Stephen King's landmark horror novel IT spans 1,138 pages in its original 1986 Viking hardcover edition. Across standard paperback printings, the page count usually settles around 1,153 to 1,172 pages, depending on the typeface sizing, margins, and publisher formatting.
The competitor page fails to answer basic questions readers actually have: it confuses the book with shorter works, misquotes page counts by hundreds of pages (claiming around 800 pages), and contains machine-generated junk text. If you're wondering why this massive doorstop intimidates readers or how different versions stack up against each other, let's break down the actual publishing facts without the filler.
Why the Page Count Varies Across Editions
When you pick up a copy of IT, the physical thickness of the book can change drastically depending on the decade it was printed and whether you buy a trade paperback, mass-market paperback, or hardcover.
Stephen King submitted an enormous manuscript to his publisher, Viking Press, in the mid-1980s. Because the story follows two distinct timelines—the Losers' Club as children in 1957 and as adults returning to Derry in 1985—the narrative required vast amounts of room to develop both eras fully. As discussed in recent coverage by Reuters, the effects are worth noting.
Here is how the page counts compare across the most common formats:
- Original Hardcover (Viking, 1986): 1,138 pages
- Standard Trade Paperback: ~1,100 to 1,150 pages
- Mass-Market Paperback (Signet): 1,172 to 1,186 pages (due to smaller pocket-sized dimensions and smaller font)
- E-book Editions (Kindle / Nook): Roughly 1,090 to 1,140 "equivalent" pages depending on device font scaling
- Audiobook (Unabridged): 44 hours and 49 minutes, narrated by Steven Weber
The Writing and Editing Process Behind the Bulk
Stephen King didn't write IT overnight. He began conceptualizing the story in Boulder, Colorado, around 1978, but didn't start the heavy writing process until the early 1980s. The manuscript grew organically as he realized that alternating between childhood trauma and adult memory was the only way to give the monster, Pennywise, proper thematic weight.
Editors didn't try to slash the book down to a standard 400-page thriller. Viking Press recognized that King's sprawling, maximalist style was precisely what fans wanted. The town of Derry, Maine, functions almost as a primary character, requiring extensive historical interludes detailing the town's cycles of violence every 27 years.
How IT Compares to King's Other Long Novels
IT is frequently cited as Stephen King's longest single-volume novel, but it faces close competition from other doorstops in his bibliography.
- The Stand (Complete and Uncut Edition, 1990): 1,153 pages
- Under the Dome (2009): 1,074 pages
- It (1986): 1,138 pages
- 11/22/63 (2011): 849 pages
If you count the four-volume The Green Mile when published as a single book, it spans around 400 pages, making IT and the uncut version of The Stand the undisputed heavyweights of King's career.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the paperback version missing content from the hardcover?
No. The text of IT remains identical across standard hardcover and paperback editions. Differences in page count come entirely from typography, font sizing, line spacing, and paper stock thickness.
How long does it take to read IT?
At 1,138 pages, the average reading time depends heavily on your reading speed. For someone reading at a standard pace of 250 words per minute, finishing the book takes approximately 18 to 22 hours of total reading time.
Why is the mass-market paperback higher in page count than the hardcover?
Mass-market paperbacks use smaller physical dimensions (pocket size). Because the physical page surface area is smaller, the text requires more pages to fit the exact same number of words.
Did Stephen King write an even longer version that was cut?
While King routinely cuts material during his drafting process, no lost "director's cut" manuscript of IT exists in circulation. The published 1986 text represents the complete vision he delivered to Viking Press after years of revision. You can read more about his creative process on the Official Stephen King Website.
