- After the Flood (1957)
- After the Carnival (1984)
- Six Phone Calls (1985)
- Derry: The First Interlude
- Ben Hanscom Takes a Fall
- Bill Denbrough Beats the Devil (I)
- One of the Missing: A Tale From the Summer of '58
- The Dam In the Barrens
- Georgie's Room and the House On Neibolt Street
- Cleaning Up
- Derry: The Second Interlude
- The Reunion
- Walking Tours
- Three Uninvited Guests
- Derry: The Third Interlude
- The Apocalyptic Rockfight
- The Album
- The Smoke-Hole
- Eddie's Bad Break
- Another One of the Missing: The Death of Patrick Hockstetter
- The Bullseye
- Derry: The Fourth Interlude
- In the Watches of the Night
- The Circle Closes
- Under the City
- The Ritual of Chud
- Out
- Derry: The Final Interlude
- Epilogue: Bill Denbrough Beats the Devil (II)
Walking Tours
Hello and welcome to the middle of the book! This is another chapter that mixes nostalgia with scares, and, at least page-wise, we now reach the Equator point of this novel, so it seems fitting that we should have another character piece.
The chapter is divided into six sections, once again titled in a Dick and Jane manner ("Ben Hanscom Makes a Withdrawal," etc), although it can be considered five segments, as the Bill and Mike sections are really one continuous narrative. I'm going to discuss these out of order.
The Ben and Beverly sections are by far the strongest. Both do a fantastic job of showing our character's thoughts when faced with the nostalgic past, only to then pull the rug out and bring in a horror element. Ben revisits the library, in particular the children's section, reflecting on the passage from childhood to adulthood. He begins to apply for a library card when suddenly Pennywise appears to him and him only. Similarly, Beverly goes to visit her estranged father (whose real fate is never revealed) and instead meets what appears to be a sweet old lady named Mrs. Kersh, named after Irvin Kershner, and The Empire Strikes Back is actually mentioned during the section. But the scene quickly turns dark as she begins to transform and the house becomes made of candy in the style of a fairy tale. I also have always loved how the tea that Beverly drinks turns into liquid shit! The sequence is hypnotically surreal and creepy.
In contrast, the Eddie and Richie sections are much weaker and feel redundant, as if each character MUST experience a version of the same event. Eddie visits a baseball diamond and reflects on how much he dreamed of playing despite his mother's protests and also of Belch Huggins's ability as a player when suddenly he sees an apparition of Belch from behind the fence that becomes Pennywise. Incidentally, this is the first time that it's ever mentioned that Belch died, partially revealing some of the climax. Richie visits the Paul Bunyan statue and has a little flashback of being chased by the bullies as a kid, coming here, and seeing the statue come to life. It now happens again to Adult Richie, while also taking the shape of Pennywise and of Buddy Holly. Maybe it's just my personal taste, but I don't find either of these two sequences that creepy, but just repetitious.
Finally, the Bill/Mike section breaks the formula. Bill does not encounter Pennywise, but rather has a conversation with a kid on a skateboard, then visits a store and is surprised to find Silver, a symbol of his childhood that he is now trying to reclaim. After an embarrassing incident with the gay store clerk, Bill takes the bike to Mike's house and the two chat for a bit, despite being partially spooked by a supernatural incident with a deck of cards. This is also the first time that the "He thrusts his fists against the posts..." line is mentioned and Bill struggles to remember when he was able to say it. Both Silver and the introduction of that phrase bring in elements of Bill's character that will be major themes in the finale.
My criticisms aside, this chapter is a great midway point. What's truly remarkable is how King is able to juggle all these characters, and yet we always know who we're with and what sets him or her apart. Ben, Eddie, Richie...they've come to be a developed cast by now and we enjoy being with them!
The chapter is divided into six sections, once again titled in a Dick and Jane manner ("Ben Hanscom Makes a Withdrawal," etc), although it can be considered five segments, as the Bill and Mike sections are really one continuous narrative. I'm going to discuss these out of order.
The Ben and Beverly sections are by far the strongest. Both do a fantastic job of showing our character's thoughts when faced with the nostalgic past, only to then pull the rug out and bring in a horror element. Ben revisits the library, in particular the children's section, reflecting on the passage from childhood to adulthood. He begins to apply for a library card when suddenly Pennywise appears to him and him only. Similarly, Beverly goes to visit her estranged father (whose real fate is never revealed) and instead meets what appears to be a sweet old lady named Mrs. Kersh, named after Irvin Kershner, and The Empire Strikes Back is actually mentioned during the section. But the scene quickly turns dark as she begins to transform and the house becomes made of candy in the style of a fairy tale. I also have always loved how the tea that Beverly drinks turns into liquid shit! The sequence is hypnotically surreal and creepy.
In contrast, the Eddie and Richie sections are much weaker and feel redundant, as if each character MUST experience a version of the same event. Eddie visits a baseball diamond and reflects on how much he dreamed of playing despite his mother's protests and also of Belch Huggins's ability as a player when suddenly he sees an apparition of Belch from behind the fence that becomes Pennywise. Incidentally, this is the first time that it's ever mentioned that Belch died, partially revealing some of the climax. Richie visits the Paul Bunyan statue and has a little flashback of being chased by the bullies as a kid, coming here, and seeing the statue come to life. It now happens again to Adult Richie, while also taking the shape of Pennywise and of Buddy Holly. Maybe it's just my personal taste, but I don't find either of these two sequences that creepy, but just repetitious.
Finally, the Bill/Mike section breaks the formula. Bill does not encounter Pennywise, but rather has a conversation with a kid on a skateboard, then visits a store and is surprised to find Silver, a symbol of his childhood that he is now trying to reclaim. After an embarrassing incident with the gay store clerk, Bill takes the bike to Mike's house and the two chat for a bit, despite being partially spooked by a supernatural incident with a deck of cards. This is also the first time that the "He thrusts his fists against the posts..." line is mentioned and Bill struggles to remember when he was able to say it. Both Silver and the introduction of that phrase bring in elements of Bill's character that will be major themes in the finale.
My criticisms aside, this chapter is a great midway point. What's truly remarkable is how King is able to juggle all these characters, and yet we always know who we're with and what sets him or her apart. Ben, Eddie, Richie...they've come to be a developed cast by now and we enjoy being with them!