IT

[Yesenia]

I finished reading IT in a month! I couldn’t put down such an amazing story!

[mrbooks]

Good going Yesenia

[David]

I remember a few years ago when I was at dinner at my friends house , his fiancé knew all id been reading at the time was james Patterson books and the Bourne identity series . she asked me if id ever read IT ? and told me the premise a murdering clown a group of kids out to stop it I then saw the size of the book and thought id have to see the movie first to know if id really like it. I did and three hours later I bought the book , ive since read 2 more king books but I enjoyed this so much that I'm 600 pages or so into a re read . I do have a question though was it only in the original movie where stan was in the house with a mummy and runs out to get on silver with ben or was that water tower in the book because they both seemed to be scenes with stan calling out the names of the birds

[David]

im saying my answer purely for this reason - the way it was done make up / effect wise . id say i enjoyed tge original penywise because they got him down to a t in the original movie in the book he was described as a cross between ronald mc donald and bozo the clown and he changed into the monsyers described on the book , it in the new film was great when he was the clown but then most of the time there was too much cgi and tgat looked kinda cheep , theres scarier prostetics on episodes of star trek and the monsters he turns into to scqre the kids on the new movie were invented on the spot so i couldnt give penywise any respect for that either. i love the original peny wise more for that when you saw him as pennywise i never burst out laughing because of the cheesy cgi , the less cgi in a movie the better it looks .theyre soposed to do it for bits thats impossible to do. not use it becaise its there and easy and tthey could have done the scary stuff real - because they all ready did in the 90's ? it would have been better now because every thing gets better with time . sadly along with other things they chose to make it the quick and easy way

[Linda]

I really liked Tim Curry as Penny Wise. He looked more liked a clown than Skarsgard. I'm not saying that I dislike 2017 It it's just different. I just wish they didn't make so many changes with it. It could gave been an excellent movie if they followed the book more closely. I'll wait for it to come out on blu Ray to watch again.

[Jeff]

Skarsgard by a wide margin. I know it's not a popular opinion, but the dude was pure evil. I didn't see Curry when I read the book but something closer to Skarsgard.

[Ian]

I just finished reading this and boy was I disappointed with the ending but built up by the rest of the book, aside from a particular part near the end. I gave it 4 stars. I'm glad I read it and I've moved on to 11/22/63. I hope it has a better ending.

[mrbooks]

Hi Timothy remember this is Sai King his problem is finding a good place to end his stories so yes the ending was a ad weak, but the story by far made up for it.

[Brian]

Yeah I love this book, I am on page 188. Its really descriptive and the backstory is so amazing. I hope to be done with IT by late July ish.

[[deleted user]]

I read "It" earlier this year and it is without a doubt my favorite King book. I absolutely loved this book! There are scenes from the book which stick in my head and give me the creeps, even though it's been a few months since I finished it.

In fairness though, I haven't read "The Stand" yet. I have been told repeatedly that is King's masterpiece. So once I do read "The Stand" I will have to see which one will be my favorite.

[ElleEm]

Hey Amy, I can't wait to hear what you think about The Stand. I think "It" is a nearly perfect book. I sometimes say it is my favorite book but there are a few that I really can't choose between.

Which scenes are sticking with you? Stan at the standpipe is pretty creepy to me.

[Kelsey]

For me the Black Spot (all scenes there) will always be in my mind. From the bird to the actual fire, all those are just.... oooh, no thank you!

Another one is Patrick Hockstetter (spelling?) and what happens to him at the junk yard with Bev nearby. That one STILL gives me nightmares!

[ElleEm]

Kelsey wrote: "For me the Black Spot (all scenes there) will always be in my mind. From the bird to the actual fire, all those are just.... oooh, no thank you!

Another one is Patrick Hockstetter (spelling?) and ..."

Yes! The Black Spot sticks with me as well.

Patrick was a creepy guy and what happens to him is awful but as wrong as it might be I feel like he got off light. What he did though, I want to forget.

[Steve]

Patrick was superbly creepy in the book and was excellent in the 2017 movie albeit briefly. He will be in part 2 IT 2017 and hopefully one of the flashback scenes will include his misdemeanours

[Eva]

I'm currently reading it, and it's supergood so far! I wished for IT for my birtday and got it, best present ever! I think it's one of my favorites by King already!

[Steve]

Enjoy Eva. Its one of the great books of all time

[Michele]

It was so good!!

[mrbooks]

Eva wrote: "I'm currently reading it, and it's supergood so far! I wished for IT for my birtday and got it, best present ever! I think it's one of my favorites by King already!"

Hi Eva, and welcome to goodreads and Stephen Kings fan pages.

[Karen]

mrbooks wrote: "Hi Timothy remember this is Sai King his problem is finding a good place to end his stories so yes the ending was a ad weak, but the story by far made up for it."

Yep - I always get the sense that he disappeared into a giant rabbit hole while writing the book, then kind of "wakes up" at the end, shakes his head, and chucks together an ending of sorts.
Like most of the book is on another plane / subconscious / parallel universe and then... he crashes back to earth with a thud!

But, as the immortal Harry Chapin said, "its got to be the going, not the getting there that's good".

[Eva]

Thank you mrbooks! :)

[Jillian]

I finished IT recently and loved this book. The relationship between the kids throughout the book was my favorite thing about the story. My favorite character was probably Ben. Im looking forward to whenever I decide to read this one again...it's just amazing.

[Jenny]

Chapter two; September 6, 2019.....To think that what has looked forward must also look back, and that each life makes IT’s own imitation of immortality: a wheel. Ka (destiny) is a wheel as we always come back to where we started. Who we are as adults; has been paved from our childhood. When we think back on our childhood and the friends with whom we shared them with; there were some of the best times we ever had or hoped that these were the best of times....
I’m so looking forward to the next chapter in the movies...am I afraid; hell yes! The terror, which would not end for another twenty-eight years — if IT ever did end — began, so far as I know or can tell, with a boat made from a sheet of newspaper....
Everything that we see is a dream with in a dream...

[Maria]

I've seen both movies so many times i wanted to read the book. I got the book Christmas of 2017 and i finally finished the beginning of 2019. It was the slowest book I've read of King. But after about the halfway mark, it picked up speed. This is NOT my favorite of his works. It was very good though altogether depicting how childhood fears truly are as well as childhood friendships.

[Steve]

I read It and The Stand EVERY year.

Hated the TV mini series with a passion but Muschietti restored my IT love in 2017 and can#t wait till part 2 comes out.

Sorry Mari but it is not a remake of that utter dogpoo mini series but a modern adaptation of SK#s book and the great man loved the 2017 movie.

[Brax]

I am currently reading It for my first time.

[Matt]

Steve wrote: "I read It and The Stand EVERY year.

Hated the TV mini series with a passion but Muschietti restored my IT love in 2017 and can#t wait till part 2 comes out.

Sorry Mari but it is not a remake of t..."

I really enjoyed the mini-series. It hasn’t aged particularly well, but for TV it was well done for the early ‘90’s. The new adaptation is taking some getting used to for me. I’m still not sold on updating the time from the ‘50’s to the ‘80’s.

[Jenny]

He probably been better if the update was to the 70’s but I did get use to the 80’s update and so looking forward part 2

[Luke]

IT is my favorite Stephen King book ever :) I love the movie too.

[Luke]

Heather wrote: "I am currently reading It for my first time."

what do you think so far? great, right?

[Summer]

I'm at the beginning of another re-read, and something caught my attention this time that hasn't before: Do you think events would have unfolded any differently if Mike had called the Losers earlier instead of waiting as long as he did? Would that have changed anyone's outcomes, do you think?

[Jenny]

I think if Mike called earlier or later or when he did( wouldn’t have changed anything. They came based on the promise that bounded them together which was the sex scene. Otherwise they never would have came back.

[Jenny]

Another point; when the lucky 7 all stereotypical losers bound as one; they were a force of one. Kind of like in life with diversity: everyone has value & when you are cast down on; your friends will hold IT together and you then become a force of one.....

[Steve]

Excellent point KenJen. IT thrives on Fear and when they all bond together IT feels Fear probably for the first time ever.

[Jennifer]

Just had to say, I just joined audible and got It for my free book so I can listen while walking, and having read It (several times, actually) I won’t miss anything if I get to woolgathering. Just smiled my AirPod out of my ear when Bev fought back against her asshole husband.

[Tyler]

Maybe my memory is getting mixed, so I’m hoping some other experts can help me out:

I think there’s a cab driver in The Dead Zone (or maybe some other story?) who uses the phrase “pardon my French if you’re a religious man” — in much the same way that Dave the cab driver does in IT when he’s driving Bill around Derry in 1985. Am I right in noticing a connection here? Is he intended to be the same character, or just a coincidence? Does he show up in any other stories? I’m on my third read through (or, listening, I guess!) of IT, and only hit The Dead Zone once a few years back, so it’s possible I’m misremembering some things wrong.

Thanks!

[Nick]

Tyler wrote: "Maybe my memory is getting mixed, so I’m hoping some other experts can help me out:

I think there’s a cab driver in The Dead Zone (or maybe some other story?) who uses the phrase “pardon my French..."

I can't remember that scene, so it just doesn't stand out for me. As far as the phrase, it sure is familiar but I can't say where I read it. SORRY,

[Anna]

Stephen King’s best writing is in this novel. It’s the best American horror novel of all time.

[Nick]

Anna wrote: "Stephen King’s best writing is in this novel. It’s the best American horror novel of all time."

Could be, it is great. Though Wizard and Glass is still at the top of my list, though the writing of all the Dark Tower books is stylized to fit the era.

[Madeleine]

Anna, I agree, his writing in It just blew me away!!

[Rahim]

Hi, I just started reading It. Is anyone also just starting reading this book? Would love to discuss it with ppl!

[Andrea]

I've read this book so many times ... But every time I reread it I discover something new. I still think that before being a clamorous horror novel, "It" is a coming-of-age story and a valuable "psychological study" of human nature.
Wonderful and damn creepy!

[Thomas]

I just finished It for the first time a couple of days ago. While I actually did enjoy the very end of the book with Bill and his wife riding his old bicycle I really am struggling to absorb the last sewer scene. I knew it was controversial and something really terrible was going to happen I just didn't know what exactly it is. And now that I've read it I understand what everyone was talking about. It is such an amazing book but I just don't understand that Beverly scene. Was he not edited at all at this point in his career because I feel like any editor would be able to fix those two pages pretty easily. It was such a great coming of age tale about good vs. evil and a young group of friends overcoming all odds. I've often felt like Mr. King likes to get the reader hooked deep into a story before introducing something so sinister and terrible that isn't necessarily relevant to the story just for shock value. I remember feeling this way reading Dead Zone as well. I'm sure everyone has already discussed this thousands of times over the last 35 years and I've looked up some quotes where King says, "Everyone gets outraged at that scene, meanwhile nobody says anything about all the child murders in the book." Interesting argument. I still loved the book, but I feel like my psyche would have been much better off without those two pages.

[F.C.]

Thomas wrote: "I just finished It for the first time a couple of days ago. While I actually did enjoy the very end of the book with Bill and his wife riding his old bicycle I really am struggling to absorb the la..." That incident in the sewer is infamous among King as the "problem scene" among King fans. It is a problem on many levels, not the least of witch is that it stops the story cold, and takes the reader completely out of the book. If IT had been written by a fist time author, that scene would never have made it past an editor, but at that point in his career, they could have published Stephen King's grocery list and it would have made the New York Times best seller list. I've always thought that sewer scene came from some adolescent fantasy that the adult King just had to get out of his system.

[[deleted user]]

hi there everyone i just got a copy of this book and i must say i want to stop reading it already. i have a hardcover that is falling apart when i bought it new. i have been around people who talk like this in this book, only for it to get worse i stopped reading after chapter two because it was not enjoyable to read with people talking with such racism and homofobia to the point were i tried the audio book only to stop when i got too chapter two. i honestly dont know what to do i tempted to just dnf and not read. i heard it is very good story It but knowing this is going to be a thing for the whole length of the book and the quality of the hard copy made me feel very let down knowing this is a horror classic.

[[deleted user]]

DNF Dont bother reading

[McDougReads]

A chillingly good book, and my all time favourite. IT’s just so unbelievably good. The Losers Club are compelling protagonists with a beautiful story, the writing style is unique and wonderful and the story itself is flawless (well, we don’t talk about THAT scene, but as it serves a purpose to the story, I’m willing to ignore it).

[Seiran]

I read it back when I was 14 . The amount of times I've spent looking behind me thinking someone was staring at me and ready to spew blood on mah face is countless . pennywise scarred the young me and I freaking love it. The book is brilliantly written and I'm not going to entertain any criticisms about it .it's just my opinion tho. all are welcome to explore it .

[Eliz]

Honestly, it is my favorite Stephen king book so…

[Bangkok Shocks, Saigon Shakes, Blastronaut Rocks..]

The genius of King is such that with IT, he kinda had me thinking back to - almost remembering - a time before I was even born! Add that to the fact I've never visited the US never mind lived there but get a strange nostalgia for late 50s America! No I'm not selling out... I'm a proud Brit.. and no, I don't sit around harking back for the good old days when my mates and I were stalked by a killer clown who hung out in the sewers. Nah I'm just giving a nod to King's expertise.
For the record... IT is possibly my top King book. Praise indeed considering how many he's churned out over the years... and not many duds among em.