It

It

Stephen King

This book was nearly at the top of my reading list this summer. When I was a kid (probably about 12 or 13) I wanted to read it, but because of the content my parents told me to wait until I was older. Considering its length (almost 1100 pages), I couldn't really read it without them knowing. However, as I got older, I guess I just forgot about the book. While I have read many Stephen King books, for some reason I never got around to reading this one in my adult life. I've even read some of his least acclaimed works, which seems funny to me because this is one of his most famous novels.

Naturally, then, I had high expectations when I began reading this one lazy summer afternoon. Unfortunately, I think I missed the window of opportunity for this novel in my adult life, at least in terms of the famous "fright factor." Had this been my first Stephen King novel, I probably would have found it quite disturbing. Pennywise the Clown is certainly an amazing villain that truly showcases King's imagination for the macabre. However, I found his technique fairly repetitive throughout. He tends to do the same thing when he's trying to scare you, meaning that he always begins with an innocuous event or memory that is suddenly interrupted by a grinning, horrifying image.

This is not to say that the book did not have its moments for which King is famous. Despite my familiarity with his work, he occasionally surprised me. But, the strength of this novel does not rely on how often he scares you, but on the reality of the characters he creates. In lesser hands, this novel could have been nothing more than a Tales from the Crypt short. It is superior to King's other works in that he takes time to let the reader get to know the characters, specifically the gang that works to stop the unmentionable evil that haunts Derry, Maine. Additionally, he gives some insight into the human villains as well, occasionally adopting their points of view. What is actually more frightening in this novel is not the clown (or whatever form It chooses to adopt) but human behavior in the face of this evil. Many in the town choose to ignore it, run away, or even worse, accept it as part of life.

I don't want to spoil anything for those of you who would like to read it. This is not my favorite King novel, but I would agree it is one of his best. It is certainly a significant time investment, but if you are willing to trudge through it (and unfortunately, there is some trudging to be done) I think you will find the novel worth it. Despite its long-winded moments and minor side-stories (whose relation to the main story is tenuous), it all comes together brilliantly in the end. It has a reputation of being one of the best horror novels ever written, and I could certainly see it meriting that acclaim. However, it deserves just as much credit for King's reflections of childhood, of experience, of best-friendships, of love and fear, and of growing up and moving on.

If you are a Stephen King fan who has not read this book, you won't find many surprises here. If you have not read any of his work, this book is a great starting point (although I would recommend The Shining, The Stand, Carrie, or Cujo first). Regardless of how you feel about Stephen King, though, I would say that this book would probably be enjoyable for almost anyone. The ending of the novel is absolutely heart-breaking in a way that I could never have predicted. While it is marketed as a horror novel, Stephen King's power is his ability to make a living, breathing novel out of a ghost story. It is no exception to his brilliance as a writer, and though it was not one of my personal favorites, I don't think I will ever forget what happened in Derry, Maine.

4 out of 5