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It

by Stephen King (Goodreads Author)

4.15 · Rating Details · 410,041 Ratings · 8,949 Reviews

To the children, the town was their whole world. To the adults, knowing better, Derry, Maine was just their home town: familiar, well-ordered for the most part. A good place to live.

It was the children who saw - and felt - what made Derry so horribly different. In the storm drains, in the sewers, IT lurked, taking on the shape of every nightmare, each one's deepest dread. ...more

Paperback, 1116 pages

Published October 1st 1987 by New English Library (first published September 1986)

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Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling

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Jan 12, 2011 Maciek rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: owned-books, horror, coming-of-age, favorites, own-in-paperback, own-in-hardcover, big-tomes, reviewed, classic-horror

The most important things are the hardest things to say, because words diminish them...

Some time ago the wise bald (or white) heads stationed at various universities came to an agreement that a literary form, commonly known as the novel, is dead - fewer and fewer works of any significance are written each year. Of course, one must understand the requirements the wise gentlemen expect of a novel of worth: it would be good if the writer would include some "aesthetic dignity" by including as much a ...more

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Oct 28, 2014 Khanh (the Grinch) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I'm not easily scared these days. As a grown woman, the only thing that brings the feeling of dread into my heart is the constant pinging of new work emails requiring my attention when I'm at home, but there was a time when I was a shy, delicate, sweet little girl who was scared of my own shadow.

Proof: not exactly the terror you see haunting the hallowed halls of Goodreads handing out 1 stars like they're candy these days.

It wasn't until I was around 20 that I outgrew my fear of scary creatures ...more

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Oct 16, 2014 Alejandro rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction, horror, religion, romance, paranormal, novel

You can't be clowning about IT!!!

THOSE TERRIFYING CLOWNS

It was easier to be brave when you were someone else.

It's kinda..."funny" how such characters that they are supposed to make us laugh, you can find just too much examples of "evil clowns", many from fantasy but even at least one from horrific reality, that you wouldn't want to meet in a dark alley...or any place at all!!!

The Joker, Stitches, Homie from The Simpsons, Punchinello from Dean Koontz's Life Expectancy, The Killer Klowns from ...more

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Mar 07, 2013 Jennifer rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: own

Some parts were truly creepy at first and initially, as often happens with King, I couldn't put it down. But then, as often happens with King, it hits a brick wall and becomes so over-long and has so many unnecessary elements that get in the way of the main story that it becomes a bloated, endless chore to finish. People often say they hate the ending of this book...I did not hate it or love it. I had checked out at that point and simply wanted it to be over no matter who lived or died or whethe Some parts were truly creepy at first and initially, as often happens with King, I couldn't put it down. But then, as often happens with King, it hits a brick wall and becomes so over-long and has so many unnecessary elements that get in the way of the main story that it becomes a bloated, endless chore to finish. People often say they hate the ending of this book...I did not hate it or love it. I had checked out at that point and simply wanted it to be over no matter who lived or died or whether they defeated It or not.

This book is at least 300 pages too long and that is the least that could have been completely cut out without hurting the story in the slightest. Included in those 300+ pages are some particularly disturbing sequences and elements which were just sickening, unnecessary and, to me, actually took away from the main story.

The events and elements that killed "It" for me:

1. A bizarre, out-of-nowhere scene portraying sex play between two male pre-teen, would-be murderous bullies--which had nothing to do with the story and led nowhere.

2. An extended description of animal torture/killing--which stemmed from the bully in the sex-play, which had nothing to do with the story and ultimately, again, was pointless and unnecessary.

3. A detailed description of a kid murdering a baby sibling. No point, nothing to do with the story. Again.

4. The use of the "N" word more in one place than I have ever read or heard in my life combined. Not necessary, nothing to do with the main part of the story.

5. And, the scene which blew me away and pretty much made me feel I had wasted time getting that far in: a gang-bang consisting of nothing but 11 and 12-year-olds. What the F***? And when I say "gang bang" I mean it--six boys banging the girl back-to-back. Only abnormal people do not raise an eyebrow at this scene and try to defend it as being "natural" and "normal." It's neither and most decent people would be bothered by this segment.

So, aside from those main awful things the other annoying elements: the character of Richie. I skipped a lot of his dialogue. I wanted to punch him in the face just for being annoying. And every time he did his "Mexican" voice I just cringed and skipped the next couple lines. Never has a character in a BOOK annoyed me so, so much. I was hoping he would die. Their stupid inside joke of "Beep-beep, Richie." By the twelve thousandth time one of them said this I wanted to just throw the book across the room. Painful to read.

In the end King took a super creepy story and concept which he could have effectively told in probably 500 pages and blew it up to over 1,000 with too much detail in certain parts, too much back story in others and too many subplots which didn't matter. All of which pretty much wiped out any fear or creepiness for me. By the time I got 700 or so pages in I simply was not scared, not creeped out, no longer interested and didn't care how it ended as long as it ended soon.

I am aware that some people will feel that I "just don't get it" with my review and complaints. I am totally fine with that. I am totally fine not "getting it" when it comes to this type of thing. :)

Too bad. Started off as five stars for me and crumbled onto itself into two stars.

...more

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Megami I can agree that King sometimes drones on and on to the point it becomes tedious... but I feel that the parts that offend you were still relevant to t ...more
Aug 31, 2016 04:57AM

Chelsea Roberts Although I totally agree that the whole Patrick character was unsettling, I don't believe his part was unnecessary. He definitely added to the story. Although I totally agree that the whole Patrick character was unsettling, I don't believe his part was unnecessary. He definitely added to the story. Like someone else said, he pulled emotions from me that King wanted to pull from me and ultimately made the story that much more real (and not to mention one death that I could actually cheer over).
The N-Word wasn't entirely out of place either. Unfortunately, it fits well with the characters in the book, especially for the time period. I am from Maine and in 2016 I do not hear this word much at all, HOWEVER, the fact that this area is still SO unbelievably white bread makes it so when a black person is around it's noticed. I am not proud that I see racist people around here and in fact it disgusts me, but inclusion of the word AGAIN makes it that much more real. Also, being a pretty big Stephen King fan, I definitely do notice that he does have the tendency to point out a black person in his books. I was actually pleasantly surprised to see that while reading it was not immediately obvious that Mike was black. Not against King, but... Well he writes the way it is to live in Maine. This is good AND bad.
Richie I thought was annoying, but not overly so. I enjoyed some of the things he came up with. For me, it was Bill and the stuttering that drove me nuts haha! I know he can't help it, but still. I also kept switching between Audiobook and written book so I got to hear his stutter as well.
Now, Bev... Alright. She seriously disappointed me. I agree that there wasn't a point for her to have all the boys have sex with her. That part really did make me scream "WHY?!" I don't understand how it pulled them together or why she even thought of it besides from what her father said, which it didn't seem like she exactly knew what he meant while he was talking about her being intact. They were walking, got lost, she stripped and made them "closer," and then then they got dressed and kept walking... Ok...
Besides that, I still thought the book was great! ...more
Sep 11, 2016 07:34PM

Apr 08, 2016 Stepheny rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, books-everyone-should-read, scare-the-pants-off-ya, most-excellent-audio, hands-down-favorites, coming-of-age, like-a-meth-addiction, all-hail-the-crimson-king

Let me take you all on a tour, kids. We’re going to everyone’s favorite place- Derry, Maine! We’re going to do some sight-seeing while I talk about the book that is my absolute hands-down #1 book of ALL TIME. And no, it is NOT Harry Potter! Shocking, I know! (That always surprises people.) Anyway, my name is ~~Annie Wilkes~~ Stepheny and I’ll be your tour guide!

We’re going to go where it all begins- the most infamous storm drain in all the lands. This is the storm drain where Pennywise offers little ...more

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Nov 12, 2015 Franco Santos rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, stephen-king

It (Eso) es una de mis obras favoritas de King. Y, para mí, la mejor.

Tenemos a un grupo de amigos, los autodenominados Los Perdedores, integrado por William «Bill» Denbrough, Benjamin «Ben» Hanscom, Beverly «Bev» Marsh, Richard «Richie» Tozier, Edward «Eddie» Kaspbrak, Michael «Mike» Hanlon y Stanley «Stan» Uris. Son chicos marginados, víctimas del acoso escolar y de la xenofobia. Son amigos que por separado pueden parecer débiles, pero juntos forman una fortaleza inquebrantable. Así se enfrent ...more

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Sep 11, 2016 Melissa Martin rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, own, horror-etc, stephen-king

2017!

Hello, welcome to Derry.. I'm Pennywise the Clown and at some point, especially if your a kid, I will eat your face off! Have a nice day!

The first time I read this book was in the 6th grade and I had forgotten how good it was! I loved the movie as well, but the book is so much better!

I love how Mr. King goes back and forth from when the friends were kids and to them as adults and what they do in life now, while they are on their way back to Derry. See, when they were young and all became f ...more

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Mar 25, 2014 Delee rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, horror-medium-rare-not-too-bloody, past-and-present, supernatural-or-paranormal, coming-of-age, friendship, fantasy, own, reviewed, buddy-read, ivonne-is-a-big-chicken

Alligators in the sewers?

Nope...much worse- a CLOWN!

photo 9531f123-fbeb-46cc-8f7c-807f48ca33de_zps163ad21c.jpg

I never liked clowns- not even as a child- there was always something creepy about them to me- Stephen Kings IT convinced me even more- revisiting it as an adult- that clowns are baaaaaaaaad news and not to be trusted.

photo 69395203-c0f7-468d-ae59-e2af3b01f724_zps18d788cb.jpg

photo 69395203-c0f7-468d-ae59-e2af3b01f724_zps18d788cb.jpg

October 1957- Derry, Maine- Six-year-old George Denbrough's brother- Bill is sick in bed- so George goes out alone on a rainy day to play with the paper boat Bill made for him. When the boat slides down a storm drain- George reac ...more

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Mar 12, 2015 Dan Schwent rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013, lendable, kitten-squisher

In 1958, seven kids took it upon themselves to rid the town of Derry of a child killer that took the form of a killer clown. In 1985, the clown is back and the kids return to Derry to finish what they started...

Yeah, I'm a couple decades late to the party on this one. So what? Some friends were doing a group read and I decided it was time to tackle this kitten squisher.

While it's a horror story, it's also about growing up and forgetting what it's like to be a kid. Stephen King does a great job a In 1958, seven kids took it upon themselves to rid the town of Derry of a child killer that took the form of a killer clown. In 1985, the clown is back and the kids return to Derry to finish what they started...

Yeah, I'm a couple decades late to the party on this one. So what? Some friends were doing a group read and I decided it was time to tackle this kitten squisher.

While it's a horror story, it's also about growing up and forgetting what it's like to be a kid. Stephen King does a great job at reminding me what it was like to hear noises in the night and fearing some monster is coming for you. In fact, It is the third Stephen King novel I've dreamed about while reading it, right up there with The Tommyknockers and the Dark Tower.

The characters play well off each other and feel very real. It was all too easy to imagine playing in the barrens with the Losers or running from Henry Bowers and his gang.

Having seen the mediocre TV miniseries from 1990, I was surprised by everything that was lost in translation. Lots more Pennywise in this, for one thing, and there was a lot more to the ending. As I've said in other reviews, even though I knew how things were going to turn out, King still had me on edge during some of the tense moments.

In some ways, It felt like a trial run of some concepts that found their way into the Dark Tower. The kids were definitely a Ka-Tet and felt Gunslingerish. Also, the Turtle of amazing girth upon whose shell he holds the earth.

My only gripe with the book was that I felt like it could have lost about 20% of the length and not lost a whole lot of story. There was a lot of extraneous crap. While some of it fleshed out Derry and made it feel real, some of it felt like no one had the guts to tell Sai King to cut it. In short, some places felt as bloated as a phone book left out in the rain. Was this the book where Stephen King went from "Stephen King, very successful author" to "Stephen King, no editor shall dare command me!"?

This is either a high 3 or low 4. This King guy might have a future in this business. ...more

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Dec 22, 2015 Edward Lorn rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Adults who want to feel like kids again

Recommended to Edward by: Mom

Shelves: paperbacks, audio-books, 52-in-52-2015, best-of-stephen-king

WINNER: BEST RE-READ OF 2015!

Upon finishing It, I always feel as if I've said goodbye to an old friend, one I only see every few years. I'm a bit sad, but mostly I'm happy that I got to spend what time I did with him (IT). He isn't perfect. He can be quite odd at times, but he's mostly fun to be around. I feel the need to defend him when people start downing on him, and to deride him when I catch him screwing up. I do not condone everything he does, but for the most part, he's a good dude, if a WINNER: BEST RE-READ OF 2015!

Upon finishing It, I always feel as if I've said goodbye to an old friend, one I only see every few years. I'm a bit sad, but mostly I'm happy that I got to spend what time I did with him (IT). He isn't perfect. He can be quite odd at times, but he's mostly fun to be around. I feel the need to defend him when people start downing on him, and to deride him when I catch him screwing up. I do not condone everything he does, but for the most part, he's a good dude, if a little long winded. I can see why some people can't stand to be around him, yet he reminds me what it was like to be a kid, to be free, to wield that certain magic adults seem to forget how to use. So yes, until next time, I will miss my friend.

(view spoiler)[
I understand why people become upset, and even enraged, at the scene which concludes the children's story of this book. Eleven years old is far too damn young for such activity. I agree. It's hard for even me to read. But, and this is a mighty large "but", I understand the necessity of Bev's actions. To break It's spell on them, the loser's club had to grow up, they had to "come of age" quickly, and the scene goes down the way it does. Like I said, I don't enjoy or condone the scene, but I understand it.

Next, I'm honestly quite shocked that so many people believe that It's final form is a spider. It's stated over and over again that It's final form is actually the deadlights, that cold ball of orange light cast off at the edge of oblivion. The spider is only the form in which It has been caught in. Even in It's final chapter, It thinks about how stupid it was to trap itself in a physical form, and how that action would be its downfall. I don't think that half the people who have reviewed this book on Amazon and Goodreads actually finished the novel. I believe most of them watched the movie and called it enough.

Now on to the last complaint most people have with this book. It ties directly into the Dark Tower series. You have mentions of the Beam and the Wheel, and, of course, you have the Turtle. If you have not read the Dark Tower series, all of this shit will go right over your head. I feel for ya, I do. King's a jerk (a talented jerk, mind you) for doing such. I think Stephen King firmly believes every person who reads his work will either eventually reread every novel, or read them in chronological order.

Final bit of business; conspiracy theory time. As far as I know, no one else has come across these things, so I could be on to something, or completely fucking insane. Dig on this:

Pennywise first introduces himself to Georgie as Pennywise the Dancing Clown, or, if you will, Mr. Bob Gray. The "grays" are King's aliens. The aliens in The Tommyknockers are not called Grays, but we're in the King verse and everything comes together eventually. The Grays are finally called as much in Dreamcatcher. In the chapter The Smokehouse in It, Ritchie and Mike see It crash land from somewhere. Not outer space, they feel, but somewhere else. In The Tommyknockers and Dreamcatcher, King never tells us where the Grays came from. So here's my theory. The Grays are the Old Ones from the Dark Tower series. King never discusses the Old Ones other than to say that they were a technologically advanced race of beings. Once again, I may be wrong, but it's something worth considering.
(hide spoiler)]

In summation: It was, is, and probably always will be my favorite Stephen King novel. No matter what problems it may have, it is a terrific accomplishment, and no amount of time will change that. Bill, Ben, Bev, Mike, Ritchie, Eddie, and even you Stan, I miss you already. Beep, beep, losers. Love, E.

...more

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Aug 07, 2016 Councillor rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed, 20th-century, usa, rated-3-stars, own-paperback, horror, stephen-king, to-read-2016-priority, read-2016, coming-of-age, expectations-were-high, the-cover-looks-amazing, friendship, will-be-a-classic-in-100-years, epic-saga, small-town-life, needed-two-attempts-to-get-through, rape-and-abuse, summer-atmosphere

Three stars for this monstrous book which could easily be used as a murder weapon because of its enormous length. You may rub your eyes now and ask why the hell I gave this well-known and popular Stephen King classic with four- and five-star ratings everywhere only three stars, and you’d be completely correct to do so. Don’t rely on my rating, please (and even less on my review, as it consists mostly on piling up my random thoughts).
A lot of people love this book more than I did, and while I app ...more

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Dec 06, 2012 Kathryn rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommends it for: any SK fan or someone who wants a scary novel.

Shelves: stephen-king-read, favorites, own, horror-read, 2012-read

It's 2:39 AM, and I finished IT about four or five minutes ago. As I try to think of the right words to formulate this review...I'm left with a feeling of, "Wow...."

IT is a story which is not just based on the story, but it's characters. And honestly, I think they made the story so much more. When I think of their story, and the time I invested with them, reading their journey, I feel like I kind of became apart of them. I feel like I took the journey with them. It's amazing what King can do to It's 2:39 AM, and I finished IT about four or five minutes ago. As I try to think of the right words to formulate this review...I'm left with a feeling of, "Wow...."

IT is a story which is not just based on the story, but it's characters. And honestly, I think they made the story so much more. When I think of their story, and the time I invested with them, reading their journey, I feel like I kind of became apart of them. I feel like I took the journey with them. It's amazing what King can do to the reader in regards to emotion, and evoking a sense of the same feelings the Losers felt in everything they went through. I felt like I had known versions of them in my life, and in some cases, I still do. Bill, Eddie, Beverly, Mike, Stan, Richie, and Ben were some of the most realistic characters I've ever read. I felt like I could picture them, their behaviors, and actions in my head with every page.

The descriptions of the times which take place in IT, were also so very realistic. A few times, I had to remind myself it is 2012. Not 1958. King did something special with IT, and I'm not sure exactly what it is....It might just be the sum of the entire equation which makes IT such a fantastic novel.

If you are thinking of reading IT, it is definitely worth the investment. I'm glad I took the time to read it, and not rush through it. This was my first read of IT, and I'm sure, in the future, I'll want to re-visit the Losers and Pennywise again.

Some of you who are reading this, might be wondering, "So....did it scare her?" I've been, I guess, complaining or at least mentioning, I haven't read a book which really scared me. The Shining, also by King, had a few moments. But IT definitely surpassed The Shining on the scary factor. So, I guess you could say...it's official. IT is the scariest book I've ever read. Is the entire thing scary?...No. I actually thought it was going to be going into it, but I'm actually glad it wasn't. However, there are several very creepy and some pretty scary parts. And...some disturbing parts as well...heh.

I think it is safe to say, I will never, EVER, look at a clown the same way again. ...more

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Jan 04, 2016 Γκέλλυ rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, horror

Ας ανοίξουν οι σαμπάνιες. 1039 γαμημένες σελίδες μου έφαγαν την ψυχή. Aλλά ας το πάρουμε από την αρχή.

Κάποιο βράδυ του Δεκέμβρη ζήτησα από έναν αγαπημένο φίλο να μου προτείνει ένα βιβλιο τρόμου με κλόουν και μου πρότεινε το Αυτό. Από εκείνη την μέρα, το Αυτό στοίχειωσε την ζωή μου. Δεν ήξερα τι διάβαζα, μια ιστορία τρόμου, φαντασίας, a trip down memory lane, ένα άσχημο τριπάρισμα του King? Τι σκατά διάβαζα? Και μετά κατάλαβα. Το να χαρακτηρίσεις το Αυτό ως ένα βιβλιο τρόμου είναι ανεπαρκές. Μιλά Ας ανοίξουν οι σαμπάνιες. 1039 γαμημένες σελίδες μου έφαγαν την ψυχή. Aλλά ας το πάρουμε από την αρχή.

Κάποιο βράδυ του Δεκέμβρη ζήτησα από έναν αγαπημένο φίλο να μου προτείνει ένα βιβλιο τρόμου με κλόουν και μου πρότεινε το Αυτό. Από εκείνη την μέρα, το Αυτό στοίχειωσε την ζωή μου. Δεν ήξερα τι διάβαζα, μια ιστορία τρόμου, φαντασίας, a trip down memory lane, ένα άσχημο τριπάρισμα του King? Τι σκατά διάβαζα? Και μετά κατάλαβα. Το να χαρακτηρίσεις το Αυτό ως ένα βιβλιο τρόμου είναι ανεπαρκές. Μιλάει για την δύναμη της αγάπης και της επιθυμίας , για την αξέχαστη παιδική ηλικία, για την μαγεία που είχαμε όλοι μέσα μας, την αθωότητα, την ευκολία μας να κάνουμε καρδιακούς φίλους, φίλους που μας συμπαραστέκονται όσα χρόνια και αν περάσουν, την δύναμη της φαντασίας, τότε που πιστεύαμε ότι όλα είναι πιθανά και εφικτά, για τους παιδικούς φόβους μας και την σιγουριά μας ότι κάτι μπορεί να κρύβεται κάτω από το κρεβάτι και να μας αρπάξει όταν κοιμομαστε. Όλα αυτά που ξεθωριάζουν και χάνονται καθώς ενηλικιωνόμαστε, η συρρίκνωση των ονείρων μας.

Για τον King τι να πω. Μάστορας του λόγου. Ορισμένες στιγμές ήθελα να φάω το βιβλιο από την ατελείωτη πολυλογία του, από τα τόσα συναισθήματα που μου προκαλούσε, από την ικανότητα του να σκιαγραφεί με τόση παρατηρητικότητα και λεπτομέρεια τις ψυχές των ηρώων του, από τον τρόμο που ξεκινούσε αργά και ύπουλα και σου έσφιγγε την καρδιά το βράδυ. Το παρατούσα και ξανάρχιζα. Μέχρι που έφτασα στις τελευταίες 300 σελίδες. Εκεί αισθάνθηκα λες και ήμουν σε roller coaster. Η αναμέτρηση στο παρελθόν και στο παρόν, το τελικό ξεκαθάρισμα, η λύτρωση.

Το να πω ότι το λάτρεψα είναι λίγο. 5 αστέρια. Sorry for the language αλλά τα παραπάνω γράφτηκαν κατά τις 4 το βράδυ ύστερα από κατανάλωση υπερβολικής ποσότητας σοκολάτας, σκέφτηκα να το σουλουπώσω αλλά μετά λέω, fuck it, δεν θα ταίριαζε σε τέτοιο βιβλιο. Θα κλείσω με τα λόγια του King.

«Γ ι’ αυτό να οδηγείς γρήγορα, να φεύγεις οδηγώντας γρήγορα, ενώ το φως χάνεται, να φεύγεις μακριά από το Ντέρι, από τη μνήμη...αλλά όχι από την επιθυμία. Η επιθυμία παραμένει, είναι το λαμπερό καμέο που αντιπροσωπεύει αυτό που ήμαστε και αυτό που πιστεύαμε σαν παιδιά, όλα όσα έλαμπαν στα μάτια μας ακόμα κι όταν χανόμασταν και όταν ο άνεμος φυσούσε τη νύχτα. Φεύγα μακριά και φρόντισε να χαμογελάς πάντα. Βάλε στο ραδιόφωνο λίγο ροκ εντ ρολ και πήγαινε εκεί όπου είναι η ζωή, με όλο το θάρρος που μπορείς να βρεις και με όλη την πίστη που μπορείς να συγκεντρώσεις. Να είσαι αληθινός, γενναίος, να κρατάς γερά. Όλα τα υπόλοιπα είναι σκοτάδι.»
...more

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Nov 22, 2011 Monk rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommends it for: King Fans, people not scared shitless of clowns

Shelves: macabre

Holy crap this book was scary. I've always been a fan of horror novels, but very few have ever actually scared me. This book did the trick.

It's the story of a group of friends who as children did a very, very brave and noble thing. A supernatural force lives under their hometown of Derry, Maine. This force hibernates in thirty year cycles and comes to the surface to feast upon its prey - human children. It thrives on their fear as well as their flesh, and typically disguises itself as the demoni ...more

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Jun 22, 2015 Mateo rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites

La presión casi tiránica que recibí de varias personas para leerme la novela de Stephen King, llegó a su fin cuando abrí y me sucumbí ante la historia ambientada en el frío y distante Derry. La novela de King, nos cuenta dos historias en diferentes tiempos; la primera es la de siete niños en sus principios de pubertad que se ven afectados por un macabro y difícil ambiente de discriminación y segregación por parte de padres y compañeros, mezclado con una amenaza constante de un violento ser lo cu ...more

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Aug 29, 2016 David "proud Gleeman in Branwen's adventuring party" rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: horror, read-by-kindlelight, 2013-reads, whoa-thats-messed-up

Much like the titular monster that lurks within its pages, this book is many things. It's terrifying, it's sweet, it's disturbing, it's sad. But most of all, It is amazing!

The town of Derry is haunted by an evil with thousands of faces. With the entire town caught in the horrible creature's grasp, some of the residents are forced to confront their greatest nightmares, while others are forced to become the nightmares! Many years ago, a group of seven outcast children believed they had discovered ...more

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Jan 23, 2015 Kemper rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: horror, monsters, 2013-reread

Only Stephen King could write an 1100 page book about the innocence and wonder of childhood, and then kick it off with a six-year-old boy getting his arm ripped off by a clown.

Derry, Maine, in 1958 is a bad place to be if you’re a kid. Child disappearances and murders are occurring with astonishing regularity, and while the adults set curfews and hunt for maniacs, a group of 11-year-old outcasts know the truth. A supernatural entity has been terrorizing and killing the children of Derry. These Only Stephen King could write an 1100 page book about the innocence and wonder of childhood, and then kick it off with a six-year-old boy getting his arm ripped off by a clown.

Derry, Maine, in 1958 is a bad place to be if you’re a kid. Child disappearances and murders are occurring with astonishing regularity, and while the adults set curfews and hunt for maniacs, a group of 11-year-old outcasts know the truth. A supernatural entity has been terrorizing and killing the children of Derry. These 7 kids eventually band together into a self-proclaimed Loser’s Club dedicated to destroy the evil they call It.

In 1985 the members of the Losers are called together again in order to fulfill a childhood promise to return to Derry if It ever returned. However, now they’re adults who have only foggy memories of exactly what they did to stop It the first time.

With the creation of It, King threw a kitchen sink full of monsters into this with the villain able to take the form of whatever will scare it’s latest victim the most. So the kids alternately face everything from werewolves, mummies, lepers, crawling eyes, giant birds and Frankenstein’s monster with It using the form of a demonic clown called Pennywise as the baseline. The concept that it’s the belief system of the kids that they use as their main weapon against It was a clever idea. So if it’s a werewolf and the kids believe it’s a werewolf, then they also believe that silver can be used against the creature, and It has to abide by those rules.

Another of the more successful aspects of this book is how King creates 7 likeable kid characters and then writes them as adults so that they really seem like the same people. Another part of this that is particularly sharp is just how well he portrays the sheer terror that each character seems to feel at one time or another. While he presents all as being brave and stepping up when it’s Big-Damn-Hero time, they all also have moments where they’re pushed almost to their limits or beyond.

However, I’ve never been as high on this one as a lot of King fans are. I originally read it when I was 5 years older than the age of the Losers in their 1958 story so I had just left the age of childhood fantasy behind and wasn’t particularly enthralled with revisiting the concept. On the flip side of that, this was adult King engaging in a bit of nostalgia porn, and I was far too young to understand the fleeting nature of youth. Now I’m 5 years older than the Loser’s were in the 1985 portion of the story so it’s like I’m traveling back to the time I should be nostalgic about to listen to an older person’s nostalgia of yet an earlier time. In short, I’m always out of sync with King’s rhythm when it comes to this one.

It’s some of King’s best work at tapping into the minds of kids as well as the bittersweet nature of looking back at that time as an adult, but it’s also one where he gave in to his worst impulses in letting the book bloat far beyond what was needed to tell the story

There’s a couple of other factors that keep this from being top shelf King for me, but they are filled with spoilers so don’t read any further if you don’t want to know.

(view spoiler)[ * I hated this the first time I read It, and my opinion didn’t improve this time through. The idea that there’s an underage gang bang on poor Bev to reestablish the connection between the Losers when they’re lost in the sewers after facing It the first time is completely unnecessary and puts a layer of ‘Ewww!‘ all over the childhood relationships.

* Poor Bev really gets the worst of it in a lot of ways in this book. Not only does she have sex with six guys to save them all, she’s the only one of the Losers to have an absolutely terrible life with her abusive husband as an adult. Granted, Eddie has a miserable marriage and Mike got stuck in Derry, but she’s the only one who gets used as a punching bag which seems odd considering that King indicates that they’re all under the spell/protection of the Turtle or whatever force of good made most of them rich but childless. ( Yeah, I know it relates back to her father, but it still seems grossly unfair.)

* By the end, two of the Losers are dead, and the survivors won’t even get to remember each other or what they did. (I always wondered how Ben and Bev going off together as a couple at the end would work. Did they forget each other if one of them went to the store or something?) But they managed to kill It once and for all, right? That’s what we spent all that effort to find out, isn’t it? That the Losers suffered and don’t even get to celebrate their victory for long, but at least It is dead so the whole thing had to be worth it. Unless…….

You read Dreamcatcher which features a brief scene where a character goes to Derry and sees a memorial placed there by the Loser’s Club for all the kids who died, but which has the ominous graffiti message of ‘Pennywise Lives!’ on it.

First off, if the Losers can’t remember what happened or even each other, how did they put up a memorial? Secondly, the idea that I read this mammoth story only to have King retroactively throw a shadow over the ending by putting a line into another book severely pisses me off. After the unambiguous statement that It was dead at the end, an author shouldn’t play it cute and toss a line off for cheap thrills in something else that undermines the entire book. That is complete and utter bullshit of the highest order. (hide spoiler)] ...more

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Jun 09, 2015 Will M. rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal, horror, books-i-own, 2015

"I don't want you to make a career out of running away... and what it all comes down to is that you have to be careful where you take your stand."

Members of the Losers Club have been experiencing supernatural occurrences from Clowns and other weird things. They gang up and contemplated whether to either run away or fight the damn things. Aside from the creepy clowns though, they also have a group of teenagers who would stop at nothing to either beat them up or kill them.

This is not King's bes ...more

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Jun 12, 2016 Joaquin Garza rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: horror-y-gótica, ciencia-ficción-y-fantasía

Éste es un libro muy especial para mí. Lo escogí para leerlo justo cuando estoy cumpliendo treinta años. Es el libro que más vendió de acuerdo al NYT en el año en que nací. También porque es un libro que habla del dolor de crecer confrontado con la oscuridad de un mal cósmico.

Como lógicamente juega con las incertidumbres propias de la edad adulta, qué mejor. Y para rematar, como niño de los noventa me sigue dando miedo pensar en Tim Curry vestido de payaso (cuando estén solos en su casa piensen Éste es un libro muy especial para mí. Lo escogí para leerlo justo cuando estoy cumpliendo treinta años. Es el libro que más vendió de acuerdo al NYT en el año en que nací. También porque es un libro que habla del dolor de crecer confrontado con la oscuridad de un mal cósmico.

Como lógicamente juega con las incertidumbres propias de la edad adulta, qué mejor. Y para rematar, como niño de los noventa me sigue dando miedo pensar en Tim Curry vestido de payaso (cuando estén solos en su casa piensen en Tim Curry vestido de payaso saliendo de la regadera y me cuentan). No llevaba leídas ni cien páginas y ya estaba viendo con desconfianza las coladeras del estacionamiento de mi condominio, por las que se filtra algo de un riachuelo y todo el día y toda la noche suenan a agua corriente. A las quinientas páginas ya dormía con la puerta del clóset cerrada.

He aprendido que los libros del maestro vienen como una escala de salsas en un restaurante de alitas picantes. Hay salsas agridulces, que no pican (El cuerpo, Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile), hay salsas que pican poquito porque retratan una violencia que viene exclusivamente del hombre (casi todos los Bachman, Under the Dome), hay algunos que pican más o menos e involucran algo sobrenatural (Carrie, Cell, Duma Key) y están los que pican mucho (El Resplandor, Eso, Revival). En este caso, King le da una vuelta interesante al tema lovecraftiano del mal cósmico. En vez de que el ser humano sea sólo una externalidad entre el choque de fuerzas superiores, en este caso el monstruo se alimenta y a su vez alimenta lo que es, como dijo Shakespeare ‘el mal que hacen los hombres’. Lo que es un twist interesante y verdaderamente moderno es que estos males reflejan las preocupaciones eternas de un estadounidense de clase trabajadora pero más o menos ilustrado (como King, que es una combinación rara): el mal que hacen los hombres y que alimenta a Eso son los males endémicos de la sociedad estadounidense. El racismo eterno. El bullying eterno. La violencia que parece brotar de pulsiones enfrentadas al puritanismo de toda la vida.

También he aprendido que el estilo de King se ha vuelto menos aventurado a través del tiempo. No sé si en drogas escribía con más brío, pero la estructura narrativa (que no la prosa) de Carrie, Resplandor o Eso es infinitamente superior a las de obras como Duma Key, Revival o Cell. Lo cual resulta una divertida ironía, pues en aquella época los críticos se lo comían como autor de fruslerías y hoy día, con su medalla nacional de las artes al cuello, King está ya más allá del bien y del mal. Bueno, quizá un poco más del lado del mal (guiño-guiño).

No voy a repetir a muchos otros sobre lo grande de este libro. Si le digo a mi mamá que una novela de más de mil páginas que trata de una entidad que la hace de payaso y se dedica a comer niños es una historia de amor bellamente contada a la niñez, su inocencia y a lo incondicional que es una amistad infantil no me creería. Pero sé que el resto de aquellos que han leído este libro bien que lo harán.

La pregunta es, sobre si la obra cumbre de King es Eso o El Resplandor. No nos metamos en debates (Carrie y Misery son contendientes. Las novelas cortas de Las Cuatro Estaciones son lo que mejor ha escrito, pero no son terror. De Apocalipsis y la Torre Oscura no sé, pero no las siento tan clavadas en la cultura popular) Me inclino por el momento por decir que según yo Eso es el epicentro de la titánica obra de King, alrededor de ella gira toda su prosa y el malhadado día en que este mago contador de historias nos sea arrebatado diremos: ‘Ha flotado. Todos flotaremos algún día’. ...more

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Apr 30, 2008 Joe rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: stephen-king, 5-worst

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Before I start...I know everyone will be upset to see me rate it so low. And some will be even more furious with the reasons that I give. Still, I'd appriciate it if you'd wait, and try to see that I'm not giving it one star for its content. (I give The Stand four stars, and its content could be argued to be just as bad.)

It is certainly a horror novel. However, I found only a couple parts of it that were at all scary. The rest of it was more like the drama in "The Body". For me, these two aspect ...more

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Jun 04, 2016 Xime García rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: love-love-love, leídos-en-inglés, reseñados, se-merecen-10-estrellas

Esa soy yo teniendo resaca del libro en la clase de la mañana.

Esto no será una reseña, será catársis. No me voy a extender a hablar sobre qué se trata el libro - ya todos lo hicieron, y ya todos expusieron todo lo que se podría decir de la historia mejor que yo. Sí puedo hablar de cómo me hizo sentir, de cómo las últimas cincuenta páginas las tuve que leer borrosamente a causa de las lágrimas, de cómo me esperaba una historia de terror pero lo que menos encontré fue miedo, sino que encontré am ...more

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Sep 23, 2007 Chammy added it · review of another edition

I really hate clowns.. never finished the book

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Jul 26, 2016 Kostas Papadatos rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Eπιτέλους, τελείωσα το πιο ΦΛΥΑΡΟ, γεμάτο περιττές λεπτομέρειες και το πιο αργό σε δράση βιβλίο στην ιστορία των βιβλίων. Εντάξει, δε γνωρίζω ούτε έναν άνθρωπο που να το έχει διαβάσει και να το έχει τελειώσει μέσα σε ένα εύλογο χρονικό διάστημα. Στη δικιά μου περίπτωση, τον ενάμιση μήνα που κράτησε η ανάγνωση του, πρόλαβα ένα Brexit, ένα πραξικόπημα μούφα, δυο τρομοκρατικά χτυπήματα και τον Κιμ Γιονγκ Ουν τριάντα κιλά πιο ελαφρύ, γιατί? Γιατί ήταν ΒΑΡΕΤΟ διάολε, πιο βαρετό και από talkshow του Π Eπιτέλους, τελείωσα το πιο ΦΛΥΑΡΟ, γεμάτο περιττές λεπτομέρειες και το πιο αργό σε δράση βιβλίο στην ιστορία των βιβλίων. Εντάξει, δε γνωρίζω ούτε έναν άνθρωπο που να το έχει διαβάσει και να το έχει τελειώσει μέσα σε ένα εύλογο χρονικό διάστημα. Στη δικιά μου περίπτωση, τον ενάμιση μήνα που κράτησε η ανάγνωση του, πρόλαβα ένα Brexit, ένα πραξικόπημα μούφα, δυο τρομοκρατικά χτυπήματα και τον Κιμ Γιονγκ Ουν τριάντα κιλά πιο ελαφρύ, γιατί? Γιατί ήταν ΒΑΡΕΤΟ διάολε, πιο βαρετό και από talkshow του Πρετεντέρη. Φανταστείτε, το <<κακό>> (Το Αυτό δηλαδή) στο βιβλίο είναι τόσο άχρηστο, που δεν μπορεί να τα βγάλει πέρα με μια παρέα χεσμένων από το φόβο τους δωδεκάχρονων. Βιβλίο τρόμου σου λέει μετά, τρομακτική είναι μια βόλτα στην Ευριπίδου τα μεσάνυχτα, όχι το συγκεκριμένο βιβλίο. Εντάξει, του δίνω την απίστευτη ανάπτυξη χαρακτήρων. Αυτό και μόνο όμως. Η ακατάσχετη φλυαρία του τα γκρέμιζε όλα. Χαρακτηριστικό παράδειγμα? Λίγο πριν το τέλος, εκεί όπου ξεκινούσε η τελική αναμέτρηση με το κακό, μας γειώνει κανονικά, με τη παντελώς αχρείαστη για την πλοκή πεντασέλιδη περιγραφή, περί φασολιών και πορδών (συγγνώμη αλλά αυτό ακριβώς περιγράφει). Στο χωριό μου λέμε πως με κλανιές δε βάφονται αβγά, γι΄αυτό King -περισσότερη ουσία, λιγότερες περιττές λεπτομέρειες-. Το μόνο θετικό που βγήκε από την ανάγνωση του βιβλίου, είναι το γεμάτο (πλέον) μυς δεξί μου χέρι (1039 σελίδες ήταν αυτές και σχεδόν ενάμιση κιλό). Αυτά. ...more

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Aug 26, 2016 sweet jane rated it liked it · review of another edition

Έχει τα καλά και τα κακά του.
Αν θέλετε να διαβάσετε την ορθή κριτική θα την βρείτε στο μπλογκ μου

ΠΡΟΕΙΔΟΠΟΙΩ! Ακολουθεί πικρόχολη επισήμανση αστοχιών γεμάτη με spoilers.

Καθίστε ξανά πίσω στα κρεβάτια, τις πολυθρόνες και τις ψαροκασέλες σας. Το Αυτό είναι μια αράχνη. Μια γιγάντια, χνουδωτή, αιωνόβια αράχνη. ΓΚΑΣΤΡΩΜΕΝΗ. Πάμε όλοι μαζί!Έχει κατασπαράξει από νεογέννητα μέχρι υπερήλικες, τι; Μια αράχνη. Μοιράζει μπαλόνια με φόβο και τσιμπούκια από λεπρούς, τι; Μια αράχνη.
Ούτε καν κατσαρίδα. Δεν ξέ Έχει τα καλά και τα κακά του.
Αν θέλετε να διαβάσετε την ορθή κριτική θα την βρείτε στο μπλογκ μου

ΠΡΟΕΙΔΟΠΟΙΩ! Ακολουθεί πικρόχολη επισήμανση αστοχιών γεμάτη με spoilers.

Καθίστε ξανά πίσω στα κρεβάτια, τις πολυθρόνες και τις ψαροκασέλες σας. Το Αυτό είναι μια αράχνη. Μια γιγάντια, χνουδωτή, αιωνόβια αράχνη. ΓΚΑΣΤΡΩΜΕΝΗ. Πάμε όλοι μαζί!Έχει κατασπαράξει από νεογέννητα μέχρι υπερήλικες, τι; Μια αράχνη. Μοιράζει μπαλόνια με φόβο και τσιμπούκια από λεπρούς, τι; Μια αράχνη.
Ούτε καν κατσαρίδα. Δεν ξέρω για σας, αλλά εγώ έμεινα μαλάκας όταν το κατάλαβα.

Στο κεφάλι του King τα εντεκάχρονα πηδιούνται για να πάρουν την σωστή κατεύθυνση. Γιατί το νινι σέρνει καράβι με gps φίλοι μου. (ΝΑΙ ΝΑΙ ξέρω ήταν ένα μεταφορικό κομμάτι της πλοκής για να αναδειχθεί η αξία της ένωσης και της φιλίας. Αυτά μας τα παν κι άλλοι που την είχαν πιο μεγάλη!)

Από καταβολής του κόσμου το Αυτό ζούσε κάτω από το Ντέρι και κατασπάραζε κοσμάκη. Τον τρόμαζε, τον εξαπατουσε και τον πήγαινε στα υπόγεια μπουντρούμια του για να τον ρουφήξει, όπως κάνει κάθε αράχνη που σέβεται τον εαυτό της. Έστω. Και έρχονται εφτά νιάνιαρα που ακόμα τρέχουν μετά το σχόλασμα για να γλιτώσουν απ τον νταή του σχολείου και του αλλάζουν τα φώτα. Και όλα αυτά με μία μονάχα απώλεια εκ μέρους τους, τον θάνατο του Έντι, ενός μαλθακού αρρωστοφοβικού μαμάκια. Δηλαδή του λιγότερου δυνατού adaptable χαρακτήρα από το αναγνωστικό κοινό. Για να αντισταθμίσει τώρα αυτό τον αναίμακτο κατα τα άλλα θάνατο, ο King ρίχνει τις δέκα πληγές του Φαραώ στο Ντέρι. Και έζησαν αυτοί καλά και εμείς σίγουρα χειρότερα.

Και μη χειρότερα λέω γω! ...more

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Nov 09, 2015 Evelyn (devours and digests words) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: great-characterization, favourites, unique-story-lines, mind-fucked, worldbuilding-for-the-win, welcome-to-the-dark-side, childhood-nostalgia, stephen-king, messed-with-my-feelings, writing-i-would-love-to-imitate, bagful-of-laughs, blood-and-flying-entrails, lgbtqia

Come to me, children, and see how we float down here . . . how we all FLOAT.

This one didn't plant that seed of fear for clowns in me like I was expecting it will but I have a feeling, clowns will never look the same for me anymore.

Stephen King really went on full force with this one. Not all the horrors in IT deal with the supernatural - there are many depiction of real life horror as well. I admit, at times it is very uncomfortable for me to continue reading because the book delved deep into t ...more

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Jan 16, 2015 Paul Nelson rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommends it for: everyone

Shelves: horror, 2015-books-read

Another one completed on my Stephen King quest and what a book to start the year on, a relative monster at 1376 kindle pages taking me just under two weeks to read and another one that will stick in the dark recesses of my memory for quite some time.

Pretty much everyone's read this book so this is potentially a spoiler laden trip encompassing the things I enjoyed most about this journey to Derry and a 'Look Through Hell’s Back Door'.

Now IT is a cleverly laid out story in probably my favourite me ...more

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Nov 25, 2015 Athena Shardbearer rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: buddy-read, all-of-me

We all float down here.

New phobias since finishing It.

Balloons
Clowns
Bathrooms
Sinks
Bridges
Ditches
Rivers
Streams
Parks
Birds <---------------DAMN YOU, KING!!!!!!
Pictures
Drains
Crickets
Eyeballs..............DON'T LOOK AT ME!!!!
Seed & Teeth *goosebumps*
Fortune Cookies OH GAH!
Flies
Clothes Lines
Bikes
People
Tea & Teacups
SMALL TOWNS!
My Childhood
Dreams

You almost took libraries from me...but I will resist!!!!

I never seen the movie as a kid, and all my family members watched this and told me how ho ...more

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Oct 20, 2013 Becky rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: horror, owned, politicalish, multi-dimensional, reviewed, fantasy, audiobook, highly-recommended, ebook_kindle, 2013

When I mentioned to a friend that I was re-reading IT, he replied with "Ehh, It's just Stand By Me with a monster. It's overrated." It should be noted that this friend is a movie person (if that wasn't apparent by his use of the movie's title, and not the story's title "The Body"), and I am a book person. It's like we're speaking different languages when we talk about King, because his books, in my personal opinion and with a few exceptions, do not good adaptations make. And since my friend is l ...more

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Sep 05, 2016 Cindy Newton rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, horror, stephen-king, audible

This is only my third audio book, but it is definitely the most successful. I have to confess, I feel like Steven Weber and I are close, warm, personal friends after he has read this entire mammoth tome to me. In my mind, I could see him, Jack Torrance, sitting in the Overlook Hotel, reading the words to me with all the emotions of the characters, doing the different voices. Maybe we would be in front of the fire in the downstairs lodge area, or just sitting at a table in the Gold Ballroom, or h This is only my third audio book, but it is definitely the most successful. I have to confess, I feel like Steven Weber and I are close, warm, personal friends after he has read this entire mammoth tome to me. In my mind, I could see him, Jack Torrance, sitting in the Overlook Hotel, reading the words to me with all the emotions of the characters, doing the different voices. Maybe we would be in front of the fire in the downstairs lodge area, or just sitting at a table in the Gold Ballroom, or having ice cream at the stainless steel counters in the enormous kitchen. Okay, enough of my Stephen King fused-fantasies. But I did have Jack's voice in my ear for 44 hours--that's gotta mean something, right?

Anyway, I've read this book before, many moons ago, and I've seen the mini-series countless times. Of course, I found I had forgotten many, many details, especially those not included in the mini-series. I am all agog to see the new movies that are being filmed right now. Like many others I've heard, I'm not sure that splitting apart the two halves that make up the whole (the children's experiences from the adult's experiences) is going to be successful, but I'm willing to believe. I really enjoyed the gradual revealing of the story by the alternating time frames, and I thought it really built up the suspense.

For those of you who have never read this, it is the story of a group of young kids who name themselves The Losers Club in the small Maine town of Derry in 1958. Innocent young children in a sleepy little town in an innocent time in our history--what could be scary about that? Aah, but this sleepy little town has a decidedly dark side, a seedy underbelly that is not visible to the passer-by. And these children are not so innocent. They are all considered outsiders, outcasts by the other children for one reason or another. Some have experienced tragedy of some sort in their short lives, such as loss of a loved one, or abuse. They are all considered prey by the group of bullies led by Henry Bowers, a somewhat psychotic bigger kid. They come together, drawn by forces stronger than themselves, to confront the darkness that controls and is protected by the town.

King does an amazing job of making these characters come alive on the page. He conveys the minds of these children with a purity and realism that is staggering. This ability to see the world through a child's eyes--convincingly--is one of King's particular talents. The town also comes alive--he creates an amazing backstory for it, and it takes on a life of its own. I was completely drawn into this world that he created.

These children take on an evil entity that no adult would have dared face, and defeat it--or so they thought. Unfortunately, it is only wounded, and it reappears after twenty-seven dormant years. Mike Hanlon, the only one of the "losers" who remained in Derry, and consequently, the only one who actually remembered what happened all those years ago, contacts the other six and reminds them of the blood oath they swore: to come back and fight IT if IT every returned. And so their nightmare begins again.

I am a die-hard King fan and love most of his work, but it is this one, and The Stand that rank as my favorites. I feel that his world-building in these two is at its peak. (I haven't finished the Dark Tower series yet, so I'm not counting those books). The characters are likable and well-developed and real, as is the setting. Then you have the sinister clown/shape-shifter--that is truly the stuff of nightmares. An evil entity is scary enough, but one that can unerringly choose the shape of whatever it is that you fear the most?

I look back at this review and can only reflect on my own inadequacy to completely convey my powerful feelings for this book. I hope that if you haven't read it yet, that you give it a try. If you're daunted by the monstrous size (no pun intended), then consider the audio. Jack Torrance does a hell of a job conveying the horror of this story! ...more

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Mar 21, 2011 TK421 rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi, horror-thriller

I read this many moons ago and still think about it now and then. It's that kind of story.

Sure clowns are friggin crapyourpantsandrun scary, but what's scarier about this book is that the monster can be anything it wants to be.

Clowns don't scare you, no problem--how about a werewolf?

Not scared of werewolves--how about an angry, roaming hands father...or a dead father...or a clan of psychiotics that would love nothing more than to see your blood spill on the ground...or a hairy spider with "dea ...more

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About Stephen King

Stephen Edwin King was born the second son of Donald and Nellie Ruth Pillsbury King. After his father left them when Stephen was two, he and his older brother, David, were raised by his mother. Parts of his childhood were spent in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where his father's family was at the time, and in Stratford, Connecticut. When Stephen was eleven, his mother brought her children back to Durham, M Stephen Edwin King was born the second son of Donald and Nellie Ruth Pillsbury King. After his father left them when Stephen was two, he and his older brother, David, were raised by his mother. Parts of his childhood were spent in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where his father's family was at the time, and in Stratford, Connecticut. When Stephen was eleven, his mother brought her children back to Durham, Maine, for good. Her parents, Guy and Nellie Pillsbury, had become incapacitated with old age, and Ruth King was persuaded by her sisters to take over the physical care of them. Other family members provided a small house in Durham and financial support. After Stephen's grandparents passed away, Mrs. King found work in the kitchens of Pineland, a nearby residential facility for the mentally challenged.

Stephen attended the grammar school in Durham and Lisbon Falls High School, graduating in 1966. From his sophomore year at the University of Maine at Orono, he wrote a weekly column for the school newspaper, THE MAINE CAMPUS. He was also active in student politics, serving as a member of the Student Senate. He came to support the anti-war movement on the Orono campus, arriving at his stance from a conservative view that the war in Vietnam was unconstitutional. He graduated in 1970, with a B.A. in English and qualified to teach on the high school level. A draft board examination immediately post-graduation found him 4-F on grounds of high blood pressure, limited vision, flat feet, and punctured eardrums.

He met Tabitha Spruce in the stacks of the Fogler Library at the University, where they both worked as students; they married in January of 1971. As Stephen was unable to find placement as a teacher immediately, the Kings lived on his earnings as a laborer at an industrial laundry, and her student loan and savings, with an occasional boost from a short story sale to men's magazines.

Stephen made his first professional short story sale ("The Glass Floor") to Startling Mystery Stories in 1967. Throughout the early years of his marriage, he continued to sell stories to men's magazines. Many were gathered into the Night Shift collection or appeared in other anthologies.

In the fall of 1971, Stephen began teaching English at Hampden Academy, the public high school in Hampden, Maine. Writing in the evenings and on the weekends, he continued to produce short stories and to work on novels. ...more

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