What can I say?--It

  
I read the original It, watched the 1980s movie, and watched the new It. So, I have a wealth of knowledge to help me understand It.

Yet, I remained stumped when discussing the most recent movie adaptation. The most recent movies, chapters 1 and 2, effectively resolved the confusing storyline filled with too many flashbacks. It also adjusted the clown’s creepiness into a more sinister, scarier version. It also hinted at but didn’t include, Beverly’s odd team-building recommendation (in the novel, but omitted from the movies) was too disconcerting.

So immediately, chapters 1 and 2 are easier to follow. But it still surprises me that this story was as successful as it was/is.

The story isn’t horrible.

It‘s story taps into several societal ideas. Most people fear clowns, and too many people ignore the violence, discrimination, and mistreatment within our communities. King shows his audience the psychological horrors of childhood. However, I didn’t recognize themes during my multiple interactions with this story. Online summaries and critiques helped me identify some themes. So, is the presentation effective?

Moreover, I believe this mainstream horror with teenage protagonists helped readers realize teenagers have experiences to share. Although the YA genre existed, I think King increased its popularity. Reviewers have pointed to It as a YA novel rather than a horror, and the division of the story into chapters 1 and 2 emphasizes that identification. The plot focuses on teenagers during a particularly challenging part of their lives:

• ·   experiencing events that shape their lives and personalities,
•          unpacking the realities of adulthood, and
•      building new relationships and feelings.

• Plus, It has the erratic emotional behaviors of teenagers.

Oh yeah, and there’s a dangerous creature killing kids.  That’s definitely more YA than horror.  (The internet helped me figure that out too.) Creating cross-appeal among two different genres’ audience increases its marketability.

But I blame Stephen King’s magic for It's success. When It was published, King was 18 novels and a decade into his career. His name was synonymous with a good story, so it’s easy to ignore some problematic story elements.

The story occurs over twenty-seven years, but Pennywise has a long history, about three hundred years. After reading and watching the different versions, I still don’t know Pennywise’s motivations. That history is told in rushed flashbacks and information dumps that condense the subplot. It’s unclear why Pennywise’s killing starts and stops at all that time. As a result, the group’s failure is also unclear. How did they stop but not kill Pennywise? The group’s efforts were confusing.

There are too many characters and subplots to keep track of. Because of the then and now storytelling, there are ten character storylines, plus Pennywise, the antagonists (the childhood bullies), the characters' individual antagonists (parents and backstories), the town, and the missing children. I admit I tuned out for half of it, so I don't know what happened to the bullies or the adult protagonists.

It wasn't great.