What Are You Currently Reading?

[nosferatu42]

Thanks Dem, it was the early, more horror based novels by King that I used to love, the themes would draw me in.
His later stuff never seemed to have that pitch that grabbed me, so I lost interest.

I'm thinking of doing "The Shining" next maybe, knowing the film version a lot better, I feel it would be interesting to read it and make my mind up again how I really feel about both versions.
Also I have a copy of "Doctor Sleep" so I thought if I read that afterwards I would be able to compare his old and new works, then maybe grab some newer stuff if it inspires me.

I'll see how I feel after "Christine", at around 500 or so pages it's the longest book i've attempted since I jumped back on the reading wagon a few years back. That's a good sign though as I was limiting myself to 200 - 300 page books to get myself going.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by nosferatu42

Thanks Dem, it was the early, more horror based novels by King that I used to love, the themes would draw me in.
His later stuff never seemed to have that pitch that grabbed me, so I lost interest.

I'm thinking of doing "The Shining" next maybe, knowing the film version a lot better, I feel it would be interesting to read it and make my mind up again how I really feel about both versions.
Also I have a copy of "Doctor Sleep" so I thought if I read that afterwards I would be able to compare his old and new works, then maybe grab some newer stuff if it inspires me.

I read The Shining a few years ago about this time of year, maybe nearer October, and i absolutely loved it. I gained a whole new appreciation of it. It's so much better than the film. But, it also allowed me to appreciate the film more as well. A film i never really got on with, but i do now.

[Demoncrat]

Reading The Salmon Of Doubt "by" Douglas Adams, or rather compiled by his editor after his demise cough.
Fun for all that as DA's personality shines through even with the lesser stuff imho. Not that it's like that 3rd Greatest Hits that a band puts out filled with b sides that were live favourites ahem. I digress.
It's less stressful than that Dennis Cooper thing was and will set me up for a reread of a PKD that just caught my eye one day harumph.

[troggi]

I picked up a book from my wishlist at the local BHF and I am blown away by the amount of stuff I've learned from it!

The book is :


Invasive Aliens: The Plants and Animals From Over There That Are Over Here, by Dan Eatherley.

We all know (or should know) that there are absolutely tons of species of plants and animals that have made it to the British Ilse by one means or another, mostly aided by humans, but the sheer breadth of species is astounding.

The book is written very fluidly and carries you through the invasions in chronological order. One for anyone with a passing interest in these sorts of things (and a love for Triffids).

Long live the mighty Giant Hogweed!!

[nosferatu42]

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So finished "Christine", for a long novel ( worked out the last novel I read that was as long was IT...and that's exactly why I gave up long novels) I enjoyed it, took two weeks, so I motored through it. (by my standards.)

I have to say again, I read a couple of chapters at a time these days, thinking about how stories are written, taking my time, letting the moment sink in before progressing.

I read "Christine" as a kid but didn't remember much, so my overriding view of the story has always been based more on Carpenters film.

I liked reading the novel but think I still prefer Carpenters pared down version.

I really enjoyed reading Salem's lot recently, but this kinda reminded me of why I went off King's books, it's too long and drawn out.

There's too much shit that isn't needed, i swear "shitters" would make 5 pages alone, or "nothing smells as good, except maybe pussy", one of King's writing habits seems to be repetition.
Kids taunting, a repetitive phrase, or something simple that is significant, for example, "he thrusts his fists against the post and still insists he sees ghosts" or "M-O-O-N, spells moon", from the Stand.
It annoys me, feels kinda like water torture or non-subliminal messaging.

Anyway.

The other thing that is kinda weird and was something i always remembered from when I read it as a kid, the narrative totally shifts halfway through. At the start you are drawn in because it's narrated by Dennis, Arnies friend, so it is very personal, halfway through Dennis breaks his leg and is hospitalised. The tone shifts and it becomes a third person narrative, then in the third part it shifts back to Dennis.
This totally threw me out of the story and I found the middle segment pretty hard going.

Besides this, the film is better paced, the major revenge kills turn up about halfway through the story, like WTF.
Ok, I get it, the focus is more on the relationships, but also the book is more of a ghost story as much as it is a love/ possession tale.

The reason I re read it was because I knew LeBay was more integral to the story, but even though it's enjoyable I really do think JC did the story a favour with the adaption

The whole story is a goofy throwaway idea and no matter how hard King tries to pad it out and ground it, it's still pretty silly.
The LeBay, corpses in the car vibe sort of works in the novel, but in a film it would have been a total 80's cheese fest, Arnies face suddenly turning into a corpse, reading it I could see it as a segment of Creepshow, blue filters and lightning.
I love Creepshow but the novel is kinda pitched between that and a serious tale, and to me that is why the film works better.

It is a friendship story at heart, all about growing up and first love and how that affects relationships.

Carpenters film condenses the tale down to the essence, the Lebay angle only really serves to prefigure Arnies predicament and confuse the story, we still don't learn how Christine became sentient.

Ok so Arnie becomes possessed by LeBay.
So is Lebays fury what drives the Plymouth Fury?... is LeBay driving Christine but possessing Arnie at the same time, when he goes off on his alibi jaunts... did Christine possess LeBay in the first place because she devours his family and he allows her to?, or was it Lebays fury that caused the dark energy?.... If Lebay is in fact what drives Christine, does that mean he's gay for Arnie?.... Is Christine some sort of vampire?... nothing is really explained, 600 pages later and i'm still none the ****in' wiser.

The LeBay corpse hanging around makes the story more traditional spooky stuff, but i feel it draws away from the unique aspects.
In the film Christine is bad to the bone, created bad, she just is and Arnie and hers is a love story, she is his partner, they are symbiotic, fused together since they first met, that's all there in the novel, but the LeBay angle confuses the story and ultimately doesn't add much to it, maybe mounting dread and a few maggots, but eventually it just becomes repetitive.

This seems as though I totally hated the book, I didn't, I enjoyed it, but i think i'll just stick to the film from now on, there's less Springsteen for a start (King sure seems to love that shit), and with the film you get the added bonus of actually seeing the vehicle, which is probably my favourite real car ever.

Christine-1.jpg

[J Harker]

King can build atmosphere like no other author. However I usually run out of patience while he's building it

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[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by J Harker

King can build atmosphere like no other author. However I usually run out of patience while he's building it

Sent from my SM-G780G using Tapatalk

I saw his new hardback today in Asda. Holly. Apparently it's a spin off from Mr. Mercedes so a crime novel rather than horror or fantasy so i left it.

I must get a book out to read. I meant to do it the other day after reading nosferatu's write up of The Shining but never did.

[J Harker]

I started Dan Simmons The Abominable last night. Not at all what I was expecting.
I was expecting a historical horror thriller in the vein of The Terror. This is more like a travelogue or something.

[Nordicdusk]

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep.

I absolutely love Blade Runner but I have dipped in and out of this book and I just can't finish it it's a short book but my god I find it boring. Pages of talking about animals I just can't do it

I know I may be fed to the lions for this but I just can't get into it.

[Demoncrat]

For all that this is worth, it's Dick's most "conventional" novel imho. The structure, whilst superficially SF, is a detective story. His tales tend to more .... fevered pitches, like Flow My Tears or A Scanner Darkly ahem. Can I recommend both instead? There are always the short stories (We Can Remember It For You Wholesale might ring a bell cough).