Thursday, May 11, 2017

It (Stephen King)

Jesus. H. Christ.
I really don't know where to begin. Eleven HUNDRED pages leave time for a lot of thoughts and opinions to bubble up, so let me try to sort myself out.

It by Stephen King
Ok, I had to leave this blog for a few days because there was no way I could focus on this book for any longer.  Now that I'm a few days removed,  I think I can begin.

So let's see, overall this book was just too slow for me. When I read Stephen King I usually expect the same formula: gripping story concept on the jacket that draws me in, slow start that I fight through because the story sounded so interesting, then pulled in and unable to put the book down "just for one more chapter." Unfortunately with It, I was just so, so, so, so bored. I didn't feel drawn in until the last few chapters, and the only reason I made it that far is because OCD wouldn't let me NOT finish the book. 

Here's the thing: all of the characters are really well fleshed out.  Kind of TOO well fleshed out. The core of the book is a sextuplet of childhood friends, part of the book written as adults, and the other as the story of that childhood as they begin to remember a summer they seem to have misplaced- something we eventually learn is the "Derry Effect". One of the main reasons the book drags on so long is that these six characters are created in two different times of their lives; it's sort of like reading a book with twelve main characters.  (Not including a few side characters who are also given quite the history.)

And then, there is the now infamous scene towards the end. Well, apparently it's infamous, I had no idea it was there. It seems to be a pretty divisive scene, and I'm not going to talk about what actually happens, but I will say that I was not a fan. Some people say it was "necessary", and I just have to disagree.

The Book
🌹
The Writing
🕯️
Readability
Cogsworth
🕰️

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