stephen king's forte is creating real life characters rather than gore or "horror"

[prakash acharya]

Desperation was the first Stephen King novel I ever read . after reading it for the first time I didn't like it. After re-reading it several times I liked it more and more - but not for the horror part of it. I liked the way the characters were handled. Mr. King obviously loves writing and it shows in his work for example in The Dark Half. It's one of his best qualities as a writer.

[GNTLGNT]

He writes "real" people, and next to story(which you can't have without the characters)-it's his most potent gift...

[prakash acharya]

He writes "real" people, and next to story(which you can't have without the characters)-it's his most potent gift...

Thanks to all those who visited. Look forward to chatting with you all. I'm going to buy 'Salem's Lot next. Hope to discuss that after I read it.

[Pucker]

He writes "real" people, and next to story(which you can't have without the characters)-it's his most potent gift...

I would add to this that it's not going to matter what happens to the people in the story if you don't care about them. At his best, this is what Mr. King does at least equally as well as most of the better authors I've read. He has a knack for introducing people who are compelling, in some way, right off the bat (usually). Whether you are rooting for his heroes to overcome whatever obstacles he has placed in their path, or hoping one of his paper-tiger bad guys will crush them under his bootheels -- it's important to give us a reason to care, one way or the other -- and King is particularly good at this.