Yes, “It” is the reason legions of readers developed a fear of clowns. But it’s also King’s masterpiece.
“It” is the “Moby Dick” of horror novels: long, unwieldy, filled with digressions and metaphor, sometimes disturbing, sometimes poetic. The members of the Losers Club are some of King’s most well-drawn characters; there’s anxious hypochondriac Eddie Kaspbrak, loud-mouthed Richie Tozier, compassionate leader Bill Denbrough, and of course, there’s Pennywise. “It” is King’s most terrifying villain, a demented shapeshifter who poisons the whole town of Derry from its perch in the sewers and feeds on the fear of children.
The novel’s narrative unfolds with the Losers returning to their hometown to face an evil they barely remember, the boundaries between their adult and childhood identities becoming increasingly porous as they begin to relive long-repressed terrors. “It” is about destiny, friendship, and the adolescent horrors that shape our adult selves. The novel is required reading for fans of King and lovers of literature. If you’re a fan of clowns, though, you might want to sit this one out.