Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.06 AVERAGE
4.06 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
This was my first shot at King, and boy what a journey. As has been said by others, the character development in this story is outstanding - I've never felt closer to a group of people that didn't exist. It also gave me an uncanny sense of nostalgia for an age that I never even experienced (being that I was born in '92) - In the midst of all the terrible things that happen to these kids, King still somehow romanticizes the 50's lifestyle and has you longing for a time when life moved at a slower pace.
The story itself moves along quickly, in spite of the immense detail and length of this enormous book. I personally found it creepy, but not as horrifying as others did - though that may just be a sign that I need to hone my imagination...
Overall, I loved the experience and look forward to working my way through the rest of King's novels!
The story itself moves along quickly, in spite of the immense detail and length of this enormous book. I personally found it creepy, but not as horrifying as others did - though that may just be a sign that I need to hone my imagination...
Overall, I loved the experience and look forward to working my way through the rest of King's novels!
4.5/5 Stars
I was always intimidated to read this because of its length, but it was a page-turner right from the beginning. Arguably Stephen King’s greatest novel. A story that’s both incredibly frightening and heartfelt as it explores the themes of childhood trauma and the bonds of friendship that help you confront your past.
The only thing that keeps it from being perfect is that while Richie’s impersonations were a product of the time, you can’t deny that it can be very racist in the modern day.
And let’s address the elephant in the room: the child orgy. It’s indefensible. Cocaine is a HELLUVA drug! Even Stephen King regrets writing that scene. It’s something I wish I or anyone else never has to read. If it not for that one scene, I could’ve called this a perfect book. But I also can’t in good conscience write off the novel completely because it doesn’t seem fair to allow 6 pages to ruin a 1153 page book. I’m eager to one day re-reading this again one day (and now I know exactly which part to skip towards the end).
I was always intimidated to read this because of its length, but it was a page-turner right from the beginning. Arguably Stephen King’s greatest novel. A story that’s both incredibly frightening and heartfelt as it explores the themes of childhood trauma and the bonds of friendship that help you confront your past.
The only thing that keeps it from being perfect is that while Richie’s impersonations were a product of the time, you can’t deny that it can be very racist in the modern day.
And let’s address the elephant in the room: the child orgy. It’s indefensible. Cocaine is a HELLUVA drug! Even Stephen King regrets writing that scene. It’s something I wish I or anyone else never has to read. If it not for that one scene, I could’ve called this a perfect book. But I also can’t in good conscience write off the novel completely because it doesn’t seem fair to allow 6 pages to ruin a 1153 page book. I’m eager to one day re-reading this again one day (and now I know exactly which part to skip towards the end).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, Antisemitism
Wonderfully scary story by fantasy horror master Stephen King, that kept me awake, not because i was scared, which i was (i was scared to go to the bathroom at night for the time i was reading IT), but because i wasn't able to put it down and it was more atmospheric to read in the dark.
The best part about this book are characters, i love a good character based story and this was that, i fell in love with all of the kids and was worried for them all the time. And as adults they were perfectly developed from the individuals they were as kids.
In my opinion the interludes were unnecessary and it felt like some secondary characters where there just to prove some point without adding anything to the story.
The best part about this book are characters, i love a good character based story and this was that, i fell in love with all of the kids and was worried for them all the time. And as adults they were perfectly developed from the individuals they were as kids.
In my opinion the interludes were unnecessary and it felt like some secondary characters where there just to prove some point without adding anything to the story.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is one of the rare times that I can say the movies are better.
It took me a grueling 30 hours to get through Stephen King's long-winded rambles. Don't get me wrong, he's a great writer and can use beautiful words to incite emotions in the reader, but the book did NOT have to be this long. He does a great job with character development at the beginning with each kid, and then the real climax of the book begins at around 90% into the book.
I read the book because it consistently made lists on top horror books - the book is not that scary, just creepy in certain parts.
I almost wonder if its high ratings is because the only people who were able to finish the book were the ones able to enjoy it, and the ones who weren't able to finish it didn't feel justified in leaving a review.
It took me a grueling 30 hours to get through Stephen King's long-winded rambles. Don't get me wrong, he's a great writer and can use beautiful words to incite emotions in the reader, but the book did NOT have to be this long. He does a great job with character development at the beginning with each kid, and then the real climax of the book begins at around 90% into the book.
I read the book because it consistently made lists on top horror books - the book is not that scary, just creepy in certain parts.
I almost wonder if its high ratings is because the only people who were able to finish the book were the ones able to enjoy it, and the ones who weren't able to finish it didn't feel justified in leaving a review.
challenging
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A great examination of Childhood and dealing with the horrors of such a monster as IT. I love the many themes Kings explores like isolation, independence, hatred, bravery, dealing with lose, and much more. My favorite portion of the book was definitely the children's relationships and love for each other. I had a problem with some nasty stuff at the end of the book which was just not necessary for the story and counter predictive to book's themes, and I was so thought IT was a little long.
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No