It

So, I admit, this story scared the shit out of me the first time I read it.  It is probably one of the only books that he has written where I have been truly terrified to the depths of my soul.  The first (and last) time I read this I was 15 and I read it in 24 hours.  I could not put it down as I had to get away from him, I could not let him be in my mind for a second longer than necessary.  What I remember most after reading this book was going to town with my mom to run errands the next morning and as we were stopped at a stoplight, there on the corner was a clown. With Balloons. Standing above a storm drain.  I shit you not.  Thank God he was not wearing the exact costume and he seemed friendly enough, of course, I doubt he was evil. But, you really don't know, do you?  I have kept my distance from clowns since then.  And I will also tell you that I love Tim Curry, but there is no way, in Hell or anywhere else, that I will watch any show/movie/play/whatever based on this book

So, is this book as scary now as it was then? No, it wasn't.  Maybe it is that I am far removed from being a 12 year old kid (even though I have one of my own that age now) or maybe it is that I know the story and remember it, that I knew what to expect.  It is hard to say.  For me, this book was not nearly engaging as it was the first time, which is obvious in that it took a full month to read it.  There were some things about this book and particularly his style of writing, that really appealed to however.

First, I love the transition from the present to the past. In my mind this was a stroke of genius and it kept me engaged. I can see to some that this would be confusing or frustrating, but I rather enjoy the back and forth as it seems to fit the idea of your childhood demons coming back to haunt you. The other thing that I liked and did not remember from the first time I read this was the use of the 1958 Plymouth Fury as the car that drives Henry Bowers, it was a very creative tie in to Christine in my mind. For me, that is one of the things I really like about King, how he ties books or characters together when you least expect it.

I doubt I will ever read this book again honestly. I feel done with Pennywise both in the telling of the tale and in the hold he had over me.