The front part of the novel reminded me of my own childhood, even though the boys' childhoods are not similar with mine. The characters are Gordon Lachance, Chris Chambers, Teddy Duchamp, and Vern Tessio. They are pictured as having normal playtime similar to ordinary boys, but they have some sadness inside. Gordon is ignored by his parents due to the death of his older brother, Dennis. Chris is always beaten up by his father, and even though he is smart, no one would care. Teddy's father is a war veteran with psychological problem. Teddy got his ear burnt in the stove by his father, who went to the asylum. Vern has an older brother named Billy, who is part of a gang. My parents are kind to me, and I do not have sisters or brothers, so those parts were not similar. However, I was amazed at their positivity, which allowed me to relate my childhood.
Even though the boys have sadness, they are not gloomy at all. They play like ordinary boys, having fun altogether. The boys seem to get closer, because they understand each other. The tree house is their place of communication. Gordon, Chris, Teddy, and Vern are true friends to themselves. Since I was very young, I admired of having a tree house myself. The tree house seemed like a perfect private place where friends can share their secrets. In Korea, there is no adequate place for tree houses, since most people live in cities including me. Instead, my friends and I played in parks and playgrounds. While comparing my childhood life, I somewhat envied the boys’ free life.
Moreover, I liked the unusual adventure that they were headed into finding a dead body. From here, I got the idea that maybe this novel is not a gore one, but about the exotic adventure of the boys. I liked adventures too, but it was very limited. For instance, it was usually about exploring the hole in the school fence or adventuring a graveyard in the park. Apparently, the novel adventure instantly grabbed my attention as I imagined what kind of trip lay ahead of the boys. What started as a suspicion changed to interest as I compared my childhood with what is told in the novel. Soon, I was imagining myself in the tree house, thinking of an journey to find the body of Ray Brower. I hope to read to the end of the novel and find about the future of these four boys.
I've never heard of 1408. One thing I'll say about King - he usually delivers horror that isn't cheap, and he scares us in an intelligent way that doesn't rely on gore or excess violence etc. The Body is not horror, and he's a good writer who can deliver a bit of everything. Good post.
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