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I loved It, despite it's length. As another poster stated, Stephen King's elaborate writing style is, for me, part of the enchantment. He really drags you into his world, with every detail that this implies.
IT was also a sort of homage to H.P. Lovecraft, one of King's favorite authors.
Mark S. I completely disagree with most everything you've written about IT.
IT is not about a scary clown named Pennywise. First, Pennywise is not even really a clown or Frankenstein or Michael Landon-as-the-Werewolf. No, Pennywise is the archaic pit of fear in your stomach. Pennywise represents itself as what children fear and use that as a way to torture them emotionally, physically, mentally. If you note, the monsters are merely outward manifestations of heavy duty stuff the kids are really afraid of - racism, distant parents, a community that seems to ignore it's young, child abuse, etc. This book is not about monsters like the Paul Bunyan statue or a clown. It's about monsters that we encounter every day - the abusive parent, the ignorant cops, naive neighbors, etc. In their childhood, the Losers club was able to beat these "monsters" simply because it was manifested into something physical. As adults, their fears are more complex though rooted in the same things as in childhood.
I thought IT was very profound in it's statement on childhood and the resilience of young people.
IT is not about a scary clown named Pennywise. First, Pennywise is not even really a clown or Frankenstein or Michael Landon-as-the-Werewolf. No, Pennywise is the archaic pit of fear in your stomach. Pennywise represents itself as what children fear and use that as a way to torture them emotionally, physically, mentally. If you note, the monsters are merely outward manifestations of heavy duty stuff the kids are really afraid of - racism, distant parents, a community that seems to ignore it's young, child abuse, etc. This book is not about monsters like the Paul Bunyan statue or a clown. It's about monsters that we encounter every day - the abusive parent, the ignorant cops, naive neighbors, etc. In their childhood, the Losers club was able to beat these "monsters" simply because it was manifested into something physical. As adults, their fears are more complex though rooted in the same things as in childhood.
Yeah, I got that. I just didn't think it was well done. There is a GREAT story somewhere in IT. Unfortunately, King buried it under a lot of bad writing. Moments of real beauty and brilliance shine through. There just weren't enough to hold my interest.
There are some King books I've read and re-read many times. Some I re-read at least once a year. IT won't be one of them. I doubt I'll ever read IT again.
I gave it 100 pages before losing interest, and I read (or, tried to read it) it at a time when I loved King. I still think 'Salem's Lot, The Shining and The Dead Zone are fine works, and for that reason I expected to enjoy It, having read that many (including King himself) considered it his magnum opus.
I don't think I've read anything new (to me) by King since then, though the three books listed above are ones I go back to for an enjoyable re-read every decade or so.
I always thought of The Stand as King's magnum opus.
I read the stand after IT, thought King was a genous...but everntually I read Desperation....which in all honestly was kind of an irony, the title that is.
I thought IT was very profound in it's statement on childhood and the resilience of young people.
Absolutely. King is very good at creating children who can pull through all kinds of really awful situations. I totally identify with those kids. The boys in The Body aka "Stand By Me" were so real to me. Singing the songs of my youth while they walked along the railroad tracks looking for the body was like a home movie to me. King and I are close in age. There is only a year's difference in our ages. His music is my music and he is very good about including songs in his work.
There are few books of his that I did not like. Gerald's Game was one of them. It is one of my favorites. When the kids are looking through the photo album and things come to life on the pages was absolutely terrifying to me. King has a way of making things hit home, IMO.
I read the stand after IT, thought King was a genous...but everntually I read Desperation....which in all honestly was kind of an irony, the title that is.
Ha, I couldn't even finish "Desperation".
I liked "IT" but when I found out it was a spider, I thought "A spider? That's it?"
The scariest King book for me was "Pet Sematary", just really disturbing.
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