*This blog post will provide HUGE spoilers for the Stephen King novel, It, if you are interested in reading this amazing work I would recommend not reading this post.*
The novel, It by Stephen King follows the Losers Club as they attempt to destroy the being known as It. To do this they must use imagination and friendship to conquer this evil. (Yes, that may sound corny when you word it like that, but it is actually really epic in the book I promise. It focuses on more adult themes than just the importance of imagination and friendship. The novel also delves into the facade of small-town quaintness, childhood trauma, and overcoming evil through sacrifice.
To remind the readers who the main characters of It are I will list the names again here. My last blog also goes in depth with each character. The members of the Losers Club are Bill Denbrough, Beverly Marsh, Ben Hanscom, Eddie Kaspbrak, Richie Tozier, Mike Hanlon, and Stanley Uris. There are seven members and the number 7 plays an important role in many works in literature as it is a number of perfection in mythology.
The novel follows two timelines, one from the year 1957-1958, and the other one from 1984-1985. One follows the Loser’s Club when they are children around eleven years old respectively. While the other follows them when they are in their thirties. The novel does this because when the children were younger they only wounded It without destroying the being. So, they must return 27 years later (when It reawakens) to finish the job.
During the Summer of 1958, much of the novel and its events take place. The Losers come together for the first time while Mike is fleeing from the main antagonists besides It in the book. They are the bullies that terrorize all of the losers throughout their childhood. Their names are Henry Bowers, Victor Criss, Belch Huggins, and Patrick Hockstetter. They all come together at this moment and fight each other in what King calls “The Apocalyptic Rock Fight.” Here both the Losers Club and the bullies engage in a rock fight which the Losers Club wins. This makes them realize the power that they have together and begins their journey for attempting to destroy the shape-shifting monster that threatens to kill them at every turn.
They figure out how to start the process of overcoming the evil of It by beginning the Ritual of Chüd. This ritual needs a member of the Losers Club to engage in a mental battle against the being known as It.
The Losers Club finally completes the ritual when they return to Derry, Maine 27 years later. However, they lose some of their members along the way. Stan kills himself before even going to Derry, and Eddie dies from injuries sustained from fighting the being.
The novel ends with Derry basically being destroyed. (Thus, symbolizing that It was such a huge part of the town that without him the whole thing is destroyed.) The saddest part of the whole novel is the fact that once the being is destroyed, the friendship of the Losers ends as well. They end up not remembering each other and forgetting about their time together and about Derry, Maine forever.
I was heartbroken by the end of the novel and it was actually one of the only books to make me cry. Despite this, it is one of the greatest novels I have ever read and I highly recommend it to anyone who can read. Honestly, do not let the size of the book keep you away. It is honestly fantastic and I wish I could experience reading it for the first time again.