Stephen King

Stephen King is one of the U.S.'s most popular and successful novel writers; he has published 62 novels, among other things, and has one many national awards. He is most famous for horror and suspense novels that leave their readers up all night trying to finish them.

He was born in Portland, Maine in 1947, and though his family moved around a lot, they came back to Maine, as did he, for his adult life. As a child once, he was walking with a friend when the friend was struck and killed by a train. He came home in shock, not remembering the event or able to say what had happened. People found out what had happened, of course, and asked him about it later, but he could never remember it, and even when people claimed it had influenced his writing, he didn't mention it, because he had blacked out the memory, and even when he wrote his memoir, he didn't include the incident.

Some people have called him "the King of Horror," in a kind of play on his name, but he is undoubtedly one of the most successful authors and is clearly a master at writing them. Many have been turned into movies. His name is probably the most easily recognized of all authors in any bookstore today, in the U.S.


___ 1. What do we know about the train incident?
a. nothing
b. someone was murdered
c. King was there at the time
d. it influenced his writing


___ 2. What are some reasons that people stay up all night when they read his novels?
a. because, as a good writer, he makes them want to keep reading
b. because his novels have suspense
c. because horror is a very popular topic
d. all of the above

___ 3. Which is true about Stephen King?
a. He has lived in Maine all his life.
b. His family does not like Maine but had to move back.
c. People in Maine do not like him.
d. He is well known in Maine.