Stephen King belongs in the diaper bin?

Once upon a time, when I was still quite young, there was a comic strip that featured uses for the works of various authors.

These uses reflected the (perceived) quality/worth of the authors’ works.

I remember thinking they were relatively appropriate, based on what little I knew of the authors.

Wish I remember all the authors and uses…

All I *do * remember is this one:

author: Stephen King
use: lining the diaper bin

LMAO!

So early on in my life, I already started in on some lessons in life, thanx to this cartoon:

• Just because I like a book, doesn’t mean it’s good, or acknowledged as good by others
  
• Just because the general perception of an author and his work is poor, doesn’t mean his work is actually bad
  
• The majority isn’t always right
  
• Perception is everything

Heck, I remember a parental unit being all worried about what I was reading based on that cartoon: “What does that Stephen King write about? You have so many books by him, but this cartoon implies it’s trash! Are you sure you should be reading it?” LMAO!

~~

Anyways.

Right now I am rereading Stephen King’s IT. (book; mini-series)

This is the first book that I know of that got to me. I’d read it in bed, then be scared to go to sleep without a light on, afraid that there was something under my bed! I was thirteen at the time. And prior to that, I don’t think I “suffered” from what seems typical in an American kid’s life according to so many books & movies: fear of monsters under the bed or in the closet.

Right now, while I reabsorb the story and mourn how much detail I have forgotten over the years, I am also just simply enjoying his story-telling style: A phone call summons a few people back to Derry. We meet each one as they deal with the memories that come crashing back as a result of the phone call. We get flashbacks filling in part of what happened in their childhood 28 years ago. And within those flashbacks we get flashbacks of how each of them first encountered It. All this filling in the past in bits and pieces is a great technique to build up the tension, giving hints as to what is awaiting the kids in the past and the adults in the future.

And while I do know what happens, it’s the details that really make the tale. And like I said, I’m reabsorbing the details again, with pleasure :-)

(Also looking out for links to the Dark Tower or other books: already had a mention about a universe with singing roses, and I *think* one of the guys from Company E - Halloran -reappears as the cook in The Shining)

And no, this time around, I *don’t* think there’s anything under the bed.