It Stephen King – Review

Finally I have finished my first book of the year! I know it has taken me until late June to even finish my first book, but that was due to the stressful beginning of the year I had. I also decided that it was a perfect time to read It during my final weeks of University. That wasn’t smart, so therefore resulted in a rather lengthy reading period for the whole book, none the less here’s my review.

It is the third King novel that I had read. I love the way that King writes a story, he covers every element a reader could ask for. Well developed and loved characters, with detailed backgrounds, beautiful world building of the town Derry, and references events in which some readers would not be aware of such as the way that the African American’s were treated within america around the time.

It focuses around ‘The Losers Club’ a group of eleven year old children who are compelled together due to the horrific events that plague Derry. The Loser’s Club consists of Bill, Ben, Beverly, Stan, Richie, Eddie and Mike, who decide that they will save Derry from the monster that causes the horrific events every 27 years.
King’s novel is divided between the present year of 1985, where the gang of the Loser’s Club have all grown up and their memories of what happened in Derry are a blur, and the year 1957 where the reader is thrown back in time to understand where it all began. This allows for the reader to become submersed within the story of the Loser’s Club and their adventure of saving Derry. I particularly warmed to the characters of Eddie and Beverly, I think that King has a perfect way of capturing the child like innocents that the readers can relate too. I found myself laughing a few times at the childish remarks said between the gang as they reminded myself of childhood and also my younger siblings.  Throughout the reader is consumed with a confusing notion over what It is, however that’s exactly what it is, it is IT. I got the idea that even King wanted to remain unsure over what the monster fully is, the way it can change to create fear, reminded me of Harry Potter.  Overall the novel is full of twists and turns, endless murders, shocking and disturbing themes of the traditional horror narrative.

However despite loving the characters, the world, the way King created the monster It, I thought it was fantastic, however I wish there was further elaboration on where It came from, and the nature of it, despite that I love this novel and can’t believe I finished it! The books is HUGE! (1376 pages!) I do intend to read the book again at some point, as I’d like to read it with the perfect setting, so I can experience the book fully. I also believe that reading this book a second time, it would be a lot easier to follow. The complications revolve around how King just throws you into the event which is happening, whilst also showing the flash back of the same event allowing the reader to understand the difference between them, I personally found it a little confusing from time to time. The reading environment also needs to perfect I feel when reading a King novel, I read Salem’s Lot when I was house sitting in the middle of nowhere and the book was terrifying. Overall I rated this King novel at 4*