For forty years Stephen King published books that have sold in hundreds of millions of copies. I'm a big fan of his work and I've read all this novels, short stories and books (like Dance Macabre and On Writing). See my top ten best novels by Stephen King >
I also read the biography of the King of Horror written by Lisa Rogak. Even if you know facts from King's life from e.g. Wikipedia or this autobiography On Writing, you should read this book. Why? Because it is well-written, contains lots of anecdotes and comments of King's friends and family.
Rogak writes also how Stephen King fared with fame, fans and critics. Besides, there is a lot of information in it about the circumstances in which Stephen King created his stories, so you can look at his novels with a completely new perspective.
This is a official description of a book:
"One of the most prolific and popular authors in the world today, Stephen King has become part of pop culture history. His best-selling novels such as Carrie, It, Christine, and many others have captured the imaginations of millions of readers. But who is the man behind those tales of horror, grief, and the supernatural? Where do these ideas come from? And what drives him to keep writing at a breakneck pace after a thirty year career?
In this unauthorized biography, Lisa Rogak reveals the troubled background and lifelong fears that inspire one of the twentieth century's most influential authors. Despite his dark and disturbing work, Stephen King has become revered by critics and his countless fans as an all-American voice more akin to Mark Twain than H. P. Lovecraft. Haunted Heart chronicles his story, revealing the character of a man who has created some of the most memorable and frightening stories found in literature today." (from Amazon)
Stephen King still writes
This is a good book, but you have to remembered that Rogak has written it in 2008, when Stephen King published Just After Sunset - collection of short stories. Since then a lot has changed. On the market there are seven new novels by Stephen King. Latest novel - Revival - which is the seventh since 2008, has premiered on the 11th November this year. A new collection of short stories and several TV series based on his work also add up to his achievements.
It is clear that Stephen King, though sometimes he says that he plans to retire, still does not meet his threats, right? :-) Although he could live a comfortable life with what he has earned, still he creates and shares with readers the new great stories.
I read "Haunted Heart: The Life and Times of Stephen King" with curiosity and I recommend it to anyone.
