Book special: Stephen King's 10 most UNDERRATED books - a *spoiler free* ranking!

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  • Опубліковано 25 лис 2024

КОМЕНТАРІ • 133

  • @jennifertomaiolo
    @jennifertomaiolo 10 місяців тому +17

    I'm a Duma Key evangelist! My favorite underrated King novel. I recently read From a a Buick 8 and Christine (I thought I had read all his novels... I love how if you dig deeper, there's probably another King to read) - nice thematic connections, excellent stories - cars are evil. Christine was better than I expected.

    • @Dylan13Collins
      @Dylan13Collins 10 місяців тому +1

      This is my second favorite novel of his behind IT (not including the tower). Absolutely incredible!

    • @DaveReadsKing
      @DaveReadsKing  10 місяців тому

      Nice!

  • @kellykaiser7669
    @kellykaiser7669 10 місяців тому +8

    My coworker who has read all of Stephen King’s works loves Duma Key, it’s her favorite book. I read it while vacationing in Florida and it’s so good!

  • @jenner666
    @jenner666 13 днів тому +2

    I love that you included Insomnia, From a Buick 8 and Duma Key. I'd put Revival in there too. I see a lot of ppl hating on it, but i thought it was a fun read.

    • @DaveReadsKing
      @DaveReadsKing  12 днів тому +1

      I would back the inclusion of Revival too - a cracking book!

  • @annstoeckl8876
    @annstoeckl8876 10 місяців тому +8

    I subscribed because you choose Rose Madder #1. It's criminally overlooked.

    • @DaveReadsKing
      @DaveReadsKing  10 місяців тому

      For sure! Thanks for subscribing!

  • @scatsandwich38
    @scatsandwich38 Місяць тому +3

    Thanks for loving on Duma Key. Love that book and no one talks about it. Such great writing on pain, loss, grief, and disapontments in life. Great characters too as always.

  • @jonnie7891
    @jonnie7891 10 місяців тому +3

    Agreed Duma Key is a sleeper hit and for some strange reason people sleep on King’s short stories. I would argue he is one of the greatest modern short story writers of all time. His short story collections are top tier.

  • @erinyokley2631
    @erinyokley2631 10 місяців тому +4

    Great list 😁 I just stated reading Insomnia, it deserves so much more love, it is so underrated
    And Rose Madder is one of my favorite King books. Rose Madder is the first King book I read.

  • @BookishDrummer
    @BookishDrummer 10 місяців тому +2

    completely agree with you about the dead zone, my all time favorite king book!

  • @nigelmilner1514
    @nigelmilner1514 9 місяців тому +2

    Love this list, think it's your most complete clip ive agreed with. Buick 8 seems ti get so much hate, its a great fun read!! Only one I might add is The Outsider, a superb read, the amount of people who haven't read it boggles my tiny mind

  • @gruffyddwilliams7633
    @gruffyddwilliams7633 4 дні тому +1

    I’d never heard of rose madder til I bought it in a shop for like £2, I took it on holiday with me. And when I remember that holiday I mainly think about me poring over that book. It’s so good and I’m glad you chose it for number 1.

  • @chrisbronico3667
    @chrisbronico3667 Місяць тому +2

    I think some of his underrated books are Desperation, Joyland, Needful Things, Cujo, Duma Key, The Institute, and Full Dark No Stars.

  • @yodaeatsporgs7997
    @yodaeatsporgs7997 10 місяців тому +8

    Top 5 underrated sk books (in my opinion)
    1-Blaze-in my top 5 favorite king books good stuff
    2-Desperation-Awesome setting and a terrific bad guy
    3-End Of Watch-I love his crime books and honestly this one gets too much hate
    4-The Institute-One of his most entertaining and least talked about books
    5-Christine-I feel like a lot of people forget about this one but I really loved it

    • @storiedworlds6261
      @storiedworlds6261 10 місяців тому +4

      Blaze is great and definitely overlooked.

    • @geritisdale-brock7247
      @geritisdale-brock7247 10 місяців тому +1

      The Institute was actually the book that got me back into reading while I had to quarantine in 2020. Once I finished it, I wanted to immediately reread it.

    • @DaveReadsKing
      @DaveReadsKing  10 місяців тому +1

      That’s a pretty good list!

  • @matthewmedley8532
    @matthewmedley8532 10 місяців тому +3

    Great list. Agree about Dolores Claiborne. One of my favourite kings. I’ll give from a Buick 8 a read also. Good video.

  • @eliasisthegreatest
    @eliasisthegreatest 10 місяців тому +2

    Thank you for this video! I always appreciate your content. The only one of these I’ve read is the Dead Zone and I loved it. I’ve read a few Stephen King books that everyone raved about that I thought were good but not amazing. The only one aside from Dead Zone that I would say is underrated is Song of Susanna. Going into I was expecting something terrible but I actually really enjoyed it. I also had a possible video idea for you. Stephen King books with mind blowing or just extremely dark plot twists. Or possibly endings that caught you off guard. The Long Walk for me had a very unsettling ending.

    • @DaveReadsKing
      @DaveReadsKing  10 місяців тому

      Oh, that’s a cool idea - spoilers aplenty though! 😂

  • @FCSchaefer
    @FCSchaefer 2 місяці тому +2

    You have instant credibility by including Duma Key and From a Buick 8 on your list.

  • @Kite562reviews
    @Kite562reviews 10 місяців тому +2

    I can't think of 10 however, I can think of 4 underrated Stephen King books.
    1. The Dark Half(a wonderful experience)
    2. Four Past Midnight(langoliers, secret window, secret garden, library policeman mostly)
    3. Different seasons(just a memorable collection of novellas in my opinion)
    4. The Stand(complete and uncut edition) it was just really intriguing to me seeing all these different people act and deal with this mysterious outbreak of a super flu strain.

    • @DaveReadsKing
      @DaveReadsKing  10 місяців тому

      I like these choices, although I wouldn’t class The Stand as underrated - overrated maybe 😉

  • @christinedarrock8486
    @christinedarrock8486 10 місяців тому +2

    I totally agree with your picks. I love them all!

  • @cohuirblox7145
    @cohuirblox7145 4 місяці тому +3

    My top 10 most underrated
    10. Dolores Claiborne
    9.Bag of bones
    8.from a buick 8
    7. Gerald's Game
    6.Fairy Take
    5.Goes to the movies
    4.Roadwork
    3. The Institute
    2.Later
    The most underrated Stephen king book
    1. Duma Key

  • @yamilrojas4910
    @yamilrojas4910 5 місяців тому +2

    Great video! Another fun one would be same idea, but with short stories. There are a lot of hidden gems. Saludos desde Argentina!

  • @kellywalker9827
    @kellywalker9827 5 місяців тому +1

    Rose Madder, I've read dozens of Kings books and I didn't know that this book even existed until a week ago. I will be reading it soon. Thanks

  • @abo8158
    @abo8158 2 місяці тому +1

    My mind went straight to Rose Madder when I saw the title of this video, and I’m glad to see we agree!

  • @But.Must.I
    @But.Must.I 7 місяців тому +1

    The absolute best part of this video is Dave struggling with saying the dates the books were published, when he went to check the date inside one of them really made me laugh.
    Absolutely agree with your No 1 pick by the way, it’s a fantastic and terrifying book that really left me shaken by the end.
    I believe for similar reasons Bag of Bones deserves a place on a list of underrated King books, I thought it was fantastic and rarely see it referenced.

    • @DaveReadsKing
      @DaveReadsKing  7 місяців тому +1

      Bag of Bones was very close to making the list!

  • @StewartyMac
    @StewartyMac 10 місяців тому +2

    Here's my list
    1. Song of Susannah
    2. The Dark Half
    3. Rose Madder
    4. Duma Key
    5. Full Dark, No Stars
    6. The Outsider
    7. The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon
    8. The Langoliers (Was released as a standalone, so I'm including it, can't believe it wasn't on your list, lol)
    9. If it Bleeds
    10. The Dead Zone

    • @DaveReadsKing
      @DaveReadsKing  10 місяців тому

      Yes to all of these!
      Except the Langoliers 😂

  • @geritisdale-brock7247
    @geritisdale-brock7247 10 місяців тому +2

    Of these 10, Insomnia is the only one I've read (i got back into reading in 2020), and I definitely agree that its underrated.

    • @DaveReadsKing
      @DaveReadsKing  10 місяців тому +1

      Yes! If you dig insomnia, I think you’ll enjoy the others mentioned here

  • @AlfredoRichner
    @AlfredoRichner 10 місяців тому +1

    I love this list, it's perfectly balanced and well thought out. Rose Madder was my first King book back when I was in high school (I think because it was his most recent paperback and the pink foil cover called to me). I absolutely loved Hearts in Atlantis and am looking forward to From a Buick 8 and Duma Key, after I finish The Dark Tower series.

    • @AlfredoRichner
      @AlfredoRichner 10 місяців тому +1

      As to which books I'd put on my list, I think Black House (I know you loathe this one, lol, but it chilled me to the bone as I was reading it for some reason), Revival, and Doctor Sleep are three solid, fairly recent ones that don't get enough praise.

    • @DaveReadsKing
      @DaveReadsKing  10 місяців тому

      Nice!

    • @DaveReadsKing
      @DaveReadsKing  10 місяців тому

      I would agree - despite my thoughts on Black House 😂

  • @littleaussierippa
    @littleaussierippa 5 місяців тому +1

    Great list Dave. I'd include The Dark Half, Christine, The Talisman, Black House and The Eyes Of The Dragon as well. As an idea for a future video, would you consider doing a list of what you think are some of King's darkest tales?

    • @DaveReadsKing
      @DaveReadsKing  5 місяців тому

      Darkest as in scariest? I did have something like that in mind for Halloween this year!

  • @michaelleuchtenberger434
    @michaelleuchtenberger434 9 місяців тому +1

    This is a great list! Totally agree about Rose Madder, Just after sunset, Duma Key and Insomnia (currently listening to the audiobook narrated by Eli Wallach). High on my list would be Wind Through The Keyhole, which I prefer to several of the original 7 Dark Tower books.

    • @DaveReadsKing
      @DaveReadsKing  9 місяців тому

      Thanks! Wind Through the Keyhole never did it for me, but I can see why it would work for lots of constant readers!

  • @superkamigurualucardmckee6181
    @superkamigurualucardmckee6181 9 місяців тому +2

    The Regulators! As weird as it sounds I find it so good. Personal opinion but the story is so unique and good I feel like it's underrated...

    • @DaveReadsKing
      @DaveReadsKing  9 місяців тому +1

      It was definitely close to making my list!

    • @superkamigurualucardmckee6181
      @superkamigurualucardmckee6181 9 місяців тому +1

      @@DaveReadsKing Yeah I could see that! I mean both Desperation and The Regulators are two of my favorites. Everyone is different, and I've read 30 of his so far but those 2 still just stick out for me as both ones I really loved!

  • @aofenix5961
    @aofenix5961 2 місяці тому +1

    I've Done themAll, A few times. Christine, Tommyknockers, Insomnia, Duma Key, Revival, Desperation, Finder's Keepers, Later, The Bazaar of Bad Dreams, Dreamcatcher. "Wear it Backwards Bruce" -Beav

  • @angelaholmes8888
    @angelaholmes8888 10 місяців тому +1

    Totally agree with you about Dolores Claiborne and the dead zone and insomnia I absolutely enjoyed these books especially Dolores Claiborne it's one of my favorite Stephen king books

  • @jasonhansen8673
    @jasonhansen8673 10 місяців тому +1

    From a Buick 8 is in my top 5 King books, definitely underrated. Great selections. I found Duma Key a challenge, but the audiobook made it easier.

    • @DaveReadsKing
      @DaveReadsKing  10 місяців тому

      Nice! Whatever gets you over the line!

  • @CliffsDarkGems
    @CliffsDarkGems 10 місяців тому +2

    Excellent list! Totally agree with Dolores Claireborne and Rose Madder, two fantastic Stephen King novels. I would add The Talisman, people hate on it for its fantasy elements, I think it is a wonderful novel. Same can be said of Eyes of the Dragon, it is an excellent fantasy/ ya horror, that people write off because it is not typical King.

    • @DaveReadsKing
      @DaveReadsKing  10 місяців тому +1

      EOTD is a good shout. As for The Talisman, that’s one of my least favourite King books so it was never making my list here 😂

    • @CliffsDarkGems
      @CliffsDarkGems 10 місяців тому +1

      That's ok man 😂I think it's because high fantasy was my first love as a reader. I also really enjoy Peter Straub and I thought they made a great team.@@DaveReadsKing​

  • @vanierpatrick8178
    @vanierpatrick8178 10 місяців тому +1

    Bravo always Good Dave. For me, the underrared book of Stephen king is the Regulators. Not too much people talk about this book but its awesome . Your top ten is great .

  • @fassin666
    @fassin666 Місяць тому +2

    I love Duma Key

  • @tdrdavies2
    @tdrdavies2 10 місяців тому +2

    great video, thanks.
    I think I would consider these also - Full Dark, No Stars; Wind Through the Keyhole; Roadwork; and Joyland.
    Are you going to do an overrated video, or is that perhaps too negative?

    • @DaveReadsKing
      @DaveReadsKing  10 місяців тому

      I could definitely look into an overrated one, sure!

  • @BookishDrummer
    @BookishDrummer 10 місяців тому +2

    Duma Key is excellent, and yes the people who read it love, but not many people have actually read it

    • @DaveReadsKing
      @DaveReadsKing  10 місяців тому +1

      Totally agree - that needs to change! I’d even take a middling movie adaptation if it got more people reading the novel

    • @BookishDrummer
      @BookishDrummer 10 місяців тому +1

      @@DaveReadsKing I think it would make a great mini series like 5-6 episodes

  • @BookishDrummer
    @BookishDrummer 10 місяців тому +1

    I agree with most of your picks, but some other books I think are underrated are Roadwork (very unpopular), Blaze, Colorado Kid, If It Bleeds, Finders Keepers, The Regulators, Song of Susannah

    • @DaveReadsKing
      @DaveReadsKing  10 місяців тому +1

      Blaze and Colorado Kid were close to making my list…Roadwork less so 😂

  • @victorpavymusic
    @victorpavymusic 10 місяців тому +1

    I do have some kings books dear to my heart that doesn’t get that much love from what I see in the media or on people tier rankings videos on UA-cam.
    1. Firestarter: surrounded by so many 80s classics Firestarter is often overlooked but being a father of a young girl I was really hooked on Charlie and Andy relationship and was invested all the way in the parts of the book when they are running away to escape The Shop.
    2. Gerald’s Game: I don’t see this book gets enough interest yet I think how King turned a pretty mundane kinky game into a survivor story in a bedroom is a masterstroke. How we get inside Jessie psyche and our journey to its core and the events of eclipse makes her my favourite King character.
    3. Doctor Sleep: a sequel can most time be overlooked and this is a sequel to The Shining. Talk about a overshadowing cultural phenomenon. Yet Doctor Sleep is a very solid sequel. One of its best feature is turning the iconic Danny that was for so long engrave in our collective brain as Kubrick’s actor Danny Lloyd into a very believable full fleshed and moving adult.
    4. Needful Things: King’s humour is too often overlooked. The playfulness of this novel is pure joy to read. And you can tell it was a joy for King to write. Because it doesn’t have the gravitas and heavy themes of other novels and its first and foremost fun, Needful Things is not enough praised unfortunately.

  • @BookishDrummer
    @BookishDrummer 10 місяців тому +1

    Just After Sunset is my second fav short story collection other than night shift

    • @DaveReadsKing
      @DaveReadsKing  10 місяців тому +1

      It’s such a good collection - I think I prefer Everything’s Eventual, but it’s very close

  • @jamesphelan7556
    @jamesphelan7556 10 місяців тому +1

    I've always thought that The Colorado Kid is underrated. People generally tend to crap on it because of the ending but I loved every moment of this book and thought the ending worked perfectly.

  • @BookishDrummer
    @BookishDrummer 10 місяців тому +1

    I did this video a while ago, so let's see if our lists are similar!

  • @francissookraj3202
    @francissookraj3202 10 місяців тому +1

    Interesting collection of Underated books by Stephen King. Duma Keys is a good book and lot of people have forgotten about that one. I think it will make a good movie. I do like his short stories collection After Sunset and Hearts of Atlantis and Everything eventual all brilliant
    You left out Full dark, no stars, that has some really good but very dark stories. Check that one out. It's brill.
    Good show, Dave. I bet you're looking for to his new collection out in May, You like it darker. I am.

    • @DaveReadsKing
      @DaveReadsKing  10 місяців тому

      Full Dark was close to making my list. And yes, definitely excited for the new collection!

  • @Israel-qs9ig
    @Israel-qs9ig 9 місяців тому +1

    Yes bro you did it lol I been waiting

    • @DaveReadsKing
      @DaveReadsKing  9 місяців тому +1

      Enjoy!

    • @Israel-qs9ig
      @Israel-qs9ig 9 місяців тому +1

      Indeed and I also agree with you about the dead zone I feel that this book should be a most read book of king just like the shining, it , Salems lot, the dark tower books

  • @BookishDrummer
    @BookishDrummer 10 місяців тому +1

    everyone i've recommended dolores claiborne to seem to love it and i very much agree! more people need to read it

  • @josephspratling3511
    @josephspratling3511 3 місяці тому +1

    I am a car guy and I really enjoyed Christine I see alot of book tubers that dont really care for it. I really enjoyed the car chase scenes and the villain was quite dispicable. Also seeing Arnie slowly change into the villain was terrifying. Also when Dennis finally confronted Lebay who possessing Arnie was so intense. I also love the 70s highschool setting seeing kids with no cell phones switch blades and bullies all that good stuff.

    • @DaveReadsKing
      @DaveReadsKing  3 місяці тому

      Some great points here, thanks! Although if switch blades and bullies at school are your idea of the ‘good stuff’ just promise me you won’t become a head teacher 😂😂

  • @douglasbunch3313
    @douglasbunch3313 10 місяців тому +3

    Video idea to screenshot: half the time I mention a SK book, people immediately respond with “I don’t like horror.” I don’t see him as a horror author. He’s a character author who often uses the supernatural as an undertone to drive the story. Yes, there are true horror novels, but even then it’s subjective. Example: I see IT as an amazing character study and coming of age story, not straight horror

    • @DaveReadsKing
      @DaveReadsKing  10 місяців тому

      So just to check, is your idea a list of King books for people who don’t like horror?

    • @douglasbunch3313
      @douglasbunch3313 10 місяців тому +1

      @@DaveReadsKing 100%. He’s no longer longer a horror author. He just uses the undertones to drive the characters

  • @matthewmedley8532
    @matthewmedley8532 10 місяців тому +1

    I’ll have to reread rose madder. Very good.

  • @jaredschwartz1461
    @jaredschwartz1461 10 місяців тому +1

    Maybe not a number 1 for me, but I really enjoyed Roadwork. The party, mafia ties, and inevitable climax kept me engaged.
    Also, maybe the only two reasons to watch the Langoliers are David Morse and free streaming 😬

    • @DaveReadsKing
      @DaveReadsKing  10 місяців тому

      Interesting! Roadwork did not do it for me, but a few people on here have commented how much they like it 👍

  • @angelaholmes8888
    @angelaholmes8888 10 місяців тому +3

    Here's my picks
    Black house
    The talisman
    Full dark no stars
    Eyes of the dragon
    Revival
    The long walk

    • @DaveReadsKing
      @DaveReadsKing  10 місяців тому +1

      The Long Walk is a good shout!

  • @blackcatseye22
    @blackcatseye22 8 місяців тому +1

    The Dead Zone and Duma Key is definitely on my list.

    • @DaveReadsKing
      @DaveReadsKing  8 місяців тому +1

      Excellent - you won’t regret checking them out!

  • @cohuirblox7145
    @cohuirblox7145 4 місяці тому +2

    do a top 10 Stephen king novels that need adaptations

    • @DaveReadsKing
      @DaveReadsKing  4 місяці тому

      Already got you covered ua-cam.com/video/qbxCFcyXHdM/v-deo.htmlsi=OxNcJoeyhNhEWHQ_

  • @tommymarx391
    @tommymarx391 23 дні тому +1

    I'm going to have to disagree with you regarding "The Dead Zone". Not only was the book made into one of King's better movies, it was also a well-received television series in the early 2000s that lasted six seasons. As someone who started with King almost from the beginning, "Dead Zone" was a continuation of his amazing early streak in iconic books.
    I'm one of those people that preach about "Duma Key", LOL, but I completely agree that it is far too underrated. One of my favorites.
    When I saw the title of this video, I immediately thought of "Rose Madder". I think that is one of his best books, and yeah, I think it is totally underrated!

    • @DaveReadsKing
      @DaveReadsKing  21 день тому

      I agree with Dead Zone being amazing but I still thinks it goes under the radar today. Duma and Rose Madder are definitely underrated though, for sure

  • @storiedworlds6261
    @storiedworlds6261 10 місяців тому +2

    I never read From a Buick 8, but all of those are good choices except Rose Madder (I hated that one.) I think Hearts in Atlantis is his most underrated. Also, I think not enough people appreciate Eyes of the Dragon these days.

    • @DaveReadsKing
      @DaveReadsKing  10 місяців тому +1

      That’s a good shout - I didn’t include it as I’m not a big fantasy fan

  • @sephirothii13
    @sephirothii13 10 місяців тому +1

    I really feel his book "On Writing" isn't talked about enough as a really good book on the craft of writing in general

    • @DaveReadsKing
      @DaveReadsKing  10 місяців тому

      Interesting! I’ve never seen it as underrated as literally every person whose writing I admire that I’ve met IRL has it on their shelves, but I could just be lucky in that respect!

  • @CactusChris
    @CactusChris 10 місяців тому +1

    You make great reviews and videos and such, but I have a really hard time hearing you sometimes. Great book collection btw.

    • @DaveReadsKing
      @DaveReadsKing  10 місяців тому +1

      Sorry about that - I basically have my audio maxed out so there’s not really much more I can do

    • @CactusChris
      @CactusChris 10 місяців тому +1

      @DaveReadsKing I was wondering. But I've also noticed you have a really soft voice. When I started recording stuff I had to beef up my vocals a bit, as I'm naturally nasally. Anyway, I do enjoy your reviews, and book birthday videos.

    • @DaveReadsKing
      @DaveReadsKing  9 місяців тому

      @CactusChris thank you, I will endeavour to project more in future recordings 😊

  • @Maximus0623
    @Maximus0623 5 місяців тому +2

    I realize I’m in the minority, but I think a lot of his newer books are underrated. I thought Fairytale, The Outsider and the Institute were all really good. Whenever I see King top 10 lists, 11/22/63 is the only relatively newer book consistently making those lists. It’s almost always that and 20th century books in the top 10. While I like his old stuff too, I think he’s still writing great books. I definitely appreciate the newer books more than most constant readers.

    • @DaveReadsKing
      @DaveReadsKing  5 місяців тому

      I think you probably are in a minority there, but that’s fine - own it! For me, 11/22/63 is the high water mark since 2000, with Lisey’s Story and Duma Key close behind. The Outsider’s first half I thought was fantastic, and I think Billy Summers doesn’t get enough praise either. I won’t mention Fairy Tale though - genuinely my least favourite King book ever 😅😅

    • @Maximus0623
      @Maximus0623 5 місяців тому +1

      @@DaveReadsKing I agree on 11/22/63. It’s actually my favorite King book, and one of my top 5 favorite books ever. I think it’s a true masterpiece. I still need to read Lisey’s Story and Duma Key. I’ve only gotten into King recently, and have read about 25 of his books. So I still have a lot to go. But I’m planning to read them all because he’s quickly become my favorite author.

  • @susandevlin4712
    @susandevlin4712 5 місяців тому +1

    Stephen King, did a good description of domestic violence, I used to wonder what his home life was like as he had drug and alcohol issues. I watched a interview recently and he said he only got stoned or drunk at home, never in public

    • @DaveReadsKing
      @DaveReadsKing  5 місяців тому

      When he writes about addiction you can really feel it coming from experience. I think his knowledge of domestic violence is drawn from research though, pretty sure there is nothing out there to suggest he was ever violent to his family

  • @BookishDrummer
    @BookishDrummer 10 місяців тому +1

    i do disagree with insomnia, i thought it was fairly boring, even with me being a DT junkie lol

  • @Darcy-t2t
    @Darcy-t2t Місяць тому +1

    Hearts might be his best writing

  • @brianmelendy1194
    @brianmelendy1194 9 місяців тому

    The underrated books of an overrated author.

    • @DaveReadsKing
      @DaveReadsKing  9 місяців тому +4

      Well, given the nature of my channel this won’t be surprising but…I whole-heartedly disagree that King is overrated. For me, the best, most influential, and most compelling storyteller since Dickens