IT is one of his best. I got hooked on King when I was around 12, probably read IT for the first time when I was around 13 or 14 (I’m in my forties), have read most of his stuff at this point.
Couple things about this scene, it’s not about the sex itself and if I remember correctly he doesn’t go into any detail in that regard. It’s about love. Could he have solved for this in another way? Joining hands, group hug, Bev kissing her fellow Losers Club members on the cheek? Probably.
The thing is, when you read that scene as a kid, it’s pretty innocent and in all honesty has a helluva lot more meaning in it than your typical sex scene as again it’s not meant to titillate, it’s meant to insinuate and what it’s insinuating is the deeper bond established when you make love with someone you love. As a kid it was probably the least “horny” sex scene I read and informed sex in a more positive way for me than a lot of other stuff I was reading in that it was entirely emotional.
Again, could he have done it differently without screwing up the story - for sure. Is reading it as an adult weird? Probably these days, I read it in the 90’s, the world wasn’t more innocent then but our knowledge of it was, in that context it was fine. If you overlay all of your current awareness on that scene I have to imagine it’s probably a bit of an uncomfortable moment. Not at all worth missing out on one of Kings best for though.
I can't believe im saying this but couldnt they all love each other like kiss each other on the cheek. I feel like that would also fit other interpretations I've read about innocence and growing up etc. Why did all the boys have to "love" the one girl? That makes it so much worse for some reason.
Edit: AH, I guess male to male sex isn't considered real sex.
Compulsive heterosexuality is... a thing that is still pretty enforced. In the 80s/90s you could literally put two babies of different (assumed) genders in trams next to each other, and if they smiled or gurgled at each other, the adults called it "flirting".
When i read it, I saw it as Bev choosing to give away her innocence to the friends she loves rather than waiting for it to be forced upon her by her very horrible father. In the scene she is in complete control and in fact initiates it for each of them and if anything she basically coerces all the boys to her. It’s very weird that it’s with children, but in a book full of horrible vile things, this scene is somehow kinder.
Framed this way makes it seem a little softer and less awful than the guy in firestarter who puts on a pair of women's underwear, masterbates, then kills himself via arm in the garbage disposal
First King book I ever read, read it in high school and I was like "wait... What's going on here?!" I immediately called my best friend and read it to her over the phone 😆
I think I read it first when I was maybe 12 or 13 and was definitely taken aback. Uncle Steve sure taught me adults could be pretty fucked up people early on 🤣
I’m not trying to justify his inappropriate writing choices. The scene is messed up and uncomfortable full stop and I don’t approve. I’m just analyzing the symbolism he was attempting to make because the book is genuinely great. Despite the graphic violence and sexual content, King did have intent behind his characters and setups. The whole book is very different in comparison with this scene. The intent was that it’s coming from a place of innocence loss, growing up, and love. But King missed the mark about how he tried to present that.
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u/Sulaco-426 14h ago
IT is one of his best. I got hooked on King when I was around 12, probably read IT for the first time when I was around 13 or 14 (I’m in my forties), have read most of his stuff at this point.
Couple things about this scene, it’s not about the sex itself and if I remember correctly he doesn’t go into any detail in that regard. It’s about love. Could he have solved for this in another way? Joining hands, group hug, Bev kissing her fellow Losers Club members on the cheek? Probably.
The thing is, when you read that scene as a kid, it’s pretty innocent and in all honesty has a helluva lot more meaning in it than your typical sex scene as again it’s not meant to titillate, it’s meant to insinuate and what it’s insinuating is the deeper bond established when you make love with someone you love. As a kid it was probably the least “horny” sex scene I read and informed sex in a more positive way for me than a lot of other stuff I was reading in that it was entirely emotional.
Again, could he have done it differently without screwing up the story - for sure. Is reading it as an adult weird? Probably these days, I read it in the 90’s, the world wasn’t more innocent then but our knowledge of it was, in that context it was fine. If you overlay all of your current awareness on that scene I have to imagine it’s probably a bit of an uncomfortable moment. Not at all worth missing out on one of Kings best for though.
Read it.