We All Float Down Here....Again

This is my second time reading IT by Stephen King. The first time was roughly 8th-9th grade, lugging this gigantic 1,000+ page book around to my classrooms. When my tests/homework were done, I pulled IT out and thunked it down on my desk and started reading. (No, I wasn't popular. Why do you ask?)

The second time through was in the last several months but I listened to it via Audible, with the intent of listening to the 44 hour behemoth on my work commute. Until I was no longer allowed to commute. (Thanks COVID). Finding time at home to listen to 44 hours of Steven Weber 1000% throwing himself into the screaming and chaos of the story was rough. But once it really started rolling, I couldn't stop listening.

So there will be spoilers here, because really, this book came out in 1986, Tim Curry already graced us as Pennywise in 1990 and we have 2 more modern movies. You should have read this by now. Speaking of, do listen to Overdue Podcast's very pared down take of IT. It's hard to cover this book in such a short space.

Also, if you've seen the movies, do not brush your hands together and feel you read the book too. Not even close, bucko. We'd need at least 7 movies to cover everything in the book.

Onward.

I believe everyone knows the basic premise. Pennywise the clown terrorizes the town of Derry, Maine. Basically, he eats children. He comes around every 20 some years after resting from his feasts. In 1957 to 1958, he terrorizes the wrong children. We meet Georgie Denbrough when he chases his little paper boat down to a storm drain. He meets his grisly fate when he reaches into the grate to get his boat from Pennywise. His older brother, Bill, or Big Bill, blames himself for Georgie's death. Bill's friends, Eddie, Richie, and Stan, and later, Ben, Bev, and Mike, all experience some sort of encounter with IT, in some form. Wanting to avenge Georgie's death, they, The Loser's Club, come up with a plan to kill IT.

There are many, many, many paths to the culmination of said plan. Honestly, I think it's a great ride, so don't skimp out. Get to know the kids because soon we meet them as adults. Also, toss all your hatred at Henry and his fellow bullies. What assholes.

In 1984 to 1985, Mike is the lone Loser who remained in Derry. His job as librarian allows him to keep watch for when/if IT rises again. The Losers thought they had killed IT back in the 50's but there was a little bit of doubt left that made Mike stay. Unfortunately, he was right. IT comes back and starts feasting on the town's children. Lest you think IT just eats and leaves, you'd be wrong. IT has a terrible habit of turning people's minds, evil people do his bidding, decent people turn a blind eye to the violence happening right in front of them. IT is pure evil and Derry is its home.

Mike calls back all of the Losers because they made a vow to return if IT really wasn't dead. All but Stan return (RIP Stan) and, as they get to Derry, they start to remember everything they've forgotten. Their memories were so buried they even forgot each other.

The adult Losers go into battle once again and fully defeat IT (or do they?), but they lose Eddie in the process. Mike is seriously hurt and they are just down to a few Losers. Things do get a little weird with the Turtle and all but, still, stick with it. Because, near the end, is the punch that got me. Again.

I remembered that this book really bothered me when I first read it. No, it wasn't the clown, the deaths, the violence. It was the memories. Or the lack thereof. As the Losers got older, their memories of Derry and of their best friends were essentially wiped out. You know, memories fade as you get older. You don't always remember what it was like when you were 12. But there usually is something there.  In the case of the adults, nothing was there. Bill had even forgotten Georgie, such is the magic of Derry.

When the adult Losers battled IT, we lost Eddie. Valiant Eddie, rushing in with his asthma inhaler to save his friends. Losing an arm in the giant spider's mouth (it will make sense, just read the book) and dying, surrounded by his friends.

Who promptly forget him once IT is defeated and they move on to their regular lives. "Eddie, was it migraines or asthma he had? What was his last name again?" It's not the Loser's fault, it's the magic of the town but that was the part that punched me hard in middle school and again as an 40-something.

I believe that people don't leave us as long as they are in our memories. It's been the one thing I cling to when trying to work through grief in my life. So Eddie being so forgotten, made non-existent, broke my heart. Giving his life to save theirs didn't register to them. To them, it never happened. His body was left down in IT's sewers and Eddie, just....didn't exist.

That might be my worst fear. Dying and being completely forgotten.

(As a side note, there is another book that stokes my fear - The Brief History of the Dead by Kevin Brockmeier. Another damn good book too)

IT is well worth the time to devour. Some little paths lead nowhere, a la King, but overall it's a really great story of childhood, best friends and child-eating clowns.

Bill Skarsgard - New, Fresh IT

Tim Curry - The OG IT

IT Chapter One Trailer

1990 IT - I really need to watch this again