Current Events > Just finished reading "It" by Stephen King

(+) Yeah! (+)

Damn fine book, easily one of the best fiction books I've ever read.

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Fiction?

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im curious to check out the original mini-series with Tim Curry after checking that review from Nostalgia Critic. that laugh of his is priceless!

what's the issue?

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Is it true the girl had to had sex with all the boys to wake them back up?

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It really is great. If you haven't read these by him yet these are all great too:

- The Shining
- The Stand
- The Tommyknockers
- The Dark Tower series
- The Outsider

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Veggeta_MAX posted...

Is it true the girl had to had sex with all the boys to wake them back up?

It was to reconnect them all after they thought they'd defeated the monster and lost the main driving goal that was keeping the group together as a functioning unit. They lost their way underground and when they realized the connection was fracturing everyone got a little panicky and that was Bev's idea to bring them back in and calm everyone down. Also as a super fuck you act of defiance toward her dad.

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Another great one is 11/22/63. It was easily one of King's best endings.

Schwarz posted...

It was to reconnect them all after they thought they'd defeated the monster and lost the main driving goal that was keeping the group together as a functioning unit. They lost their way underground and when they realized the connection was fracturing everyone got a little panicky and that was Bev's idea to bring them back in and calm everyone down. Also as a super fuck you act of defiance toward her dad.

It was a combination of Stephen King being creepy and on too much cocaine

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Zodd3224 posted...

It was a combination of Stephen King being creepy and on too much cocaine

yeahhhh, the publishers definitely should have edited It out.

Zodd3224 posted...

It really is great. If you haven't read these by him yet these are all great too:

- The Shining
- The Stand
- The Tommyknockers
- The Dark Tower series
- The Outsider

I read the first Dark Tower Book (or at least most of it, I don't remember if I finished it), and it didn't really grip me.

Some of the others I've read of his are Pet Semetary, and the Mr. Mercedes trilogy. Both were fantastic.

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I thought Black House was pretty great.

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Also, I saw the first movie, but held off on the second until after I read the book.

I initially liked the movie, thought it was pretty good. But the book completely dwarfs it and makes so much of it seem like trash.

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After you watch the second movie, watch the original miniseries. Much more faithful to the book.

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COVxy posted...

After you watch the second movie, watch the original miniseries. Much more faithful to the book.

I decided to work from home and I'm watching it right now, lol

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Drpooplol posted...

Also, I saw the first movie, but held off on the second until after I read the book.

I initially liked the movie, thought it was pretty good. But the book completely dwarfs it and makes so much of it seem like trash.

Yeah, try watching The Shining movie after reading the book. I can see why King hates the movie. The book is actually terrifying and one of his rare books with a great ending.

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Is King notorious for having bad endings? They've brought up bad endings a ton in the movie already.

I really liked the ending of the book.

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I re-read IT last year for the first time since I was a teen. I remember it being kind of plodding but really enjoyed it the second time. No movie adaptation could ever do full justice to all the themes it presents, but I will say the 2017 version really put the the 90's miniseries to shame in every way. It's actually probably my favorite film of the last ten years, at least.

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Drpooplol posted...

I decided to work from home and I'm watching it right now, lol

It's not good, but at least Tim Curry plays a clown you can see a kid going toward instead of running away from.

Also, King not only often has bad endings but has gone on record as hating writing endings period.

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Drpooplol posted...

Is King notorious for having bad endings? They've brought up bad endings a ton in the movie already.

I really liked the ending of the book.

Yes he is. Including the ending of It.

The Stand and The Dark Tower series are both incredible but have 2 of the worst endings I have ever read. The Outsider had a pretty lame ending imo as well. The Mist bothered me too.

The only books he has written where I really liked the endings were The Shining and The Tommyknockers that I can think of. Pet Semetary was fine.

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I really liked It. I'm sorta back in Derry and going through Dreamcather now, but this book is grossing me out lol

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Derry is mentioned in Tommyknockers as well

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What don't people like about the ending of It?

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I read It for the first time last summer and I loved it. It's right up there with The Stand as my favourite book.

I'm thinking of checking out The Institute for my next King novel.
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Drpooplol posted...

What don't people like about the ending of It?

The child gangbang and the whole Lovecraftian interspace battle out of nowhere. Its typical King where the ending just flies off the rails into nonsense. Not as bad as the ridiculous and unsatisfying end of The Stand but still pretty bad.

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Zodd3224 posted...

Yes he is. Including the ending of It.

The Stand and The Dark Tower series are both incredible but have 2 of the worst endings I have ever read. The Outsider had a pretty lame ending imo as well. The Mist bothered me too.

The only books he has written where I really liked the endings were The Shining and The Tommyknockers that I can think of. Pet Semetary was fine.

I agree about the ending of The Stand. I did about The Dark Tower ending the first time I read it, upon subsequent rereads though I find it to be a fitting end. I don't necessarily like it, but it fits. How else really did you expect it to end?

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ScazarMeltex posted...

I agree about the ending of The Stand. I did about The Dark Tower ending the first time I read it, upon subsequent rereads though I find it to be a fitting end. I don't necessarily like it, but it fits. How else really did you expect it to end?

When I say the ending I really mean from book 5-7. The first 4 books progressively get better and better then book 5 is just garbage and the following 2 are just weird. To me personally I thought with the first 4 it was one of my favorite stories then 5-7 were just constant disappointment.

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Zodd3224 posted...

The child gangbang and the whole Lovecraftian interspace battle out of nowhere. Its typical King where the ending just flies off the rails into nonsense. Not as bad as the ridiculous and unsatisfying end of The Stand but still pretty bad.

I totally get the gangbang, but the larger being space shit had been hinted at and worked toward the whole time.

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Drpooplol posted...

I totally get the gangbang, but the larger being space shit had been hinted at and worked toward the whole time.

I didn't think it was completely terrible but it was strange and I didnt think it was on par with the rest of the book.

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Fair enough.

I just finished the 2nd movie and that was absolute GUTTER TRASH.

Even with the book completely dwarfing the 1st movie, it still has plenty of merit on its own. But the second movie... holy shit. I don't even know what to say.

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Of course the book is far superior

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IT is one of my favorite books, and is easily my favorite standalone book. I legit read it twice a year, probably. The original miniseries was not exceptionally faithful to the book (sans the final confrontation, which is one million times better than the conclusion of the new movies), but Tim Curry was amazing as Pennywise.

The new movies were very good and I liked them overall, but that ending....christ.

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Why didn't people like the ending to The Stand? I thought it was pretty good. Gave you a reason for Trashcanman and it was a funny ending since it was leading you to believe something real gruesome was going to happen.

Is it because it just ended like that and didn't give much a conclusion for the survivors?

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Zodd3224 posted...

I didn't think it was completely terrible but it was strange and I didnt think it was on par with the rest of the book.

It comes out of nowhere and its tone completely clashes with the scene and it's never mentioned, foreshadowed, or hinted at anywhere else in the book.

Stephen King really just wanted to write a mass child orgy.

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Haven't seen the second movie yet. Thought the first was overrated.

Allanon23 posted...

IT is one of my favorite books, and is easily my favorite standalone book. I legit read it twice a year, probably. The original miniseries was not exceptionally faithful to the book (sans the final confrontation, which is one million times better than the conclusion of the new movies), but Tim Curry was amazing as Pennywise.

The new movies were very good and I liked them overall, but that ending....christ.

Yeah I loved it and would like to read it again someday. There are very few books I have read multiple times tho.

If you're looking for another great horror book I recommend Ubik by Philip K Dick. It starts off a bit slow but when it picks up it's incredible. Probably my favorite book and I've read it like 5 times.

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Drpooplol posted...

Fair enough.

I just finished the 2nd movie and that was absolute GUTTER TRASH.

Even with the book completely dwarfing the 1st movie, it still has plenty of merit on its own. But the second movie... holy shit. I don't even know what to say.

So much this. First movie was solid though.

It is definitely one of those projects that should've been a series on Netflix or Hulu instead of a movie.

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Makeveli_lives posted...

So much this. First movie was solid though.

It is definitely one of those projects that should've been a series on Netflix or Hulu instead of a movie.

Honestly, everything should be a TV miniseries since streaming. I think movie directors try to fit too much, and cut too much, to make a truly comprehensive adaption of a book, especially ones as long as It.

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mario2000 posted...

It comes out of nowhere and its tone completely clashes with the scene and it's never mentioned, foreshadowed, or hinted at anywhere else in the book.

what are you talking about. It's noted plenty of times that the characters feel like they're being powered by some unseen force. To me it felt well communicated that there was an opposing force to It.

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I cant believe they tried to make the Dark Tower into a movie into a show as well.

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bump

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King usually ends his stories abruptly and oddly, none more so recently that I've read than The Stand, Cell, and The Outsider. Dark Tower too from back in the day. I rarely remember him sticking the landing but for me personally it doesn't ruin the entire experience.

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The ending to It is fine. Not good, but passable. The miniseries is fun and the first of the more recent films is good. The second is awful.

The ending to The Stand is awful, as are a number of King's endings.

I've never understood people saying that the endings to The Dark Tower or The Mist were bad though. I thought they were perfect.

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Drpooplol posted...

what are you talking about. It's noted plenty of times that the characters feel like they're being powered by some unseen force. To me it felt well communicated that there was an opposing force to It.

why kid orgy tho

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mario2000 posted...

why kid orgy tho

yeah that sucks one hundo

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mario2000 posted...

why kid orgy tho

I mean, a good portion of the book was about these kids coming of age and discovering sexuality, through various lenses.

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Good book. It should've been shorter though.

COVxy posted...

I mean, a good portion of the book was about these kids coming of age and discovering sexuality, through various lenses.

It doesn't even seem like the purpose was to be sexual.

It was still gross to read about (fictional) children doing that with his typical descriptions

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COVxy posted...

I mean, a good portion of the book was about these kids coming of age and discovering sexuality, through various lenses.

I feel like he could have done that just fine without throwing in a kid orgy out of batfuck nowhere.

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mario2000 posted...

why kid orgy tho

Probably because Stephen was on drugs.