Blaine's Reviews > It

It is one of the three most-read works by Stephen King. But even with the recent successful movie adaptation, It does not seem to have the level of reverence from fans as his other two most-read works: The Shining and The Stand. Now, there won’t be a negative word in this review about those two brilliant books. Instead, I’m going to spend a little time defending the imperfect greatness of It.

Length: At 1100 pages, is It too long? On one level, sure. The book could probably be half as long and tell the same plot. For example, you could summarize the tale of the 1929 burning of The Black Spot in just a page or two and communicate all of the needed information. But if you enjoy Stephen King the storyteller (and why wouldn’t you?), then a novel twice as long adds a great deal of depth to the characterization of all the main characters and most of the secondary ones, as well as rich detail to the story being told. Yes, the story meanders, goes on tangents, and tells stories within stories such that the burning of The Black Spot becomes a riveting tale that includes a cameo by The Shining’s Dick Halloran. It is long, but never boring.

Depth: It is about big ideas and themes that King tackles throughout his books. A cycle of evil and/or an evil older than humanity. The terror possible from everyday objects and experiences. Childhood trauma, and its effect during adulthood. Memories and amnesia. The power of imagination. The amazing experience of just being a child. Adults being unable or unwilling to help children face evil. I believe It is the first time King included a character who was obviously based on himself as a successful writer of horror novels. King used this entry point to take some swings at literary gatekeepers, to argue that writing for entertainment’s sake has value and that good writing will be about important things (see list above) without forcing the point or sacrificing the entertainment.

The ending: Does It have the best ending in the King library? No. Does King have a problem writing endings? Maybe. But on reading this book for the first time in 27 years (just like the cycle in the book—spooky), I can say the ending is probably better than you remember (except for the scene in which Beverly hatches a plan to bring the Losers Club back together so they can find their way out of the tunnels—that scene is still a tough read). Once you know the final form It will take, there is foreshadowing everywhere. While the final form may feel short of the hype, King says that this form is “just the closest our minds can come to ... whatever It really is.” And if It is a “nightmare ... from beyond time and space,” a metaphysical battle seems more believable than one with a weapon like a sword.

It is a long read, but a great one. Highly recommended.

P.S. I’m glad the recent movie adaptation brought this book back into the public consciousness. But the novel is much better than the movie.