The other day I read Stephen King’s *Apt Pupil* and I can’t seem to make my mind up as to what is the most disturbing scene out the following:
1) the description of Todd’s first wet dream in *Apt Pupil* which he has while fantasting performing medical experiments on a Jewish girl in a concentration camp.
2) the awkward sex performed by members of the Loser Club after defeating It the first time round in *It".
3) or the short story *Dedication* which involves a writer spending the majority of time masturbating, for reasons I have forgotten he is holed in motel. He allows his mess to cover the sheets etc and a maid who is pregnant decides to consume the dried semen in belief this will impart creative talent in to unborn child.
4) or finally, the slight misogynist statement in *The Tommyknockers* which describes Ruth McCausland’s masturbatory session as “grim and joyless” as no penis was involved in the climax. Out of the four this is probably the least disturbing but…
Yeah, King has some weird sex and sex related stuff in his books.
But truth is that it usually fits. As in the kind of weird the sex is relates to the life kind of weird of the story, and/or is used as something to showcase the overall weirdness of a character.
I say usually because the scene from It only makes sense in context if you really stretch credulity to the breaking point.
The problem is that even when it fits, it tends to be so far over the top that it breaks immersion to some degree or another.
King is one of those authors that you end up having to accept a good degree of stuff that’s nigh edgelord absurdity as part and parcel of some very unique and engaging stories. There’s also a ton of pseudo-surrealism in his stuff. That usually works great! Even when it’s absurd, the absurdity of it works, like the weird lobster things in the dark tower series and their “Dad-a-chum? Dum-a-chum? Ded-a-chek? Did-a-chick” shtick.
He’s not the only author to do that kind of thing, but he’s one of the few that are successful at his level.
I can’t even remember who wrote it because I’ve mostly blocked out the memory. But there was a book with a chapter long rape scene involving two jr high kids. There was a ton of detail about pink things and a fetishistic attention to the dress the girl wearing. But it was all because the boy was possessed/influenced. Like, that’s just lazy writing imo. At least King in the IT scene had an internal reasoning beyond “this is what evil does”. It was still batshit crazy, and unnecessary, but at least it wasn’t lazy.
Well, his stories contain a lot of weird situation period. Sex is just a part of it. After all is not like he’s famous for writing boring novels.
Ain’t that the truth!
Ain’t that the truth 🤟
Maybe big boy books aren’t for you?
I’ve read better horror from a cereal packet. If King is your idea of heavy reading I would suggest that you expand your horizons…
(and for the record the post was largely tongue in cheek).
Apt Pupil is one of the most terrifying depictions of a descent into madness I’ve ever had the privilege to read.
King is master. He might need editing, but t what mortal among us could be worthy?
I would agree that Apt Pupil is a highly disturbing fucked up story - which covers a number of themes. But is it honestly a great piece of horror? No. King relies far too much on the shock element, which I’m fine with this - sometimes I want to be grossed our. Todd’s wet dream as I have alluded already was pretty awkward - but there is some relatablity, admittedly I have never to my knowledge had one while fantasying about the holocaust it did bring home the memories of my first time - the confusion of what I had dreamt and waking up feeling sticky and not fully realising what it was resurfaced those emotions.
As for the depiction of madness, yes the graphic nature takes some beating but it’s weak on psychology. If you want to explore the slide to madness I urge you to read either the The Brothers Karamazov or Crime and Punishment.
Wowsers dude, you left out War and Peace and Moby Dick!
Your literary superiority is too superior for me! 🤣
Moby Dick is overrated.
More likely overstuffed. He added whole chapters of (fictional) dictionaries description and so on, but in the long run that help building up the story atmosphere and give more impact to the main arc.
