I read this book so many years ago that I can't remember, however, I do remember not being able to put it down once I started reading it. I've always been a Stephen King fan and this book just kept me enthralled, interested and anxious to get to the ending as soon as I read the first paragraph. When the movie came out I was sorely disappointed because it just didn't do the story justice. As an author of four novels myself, I must say that the book is always better than the movie. If you've never read any of Stephen King's books, you don't know what you're missing. This novel, in particular, will give you a whole new insight on clowns, for one thing, but better yet, you will see Stephen King at his most creative best!
Joyce Marie Taylor, Author and Poet

It was a very interesting book. It was a little disappointing towards the end because it gets less interesting. There are definetely some funny parts in it, the book is suspenseful. I would only recommend It for mature people. It's about a clown that goes around killing little kids every twenty-seven years. The clown can be recognized wearing a silver suit with orange pom pom buttons and orange tufts of hair. It goes by the name of Pennywise the Clown. It is a real page turner. If you enjoy books with imagery and suspense, then I would say this book is for you.

I have read three of his books, this, Insomnia and the Talisman, I don't know if its bad luck or what but they are all lacking. And whats with his obessesion with penis'(whatever the plural of the word is). I don't even want to touch the final sex scene, when its first referenced in the book I was like, he doesn't mean that but you'll see he does. Sex/sexuality when it doesn't progress the story is such a waste(although somehow in King's mind the final scene does).
There are some entertaining and funny parts and it kept me turning the page until the last quarter of the book, which is where it all fell apart. (read all the negative reviews and you'll get the gist) I again I was left disappointed and didn't care what happened to the characters. Previous reviewers were right 300-500pgs could have been easily eliminated. And although Bill had/has a stuttering problem, and somewhat integral to the story, it was really tedious reading.
I gave it 2 stars because it was had some intriging ideas, and I can't help but think Clive Barker (or whoever created the Nightmare on Elm Street) cribbed this heavily.

To date, this is the longest book I've ever read (at just about 1100 pages...small print pages, I might add). But it is also the most rewarding, and undoubtledly one of the best books I've ever read in any genre. Although it is lengthy, every page is extremely well written and advances the story. There were no moments in this book where I though "eh, he could have dropped that." It's one of those rare books that grabs you at page 1, and when you reach 1090 you actually want more. By now you know the premise...something evil dressed as a clown terrorizes a small Maine town. Sounds like typical King fare, and may turn some of the squeamish off before they even pick this up, which is a shame. Yes, this book is disturbing, creepy, grotesque and nightmare inducing, but it is also inspirational, highly emotional and touches very deeply at the essence of the human spirit - which is love, friendship, and goodness that most people posess deep down. This book is not about evil clowns. It is about how even the most frightening evil in the world (or out of it) can be confronted if you believe in the cause. Its about facing your childhood fears. Its about coming to grips with growing up and realizing that maybe that part of you you doesnt have to! The best part of this book for me, though, is the exceptional character development. I have never been so attached to characters in a book as in this one. King describes them so well that half way through you feel like you've known these seven people your whole life and you will find yourself actually caring for this band of "losers." My only complaint is with this edition...the print is incredibly small, and there were a number of typos in the second half of the book...but other than that, this is a perfect fiction book. I could go on but so many people have said so many great things about this book that I couldnt attempt repeat. I just want to affirm that they were all right, and that although It is a very scary ride, once you hit the end, although you'll be battered, bruised and exhausted, you'll realize that such thrilling rides dont come along that often. If you only read one King book, this is It.

Having been a keen King reader in my teenage and early adult years, I have had the opportunity to read many of this fine writer's works. While I can't agree with Harold Bloom's dismissal of his work as mediocre for the most part, not every one of King's works is a masterpiece, but It comes the closest to being one.

King's novels lack the scope and scariness of some of the great classical horror writers such as Bram Stoker, Poe and H.P. Lovecraft. However sometimes King manages to combine several elements in just the right way to create a very dark and scary world inhabited by believable and interesting characters. The Green Mile, It and Pet Semetary are good attempts, but It really stands out for several reasons.

The first is that in It the evil monster (which apparently seems to be an alien being from another universe) manifests itself as a sinister green clown. While the monster transforms into other forms (including horror movie creatues and a giant spider like that in the Lord of the Rings) the clown is a particularly frightening symbol because in the book, the monster preys on children. In this book King masterfully explores several common childhood fears and turns them into a tangible prescence of evil and darkness which haunts the lives of all the main characters, as well as a manevolent force which preys on the inner sins and darkness in the souls and psyches of the main characters.

While the novel is very long, this is one of King's novels where the pace of the horror is allowed to build up smoothly to its majestic and terrifying climax. There is no simple cop out or deus ex machina for the heroes in this character, and some meet a very unpleasant death. One never gets the sense of redundant characters or plot devices.

The third strength is the evil being in this novel is quite believable. While many horror writers and film-makers tend to trivialise evil by often going way over the top in terms of violence and gore, the evil being in King's novel works mainly by deception and stealth. The insidious and creeping nature of its evil and the slowness and rationality at which it unfolds its evil makes it so much the more believable, and also more credible as a symbol of one of life's deepest mysteries. The strength of It does not diminish and fluctuate and rather its end comes about through its arrogance rather than through weakness.

Overall King manages to bring all these elements together and execute them in a finely crafted novel which is very hard to put down. In my view it remains his best attempt at horror fiction.