OK first topic!! What do you think was the scariest moment in the book?
For me it was when Stan was a child and was bird watching in the park. It's been a long time since I've read the book (something I'll have to remedy soon
), so please forgive me if I don't get this just right. I believe that Stan hears calliope music coming from the standpipe (which I always imagined just being a big water tower, so it is weird that King gave it a different name and all) and he follows it inside. He remembers the story about two boys who died (drowned I believe) in the standpipe and before he realizes what he has done he opens the door and goes inside. And though he desperately wants to leave he continues walking up the stairs and of course he then hears the dead boys behind him.
The part that scares me most about that scene is the complete lack of control and the sense of unreality that Stan experiences. I do believe that seeing something that horrible would feel like that. It was a much different experience than the other kids experienced with their monsters (except maybe Richie who thought his first experince with IT was a dream). The other kids were blown away by the complete and utter realism of the monsters before them. They saw details that they would never have imagined on their own so they were convinced that the monsters were real. And while that is scary in it's own way, I found Stan's experience much more unsettling.
Since there are so many great scary moments in the book I have two others I will discuss a little later. The picture album in Georgie's room and Bev visiting her old apartment as an adult.
So what did you find scary and why?
yov, weirdly that is one of my favorite parts of that book. I don't really like Flagg, but the scene where he drives Nadine insane just by having sex with her is awesome!
~Sid