What makes Stephen King's books so scary?

Question

I tried reading one once and put it down after I found it too vulgar for my taste, but ignoring that, I hadn't found anything particularly scary about the book yet.

So, what IS it that makes his writing embody horror, make his novels the epitome of fear?

Thanks!

Answer 1

Debbye hit the nail on the head. In his best books, the characters seem like they could be the people you work with or who live on your street. His books start out with just the slightest little wrinkle, a tiny inkling that something is out of whack. Most people get feelings that all the time , and usually they turn out to be nothing. In King's books, they turn out to be worse than you can imagine. But because the situations build from such a solid foundation of "real life", and build so slowly that it is possible to suspend disbelief, buy into his stories, and get scared out of your wits.

Answer 2

Books in general are such a different experience than watching a movie.

With a movie, you are constantly communicating either verbally or non verbally with the people around you whether its in the theater or at home on t.v.

But with a book, its more personal. There is no one to share the experience with so there's a sense of foreboding secrecy between you and the characters so that it seems like you as the reader are an invisible character.

Answer 3

Stephen King is an exceptional author, but I'm not writing something here that isn't widely accepted to be true.

I've read all of Stephen King's books, (The Talisman is my favorite and it's not horror like you would think), and I would have to say that he is so good because he writes with realism. He makes you believe that the stories he writes could actually happen in your town. I've never come to a section in a Stephen King book that I've skipped over because it was boring. I've stayed up all night many times to finish one of his books because I have to know what happens next. I've reread many of his books because I want the pleasure to savor and enjoy them all over again.

I hope Mr. King writes many, many more books and I know there are many people who will be grateful for each and every one of them.

Answer 4

Prefiguration. You get a foretaste that someone's going to die, and then you get to read that it happened in a particularly gruesome way.

Pet Sematary is his best horror -- every parent's nightmare.

IT is his best book -- a masterpiece in many ways.

You didn't say which King book you tried reading. Try one of the above.

Answer 5

It's not that his novels are actually scary.... at least I don't find them to be all that frightening. I believe the reason that most think his novels are so frightening is because they think that what they read is supposed to scare them so there for it does. Lets say your Friend told you that the book scared her so you read it thinking its going to scare you too and it does, not because it is frightening simply because you believed that the book should frighten you..... That's my opinion any way.

Answer 6

The older books (Misery, Carrie, The Shining) were believable terror. To me, believable terror is scariest. Many of his other books got dorky, like Insomnia and Rose Madder.

Answer 7

He is able to take every day thoughts much further than most do. I don't think the man sleeps much and I still have not read or watched IT because I DON'T LIKE CLOWNS!!

Answer 8

HE CAN TAKE EVERYDAY THINGS & SHOW YOU HOW HORRIFIC LIFE CAN BE. JUST SOMETHING SIMPLE AS CAMPING TURNS INTO A NIGHTMARE, OR A PROM & THE KID THAT EVERYONE PICKS ON.. LIFE IS AS WONDERFUL OR AS HORRIBLE AS YOU CAN MAKE, UNTIL THE GRAYNESS CREEPS IN

Answer 9

his imagery and how effective it is. his writing is very descriptive and the imagery very vivid. he's forcing you to picture everything in your head.

Answer 10

he is so graphic it opens all your senses