Stephen King’s *It* is a sprawling, epic, and deeply unsettling journey into the heart of fear itself. This is not just a horror story, but a complex exploration of childhood trauma, memory, and the insidious nature of evil. Set primarily in the fictional town of Derry, Maine, the novel weaves between two timelines: 1957/58 and 1984/85, following a group of friends, known as "the Losers' Club," as they confront a terrifying entity that manifests as their deepest fears.

The narrative begins with a chilling image: a newspaper boat floating down a rain-swollen gutter. This seemingly innocent image quickly gives way to horror, as young Georgie Denbrough encounters a clown in a storm drain, setting in motion a chain of events that will haunt the town for decades. This opening immediately establishes the book's tone: a mixture of childhood innocence and lurking dread. The story then jumps forward to 1984, where the past begins to resurface with a series of disturbing events, pulling the now-adult Losers back to Derry.

**The Power of Childhood Bonds**

At its core, *It* is about the power of childhood friendships. The Losers' Club—Bill, Beverly, Richie, Ben, Mike, Eddie, and Stan—are a group of outcasts bound together by shared experiences and a common enemy. King masterfully portrays the unique dynamics of childhood friendships, the unbreakable bonds formed in the face of adversity. The Losers, each with their own personal demons, find strength in their unity. They build a clubhouse in the Barrens, a symbol of their solidarity, and make a pact to return if the evil ever resurfaces. The way these relationships are crafted is very moving and is a big part of the books power.

**A Town Haunted by Its Past**

Derry is not just a setting; it is a character in itself. The town is steeped in a history of violence and tragedy, seemingly cursed and festering with an unseen evil. King creates a vivid sense of place, depicting a town where the mundane is perpetually undercut by a sinister undertone. The town's history, chronicled by Mike Hanlon, the town librarian, reveals a cyclical pattern of horror, with the entity emerging every twenty-seven years to feed on fear and violence. This sense of history, both personal and communal, is crucial to the novel's themes.

The descriptions of Derry are hauntingly effective, creating an atmosphere of unease. From the seemingly innocuous Canal Days Festival to the sinister presence of the Kissing Bridge, the town itself seems to harbor the evil that the Losers must confront. The town is a mirror reflecting the inner fears and anxieties of the characters.

**The Nature of Fear**

The entity known as "It" is a shape-shifting monster that preys on the fears of its victims, often manifesting as a terrifying clown named Pennywise. However, It is not just a monster; it represents the darkest aspects of the human psyche, the subconscious fears that can paralyze us. King explores the idea that true horror is not just about external threats but also about the internal demons we carry.

The descriptions of It are vivid and terrifying. The creature takes on many forms, from the leper under Eddie's porch to the mummy on the ice, always tailored to exploit the fears of each individual character. This use of personalized horror emphasizes the psychological nature of the novel. The book examines how fears develop and how we carry them throughout our lives.

**The Power of Memory and the Return of the Past**

The narrative alternates between the Losers’ childhoods and their return to Derry as adults. As adults, they’ve forgotten much of their childhood trauma. But they start to remember the terrors of their past when strange things start happening again, drawing them back to Derry to confront their fears once more. The past is not something that can be ignored or escaped, it continues to shape the present.

The power of memory, both reliable and unreliable, is a central theme in the book. It explores how our childhood experiences shape who we become as adults and how traumatic events can remain dormant, only to resurface with devastating force. The Losers are not just battling a monster; they are also battling the ghosts of their past, the suppressed memories and fears that continue to haunt them.

**Themes of Courage and Resilience**

Despite the pervasive sense of dread, *It* is ultimately a story about courage and resilience. The Losers, even as children, display a remarkable ability to confront their fears and to find strength in their friendships. When they come back as adults, they demonstrate even more courage in taking on the entity that they’ve always known lurked under the surface of their town. The book is a testament to the human spirit’s capacity to overcome even the most terrifying challenges.

The Losers' journey is not just about defeating a monster; it is about reclaiming their lives and finding a way to move forward from the trauma of their past. It is about acknowledging the pain and trauma while finding the strength to move past it and continue living.

**A Masterful Work of Horror**

King’s writing style is on full display in *It*: his ability to blend the mundane with the terrifying is exceptional. The story is rich with detail, and the characters feel deeply real, flaws and all. He creates suspense, and the horror scenes are genuinely unsettling. The story is very detailed, immersing the reader in the world of Derry, so be prepared for a long book with a lot of detail.

*It* is a long and challenging novel, but it is ultimately a rewarding experience. It is a deep dive into the nature of fear, memory, and the bonds of friendship, and it will leave you thinking about it long after you’ve finished the last page. It is a must-read for any fan of horror and a powerful reminder of the importance of facing our fears, no matter how terrifying they might be.

**Highlights:**

* **Rich Character Development:** The Losers are incredibly well-developed, each with their own distinct personalities and backstories.
* **Atmospheric Setting:** Derry is a character in itself, a town with a dark history and a pervasive sense of dread.
* **Exploration of Themes:** The novel delves into complex themes of fear, memory, trauma, and the power of friendship.
* **Masterful Storytelling:** King’s writing is captivating, blending the ordinary with the horrific seamlessly.

*It* is more than just a horror novel; it is a literary exploration of the human condition. Highly recommended. ( )

A good read, though I don't think IT was one of King's best. I thought it also may have gone on a bit too long, and gotten a little too metaphysical toward the end, and I was sort of relieved when it was finally over. I feel like this happens with some of his books, he's the master of build-up, but then takes it all a little too seriously. Still, very well worth the read. ( )

“Come on back and we’ll see if you remember the simplest thing of all – how it is to be children, secure in belief and thus afraid of the dark.”

Awe, just as good as when I read it at 12. This one doesn't age, it just doesn't get dull. I loved each chapter, each word and each memory of these kids. Beverly and her struggles. Bill and his strength but also his weakness. Richie for his comic relief and love. Stan for his clear eyes but also honesty. Eddie, for his fear but also his ability to get them everywhere they need to be. And Ben, for his unconditional love and his willingness to go anywhere they took him, for his pure happiness in friendship. Mike, for his amazing heart, his good memory and his sacrifice to remember it all. Listening to this one as opposed to reading it was such a treasure. I had to lower it during Mike's sections and really cringe my way through, but otherwise, the strength of childhood friendships, the wonder of the things in the dark. The ugly truth of adulthood and their venture back into the things unknown and unremembered. Ugh, it was just so good.

"He thrusts his fists
against the post
and still insists
he sees the ghosts."

Bill, don't stop insisting. The turtle said so. ( )

Starts off really strong but drags and chokes on its length. ( )

In 1985, six people receive a phone call from a childhood friend named Mike, asking them to come back to their hometown of Derry, Maine so that they can fulfill a promise they made. Until the moment of the phone call, none of them remembered either Mike or the promise they made, but most of them are able to overcome the shock of their gradually returning memories and make their way to Derry.

The seven members of the Losers Club first meet back in 1958, bound by their status as misfits and frequent _targets of a bully named Henry Bowers. Bill, the leader of the group, has a bad stutter. His friend, Eddie, suffers from asthma and an overprotective mother. Ben is lonely and overweight, with a huge secret crush on Beverly. Beverly has an abusive father. Richie has a bad habit of letting his mouth run away with him. Stan is Jewish. The group is rounded out by Mike, who is Black.

One other thing binds the group together: they've all had terrifying unexplained experiences tied to some sort of malevolent being in Derry they call "It." It killed Bill's younger brother, George, as well as many other children in Derry, and there is evidence that It has been affecting Derry for a long time.

Somehow, in a way that none of the adult Losers Club members can quite remember until the time is right, they fought It. Unfortunately, they didn't quite manage to kill It. Now they need to make yet another attempt to defeat It, for good this time.

I really enjoyed the first half of this. The characters were great, and I enjoyed seeing how the Losers Club was gradually formed. The connections between their child and adult selves were fascinating and occasionally heartbreaking - both Eddie and Beverly, for example, essentially married people who were like their parents and locked themselves inside the same cycles that held them when they were children.

My patience started to waver during the second half. Every time I thought King was just about done with revealing what had happened in the past and finally ready to focus on the battle to come in 1985, some new scene came up. Occasionally there were brief interludes in which violent moments from Derry history were revealed. It wasn't necessarily uninteresting, but I was increasingly ready for the story to finally wrap up.

Then came that scene. This was my first time reading this book, and I've never even seen the adaptations (although, not unsurprisingly, apparently that scene didn't make it into any of those). I can sort of guess what King was going for, but it absolutely was not worth the inclusion of an orgy scene in which an 11-year-old girl encouraged each of her six male friends to have sex with her in order to strengthen their bond. The scene had no real impact on the story and could easily have been left out without affecting a single thing. It boggles my mind that King included it and that his editor let him do it.

Ok, trying to move on from that... Aspects of the ending were made even more tragic by whatever it was that affected the memories of the members of the Losers Club. In the first half of the book, I grew attached to the kids and worried which ones might die in the final battle in 1985. In reality, the real tragedy was in the forgetting - these people cared for each other enough that they were willing to face their worst fears and possibly die for each other, but not a single one of them would even be able to remember the last names, faces, or identifying characteristics of any of them even a few months later.

I wish the flow of the second half had been better. I wish that Stephen King hadn't decided that sex was the only and best way for a bunch of kids to strengthen their bond. So much of this book was really good, and yet here I am, with my skin still crawling for all the wrong reasons.

Rating Note:

I struggled with rating this. During the bulk of it, I'd have probably given it 4 stars. My gut reaction, after that was to downgrade to an appalled 1 star. I settled on 3 stars because the bulk of it was good, and that scene was such a weird throwaway moment that I could almost convince myself I hallucinated it.

(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.) ( )