Photos: Sidewalk and lights outside of my local Borders; IT cover, from stephenking.com
Okay, so...to catch up. You may have noticed that I've been researching a lot lately--over 10 hours over a couple of days at Borders, where I went through 8 books, emailed a ton of notes to myself, and didn't have to buy anything. (Sorry for the downer info. of HIV/AIDS, Measles, Ebola, and other scary as hell filoviruses out there.) Researching is better there than at a library because at a bookstore you get all the latest books and information on a subject. In the library, not so much, at least not around here. All the while sipping coffee or espresso, seeing friends--and talking out loud to them. Yes, another reason to prefer Borders over a library. I also prefer Borders over B&N, too. B&N has a better selection, especially for artsy books. But...the atmosphere at Borders is better. More sitting room in the store and in the cafe. Bigger tables in the cafe, too, which is important when you're slogging through 8 books and emailing notes to yourself on a laptop. I never had to place the laptop on my lap, which I hate to do. I also know a few people who live near the one I frequent; I practically have my own table there like I used to at a local college at Donovan Dining Center. Seriously. About 11-12 years ago, students and faculty alike would find me there, upper floor, go up the stairs, first table on the right against the window.
Anyway, I also got Stephen King's new book, and may read it after (or, what the hell, during) the current stressful time--important stuff going on at the job, don'tcha know. I thought I would pose a question:
Which Stephen King book, or movie, is your favorite, and why? Readers may answer it either via an email to me--see above--or via a comment--see below. Just write the title, and I'll post about the one with the most votes in a week. If the answer is none, say that, too, but, c'mon, how can you not like any film or book of his after all this time and permeation of our culture?
I'll start by saying that my favorite adaptations are Shawshank Redemption, Stand By Me, Misery, The Shining (for technical brilliance and imagery only), and the original Sissy Spacek/John Travolta Carrie, in that order. My fave books include: IT, Misery, Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption, The Stand and The Shining. If forced to pick one, I'd choose IT, for many reasons, not the least is which because I can clearly remember getting on my Huffy 5-speed bike in 1985 and pedaling to a local Stop & Shop, where I bought the book in hardcover and read the whole thing in fewer than three days, almost around the clock--school, read, sleep (just a couple hours; I've always been an insomniac) and repeat. With my father shutting my bedroom light off on me all the time. He'd leave; I'd flick it on, and round and round we'd go. And it gave me a little mantra in times of crisis; for some silly reason, it's always worked:
He thrusts his fists against the posts and still insists he sees the ghosts.
And the scenes: the haunted house at Kansas Street; Neiboldt Street; the kid shouting, "That would've been out of ----ing Yankee Stadium!" Pennywise the Clown, of course. Beverly Marsh and the old lady who wasn't an old lady. And, hell, I miss the excitement of riding my bike to buy a book, all that youthful energy, the anticipation...Today I drive to buy books; couldn't imagine riding my bike there. Back then, it was done without a thought, no problem, see ya in a little bit. Today the thought of it makes me groan. I'm gettin' old.
