Cell - Stephen King

[sarumaniac]

Hi

Just finished reading this book and wanted to see who else had?

A couple of thoughts of mine on what I thought about it. If you've read The Stand I think you will be a little bit disappointed with Cell, it gets quite similar to it in parts but just not as good. Also if you start reading Cell thinking it's a zombie apocalypse story you may be let down also. The characters involved seem to guess a lot theories rather successfully.

Still, I've always loved the way Stephen King writes and all the references he puts in his books. It's quite a short book, especially for us fantasy readers and in no way a struggle to get through. It's not an essential Stephen King book but it's still enjoyable.

So anyone else read this?

 

[Laurentius]

Also if you start reading Cell thinking it's a zombie apocalypse story you may be let down also. The characters involved seem to guess a lot theories rather successfully.

I read around half of it once. Picked it up because it was suppossed to be zombie stuff. Put it down, never to be picked up again. Disliked King because of the Dark Tower series, will never pick up a book of his again due to the Cell. I can see why someone would love what he does, but it's just not my cup of tea.

 

[Amaryllis]

I thought Cell was a bad book, particularly in comparison to what SK is actually capable of. It seems like a thing he just wrote because he doesn't know how to not write (HOW CAN I BE LIKE THAT), rather than because he felt inspired. The prose was great (King's always is, and he has only gotten better), the characterization was good, but...eh. Silly campy premise that isn't really uplifted out of its mire by the story.

Writing off Stephen King because of Cell seems to be a bit harsh though. The dude has definitely written some stinkers (it's hard to avoid when your bibliography looks like a novel on its own), but he's also written some really great things.

 

[doctordarts]

It's a not-bad popcorn book; basically the equivalent of a half-decent, fairly enjoyable horror film, but nothing special. However, the man has written some all-time classics, and is still churning out quality stuff, so I'd really give him another go.

 

[forums data]

I liked it better when Cusack could still book a decent movie. but i read it slowly slowly when i am free


ricky

 

[Obscenic]

I read Cell and didn't like it. There aren't many that I don't like. Hearts in Atlantis is another that I didn't care for.

Under the Dome is really good, though. Great, actually. It might be the best work he's done in over a decade.

 

[Buffy V Slayer]

I read it, and felt that it was okay. A good filler book between more absorbing books. It was quite awhile ago that I read it. The only part that I can remember is this:

Spoiler

The characters being in a house in a subdivision and hordes of zombies walking by on the street, reminiscent of the Walking Dead Hordes.

I didn't think it was horrible, but definitely not as good as King's other works.

 

[Darth Tater]

Old thread but: I've read several of Stephen King's books. None were really scary. Though I gravitated toward pseudo fantasy stuff.

It- (beware of bozo) awesome and one of my favorite books although I hear the movie is ridiculous.

The Stand (99.8% of world dead) excellent(fantasy/horror)

Talisman- (fantasy /horror) ok

Dark Tower series-excellent but some holes in it.

Eyes of the Dragon-dumb but ok

Skeleton Crew (shorts) some were creepy. Very good

Nightmares and Dreamscapes (shorts) - ok

Different Seasons- (4 novellas) pretty good

The girl who Loved Tom Gordon- (Kid lost in Woods) really good

The tommyknockers (woman digs something up) very good

So overall I like his stuff. A lot of his books interestingly feed into the Dark Tower series.

 

[Silvion Night]

I dub thee King Necroposter <insert funny necroposter meme -you know the one with the wizard- here >

But I guess it's okay to revive a thread if there are people willing to discuss the topic... Which I am!

Dart Tater, the Dark Tower is to King what Cosmere is to Sanderson. The approach is a bit different (the Dark Tower is an actual series, whereas Cosmere is a red thread running through other books), but the idea is largely the same. The Dark Tower is King's magnum opus and virtually all of his works tie in with it. To me it's one of the best and most imaginative fantasy series out there. The ending ruined the series for some, but for me it was perfect.

I've read the following books by King:

The Dark Tower (all books)
Hearts in Atlantis
The Shining
Salem's Lot
Carrie
The Stand (still one of his best)
Cujo
It
Needful Things
Insomnia
The Green Mile
Desperation
Dreamcatcher
From a Buick 8
Cell
Under the Dome
11/22/63
Doctor Sleep (sequel to the Shining)

I enjoyed all these books. Some were mediocre, but still entertaining (Cell, Cujo, Desperation), others were masterpieces (Hearts in Atlantis, The Stand, The Green Mile).

I also love movie adaptations of Stephen King's works. Some are pretty tacky, almost like B-films, but I actually like those best. What's not to love about It (besides the ending which is very silly and anticlimactic, The Green Mile (Mr Coffee.... ), the Shawshank Redemption (the best movie ever in my eyes) and the Mist (one of the best movie endings ever).

 

[jo zebedee]

I've read most of his early work but struggle with his more recent stuff - too bloated. I mean, The Stand was bloated but (in the edited version, not SK's own) most of it was needed.

Anyhow, Cell was --- okay. Fun, but not absorbing. Nice character dynamics as ever.

For me, though, the standout books are Salem's Lot (his second book. Really?), It, The Stand, Firestarter ( a really nice father-daughter relationship in that one), Dead Zone and Under the Dome. I also like some of his short work.

I'm going to try the Gunslinger again - I didn't fall in love with it on first try, but that was a good while ago.

 

[Darth Tater]

@Silvion Night @king necroposter . I never heard of "Cosmere". I will google it in a bit.

@jo zebedee IMO The "original" Gunslinger was the weakest. Only because it wasn't clear where he was going with this. Maybe he didn't know himself...

 

[jo zebedee]

I've been told that a couple of times this week. The bullet will be bitten.

 

[Darth Tater]

@Silvion Night @king necroposter . I never heard of "Cosmere". I will google it in a bit.

@jo zebedee IMO The "original" Gunslinger was the weakest. Only because it wasn't clear where he was going with this. Maybe he didn't know himself...

@Silvion Night

I googled it. That is so cool! I didn't remember or connect the shard stuff. So does Mistborn take place before or after Stormlight?

 

[Buffy V Slayer]

@Darth Tater Ouch! Why the "dumb" rating on my post? lol. Did I remember that scene wrong? (I can't even remember that much of the book now, as it looks like my post was 3 years old).

 

[Darth Tater]

@Darth Tater Ouch! Why the "dumb" rating on my post? lol. Did I remember that scene wrong? (I can't even remember that much of the book now, as it looks like my post was 3 years old).

OMG! I'm so sorry. My fingers don't work so well. Totally inadvertent. I don't even remember seeing your post. I did that to someone else once (a negative rating which I saw in my profile) and couldn't find it to remove). I removed it. Thank you for letting me know!

 

[Buffy V Slayer]

OMG! I'm so sorry. My fingers don't work so well. Totally inadvertent. I don't even remember seeing your post. I did that to someone else once (a negative rating which I saw in my profile) and couldn't find it to remove). I removed it. Thank you for letting me know!

Lol. No worries. I thought maybe I had misremembered the book because my memory doesn't work so well!

 

[Darth Tater]

Lol. No worries. I thought maybe I had misremembered the book because my memory doesn't work so well!

I have no idea. I never read the book and have no clue whether it is about a prison cell or something biological. I often flip through threads and my thumb sometimes wanders to the wrong place. I've caught it before (both bad and good ratings) but only one bad (wish I could locate it) other than this slipped through the cracks. So glad you let me know!I've disagreed with people but never intentionally left a negative rating. Not that there is anything wrong with doing so.