Does Stephen King feel labelled? - Mark Lawson Talks to: Stephen King - BBC

[Mayna00]

I love reading. Everyone from Shakespeare to Samuel Beckett to Jorges Luis Borges to Mo Yan and Wole Soyinka.

I honestly believe King is a brilliant writer. I started reading his books when I was around 8. Took me months to finish each book, but I persevered because they were genuinely exciting. This guy made me love books, and for that, sir .. I thank you.

[PeterRoeder31]

He could have experiemented a bit more with certain literary techniques though.

[PeterRoeder31]

So could Clive Barker. Great as they are, they might have varied their literature by throwing in more, different literary devices.

[fungas4201]

this guys a BEAST

[QuartuvLarry]

You can tell in his latter writings that his fame has gone to his head

[merchickety]

On literary vs popular:

Most of the authors who we consider "classic" today- Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, etc.- did not set out to create "classic literature." They just wanted to write good stories, and THAT is what allowed them to stay popular to this day. I don't know why people can't see that "popular" fiction can have a message too. I will say this: you can put the same message in a literary novel and a popular novel, but more people will read and understand the popular novel.

[anubhavize]

Stephen King doesn't write literature...HE OWNS LITERATURE!!!!!!!!!!!

[TheNovelAmateur]

@anubhavize Instead of Chuck Norris jokes, we need to start making Steve King jokes.

"Stephen King does query agents, agents query him."

[crazymofoen]

Stephen King is the one of the best authors out there, labeled or no!

[LUCKYBROOKS]

Stephen King is as real 'in person' as he comes across in this interview. A friend was scouting High School Baseball playersin Maine. I joined him one April School vacation day and saw that Mr. King's son was also playing. Between the baseball doubleheader I 'chatted him up' and he asked me what

being a teacher in the Boston Public Schools was like... I replied that it made

'THE SHINING' look dull, 'PET CEMETERY' seem dull, and most classes were pure' MISERY'.... He was terrified.

games

[Lancaster0517]

Stephen King is like our president for writing.

[ultamatefrogmaster]

"I'm a creature of my culture."

That made me feel proud for some reason...

[TheNightsMoon]

Who DISLIKED Stephen King???

[NicePlaylist]

@TheNightsMoon Twilight fans.

[chocoholicSISTA263]

this man is a ledge.

[SupportRonPaul2012]

Ron Paul 2012! support, donate

[139547]

His book On Writing is a masterpiece.

[DoctorWho1983]

King's the greatest writer of the 20th and 21st century

[CiCiTV2009]

HE'S THE GREATEST!!!!!

[MrWildboy94]

Mr. King definitely has that whole mentality of speaking his mind, and that's one of the most impressive things about his persona. I fully agree with what he said in this video. I also believe that he WILL go down in history-- like Shakespeare. He's a brilliant writer, and has aquired an amazing talent at what he does.

[theabominationuknow]

Hey not trying to steal the spotlight and I certainly am not comparing myself to the legendary stephen king. But I am just letting everyone know that I am a first time published author. My book Rasciss tells the story of Hollowawk a man who literally defied death and now must face the wrath of petty gods. Come onto my channel and check out the promo video I made for Rasciss. Leave a comment and if you like what you see than please pick yourself up a copy and let me know what you thought about it

[ProRanting]

Pop Writer or literary genuis? Hard to say. Most of his work hasn't had any deeper meaning or highly strung messages that are being conveyed, but his characters and his dialouge are to Fucking die for! SK's strengths are characters,dialouge, and imagination while his weakness are endings and Plot. That said Under The Dome has all of those. Inter weaving well developed characters, political allegory, plot, imagination, and a strong message that's neither securly positive or negative. Great writer

[samgrahaminc]

Here's the difference between 'serious' and 'popluar' litarature:

Popular literature writers are alive to spend the money that comes from their efforts.

Serious literature writers are already dead by the time enough people care.

[emerset]

@samgrahaminc that's funny and mostly true. Also of music. But there are some amazing and lucky geniuses (like Shakespeare & Beethoven) who were wonderfully popular in their day, they were a hot while they were still alive, and became iconic cannons of history. King is amazing, he's a genius, and he's very lucky to be in both categories.

[samgrahaminc]

@emerset There's always a few exceptions. That's why I like people like King and Spillane. They were recognised in their own time and although Spillane's not widely read nowadays, he's still remembered, credited and respected for being a pioneer in his field.

Unfortunately this paves the way for people like Meyer (I hope I don't get tons of hatemail for this. I just don't like her style).

[ProRanting]

@samgrahaminc Oh Really? How about Cormac Mcarthy? George Orwell? Hemmingway? C'mon man. Let's not be too eager to jump and label people white or black. When your talking about writers of critical acclaim and writers with a huge body of work you can't just throw them in your preferred label. The colors mesh together. He isn't just a Pop writer. He has proven that with Hearts in Atlantis and Under The Dome. (Off the top of my head). You can't just draw some bullshit line. Just saying.

[samgrahaminc]

@ProRanting Jesus man, it was a f***ing joke. Nobody in their right mind would hold a serious, intellectual conversation on a website, especially this one.

[ProRanting]

@samgrahaminc Considering the previous comments and serious debate over if King qualifies as a serious writer I thought you were being serious. I've said serious alot in this comment havent I?

[nocnocvienna]

stephen is just excusing the fact that none of his books were actually anything remarkable and that he wont be remembered centuries from now as anything but a pop writer. he is in the same tier as Stephanie Meyer, Dan Brown and JK Rowling; nothing but pop writers. there is nothing to be studied or be the catalyst for deep discussion in their books, which would promote them to being timeless literature.

on another note, the quality and depth of a writer can be portrayed by his/her fanbase.

[nocnocvienna]

@nocnocvienna my intention was to write decades rather than centuries. 

[GoiahgRevised]

@nocnocvienna Logical fallacy. Judging the aesthetic quality of a work of art based on the individuals who like it? That's like saying Juicy Juice is inferior to all other drinks because it's largely consumed by children. Stop being a mindless hipster and draw opinions for yourself, rather than going with the popular intellectual consensus.

[ProRanting]

@GoiahgRevised It's not only insulting to the writer, but greatly insulting to his fanbase when people say things that niave. It's a bullshit statement backed up by no evidence and crafted with "Well this is this" kind of logic. He strikes me as someone who has read one maybe two SK novels. Certaintly not his superior work. He doesn't even mention Under The Dome which is a politcal allegory with a largely negative view on the human capacity for cruelity and evil.

[pinkgiggleparamore]

@nocnocvienna okay one: he is the KING of horror. his mind is demented and i love it.

two: stephine meyer yeah ama fan but this is horror not paranormal romance so get a clue? stop comparing. i'll he WILL be remeberd thanks mate

1

[blizzaire08]

@nocnocvienna So you honestly think the Harry Potter series will be forgotten in a 100 years? You would've said the same thing about Lord of the Rings when it was released probably. Stephanie Meyer is the only author your right about- her books have no substance whatsoever- but I'm just going to assume you haven't read the HP series or a single Stephen King book and are just hating on them to feel intellectual.

[ProRanting]

@nocnocvienna You may be partially right, but you're ignoring reality. The Shinning (Arguably King's most famous or infamous work) is lodged securely into our culture pool. Just like Psycho or The Silence of the Lambs. It aint' leaving and won't be forgotten so easily. Even if it doesn't have that deep inner meaning or political allegory. That said King's recent novel Under The Dome DOES. Along with characters to die for and an amazing message it is a political book. Don't be so niave.

[W6S0A4]

That is exactly what I think of people who are ignorant and pretentious at the same time thinking that they are being generous. Thank you for posting this video. I love Stephen King but I haven't read much more than a few of his novels only because I'm not serious afictionado.

[reinforcedpenisstem]

He seems like a genuine and down-to-earth person - which is refreshing.

[milka4chocolate]

You can already tell that he's a good writer by the way he speaks. :o

[TranceFamily1]

It really is just amazing how so many people are snobs that read books just because they see it advertised to the EXTREMES! Take for example, that atrocity Twilight.

Stephen King will always have a place in people's hearts -- people that know what good stories are!

Good god! I just can't stand living in this modern society where people don't understand King's quote: "It's not he who tells it, it's the tale"

[musicismyfavorite777]

So true, great clip.

Stephen King should be the author we're reading in American Literature courses.

[glenwut]

I've been watching a few of his interviews and I have to say, he seems like a really nice guy.

I read from most genres and in my opinion stephens novels are of a very high standard

[TreyRoque]

Yeah - there is the country club mentality, but the reverse is also true. Some folks think anything popular is superior to that which ain't. Uh-huh.

[thefairlysimple1]

i liked the bachman stories

[broken1394]

Hail Hail the King!!!

I Fuckin love this guy.

AmazinG.

[zombieninja28]

Stephen King is the man, for someone of the age of fifteen, he sure is one hell of an inspiration...

[hanshotfirst1138]

King is a reasonably good writer (who can really turn a phrase when he puts his mind to it), but he's really a great storyteller. You keep turning the pages, and that's where his greatest gift lies. I think that the truth is somewhere in the middle. There's a point somewhere in between lowbrow "why read when I can watch Keeping Up With the Kardashians" and highbrow "I read REAL literature." Both mindsets rob you of something. Neil Gaiman once said to just read.

[hanshotfirst1138]

Read the things that they say are good for you and read the things that they say are garbage. Just read. You can't really know what's right until you know what's wrong anyway. How you know if a book is good if you haven't read bad books? And vice versa.

[SAINTpio91006]

"Serious " novel or not , a great story is a great story . Stephen is a great writer and will go down as one of the greats even if the snobs dont recognize it now. A great story is one that actually gets read! lol...

[shadowofanight]

@SAINTpio91006 Well I'm not sure if I agree with you entirely. Twilight is also read but it is in no way a 'great story'. Sorry.

[Toughguystudios1]

@SAINTpio91006 You say that, but a lot of people read twilight....and that is NOT a great story.

[TheNovelAmateur]

@SAINTpio91006 Whether the lit. snobs believe it or not, all of all the genres, horror lasts the longest. Bram Stoker and Mary Shelley's novels are prime examples.

[GreenlandCat]

its always great to hear from stevie, he always has interesting things to say (which cannot be said of all authors in their interviews)

[ZachClooney]

Agree. Is a full version of this Mark Lawson interview on YouTube?

[JappaStreff]

@GreenlandCat Yeah, he really says what he thinks, doesn't care what the people are gonna say about him. He's honest, and has guts.

[lucidity4]

I LOVE his works! I used to scare my siblings all the time, his books and movies inspired me. bwaahaaa My parents were called for a meeting when I was in the second grade. My Halloween story scared the hell out of them. Some of us just have a need for scary stories and man, Stephen King sure can deliver!

When in New England the chill factor set in seeing the towns mentioned in his books such as Portland, Portsmouth, etc.....It made the books seem more "real".

Thank God he shared his talents!

[disdajuice1]

@lucidity4awesome

[bri4den]

The Stand, by far that was the best book for me

[nucliosis]

the dark tower books= FUCKING EPIC!! love those books man,i read that story twice and have all of them with the artwork inside!!

[Slagtheangry]

Shucks good stories in his books too >_> Salems Lot > Twilight lol.

[coolbenito]

Stephen, Thank you very much for sharing your books with us.

[bugsme10]

I LOVE Stephen King. *******

[clickme20]

why cant i comment?

[JustinNyland]

I only ever liked Salem's Lot . . . he would be interesting to talk to

[Emperorboog]

he is a top, top storyteller