It is also profoundly optimistic. Despite the body count, despite the cosmic horror, the novel argues that love—specifically the fierce, irrational love of friends who bled together in a sewer—can, in fact, bend the universe.

Beware of "abridged" versions. For decades, some international editions of IT were cut down for budget printing. However, since the 2017 film, most sellers stock the .

The novel argues that a town that produces a serial killer like Patrick Hockstetter (a teenage sociopath who murders his baby brother) or allows the brutal beating of a gay couple is not a town with a monster problem. It is the monster. Pennywise is merely the town’s cancer made manifest, the bloody flower pushing up through the cracked asphalt.

King spends hundreds of pages on the Losers building a dam in the Barrens, going to the movies, and navigating the brutal realities of bullying (the book’s depiction of Henry Bowers is far crueler than the films). You read IT to cry when Eddie Corcoran dies, to laugh at Richie’s impressions, and to feel the crushing weight of nostalgia for a summer that never actually happened.

In the novel, "IT" is not actually a clown. Pennywise is merely the favorite form of a timeless, shape-shifting cosmic entity that arrived on Earth via a cataclysmic event similar to an asteroid impact. This entity, which King hints might be the physical manifestation of the primordial turtle Maturin (a nod to cosmic mythology), feeds on human fear. Specifically, it prefers the fear of children because their emotions are "salty" and potent.

Set in the 1950s and 1980s in the fictional town of Derry, Maine, "IT" is a story about a group of young friends who call themselves "The Losers Club." The group consists of Bill Denbrough, the stuttering leader; Eddie Kaspbrak, the hypochondriac; Beverly Marsh, the tough and beautiful girl; Ben Hanscom, the gentle giant; Richie Tozier, the class clown; Mike Hanlon, the only member to stay in Derry; and Stan Uris, the skeptic.

King has defended this scene as a metaphor for the loss of childhood innocence and entering adulthood. However, many modern readers find it jarring and unnecessary. It is vital to know that this scene is not in any film adaptation. If you choose to read the unabridged novel, be prepared for this moment of controversial 1980s horror writing.

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The character of Pennywise is equally fascinating. This monstrous entity takes on various forms, from a clown to a spider, to exploit the deepest fears of its victims. Pennywise represents the manifestation of evil, a presence that invades and disrupts the idyllic town of Derry. King's depiction of Pennywise as a monstrous "other" taps into our primal fears, making the creature both terrifying and mesmerizing.

One of the key aspects of "IT" is its well-developed and complex characters. King takes the time to craft each member of The Losers Club with distinct personalities, struggles, and motivations. Bill, the leader, is driven by his stutter and his brother's death. Eddie's fear of germs and illness serves as a metaphor for the anxieties of growing up. Beverly's abusive home life and struggles with her own identity make her a compelling and sympathetic character.

These interludes, often called the "Derry Interludes," paint the town itself as the monster. Derry is rotten because IT lives beneath it.

To put that in perspective: IT is longer than The Lord of the Rings trilogy combined. Reading it is a commitment, not a weekend fling.