"And what's Derry really like, Don?" Reeves asked.
"It's a lot like a dead strumpet with maggots squirming out of her cooze."
- Don Hagarty during his questioning by the police after Adrian Mellon's death, It
The town of Derry, Maine exists only in the mind of Stephen King. Or does it? The books It and Insomnia have brought the town and it's citizens to life for thousands of "constant readers" such as myself. It isn't only the horror visualized in the above quote that has made this little town (population 35,000 in 1985) a favorite among his fans. King also uses humor, mystery and mythology to bind his audience to the characters he creates. In following the links below perhaps we can learn a few things about Derry, it's people and maybe even our own fascination with them.
One final note before we begin. Although I have tried to edit out the biggest of the spoilers, it would be impossible to explore Derry without citing examples from the books. If you haven't yet read the books I strongly recommend you do so before viewing this material.
| HUMOR | MYSTERY | HORROR | FORUM |
| MOVIE REVIEWS | SIGHTS AND SOUNDS | BACK TO CARRIE'S CONCEPTIONS | |
I invite you to post your own comments to the message board about the books of Derry. You are also welcome send comments or suggestions on the site itself.
All quotes are taken from INSOMNIA and IT, © Stephen King.