My Favorite Author?
For years and years people have asked me who my favorite author is.
I have always answered:
"John Steinbeck."
When I first read East of Eden I was convinced that no one told a story better. The language just felt different when he was placing one word after another. I recall reading a paragraph a couple of times, knowing that there wasn't a single wasted word and that he was painting a perfect picture for me.
I read East of Eden again at least every other year even though I have committed most of the story to memory.
Steinbeck has mostly gems in his resume anyway.. so the answer was always easy.
"Steinbeck."
But something weird happened the other night.
I was reading a book on my phone.
(Aside here...I always have two books going - one on my phone and one that is a physical book - I read both, often the same night, but sometimes it's more convenient to hold one or the other...so two at a time!).
The book was a group of short stories - The Bazaar of Bad Dreams - by Stephen King.
And it hit me.
Stephen King may very well be my favorite author.
That hurts a little because he is a well-known Red Sux fan.
It's also a little weird because when people think Stephen King they think of the scary books.
He certainly does write horror better than anyone, but he writes a lot of stuff better than anyone.
I thought about The Stand (which is one of the three best books I've ever read).
I considered Misery which is the only book I picked up, read completely, and then put down.
One sitting!
I looked around my room.
Bag of Bones, Duma Key, Four Past Midnight, Everything's Eventual, 11/22/63
I've read every single thing that he's put out and only cringed a little at the Dark Tower stuff and cringed a whole lot at Tommyknockers (which really sucked)...
...but Stephen King.
He might just be my favorite author.
Can I answer that way if the question is posed to me?
Probably not.
I'll most likely still say Steinbeck.
(Can't quite get around that Red Sux stuff).
I have always answered:
"John Steinbeck."
When I first read East of Eden I was convinced that no one told a story better. The language just felt different when he was placing one word after another. I recall reading a paragraph a couple of times, knowing that there wasn't a single wasted word and that he was painting a perfect picture for me.
I read East of Eden again at least every other year even though I have committed most of the story to memory.
Steinbeck has mostly gems in his resume anyway.. so the answer was always easy.
"Steinbeck."
But something weird happened the other night.
I was reading a book on my phone.
(Aside here...I always have two books going - one on my phone and one that is a physical book - I read both, often the same night, but sometimes it's more convenient to hold one or the other...so two at a time!).
The book was a group of short stories - The Bazaar of Bad Dreams - by Stephen King.
And it hit me.
Stephen King may very well be my favorite author.
That hurts a little because he is a well-known Red Sux fan.
It's also a little weird because when people think Stephen King they think of the scary books.
He certainly does write horror better than anyone, but he writes a lot of stuff better than anyone.
I thought about The Stand (which is one of the three best books I've ever read).
I considered Misery which is the only book I picked up, read completely, and then put down.
One sitting!
I looked around my room.
Bag of Bones, Duma Key, Four Past Midnight, Everything's Eventual, 11/22/63
I've read every single thing that he's put out and only cringed a little at the Dark Tower stuff and cringed a whole lot at Tommyknockers (which really sucked)...
...but Stephen King.
He might just be my favorite author.
Can I answer that way if the question is posed to me?
Probably not.
I'll most likely still say Steinbeck.
(Can't quite get around that Red Sux stuff).
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