MADRID, Spain.- This September 21, Stephen King, the master of horror, celebrates his 77th birthday. Throughout his prolific career, he has captivated millions of readers with his suspense and fantasy stories, becoming one of the most influential writers of the 20th and 21st centuries. Here we review five of his most representative books.
Carrie (1974)
Carrie is Stephen King’s first published novel, and its impact on the horror genre was immediate. The story focuses on Carrie White, a teenager with telekinetic powers who suffers bullying and abuse at school by her fanatical religious mother. The novel explores themes such as repression and the destructive power of grief and revenge. Its narrative, divided between conventional prose and fragments of reports, letters and interviews, provides a documentary tone that expands the dimension of horror. The apocalyptic ending is a release of pent-up tension, leaving a lasting mark on the reader. The 1976 film adaptation, directed by Brian De Palmahelped cement King’s status in popular culture, becoming a horror film classic.
The Shining (1977)
In The ShiningStephen King delves deep into the human mind to reveal the terror that can arise from psychological fragility. The novel follows Jack Torrance, a writer in search of inspiration and redemption, who moves with his family to the Overlook Hotel, where he works as a caretaker during the winter. Isolated by snow, the hotel reveals its dark history and Jack, influenced by supernatural forces, begins to lose his sanity.
One of the elements that make The Shining is more than just a haunted house story is the way King explores the protagonist’s internal conflicts, such as the struggle with addiction and family abuse. Although the adaptation of Stanley Kubrick differs in several aspects from the book, Jack Nicholson’s performance and the iconic scenes from the film contributed to the work’s fame. The novel also had a sequel, Doctor Sleep (2013), which continues the story of Jack’s son, Danny Torrance.
It (1986)
Item is one of King’s most complex and extensive works, in which the fears of childhood and adulthood intertwine. The story focuses on the “Losers’ Club,” a group of children in the fictional town of Derry, who face an evil entity that manifests itself in the form of their worst fears, including that of the terrifying clown Pennywise. The narrative moves between two timelines, the childhood and adulthood of the characters, to show how fear can evolve and persist. The novel addresses themes such as trauma, friendship and the collective strength to overcome evil. Item It has been adapted into both a television miniseries in 1990 and two films (2017 and 2019), cementing Pennywise as one of the most iconic villains in horror literature and cinema.
Misery (1987)
In MiseryStephen King transforms fear into something intimate and claustrophobic. The protagonist, Paul Sheldon, is a writer of romance novels who is kidnapped by his “number one fan”, Annie Wilkes, after a car accident. Annie holds him captive in her house and forces him to write a new novel under her dictation, while inflicting physical and psychological torture on him. The work is a reflection on the relationship between the author and his readers, and the obsession that can arise from that connection.
The novel is also a clear example of psychological horror, where the real monster is not supernatural, but human. The 1990 film adaptation, starring James Caan and Kathy Bates, who won an Academy Award for her performance, was instrumental in the work’s recognition.
The Dark Tower (1982-2004)
The Dark Tower is Stephen King’s most ambitious work. It brings together elements of multiple genres such as fantasy, science fiction and western. The series follows Roland Deschain, the last gunslinger, on his quest to find the Dark Tower, which lies at the center of all worlds and is key to the survival of the universe. Over the course of eight books, King creates a rich and complex universe, with multidimensional characters and a narrative framework that includes references to other works in his bibliography, becoming a cornerstone of his literary mythology.
Although the 2017 film adaptation was less than successful, the books remain an essential part of King’s legacy.
These five books are just a sample of the prolific work of Stephen King, who has known how to reinvent himself over the years, keeping his audience in suspense with each new story.
