It – Stephen King (1986)

“It” is a 1986 horror novel by Stephen King, set in the fictional town of Derry, Maine. The story follows a group of children who battle a malevolent entity that awakens every 27 years to feed on fear, often manifesting as Pennywise the Clown. As adults, they reunite to confront the creature once more, facing their deepest traumas and the horrors lurking beneath Derry’s surface. A cornerstone of modern horror literature, It is a chilling exploration of childhood fears and the darkness that lingers into adulthood.

Plot Summary

The rain had been falling for days, drumming against the streets of Derry, Maine, turning gutters into small rushing rivers. It was in one of those currents that George Denbrough, a six-year-old boy in a yellow rain slicker, chased his paper boat, laughing as it bobbed through the water. But laughter turned to horror when the boat was swallowed by a storm drain – and in the shadows beneath the street, something was waiting. A voice, warm and friendly, spoke to him, belonging to a clown with bright eyes and a painted smile. Pennywise the Dancing Clown held George’s boat in one gloved hand and a cluster of balloons in the other. The clown’s grin widened, the eyes darkened, and before George could run, a pale arm shot out, and a flash of pain tore through him. The water carried away what remained.

Months passed, and the town of Derry moved on. Children disappeared, bodies surfaced, but the adults turned a blind eye, as if something deep in their bones urged them to forget. Bill Denbrough, George’s older brother, could not forget. The loss of his brother left a gaping wound, and a quiet rage stirred inside him. The summer of 1958 brought together six other outcasts – Ben Hanscom, Beverly Marsh, Richie Tozier, Eddie Kaspbrak, Mike Hanlon, and Stan Uris – all drawn to Bill, all touched by the same shadow that had taken George. Each had seen it in different forms – a leper, a mummy, a rotting corpse, and always, beneath it all, the grinning face of Pennywise.

The town was sick, and they were the only ones who seemed to see it. They called themselves the Losers’ Club, and together, they pieced together the truth. Every twenty-seven years, the disappearances spiked, the violence swelled, and something ancient awoke beneath Derry, feeding on fear. Determined to fight back, they followed the monster’s trail, leading them to the dark heart of the town – a house on Neibolt Street, where the air smelled of rot, and the walls seemed to pulse with something alive.

Inside, the monster waited. It came for them with gnashing teeth and cruel laughter, shifting from nightmare to nightmare, forcing them to face their deepest fears. It nearly killed Eddie, breaking his arm in its grip, but they fought back. Silver – pure and untainted – became their weapon, a slingshot in Beverly’s hands delivering a shot straight into the creature’s head, sending it howling into the darkness. Wounded, It slithered away, retreating into the sewers. But even in its pain, it whispered promises – that it would return, that it would never let them go.

Bound by blood, they made a pact. If It ever came back, so would they. They pressed their palms together, letting the blood mix and sink into the earth beneath their feet, a promise that time could not break.

Years passed. Childhood faded, memories dulled, and the Losers drifted away from Derry, each carving out a new life far from the cursed town. Bill became a writer, Beverly a fashion designer, Ben an architect, Richie a radio DJ, Eddie a limousine company owner, and Stan a successful accountant. Only Mike Hanlon remained, the self-appointed guardian of Derry’s secrets, watching, waiting. When the disappearances began again, when the horror woke from its slumber, Mike made the calls.

One by one, they returned, drawn by a force they could not resist, their memories returning in jagged flashes. The past was alive in the streets of Derry, in the smell of the air, in the echoes of old laughter and forgotten terror. But not all could face it – Stan, unable to bear the weight of what lay ahead, took his own life, leaving behind a message written in blood.

The six who remained gathered in an old Chinese restaurant, their reunion tainted by something foul lurking beneath the surface. Fortune cookies cracked open to reveal horrors – a bloodied eye, writhing insects, a pulsing heart – as if the town itself was whispering that they were not welcome. Fear clawed at their throats, but they had come too far to turn back.

Memories sharpened, nightmares crept from the corners of their minds. They wandered the streets, retracing old steps, visiting the places where shadows had once lunged from the dark. Ben found his childhood haunts twisted and unfamiliar, Beverly returned to her old home only to find the specter of her abusive father waiting for her in the voice of an old woman who was not what she seemed. The past and present bled together in sickening waves, reminding them why they had left, and why they had to stay.

Mike, the keeper of Derry’s history, led them back to the heart of the nightmare – the sewers, where Pennywise still lurked, waiting for them. But time had changed them. They were no longer children who could see the world through the lens of magic and belief. Fear clouded their minds, doubt clung to their movements. The monster fed on it, growing stronger, warping reality around them. It showed them horrors beyond comprehension – visions of its true form, glimpses of an endless abyss, whispers of something older than the town, older than time itself.

The Ritual of Chüd was their last hope – an ancient battle of wills, where the monster’s own power could be turned against it. Bill, the boy who had lost his brother, now a man who had lost too much, faced It in the void. It was an entity of hunger, of chaos, stretching beyond the stars, but Bill clung to the one truth that had carried him through the years. Pennywise was a lie. A thing that needed them to believe in it, to fear it. In that moment, Bill pushed back. He reached into its core, into the rotting mass of its being, and tore out the heart of the nightmare.

The walls trembled, the sewers groaned, and Pennywise, the eternal, the unstoppable, began to wither. Its body shrank, its voice faded, and as the Losers stood together once more, they watched the thing that had haunted them for so long crumble into nothingness. The town shuddered, streets cracking, buildings collapsing, as if Derry itself was unraveling with its master gone.

In the days that followed, the survivors drifted away, their memories already fading, as if the town had no more use for them. Beverly and Ben found each other in the wreckage, Richie left without looking back, and Eddie… Eddie did not leave. His body remained beneath the town, one last sacrifice in a battle that had stolen too much from all of them.

Bill lingered, feeling the weight of something slipping from his grasp. He walked the streets one last time, whispering his brother’s name into the wind. Then he, too, left, the childhood promise fulfilled. The shadows of Derry stretched behind him, but they did not call him back.

Not this time.

Main Characters

• Bill Denbrough – The de facto leader of the Losers’ Club, Bill is haunted by the death of his younger brother, Georgie, at Pennywise’s hands. His stutter and grief shape his determination to fight It.
• Beverly Marsh – The only girl in the Losers’ Club, Beverly endures abuse at home and discovers her strength through friendship. She later becomes a successful fashion designer.
• Ben Hanscom – An overweight, intelligent boy who harbors a deep love for Beverly. As an adult, he transforms into a confident, accomplished architect.
• Richie Tozier – The wisecracking comic of the group, Richie uses humor to mask his fears. His sharp wit serves as both a shield and a weapon against It.
• Eddie Kaspbrak – A frail, asthmatic boy controlled by his overprotective mother. Eddie grows into a successful businessman but remains emotionally entangled in his childhood fears.
• Mike Hanlon – The only Black member of the group, Mike remains in Derry as its unofficial historian, calling the others back when It resurfaces.
• Stan Uris – A logical, skeptical boy who struggles with the supernatural horror they face. His inability to cope with his past trauma leads to tragedy in adulthood.
• Pennywise the Dancing Clown (It) – The ancient, shape-shifting entity that feeds on fear, preying on Derry’s children. While it often appears as Pennywise, It is a cosmic force of malevolence beyond comprehension.

Theme

• The Power of Fear – It thrives on fear, illustrating how terror can paralyze and consume individuals, both as children and adults.
• Childhood Trauma and Memory – The novel explores how past traumas shape adulthood, emphasizing that memory can be both a burden and a weapon.
• Friendship and Unity – The Losers’ Club’s bond is their greatest strength, highlighting the idea that collective courage can defeat evil.
• The Darkness of Small-Town America – Derry itself is portrayed as a corrupt town that enables It, symbolizing the hidden evils in seemingly idyllic communities.

Writing Style and Tone

King’s writing in It is rich with atmospheric horror, blending psychological terror with visceral, nightmarish imagery. He masterfully shifts between timelines, capturing both the wonder and vulnerability of childhood and the haunting weight of adulthood. His use of shifting perspectives immerses the reader in the characters’ individual fears and traumas, making the horror deeply personal.

The tone oscillates between nostalgic warmth and overwhelming dread. King’s portrayal of childhood friendships is poignant and authentic, contrasting starkly with the relentless terror of It. His prose is vivid and immersive, with moments of poetic beauty amidst the horror. The novel’s psychological depth and cosmic horror elements create a sense of existential unease, ensuring that It lingers long after the final page.