Stephen King Fans discussion

I'm doing the ol' publication order thing. Desperation and The Regulators were released on the same day. Does anyone recommend reading one first over the other?

If it makes a difference, I've read them before, over 20 years ago, and remember them generally well. I read Desperation first at that time.

It doesn't really matter, I suppose; but I read The Regulators first. I enjoyed the two that way. It's been a while, but I think the Regulators explains things a bit more, so that when roles became switched, I wasn't as confused.

When the two are packaged together, The Regulators is placed first.

Squire wrote: "When the two are packaged together, The Regulators is placed first."

Thank you. Unless other opinions sway me, this sounds like the best reason to go one way.

I read Desperation first and enjoyed it in that order, but if you already did that why not switch it up? I am especially curious about Squire’s comment that Regulators can explain more, especially when the roles become switched because I remember them being very self-contained (but it’s been 20 something years). I’m curious to hear your thoughts on that if you read Regulators first. I also want to read them again and will probably do the same this time around! Happy reading!

Jennn wrote: "I read Desperation first and enjoyed it in that order, but if you already did that why not switch it up? I am especially curious about Squire’s comment that Regulators can explain more, especially ..."

Another good reason to start with Regulators. You're absolutely right. Thanks! I'll be sure to comment back here on the experience after I read them.

(anyone else with an opinion is still very welcome to share it. I'm easily swayed haha).

Oops! Looking at my shelf. I read Desperation first. Sorry.

Reverse everything I said. Don't get old, it sucks.

lol

I started with the King book, then moved onto the Bachman book. Bachman books tend to be colder than King books.

Read The Regulators right after reading Desperation. An interesting experience…

I was told that you need to read Desperation first and then The Regulators, so I did but when I started this one I was very confused. So I did an internet search and found out that they’re “mirror” novels in that the same character NAMES are used but there’s no continuity whatsoever. Some say you need to read Desperation first as that is the best book. Others though liked The Regulators better.

Some say you need to read The Regulators first cause if you put the covers next to one another they form an image, and for the image to be correct The Regulators comes left, suggesting it’s the first one to read.

You can see it as parallel universes. A bunch of actors playing out different plays has been suggested as well though that doesn’t make sense cause in Desperation Ralph and Ellen are David’s and Kirsten’s parents while in The Regulators it’s the other way around for example.

King had previously "killed off" Bachman after the pseudonym was publicly exposed around the time of the 1984 release of the Bachman novel Thinner. However, on the book's jacket and in a tongue-in-cheek introduction by the book's editor, it was alleged that this 1996 work was written by Bachman years earlier, but the manuscript had only recently been discovered by his widow in a trunk.
So maybe he decided to finish that one, so written Bachman style. And then use the characters and premise to write a new book, more in “King’s way/style”?
That would be in accordance with the suggestion that The Regulators should be read first.

Character- and plot wise however, it really doesn’t matter which one you read first as there’s no continuity. You could even read them years apart imo.

Squire wrote: "Don't get old, it sucks."

Too late.

Squire wrote: "Bachman books tend to be colder than King books."

Would you say Bachman is like King's dark half?

Susy wrote: "Read The Regulators right after reading Desperation. An interesting experience…

I was told that you need to read Desperation first and then The Regulators, so I did but when I started this one I w..."

Thanks for all that. Another reason to start with Regulators.

It all sounds like even after Bachman was outed, King took pleasure in using him to publish more than one book a year, which to my knowledge was the main reason he used the name in the first place.

You can read it however you want.
The Regulators is shorter and fast paced.
Desperation is slower, more detailed, more the typical King.

Susy wrote: "You can read it however you want."

Impossible. There must be a 'correct' way!

lol, there is: your way! 😜

👍

Well, I finally got to both books. My conclusion: read Desperation first.

Regulators was written second, and if for no other reason that should be the deciding factor. There are other reasons too, though.

Desperation is the stronger book. Regulators comes off as largely a mere lark in comparison (which is kind of its conception: King still had juice when finishing Desperation and wanted to explore a suburban setting). The Tak lore is stronger in Desperation; Regulators only has MotoKops lore in comparison. But foremost for me: The Regulators suffers from a chaotic glut of characters at the offset. IN a very un-King-like fashion, you're inundated with named characters with weak cues to keep them all straight. Who lives on which side of the street, which is which? It hardly matters for most of the story. In comparison, Desperation introduces characters one by one, giving each backstory and personality before thrusting them all together. I believe that engaging with the characters in Desperation first will improve the experience of reading The Regulators, having a set conception of the major characters in your head going in.

That's my advice, anyway.

I was pleased to discover that Cynthia (in both books) comes from Rose Madder. When I last read D&R, I don't think I had read Rose Madder yet to be able to understand her references to her experiences from that other book.

Well said! I’d like to reread them in the future since it’s been so long, and what you said lines up with what I remember. I’ve never read Rose Madder, so I’ll have to read that first next time.