It (Signet Books) | Stephen King

It (Signet Books) | Stephen King | King's Magnum Opus

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It (Signet Books)

	It (Signet Books) Stephen King Signet, 1987 - 1104 pages average customer review:based on 865 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

They were just kids when they stumbled upon the horror of their hometown. Now, as adults, none of them can withstand the force that has drawn them all back to Derry, Maine, to face the nightmare without end, and the evil without a name...

Long and scary.

When I went to the checkout counter to buy this book, the clerk said, "Oh, this book is great up until the last 70 or so pages." I kinda agree; the ending is a little out there, but everything that led up to it is great.

King's Magnum Opus

"Magnum opus" is a Latin phrase which translates to "great work," and in my mind this is Stephen King's greatest effort. I have read and enjoyed nearly everything he has written, but nothing had the long-term, disquieting effect on me that "It" did and continues to do.

What makes this book so great? I'm glad you asked. Allow me to break the answer down into categories:

1. Sheer terror - King has written many scary books, as well as many books that aren't scary but have chilling moments. From early on until near the end, this book preys upon my mind with fears both natural and supernatural. The school bullies gave me a shiver with their unreasoning hatred and pursuit of the protagonists. The monster terrified me with its many shapes and voices, and its appearance as a clown was the coup de grace. I have never liked clowns, and now they cause a shiver to run down my spine whenever I see them. Thanks, Steve. The tacit acceptance of the status quo by Derry's adults may be the most frightening element of all. If a child can't depend on the adults to keep him/her safe, on whom can he/she depend? Brrr. I read this book when I was 27 and lived alone in an apartment. Every night, when I went to bed, I had to close the door to my walk-in closet. That darkened maw was simply too much for me after reading this book.

2. The accuracy of the portrayal of the children - kids are vulgar, joyous and cruel, and King not only knows it but did an amazing job of displaying those qualities to us. The bullies were able to remain mostly under the notice of adults, and thereby wreak havoc on their victims. The kids, with their occasionally adult perceptions and humor, were a mystery even to their own parents. Friends mock each other, support each other and love each other. They exhibit abject cowardice and transcendent bravery. All of this is commonplace in the world of children, which we as adults rarely see and almost never recall accurately. King wove this tale with almost no false notes. I reread it occasionally and the quality of the storytelling never fails to impress me.

3. Quality of language - this is an underrated skill of Mr. King. His use of language is almost always apropos, often beautiful and verging on the poetic. He is a master of coining a word or phrase when needed and his use of poetic devices only adds to the reading experience. This is true of all of his work. His sense of the real and the ridiculous are also fantastic. At one point the fearsome clown, after chasing one of the protagonists, begins dancing and informs her that he (the clown) has come to Earth to "...learn to do the Peppermint Twist." Right in the middle of this very tense sequence, I had to laugh aloud.

If you have not read this book, I can't recommend it highly enough. If they gave me more stars, I would post all of them. King will be remembered historically as a better writer than his contemporaries thought, and this will be viewed as not only one of his masterpieces but as one of this period's masterpieces. Buy it, check it out, whatever, but ENJOY IT.

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Scariest book I have ever read

When I was younger I saw It the movie and I thought it was terrifying. It gives no justice to how scary this book is or how good it is for that matter. This is one of the best books I have ever read. I highly recommend it!

Beep Beep...

This is my second attempt in reading a Stephen King's creation. The length is intimating at first, and many had complained about the unnecessary details King included. But I have to say that all 1000+ pages are needed to tell this massive story, from character developments to plot advancement.

"It" contains genre of horror, action-thriller, romance and explores the themes of human relationship, the power of youth, and the strength of cooperation (and many, many more).

"It" is separated into two plots. The first plot is when the Losers (Bill, Beverly, Richie, Ben, Stan, Eddie, and Mike) first come together in 1958 and discover the ugly side of Derry. The Losers each confront Pennywise (the clown, otherwise known as It) and face their individual fear. Besides the horror lurking under the ground of Derry, the plot also focuses on the relationship between the Losers and the bully group (Henry, Belch, Victor). The second plot takes place approximately 30 years after the first plot, when the Losers join together again (except for one member) to defeat Pennywise once and for all.

"It" not only explores good vs. evil, but also the struggle of growing up and the conflict of being a grownup. There are many disturbing scenes in the book, from sexual themes to gory murders. The book is very dark as a whole, with occasional comic reliefs. The book does get very descriptive and sometimes boring to get through, and it is true that the climax does not begin until the last 200 pages, but "It" is a very good read and the characters are well portrayed and memorable.

I would suggest this book to any King's fan, and people who are looking to read an outstanding descriptive horror novel. But those who get easily offended by non-conventional sexual contents, you might not want to pick this up. However, "It" is an outstanding novel, and proves that Stephen King is indeed an icon of the twentieth century. Good luck entering a circus after reading this book, because you will get chills from the floating balloons!

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IT could have been better

This might have been the best Stephen King could have ever written, unfortunately it went awful at the end. I gave it three stars because the first 500 pages were good, but it starts to be boring at page 600. I think it could have been better if it had been only 600 or 700 pages long. I am sure many fans will read or have read this book and most of them gave it 5 stars which absolutely it does not deserve. I have only read like 22 books by Stephen King and I can say that It is not the best I have read from him.

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