It by Stephen King
I've been waiting all semester to write about this book, because it's taken me all semester to read it. To read It by Stephen King, actually. I've spent a long time dodging the movies that were based off this book, all because I was determined to read it first, and I'm so happy I did.
I really enjoyed this book. It's a huge read, but it really didn't feel as long as it was. All I knew when going into this book is that it is about some kids and a clown. After reading it, I realize that I couldn't have been more wrong.
This is a book about fear. Stephen King created a monster that can transform itself into whatever a person fears most. He mixed the horrors of every day life with the monsters that we're all afraid of as kids.
The story is told in two nonlinear narratives, one when the 7 main characters are children, and one where they're adults. The story switching back and forth between when they were kids and when they were adults kept everything very fresh. When the protagonists were children, they defeated "It" (their name for the monster). However, when they're adults they have no memory of how they did so. In switching between the adult and child narratives, it seems as though you as the reader is learning things for the first time alongside the main characters the whole way through.
Stephen King didn't hold back in this story. His vivid and descriptive writing made me experience a range of emotions and had me laughing, cringing, and afraid to turn off the lights. He depicts abuse, racism, and bullying, but also friendship, bravery, and love.
One thing that I found strange about It was the ending. It ended on a fairly spiritual, but also scientific note. If you haven't read It and are planning to, I'm going to reveal a few spoilers so I'd advise you stop reading.
The first qualm I have is one that I'm sure is shared by many. I hated the weird sex scene with Beverly and all the boys when they were down in the sewers. When interviewed, Stephen King said he did this to connect the childhood and adulthood aspects of the story, however to me it just seemed jarring and unnecessary. The involvement of the deadlights and The Turtle in the story was really spiritual, and didn't seem to fit with the rest of the book. The only parallel I could fathom is how the story deals with humans coming into contact with creatures outside of our own comprehension, which both the Turtle and It (or Pennywise) do. Even with that parallel drawn, I think that I would've been more satisfied with the story without the spiritual aspects of the Turtle and a macroverse that seemed too unconnected to the 700-ish pages of the story that came prior.
I really enjoyed this book. It's a huge read, but it really didn't feel as long as it was. All I knew when going into this book is that it is about some kids and a clown. After reading it, I realize that I couldn't have been more wrong.
This is a book about fear. Stephen King created a monster that can transform itself into whatever a person fears most. He mixed the horrors of every day life with the monsters that we're all afraid of as kids.
The story is told in two nonlinear narratives, one when the 7 main characters are children, and one where they're adults. The story switching back and forth between when they were kids and when they were adults kept everything very fresh. When the protagonists were children, they defeated "It" (their name for the monster). However, when they're adults they have no memory of how they did so. In switching between the adult and child narratives, it seems as though you as the reader is learning things for the first time alongside the main characters the whole way through.
Stephen King didn't hold back in this story. His vivid and descriptive writing made me experience a range of emotions and had me laughing, cringing, and afraid to turn off the lights. He depicts abuse, racism, and bullying, but also friendship, bravery, and love.
One thing that I found strange about It was the ending. It ended on a fairly spiritual, but also scientific note. If you haven't read It and are planning to, I'm going to reveal a few spoilers so I'd advise you stop reading.
The first qualm I have is one that I'm sure is shared by many. I hated the weird sex scene with Beverly and all the boys when they were down in the sewers. When interviewed, Stephen King said he did this to connect the childhood and adulthood aspects of the story, however to me it just seemed jarring and unnecessary. The involvement of the deadlights and The Turtle in the story was really spiritual, and didn't seem to fit with the rest of the book. The only parallel I could fathom is how the story deals with humans coming into contact with creatures outside of our own comprehension, which both the Turtle and It (or Pennywise) do. Even with that parallel drawn, I think that I would've been more satisfied with the story without the spiritual aspects of the Turtle and a macroverse that seemed too unconnected to the 700-ish pages of the story that came prior.
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