Arriving in Derry as an Adult: An Audible Adventure

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Steffen

Well-Known Member
Aug 9, 2015
2,233
12,800
Was the alliteration of my post's title painful enough for you? Lovely. Now that I have your attention...=D

A few weeks ago after reading updates on the IT film in progress and realising that my anticipation for the film was growing (post your grumbling in the relevant thread, cause yeah I'm rooting for the film), I knew I had to take a trip back to Derry before the movie debuts next year.

The problem was although I'm doing more reading now than I was a few years ago prior to buying a tablet (and getting the Kindle app), I still don't have the time to keep up with all the unread books I acquired PLUS revisiting old favourites. So I decided to put my three hour commute to and from work to better use: enter the world of audible books. This marks another "first" involving The King:

* The first SK book I ever picked up in a bookstore (when I was 9) was Salem's Lot. I was looking at the cover which had the Nosferatu-inspired vampire featured in the TV series when my brother-in-law (who was dating my sister at the time) reached over my head, plucked the book from my hands and said "You're too young for that." He bought me an Enid Blyton book instead. I never forgot that cover though, or the writer's name (my brother is also named Stephen).

* The first book I stole (shut up, I regret nothing) was The Dead Zone. In all fairness, I stole it from my brother and he didn't care. I was 11. Probably too damn young to be reading SK in the first place. My mother didn't care as long as I was reading something other than a cereal box.

* The first book I purchased after reading that was Salem's Lot.

* The first e-book I purchased for my Kindle app was 11/22/63.

My first audible book is IT. I have not read this book since reading it twice in a row when it was first published and I was just a few years older than the kids in The Losers Club. So it's been over 25 years since I last visited Derry which, coincidentally, is about the same time as the cycle of a certain killer clown that lives in the sewer. The irony is simply too delicious for me to ignore.

So I started on the audio-book this evening. I never liked the idea of audio-books (although my friends have been bugging me to try them) because I didn't think I would be able to focus on the story the same as if I was reading it. Thankfully I was wrong.

The book, I discovered, is narrated by actor Steven Weber (you of course know him as Jack Torrance in The Shining mini-series). Mr Weber is a splendid choice: his diction is easy on the ears, and he hits all the rights nuances in the story's emotional beats. I'm currently at the part where the police are investigating the Adrian Mellon case, and while of course the story is familiar to me, it is joy to revisit Derry and its residents.

I am fast discovering that the appeal here is more than just nostalgia. I first read this book as a teenager, and I thought it was beautiful and tragic and wonderful and scary as hell. Reading it now as an adult has put this book in a whole new light for me. I am rediscovering what I loved about SK's work in the first place: his wonderful, near-conversational tone that eases you into the narrative; the laser-like precision in which he defines his characters, their traits and quirks; the effortless switching between informal tone and the more eloquent prose that delivers the shocks ("George saw the clown’s face change. What he saw then was terrible enough to make his worst imaginings of the thing in the cellar look like sweet dreams; what he saw destroyed his sanity in one clawing stroke."); the way he deftly balances a scene taking place in different locations or periods.

I am also discovering all new things to appreciate here. As little more than a child myself when I first read it, the book to me was about the inexplicable terrors that children face which could not be articulated to adults. I am reading this now from the perspective of an adult who has acclimatised to adulthood, where the memory of childish terrors (be it bullying or a boogeyman in the cellar) is distant and hazy. An adult has more real-world terrors to deal with: family and financial commitments, work responsibility, health, the body failing, the loss of friends and other loved ones. There is no place in that adult's life for supernatural terrors, things now relegated to folklore or entertainment. I am still a part of The Losers Club, as we all once were, but I am now wearing grown-up shoes as they did when they were forced to confront their childhood horrors once more.

I know what's to come as I continue my journey, and I know I should be afraid, but I'm also very, very excited to see what Mr King has to teach me the second time around.

And now my question for those of you who read this book at a young age and re-read it as an adult, what new things have you discovered?
 

Dana Jean

Dirty Pirate Hooker, The Return
Moderator
Apr 11, 2006
53,634
236,697
The High Seas
Was the alliteration of my post's title painful enough for you? Lovely. Now that I have your attention...=D

A few weeks ago after reading updates on the IT film in progress and realising that my anticipation for the film was growing (post your grumbling in the relevant thread, cause yeah I'm rooting for the film), I knew I had to take a trip back to Derry before the movie debuts next year.

The problem was although I'm doing more reading now than I was a few years ago prior to buying a tablet (and getting the Kindle app), I still don't have the time to keep up with all the unread books I acquired PLUS revisiting old favourites. So I decided to put my three hour commute to and from work to better use: enter the world of audible books. This marks another "first" involving The King:

* The first SK book I ever picked up in a bookstore (when I was 9) was Salem's Lot. I was looking at the cover which had the Nosferatu-inspired vampire featured in the TV series when my brother-in-law (who was dating my sister at the time) reached over my head, plucked the book from my hands and said "You're too young for that." He bought me an Enid Blyton book instead. I never forgot that cover though, or the writer's name (my brother is also named Stephen).

* The first book I stole (shut up, I regret nothing) was The Dead Zone. In all fairness, I stole it from my brother and he didn't care. I was 11. Probably too damn young to be reading SK in the first place. My mother didn't care as long as I was reading something other than a cereal box.

* The first book I purchased after reading that was Salem's Lot.

* The first e-book I purchased for my Kindle app was 11/22/63.

My first audible book is IT. I have not read this book since reading it twice in a row when it was first published and I was just a few years older than the kids in The Losers Club. So it's been over 25 years since I last visited Derry which, coincidentally, is about the same time as the cycle of a certain killer clown that lives in the sewer. The irony is simply too delicious for me to ignore.

So I started on the audio-book this evening. I never liked the idea of audio-books (although my friends have been bugging me to try them) because I didn't think I would be able to focus on the story the same as if I was reading it. Thankfully I was wrong.

The book, I discovered, is narrated by actor Steven Weber (you of course know him as Jack Torrance in The Shining mini-series). Mr Weber is a splendid choice: his diction is easy on the ears, and he hits all the rights nuances in the story's emotional beats. I'm currently at the part where the police are investigating the Adrian Mellon case, and while of course the story is familiar to me, it is joy to revisit Derry and its residents.

I am fast discovering that the appeal here is more than just nostalgia. I first read this book as a teenager, and I thought it was beautiful and tragic and wonderful and scary as hell. Reading it now as an adult has put this book in a whole new light for me. I am rediscovering what I loved about SK's work in the first place: his wonderful, near-conversational tone that eases you into the narrative; the laser-like precision in which he defines his characters, their traits and quirks; the effortless switching between informal tone and the more eloquent prose that delivers the shocks ("George saw the clown’s face change. What he saw then was terrible enough to make his worst imaginings of the thing in the cellar look like sweet dreams; what he saw destroyed his sanity in one clawing stroke."); the way he deftly balances a scene taking place in different locations or periods.

I am also discovering all new things to appreciate here. As little more than a child myself when I first read it, the book to me was about the inexplicable terrors that children face which could not be articulated to adults. I am reading this now from the perspective of an adult who has acclimatised to adulthood, where the memory of childish terrors (be it bullying or a boogeyman in the cellar) is distant and hazy. An adult has more real-world terrors to deal with: family and financial commitments, work responsibility, health, the body failing, the loss of friends and other loved ones. There is no place in that adult's life for supernatural terrors, things now relegated to folklore or entertainment. I am still a part of The Losers Club, as we all once were, but I am now wearing grown-up shoes as they did when they were forced to confront their childhood horrors once more.

I know what's to come as I continue my journey, and I know I should be afraid, but I'm also very, very excited to see what Mr King has to teach me the second time around.

And now my question for those of you who read this book at a young age and re-read it as an adult, what new things have you discovered?


I love audio books. BUT, the narrator can make or break a good story. If you have a bad narrator, or someone whose voice is grating or irritating to you for whatever reason, it can ruin a story.
 

Doc Creed

Well-Known Member
Nov 18, 2015
17,221
82,822
47
United States
Was the alliteration of my post's title painful enough for you? Lovely. Now that I have your attention...=D

A few weeks ago after reading updates on the IT film in progress and realising that my anticipation for the film was growing (post your grumbling in the relevant thread, cause yeah I'm rooting for the film), I knew I had to take a trip back to Derry before the movie debuts next year.

The problem was although I'm doing more reading now than I was a few years ago prior to buying a tablet (and getting the Kindle app), I still don't have the time to keep up with all the unread books I acquired PLUS revisiting old favourites. So I decided to put my three hour commute to and from work to better use: enter the world of audible books. This marks another "first" involving The King:

* The first SK book I ever picked up in a bookstore (when I was 9) was Salem's Lot. I was looking at the cover which had the Nosferatu-inspired vampire featured in the TV series when my brother-in-law (who was dating my sister at the time) reached over my head, plucked the book from my hands and said "You're too young for that." He bought me an Enid Blyton book instead. I never forgot that cover though, or the writer's name (my brother is also named Stephen).

* The first book I stole (shut up, I regret nothing) was The Dead Zone. In all fairness, I stole it from my brother and he didn't care. I was 11. Probably too damn young to be reading SK in the first place. My mother didn't care as long as I was reading something other than a cereal box.

* The first book I purchased after reading that was Salem's Lot.

* The first e-book I purchased for my Kindle app was 11/22/63.

My first audible book is IT. I have not read this book since reading it twice in a row when it was first published and I was just a few years older than the kids in The Losers Club. So it's been over 25 years since I last visited Derry which, coincidentally, is about the same time as the cycle of a certain killer clown that lives in the sewer. The irony is simply too delicious for me to ignore.

So I started on the audio-book this evening. I never liked the idea of audio-books (although my friends have been bugging me to try them) because I didn't think I would be able to focus on the story the same as if I was reading it. Thankfully I was wrong.

The book, I discovered, is narrated by actor Steven Weber (you of course know him as Jack Torrance in The Shining mini-series). Mr Weber is a splendid choice: his diction is easy on the ears, and he hits all the rights nuances in the story's emotional beats. I'm currently at the part where the police are investigating the Adrian Mellon case, and while of course the story is familiar to me, it is joy to revisit Derry and its residents.

I am fast discovering that the appeal here is more than just nostalgia. I first read this book as a teenager, and I thought it was beautiful and tragic and wonderful and scary as hell. Reading it now as an adult has put this book in a whole new light for me. I am rediscovering what I loved about SK's work in the first place: his wonderful, near-conversational tone that eases you into the narrative; the laser-like precision in which he defines his characters, their traits and quirks; the effortless switching between informal tone and the more eloquent prose that delivers the shocks ("George saw the clown’s face change. What he saw then was terrible enough to make his worst imaginings of the thing in the cellar look like sweet dreams; what he saw destroyed his sanity in one clawing stroke."); the way he deftly balances a scene taking place in different locations or periods.

I am also discovering all new things to appreciate here. As little more than a child myself when I first read it, the book to me was about the inexplicable terrors that children face which could not be articulated to adults. I am reading this now from the perspective of an adult who has acclimatised to adulthood, where the memory of childish terrors (be it bullying or a boogeyman in the cellar) is distant and hazy. An adult has more real-world terrors to deal with: family and financial commitments, work responsibility, health, the body failing, the loss of friends and other loved ones. There is no place in that adult's life for supernatural terrors, things now relegated to folklore or entertainment. I am still a part of The Losers Club, as we all once were, but I am now wearing grown-up shoes as they did when they were forced to confront their childhood horrors once more.

I know what's to come as I continue my journey, and I know I should be afraid, but I'm also very, very excited to see what Mr King has to teach me the second time around.

And now my question for those of you who read this book at a young age and re-read it as an adult, what new things have you discovered?
I have listened to Weber's narration twice. I don't know who made the decision for him to do it but it was a brilliant choice. I would listen to it in the dark in bed and see the whole thing in my mind: the apocalyptic rock fight, the Barrens, and the whole landscape of Derry. How far are you at this point?
The first time I read IT was in 1992. I was fifteen and I borrowed it from the library. School had just started and I remember applying for a position at the same library (I got the job) and carrying it with me like a phonebook when school let out. That feeling of slinking off to a park bench or other location and getting lost in the story. Just thrilling.
 

Nomik

Carry on
Jun 19, 2016
3,973
22,555
47
Derry, NH
:pSteffan, im convinced that you and Swiftdog want me to die of homesickness.
this is not my intent, but I'll let it happen anyway. I meant to place the spoiler further down. I'm so excited by this thread that I'm tempted to jump into my car and do the same thing
Was the alliteration of my post's title painful enough for you? Lovely. Now that I have your attention...=D

A few weeks ago after reading updates on the IT film in progress and realising that my anticipation for the film was growing (post your grumbling in the relevant thread, cause yeah I'm rooting for the film), I knew I had to take a trip back to Derry before the movie debuts next year.

The problem was although I'm doing more reading now than I was a few years ago prior to buying a tablet (and getting the Kindle app), I still don't have the time to keep up with all the unread books I acquired PLUS revisiting old favourites. So I decided to put my three hour commute to and from work to better use: enter the world of audible books. This marks another "first" involving The King:

* The first SK book I ever picked up in a bookstore (when I was 9) was Salem's Lot. I was looking at the cover which had the Nosferatu-inspired vampire featured in the TV series when my brother-in-law (who was dating my sister at the time) reached over my head, plucked the book from my hands and said "You're too young for that." He bought me an Enid Blyton book instead. I never forgot that cover though, or the writer's name (my brother is also named Stephen).

* The first book I stole (shut up, I regret nothing) was The Dead Zone. In all fairness, I stole it from my brother and he didn't care. I was 11. Probably too damn young to be reading SK in the first place. My mother didn't care as long as I was reading something other than a cereal box.

* The first book I purchased after reading that was Salem's Lot.

* The first e-book I purchased for my Kindle app was 11/22/63.

My first audible book is IT. I have not read this book since reading it twice in a row when it was first published and I was just a few years older than the kids in The Losers Club. So it's been over 25 years since I last visited Derry which, coincidentally, is about the same time as the cycle of a certain killer clown that lives in the sewer. The irony is simply too delicious for me to ignore.

So I started on the audio-book this evening. I never liked the idea of audio-books (although my friends have been bugging me to try them) because I didn't think I would be able to focus on the story the same as if I was reading it. Thankfully I was wrong.

The book, I discovered, is narrated by actor Steven Weber (you of course know him as Jack Torrance in The Shining mini-series). Mr Weber is a splendid choice: his diction is easy on the ears, and he hits all the rights nuances in the story's emotional beats. I'm currently at the part where the police are investigating the Adrian Mellon case, and while of course the story is familiar to me, it is joy to revisit Derry and its residents.

I am fast discovering that the appeal here is more than just nostalgia. I first read this book as a teenager, and I thought it was beautiful and tragic and wonderful and scary as hell. Reading it now as an adult has put this book in a whole new light for me. I am rediscovering what I loved about SK's work in the first place: his wonderful, near-conversational tone that eases you into the narrative; the laser-like precision in which he defines his characters, their traits and quirks; the effortless switching between informal tone and the more eloquent prose that delivers the shocks ("George saw the clown’s face change. What he saw then was terrible enough to make his worst imaginings of the thing in the cellar look like sweet dreams; what he saw destroyed his sanity in one clawing stroke."); the way he deftly balances a scene taking place in different locations or periods.

I am also discovering all new things to appreciate here. As little more than a child myself when I first read it, the book to me was about the inexplicable terrors that children face which could not be articulated to adults. I am reading this now from the perspective of an adult who has acclimatised to adulthood, where the memory of childish terrors (be it bullying or a boogeyman in the cellar) is distant and hazy. An adult has more real-world terrors to deal with: family and financial commitments, work responsibility, health, the body failing, the loss of friends and other loved ones. There is no place in that adult's life for supernatural terrors, things now relegated to folklore or entertainment. I am still a part of The Losers Club, as we all once were, but I am now wearing grown-up shoes as they did when they were forced to confront their childhood horrors once more.

I know what's to come as I continue my journey, and I know I should be afraid, but I'm also very, very excited to see what Mr King has to teach me the second time around.

And now my question for those of you who read this book at a young age and re-read it as an adult, what new things have you discovered?
I have a whole lot to respond to here.
:lol2:How. Predictable is that???
I'll roll around to your question eventually. :go:
You said "back" to Derry? I imagine you mean his Derry, not mine (I mean Frost's), close enough. The landmarks were similar enough as I recall: we had Macgregor Park, the one it It was Mc?, Maine street, the Derry Public Library . .(sounds generic but if you lived there, it would be familiar) I haven't read It in a while.
Okay, before I lose your attention I am utterly delighted with this entire post. :m_applause:
Audiobooks by King- (You went back to Derry?) Great idea and thank you for the recommendation. You see, I listened to On Writing immediately after I read it, and I abhor the thought of listening to another voice besides his. I know how absurd that sounds. The truth is I'm a little hesitant. His voice is already ingrained, its not going anywhere. I should give someone else's narration a shot.
I have downloaded The Gunslinger on Audible.
(When were you there before?)
I want to get around to that last question but I don't think I'll be finished writing by the time you wake up. New things- every single turn of the page. Like what? Ohhh, let's start with Eyes of the Dragon. I read it at eight or nine and not again until recently. Maybe that's not the best one to start with because I'll get all excited :m_adore: again. It's dedicated to his daughter. Just in case you can't imagine having a name like Naomi in a small New England town: imagine being a member of the losers club (you can?) re reading it was a new experience: I realized that he knows a lot more about magic than I do. I developed a new perspective on family dynamics; I read it as a parent, thinking of his family (as well as my own) did you know that Joe writes about Derry,NH? The story helped me understand Flagg's perspective a bit more.
This is getting boring so I'll skip to the good part.
When I read something new, like End of Watch, I physically connect. For example:
there's a part where the little retro video game is revealed as an assistive malicious device for the villain. Walking while reading, I arrived at the page of the reveal and nearly twisted my ankle. I stepped on and broke this little handheld retro video game that I had given my kids for Christmas. Danny lost interest and Alex is way too young so it was stashed away in a drawer. I imagine that Alex got into the drawer while I was reading in the other room and pulled it out, I had not seen it since December!
That's the tip, just the tip? of the iceberg.
Okay, I have to go edit this at the computer now and decide whether or not I should even post this. (already removed an emoji)
Never mind, it's late and and I'm not agonizing over this anymore. I've been reading, writing, and teaching people how to revise all day at work.
If this lacks anything let it lack.
:m_loveu: For giving me a positive end to an icky day. That's inclusive, not selective.
It was not icky because of work.

Wait! One more thing! I just found out that Joyland, which I've yet to read, was inspired by my favorite place in the world: Canobie Lake Park! I spent every other weekend there. My parents took me in the log flume when I was little, and I insisted that all dates took place there later. Life has never been that much fun since. I should write those stories down somewhere.
 
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not_nadine

Comfortably Roont
Nov 19, 2011
29,655
139,785
Behind you
Was the alliteration of my post's title painful enough for you? Lovely. Now that I have your attention...=D

A few weeks ago after reading updates on the IT film in progress and realising that my anticipation for the film was growing (post your grumbling in the relevant thread, cause yeah I'm rooting for the film), I knew I had to take a trip back to Derry before the movie debuts next year.

The problem was although I'm doing more reading now than I was a few years ago prior to buying a tablet (and getting the Kindle app), I still don't have the time to keep up with all the unread books I acquired PLUS revisiting old favourites. So I decided to put my three hour commute to and from work to better use: enter the world of audible books. This marks another "first" involving The King:

* The first SK book I ever picked up in a bookstore (when I was 9) was Salem's Lot. I was looking at the cover which had the Nosferatu-inspired vampire featured in the TV series when my brother-in-law (who was dating my sister at the time) reached over my head, plucked the book from my hands and said "You're too young for that." He bought me an Enid Blyton book instead. I never forgot that cover though, or the writer's name (my brother is also named Stephen).

* The first book I stole (shut up, I regret nothing) was The Dead Zone. In all fairness, I stole it from my brother and he didn't care. I was 11. Probably too damn young to be reading SK in the first place. My mother didn't care as long as I was reading something other than a cereal box.

* The first book I purchased after reading that was Salem's Lot.

* The first e-book I purchased for my Kindle app was 11/22/63.

My first audible book is IT. I have not read this book since reading it twice in a row when it was first published and I was just a few years older than the kids in The Losers Club. So it's been over 25 years since I last visited Derry which, coincidentally, is about the same time as the cycle of a certain killer clown that lives in the sewer. The irony is simply too delicious for me to ignore.

So I started on the audio-book this evening. I never liked the idea of audio-books (although my friends have been bugging me to try them) because I didn't think I would be able to focus on the story the same as if I was reading it. Thankfully I was wrong.

The book, I discovered, is narrated by actor Steven Weber (you of course know him as Jack Torrance in The Shining mini-series). Mr Weber is a splendid choice: his diction is easy on the ears, and he hits all the rights nuances in the story's emotional beats. I'm currently at the part where the police are investigating the Adrian Mellon case, and while of course the story is familiar to me, it is joy to revisit Derry and its residents.

I am fast discovering that the appeal here is more than just nostalgia. I first read this book as a teenager, and I thought it was beautiful and tragic and wonderful and scary as hell. Reading it now as an adult has put this book in a whole new light for me. I am rediscovering what I loved about SK's work in the first place: his wonderful, near-conversational tone that eases you into the narrative; the laser-like precision in which he defines his characters, their traits and quirks; the effortless switching between informal tone and the more eloquent prose that delivers the shocks ("George saw the clown’s face change. What he saw then was terrible enough to make his worst imaginings of the thing in the cellar look like sweet dreams; what he saw destroyed his sanity in one clawing stroke."); the way he deftly balances a scene taking place in different locations or periods.

I am also discovering all new things to appreciate here. As little more than a child myself when I first read it, the book to me was about the inexplicable terrors that children face which could not be articulated to adults. I am reading this now from the perspective of an adult who has acclimatised to adulthood, where the memory of childish terrors (be it bullying or a boogeyman in the cellar) is distant and hazy. An adult has more real-world terrors to deal with: family and financial commitments, work responsibility, health, the body failing, the loss of friends and other loved ones. There is no place in that adult's life for supernatural terrors, things now relegated to folklore or entertainment. I am still a part of The Losers Club, as we all once were, but I am now wearing grown-up shoes as they did when they were forced to confront their childhood horrors once more.

I know what's to come as I continue my journey, and I know I should be afraid, but I'm also very, very excited to see what Mr King has to teach me the second time around.

And now my question for those of you who read this book at a young age and re-read it as an adult, what new things have you discovered?

Steven Weber you say? Interesting. I am tempted to give this a go.
How do narrators handle the different voices? I'm wondering how he reads Bev.
 

Nomik

Carry on
Jun 19, 2016
3,973
22,555
47
Derry, NH
...I noticed that as I've aged, and done multiple re-reads....that what unsettles me changes....my fears are different as I've gotten older.....
You are not that much older than I am, 50 ish? I'm within the outer reaches of a decade younger. Tell me what fears change please.
Any fears at all would be welcome at this point.
I guess that thought scares me. I've never been one to minimize fear, but I can honestly say that the thought of falling from a high place is scary. That's it. No cheap thrills in store? Please tell me there are more.(depressing thoughts aside)
Yes, the thought of (shoot, I can't do this without breaking my own rule)
Okay, if a shark were to walk through the door, I would be terrified. Someone sneaking up behind and saying "boo" evokes a shriek.
 
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GNTLGNT

The idiot is IN
Jun 15, 2007
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You are not that much older than I am, 50 ish? I'm within the outer reaches of a decade younger. Tell me what fears change please.
Any fears at all would be welcome at this point.
I guess that thought scares me. I've never been one to minimize fear, but I can honestly say that the thought of falling from a high place is scary. That's it. No cheap thrills in store? Please tell me there are more.(depressing thoughts aside)
Yes, the thought of (shoot, I can't do this without breaking my own rule)
Okay, if a shark were to walk through the door, I would be terrified. Someone sneaking up behind and saying "boo" evokes a shriek.
...things that scare me now, are not the same things as were feared in youth....I tend to worry about my kids and grandkids now, which makes the children in the story more real to me....
 

Nomik

Carry on
Jun 19, 2016
3,973
22,555
47
Derry, NH
Was the alliteration of my post's title painful enough for you? Lovely. Now that I have your attention...=D

A few weeks ago after reading updates on the IT film in progress and realising that my anticipation for the film was growing (post your grumbling in the relevant thread, cause yeah I'm rooting for the film), I knew I had to take a trip back to Derry before the movie debuts next year.

The problem was although I'm doing more reading now than I was a few years ago prior to buying a tablet (and getting the Kindle app), I still don't have the time to keep up with all the unread books I acquired PLUS revisiting old favourites. So I decided to put my three hour commute to and from work to better use: enter the world of audible books. This marks another "first" involving The King:

* The first SK book I ever picked up in a bookstore (when I was 9) was Salem's Lot. I was looking at the cover which had the Nosferatu-inspired vampire featured in the TV series when my brother-in-law (who was dating my sister at the time) reached over my head, plucked the book from my hands and said "You're too young for that." He bought me an Enid Blyton book instead. I never forgot that cover though, or the writer's name (my brother is also named Stephen).

* The first book I stole (shut up, I regret nothing) was The Dead Zone. In all fairness, I stole it from my brother and he didn't care. I was 11. Probably too damn young to be reading SK in the first place. My mother didn't care as long as I was reading something other than a cereal box.

* The first book I purchased after reading that was Salem's Lot.

* The first e-book I purchased for my Kindle app was 11/22/63.

My first audible book is IT. I have not read this book since reading it twice in a row when it was first published and I was just a few years older than the kids in The Losers Club. So it's been over 25 years since I last visited Derry which, coincidentally, is about the same time as the cycle of a certain killer clown that lives in the sewer. The irony is simply too delicious for me to ignore.

So I started on the audio-book this evening. I never liked the idea of audio-books (although my friends have been bugging me to try them) because I didn't think I would be able to focus on the story the same as if I was reading it. Thankfully I was wrong.

The book, I discovered, is narrated by actor Steven Weber (you of course know him as Jack Torrance in The Shining mini-series). Mr Weber is a splendid choice: his diction is easy on the ears, and he hits all the rights nuances in the story's emotional beats. I'm currently at the part where the police are investigating the Adrian Mellon case, and while of course the story is familiar to me, it is joy to revisit Derry and its residents.

I am fast discovering that the appeal here is more than just nostalgia. I first read this book as a teenager, and I thought it was beautiful and tragic and wonderful and scary as hell. Reading it now as an adult has put this book in a whole new light for me. I am rediscovering what I loved about SK's work in the first place: his wonderful, near-conversational tone that eases you into the narrative; the laser-like precision in which he defines his characters, their traits and quirks; the effortless switching between informal tone and the more eloquent prose that delivers the shocks ("George saw the clown’s face change. What he saw then was terrible enough to make his worst imaginings of the thing in the cellar look like sweet dreams; what he saw destroyed his sanity in one clawing stroke."); the way he deftly balances a scene taking place in different locations or periods.

I am also discovering all new things to appreciate here. As little more than a child myself when I first read it, the book to me was about the inexplicable terrors that children face which could not be articulated to adults. I am reading this now from the perspective of an adult who has acclimatised to adulthood, where the memory of childish terrors (be it bullying or a boogeyman in the cellar) is distant and hazy. An adult has more real-world terrors to deal with: family and financial commitments, work responsibility, health, the body failing, the loss of friends and other loved ones. There is no place in that adult's life for supernatural terrors, things now relegated to folklore or entertainment. I am still a part of The Losers Club, as we all once were, but I am now wearing grown-up shoes as they did when they were forced to confront their childhood horrors once more.

I know what's to come as I continue my journey, and I know I should be afraid, but I'm also very, very excited to see what Mr King has to teach me the second time around.

And now my question for those of you who read this book at a young age and re-read it as an adult, what new things have you discovered?
...I noticed that as I've aged, and done multiple re-reads....that what unsettles me changes....my fears are different as I've gotten older.....
Yes, I'm re reading too. I agree, the unsettling changes - not so much fears, are part of the enigmatic nature of any system. It's kind of like the ghost in the machine. The entire premise behind the concept of Ka is that the system "explores new territory" despite its circular nature.
So now that I've officially derailed this - wow. I'm like the easiest marketing target. A mere anecdote (not really mere, this was awesome) here and a Facebook suggestion had me scrolling through the Cemetery Dance page, ready to buy a 25th anniversary edition of It today.
 
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Nomik

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...things that scare me now, are not the same things as were feared in youth....I tend to worry about my kids and grandkids now, which makes the children in the story more real to me....
Yea, that's a constant for me. There's only so much good worrying can do though. In fact, I worry enough about my kids for the lot of us. My greater concern is for the kids in college. If they are reading books at all, that's a miracle. They categorically have trouble thinking in the abstract.
 
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Steffen

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not_nadine you really should try it. Mr Weber's narration really enhances the experience. He alters his voice depending on the character or situation, and quite a few times I found myself laughing out loud at the funny parts. If you want to try an audio book, this is definitely the one to start with.

Doc Creed I'm currently at the part where Stan Uris is introduced and he is reminiscing about his experience at the house on Niebolt Street. I'm getting a whole new appreciation of the detail SK put into this book about the geography of Derry and especially the Barrens.

Nomik thank you for the reminder. I only read the autobiographical part of On Writing but would like to revisit this. I think the audio book version would be the way to go.

Happy to see everyone sharing their thoughts on this. I'm really enjoying my trip back to Derry. But the first glimpses of Pennywise. Oh boy, so chilling...:evil:
 
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not_nadine

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you really should try it. Mr Weber's narration really enhances the experience. He alters his voice depending on the character or situation, and quite a few times I found myself laughing out loud at the funny parts. If you want to try an audio book, this is definitely the one to start with.

Thank you, Steffen. This will be my first audiobook.

Now I want to listen. :)
 

recitador

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i read this at a young age, around 10. i was fascinated by the story initially, i think because of the level of detail and how well everything held together. it didn't affect me emotionally that much however. as i grew up and continued rereading it, everything sunk in a little more. i had no great concept of death when i was young of course, so the stakes became higher and the emotion stronger the older i got
 

Nomik

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i read this at a young age, around 10. i was fascinated by the story initially, i think because of the level of detail and how well everything held together. it didn't affect me emotionally that much however. as i grew up and continued rereading it, everything sunk in a little more. i had no great concept of death when i was young of course, so the stakes became higher and the emotion stronger the older i got
I find myself wondering what you were reading at ten. Oh yea, "this" :p I mean it, right? And then what happened? Like the cadence of your post.:strawberry:
 
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Steffen

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So I've gotten to the part where The Losers as adults have returned to Derry and are trying to figure out what to do.

I must say I have a renewed appreciation for just how dense and complex this story is. I remember at the time of publication, I read an interview where King stated he wanted to take everything he learned or knew about horror and pour it into that book, and boy did he succeed! He's written many great books since then, but I don't think he's come close to such an epic treatise of the horror genre as IT.

I watched the mini-series again over the weekend. I was just as under-whelmed then as I was back when it first aired. It play like a Cliff's Notes version of the book, naturally sanitised for network TV. Tim Curry really was the standout in that series, except again TV did not allow for the character to be as vile, hateful and evil to the degree that Pennywise actually is. The more I read, the more I'm looking forward to the cinematic adaptation come next year.
 

Nomik

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I've noticed that "It" mania is really catching on. I could not even find a secondhand copy at the little hidden bookstore, and they have everything!
I suspect that there may be a sales resurgence afoot. (Hey, at least it has just been fueled by clown sightings, not Ebola this time)
I'm biting: was the original movie all that underwhelming? Admittedly, it could not compare to the book; a comprehensive match is never really the expectation. I agree, Tim Curry is unforgettable but what about poor Harry? He gets no mention? Maybe having a heartfelt nostalgia for the era makes me biased. What more could they have done with the adaptation? I'm equally enthusiastic to see the new one. Correct me if I'm wrong here, the new It movie will open in actual theaters next year, not on Netflix? :add:
So by then,:big_money: if I spring for a drink, ooohhh (pizza), popcorn . . I wonder if they'll take my firstborn son:big_smile:.
 
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recitador

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overall, it was pretty bad, yeah. i don't even blame the actors. i blame the fact that it was on network tv. i'll never understand king's penchant for putting his very R rated work on networks that censor
 

Aloysius Nell

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OP, sorry to tell you this, but Weber's stellar reading is probably the very best audio I've ever heard. And I've heard dozens of readers read hundreds of audiobooks. Sorry, but enjoy IT anyway!
 
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Steffen

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OP, sorry to tell you this, but Weber's stellar reading is probably the very best audio I've ever heard. And I've heard dozens of readers read hundreds of audiobooks. Sorry, but enjoy IT anyway!

Yeah I'm about 75% through. His narration is excellent. It rally makes the book that much more a pleasurable experience.
 
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