written on October 13, 2026, read 1995
You’re up to your neck in it! In myth? No – in religion. That was the first thing that struck me when I held this book in my hands. The battle of good versus evil, built on a massive biblical and religious foundation. I found that pretty tiring to read. I read It with far more enthusiasm. It’s certainly not a bad book, but as an atheist, it takes some getting used to. Quite often I caught myself thinking, “Oh no, not the old woman again …” whenever Mother Abagail stepped onto the stage of the story.
So what makes the book for me? The character of Professor Glen Bateman, into whose mouth Stephen King puts some pretty sharp observations about how societies work. Because of him, I ended up enjoying the book after all, on the whole.
PS: I only know the 1990 complete and uncut edition. Apparently there’s now an “even more uncut” version of the book. I haven’t decided yet whether I’ll buy it.