Title: It
Author: Stephen King
Narrator: Steven Weber
ISBN: 9781441738738
Audiobook Length: 44 hours, 57 minutes, 0 seconds
Genre: Horror
Synopsis:
“They were just kids when they stumbled upon the horror within their hometown. Now, as adults, none of them can withstand the force that has drawn them all back to Derry, Maine, to face the nightmare without end, and the evil without a name…”
Thoughts: Remember when I said that It was not terribly scary? That I felt the story was creepy and intense but not horrifying? Forget all that. I take it back, every bit of it.
It is as if Mr. King himself is a master criminal, carefully structuring It to draw readers in and making them completely vested in the characters and the unresolved plot before he closes the trap and ensnares them, thereby preventing them from quitting the book when the plot really gets going. While the first half of the novel is definitely eerie with some distinct spine-tingling moments, Mr. King raises the ante in the second half of the book and solidifies his reputation as the king of fright. What was creepy becomes downright terrifying and what was intense becomes absolutely blood-curdling.
It is so much more than a novel about a killer clown who preys on children. It symbolizes the aging process and the loss of that sense of wonder and absolute faith in everything that makes childhood so spectacular and vivid. It is a reminder that adults need to regain that sense of magic if only to enjoy life for what it is and avoid concentrating on what it is not. It is not a bad message for a novel with a primary character of a clown who lives in the sewer.
For an author who is synonymous with fear, one would think that Mr. King would be the last person to include anything remotely religious in his novels. Yet, they are filled with very overt religious themes that never fail to surprise for their apparent unexpectedness. It is no different in this context with its overarching idea of total belief in the unbelievable, with its hints at the power of preordained fate and battles between the ultimate good versus the ultimate evil. Surprising and yet effective, these overtones help the story lose some of its cartoonishness and add an extra element of realism, as they help adults everywhere cope with very real theological ideas in a fantastical setting.
Thank goodness for Mr. Weber’s narration because without it, I seriously doubt whether I would have been able to continue the story. His energetic performance helped keep me involved, even when half of my brain was telling me to stop listening immediately. His excitement as scenes became their most tense not only added a sense of realism, it created a plethora of emotion and their corresponding bodily reactions. Raised heart rate, churning stomach, shivers running up and down the spine – Mr. Weber’s narration of Mr. King’s words created them all. It is actually quite addicting.
It is a superb horror story, filled with every type of monster – both human and inhuman – that one could hope to find in a novel. It simultaneously thrills and chills a reader to the core with its oh-so-vivid descriptions. The characters are anything but archetypes, each fully fleshed out and wonderfully average in their appearance, IQ, and abilities. Mr. King does not beat readers over the head with their perfection but rather makes them as flawed as anyone else, instantly making them sympathetic for all their un-herolike qualities. Of greater importance is that Mr. King does not resolve his story neatly and totally. Even while the story seems to over, there are enough unanswered questions to create tremendous room for doubt over the true finality of the story. If anything, this is more horrifying than anything else in the novel and creates a thoroughly creeptastic ending to one amazing story. It is the epitome of why Mr. King remains so wildly popular and should be read by everyone for its iconic images and phrases. Just be warned – it is gruesome and petrifying, but then again, would you expect anything else from Mr. King?
Acknowledgments: Mine. All mine.
Interesting. I can see what you mean about the second half bordering on the ridiculous. (What was Bev thinking?) There is just so much fodder for discussion throughout the entire book. I could discuss it at length for weeks on end!
Thanks, Care! The entire readalong has been an absolute blast, and I can't wait for the #shineon or whatever is next! And I owe you a letter; I will get to it eventually!
It will be a long time before I walk past a sewer grate without shuddering, so I know what you mean!
Absolutely! I avoided King for years because of his horror stories, but I am now absolutely hooked on them. They are brilliant commentaries on society, fear, and other very human impulses.
His books are so intimidating, but I find them much more manageable on audio. It helps bring that amazing characterization to life, whereas in print it would be so easy to skim over the minor characters. The detail is what makes these behemoths shine so brightly.
LOL! It is a trend I noticed first in The Stand, which is more overt. I saw it again in 11/22/63. It surprises me because one doesn't think of King and religious anything. If you do re-read it, I will be curious what you think of it!
It was a wonderful audiobook. Steven Weber is amazing, and I've listened to a lot of audiobook narrators over the past few years. I highly recommend it!!
That's a great comparison! He is definitely NOT a member of KISS though. I have never been a huge fan of horror books but loved this one. I would give it a try just to be able to experience King's amazing story-telling!
The clown is definitely scary, but it is the idea of fear itself that is truly terrifying. I find clowns creepy but not as bad as It's true form. If you re-read it, I will definitely be curious how it stacks up as a re-read!
LOL! IT is a long audiobook. I found it went so quickly though. The audio got me through some rough, and extremely boring, days at work, so that's probably why I feel it is a relatively quick listen. Enjoy the rest!
Honestly, it isn't that bad. I'm a huge chicken too – or at least I was. King has a way of writing a story though where the horror portions take a back seat to the characters.
Great review, very professional. it was so fun listening and tweeting along with you on is (and AP).
I was really surprised by the religious undertones when I read The Stand as well. I've been so impressed with the two King books that I've read this year and can now see why he is a beloved bestselling author. Long-winded, yes, but such a crafty storyteller. Although I'm not sure I agree with you on the scare-factor in the second half of the book. The first half was much more terrifying for me, I think because it played upon the bigger role of fear and how fear can play such tricks on your mind. And it did for me outside of reading the book–I couldn't even go up into my sewing room at night because I was terrified. But the end ventured too much into the ridiculous (I mean yes, those creatures scare everything out of me in real life but it was just so random and out of place (though I do think you made a good point on twitter about it being the thing so many people fear)). The gory graphics in the second half definitely did me in, but I was able to read it in bed at night without any repercussion.
It's been a long time since I read this – or saw the film. Great review.
I will say though, although this isn't all about the horror it certainly scared me and gave me some sort of 'clown' phobia!
Lynn 😀
Well said! It think Stephen King doesn't get the recognition he deserves. People write him off as "just a horror writer" but he is so so much more!
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"IT is so much more than a novel about a killer clown who preys on children. It symbolizes the aging process and the loss of that sense of wonder and absolute faith in everything that makes childhood so spectacular and vivid. It is a reminder that adults need to regain that sense of magic if only to enjoy life for what it is and avoid concentrating on what it is not. It is not a bad message for a novel with a primary character of a clown who lives in the sewer."
Yes! That was one of my favorite things about this book…the fact that the kids could see things that the adults couldn't, because they still had that childlike sense of wonder. (Although it's unfortunate that they were seeing the horror, too).
And as much as I bemoan the length of his books, his characterization is incredible. I'm dealing with that right now in 11/22/63. So much detail, but there are som many minor characters that I absolutely adore.
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Your review makes me want to re-read this – sort of. I know that I experience books in a whole different way today than say when I was 20 or so. I'm very interested in the religious overtones that you spotted. Hmm… I say.
Fantastic review! I would LOVE to listen to one of his books. I've never listened to an audio book in its entirety but I bet this would keep me on the edge of my seat! It's the perfect time of year for this too.
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Oh goodness, I can tell I'm way too much of a chicken for this book.
The cover model kind of reminds me of a band member of KISS. 😀
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I haven't read "It" since high school, and you're making me want to re-read it!! King is just a genius, there's no real way around it! And I remember IT as being one of the scariest of them all… (Of course, I don't fear clowns, so it must not have been that terrifying, but now I have to re-read to find out!)
(My review today was a King book as well!)
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I don't know what kind of a reader I was when I was in college but apparently, not a very good one. I read IT when I was in my 20s and loved it, but reading it now is like reading it for the first time. I don't remember any of it! Except of course, the clown. It's been a very positive experience as far as the audio goes but it's long! Too long! I thought I was close to being done but I still have 8 parts to go on my iPod.
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Sounds excellent. But I'm probably wayyy too much of a chicken butt.
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