My friend Wendy, my sister, and I decided to do a Stephen King readathon, working our way through his catalogue chronologically. Looking back on a lot of his earlier books, I realized I’d missed reading several of them, his first published book, CARRIE (1974), being one of those.

I’ve seen both film versions of the book, so was familiar going in with what to expect, but I still found it interesting to see so many familiar SK storytelling techniques in their infancy. Also, the way he sprinkles in reports from scientific journals, interviews, and memoirs from the victims throughout the narrative was interesting, so even though the reader knows how the story ends from fairly early on, it’s not presented as spoilers so much as foreshadowing of things to come.

While I wouldn’t consider this so much horror as dark scifi, there were definitely creepy aspects to the book. Carrie’s mother’s religious fervor is wildly unsettling, and the events that take place at the prom are obviously horrifying.

Needless to say, I thoroughly enjoyed it. We’re starting ‘SALEM’S LOT next, and I’m looking forward to reading that for the first time, as well.

#stephenking #horror #carrie #horrorbooks #horrorbookstagram #bookstagram #book #bookworm #booksbooksbooks #bookreview #frommybookshelf #frommybookshelfblog #telekinesis #tk ( )

Sixteen-year-old Carrie White gets her first period while in the girls' showers at her high school. Her classmates, particularly Christine Hargensen, are cruel about it, making fun of her and pelting her with tampons. Carrie, whose ultra-religious mother never told her about menstruation, thinks she's dying. The whole thing is understandably traumatic for her, and unfortunately it only gets worse.

King alternates between sections from various characters' viewpoints as the events are occurring and sections from works discussing the "Carrie White" incident after the fact. Readers are aware, well in advance, that Carrie has telekinetic powers that are awakened and significantly boosted after her first period, that things will go badly for her, and that she'll end up killing a lot of people.

This was my first time reading Carrie - I'd never even seen one of the movie adaptations before. I hadn't realized it was such a short book. Even so, I have to admit I spent a good chunk of the story wondering when King would finally get to the "incident." Considering how many people were around afterward to talk about it all, I expected Carrie's explosion, when it happened, to be more limited to the high school. I was unprepared for the amount of destruction King crammed into the ending.

What stuck with me the most, though, was how deeply sad it was. Not just Carrie and everything that happened to her, but all the other scars left behind as well.

(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.) ( )

A shy and awkward teenage girl certainly does not need telekinetic powers, but Carrie White has them. And thus ensues her terrifying journey through her tumultuous home life and the cruelty of her classmates. “Carrie” by Stephen King is a classic. In it he explores themes of bullying, isolation, and the consequences of unchecked cruelty. Forget the pink shirts against bullies, make the kids read this. It’s bound to have them think twice before enacting cruelty on another. “Carrie” is a well developed cast which exposes the psyche of the characters and portrays the complex motivations behind their actions to create a chilling atmosphere of suspense and dread. It’s a gripping and visceral blend of horror and psychology which makes "Carrie" a truly unforgettable reading experience. ( )

Wow, what an antecipation buildup. And the actual final "action" part. Incredible!
Now I can watch the movie(s). Curious if and how they included all those "fonts" sequences.
(I suspect I missed something in the translation, with some brazilian words). ( )

This was a very interesting and unexpectedly good read. Having watched the movie from 1970's starring Sissy Spacek I knew what to expect but here we have situation of a very good book and movie telling a similar but not exactly the same story. While I like the movie my honest opinion is that book is way better.

Told from the perspectives of Carrie herself, her mother, various scientists and historians writing about the bloody prom night and finally first account testaments by the few prom survivors we are given details about the horrendous and bloody events that claimed not only lives of so many students but almost entire city.

Story itself is as old as time - bullying of a girl that is socially awkward takes a turn when we learn that that very girl harbors in herself exquisitely strong power. Living in constant fear, constantly terrorized and reined in by her mother and her friends, never expecting anything good from her life, Carrie will finally break and decide to teach her tormentors a lesson. Power surging through her takes its toll but for Carrie letting it all out is means to reach the ultimate freedom. Finally acknowledging what she is Carrie lets out and decides to punish all that did her wrong.

Story is a cautionary tale - never push people over the edge unless ready to live with consequences. When pushed to the wall every person will reach for the most drastic measures because they simply have nothing to lose. While we are always ready to call people like Carrie ah those unfit to live in the every day society question is who is true "patient" here - Carrie or ordinary people that don't even try to know her but join the true psychopaths (and these are always people high on social ladder in every King's novel) in tormenting those who cannot defend themselves (Sue Snell being representative here - and being one of the rare few that finally comes to understanding they are doing the wrong thing)? Only story that comes very close to depicting how easily person can snap and cause mayhem is a fantastic movie "Falling Down".

What I like here is also the way King treats telekinesis through scientific approach, through various excerpts from books and articles about the bloody event. For me this makes it much more effective, very much like true X-Man-horror story and for me has a much bigger punch than the usual Evil-doers plot.

Excellent novel, short and to the point, told in a manner that I would expect from the author like Michael Crichton rather than Stephen King (and I mean this in truly good, positive way).

Highly recommended. ( )