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3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
When I picked this up I was worried about the length of it and the fact it was a King book, so I prepared myself for over descriptions and lengthy town building.
HOWEVER, I was wrong. Christine was probably one of my easiest King reads yet. Although it’s a chonky book ~ 600 pages, it’s written really well.
Christine, a ‘58 Plymouth Fury, was destined to a rusty death until Arnie Cunningham spots her and falls in love. His pal, Dennis, was very pessimistic about the car and tried to talk him out of buying her for fear that she was a rust bucket and just general ‘bad vibes’. But Arnie obviously doesn’t listen.
The perspective is mainly from Dennis’ point of view in the beginning of the book, but somewhere we start to follow Arnie and various people associated to him as his life and Christine are transformed. I didn’t even see where it happened, the switch in perspective felt seamless for me.
The character development in this book is so well done. I had a roller coaster relationship with Arnie, I hated him, I loved him, then I loved to hate him. I actually understood why he felt so connected to his car, the work he put into it and how it gave him his freedom.
The supporting characters in this book were great, Leigh, Michael, Regina, Dennis and even the classic bad guys were described so well I could imagine them very clearly and that made me feel like I was transported to that time. I’m still not a fan of the way King portrays female characters, but that’s something I try to take with a pinch of salt as the book was written in the 80s. I’m also not a fan of the unnecessary use of racial slurs. So be aware of that if you pick this book up.
All in all I would read this book again, the ending is a little obvious but I enjoyed it so much and throughout the whole book I was gripped/couldn’t put it down so I 5 starred it.
HOWEVER, I was wrong. Christine was probably one of my easiest King reads yet. Although it’s a chonky book ~ 600 pages, it’s written really well.
Christine, a ‘58 Plymouth Fury, was destined to a rusty death until Arnie Cunningham spots her and falls in love. His pal, Dennis, was very pessimistic about the car and tried to talk him out of buying her for fear that she was a rust bucket and just general ‘bad vibes’. But Arnie obviously doesn’t listen.
The perspective is mainly from Dennis’ point of view in the beginning of the book, but somewhere we start to follow Arnie and various people associated to him as his life and Christine are transformed. I didn’t even see where it happened, the switch in perspective felt seamless for me.
The character development in this book is so well done. I had a roller coaster relationship with Arnie, I hated him, I loved him, then I loved to hate him. I actually understood why he felt so connected to his car, the work he put into it and how it gave him his freedom.
The supporting characters in this book were great, Leigh, Michael, Regina, Dennis and even the classic bad guys were described so well I could imagine them very clearly and that made me feel like I was transported to that time. I’m still not a fan of the way King portrays female characters, but that’s something I try to take with a pinch of salt as the book was written in the 80s. I’m also not a fan of the unnecessary use of racial slurs. So be aware of that if you pick this book up.
All in all I would read this book again, the ending is a little obvious but I enjoyed it so much and throughout the whole book I was gripped/couldn’t put it down so I 5 starred it.
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
4.25/5
Christine fue un libro muy, muy entretenido. Lo único que sabía del libro antes de empezarlo era que Christine era un carro con vida propia. Pues, sí, Christine está “viva” pero la historia va más allá de eso. Me gustó mucho la evolución que tienen Dennys y Arnie a través de la historia. Además de la manera en que King le va dando vida a Christine, y cómo une el pasado con el presente y va involucrando a los personajes. No pensé que me fuera a gustar tanto pero en realidad sí lo disfruté bastante. King, lo hiciste de nuevo.
Christine fue un libro muy, muy entretenido. Lo único que sabía del libro antes de empezarlo era que Christine era un carro con vida propia. Pues, sí, Christine está “viva” pero la historia va más allá de eso. Me gustó mucho la evolución que tienen Dennys y Arnie a través de la historia. Además de la manera en que King le va dando vida a Christine, y cómo une el pasado con el presente y va involucrando a los personajes. No pensé que me fuera a gustar tanto pero en realidad sí lo disfruté bastante. King, lo hiciste de nuevo.
3.5 really.
The second half was great... it just took far too long to get going.
I still enjoyed it purely because I’ve not read a King in ages.
The second half was great... it just took far too long to get going.
I still enjoyed it purely because I’ve not read a King in ages.
Why is it that King's older work is so much better than his newer stuff (in my opinion)? Perhaps it is because even though the thought of something like a possessed car seems far fetched, it seems much more plausible than a mist that is a living entity or a car that harbors a trans-dimensional warp to an alien planet. Christine really plays on the basic fear most people have about inanimate objects and/or ghosts.
The way he wrote the characters in this story is just so much more believable than his later novels and it makes me sad to read the differences. I suppose all authors and artists alike evolve, but I feel that he left something behind over the years that was kind of vital to his writing style. Not that the works he writes now aren't enjoyable, it's just they don't seem to play with your emotions or get you as worked up as some of his older writings.
In any event, Christine is the story of a car possessed by a dead man's rage and anger (as well as all the souls the car has crushed under its tires or in its cavernous spaces over the years). But I really think on a deeper level, the story is more about the coming of age of the three main characters (they are all seniors in high school). It's about the lives past and the lives that are yet to come and how the individual characters deal with the change.
Christine is a good book, however, like a lot of King's work, there are some loose ends left untied. It doesn't really ever explain how the car became the way it was in the first place. You are just left to assume that the car just 'became' this way off the showroom floor, which really makes no sense. I could go into more detail about this, but that would be spoiling the book for those that want to read it, so I will leave it there.
The way he wrote the characters in this story is just so much more believable than his later novels and it makes me sad to read the differences. I suppose all authors and artists alike evolve, but I feel that he left something behind over the years that was kind of vital to his writing style. Not that the works he writes now aren't enjoyable, it's just they don't seem to play with your emotions or get you as worked up as some of his older writings.
In any event, Christine is the story of a car possessed by a dead man's rage and anger (as well as all the souls the car has crushed under its tires or in its cavernous spaces over the years). But I really think on a deeper level, the story is more about the coming of age of the three main characters (they are all seniors in high school). It's about the lives past and the lives that are yet to come and how the individual characters deal with the change.
Christine is a good book, however, like a lot of King's work, there are some loose ends left untied. It doesn't really ever explain how the car became the way it was in the first place. You are just left to assume that the car just 'became' this way off the showroom floor, which really makes no sense. I could go into more detail about this, but that would be spoiling the book for those that want to read it, so I will leave it there.
Well this was definitely a ride, and a major step up from Pet Semetary- which I did not like on account of it being overwhelmingly slow. Christine was a fascinating concept and an engrossing read and I found that for the most part, King's long winded style of writing aside- which may just be a by product of genre, nothing says horror better than the creeping anticipation of something terrible- I couldn't put it down for too long. The need to know was too great.
I found myself satisfied in a bitter sweet manner at the end. Definitely intriguing.
I found myself satisfied in a bitter sweet manner at the end. Definitely intriguing.
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced