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Khanh, first of her name, mother of bunnies's Reviews > It
It
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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 ŷ 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 and things, and stopped tucking in my toes between the blankets, lest they get eaten by monsters, but before that happened...there was It. I can say with complete confidence that this goddamn book (and the movie) scarred me for life.
A sentiment that I'm sure many of you who have read the book and seen the movie echoes.
I remember the exact moment I saw this movie. It's not something one forgets.
I was 16 years old. I was in Academic Decathlon competition in high school, and after studying for the competition, our little group decided on a movie night. The selection: Stephen King's It.
From the moment that goddamn clown popped up on the screen from beneath the sewer, I knew this was a terrible, no-good, bad idea. I spent the rest of the movie hovering on the edge of my seat, crouched between my best friends, hands either over my eyes or clamped over my mouth to suppress my screams.
I went home. I didn't sleep that night. Neither did I get much sleep for the next two weeks. A few months later, it was winter. Spirit of the season. Clowns can't haunt me when it's Christmas, right? I was brave enough to actually read the book this time.
Bad idea.
So in closing, damn you, Stephen King. Out of all your books, this one has scarred me most.
These days, I maintain a terror of two things: mummies (long story), and clowns. I can no longer visit theme parks at Halloween.
Thank you, Mr. King. You shouldn't have. No, you really shouldn't have.
Proof: not exactly the terror you see haunting the hallowed halls of ŷ 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 and things, and stopped tucking in my toes between the blankets, lest they get eaten by monsters, but before that happened...there was It. I can say with complete confidence that this goddamn book (and the movie) scarred me for life.
A sentiment that I'm sure many of you who have read the book and seen the movie echoes.
I remember the exact moment I saw this movie. It's not something one forgets.
I was 16 years old. I was in Academic Decathlon competition in high school, and after studying for the competition, our little group decided on a movie night. The selection: Stephen King's It.
From the moment that goddamn clown popped up on the screen from beneath the sewer, I knew this was a terrible, no-good, bad idea. I spent the rest of the movie hovering on the edge of my seat, crouched between my best friends, hands either over my eyes or clamped over my mouth to suppress my screams.
I went home. I didn't sleep that night. Neither did I get much sleep for the next two weeks. A few months later, it was winter. Spirit of the season. Clowns can't haunt me when it's Christmas, right? I was brave enough to actually read the book this time.
Bad idea.
So in closing, damn you, Stephen King. Out of all your books, this one has scarred me most.
These days, I maintain a terror of two things: mummies (long story), and clowns. I can no longer visit theme parks at Halloween.
Thank you, Mr. King. You shouldn't have. No, you really shouldn't have.
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Reading Progress
Finished Reading
April 7, 2013
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Comments Showing 1-50 of 75 (75 new)
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shady boots
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Oct 27, 2014 01:16PM
I've never read the book, but the movie sure as fuck scarred me. I've never looked at clowns the same way again.
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Now I REALLY would love to hear the long story about mummies.
I was 9-10 years old. We had just come over to the US, and my dad borrowed me some books from the library. I don't think he had any idea what he was borrowing me (didn't speak English), so he just grabbed a handful of random children's books.One of those books happened to be a book about mummies.
I didn't understand English well. We had only been in the US for a few months, but I knew enough to recognize "dead body" "preserved" "salt" "thousands of years" and "A PICK INSERTED INTO YOUR FUCKING NOSE."
Ok, so not the latter, but something like that.
There were pictures.
For weeks, I could not sleep. I could not shower without turning around. I could barely bathe, and I was probably very, very dirty, and I'm glad that children do not sweat much.
Sometime in 6th grade, we studied mummies. There was a page with an unwrapped mummy. I taped that shit up so I wouldn't have to look at it. And then somehow I drew the conclusion that mummies = chicken nuggets (don't ask), and couldn't eat chicken nuggets again for years.
I love Egyptian history. I just can't stand mummies. My fear remains til this day. I will kick the crap out of you if you attempt to bring me into a mummy exhibit in a museum.
Totally thought the title of the book was "Kicking It" LOL!
Oh sweet Lord, it kind of reminds me of those times when me and my grandfather used to play "The Library" (which meant my grandfather had enough of playing with me and wanted to read a book in peace, so we were just reading together, pretending to be in a library) and he gave me Edgar Allan Poe's "The Premature Burial" to read.I was freaking 8 years old. Scarred for life.
Thanks, father figures.
OMG that fucking clown. Scares the hell out of me since I'm a child.
I just bought this one two weeks ago :D I'm ready to feel the fear!
I cannot read Stephen King. I suffer insomnia so bad, I'd never recover. I also veer away from movie adaptations of his horror books. I'm too chicken-hearted for his horror. I loved Shawshank Redemption and Green Mile, but those weren't horror. I never read or watched IT. But this kid freaks me the F out...
Awesome review! Oh man, I never could get into clowns!
Try reading this and having a dad that was once a professional clown. Talk about a nightmare come to life. I tell people and the just look at me in horror.
April wrote: "Try reading this and having a dad that was once a professional clown. Talk about a nightmare come to life. I tell people and the just look at me in horror."Are you kidding me?!
Khanh (Kittens, Rainbows, and Sunshine) wrote: "April wrote: "Try reading this and having a dad that was once a professional clown. Talk about a nightmare come to life. I tell people and the just look at me in horror."Are you kidding me?!"
Lol nope, not kidding at all!! My father did it as a side job. His clown name was Bumbles. I thought it was great. Now everyone's response is like, oh shit, that's scary!!
Personally, I'm not sure which is worse--It, aka "Pennywise the Dancing Clown", or the asshole adults that abuse their own children?
This book is always one that terrifies me, and I don't scare easily.
I'm reading this right now...the last (and only other time) I read it, I was 14 years old. It scared the bejesus out of me. I'm 31 now, and I'm faring *slightly* better. It doesn't help that there is a character named Beverly...no one is ever named Beverly, and BOOM! A Beverly in one of, if not THE scariest fucking books I've ever read. We all float down here.
Khanh (Kittens, Rainbows, and Sunshine) wrote: "I was 9-10 years old. We had just come over to the US, and my dad borrowed me some books from the library. I don't think he had any idea what he was borrowing me (didn't speak English), so he just ..."I grew up in San Jose, home of the Rosicrucin Egyptian Museum :
They have the largest exhibition of Ancient Egyptian antiquities in the Western US, with mummies and even a replica of a tomb!
Even though I had a recurring nightmare of being walled into an ancient tomb, I LOVED that place as a kid, and begged to go there every birthday. You must check it out if you're ever up north - just avert your eyes when you pass by the mummies! (They even have a mummified cat, Ibis, and ox-head!)
The movie F'ed me up for life(I saw it as a kid) and to this day I refuse to read the book. I'll read anything else by Stephen King except that. And just to add, with all respect Khanh, damn you for those gif's. Damn you. *runs off to lock all doors and windows.
My friend and I watched this at a sleepover at her house in 5th grade. We decided we had to watch it in complete darkness. This was fine until a freaking sewer roach crawled across both of our legs. We ran screaming from the room, and I honestly don't know if we even finished the damn movie. lol
Derrolyn, I went there. It was beautiful. Then I wandered into a mummy.
I managed not to scream, calmly got the fuck out of there, and never looked back. Beautiful place though.
The mummy thing isn't too weird, at least it's something closer to fear than Umbrellas. I think I can trace it back to Mary Poppins, because as a kid I used to think if you touched an umbrella you flew away, and I hate the idea of flying. So now, no matter how much rain we get, I still can't touch an umbrella without feeling all tingly, and I freak out if the wind buffets them. I simply don't use one now!Excellent review as always, this book and movie terrify so many people! I hate how scared it made me too, although I think The Shining scared me more.
I read this book when I was 14.I've wanted to read it again for ages... but I don't dare. Because I remember that what scared me at the time weren't things that "only scare kids": they'd still scare me now.
Also, clowns are evil.
(Yesterday, a coworker asked me "is it OK if I keep my plush monkey on the partition between our desks?" I answered: "As long as you don't bring a clown, I don't care." Guess what I had in mind when I mentioned clowns. -_-)
I will no longer read King. The nightmares and lack of sleep aren't worth it!
I have never read Stephen King. I don't know why because I really like to be scared. I need to read this book. Great review Khanh!
I'm so curious how little Khanh got mummies = chicken nuggets lol. I went through a phase as a child where I was terrified of balloons, I mean hysterical weeping.I really need to read Stephen King. I don't know why I haven't. I love scary stuff. He's just written SO much, I have no idea where to start! And what if I love him, then I'm going to be reading everything he's written till I'm 40. Then I'll emerge from my King trace and have no idea what's going on in real life or how to use a hovercraft or anything!
I'm assuming we'll have hovercrafts by the time I'm 40.
Ellen Gail wrote: "I'm so curious how little Khanh got mummies = chicken nuggets lol. I went through a phase as a child where I was terrified of balloons, I mean hysterical weeping.I really need to read Stephen Kin..."
Start with The Shining. But be prepared.
Ellen Gail wrote: "I'm so curious how little Khanh got mummies = chicken nuggets lol. I went through a phase as a child where I was terrified of balloons, I mean hysterical weeping.I really need to read Stephen Kin..."
Mummies = preserved flesh. Chicken nuggets = frozen chicken flesh. Frozen flesh = preserved flesh.
Mummies = chicken nuggets.
Makes perfect sense to me.
Oh this is awesome! I just started reading this book for Halloween. I am glad to hear it's super terrifying.
oooh, great review. but that clown really scares the shit out of me, hehe.
Renee, I've heard so many good things about that one, I think I'll make it my starting point. I've got a nightlight and a freezer if I get too scared!
Khanh, that is weirdly logical. Makes enough sense that I don't want chicken nuggets for lunch.
Have you seen the American Horror Story clown? I have to admit that I haven't read It or seen the movie so I was blissfully unafraid of clowns until Twisty. I'm pretty sure he's the scariest thing I've ever seen.
Caitlin wrote: "Have you seen the American Horror Story clown? I have to admit that I haven't read It or seen the movie so I was blissfully unafraid of clowns until Twisty. I'm pretty sure he's the scariest thing ..."Twisty is the first clown I have every found completely terrifying. Whenever I go to unplug my outside Halloween lights on Wednesday nights, I'm convinced he's out there about to grab me. Oh the creepy!
I was young when this first came out - 10 or 12, somewhere around there. In school our teacher had the book on her desk and we all begged her to tell us about it. She decided to read us the first chapter if we promised not to tell our parents and we gleefully encircled her with our desks, ready to be riveted. I distinctly remember (and I'll never forget this) several kids began to cry as she closed the book after traumatizing us with the clown in the sewer.
Lol! That poor teacher.
And here you go, proof of It's terror:It's the FIRST ONE MENTIONED.
Also, Fuck that book.
I stupidly read it in 5th grade and was traumatized by the level of detail provided when (view spoiler). Oddly, It never gave me nightmares, but Children of the Corn sure as hell did.(movie - not book, just for clarification)
I didn't read this until I was an adult - and I'm glad I didn't - but I was twelve when the mini-series aired and I LOVED it. I still do. Casting Tim Curry as Pennywise was and is perfect. I started reading King around then, but I started with Carrie and Thinner. The thing I don't get about the book (that never could've happened in the movie) was (view spoiler) Yeah. So. That happened. Thanks, editor! Was King sharing the good smack at that point, or what?
Yeah. That was so fucked up...
Scariest thing for me at age thirteen was Zelda from pet sematary. Even the name freaked me out. Zelda. Scariest thing I think I have ever read.
Bwahahahahahahahaha! Shy, delicate, sweet?! You crack me up :)
I love this review!
I saw the film and read the book! I think they're both fantastically creepy. I always find the films and books of Stephen King stories tend to have different strengths and weaknesses.
I saw this again recently. The movie isn't as impactful as it was when it first came out. Special effects weren't as good then as now, but the story is good. I have the book and have yet to read it, but it's on my list. A book that long may take a couple of months to read. I prefer books 300 pages or less. I can finish those pretty quick.
I'm only 15 and got terrified by the Ring. I'm not sure if I'd ever be able to watch the movie, read the book, or see the movie remake that's coming out. I don't think it'll interest me. Honestly, killer clowns sound extremely stupid to me
For Abby or anyone else interested, It isn't really a clown. Just a form It takes.
Julia is going out tonight tomorrow nightBaby you I'm sorry I don't know why
