IT

Hello friends. It's been quite a while since I last posted, hasn't it? That doesn't mean I've been slacking on my Stephen King intake, no not at all. In the past few months I've devoured stories long and short alike by my favorite author, such as Cujo, Carrie, Salem's Lot, The Stand, Full Dark No Stars, Lisey's Story and I am waist-deep in Dreamcatcher as I speak (err... type?). What can I say, I am a fan-boy.

I've decided to write about a book that has hit home for me perhaps more than any other King book has, that book being his mid-80's classic IT. I would bet a million bucks on when you hear the word "it", you automatically thinking of an evil clown that kills children by doing horrible things that the human mind doesn't want to comprehend. And, well, that's what IT is. Sort of. IT is a creature, that yes, takes the form of a clown quite often - but NOT always. It takes the form of whatever is its next victim's deepest fear - a spider, a leper, etc. You see, I am not at all terrified of clowns (I am in the minority on that one, I know - I guess I can thank this book and the movie based on it for that) but the thought of this creature being able to take the form of whatever would scare me the most...that is terrifying. That's what kept me up for hours at night while I was in the process of reading this novel, thinking.

But this novel is not just about horror, gore, murder. This is a tale of six childhood friends - Bill, Beverly,  Richie, Eddie, Ben, Stan and Mike - fighting this demon not once, but twice. Once in the summer of their eleventh year in the '50's, and the other time taking place in the mid-1980's, 26-and-a-half years later in the haunted town of Derry, Maine.

I loved King's detail and attention to these six kids' friendship and how exactly they became bonded together so closely. This book's main focus isn't on IT (who's name is actually Pennywise, for those who didn't know) a good amount of times. A lot of the attention is on these six kids that I loved getting to know. We see the heartbreak that childhood puppy love brings (and since Beverly was the only girl in the group of friends...that made for some problems), these guys fighting off bullies that are bigger and stronger than they, the kids hanging out in the Barrens and in their clubhouse, and we get to see them grow up.  It was fun to imagine myself as being a part of their group, The Losers Club.

This book touched my heart in many ways and made me come away from it with a different point of view on a couple of things, such as my own childhood and how I can overcome monsters (metaphorically, not physically) I face in everyday situations. This novel made me feel as though I had really became good friends with Ben (I really related to him the most), Henry, Beverly, Stan, Richie, Eddie, and Mike. Their worries became my worries; their triumphs became my triumphs. Few books have had that affect on me, but this one most certainly did. So pick this one up soon, and enjoy the journey. I believe I am due for another trip to Derry, Maine quite soon.

Oh! Also, dear reader, please stay away from the sewers and sinks.

We all float down here.

Happy reading,
Cody