Skip to main content

IT (1986)



Before reading: I'll be honest, I'm afraid to read IT. Not because it's scary, but because it's long. I fear I may never finish it. I'm having flashbacks to how long it took me to read The Stand and I'm scared. Besides that, I am excited to read this one for the first time. I am a big fan of both movie adaptations. I also know a lot of what happens in the book that isn't in the movies. So I am going into this one knowing most things but am looking forward to actually read it. Let's get started cause we will be here a while. 

After reading: I don't say this lightly...I think that was the best book I've ever read in my life. That was really really good. It was so good that I don't really even have too much to say about it. I barely took any notes because I was just so engrossed in it. 

I will say that I read it much quicker than I anticipated. There were no points where I struggled to get through it. I enjoyed it so much that I just kept on going. On January 1st I decided that I was going to try to read at least 25 pages of a book everyday. So far, so good. I think that helped with the pace, so we shall see if I keep that going or not. I'll quickly go through the little notes I have and then I'll try to put a nice and neat bow on this.

My first note is that literally the very first sentence of the book is so good. This was so good, you guys. I feel like that's all I can say. I also found this book to be quite scary. I do think that is in part because the movie did such a great job of following the book, so I was able to have a really good image in my mind as I read. Either way, don't read this one alone at night. The movies go in chronological order, with the first part being The Losers as kids and the second part being them as adults. I think that works great for the movie and it was smart to do it that way. That being said, the book goes back and forth between past and present and I think that is what is best for the book. I really really loved how he wrote the transitions between past and present. It was so seamless and felt almost dreamlike. This is all to say that the writing was so good. Definitely King's best piece of writing that I've read so far. 

Besides it just being an all around amazing piece of literature, it is also quite rewarding for someone who is reading King chronologically. A lot of his previous work has been intertwined and part of a single universe, but It took it to the next level. There were so many references to past novels throughout and I really enjoyed that aspect. One that I found particularly interesting was that Ben lives in Hemingford Home (from The Stand) and while we are there, a character mentions that a nasty bug is going around. There were also references to The Shining and The Dead Zone. And I'll be damned, Christine, herself, made an appearance. 

It's so strange that something that I found so deeply moving and smart and will stick with me forever, I have so little to say about. I feel like I can't do it justice. I do want to mention that while this is probably the best book I've ever read and one of my absolute top favorites from here on out, it will not receive the number one spot in my Stephen King rank. I thought it might for a while, but unfortunately that one scene (you know the one) was enough to bump it down for me. I know King, himself, has addressed this so I'm not going to go into it, but had that part been taken out...wow. This would've been a 10/10. 

I also think it's important to point out that this was the first book to ever make me cry (well...tear up). For a horror novel to be able to do that, I think speaks for itself. 

I feel like I'm going to need ten years to process what I just read and sit with it. However, I will not do that and will start reading the next book immediately. I hope you've missed the ol' gunslinger cause up next is The Dark Tower: The Drawing of the Three. 

Guys, this book was so good. I'm never going to stop talking about it. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

RanKING

I have randomly decided that in addition to reading these books, I'm also going to rank them from my most favorite to least favorite. I will do this as I read and I will add in the books I've already read after I re-read them. I also apologize for the horrible pun in the title but I couldn't pass it up :) All right! Here's my ever-changing list: The Long Walk It The Shining Pet Sematary The Institute Misery The Dark Tower: Wizard and Glass Black House Needful Things Dolores Claiborne The Green Mile The Regulators The Dark Tower: The Wastelands Insomnia Firestarter The Talisman The Dark Tower: Wolves of the Calla Christine The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger The Outsider The Dark Tower: The Drawing of the Three Desperation Rose Madder Bag of Bones Cujo The Dark Half Different Seasons Salem's Lot The Stand Hearts in Atlantis The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon From a Buick 8 Gerald's Game Everything's Eventual Four Past Midnight The Plant (unfinished) Thinner Rage The De
Post a Comment
Read more

What am I doing?

Being a true Mainer, while my mother was pregnant with me, she was reading a book by Stephen King. Specifically she was reading The Dark Half by Stephen King. In that book there is a character named Shayla and that is where my name came from. Growing up in Maine already gives you a sense of closeness with Mr. King but having him be the reason for my namesake always drew me even closer to him. In fact, for my 23rd birthday I was gifted with Stephen King’s personal copy of The Dark Half that he signed for me.  I grew up watching many Stephen King shows and movies and read a few books. My favorite book of all time being The Long Walk by Stephen King, himself. All in all, however, I’ve only read about 5 of Mr. King’s books in total. I feel like this weird connection and fascination I have with him has ultimately only led me to one place. And that place is right here, preparing to read all his books. With all honesty, I get crazy ideas like this all the time but only seldom do I see anyt
1 comment
Read more

The Long Walk (1979)

Before Reading:  I could go on and on and on about The Long Walk and I will (after I re-read it). For now I’m just going to keep it short and sweet. Remember when I said that I love Rage and have it on my bookshelf? Well I really love The Long Walk and have TWO copies of it on my bookshelf. The Long Walk is my absolute number one favorite book...ever. I even rank it above Harry Potter (which, if you know me, is saying a lot). When I was younger I was drawn to The Long Walk because it mentioned my hometown. But oh my God, this story is so great. You cringe, cry, laugh, and everything in between when you read it—or at least I do. It takes a lot for me to get emotionally invested in a book (or anything, really) but I feel so attached to this story. All of the characters and their lives are so real to me when I read this one. Also, Hunger Games-esque dystopia is my absolute favorite genre and The Long Walk is one of the best. I’m very much looking forward to re-reading this one, as I alway
2 comments
Read more