In the wake of Eddie Cochran's death, we meet Mike Hanlon's child self. You may remember his character's entrance into the club in the miniseries ending with a huge rock fight. He was also the black kid.
Mike has one of the more stable family units, in that his dad isn't blind to the evils of Derry (and tells my favorite aside later in the book). The series doesn't delve into his home life, were he works a farm down the road from the Bowers family (who hate him, of course). Mike encounters Eddie's bloody tracks, which is how we're led into his POV of his home life, and farming. It's a much-needed break from the relenting horror...
For a few pages. Then we're introduced to The Tramp Chair.
It's a short segment, and nothing like the horror of Mike's forthcoming encounter with IT, but worth mentioning. Mike's dad takes him on historical tours occasionally, and once stopped by the police office so Mike could see the tramp chair. It's also a lesson on human cruelty, and how Mike's dad dislikes the local police force (and righftully so).
The chair, unlike traditional (and real) tramp chairs isn't a cage, but is is covered in knobs that dig into the back, leaving the offender a screaming wreck after 24 hours. It's striking in that it's a wholly human cruelty, and a real one, made worse by IT's influence over the town.
Speaking of IT, Mike is stalked by IT in the form of a massive bird. He manages to escape by blinding IT in one eye (and being helped by an outside force to do so, either the ghosts of the kids haunting the ironwork, or more likely the Turtle or Ka). The sequence is short, but well done, and sticks beautifully in the mind after it's done. Mike just goes back to normal after events that would have driven an adult insane.
The bird is compared to Rodan several times, another tell-tale sign of the monsters of film influencing the kids. More on that later, though.
I'm enjoying my re-introduction to the Losers club members. For such a large book, I remember quite a lot, but I by no means have the thing memorized. It's nice to sit back and see how human and real each child is, and how they're not just generic 'chosen ones' or downtrodden sad sacks. Each has their own struggle, and it's related wonderfully.
Mike has one of the more stable family units, in that his dad isn't blind to the evils of Derry (and tells my favorite aside later in the book). The series doesn't delve into his home life, were he works a farm down the road from the Bowers family (who hate him, of course). Mike encounters Eddie's bloody tracks, which is how we're led into his POV of his home life, and farming. It's a much-needed break from the relenting horror...
SPOILERS
For a few pages. Then we're introduced to The Tramp Chair.
It's a short segment, and nothing like the horror of Mike's forthcoming encounter with IT, but worth mentioning. Mike's dad takes him on historical tours occasionally, and once stopped by the police office so Mike could see the tramp chair. It's also a lesson on human cruelty, and how Mike's dad dislikes the local police force (and righftully so).
The chair, unlike traditional (and real) tramp chairs isn't a cage, but is is covered in knobs that dig into the back, leaving the offender a screaming wreck after 24 hours. It's striking in that it's a wholly human cruelty, and a real one, made worse by IT's influence over the town.
Speaking of IT, Mike is stalked by IT in the form of a massive bird. He manages to escape by blinding IT in one eye (and being helped by an outside force to do so, either the ghosts of the kids haunting the ironwork, or more likely the Turtle or Ka). The sequence is short, but well done, and sticks beautifully in the mind after it's done. Mike just goes back to normal after events that would have driven an adult insane.
The bird is compared to Rodan several times, another tell-tale sign of the monsters of film influencing the kids. More on that later, though.
SAFE
I'm enjoying my re-introduction to the Losers club members. For such a large book, I remember quite a lot, but I by no means have the thing memorized. It's nice to sit back and see how human and real each child is, and how they're not just generic 'chosen ones' or downtrodden sad sacks. Each has their own struggle, and it's related wonderfully.
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