Stephen King: Two Books, One Story
Stephen King: Two Books, One Story
In 1974, the world was first introduced to Stephen King through the publication of Carrie. Since then, King has released over fifty-four novels, short stories and essays (King, Written Works). His themes are vast and touch such subjects as aliens, telekinesis, life in prison, trucks coming to life, and the end of the world. In 1999, a car accident almost ended Stephen King’s life. After his recovery, he published five novels that were received with poor sales and unkind reviews. When Under the Dome was released in 2009, it showed that Stephen King was returning to a formula that worked so well for him in a previous book called The Stand.
To understand these two books, one must first understand their author. Stephen King was born September 21, 1947. His father abandoned his mother, older brother, and himself when he was two (King, Writing 3). His mother, Ruth took a succession of poorly paid menial jobs, leaving her sons in the care of various relatives. Stephen attended the grammar school in Durham and then Lisbon Falls High School, graduating in 1966. He attended college at the University of Maine, and that is where he met his wife Tabitha, who was also a student. In 1970, he graduated from the University of Maine at Orono with a B.A. in English, and his first child was born. Stephen worked as a high school English teacher for a few years in Maine while he started writing his first novel Carrie. Carrie was an instant hit and an overnight success. The roylaties from the book were enough that King could quit his teaching job and focus on writing full time. Soon after Carrie's release in 1974, King's mother died of uterine cancer. King has written of his severe drinking problem at this time, stating that he was drunk delivering the eulogy at his mother's funeral (King, Writing 358). After his mother's death, King and his family moved to Boulder, Colorado, where King wrote The Shining. The family returned to western Maine in
In 1974, the world was first introduced to Stephen King through the publication of Carrie. Since then, King has released over fifty-four novels, short stories and essays (King, Written Works). His themes are vast and touch such subjects as aliens, telekinesis, life in prison, trucks coming to life, and the end of the world. In 1999, a car accident almost ended Stephen King’s life. After his recovery, he published five novels that were received with poor sales and unkind reviews. When Under the Dome was released in 2009, it showed that Stephen King was returning to a formula that worked so well for him in a previous book called The Stand.
To understand these two books, one must first understand their author. Stephen King was born September 21, 1947. His father abandoned his mother, older brother, and himself when he was two (King, Writing 3). His mother, Ruth took a succession of poorly paid menial jobs, leaving her sons in the care of various relatives. Stephen attended the grammar school in Durham and then Lisbon Falls High School, graduating in 1966. He attended college at the University of Maine, and that is where he met his wife Tabitha, who was also a student. In 1970, he graduated from the University of Maine at Orono with a B.A. in English, and his first child was born. Stephen worked as a high school English teacher for a few years in Maine while he started writing his first novel Carrie. Carrie was an instant hit and an overnight success. The roylaties from the book were enough that King could quit his teaching job and focus on writing full time. Soon after Carrie's release in 1974, King's mother died of uterine cancer. King has written of his severe drinking problem at this time, stating that he was drunk delivering the eulogy at his mother's funeral (King, Writing 358). After his mother's death, King and his family moved to Boulder, Colorado, where King wrote The Shining. The family returned to western Maine in