Audible logo, go to homepage
Audible main site link

It by Stephen King

It by Stephen King

Summary

Stephen King’s It, published in 1986, is a significant work in horror literature. The novel features Pennywise, a shape-shifting entity terrorizing the fictional town of Derry, Maine, by exploiting children’s fears. The story, over 1,000 pages long, alternates between 1958 and 1985. It follows the Losers Club, seven children confronting this evil.

It won the 1987 British Fantasy Award. The book explores themes of childhood trauma, friendship, and the struggle between good and evil. King’s narrative delves into the characters' psyches, reflecting their fears. By doing so, It became a pivotal entry in King’s body of work, influencing modern horror by addressing primal human fears.


Plot

In "It" by Stephen King, Derry, Maine is the setting for a narrative across two timelines: 1957-1958 and 1984-1985. The story starts with the death of Georgie Denbrough, killed by an entity named Pennywise, disguised as a clown. This event leads to a series of child disappearances unnoticed by adults. Georgie's brother, Bill, and his friends, "The Losers Club," face Pennywise, who appears as their personal fears, like a mummy or a werewolf.

The children learn that Pennywise is a shape-shifter that reappears every 27 years to terrorize Derry. They decide to stop the cycle by confronting It in the sewers in the "Ritual of Chüd." They temporarily defeat It and vow to reunite if Pennywise returns.

By 1984, Derry experiences horrors again with It's return. Mike Hanlon, the only Loser left in Derry, calls his friends to fulfill their promise. As they regroup, past memories resurface, rekindling their determination to face their fears. Stan Uris dies by suicide, unable to cope with the trauma, showing the deep scars from their past experiences.

In a climactic sewer battle, the Losers perform the Ritual of Chüd again. They find Pennywise has laid eggs, suggesting future threats. Eddie Kaspbrak dies heroically protecting his friends. Bill destroys It's physical form, ending the entity's hold over their lives.

Afterward, a storm devastates Derry, symbolically cleansing the town of evil. As the survivors depart, their memories fade, indicating emotional recovery. Bill rides his childhood bicycle, Silver, reviving his wife from a catatonic state, an act of hope and renewal.


Characters

Stephen King's It features a diverse cast, each playing an essential role in the story.

  • Bill Denbrough leads the Losers' Club after losing his younger brother, Georgie, to Pennywise. His leadership drives the group's fight against the entity. 

  • Beverly Marsh, the group's only female member, confronts her past of domestic abuse. Her courage is crucial in their battles. 

  • Ben Hanscom, initially shy and dealing with weight issues, uses his intelligence and creativity to support the group, later becoming a successful architect.

  • Richie Tozier adds humor with his wit and talent for voices, easing tension in tough situations. 

  • Eddie Kaspbrak grows beyond his overprotective upbringing, finding strength in friendship. 

  • Mike Hanlon serves as the historian, maintains a link to Derry's past, and reunites the group when Pennywise resurfaces.

  • Stan Uris is pragmatic and skeptical but remains loyal to his friends in confronting supernatural threats. 

  • Pennywise the Clown is a shapeshifter preying on their fears, representing the ultimate challenge. 


Themes

Fear

Fear drives the plot of Stephen King's It. Pennywise, the novel's malevolent entity, exploits the characters' fears, taking shapes that embody their deepest anxieties. The story examines psychological terrors alongside Pennywise’s physical forms. The Losers Club’s struggle with fear highlights the universal challenge of confronting inner demons. Fear affects not just the tangible but also the realm of personal doubts and vulnerabilities.

Childhood trauma and coming of age

It explores childhood trauma alongside the journey of maturation. Experiences from the characters' youth leave lasting effects, resurfacing as they face Pennywise both as children and adults. The narrative shows the loss of innocence and the lasting impact of past traumas. The Losers Club’s coming-of-age process reflects the transition from naivety to experience. Facing Pennywise links their childhood struggles to adult challenges, demonstrating the lasting impact of formative experiences.

friendship

Friendship acts as a powerful force in It, uniting the Losers against Pennywise. Their bond provides strength and security, indicating that unity and trust can overcome darkness and fear. The solidarity among the Losers Club members plays a crucial role in their resilience. This camaraderie serves as a defense against supernatural and everyday challenges. Stephen King portrays friendship as an essential source of refuge and strength in the face of terror.

Good versus evil

The battle between good and evil forms a core conflict in It. The Losers Club represents courage and integrity against Pennywise's sinister presence. This struggle emphasizes a narrative of triumph through unity, bravery, and moral strength. Despite their youth, the Losers show strong resilience, embodying hope and the belief that even the worst evils can be confronted and defeated. King's story supports the ultimate triumph of good over malice, reflected in the Losers' bravery and determination.


Pennywise's forms and powers

Pennywise serves as the central antagonist in Stephen King's It. A shape-shifting entity, it mainly appears as Pennywise the Dancing Clown to prey on victims. This supernatural force manipulates its form and surroundings, inducing fear, especially in children, whom it targets as vulnerable prey.

Pennywise uses its shape-shifting ability to become creatures drawn from victims' deepest fears. Members of the Losers Club each encounter unique horrors. Bill sees a vision of his deceased brother Georgie. Richie confronts a werewolf. Eddie faces a leper. Its transformations extend beyond human forms, including as a Mummy or the Creature from the Black Lagoon.

Pennywise also engages in psychological manipulation, creating hallucinations that deepen terror. Its true form, "the deadlights," is a madness-inducing force that threatens sanity. These illusions contribute to King's depiction of Pennywise's power to distort reality.

Originating from the Macroverse, Pennywise carries an existential menace. An ancient evil with near-omnipotent abilities, it shares a cosmic rivalry with Maturin, the Turtle. The deadlights intensify this cosmic horror, causing psychological collapse in those who witness them.

Pennywise's terror extends beyond its shape-shifting and paradoxical realities. It exploits fear, attacking perception and reality.


Historical context of the town Derry

Stephen King's It places the fictional town of Derry, Maine, at its core. Derry's history includes unexplained mass disappearances and violent events. In 1741, 340 settlers vanished, and in 1864, a massacre claimed 120 lives. These events provide a setting for Pennywise, a malevolent entity that emerges every 27 years to terrorize Derry. Derry's past demonstrates how communities can host sustained malevolence, driven by collective ignorance and fear. This cycle of violence, maintained by Pennywise, keeps the town's residents trapped in a recurring nightmare.


Quick facts

  • Stephen King was inspired by a personal incident in Boulder, Colorado, and the Norwegian fairy tale 'Three Billy Goats Gruff' when conceptualizing It.

  • It was published in 1986 after five years of writing, becoming America's best-selling book that year.

  • The story is set in the fictional town of Derry, Maine, modeled after Bangor, Maine.

  • Pennywise, the novel's antagonist, is a shapeshifting cosmic entity from the Macroverse, appearing every 27 years to prey on children.

  • The narrative alternates between two timelines, focusing on the characters' childhood in 1958 and adulthood in 1985.

  • It explores deep themes like friendship, childhood trauma, fear, and the loss of innocence.

  • A controversial scene in the book involving the child characters has been widely debated and excluded from adaptations.

  • Adaptations of It include a notable 1990 TV miniseries featuring Tim Curry and popular films in 2017 and 2019 starring Bill Skarsgård.

  • Pennywise is iconic in pop culture, influencing the fear of clowns (coulrophobia) and inspiring various media like Stranger Things.

  • The Duffer Brothers cited inspiration from It while creating their series Stranger Things.

  • The prequel series It: Welcome to Derry, exploring Pennywise's origin, is in production for HBO Max.

  • Stephen King has acknowledged the complexity of It, admitting structural issues but appreciating its exploration of childhood and societal fears.


Adaptations

Stephen King's It has been adapted into two major screen versions, each depicting Pennywise the Clown differently. The first adaptation was a 1990 television miniseries featuring Tim Curry as Pennywise. His performance combined sinister charm with menace. The miniseries faced financial constraints and limited special effects but stayed true to the novel's dialogue and the camaraderie of the Losers' Club.

In 2017 and 2019, Andy Muschietti directed the story's revival in two films with Bill Skarsgård as Pennywise. The films used advanced CGI to portray Pennywise's transformations as described in the novel. Skarsgård's portrayal emphasized the character's unnatural menace. The films changed the timeline, setting childhood events in the 1980s and adult sequences in a contemporary setting.

The 1990 miniseries adhered more closely to the novel, but the recent films were noted for enhancing the novel's dark atmosphere and incorporating elements from King's other works. Both adaptations established Pennywise as a prominent horror figure in popular culture.


About the author

Stephen King was born on September 21, 1947, in Portland, Maine. His career began with the publication of Carrie in 1974, establishing him as a key voice in horror literature. Known as the "King of Horror," King focuses on human fears and ethical conflicts, blending them with supernatural elements. By 1986, King had released works such as The Shining and Cujo, solidifying his reputation. With It, he aimed to capture childhood fears through the character Pennywise the Clown. This novel stands as a significant work in King's career. His narrative style and storytelling have influenced many authors and adaptations in media.

Tags