Dreamcatcher/IT Cross-Reference (Possible Spoiler)

[Lionors]

Delphica recently brought up something in the Bag of Bones thread that reminded me of a question I had when reading Dreamcatcher...hope someone can give some insight here.

Originally posted by delphica
I liked the beginning of Dreamcatcher, but I think King shot himself in the foot in the usual King way ... the story seemed to snowball until it was completely unmanageable. What did you think of the IT reference? (I'm trying to be vague, so this thread remains spoiler-free, so the part at the Derry Standpipe.)

Okay, spoiler for IT and Dreamcatcher.









Delphica, I'm assuming you're talking about the statue, and I had a really big question about that. At the end of IT, King made it really clear that the group was starting to forget about each other (to the point where addresses and names were fading from Mike's address book, he couldn't remember what physical problem Eddie had and Richie couldn't remember Eddie's last name, either when he and Mike talked on the phone.) All this was given as an indication that they really had prevailed over IT.

I thought the statue was OK...except....if they were all forgetting about each other, who would have remembered enough and thought it important enough to put up a statue? Or is there something that I missed along the way that would have explained that?

Did anyone else get hung up on that or am I just being unnecessarily nitpicky?

[delphica]

Oh wow, that is exactly what I thought about it. In terms of the plot, it doesn't make any sense to me because of the fading memory that you mention. By the end of IT, the characters are having a hard time figuring out what happened, so why the statue? As an aside, I always wonder what happens to Ben and Bev. The ending implies that they are starting a relationship, but wouldn't it be freaky if you were dating someone and neither of you could remember anything about the other? Or how you met?

There other possibility (I suppose) is that the statue was not placed there by any of the children, but by one of the supernatural forces that seem to show up in Derry. I can almost imagine the five remaining Losers coming back to Derry (yet again) and standing around looking at the statue, completely perplexed as to what it means and how it got there. Mind you, there is nothing in the text that supports that, it's just an idea I had that seems to fit in with the strange happenings in Derry.

In terms of style, the statue bugs me, because it is so over the top. I would have been much more impressed/creeped out if they had found some remnant of the events in IT floating around ... like a page from Stan's bird guide.

[DynoSaur]

The worst thing I can think of about that...the scrawled "Pennywise Lives" on the plaque...

For the love of god, Steve...no sequel to IT. Please. I beg you.

[Lionors]

<dies laughing>

Yep, that was the exact thought I had at the end of IT...'Boy, it's great that Ben finally gets Beverly...but geez, what's Ben going to tell Ricky Lee at the Red Wheel when he asks how Ben met up with this drop-dead-gorgeous fashion designer??'

O'course, if he did remember, it would sure put all the other 'this-is-how-I-met-my-SO' stories in the dust, huh? "Well, we were drawn together by a supernatural force to kill a really evil boogum, which looked like the nastiest spider you ever saw...." :eek:

I agree with you...the page from Stan's bird book, or a bloodstained piece of a Coke bottle... but a statue? WTF??

On the other hand, what did you think about the Pennywise graffito on the statue? Preview of upcoming attractions, maybe?

[Lionors]

Yeah, Dyno, I agree. It's like Highlander -- there SHOULD be only one.