*This review can also be found on my
Goodreads account.
So, this was my first time reading this book. I've been slowly trying to
work my way through Stephen King's massive array of novels and since IT
was just remade and both Chapters are now out, I felt it was time to
pick this book up and see how different it was from the movies.
As
always, Hollywood didn't come close to capturing the entire essence of
the novel, but I will admit they did a fair job of getting closer than
some adaptations they've done of King's novels in the past. I fell in
love with Mike Hanlon's character and actually wished I could have read
more from his perspective alone. But all of the characters had their
unique perspectives to lend to the story and they were all fascinating
in their own respects.
One of the things I wasn't sure I'd like
but actually found to be a perfect way to tell this story was the back
and forth between the years 1957-58 and 1984-85. It was done in such a
way that didn't give me heartburn trying to keep up and it was laid out
to complement what happened in the past to what they were remembering
and what was happening in the present. So if this is something that
normally bothers you, give it a chance as it really does make sense the
way it's told and how various events are revealed.
As always,
every time I read a Stephen King novel, I'm amazed at the depth of
character that he creates. He truly knows the human condition better
than most authors I've read and is able to capture the innocence of
youth, the pangs of adolescence, the struggles, hopes, fears, triumphs,
and failures that make us human. And the amount of details woven in to
create the scenes, the atmosphere, the cultures of the time periods...
all of this makes for a well-developed, truly immersive experience.
As
for IT... I actually wish Hollywood would have stuck with the novel so
the audience could see the true terror this being could create. The
various shapes it took, calling on the imaginations and fears of the
children, were so varied and grotesque, it would have made for some
amazing scenes within the movies. And then the hold IT had on Derry
itself... how the adults responded to the spikes in violence and
tragedies, was scary in and of itself. But, I guess they had to be
selective and of course, make their own changes.
In all, the book
was amazing, the characters so real, and the descriptions so vivid,
that I felt as though I was right alongside them as they triumphed,
failed, and triumphed again in their struggles not just with IT but with
their every day lives. If you haven't had a chance to read this yet, I
would highly recommend it!
The second book I'm reading is on my Android. I started reading Utterly Charming (Fates #1) by Kristine Grayson just before I went on vacation as I was looking for something light-hearted and romantic to read. It's been great so far but I'm only about 30% into it. I'll probably finish it while I'm on vacation.
This weeks' teaser comes from The Shining (The Shining #1) by Stephen King: And in the [VW]bug, which moved upward more surely on the gentler grade, he kept looking out between them as the road unwound, affording occasional glimpses of the Overlook Hotel, its massive bank of westward-looking windows reflecting back the sun. It was the place he had seen in the midst of the blizzard, the dark and booming place where some hideously familiar figure sought him down long corridors carpeted with jungle. The place Tony had warned him against. It was here. It was here. Whatever Redrum was, it was here. (p. 64) 