Status
Available
Call number
Publication
A Signet Book
Pages
1093
Description
They were seven teenagers when they first stumbled upon the horror. Now they were grown-up men and women who had gone out into the big world to gain success and happiness. But none of them could withstand the force that drew them back to Derry, Maine to face the nightmare without an end, and the evil without a name.
Collection
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1986-09-15
Physical description
1093 p.; 6.8 inches
ISBN
9780451169518
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User reviews
LibraryThing member jseger9000
1958. There's something rotten under Derry, Maine... and it is killing children. Stuttering Bill Denbrough and the Losers decide to do something about it.
Now, 27 years later they are being called back to Derry. Has It returned? And why can they not remember what happened that summer?
It is Stephen
Of course, this is Stephen King, so we do learn of the lives of various townspeople in Derry. We also delve into the long and varied history of It and It's influence on the course of events in Derry.
The opening of the book, with the appearance of Pennywise the clown in a storm drain is one of the most famous scenes in any Stephen King work, with good reason. But that is only one of many of the most memorable scary scenes I've encountered in any his novels. It as Pennywise (and the many other shapes It takes) is the greatest monster to prowl King's pages.
However, as scary as It was, I was more interested in the kids, how they turned out as adults and their day-to-day activities in the fifties. The creepy moments are sort of the icing on an already excellent cake. King does a great job of bringing that summer in Derry to life. He manages to alternate back and forth between 1958 and 1985, keeping a firm grip on the info being provided, giving the reader many Aha! moments as something will happen in a 1958 chapter that will give some insight on a comment that seemed mysterious when made by one of the adults in 1985. King always writes strong characters, but the Losers are the first group of characters I actually missed when the book ended. I believe that is because we got to know them as both children and as the adults they became. Also, over the course of the long book, you just go through so much with them. In the end, they feel like long time friends.
King has gone on to write a number of masterpieces since this book was released (Misery, Needful Things, The Green Mile and others), but to my way of thinking, he has never topped It.
Now, 27 years later they are being called back to Derry. Has It returned? And why can they not remember what happened that summer?
It is Stephen
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King at the pinnacle of his talent. He has taken almost every major theme from his previous books and combined them in this very long novel. Though it is long, I don't think of it as an epic. The book is very reminiscent of his earlier novel, The Body as we mainly focus on the extremely close friendship that develops between seven diverse and troubled kids over the very hot and scary summer of 1958 and how they reconnect as adults in 1985.Of course, this is Stephen King, so we do learn of the lives of various townspeople in Derry. We also delve into the long and varied history of It and It's influence on the course of events in Derry.
The opening of the book, with the appearance of Pennywise the clown in a storm drain is one of the most famous scenes in any Stephen King work, with good reason. But that is only one of many of the most memorable scary scenes I've encountered in any his novels. It as Pennywise (and the many other shapes It takes) is the greatest monster to prowl King's pages.
However, as scary as It was, I was more interested in the kids, how they turned out as adults and their day-to-day activities in the fifties. The creepy moments are sort of the icing on an already excellent cake. King does a great job of bringing that summer in Derry to life. He manages to alternate back and forth between 1958 and 1985, keeping a firm grip on the info being provided, giving the reader many Aha! moments as something will happen in a 1958 chapter that will give some insight on a comment that seemed mysterious when made by one of the adults in 1985. King always writes strong characters, but the Losers are the first group of characters I actually missed when the book ended. I believe that is because we got to know them as both children and as the adults they became. Also, over the course of the long book, you just go through so much with them. In the end, they feel like long time friends.
King has gone on to write a number of masterpieces since this book was released (Misery, Needful Things, The Green Mile and others), but to my way of thinking, he has never topped It.
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LibraryThing member PatrickHackeling13
IT by Stephen KIng is the essence of horror. It encapsulates almost every aspect of one's psyche and how to distort and ultimately destroy it. A pinch gorier and a tad lengtheir than the movie, IT, the novel, is and will most likely be the scariest novel that I have ever had the... pleasure to
Just like there is a slap-stick genre of humor, there is a bloody-mess genre of horror too. IT is nothing like this. Do not get me wrong. It has IT's fair share of blood in it (it basically seeps off the page), but it goes so much further than that. Now, whenever I hear the words penny and wise in the same sentence I bug out waiting for my worst fear to come true. Because, that is truly what IT is. Your worst fear coming to life.
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read.Just like there is a slap-stick genre of humor, there is a bloody-mess genre of horror too. IT is nothing like this. Do not get me wrong. It has IT's fair share of blood in it (it basically seeps off the page), but it goes so much further than that. Now, whenever I hear the words penny and wise in the same sentence I bug out waiting for my worst fear to come true. Because, that is truly what IT is. Your worst fear coming to life.
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LibraryThing member BaileysAndBooks
Confirmed my fear of clowns.
LibraryThing member Ron18
There are some good things in It. They outweigh the bad. While it isn't a very good book, I'll grant that it is worth reading (until someone eventually does it better - Summer of Night by Dan Simmons took a stab but failed to do significantly better).
The things about it that are good will hopefully
The very last thing he does in the book is point out that it took him over 4 years to write. It shows, in that the themes, protagonists, antagonists, and plot are all seriously inconsistent when you get right down to it. Huge chunks just flushed down the toilet at times. One of the main characters dies and not a single character remembers that the guy was married.
Your antagonist is a malevolent creature that can appear as whatever a particular child fears, but has a habit of appearing as a clown. Except when It doesn't - like when It uses intermediaries. Or when it's an extradimensional light being. Or a big spider. The mechanics are messy. The time jumping becomes a substitute for creativity and does less to compare/contrast aging and maturity, and more to serve as a way to double the length of the book while asking you to eat the same meals twice with a little bit of changes to their seasoning.
King was especially weird about women and sex at this time in his writing career. He's very rarely depicted sex, sexuality, or non-heterosexual non-male characters particularly well (he's done this better in the last decade or two) - - but when he stooped to having his preteen cast of 7 all take turns having sex with the only girl in their circle of friends, in order to help them find their way out of the sewer... you have one of the biggest facepalms of a very long and wordy writing career.
The stereotyping cliches are played for laughs... then the laughs start to sound forced and awkward. They're supposed to show you that humanity is the real monster (when aging isn't the real monster)... but it happens in a cartoonish and heavy-handed way that feels embarrassing to me today.
There are hundreds of pages that add nothing to the story. Nothing. Anyone who can read word for word when he's knocking down the town (for no discernible reason) in a fireworks display intended (it seems) to distract from the disappointing non-ending (doubled-down with a shmultzy little ditty involving Bill's non-character of a wife whose involvement is never not awkward).
He does most of this story better later on in the book Insomnia (underrated to It's overrated). Go there for the story of aging, memory, friendship, invisible worlds, and personal quasi-supernatural empowerment against a dark quasi-supernatural influence.
Then, at the end of the day, you have the 1/3rd of the book that was genuinely fun to be in - and even spooky at times. Why he abandoned Robert Gray, (initially established as an alien that crash landed in prehistoric times) for the likes of malevolent lights from beyond space and time (complete with Doctor Strange scenes of astral stretching), is the hard question I think readers are left with. Maybe after the first 3 years he thought he had to try something different. It's a shame. All the tropes (dirty clown, silver eyes, orange pom-poms, balloons, child endangerment) are *completely* thrown out the window for the last 20% or so of the book. That this doesn't leave more people asking "WTF?" either illustrates that they didn't really read the book, or that after they've invested in 700 pages or so, the next couple hundred aren't going to be scrutinized - they're going to be plowed through for the relief of escaping out the other side.
As negative as a lot of this has got to sound - I'm way more critical of things I like, and I've always liked Stephen King. His heavy borrowing (from better stories) and usual failure to close the deal are just things you have to accept if you're going to bathe in his frequently wonderful characterization and atmosphere building. Every once in a while, especially in his longer works (I feel this way in spades about The Stand, but I've only read the unabridged version - also in Wizard and Glass), that atmosphere stops working too.
The things about it that are good will hopefully
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be distilled into the upcoming movie release. I'd read this as a kid (12ish), and just reread in my early 40's. I thought it would be particularly cool, b/c that's the age King was when he wrote it - and he also had kids around the ages of my own. Instead it reinforced my memory of it having been overlong and ultimately poorly put together.The very last thing he does in the book is point out that it took him over 4 years to write. It shows, in that the themes, protagonists, antagonists, and plot are all seriously inconsistent when you get right down to it. Huge chunks just flushed down the toilet at times. One of the main characters dies and not a single character remembers that the guy was married.
Your antagonist is a malevolent creature that can appear as whatever a particular child fears, but has a habit of appearing as a clown. Except when It doesn't - like when It uses intermediaries. Or when it's an extradimensional light being. Or a big spider. The mechanics are messy. The time jumping becomes a substitute for creativity and does less to compare/contrast aging and maturity, and more to serve as a way to double the length of the book while asking you to eat the same meals twice with a little bit of changes to their seasoning.
King was especially weird about women and sex at this time in his writing career. He's very rarely depicted sex, sexuality, or non-heterosexual non-male characters particularly well (he's done this better in the last decade or two) - - but when he stooped to having his preteen cast of 7 all take turns having sex with the only girl in their circle of friends, in order to help them find their way out of the sewer... you have one of the biggest facepalms of a very long and wordy writing career.
The stereotyping cliches are played for laughs... then the laughs start to sound forced and awkward. They're supposed to show you that humanity is the real monster (when aging isn't the real monster)... but it happens in a cartoonish and heavy-handed way that feels embarrassing to me today.
There are hundreds of pages that add nothing to the story. Nothing. Anyone who can read word for word when he's knocking down the town (for no discernible reason) in a fireworks display intended (it seems) to distract from the disappointing non-ending (doubled-down with a shmultzy little ditty involving Bill's non-character of a wife whose involvement is never not awkward).
He does most of this story better later on in the book Insomnia (underrated to It's overrated). Go there for the story of aging, memory, friendship, invisible worlds, and personal quasi-supernatural empowerment against a dark quasi-supernatural influence.
Then, at the end of the day, you have the 1/3rd of the book that was genuinely fun to be in - and even spooky at times. Why he abandoned Robert Gray, (initially established as an alien that crash landed in prehistoric times) for the likes of malevolent lights from beyond space and time (complete with Doctor Strange scenes of astral stretching), is the hard question I think readers are left with. Maybe after the first 3 years he thought he had to try something different. It's a shame. All the tropes (dirty clown, silver eyes, orange pom-poms, balloons, child endangerment) are *completely* thrown out the window for the last 20% or so of the book. That this doesn't leave more people asking "WTF?" either illustrates that they didn't really read the book, or that after they've invested in 700 pages or so, the next couple hundred aren't going to be scrutinized - they're going to be plowed through for the relief of escaping out the other side.
As negative as a lot of this has got to sound - I'm way more critical of things I like, and I've always liked Stephen King. His heavy borrowing (from better stories) and usual failure to close the deal are just things you have to accept if you're going to bathe in his frequently wonderful characterization and atmosphere building. Every once in a while, especially in his longer works (I feel this way in spades about The Stand, but I've only read the unabridged version - also in Wizard and Glass), that atmosphere stops working too.
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LibraryThing member msouliere
I read Stephen King's It last summer, for the first time. It's great summer reading, a good followup to reading Dan Simmons' Summer of Night during summer 2007.
I noticed a couple of things in reading it. Number one, practically ALL my friends read it when they were young, somewhere around 12 or 13
Number two, and leading from that, I think I would have been better off if I had read some horror then, especially It. I mean, yes, I enjoyed a singularly naive childhood, which in some ways (many ways) touches the quality of my life now. And I don't think it's always a good thing to grow up quickly as a child. But a little bit of the experiential information that Stephen King codes into his child characters probably would have helped me a lot.
For instance: the segment where Eddie Kaspbrak is recalling his beating by Henry (Harry?) Bowers, and his epiphany about placebos and the needs of his mother. His instruction, both by himself, the adults, and the circumstances surrounding him is... well it's hard to describe, but reading it, the sense of empowerment and truth is palpable. I think I could have benefited from that as a kid. I spent too much time simply allowing myself to be led along, and then suffered when it came time to effect great changes on my own all at once.
Musings...
I noticed a couple of things in reading it. Number one, practically ALL my friends read it when they were young, somewhere around 12 or 13
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years old. At that age I was pathologically opposed to reading horror on the scale of Stephen King, after an abortive attempt at reading Salem's Lot. It terrified me. I didn't realize until in my 20s that fighting against that horror and working through it is good. REALLY good.Number two, and leading from that, I think I would have been better off if I had read some horror then, especially It. I mean, yes, I enjoyed a singularly naive childhood, which in some ways (many ways) touches the quality of my life now. And I don't think it's always a good thing to grow up quickly as a child. But a little bit of the experiential information that Stephen King codes into his child characters probably would have helped me a lot.
For instance: the segment where Eddie Kaspbrak is recalling his beating by Henry (Harry?) Bowers, and his epiphany about placebos and the needs of his mother. His instruction, both by himself, the adults, and the circumstances surrounding him is... well it's hard to describe, but reading it, the sense of empowerment and truth is palpable. I think I could have benefited from that as a kid. I spent too much time simply allowing myself to be led along, and then suffered when it came time to effect great changes on my own all at once.
Musings...
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LibraryThing member kamzer
'IT' was an evil identity with no real shape or form in this world. It expressed itself mostly by messing with children’s minds and altering their perception, giving only those it wants horrible visions or making them do horrible things.
It was also able to take on a 'solid' form when it wished to
And as IT had a taste for children, it used the appearance of Pennywise the clown to lure them and eat their souls. In this state it could also be harmed itself, as was done with the silver earrings and asthma-spray.
Still that was only possible because of the combined faith the kids had in these weapons, not the items themselves (the reason why each of them had to vow that they would stick together no matter what and keep faith in their power as a team).
As for the spider, that was supposed to be a physical form that reflected IT's true evilness. In the book the description of this shape was kept a bit vague, they had to think up something for the movie, so voila big spider.
As the gang eventually destroyed this touchable form (or spider) they did not kill IT but only destroyed IT's capability to enter this world in any form again.
It was also able to take on a 'solid' form when it wished to
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harm it's victims physically. And as IT had a taste for children, it used the appearance of Pennywise the clown to lure them and eat their souls. In this state it could also be harmed itself, as was done with the silver earrings and asthma-spray.
Still that was only possible because of the combined faith the kids had in these weapons, not the items themselves (the reason why each of them had to vow that they would stick together no matter what and keep faith in their power as a team).
As for the spider, that was supposed to be a physical form that reflected IT's true evilness. In the book the description of this shape was kept a bit vague, they had to think up something for the movie, so voila big spider.
As the gang eventually destroyed this touchable form (or spider) they did not kill IT but only destroyed IT's capability to enter this world in any form again.
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LibraryThing member skinglist
I was never afraid of Clowns or storm drains before I read this. Pennywise is here.
LibraryThing member hellonicole
Stephen King does what few others manage to do; he gives you a large number of main characters who are full, rounded characters, characters that you can actually see and care about. It may take him over 1000 pages to do it, but It, as with The Stand, is totally worth it. I remember seeing the movie
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when I was younger and being scared senseless, and the book was so much better. Show Less
LibraryThing member oxlena
I loved the movie, so I was afraid to read the book for fear that I wouldn't be able to watch the movie anymore. I was mistaken. The book only intensified the movie. SO much more happens in the book, the ending is totally different (much weirder than the movie), but at the same time, you can't help
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but appreciate both. The novel goes in depth in a way that the movie never could (unless it were five and a half hours long), but still without ruining the film for you. I definitely recommend it. If you're not afraid of clowns now, you will be soon. 4/5 clowns that you can't help but picture in fishnets. Show Less
LibraryThing member bookworm_naida
Oh my goodness, how should I begin my review of Stephen King's IT?
This is a difficult book to review, at 1090 pages, it's a long and involved novel with multiple characters and several layers in the plot. I feel like I lived inside this book for a few months, I actually dreamt about it a few
At the risk of sounding cheesy, in a way, this is not just a novel, it's an experience. Do you know what I mean?
The basic storyline is that there is a group of seven misfit kids who in the 1950's discover something evil in their hometown. This group of seven kids form the Losers club and band together to fight this evil. As adults they are called back to Derry to make a stand once more.
The story goes back and forth from the summer of 1958 to 1985, from when the Losers club were kids to present day as adults.
The town of Derry and this gang of seven misfit kids really jumped off the pages for me. Kids have a way of tugging at your heartstrings and the gang in this novel was no different.
IT appears in the form of a clown mainly, since kids are 'supposed' to like clowns. But this evil also appears in the form of whatever the children fear most. IT lives in the canals in Derry and travels through the towns underbelly, through it's drainpipes and its sewers. But IT also lives in another dimension, IT resides someplace else.
When I was finished reading IT, I didn't read anything else for a few days. I think my brain needed a break, but also missed these characters a little. I missed going along with the Losers Club as they hung out in their clubhouse and as they stood up to local bullies. These kids found one another and became best of friends. That's a major theme in IT, power in the bonds of friendship.
These characters really grew on me and I was sad to see this 1090 page story come to an end. When does that ever happen? Rarely. I think that's the true mark of a great book, when the reader is sad to see the story end and misses the characters within its pages.
Could King have cut down a couple hundred pages? Probably, but for the most part I like the details he provides in his writing, it gives it all a more realistic feel. There were times however, when I wished he would shorten some of the scenes. Some of the details in there, I felt like I didn't need to know.
However, King's talent for characterization is amazing. He really has knack for giving his characters depth and for making them multidimensional. These seem like real people, the town of Derry, Maine seems like a real place. He sets up the story so well and gives these characters such detail throughout the book, then he brings it all together for an amazing ending.
This was a memorable read, and I am happy to say, classic King. Some of the story was hard to stomach, this read is not for the faint of heart.
The horror and ick factor were pretty high but this novel also has heart. As I got to know this misfit bunch, I cheered for them and hoped they would win the fight against IT. Some of the story is very emotional and I found myself completely immersed within these pages. This was all part of the experience of reading IT. The last 200 pages or so were unputdownable. King had me on the edge of my seat with his genius for storytelling and for creating suspense.
As far as what IT really is, I found this aspect of the story to be fantastic. I was glad to see him take the reader inside IT's mind.
Towards the end of the book, something unexpected happens that really took me by surprise. But then again, King wrapped the story up nicely and had me hooked until the final page.
Highly recommended for fans of this genre, and a must read for King fans. I'm glad I finally made time to read this one.
"There was an echo here in Derry, a deadly echo, and all they could hope for was that the echo could be changed enough in their favor to allow them to escape with their lives."
p.515, IT
This is a difficult book to review, at 1090 pages, it's a long and involved novel with multiple characters and several layers in the plot. I feel like I lived inside this book for a few months, I actually dreamt about it a few
Show More
times.At the risk of sounding cheesy, in a way, this is not just a novel, it's an experience. Do you know what I mean?
The basic storyline is that there is a group of seven misfit kids who in the 1950's discover something evil in their hometown. This group of seven kids form the Losers club and band together to fight this evil. As adults they are called back to Derry to make a stand once more.
The story goes back and forth from the summer of 1958 to 1985, from when the Losers club were kids to present day as adults.
The town of Derry and this gang of seven misfit kids really jumped off the pages for me. Kids have a way of tugging at your heartstrings and the gang in this novel was no different.
IT appears in the form of a clown mainly, since kids are 'supposed' to like clowns. But this evil also appears in the form of whatever the children fear most. IT lives in the canals in Derry and travels through the towns underbelly, through it's drainpipes and its sewers. But IT also lives in another dimension, IT resides someplace else.
When I was finished reading IT, I didn't read anything else for a few days. I think my brain needed a break, but also missed these characters a little. I missed going along with the Losers Club as they hung out in their clubhouse and as they stood up to local bullies. These kids found one another and became best of friends. That's a major theme in IT, power in the bonds of friendship.
These characters really grew on me and I was sad to see this 1090 page story come to an end. When does that ever happen? Rarely. I think that's the true mark of a great book, when the reader is sad to see the story end and misses the characters within its pages.
Could King have cut down a couple hundred pages? Probably, but for the most part I like the details he provides in his writing, it gives it all a more realistic feel. There were times however, when I wished he would shorten some of the scenes. Some of the details in there, I felt like I didn't need to know.
However, King's talent for characterization is amazing. He really has knack for giving his characters depth and for making them multidimensional. These seem like real people, the town of Derry, Maine seems like a real place. He sets up the story so well and gives these characters such detail throughout the book, then he brings it all together for an amazing ending.
This was a memorable read, and I am happy to say, classic King. Some of the story was hard to stomach, this read is not for the faint of heart.
The horror and ick factor were pretty high but this novel also has heart. As I got to know this misfit bunch, I cheered for them and hoped they would win the fight against IT. Some of the story is very emotional and I found myself completely immersed within these pages. This was all part of the experience of reading IT. The last 200 pages or so were unputdownable. King had me on the edge of my seat with his genius for storytelling and for creating suspense.
As far as what IT really is, I found this aspect of the story to be fantastic. I was glad to see him take the reader inside IT's mind.
Towards the end of the book, something unexpected happens that really took me by surprise. But then again, King wrapped the story up nicely and had me hooked until the final page.
Highly recommended for fans of this genre, and a must read for King fans. I'm glad I finally made time to read this one.
"There was an echo here in Derry, a deadly echo, and all they could hope for was that the echo could be changed enough in their favor to allow them to escape with their lives."
p.515, IT
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LibraryThing member raznluke
this is the first novel out of school that i read. It was amazing. I still walk past street drains and think of clowns. A must read
LibraryThing member mrtall
Although it's not Stephen King's best horror novel -- Salem's Lot and The Stand slug it out for that honor -- it's perhaps his most characteristic. All of King's major themes and tropes are on their fullest display here: the Derry, Maine setting; the child heroes; the heavily-described yet still
I reread this recently, having not given it a look in many years. I was struck by how politically-incorrect it is! King has his child characters slinging racial slurs, mocking each others' physical flaws and disabilities, and never doubting that some people are simply evil, crazy or both. It left me wondering if some of the lameness that's crept gradually into his later novels is due to his need to tone things down, at the price of his ability to depict how people -- especially the child characters of which he's so fond -- really think.
It's only flaw is its colossal length. At 1116 fairly closely-printed pages in paperback, it's quite an undertaking. Although no one section of the book really flags, I did occasionally lose patience just a bit with King stringing out the storyline with scenes that were if not exactly repetitive, at least similar.
But don't let this one very minor criticism put you off -- this a superb read, and highly recommended.
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mysterious monster; and the astonishing breadth of story development, with innumerable subplots and memorable minor characters.I reread this recently, having not given it a look in many years. I was struck by how politically-incorrect it is! King has his child characters slinging racial slurs, mocking each others' physical flaws and disabilities, and never doubting that some people are simply evil, crazy or both. It left me wondering if some of the lameness that's crept gradually into his later novels is due to his need to tone things down, at the price of his ability to depict how people -- especially the child characters of which he's so fond -- really think.
It's only flaw is its colossal length. At 1116 fairly closely-printed pages in paperback, it's quite an undertaking. Although no one section of the book really flags, I did occasionally lose patience just a bit with King stringing out the storyline with scenes that were if not exactly repetitive, at least similar.
But don't let this one very minor criticism put you off -- this a superb read, and highly recommended.
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LibraryThing member KR_Patterson
I wanted to rate it higher than this. It was very well written and kept my attention for its entire huge length. One of my problems is perhaps from a case of unmet expectations. I loved the idea of the clown in the drain and really looked forward to a very rewarding
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meet-the-monster-at-the-end-of-the-story experience. I didn't want It to change forms, I wanted It to be a clown! I couldn't even walk by a drain without thinking about clowns down there. That maybe a voice would ask me if I wanted a balloon if I listened hard enough. Okay, I'll admit it. Once I actually even stopped and bent over to peer into the drain in front of my house. And, I LOVED his voice! Totally gave me the most delicious creeps. If you ever read this book, choose audio--the narrator is the best I've heard since the Harry Potter books. It was just that, at the end... I don't want to give anything away but I was let down. By a couple of things. If it wasn't for the let-downs, I would easily give the book a good four and a half stars. Show Less
LibraryThing member TurningThePages
I read this when I was 16, in high school.
It took me about 3 months to read (and I considered myself a fast reader!), but it was so worth it.
I had seen the movie first (I practically grew up watching it!), but the book was just...fantastic.
It was the first Stephen King novel I read, so I wasn't
I loved how he created this world that I felt so involved in, I felt like I lived there, and really CARED about these characters.
I am glad I didn't let the size of it intimidate me, because I enjoyed every single second of reading it- it had me scared from the first page.
It took me about 3 months to read (and I considered myself a fast reader!), but it was so worth it.
I had seen the movie first (I practically grew up watching it!), but the book was just...fantastic.
It was the first Stephen King novel I read, so I wasn't
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used to his style of writing, which took some getting used to.I loved how he created this world that I felt so involved in, I felt like I lived there, and really CARED about these characters.
I am glad I didn't let the size of it intimidate me, because I enjoyed every single second of reading it- it had me scared from the first page.
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LibraryThing member AdonisGuilfoyle
Dear Lord, I feel like I've lost twenty-seven years of my own life, struggling to re-read this bloated monstrosity of a pulp horror story! I first read It around twenty years ago, when I might have been revisiting a small crush on the late Jonathan Brandis, who played the 1958 version of Bill
Anyway. Was reliving the experience worth £3.00? Almost. I do like the concept, which is sort of like an eeevil version of the Red Dwarf episode 'Legion', in which a lone alien feeds on the imaginations of the crew to entice and then enslave new companions. 'It' is not a space spider, but that is the closest the kids' imaginations can get to comprehending its true form. 'It' is also the diabolical heart of the small town of Maine, where death and destruction are commonplace, and children are sacrificed every twenty-seven years or so. Seven children - the 'Losers' - band together in the late 1950s to try and fight 'It' with innocence and imagination, then have to regroup in the late 1980s as adults when the killing in Derry starts again.
All to the good. What is wrong with It? In a name, Stephen King. He just goes on and on and on, repeating words (chitinous) and phrases ('Will the monster be bested ... Or will it feed?') to plump a 300 page novel into 1000 plus page doorstop. Also, the characters are deeply annoying, and he has a worrying obsession with the bodies of pre-pubescent girls (stop talking about Beverley's breasts, man, she's eleven!) I may also have mentioned that I cannot stand King's rose-tinted nostalgia for the 1950s, when real men beat their wives and real women stayed at home to take the abuse. Kids were ritually bullied, and god forbid any of the main characters might turn out to be gay (no sir, all dysfunctional heterosexual relationships here!), but hey, at least there was rock and roll and Flanderised phrases like 'okey-dokey'. I'm hoping that 'It' is intended to be a metaphor for the dark undercurrent running beneath the sepia-toned memories of small town America, because if not, I'm on the side of the space spider.
A lot of rambling and vomit-inducing reminiscing, but one of King's better novels, even after twenty years.
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Denbrough in the film adaptation. And since I obviously never learn my lesson, nostalgia got the better of me recently, and I borrowed a copy of the novel from the library, thinking I could get away with re-reading for free. Only I forgot how long-winded King is, and had to plump for a cheap second-hand copy of my own in the end. Anyway. Was reliving the experience worth £3.00? Almost. I do like the concept, which is sort of like an eeevil version of the Red Dwarf episode 'Legion', in which a lone alien feeds on the imaginations of the crew to entice and then enslave new companions. 'It' is not a space spider, but that is the closest the kids' imaginations can get to comprehending its true form. 'It' is also the diabolical heart of the small town of Maine, where death and destruction are commonplace, and children are sacrificed every twenty-seven years or so. Seven children - the 'Losers' - band together in the late 1950s to try and fight 'It' with innocence and imagination, then have to regroup in the late 1980s as adults when the killing in Derry starts again.
All to the good. What is wrong with It? In a name, Stephen King. He just goes on and on and on, repeating words (chitinous) and phrases ('Will the monster be bested ... Or will it feed?') to plump a 300 page novel into 1000 plus page doorstop. Also, the characters are deeply annoying, and he has a worrying obsession with the bodies of pre-pubescent girls (stop talking about Beverley's breasts, man, she's eleven!) I may also have mentioned that I cannot stand King's rose-tinted nostalgia for the 1950s, when real men beat their wives and real women stayed at home to take the abuse. Kids were ritually bullied, and god forbid any of the main characters might turn out to be gay (no sir, all dysfunctional heterosexual relationships here!), but hey, at least there was rock and roll and Flanderised phrases like 'okey-dokey'. I'm hoping that 'It' is intended to be a metaphor for the dark undercurrent running beneath the sepia-toned memories of small town America, because if not, I'm on the side of the space spider.
A lot of rambling and vomit-inducing reminiscing, but one of King's better novels, even after twenty years.
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LibraryThing member bookworm12
In 1958 seven kids, all outsiders for one reason or another form a tightknit group of friends. They soon realize that something sinister is lurking beneath the streets of their Maine hometown. As kids begin disappearing they decide they need to fight back. Then 27 years later the group is called
This creepy book is well known for its villain, Pennywise the horrifying clown, but in my opinion Pennywise is not the scariest part of the book. I think the truly scary scenes often didn’t dealt with “It” at all. They were the ones that show what fellow human beings are capable of doing to each other. Like the scenes with Beverly's father and her husband, and the completely twisted bullies, those were the scariest moments for me. It’s easy to dismiss a crazy clown as fiction, but the other scenes with abusive husbands and sociopathic teens were much more terrifying.
The beauty of this book is that despite the murders that are happening, a few misfits can band together and support each other as friends. The scenes in 1958 reminded me of King’s novella “The Body” (which was turned into the movie Stand By Me.) Each of the kids feels so real and relatable. When we meet them again as adults they have become different people, but even being in the same room brings out their playful camaraderie again.
There were three parts that I think should've been cut and maybe turned into short stories elsewhere: the fire in the black spot, the gang from Indiana who wants the ammo and the homicidal lumberjack. It's not that they are badly written; they just completely screwed up the pacing of the novel and took me out of the story. I know the point was to show how long “It” has been around influencing the people of Derry, but it was a bit of a jarring jump for me. Sometimes I wonder if King’s editor just sits in his office playing Tetris all day, because almost all of his books could do with some serious editing.
I loved the first half much more than the second, not because the second half isn’t good, but because it’s so dark and scary. King is an incredible storyteller, but because of that every horror scene is just that much more terrifying. I've never been so scared of balloons in my life until I read this. Also, the infamous “bonding” scene when the kids are young is just weird and completely unnecessary. I knew about it before reading the book, but it was still bizarre.
The real reason this novel is so scary is that IT takes on the guise of whatever scares you the most. It is the embodiment of your fear and really what is scarier than that? It made me think a lot about fear and where it comes from, what it makes us do, how it controls us, the power and strength it takes to overcome it. It also made me think about this incredible video of two women overcoming their fear of flying.
BOTTOM LINE: A seriously scary book, this one is not my favorite King novel (that would be The Green Mile and The Stand), but he tells an enthralling story.
SIDE NOTE: The audio version of this is so good! Yes, Ritchie’s voices becomes grating pretty fast, but it was just beyond excellent.
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back home when the evil rears its ugly head again. This creepy book is well known for its villain, Pennywise the horrifying clown, but in my opinion Pennywise is not the scariest part of the book. I think the truly scary scenes often didn’t dealt with “It” at all. They were the ones that show what fellow human beings are capable of doing to each other. Like the scenes with Beverly's father and her husband, and the completely twisted bullies, those were the scariest moments for me. It’s easy to dismiss a crazy clown as fiction, but the other scenes with abusive husbands and sociopathic teens were much more terrifying.
The beauty of this book is that despite the murders that are happening, a few misfits can band together and support each other as friends. The scenes in 1958 reminded me of King’s novella “The Body” (which was turned into the movie Stand By Me.) Each of the kids feels so real and relatable. When we meet them again as adults they have become different people, but even being in the same room brings out their playful camaraderie again.
There were three parts that I think should've been cut and maybe turned into short stories elsewhere: the fire in the black spot, the gang from Indiana who wants the ammo and the homicidal lumberjack. It's not that they are badly written; they just completely screwed up the pacing of the novel and took me out of the story. I know the point was to show how long “It” has been around influencing the people of Derry, but it was a bit of a jarring jump for me. Sometimes I wonder if King’s editor just sits in his office playing Tetris all day, because almost all of his books could do with some serious editing.
I loved the first half much more than the second, not because the second half isn’t good, but because it’s so dark and scary. King is an incredible storyteller, but because of that every horror scene is just that much more terrifying. I've never been so scared of balloons in my life until I read this. Also, the infamous “bonding” scene when the kids are young is just weird and completely unnecessary. I knew about it before reading the book, but it was still bizarre.
The real reason this novel is so scary is that IT takes on the guise of whatever scares you the most. It is the embodiment of your fear and really what is scarier than that? It made me think a lot about fear and where it comes from, what it makes us do, how it controls us, the power and strength it takes to overcome it. It also made me think about this incredible video of two women overcoming their fear of flying.
BOTTOM LINE: A seriously scary book, this one is not my favorite King novel (that would be The Green Mile and The Stand), but he tells an enthralling story.
SIDE NOTE: The audio version of this is so good! Yes, Ritchie’s voices becomes grating pretty fast, but it was just beyond excellent.
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LibraryThing member irregularreader
This is one of Stephen King’s iconic books. And it’s one you could kill a small child with. Literally. The book is a whopping 1153 pages long. The book is huge, but the story King tells is also huge.
The major part of the story focuses on seven friends in the summer of 1957. In the midst of a
That is the barebones of the story. Hell, that story could probably be told in a normal-sized book. But what Stephen Kings gives us in It is much broader and deeper. In The Haunting of Hill House, Shirley Jackson toyed with the imagery of a house that is so indefinably wrong that it is actually insane
Hill House,not sane, stood by itself against its hills, holding darkness within; it has stood for eighty years and might stand eighty more. Within, walls continued upright, bricks met neatly, floors were firm, and doors were sensibly shut; silence lay steadily against the wood and stone of Hill House, and whatever walked there, walked alone.
In It, Stephen King presents us with an entire town that is wrong, that is rotten, and that is insane. As such, the story is as much about the town as it is about the protagonists. There are interludes within the book, histories of atrocities and massacres that occurred over the preceding centuries. And the sickness isn’t just in the town. it’s in the people as well. Murders, bullying, sadism, and abuse all seem to run rampant in Derry; but is the town (and the thing living under it) making people act so horribly, or does the dark hum of evil simply bring to the surface a reciprocal evil that is hidden in all of us?
The book is more of an epic than a straight-up novel. Fortunately, despite the 1000-plus page count, there are few places where it drags. I also liked how the horror came from both the monster and from its all-too-human counterparts. While there were some scary parts, I have to say that I found The Shining to be more flat-out scary. It also delves into the weird, and there is one part (just before the 1100 page mark) that was a bit, well, what-the-f*ck-were-you-thinking!?!
In all though, there is a good reason this book is considered one of King’s masterpieces, and I’m glad I’ve read it. If you’re a Stephen King fan and haven’t read this book, and/or you want to do your homework before the new movie comes out, then get cracking (and don’t drop it on your feet or on any small children)!
The major part of the story focuses on seven friends in the summer of 1957. In the midst of a
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spate of disappearances and murders of local children, the kids discover that an unnameable and evil entity is at work under the streets of Derry, Maine. Whats more, the adults in town seem to be unwilling or unable to acknowledge what is underneath their noses (or, more appropriately, their feet). The kids fight and defeat the monster, but twenty-seven years later It comes back, and they must defeat It once and for all, but as adults, the fight is going to be all the harder.That is the barebones of the story. Hell, that story could probably be told in a normal-sized book. But what Stephen Kings gives us in It is much broader and deeper. In The Haunting of Hill House, Shirley Jackson toyed with the imagery of a house that is so indefinably wrong that it is actually insane
Hill House,not sane, stood by itself against its hills, holding darkness within; it has stood for eighty years and might stand eighty more. Within, walls continued upright, bricks met neatly, floors were firm, and doors were sensibly shut; silence lay steadily against the wood and stone of Hill House, and whatever walked there, walked alone.
In It, Stephen King presents us with an entire town that is wrong, that is rotten, and that is insane. As such, the story is as much about the town as it is about the protagonists. There are interludes within the book, histories of atrocities and massacres that occurred over the preceding centuries. And the sickness isn’t just in the town. it’s in the people as well. Murders, bullying, sadism, and abuse all seem to run rampant in Derry; but is the town (and the thing living under it) making people act so horribly, or does the dark hum of evil simply bring to the surface a reciprocal evil that is hidden in all of us?
The book is more of an epic than a straight-up novel. Fortunately, despite the 1000-plus page count, there are few places where it drags. I also liked how the horror came from both the monster and from its all-too-human counterparts. While there were some scary parts, I have to say that I found The Shining to be more flat-out scary. It also delves into the weird, and there is one part (just before the 1100 page mark) that was a bit, well, what-the-f*ck-were-you-thinking!?!
In all though, there is a good reason this book is considered one of King’s masterpieces, and I’m glad I’ve read it. If you’re a Stephen King fan and haven’t read this book, and/or you want to do your homework before the new movie comes out, then get cracking (and don’t drop it on your feet or on any small children)!
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LibraryThing member Jadedog13
I have been listening to this book for a month. I have to say, now that I'm finished, I really miss Bill, Ben, Bev, Richie, Eddie, Mike & Stan. This book is creepy and touching. It is a beautiful story that will scare the pants off you. It examines the differences between the way children see and
I enjoyed this book, as I do every time I read it. It affected me differently at various stages of my life. I felt the biggest impact the first time I read it - which I suppose is always true with books like this.
This is my first time listening to a Stephen King book and Steven Weber did a great job. I was immersed in their world every time I listened. Now that it's over, my walks, car rides & house cleaning seem empty. I will need to find another audiobook soon. :)
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process things and the way adults do. It shows the incredible power of belief and love.I enjoyed this book, as I do every time I read it. It affected me differently at various stages of my life. I felt the biggest impact the first time I read it - which I suppose is always true with books like this.
This is my first time listening to a Stephen King book and Steven Weber did a great job. I was immersed in their world every time I listened. Now that it's over, my walks, car rides & house cleaning seem empty. I will need to find another audiobook soon. :)
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LibraryThing member silversurfer
Has some really scary scenes and great Plot, characters, but I refuse to give it even 3 Stars because of the STUPID ENDING, which ruined the entire reading experience for me.
LibraryThing member doreengraham
Love this book.
LibraryThing member LibraryCin
4.75 stars
When Bill is 11 years old in the late 1950s, his younger brother is murdered. He and his group of friends are being bullied, while kids, in general, are disappearing from their small town of Derry, Maine, in way too high numbers. Although the results are obvious to everyone (the
I listened to the audio, narrated by Steven Weber. He is very good; he did so well with all Richie’s voices! One thing I didn’t like (though it’s a small thing), and it’s only due to the audio, is with the back and forth in time – only close to the end – it was sometimes hard to tell if it was the adult characters or the kid characters we were following. In the print book, it should be easy enough to figure out. To reiterate, throughout most of the book, the back and forth in time was easy enough to follow, but there was just a little bit near the end where I had a bit of trouble.
The other thing I didn’t like (possible spoiler, though I’m still trying to keep it vague):Bev! What are you doing!? Why!? You’re 11 years old! Overall, though, I loved the characters, and except for the two small things, I loved the book! It was a reread. I read it in high school, and remember loving it then, too.
When Bill is 11 years old in the late 1950s, his younger brother is murdered. He and his group of friends are being bullied, while kids, in general, are disappearing from their small town of Derry, Maine, in way too high numbers. Although the results are obvious to everyone (the
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disappearance of kids), it seems only the kids can see some of what’s happening. I listened to the audio, narrated by Steven Weber. He is very good; he did so well with all Richie’s voices! One thing I didn’t like (though it’s a small thing), and it’s only due to the audio, is with the back and forth in time – only close to the end – it was sometimes hard to tell if it was the adult characters or the kid characters we were following. In the print book, it should be easy enough to figure out. To reiterate, throughout most of the book, the back and forth in time was easy enough to follow, but there was just a little bit near the end where I had a bit of trouble.
The other thing I didn’t like (possible spoiler, though I’m still trying to keep it vague):
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LibraryThing member krizia_lazaro
I read this thinking that this is a horror story. It is a horror story but for me it was more sad than scary. This a story about 7 children who were destined to fight IT - an evil monster lurking under the city of Derry. As the children said, its a work for adults but know it was up to them to kill
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it. Imagine having this heavy burden as a child? Imagine having to see something so terrifying at a young age. They have to grow up by 11. Even as adults, they were successful and wealthy (all except for Mike), but I can still feel that underlying loneliness. What really made me sad was the death of Eddie. Richie and Eddie were my favorite and it saddened me that to read Eddie die. I would love to give this book 5 stars but I was so grossed out with 11 year old Beverly having sex with 6 11-year old guys in the sewers. That creep-ed me out. Show Less
LibraryThing member Luba_B.
My all-time SK's favorite
LibraryThing member J.E.Schier
what
(he thrusts)
did i
(hisfistsagainsttheposts)
just
(andstillinsists)
read
(heseestheghosts)
(he thrusts)
did i
(hisfistsagainsttheposts)
just
(andstillinsists)
read
(heseestheghosts)
LibraryThing member wonnie71
This was my very first Stephen King book - I was brave to pick this over-1,000-page book from Kyobo bookstore in Seoul. I spent 4 weeks reading this book, during one winter holiday in college.
The book was excellent - the main characters were very well described, and I loved them all. It was
The book was excellent - the main characters were very well described, and I loved them all. It was
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exciting to get into this strange world of Stephen King, but sure I was left in that world for a long time after finishing it. All the explosions at the end was quite shocking, but the final event amongst the boys and the girl underground was also shocking. This book got me to read about 15 more of King's books from that time onwards, followed by Dean Koontz, John Saul, James Herbert, etc. Show Less
Subjects
Awards
Locus Award (Nominee — Fantasy Novel — 1987)
World Fantasy Award (Nominee — Novel — 1987)
British Fantasy Award (Nominee — August Derleth Fantasy Award — 1987)
Colorado Blue Spruce Award (Winner — 1994)
3 Apples Book Award (Winner — Teens — 2019)
This Mystery is Amazing! (#4 — 1993)
Waterstones Books of the Century (71 — 1997)
Call number
FIC G Kin