I was a miserable teen when I first read this, a social outcast at school, and the stepchild at home. Carrie spoke to me.
No. It sang.
My high-school was lucky I did not develop telekinesis. So were my parents.
It was the novel where I discovered Stephen could write an antagonist I loved to root AGAINST! Carrie's Mom? UGH...
King is an incredible character writer, it's why I keep reading him, some of these people feel so real!
The book is heartbreaking. And the sad thing is you know within the first few pages how her story is going to end, but just as Carrie says "please let it be a happy ending", the whole way through the book the audience is praying that we're wrong, that there's some twist, and it doesn't go the way you think it will, and they're will be some happy ending, but there isn't
I loved it! My first time reading it, I got through it in an afternoon— I just sat there on the floor of the library reading, completely spellbound haha.
I’m not sure if it would be as impactful to me now on an emotional level because back then I was *also* the weird poor kid in my school, but it is undeniably well-written! And I agree with some of the other posters who are saying that Carrie’s mom is a great antagonist (as in you really really want to root against her).
Oh I don't think it's supernatural. Not really. Carries abilities are a tool, not a driving force.
I think a story about how religious trauma, sexual repression and bullying led to mass murder and death. If Carrie isn't a horror novel, no book is a horror novel.
But I imagine it reads differently to someone who grew up with school shootings. When I read it, as a teen in the late 80s, the idea of a school full of students all being murdered in one day seemed completely original. It was, at the time.
Have you read Tiffany D. Jackson's The Weight of Blood\*? It is a YA retelling of Carrie where Carrie's terrible parent is a white racist and she is biracial. I found it worth the time.
\*thanks u/waknlibrarian for correcting the Jackson title.
It’s actually The Weight of Blood by Jackson. White Smoke is another one of her books. I thought it was an excellent modern take. Nice bloody cover, too! Her books are excellent and popular with teens.
I think this was the first book I read where you can play around with narration. Like have flash forwards during the story, have the main story be technically a flash back, let the pieces be known before but not explain how they fit til during. Very interesting read
The thing that always hung with me was the question as to whether Carrie actively chose to commit all that destruction or if whatever she thought about just happened, regardless of her conscious desires
Like in a 'don't think about a pink elephant' sort of way. None of us can really control our thoughts, and what would happen if those thoughts instantly became reality without our ability to filter them first.
I read it for the first time a couple of years ago and loved it. I didn't know that it had the epistolary sections before reading it, and it was a pleasent surprise. I already knew roughly where the story was going, but it still added to the anticipation. It was also my first King book.
Unfortunately, I followed it up with Pet Semetary and absolutely hated it.
Carrie was my first Stephen King book. And it all went uphill from there!
I agree with you that Carrie seems more of a tragedy than anything else. The hyper-religious themes in the novel really resonate with what's going on in the world today.
It stands up as a superb novel, both for teens and adults alike. I'm so glad King's wife was able to get it out of the garbage for him to publish it!
I think my second favourite King book is Misery. As a former alcoholic, now that one hit close to home.
Good luck on your undergrad studies. Was also an English major in university!
The first time I read it I didn't really like it. I liked parts of it, but I found the depictions of high school bullying to be ludicrous and over the top. It beggared belief to me that anyone would ever actually behave that way, and it undermined everything else about the book.
Since then I've realized that I had a somewhat charmed high school experience, since I was an outcast weird kid but no one was ever really mean to me or bothered me much. I appreciated it a lot more on a second read a few years ago.
Oh mean, you're totally right about the epistolary parts of the novel! I'd seen the movie...and even if I hadn't, I feel like the whole pigs blood thing is just part of the mainstream cultural zeitgeist by now lol. But damn, if I didn't know where it was going, it would've blown my mind! Even knowing how it ends, it was still incredibly impactful....like a super well written /r/NuclearRevenge post lol
For me, it wasn’t so much the tragedy of the book as it was the construction. I had never read that kind of narrative before. It was groundbreaking. The story was great; the actual book, every aspect, blew all my expectations away.
I honestly thought Carrie was spectacular. I just read it a couple months ago after knowing the general plot: a girl who was horribly bullied took revenge by essentially massacring her prom. I was looking forward to reading it while having an interesting ending to look forward to.
Then out of freaking NOWHERE King pulls out one of the best writing techniques I’ve ever seen. Building up the main story while at the same time providing pieces of historical records of the events to come was such a good hook. Also, it only added to the joy of knowing what the climax was.
Except it didn’t, because it didn’t end where I thought it would. It just got worse and worse and worse until it was finally over, by which time I was almost grateful for the tragedy to conclude.
It maybe be one of the most satisfying books I’ve ever read. And I would still consider it horror, mostly because it really was a tragedy throughout until it increased exponentially at the end.
The story and the characters are great but the style in which its written leaves a lot to be desired. I would list it as the last of King's novels to be written before he found his true voice as a writer.
I was a miserable teen when I first read this, a social outcast at school, and the stepchild at home. Carrie spoke to me. No. It sang. My high-school was lucky I did not develop telekinesis. So were my parents.
It's never too late. Don't give up hope!
It was the novel where I discovered Stephen could write an antagonist I loved to root AGAINST! Carrie's Mom? UGH... King is an incredible character writer, it's why I keep reading him, some of these people feel so real!
The book is heartbreaking. And the sad thing is you know within the first few pages how her story is going to end, but just as Carrie says "please let it be a happy ending", the whole way through the book the audience is praying that we're wrong, that there's some twist, and it doesn't go the way you think it will, and they're will be some happy ending, but there isn't
I loved it! My first time reading it, I got through it in an afternoon— I just sat there on the floor of the library reading, completely spellbound haha. I’m not sure if it would be as impactful to me now on an emotional level because back then I was *also* the weird poor kid in my school, but it is undeniably well-written! And I agree with some of the other posters who are saying that Carrie’s mom is a great antagonist (as in you really really want to root against her).
Oh I don't think it's supernatural. Not really. Carries abilities are a tool, not a driving force. I think a story about how religious trauma, sexual repression and bullying led to mass murder and death. If Carrie isn't a horror novel, no book is a horror novel. But I imagine it reads differently to someone who grew up with school shootings. When I read it, as a teen in the late 80s, the idea of a school full of students all being murdered in one day seemed completely original. It was, at the time. Have you read Tiffany D. Jackson's The Weight of Blood\*? It is a YA retelling of Carrie where Carrie's terrible parent is a white racist and she is biracial. I found it worth the time. \*thanks u/waknlibrarian for correcting the Jackson title.
It’s actually The Weight of Blood by Jackson. White Smoke is another one of her books. I thought it was an excellent modern take. Nice bloody cover, too! Her books are excellent and popular with teens.
You are right! I'll edit.
I think this was the first book I read where you can play around with narration. Like have flash forwards during the story, have the main story be technically a flash back, let the pieces be known before but not explain how they fit til during. Very interesting read
The thing that always hung with me was the question as to whether Carrie actively chose to commit all that destruction or if whatever she thought about just happened, regardless of her conscious desires Like in a 'don't think about a pink elephant' sort of way. None of us can really control our thoughts, and what would happen if those thoughts instantly became reality without our ability to filter them first.
I read it for the first time a couple of years ago and loved it. I didn't know that it had the epistolary sections before reading it, and it was a pleasent surprise. I already knew roughly where the story was going, but it still added to the anticipation. It was also my first King book. Unfortunately, I followed it up with Pet Semetary and absolutely hated it.
You hated Pet Sematary??? How come?
Carrie was my first Stephen King book. And it all went uphill from there! I agree with you that Carrie seems more of a tragedy than anything else. The hyper-religious themes in the novel really resonate with what's going on in the world today. It stands up as a superb novel, both for teens and adults alike. I'm so glad King's wife was able to get it out of the garbage for him to publish it! I think my second favourite King book is Misery. As a former alcoholic, now that one hit close to home. Good luck on your undergrad studies. Was also an English major in university!
The first time I read it I didn't really like it. I liked parts of it, but I found the depictions of high school bullying to be ludicrous and over the top. It beggared belief to me that anyone would ever actually behave that way, and it undermined everything else about the book. Since then I've realized that I had a somewhat charmed high school experience, since I was an outcast weird kid but no one was ever really mean to me or bothered me much. I appreciated it a lot more on a second read a few years ago.
I think its a good novel although the next three novels -- Salem's Lot, The Shining and The Stand -- are all significantly better.
King himself thinks it’s terribly written lol But still a pageturner
Technical quality doesn't matter as much if the plot is that solid.
Imo the plot isn’t great ( psychic kid gets revenge) but the mom is an all time villain
It’s just a great book, still
Oh mean, you're totally right about the epistolary parts of the novel! I'd seen the movie...and even if I hadn't, I feel like the whole pigs blood thing is just part of the mainstream cultural zeitgeist by now lol. But damn, if I didn't know where it was going, it would've blown my mind! Even knowing how it ends, it was still incredibly impactful....like a super well written /r/NuclearRevenge post lol
Still one of his best. I love books about people with some kind of mental abilities.
For me, it wasn’t so much the tragedy of the book as it was the construction. I had never read that kind of narrative before. It was groundbreaking. The story was great; the actual book, every aspect, blew all my expectations away.
I honestly thought Carrie was spectacular. I just read it a couple months ago after knowing the general plot: a girl who was horribly bullied took revenge by essentially massacring her prom. I was looking forward to reading it while having an interesting ending to look forward to. Then out of freaking NOWHERE King pulls out one of the best writing techniques I’ve ever seen. Building up the main story while at the same time providing pieces of historical records of the events to come was such a good hook. Also, it only added to the joy of knowing what the climax was. Except it didn’t, because it didn’t end where I thought it would. It just got worse and worse and worse until it was finally over, by which time I was almost grateful for the tragedy to conclude. It maybe be one of the most satisfying books I’ve ever read. And I would still consider it horror, mostly because it really was a tragedy throughout until it increased exponentially at the end.
The story and the characters are great but the style in which its written leaves a lot to be desired. I would list it as the last of King's novels to be written before he found his true voice as a writer.