Peter Straub and Stephen King Style

[michal]

It's funny, when I read Bag of Bones I could literally tell what parts were Stephen King's and which were Peter Straub's.

Being a Constant Reader for so many years I recognize Mr. King's style the way I would my my mother's cooking, but in this book -being written by two writer, is where I felt it most.

Does anyone feel the same?

[Lencho_of_the_Apes]

Michal... is Bag Of Bones really the book you're talking about? SK and PS wrote The Talisman and Black House together, but Bag Of Bones is SK by himself, no collaboration.

We all float down here.

[wally wonder]

didn't have a clue, michal. some suspicions. i'd have to look at my crib sheet to tell you what i thought. i think the mod said on a thread to-do w/this that they tried to mimic each other. but does that mean if in one part rebecca 9was that her name? vilas?0 uses the expression 'me foine bucko' that straub wrote it? and in another, a character exclaims, 'i'm vexed, stephen! intolerably and something or other vexed!' i think they had fun w/it.

[dwalters]

I haven't read much of Peter Straub's work, but I definitely picked up on a few "King-ism's" on my recent re-read of Black House.

One thing I would be very interested to know is if Peter Straub contributed to any of the Dark Tower lingo in this book. When I see things like Ka and mention of Breakers, etc, I just assume that those parts are Sai King's contributions since the Dark Tower is his own creation, but it would be cool to hear that Straub threw around some of those terms himself. Or what would be even more interesting is if Straub, in an effort to mimic King while writing Black House, used an element from one of King's other books and King liked the idea so much he decided to include in the DT series. Something like Mr. Munshun identifying Ted Brautigan as the chief Breaker for instance...

[Lass Chance]

It's funny, when I read Bag of Bones I could literally tell what parts were Stephen King's and which were Peter Straub's.

Being a Constant Reader for so many years I recognize Mr. King's style the way I would my my mother's cooking, but in this book -being written by two writer, is where I felt it most.

Does anyone feel the same?

The biggest diff, to me is...in reading SK, enough of him gets through that we Readers come to know him as a basically sane, happy, very together guy---loving husband, father, a man who remembers his childhood fondly. Clearly his mom loved him. But reading Straub reveals a much different kinda guy. While Sk WRITES about the Dark Side, I get the impression Straub LIVES there. Pretty creepy guy, IMO.

Lass Chance

[GLewman]

I'm reading Black House right now and it is fairly easy to spot two different styles of writing in it. It seems, and I may be wrong, that Peter Straub does more description like he is on the outside looking in. He describes the flying from location to location setting the scenes. SK is more direct and does the characters in the first person. Direct dialogue and bringing the characters to life like what Burn Burn is thinking and developing the relationship between Jack and Henry. It really is like reading two books in one

[throne_92]

Peter Straub gave SK the idea to connect Talisman/Black House with the DT. That's why I'm itching to know the main involvement from Jack in the DT books...

[muskrat]

When it talks about baseball and arc sodium lights, it's King.

When it talks about jazz and beer brewing, it's Straub.

Unless they're just trying to mess with me...

[JohnDalglish]

When it talks about baseball and arc sodium lights, it's King.

When it talks about jazz and beer brewing, it's Straub.

Unless they're just trying to mess with me...

Hi,

An' woodchucks, don't forget den pesky woodchucks.

Can't want for Talisman 3.

Long days and pleasant nights

[dsurrett]

I've been through both books twice and can't tell who wrote what, though the overall style seems more like King than Straub. Whoever edited the books did a great job of putting the finishing touches on two seamless tapestries.