-survive-mentality). I also enjoyed The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon, with all the visions the girl’s mind conceived as phantoms and such, but also of the desperate fight for survival out there in her solitude.

My question is whether King has written any book that’s all together overwhelming dark and intoxicating. As dark as Bret Easton-Ellis’ American Psycho or John Carpenters screenplays The Thing, Escape From NY, In the Mouth of Madness etcetera. What I mean is, you get a feeling of maybe solitude, or someone’s or something’s strange experiences and a twilight life beyond the comfort and compassion of our western society (a bit like Roland’s world, although I want more of his kind of world/reality rather than our world), a book that makes you feel sick but you can’t stop reading it, just like hiking in the Scandinavian fell on your own, and you’re out of breath just after ten kilometres but you must go on to find shelter, to rest up and continue another day

I hope someone gets my drift. English’s not my strong subject

Y.S: Satansarsel, Sweden

[stoprobbers]

I don't know what you have and haven't read -- my first recommendation is to PUT THE MOVIES DOWN. Seriously. Back away. There are so few Stephen King movies worth watching, you're better of just sticking to the books.

It sounds to me like you would really enjoy The Bachman Books -- four novellas, one of which is The Long Walk, that were published under the pseudonym Richard Bachman. Another good choice may be Insomnia. And if you want to read some things that are well and truly twisted -- check out Desperation and The Tommyknockers.

Hope that helps.

[JohnDalglish]

Hi,

Welcome to the MB, and keep posting!

Can I suggest Pet Semetary and the short story collection Night Shift? And have you read The Stand, IT or the Dark Tower cycle?

And your English is great.

Long days and pleasant nights

[Srbo]

Hi and welcome to the board.

It doesn`t get much darker then IT, IMO.

[karend3]

The Talisman and Black House which he worked with Peter Straub whose books you would love. Also Bag of Bones can get very dark also Lissys Story. Geralds game is a total mind blow also.

[mojomofo]

My vote goes for It or The Dark Half. (And not just cuz it has the word dark in the title, either.)

[marew1]

Hello and welcome to the board. Happy reading and posting! The Dark Half, Gerald's Game, It and The Stand I found to be on the dark side.

[Dani~]

"Cell" comes to mind. Welcome!

[LOTUS]

Pet Semetary.Period.You can't get anything darker than that.

[Presque Vu]

Definitely Pet Sematary and the Night Shift collection, as John suggested. And of course, The Dark Half.