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Does Stephen King’s ‘IT’ Get Any Better?


DominusNovus

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So, given that the latest screen adaptation has been a hit, I figured I’d go back and read IT.  I got a few chapters in when I was a kid, but its a dense slog, and I just didn’t have the patience (I read a couple of his books when I was younger, but never particularly went nuts over them).  I’m now getting into the flashbacks, about 1/5th of the way through the book, and I’m really finding King to be a difficult author to read - or, at least, enjoy reading.

I know that, given to his prolific nature, King does not write nearly as tightly as a more methodical author, like Martin.  Still, given how easily King switches between POVs and even tenses (pretty sure a few pages ago, I read a section where the parts taking place in the 80s were written in the past tense, and the parts in the 50s in the present tense), its maddeningly mushy.  Also, while I’m not much of a prude, the way he writes some of the more sexual scenes (and I plan on just skipping over the infamous orgy scene entirely, tbh) just feels off.  Everything under the sun causes nipples to harden in King’s world, it seems.  And, of course, every character fits perfectly in King’s worldview, tending strongly towards two-dimensional development.

I could go on, but I’m not trying to just write a long diatribe against King.  I guess I’m just wondering if anyone thinks I should just move on to something else, or if IT is worth sticking through to the end (its not as though I don’t know the whole plot anyway).  I can’t shake the feeling that, if I want to keep reading about how creepy my part of the country can be, I could just read Lovecraft, instead (I like his tendency to write in the first person, it certainly makes his own prejudices easier to stomach when reading).

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6 minutes ago, Darth Richard II said:

I love the ending.

But yeah if you dont like it now there's no reason to continue. It's like Star Wars, if you don't like it 20 mins in it's not going to suddenly change.

I didn't like that either!    :leaving:

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14 hours ago, Nasty LongRider said:

The ending was silly.  If you don't like it now stop, there's other great reads out there. 

This applies to every King book ever, and i am, or at least was, a huge fan. He should only be allowed to write the first 90% of his books, then be obliged by law to hand them to someone else to finish.

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8 hours ago, BigFatCoward said:

This applies to every King book ever, and i am, or at least was, a huge fan. He should only be allowed to write the first 90% of his books, then be obliged by law to hand them to someone else to finish.

I could live with that.

edt; since reading  It many years ago, I have never looked at a storm drain in the same way since.

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11 hours ago, Darth Richard II said:

I disagree, there are a few(and i dew mean a few) with good endings. I liked the ending to It, and the JFK one, and um yeah ok thats two. :P I feel like there's maybe one more in there.

The Eyes of the Dragon? I vaguely remember enjoying its ending.

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  • 2 months later...
On 10/18/2017 at 11:09 PM, Richard Writhen said:

It  is a fantastic book. Just enough of a lovecraftian vibe, believable characters. I personally think it's his best.

Yeah, agree it's his best book. I liked the ending too. My only complaint is that not enough time was spent with Beverly compared to some other characters considering what she does in the end. 

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On 21/10/2017 at 4:36 AM, Mikael said:

Didnt salems lot have a good ending too?

I liked the ending of 'Salem's Lot:

Our protagonists have no choice but to run from the vampires.

But there could have been a bit more resolution. I know it'll never happen, but I'd like a sequel.

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