Underrated Stephen King Novels

Just so we all understand, by underrated I mean overlooked.  These are the books I think were actually pretty good -- if not great  -- novels that are so often just overlooked.

Here are the five most underrated (in my opinion) -- offer your own list.  I love it!

5. Christine.  When released, this novel was overshadowed by the publication of Pet Sematary.  Also, there is the awkward situation with the change in narration --1st person to 3rd person to 1st person.  But don't let a little issue of point of view keep  you from this truly gruesome novel!  It's good stuff, trust me.  (talkstephenking : CHRISTINE Journal)

4. Dolores Claiborne.  I think this is King at his best!  Yet, it seems to just fall in the pile with other books when King discussions come around.  Why?  This book is as tightly woven as a Ken Follett spy novel and as rich as a Dickens character drama.  The first person narration that drives  this story is so strong, it's hard for me to believe King wrote this and not a female.

Now, there is a pretty good movie and play about the book.  But still, I don't sense that people really appreciate just how well told this story is.

3. The Langoliers. This one suffers from bad press because of bad Hollywood!  A novella stretched into a mini-series turned into total mind-numbing boredom.  However, the story is great.  I found it to be a page  turner, anxious to find out what  had happened.

2. The Sun Dog.  Is this one great writing?  Maybe not.  But it's a good story -- very Twilight Zoneish.  I liked it a lot, but never hear much about it.

1. The MOST underrated? --  Needful Things.  

Needful things is creepy, all out gory and well told.  In fact, it's very well told!  Interconnecting plots, great characters and gutsy story telling keep this thick novel moving.  King has said he saw it as a parable of the 80's.  I didn't see that.  Honestly, I just saw  a really good novel!  The book is held together by a very bad man and a very good Sheriff.  Needful things has some of the scariest scenes I've ever encountered in a book.  When the two women have a knife fight in broad daylight right in the middle of the road. . . that's getting pretty crazy!

The end of Needful Things was not as strong as the rest of the novel.  I liked the fight and all the bits King pulled together  there; but Pangborn being confronted with video of his wife's death seemed out of place.

What really drives this story -- as with any good King story -- are great characters.  Much like in Tommyknockers, this is the story of an entire town becoming possessed.  We see various addictions formed as people get what  they think they want.  Want to make love to Elvis?  Want to spend your time betting over a toy racetrack?  Need a sure cure to that terrible arthritis?  Needful Things has it all.

What really hurt  Needful things was the terrible screen adaptation.  Fans should be screaming for a recall!  The movie started great, but went downhill quickly.  Unfortunately, I suspect many think they know the book by the movie.

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Your turn!  What King novels (or novella's) just don't get their deserved press?