I love Stephen King’s work. When has there ever been a more creative, compelling, interesting author than King? I came across him, as many people did, long ago when he wrote Carrie. I’ve been with him ever since. In some ways, he reminds me of Woody Allen….he keeps going, keeps producing, and keeps vital.
I confess as I’ve gotten older he tires me out a little. Maybe it’s a bit like eating. When we’re younger we can eat like goats, but as we get older it behooves us to be a little careful. I tried a couple King books in the past few years and let them be. They were good, they held my interest, but after a while….they just became too much. Too much of a muchness, as someone said. I wanted to say, let’s grab a couple of these scenes and cut them down to size, but what the heck…he’s Stephen King. What you get with Stephen King is what you get with Stephen King.
I recently started his latest novel, 11/22/63, and, as always, I’m drawn in. I love King’s loose, happy voice. He’s a good spirited guide. And he’s taking us back to the land of my boyhood, the fifties, and showing us what life was like then. I’m only a small way in but I’m looking forward to where he is taking me. His imagination continues to amaze me.
I’ll always be in King debt for The Stand, It, Misery, Salem’s Lot….the list goes on. He takes a big swing and he usually gets it right. He’s given me countless hours of reading pleasure and what else should an author do? He is a force of nature.
I hope he keeps going forever. And I’ll pick him up and give him a try whenever I see something new. He feels like good company now and he has been for a long time. And he’s also written the best book on writing that I’ve ever read. So I hope the book is a screaming success, as I’m sure it will be. It will be a sad day when there’s no more Stephen King to look forward to….
