It

Rating:
Summary: Sometimes, Sometimes....
Review: Sometimes a book touches the heart. Such a book will have meaning in your life, probably at that POINT in your life. Sometimes a book will touch your soul. The book will whisper to the essence that grows in you through your life...

And still...and still...there are books that go deeper, deeper than the heart, deeper than the soul...To a place that I doubt anyone at any time has ever put a full noun to it.

The book It came into my life when I was very depressed as a student in middle school. I read it in less than a week, I was a good student but I was alone. In many ways, I understood all too well the idea of the Loser Club. When I gained friends in high school, friends that are now distant memories to me sad to say...I understood It even more. I understood the good and the bad of being a child. It helped me define my own fears, my own hopes, my own anguishing, and my own desires...

Now as an adult. It speaks even more to me. I can now go full circle. As a kid I understood the kids in the book. I did not understand the adults as much, but I knew what King was talking about when he wrote the parts of the book about the adults. Still. The adult part eluded me because...of course...I was a kid.

As an adult I can fully enjoy both sides of the story now. The kids and the adult. I can understand what King was speaking about, what King was dreaming about with each and every word he wrote.

Although I love his Dark Tower series and considers the Dark Tower series right next to the Lord of the Ring series as being one of the best series in modern literature...It holds a place in my heart. It tragedies and comedies, its horror and its speculation, fill me with awe...almost the same feelings I get when reading say the Gospels.

Read this book. It is long. Extremely long. It has to be. It is a circle. Or maybe better...it is two lines parallel...the kids and the adults...aiming at the idea of confronting the basic fear that exists within each and every one of our hearts and souls. That is why It is so amazing. Because it goes past the heart and souls to the very roots...nay...the very seeds...that make us who we are as we are born, grow, grow up, grow old, and pass on to the afterlife.

Read this book. You have to.

Rating:
Summary: Good for the first 3/4, then...crash and burn.
Review: While browsing in a local bookstore, I ran across a book on Stephen King in which the author ranked his all-time favorite King books. "It" was ranked #1, and "The Stand" was ranked # 2. Since I had read and enjoyed "The Stand" but had never read "It", I decided to pick it up and give it a try.

I rather enjoyed the first 3/4 of the book. By gradually revealing more and more through the device of switching between events in the present and those in a particular Summer many years ago, King is able to build suspense and keep the reader intrigued. "What is 'It'?" we wonder.

Unfortunately, the gradual discovery of what "It" is is the most disappointing part of the book. When the identity of "It" finally becomes clear, my response was "You've got to be kidding." It suddenly switches from horror to absurdity. I realize that in stories of this kind some "suspension of disbelief" is necessary, but but there is only so far a reader can go within the internal logic of a story. The events that occur in the final chapters of the book as the main characters battle "It" are some of the dumbest words I've ever read. The words of the Principal in the movie "Billy Madison" would be an appropriate response to the author of this novel: "What you've just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul."

[As an added note, there is one "scene" near the end of the book (a "sex scene") which is, considering the ages of those involved, completely inappropriate in any context].

Rating:
Summary: Definately worth reading
Review: This is a very good book, the best Stephen King novel I've read. Even though it's a horror book it contains so much more than only horror. It's a book about friendship, growing up, fellowship and overcoming your fears. I think that's what makes the book so great. "It" could have been just another horror book but various things make it outstanding. I would almost call "It" a beatiful book because it really touches you; The characters, their friendship and their fight together. Unlike many other horror books, this one really focus on it's characters and their development. It's really just one thing that bothers me when it comes to this book and it's something that happens in the end of the book, involving Beverly and the other guys. If you've read it, you know what I'm talking about. That part was totally unnecessary and in my opinion, should never have been in the book. Except for that, the book is extremely well-written and definately worth reading.

Rating:
Summary: Misses excellence by a hair. *mild spoilers*
Review: IT, by Stephen King, is a very excellent book...for the most part. He almost effortlessly jumps back and forth between 1958 and 1985, tying the two disparate time periods together. He weaves an excellent tale of seven friends banding together to fight a shape-changing monster from beyond space...

...for the most part.

So why ISN'T it excellent?

1) The two characters that seem to get the most 'page-time,' Bill and Beverly, are very irritating. Hardly a chapter goes by without us hearing what a great leader Bill is (though we hardly ever see proof of it) or how wonderfully beautiful Beverly is. After a while, it gets annoying, and you wish IT would just go ahead and eat them.

2) At one part near the end of the book, there is 'a certain scene.' I don't want to mention it specifically, but you'll know it when you come to it. It is pretty much utterly pointless.

3) Also at the end, it is revealed that our heroes must do something else aside from destroy IT. This new plot thread was practically brought up out of nowhere and then discarded soon after, meriting only a brief reference. It's as if Mr. King suddenly decided to add a reason to make their actions all the more necessary.

4) Right at the end (notice where most of the problems crop up?), he uses my all-time least favorite literary device. Again, you'll know it when you read it.

But don't let this stop you. Buy this book, read it, and enjoy it. Just be prepared for a disappointment in the last hundred pages or so.

Rating:
Summary: Needs editing BADLY
Review: This book was written when Stephen King had become a household name--and it's clear his editor was either intimidated by King's growing reputation or just horribly lazy.

"IT" is ridiculously long and burdened with with an excess of characters and an excess of dreary, self-indulgent verbiage. Scenes that should have been startling and tight are dragged out for pages and pages and pages. I don't know if King was deep into his cocaine addiction by this time, but the book certainly reads like it was written by someone sky-high on coke and completely out of control.

Avoid this book. Reread classic King instead: the admirably concise Carrie or The Shining (which rarely drags and earns its length).

Rating:
Summary: contained too much to be great
Review: maaaaaaany years ago, a group a friend had to gather to fight an unknown entity. something taking the shape of whatever they feared. they realize that this creature threatens them all. mysterious things had happened, connected with grisly murders, and it all goes back to this creature. they have to find out what the creature is, and how to fight it. "today" they have strange memory losses, not remembering much about it. but the threat has reappeared. they must remember. this book is filled with a lot of incidents, narrative from two times: when they were kids, and now (adults). there are great details here. the book is eerie. the incidents are greatly described, and also the fear. but it was a little too much for me. i found it hard to navigate between the incidents, then and now, the different characters, etc. i really think SK should have simplified. the ending wasn't that great. all in all SK should have kept to one timeline, or written two books. sad. in a way it was, at least at times, SK's eeriest.

Rating:
Summary: It, Buy It. Read It It is the best book ever written. It is
Review: This is my favourite book from my childhood as I could relate to all the main 7 characters, being that they were very similar to people I knew or had in the past.
Not many people read It, and do not feel the same way.

This book is set in Derry, Maine. Now grown up, moved away and having gotten on with their lives the main characters are drawn back to Derry. This book is basically two stories, what happened in Derry when they grew up as kids and in the present with them confronting It and trying to kill It before It kills them.

What is It? Well that's the brilliance of this novel, It is an entity that can become anything. It, is your worst imaginable thing you fear and it prey's upon those fears which it knows all too well.

This is a sensational must read even if you don't like Stephen King novels. Do not be put off by the extremely bad movie of this book or by people who have seen it. The book is nothing like the film. Some reviews on this site are clearly referring to the movie, you can tell by they say It is a clown so don't be put off by them. Buy this brilliant masterpiece horror thriller. You'll immensely enjoy it.

Rating:
Summary: Good Book
Review: This book is long and some parts are boring but overall it is a good book in my opinion. I really enjoy Stephen King's work. He is one of my favorite authors. If you enjoy reading somewhat scary novels I would recommend this one.

Rating:
Summary: By far the best
Review: This is by far Stephen King's best work. The Stand, which is also an awsome work is a distant second in my opinion. He makes the characters jump off the page and you kind of wish you were part of the "Loser's Club" yourself. King is also a master of the concept of time, as you other constant readers can agree with in his short story "My Pretty Pony". In this book time in itself has many differnt aspects. Read the book, you will not be dissapointed. ANy negative reviews you read are just pure jealosy.

Rating:
Summary: Ah, another King classic
Review: For me, It ranks right up next to The Stand as my favorite King books. Once again the master of modern fiction takes us on an epic tale of horror and suspense, including the most bizzare boogeyman I think he's ever created. As other reviewers have already discussed the plot and the characters, just let me add in a few notes on what I got out of this book.

The character development is top-notch. King goes into so much detail (sometimes too much!) that you can't help but to fall in love with these kids. Then, on top of that, King masterfully mixes the adult version of the kids with their youth, so it doesn't read like a two part novel. He bounces back and forth alot, kind of explaining things as he goes.

This is not a book for the light of heart and people who shy away from books any thicker than an inch. In fact, the hardback version of this book could probably be registered as a lethal weapon in some states! But if you really like reading and great storytelling, this book will keep you entertained for many, many hours. I consider myself a pretty quick reader, slightly above average, and it took me well over 24 hours to devour this behemoth. But the time spent was well worth it and I certainly couldn't claim that I didn't get my money's worth.

Get this book. Be scared!