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Revision as of 03:19, 22 September 2005 by YurikBot (talk | contribs) (robot Adding: he)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)It is a horror novel by Stephen King. It is one of his best-selling books, and a favorite among his fans, though many critics have called it overly-long and uncompelling.
The novel is the story of seven friends from the fictional town of Derry, Maine, and is told with the narrative alternating between two different time periods. In 1958, when they are eleven years old, the seven are united in seeking refuge from a gang of bullies led by Henry Bowers. The seven discover the existence of a child-murdering, shape-changing monster (which they call "It"), also named Pennywise the Clown. Its appearance (about once every 27 years) always brings with it a series of horrifying events: a racist arson attack, a homophobic murder, and most importantly, the mutilation and killing of George Denbrough, the six-year-old brother of Bill Denbrough, the leader figure of the seven. "It" appears in many forms, often taking the shape of its prey's worst fear, but normally as a clown called Pennywise. The children make a pact to return and fight It again if It returns. All but one later move away from Derry and forget about the events, but one of the children, town librarian Mike Hanlon, remains and calls them in 1985, when It begins to kill again. Five of Mike's friends return to finish killing the monster -- the sixth, Stanley Uris, is dead in his tub in Atlanta, having committed suicide rather than face the ancient terror.
All except Mike have gone on to success and wealth, though the stamp of their unhappy childhoods is evident: none of them has children. Beverley, the only female in the group, is married to an abusive lout just like her father. Bill Denbrough, now a successful horror writer, married a woman who bears a striking resemblance to Bev. Eddie Kaspbrak (whose asthma is psychosomatic) married a neurotic woman resembling his mother, which he tells the surviving members of the "Lucky 7" group right before they enter It's bone-strewn lair.
Henry Bowers, the bully who once made their lives hell as kids, is also around; he was committed to an insane asylum nearly thirty years ago, and is goaded by It into escaping and returning to Derry to settle a few old scores.
It was filmed as a TV movie in 1990.
The American punk band Pennywise took its name and icon from the character in It.
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