It

Title: It

Author: Stephen King

Published in: 1986

Date read: 22nd November 2017

Score: 5/5

Genre: Horror, Fantasy, Psychological, Thriller

Plot: (Warning, may contain spoilers):
"It" by Stephen King, published in 1986, is an epic horror novel that spans two timelines and delves deeply into themes of childhood trauma, the power of friendship, the nature of evil, and the unique, often disturbing, character of the fictional town of Derry, Maine.

The narrative is structured around two main periods, interweaving chapters from the past and the present:

Part 1: The Children's Story (1957-1958)
The story opens in October 1957 with a truly horrific event: six-year-old Georgie Denbrough is brutally murdered by a malevolent entity calling itself "Pennywise the Dancing Clown," which lurks in the storm drains of Derry. Georgie's older brother, Bill Denbrough (who stutters), is devastated by his death and is determined to uncover the truth.

Bill, along with six other outcast children in Derry, forms a bond that solidifies into the "Losers' Club." These children are:

• Bill Denbrough: The unofficial leader, driven by grief for Georgie.
• Beverly Marsh: The only girl in the group, strong-willed, and a victim of domestic abuse.
• Ben Hanscom: Overweight and shy, but intelligent and resourceful.
• Richie Tozier: The loud-mouthed jokester and impressionist.
• Eddie Kaspbrak: Hypochondriac, dominated by his overprotective mother.
• Mike Hanlon: The only Black child in the group, and a local historian whose knowledge proves crucial.
• Stanley Uris: The pragmatic and sceptical member.

Each of these children has their own encounters with "It," which takes on the forms of their deepest fears: a leper, a werewolf, a mummy, a giant bird, and other monstrous manifestations, often appearing as Pennywise the Clown. They realize that Pennywise is responsible for a long history of disappearances and gruesome deaths in Derry, preying primarily on children, and that the adults of the town are strangely oblivious or complicit in its reign of terror.

The Losers' Club, bound by their shared experiences and their newfound courage, decides to confront It in its lair beneath Derry. They perform a ritual (the Ritual of Chüd) and, through the power of their belief, friendship, and collective will, manage to severely wound and seemingly defeat It, forcing it into a long hibernation. Before parting ways, they make a blood oath: if It ever returns, they will too, to finish the job.

Part 2: The Adults' Story (1984-1985)
Twenty-seven years later, in 1984, the murders begin again in Derry, targeting children once more. The adult Mike Hanlon, the only member of the Losers' Club who stayed in Derry and became its librarian and unofficial historian, realizes that It has awakened. He makes a series of phone calls, reminding the now-scattered members of their childhood oath.

The six remaining Losers (Stan Uris tragically commits suicide upon remembering the oath, unable to face It again) return to Derry. However, most of them have repressed their memories of It and their childhood experiences, a strange psychological effect of leaving Derry. Their reunion forces these buried traumas and memories to the surface.

As they grapple with their pasts and the terrifying reality of It's return, they must confront their adult fears and the lingering psychological scars of their childhood. They piece together It's ancient, cosmic origins, learning that it is an entity from a dimension beyond Earth, capable of shapeshifting and feeding on fear. It awakens every 27 years to feast before returning to slumber.

The climax of the novel sees the surviving adult Losers descending once more into the sewers beneath Derry for a final, desperate confrontation with It. They must overcome their personal fears, reconcile their past, and harness the immense power of their enduring bond to face It in its true, monstrous form in the Macroverse. The battle is brutal and costly, testing their limits of courage and sacrifice, but ultimately they defeat It for good.

"It" explores profound themes: the enduring strength of childhood friendships, the lasting impact of trauma, the loss of innocence, the nature of memory and repression, and the idea of a town itself being infected by a pervasive evil. It's a terrifying exploration of both supernatural horror and the very real horrors of childhood, bullying, abuse, and the indifference of the adult world.

Comments:
Not much that I can say other than this is an absolute must-read for everyone. It is a massive book, but it did not feel like it and I did not want the book to end. I will also add that the 1990 film version with Tim Curry was excellent and I still refer to that as my favourite version. I also enjoyed 2017/2019 version but I enjoyed the jumping from past to present in the earlier version.

Books that we've read by Stephen King (68):
Carrie (1974), 'Salem's Lot (1975), The Shining (The Shining, #1) (1977), The Stand (1978), Night Shift (1978), The Dead Zone (1979), Firestarter (1980), Cujo (1981), The Gunslinger (The Dark Tower, #1) (1982), Different Seasons (1982), Christine (1983), Cycle of the Werewolf (1983), Pet Sematary (1983), The Talisman (The Talisman, #1) (1984), Skeleton Crew (1985), It (1986), The Drawing of the Three (The Dark Tower, #2) (1987), The Eyes of the Dragon (1987), The Tommyknockers (1987), Misery (1987), The Dark Half (1989), Four Past Midnight (1990), The Waste Lands (The Dark Tower, #3) (1991), Needful Things (1991), Dolores Claiborne (1992), Gerald's Game (1992), Nightmares and Dreamscapes (1993), Insomnia (1994), Rose Madder (1995), The Green Mile (1996), Desperation (1996), Wizard and Glass (The Dark Tower, #4) (1997), Bag of Bones (1998), The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon (1999), Hearts in Atlantis (1999), On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft (2000), Black House (The Talisman, #2) (2001), Dreamcatcher (2001), Everything's Eventual (2002), From a Buick 8 (2002), Wolves of the Calla (The Dark Tower, #5) (2003), Song of Susannah (The Dark Tower, #6) (2004), The Dark Tower (The Dark Tower, #7) (2004), The Colorado Kid (2005), Cell (2006), Lisey's Story (2006), Duma Key (2008), Just After Sunset (2008), Under the Dome (2009), 11/22/63 (2011), Full Dark, No Stars (2011), The Wind Through the Keyhole (The Dark Tower, #4.5) (2012), Dr. Sleep (The Shining, #2) (2013), Joyland (2013), Mr. Mercedes (Bill Hodges Trilogy, #1) (2014), Revival (2014), The Bazaar of Bad Dreams (2015), Finders Keepers (Bill Hodges Trilogy, #2) (2015), End of Watch (Bill Hodges Trilogy, #3) (2016), Elevation (2018), The Outsider (2018), The Institute (2019), If It Bleeds (2020), Billy Summers (2021), Later (2021), Fairy Tale (2022), Holly (2023), You Like It Darker (2024)