I'm back, baby! How long will it take for the Ciao HQ cretins to invent another reason to ban me? Th...
I'm back, baby! How long will it take for the Ciao HQ cretins to invent another reason to ban me? The campaign for the return of the 'clava picture starts HERE!
Member since:05.06.2001
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When I was a lot younger, I read a lot of books. Quality wasn't important, but reading was, I read everything I could find, even the instructions and ingredients lists off packs of food. My mum tells tales of me being so bored that I would read the boxes which the film for my Dad's camera came in.
When I got a bit older, while I still read a lot, it was restricted to books - both fiction and non-fiction. During the Eighties, after watching 'Salems Lot one night on the telly and being totally scared by it, but enjoying it all the same, I decided to see if the book was as good as the film.
Well, it wasn't, but it was quite good, and having run out of authors to read, I decided that this Stephen King bloke would be someone who I could read. So, I read. Lots. Not because he was an especially good author, but because he wasn't a bad one (in my humble opinion), and with a fairly extensive back catalogue, someone who would keep me occupied for a while.
Looking back, I can only recall two novels of his that I consider to be worth reading again - "The Stand" and "It". Some of his short story collections are excellent, however.
In
the town of Derry in the American state of Maine, something is killing children. George Denbrough, brother of Bill is killed during the autumn of 1957 while playing in the aftermath of a heavy rainfall with a homemade boat. Whatever this thing or person is who is killing the kids, it takes the appearance of a clown and hides in the sewers. The adults are unaware of the supernatural nature of these killings, and it's only the kids who understand that the killer is much worse than a psycopath who preys on children.
The story really kicks off at the end of school in the summer of 1958 when Bill Denbrough gets together with other kids, and they find out the true nature of the killer and set out to fight and kill it. The killer is, of course, well aware of their intentions and tries to stop them at any cost using many means at its disposal.
The children find out that this killer is much older than anyone realises and that these killings are all done in cycles of around twenty-eight years. A problem they find is that the adults are all oblivious to all this, and it's only the kids and the most senior of town citizens who know that something is not right in the town. Therefore, they have to battle the killer by themselves.
On top of that, these kids have to deal with their own personal problems - Bill Denbrough has a terrible stutter, Eddie Kaspbrak has terrible asthma (or at least, he thinks he does!), Ben Hanscom has a weight problem, Mike Hanlon is black (in a time where it was still a major problem being a different colour), Beverley Marsh is turning into a young woman with lots of admirers and a father who may or may not be "handy" with his fists, Stan Uris is Jewish and attracts the bullies and Richie Tozier is a boy who cannot control his mouth which often gets him into trouble with both his parents and other kids. On top of all this, the kids have to deal with a group of bullies who are out to get them at every opportunity (including one bully who is probably a psychopath).
Unfortunately, they don't think they succeed - the killer seems to be much too powerful for them, and they make a pact that if they're needed again, they'll all come back to try and finish the job.
The whole story is told mainly during two periods in time - the summer of 1958 where the majority of the story takes place, and a few days during 1985. It's all told in brief bits and pieces with the story at times flitting between 1958 and 1985. This isn't confusing, as each time the plot changes time slots, the author makes a point of telling you the time period that the next part of the story advances.
"It" is one of King?s more interesting books. I like the in depth characterisation of the kids, both "heroes" and "bullies", although sometimes the stuttering was just too much to take. In times when I?m being critical of this book, I do think the book length would have been reduced by about a third had Bill Denbrough not been a stutterer. This is a point that could be levelled at any of King's books where his over-descriptive style does make his books longer than they need be.
While the author does fall into the usual trap of using his one and only plot device ("ordinary hero is given magical power from out of nowhere to help fight the baddie/evil") once again, the story that takes it along to this point is interesting and well told. Even in the middle of winter, when reading this book, I was reminded of my summer holidays as a kid. Not necessarily associated with exact scenes from the book, but more the whole atmosphere where you can't remember the rainy days when you were a kid, you only remember running around with your friends in the sunshine having loads of fun.
It's a fairly long (1110 pages, or thereabouts), but a totally engrossing story that I've read on more than one occasion, and each time I'm get so hooked in that I can barely put the book down until I've finished it.
Even if you're not really a big fan of Stephen King, this is one of his books I would suggest you give a chance, if only for the way he managed to capture the same feelings that I remember having during my summer holidays.
Author: Stephen King ISBN: 0450411435 Publisher: New English Library Price: Ģ7.99
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Loved this book and sfter reading review i must dig it out agian and reread, Remember SK saying in an interview many years ago that this book should have been called **IT, he never rated it as one of his better books, but for me this along with his other early novels are much better than anything hes wrote in the last 20 years
Katie3410 06.01.2005 00:39
Brilliant review, i wrote a review on the film, as i, like others dont really enjoy reading. But i have been caught in a couple of books. They have to be really good, and when they are i can never put them down. I have read some of the book, admittidly i was too scared to finish, even though i thought the film was scarier! Great review again! Katiex
sandemp 17.11.2004 22:55
I loved this book, although I did'nt enjoy the film so much. But there again I had mine ideas of what the characters were like
Stephen King's idea for It came from a favorite childhood image: the entire cast of the ... more
Bugs Bunny Show coming on at the beginning. He thought of bringing on all the monsters, one last time: Dracula, Frankenstein's creature, the Werewolf, the Crawlin...
Postage & Packaging: £2.75 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Stephen King's idea forItcame from a favorite childhood image: the entire cast of theBugs ... more
Bunny Showcoming on at the beginning. He thought of bringing on all the monsters, one last time: Dracula, Frankenstein's creature, the Werewolf, the Crawling Eye...
Postage & Packaging: £2.75 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Stephen King's idea for It came from a favorite childhood image: the entire cast of the ... more
Bugs Bunny Show coming on at the beginning. He thought of bringing on all the monsters, one last time: Dracula, Frankenstein's creature, the Werewolf, the Crawlin...
Postage & Packaging: £2.75 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Advantages: Ambitious, nostalgic, even touching Disadvantages: May be overwhelming for first-timers and short attention spans; the truly prudish may wish to steer clear of CHAPTER 22, part 12
Doctor_Belch 16.02.2004 (16.02.2004)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of It - Stephen King
Advantages: Terrifying, charming, utterly real, with a cast of characters ou'll hate saying goodbye to come the novel's end. Disadvantages: It's a biggie - not overwritten at all though, in my opinion. Well-judged, but not a quick read.
RichardW 06.01.2001 ·
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of It - Stephen King
Advantages: Ambitious, nostalgic, even touching Disadvantages: May be overwhelming for first-timers and short attention spans; the truly prudish may wish to steer clear of CHAPTER 22, part 12
Doctor_Belch 16.02.2004 (16.02.2004)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of It - Stephen King
Mar 18th, 2003
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