I'm Gilbert Cruz editor of the New York Times Book Review and this is the Book Review

podcast.

In April 1974, one of the most famous authors of our time, published his first novel.

And half a century after Stephen King's Carrie hit bookshelves, he is still publishing

more or less a book a year.

This May will see his latest, a collection of short fiction titled You Like It Darker,

which will be somewhere in the vicinity of his 80th book. If you count novels, short story collections,

books written under his pseudonym Richard Bachman and works of non-fiction.

When I first appeared on this podcast as a guest years ago, I talked about how Stephen King was one of the gateway drugs for me as a reader.

I think I picked up it, one of his longest books, the one about, you know, Pennywise a

clown, when I was 10 years or so? Should I have been reading it at the age of 10?

Almost certainly not.

But are there some of you listeners who also read King

at an inappropriately early age?

Almost certainly.

This is not an uncommon story.

Since then, I've read every one of his books at least twice,

and some of them more than that.

When I think of all the books I could have been reading instead, I mean I have yet to read the custom of the country for God's sake.

When I think of all the books I could have been reading instead, I say to myself,

no regrets. I have absolutely no regrets because

almost all of King's books, even the bad ones, have brought pleasure to me in some way. and pleasure is just something that's not to be

...