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It: A Novel Kindle Edition

4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 49,604 ratings

It: Chapter Two—now a major motion picture!

Stephen King’s terrifying, classic #1 New York Times bestseller, “a landmark in American literature” (Chicago Sun-Times)—about seven adults who return to their hometown to confront a nightmare they had first stumbled on as teenagers…an evil without a name: It.

Welcome to Derry, Maine. It’s a small city, a place as hauntingly familiar as your own hometown. Only in Derry the haunting is real.

They were seven teenagers when they first stumbled upon the horror. Now they are grown-up men and women who have gone out into the big world to gain success and happiness. But the promise they made twenty-eight years ago calls them reunite in the same place where, as teenagers, they battled an evil creature that preyed on the city’s children. Now, children are being murdered again and their repressed memories of that terrifying summer return as they prepare to once again battle the monster lurking in Derry’s sewers.

Readers of Stephen King know that Derry, Maine, is a place with a deep, dark hold on the author. It reappears in many of his books, including
Bag of Bones, Hearts in Atlantis, and 11/22/63. But it all starts with It.

“Stephen King’s most mature work” (
St. Petersburg Times), “It will overwhelm you…to be read in a well-lit room only” (Los Angeles Times).
Popular Highlights in this book

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

They were seven teenagers when they first stumbled upon the horror. Now they were grown-up men and women who had gone out into the big world to gain success and happiness. But none of them could withstand the force that drew them back to Derry, Maine to face the nightmare without an end, and the evil without a name. What was it? Read It and find out...if you dare!

From Library Journal

The amazingly prolific King returns to pure horror, pitting good against evil as in The Stand and The Shining. Moving back and forth between 1958 and 1985, the story tells of seven children in a small Maine town who discover the source of a series of horrifying murders. Having conquered the evil force once, they are summoned together 27 years later when the cycle begins again. As usual, the requisite thrills are in abundance, and King's depiction of youngsters is extraordinarily accurate and sympathetic. But there is enough material in this epic for several novels and stories, and the excessive length and numerous interrelated flashbacks eventually become wearying and annoying. Nevertheless, King is a born storyteller, and It will undoubtedly be in high demand among his fans. BOMC main selection. Eric W. Johnson, Univ. of Bridgeport Lib., Ct.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B018ER7K5I
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Scribner; Media Tie-In edition (January 1, 2016)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ January 1, 2016
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 4313 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 1181 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 49,604 ratings

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Stephen King
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Stephen King is the author of more than sixty books, all of them worldwide bestsellers. His recent work includes the short story collection YOU LIKE IT DARKER, HOLLY (a New York Times Notable Book of 2023), FAIRY TALE, BILLY SUMMERS, IF IT BLEEDS, THE INSTITUTE, ELEVATION, THE OUTSIDER, SLEEPING BEAUTIES (cowritten with his son Owen King), and the Bill Hodges trilogy: END OF WATCH, FINDERS KEEPERS, and MR. MERCEDES (an Edgar Award winner for Best Novel and a television series streaming on Peacock). His novel 11/22/63 was named a top ten book of 2011 by The New York Times Book Review and won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Mystery/Thriller. His epic works THE DARK TOWER, IT, PET SEMATARY, DOCTOR SLEEP, and FIRESTARTER are the basis for major motion pictures, with IT now the highest-grossing horror film of all time. He is the recipient of the 2020 Audio Publishers Association Lifetime Achievement Award, the 2018 PEN America Literary Service Award, the 2014 National Medal of Arts, and the 2003 National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. He lives in Bangor, Maine, with his wife, novelist Tabitha King.

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
49,604 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book enjoyable and worth reading. They appreciate the masterful writing and creepiness of the story. The story intrigues them with its subtle touches and interesting ideas. Readers praise the rich, complex characters and relationships. The book evokes a universal sense of nostalgia for childhood.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

2,257 customers mention "Readability"2,154 positive103 negative

Customers enjoy the book's story. They find it engaging and enjoyable, even if they are not horror fans. Many consider it one of their favorite Stephen King books.

"...I could not recommend this novel more strongly. As a thrilling and thoughtful example of the best that the horror genre has to offer, IT is superb..." Read more

"A great book. The storyline moves with a rhythm like a great DJ...." Read more

"...It was interesting learning the history of Derry through snippets of the past, and I thoroughly enjoyed the side stories of the Black Spot and the..." Read more

"...Although very long, it makes for compulsive reading. I couldn't put it down during the year-end holidays. The story is very good...." Read more

704 customers mention "Scariness level"541 positive163 negative

Customers find the book to be an epic horror tale with a thrilling and disturbing story. They appreciate the suspenseful buildup and interesting monster. The plot is described as entertaining, creepy, and intriguing. Readers also mention that the book offers insights into the Dark Tower series.

"...You see, to me, IT is not simply an epic horror tale; I feel that is also a powerful odyssey of friendship, belonging, coming of age...and love...." Read more

"...And in true Steven King style you get lots of great bogeymen and monsters. I can hardly wait to re-read it again in a few years. Best, Dave" Read more

"...And, as a horror book it is very good. What better antagonist than one that may look and act like what each person fears the most?..." Read more

"...The plot itself was very entertaining and creepy, though some things felt completely unnecessary, particularly the sewer scene and the sexual scene..." Read more

486 customers mention "Writing quality"414 positive72 negative

Customers enjoy the writing quality of the book. They find the story masterfully written, spellbinding, and talented. The writing is beautiful and poetic with thoughtful plotting. Readers appreciate the author's skill at storytelling and praise his writing as beautiful and poetic. The narrative keeps them engaged while daring them to dig into their own experiences.

"...As a thrilling and thoughtful example of the best that the horror genre has to offer, IT is superb...." Read more

"...This is not to say the book was unamusing. It is spellbinding, almost Proustian in its remembrance of the joys of childhood and full of popular..." Read more

"...to tell stories, he uses meanings themselves, woven seemingly seamlessly into shades of context and pigments of innuendo and occasionally bright,..." Read more

"...All were good stories that added to the overall theme...." Read more

313 customers mention "Thought provoking"260 positive53 negative

Customers find the story intriguing with subtle touches that add depth to the world. They appreciate the pacing and interesting ideas and twists. The amount of detail provided is striking, adding an element of mystery. Readers enjoy the mental imagery.

"...King has always genuinely impressed me with his incredible eye for detail, his sense of place, and his ability to steadily pay out the rope line of..." Read more

"...the Derry interlude chapters, and they really added a new layer of depth to the world...." Read more

"...The cosmology behind It is interesting but skates towards an absurdity that undercuts the seriousness of the story...." Read more

"...Also the Ritual of Chud is interesting! That psychic battle is so interesting that they gotta keep it in the sequel for the movie...." Read more

274 customers mention "Character development"242 positive32 negative

Customers enjoy the character development. They find the characters rich and complex, with interesting backstories and personalities. The villain is well-developed, and the characters' personalities are fun.

"...A roller coaster of plot, extraordinary character depth. And in true Steven King style you get lots of great bogeymen and monsters...." Read more

"...The wide cast of characters, including the town members like Mr. Keene, add to the realism of Derry. “But maybe I was wrong, he thought...." Read more

"...The flashback structure, the good and bad of childhood, the strength of the characters, and Pennywise. Highly recommended!" Read more

"...mixed feelings about the characters, but I will say the character development is great – for the most part...." Read more

178 customers mention "Childhood"178 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's portrayal of childhood. They find it poignant, moving, and a deeply moving coming-of-age story that perfectly captures the blissful innocence and reality of growing up. The book is full of heartwarming moments and 1950s culture details, and their reunion as adults is superb.

"...the twisted and disturbing history of the town, and to appreciate the raw passage of years, both during the lives of the main and supporting..." Read more

"...That’s not the case here. In “It”, both the past and present were so poignant, and I wanted nothing more than happiness for both the kid and adult..." Read more

"...in its remembrance of the joys of childhood and full of popular 1950s culture details (music, TV programs, slang, movies) that give a certain..." Read more

"...I appreciated how well King encapsulated the distance between childhood and adulthood and all the roads we travel in between...." Read more

371 customers mention "Length"135 positive236 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the book's length. Some find it engaging, with quiet moments that resonate. However, others feel it is too long and lacks epic scale.

"I do love It. I think the story was drawn out, which made it to long of a story. To me the movie is better. All in all the book was still good." Read more

"...The intrepid heroes of this very long and sophisticated novel love each other...." Read more

"...The story itself wasn’t bad. It was a bit overlong, and some detail wasn’t strictly necessary, I don’t think...." Read more

"...All in all, one of his best stories. While quite long, don't be intimidated by this...." Read more

250 customers mention "Story length"126 positive124 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the story length. Some find the ending magical and bittersweet, with a good vs. evil theme and endearing characters. Others feel the plot slips into side stories that are unnecessary to the main storyline. There are also complaints about overdetailed descriptions of the mystery.

"...The ending is one of the most bittersweet endings I’ve read in a book, and it made me cry like a baby...." Read more

"...I reveled in how little we remember accurately about the past and how mutable it can be...." Read more

"...It is a good book and a great horror book. There is something visceral about the creature It, so it continues to be scary...." Read more

"I do love It. I think the story was drawn out, which made it to long of a story. To me the movie is better. All in all the book was still good." Read more

Don't judge a listing by it's cover
4 out of 5 stars
Don't judge a listing by it's cover
Nice little vintage version of this classic. Was hoping the book would be the same as the one pictured, but it was in quite a bit of a worse state. The listing was Used: Acceptable though, so this is within the category. Just would have been nice to see the real state on the pictures, or a warning that the book displayed is not the book that is sold. But for the price I can hardly complain.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on September 26, 2017
    I've read a number of Stephen King's books over the past 15 years, and had also read a number of his short stories prior to that period. King has always genuinely impressed me with his incredible eye for detail, his sense of place, and his ability to steadily pay out the rope line of a story's plot. Additionally, of course, he's the Jedi Master of creepiness. Although I was familiar with the premise of IT --- indeed, I watched the ABC miniseries back when it first aired in 1990 --- , I had never taken on this massive work as a reading challenge.

    With the recent release of the big-screen adaptation of King's story, I felt that it was time to shift this novel to the top of my bucket list. Now, having reached the conclusion of this tale, I stand entertained, inspired, and deeply moved. You see, to me, IT is not simply an epic horror tale; I feel that is also a powerful odyssey of friendship, belonging, coming of age...and love. From the late 1950s to the mid-1980s, the narrative chronicles the lives and times of a group of young pre-teens growing up in the small town of Derry, Maine. These young people are brought together by fate and circumstance to forge a fundamental bond, upon which is built not only all of their intense and complicated interpersonal relationships but, ultimately, their shared commitment to confront an unearthly monster that has, for generations, stalked and murdered Derry's residents --- especially children. As the members of the "Losers' Club" grow to know one another, become playmates, and evolve the fierce and pure loyalty and protectiveness towards each other that are so characteristic of young kids, their showdown with It looms closer and closer.

    Of course, the story’s titular antagonist is, ultimately, the most frightening of the Losers’ Club’s foes. However, what childhood would be complete without the unwanted attentions of schoolyard bullies? Led by Henry Bowers, a seething, dangerously angry son of a poor local farmer, a group of boys a couple of years older and bigger than our young heroes is an all-too-familiar presence in Derry, and it repeatedly attempts to corner the “Losers” when they’re alone, or at least outnumbered. Under the mostly unspoken leadership of “Stuttering” Bill Denbrough, the Losers’ Club’s lovable misfits navigate their way through a strange 1958 summer, a season of weird and frightening revelations, discovering more and more about Derry’s many hidden secrets even as they reveal more and more of themselves, their foibles, and their fears to one another. Bill is clearly the linchpin of the group, made all the more so by his anger, terror, and guilt over the awful death of his younger brother Georgie, another of It’s victims. With Bill often taking point, the Losers’ Club manages to (mostly) stay out of the clutches of Bowers and his group of thuggish louts.

    These “lost” children create their own tribe of sorts, a surrogate family that provides companionship, love and support when most of the adults around them are too wrapped up in themselves and their own private hells to be much help. Beverly Marsh, the sole girl in this society of seven, is sort of a tomboy, whose generally greater maturity and budding sexuality throw an understandable monkey wrench into the group’s dynamics. Stan Uris, one of the few Jews in Derry, is quiet, bookish, and sensible; Richie Tozier is the wise-cracking obnoxious kid with a heart of gold. Ben Hanscomb is the gentle and whip-smart fat kid who is brave beyond his years. Eddie Kaspbrak, smothered by his hyper-protective mother and suffering from crippling hypochondria, is imaginative and inventive and loyal to a fault. This septet is rounded out by Mike Hanlon, only child of one of the only African-American farmers in the area; Hanlon is, from the start, the group’s scribe, in fact carrying on in this role into the Losers’ adulthood...he is the only one of the seven who will stay in Derry through the seasons, years, and decades, until, in 1985, the horrifying disappearances and murders which seem to plague the town every 27 years or so begin again. Hanlon has watched and waited, like a sentry, wondering if he will ever have to contact his friends from so long ago, friends who have moved on to a wide range of professionally successful but sometimes personally haphazard lives. Moreover, he is unsure not only if the grownups sprung from those children of 1958 will adhere to the promise they all made to return to Derry to confront It if It should resurface, but if they will remember that era of their existence at all. As with the greater community of Derry, individuals there often seem to lose connections with their pasts, as if afflicted with some kind of metaphysical amnesia.

    By turns eerie and cheerful, terrifying and ridiculously funny, IT takes us on a tour of what it was --- and is --- to be a kid. You dream big dreams. You skin your knees. You find puppy love. You make friends. You suffer setbacks and even full-blown tragedies. If you are one of those folks to have had the good fortune of having a few really close partners-in-crime with whom to spend the lazy days of summer, then King’s novel will, I think, deeply resonate. The exquisite use of detail to accomplish painstakingly complex world-building, of which King is truly a master, breathes real life --- and death --- into Derry, Maine. The movement of the narrative back and forth in time is achieved quite seamlessly, and the author’s attention to what I’d call the continuity of experience helps readers to much better comprehend the twisted and disturbing history of the town, and to appreciate the raw passage of years, both during the lives of the main and supporting characters and in the time periods of some of the narrative flashbacks that provide the audience with a rich backstory.

    The intrepid heroes of this very long and sophisticated novel love each other. They stay loyal to each other, even when, sometimes, their hearts are breaking and they are losing faith in everything around them. They have, in the modern vernacular, each other’s backs. The innocence of much of their summer shenanigans is counterpointed powerfully by moments when each of them faces unpleasant truths about their families, as well as by the crucial points in the story at which the lurking, quintessential evil of It shows itself, however fleetingly. As Bill and the rest move inexorably toward their encounter with Derry’s awful monster, they are, in many ways, simultaneously leaving their true childhoods further and further behind, just as, in the intervening generation or so between their various departures from the town and their perhaps foreordained return to it, their memories of that time and place fade like a mostly-forgotten nightmare.

    I could not recommend this novel more strongly. As a thrilling and thoughtful example of the best that the horror genre has to offer, IT is superb. However, as I said before, I believe that, when you take the journey to this haunted New England town, and face down monsters both human and inhuman, right alongside some of the most genuinely childlike characters to have ever graced the pages of a literary work, you will remember what it’s like to dream, imagine, dare, and love, all over again.
    110 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on January 16, 2025
    A great book. The storyline moves with a rhythm like a great DJ. The pace will slow and then builds faster and faster and I find myself trying to read faster and faster. A roller coaster of plot, extraordinary character depth. And in true Steven King style you get lots of great bogeymen and monsters. I can hardly wait to re-read it again in a few years. Best, Dave
  • Reviewed in the United States on February 7, 2020
    5 / 5 stars

    This is a tough review to write, because an 1100+ page doorstopper is a lot to take in and process. This book has become one of my all-time favorites (despite that scene), and I feel like I left a piece of my heart in the magically messed up town of Derry.

    I went into this almost completely blind - I hadn’t seen either the television series or the recent movies, but I knew the plot had something to do with a clown terrorizing children in the sewers and red balloons. I expected more horror, but instead I got a love letter to childhood, friendship, and summer, with undertones of loss, growing up, and growing apart.

    “The terror, which would not end for another twenty-eight years—if it ever did end—began, so far as I know or can tell, with a boat made from a sheet of newspaper floating down a gutter swollen with rain.”

    In true King fashion, the first 200 pages or so of this were slow. I found myself wondering what I got myself into, because one of my reading goals for 2020 was to read this book, but man, was it slow. Around page 500, I was completely hooked, and then by page 1000 I was ready for it to be done. Thankfully, for the most part, this was a thoroughly enjoyable ride, and I actually find myself missing the world of Derry.

    “It” has some of the best world building I’ve ever experienced. King’s tendency to over-describe and elaborate pulls through in this to make a town that seems so tangible, I had to remind myself that Derry isn’t actually a real place. From the barrens to the library, the sewers and the pharmacy, the standpipe and the park with the creepy Paul Bunyan statue, I had a detailed picture in my mind's eye. The wide cast of characters, including the town members like Mr. Keene, add to the realism of Derry.

    “But maybe I was wrong, he thought. Maybe this isn’t home, nor ever was—maybe home is where I have to go tonight. Home is the place where when you go there, you have to finally face the thing in the dark.”

    And the CHARACTERS. God, the characters. I love every member of the Losers Club, except for maybe Stanley. If I had to pick a favorite, I would say it’s a three way tie between Ben, Richie, and Bev. I loved watching them grow up and confront their past and fears while looking toward the future. I didn’t care for Stanley much, but that was because he was the most forgettable member of the club, and it felt like he was mainly there to bind the losers club together and serve as the realist.I thoroughly enjoyed both the past and the future, and still find myself thinking about the horrors the kids faced going against It in their younger days.

    I loved the Derry interlude chapters, and they really added a new layer of depth to the world. It was interesting learning the history of Derry through snippets of the past, and I thoroughly enjoyed the side stories of the Black Spot and the Bradley Gang. Something about no one acknowledging the terrors as they’re happening makes everything It does so much more spine tingling.

    It can be difficult to alternate between two perspectives, the past and the present, and from past experience when an author attempts it one point of view is written stronger than the other. That’s not the case here. In “It”, both the past and present were so poignant, and I wanted nothing more than happiness for both the kid and adult Losers. I think I liked the past chapters just a little bit more, because they had the unknown terror that kids face. It was also steeped with nostalgia and simpler times, and I found myself yearning for summers as a kid in my parents’ house.

    “The first note his father left him in that spring of 1958 was scribbled on the back of an envelope and held down with a saltshaker. The air was spring-warm, wonderfully sweet, and his mother had opened all the windows.”

    The ending is one of the most bittersweet endings I’ve read in a book, and it made me cry like a baby. It was a cathartic ending, and I felt sadness, relief, and wonder. It didn’t feel fair, but life isn’t fair, and no one knows that better than Mike and the other Losers.

    I’m so glad I read this book. It has cemented itself as one of my favorite stories of all time, and even though I finished it weeks ago, I still find myself thinking about it (and It).
    37 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Carlos dorantes
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great book
    Reviewed in Mexico on December 3, 2024
    Amo este libro y compré la versión hardcover
    Llegó en excelente estado
  • Gabriel Martineau
    5.0 out of 5 stars Qualidade aceitável
    Reviewed in Brazil on April 19, 2024
    Levando em conta que é um livro importado, a qualidade pelo valor está aceitável, mas não informava que era versão de bolso (apesar desse tijolo não caber nem em calça cargueira)
    O livro é relativamente leve, bastante flexível, papel claro levemente acinzentado/bege.
    O livro é assustador, ja tomei um susto quando vi o número de páginas 👻
    Customer image
    Gabriel Martineau
    5.0 out of 5 stars Qualidade aceitável
    Reviewed in Brazil on April 19, 2024
    Levando em conta que é um livro importado, a qualidade pelo valor está aceitável, mas não informava que era versão de bolso (apesar desse tijolo não caber nem em calça cargueira)
    O livro é relativamente leve, bastante flexível, papel claro levemente acinzentado/bege.
    O livro é assustador, ja tomei um susto quando vi o número de páginas 👻
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  • Sarah Schurian
    5.0 out of 5 stars Gutes Buch
    Reviewed in Germany on January 15, 2025
    Gutes Buch
  • Emily Helal
    5.0 out of 5 stars Been a fan of Stephen King since I was a little kid
    Reviewed in Egypt on June 29, 2024
    This was a lovely story where a lot of growth is taking place from both main characters. The book is absolutely massive (1200 pages), but its bulk is used to accomplish all its greatness.
  • Maud
    5.0 out of 5 stars A thriller.
    Reviewed in France on April 13, 2024
    Ordinary people living ordinary lives. They have something in common : they have come across Evil embodied by a clown.
    The teen-agers ' adventures remind us of
    Harry Potter and La Guerre des Boutons.
    You need to take your time reading it to enjoy the thrill. It' s violent and scary.

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