INSTEPHENKINGByStephenEverytwenty-sevenyearssincethedawnoftime,It–anunearthlycreaturewholivesintheunmappedlabyrinthofsewersbeneathDerry–comesbacktomurderandmutilatesmallchildrenandadults.OnlysevenpeoplehavefacedItandlivedtotellthetale:horrornovelistBillDenbrough,architectBenHanscom,DerrylibrarianMikeHanlon,radiodiscjockeyRichieTozier,limousinedriverEddieKasbrak,fashiondesignerBeverlyRogan,andaccountantStanUris.Twenty-sevenyearsagotheyformedtheLosersClub,bondedbytheirphysicalandsocialdifferencesandbytheirterrifyingencounterswiththemanydifferentformsItcantake.Thebooktellstwoparallelstories:whathappenedin1958whenthechildrenfirstfacedItinitstrueform(thatofafifteen-foot-longspider)andnearlykilledthemonster,andoftheirreunionin1985whentheybandtogetheronceagainfinallytovanquishItfromthefaceoftheearth.Althougheachcharacteriswell-drawnandthereisbackgroundaplentyonDerryanditshistoryofhorrorandtragedy,thereaderissomefourhundredpagesintothismassivenovelbeforeallofthelumberingexpositionisoutofthewayandthestoryreallygetsmoving.OnlythendoKing’ssprawlingthemesofchildhood,adulthood,good,evil,andeternitycometogethertoformthetypeofgrippingnarrativethathasmadetheauthorsofamous.
