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3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
It's fine. That's about it, honestly, for a general opinion.
Yes, there are some scary parts to it, for example literally EVERY TIME that car goes on a killing spree. I was gripping the edge of my seat then.
Also, my heart did break a little at the end. No spoilers, but I will say that I was surprised at how attached I was to some, not all, of the characters. Or maybe it was how the scene was written. Still, I felt something in this cold, dead heart of mine.
As for the rest of it, again, it was fine. King's writing is the kind that makes you want to keep going, even at all the boring parts. The writing is really what kept me going, along with a need to find out what happens in the climax, which was disappointing in my opinion.
The characters, again, were fine. I actually really liked Leigh Cabot up until the end. I had originally though that, finally, there was a female character who didn't just sit and whine and wait for her man to sort out the details, but then she fell into the same ol' category as the rest of them and did nothing useful. Great. Guess the only capable women in the King multiverse is Annie Wilkes. God help us all.
Dennis Guilder, nothing special. I feel obligated to say something about him, since something around two thirds of the book was narrated by him. While he isn't the most exciting mind to sit in on, he did lend a lot to depicting Arnie's downward spiral into something like madness, except infinitely more sinister. His narration and reminiscing are the reasons I felt that sad little twinge at the end. He does fall into the "kind of boring main character with little personality who in truth is just a plot point/perspective from which to tell the story" trope, but he's better than some.
In truth, I think the idea behind Christine is a really hard one to make good. An evil car that kills people? It sounds interesting, but there's a supernatural element to it that's odd and doesn't make sense (oh wow, a King novel that has confusing supernatural tones. What a surprise), and I think that's what really turned me off. The plot just didn't make sense. Every time the issue came up, I kind of shook my head and moved on. Maybe other people found it interesting, but for me it took away from a decently cool concept that, as it became increasingly clear, was not very easy to pull off without sounding silly at times.
That's why with a clear conscience I can recommend Christine. It will never be my favorite, but if you're into the style and an interesting idea, then this might pay off for you.
3.5/5 stars
Yes, there are some scary parts to it, for example literally EVERY TIME that car goes on a killing spree. I was gripping the edge of my seat then.
Also, my heart did break a little at the end. No spoilers, but I will say that I was surprised at how attached I was to some, not all, of the characters. Or maybe it was how the scene was written. Still, I felt something in this cold, dead heart of mine.
As for the rest of it, again, it was fine. King's writing is the kind that makes you want to keep going, even at all the boring parts. The writing is really what kept me going, along with a need to find out what happens in the climax, which was disappointing in my opinion.
The characters, again, were fine. I actually really liked Leigh Cabot up until the end. I had originally though that, finally, there was a female character who didn't just sit and whine and wait for her man to sort out the details, but then she fell into the same ol' category as the rest of them and did nothing useful. Great. Guess the only capable women in the King multiverse is Annie Wilkes. God help us all.
Dennis Guilder, nothing special. I feel obligated to say something about him, since something around two thirds of the book was narrated by him. While he isn't the most exciting mind to sit in on, he did lend a lot to depicting Arnie's downward spiral into something like madness, except infinitely more sinister. His narration and reminiscing are the reasons I felt that sad little twinge at the end. He does fall into the "kind of boring main character with little personality who in truth is just a plot point/perspective from which to tell the story" trope, but he's better than some.
In truth, I think the idea behind Christine is a really hard one to make good. An evil car that kills people? It sounds interesting, but there's a supernatural element to it that's odd and doesn't make sense (oh wow, a King novel that has confusing supernatural tones. What a surprise), and I think that's what really turned me off. The plot just didn't make sense. Every time the issue came up, I kind of shook my head and moved on. Maybe other people found it interesting, but for me it took away from a decently cool concept that, as it became increasingly clear, was not very easy to pull off without sounding silly at times.
That's why with a clear conscience I can recommend Christine. It will never be my favorite, but if you're into the style and an interesting idea, then this might pay off for you.
3.5/5 stars
Stephen King is one of my favourite authors, and there is only one other book I can say this about
but the movie, and having Christine be the actual paranormal vehicle, was better...
but the movie, and having Christine be the actual paranormal vehicle, was better...
I heard a great deal about Christine going into it and had my hopes up. While I was disappointed, it didn't mean I didn't like it. Christine simply didn't live up to the hype. It isn't as good as The Stand, The Shining, or 'Salem's Lot, but it certainly has its finer points. I think King could have shortened the book as a decent amount of it felt forced and not adding to the story/plot/characterization. Overall, I think this is a must read in terms of King and horror, if only because of the beauty that King writes LeBay with (and by beauty, I mean evil).
Arnie era un perdente. Ogni media superiore deve averne almeno due , è una specie di legge fissa. Un maschio e una femmina. Servono da scarico a tutta la scolaresca. Hai avuto una giornataccia? Un esame importante è stato un fiasco? Hai bisticciato con i tuoi vecchi e ti hanno fatto saltare il fine settimana? Nessun problema. Trova uno di questi disgraziati che se ne vanno sgambettando per i corridoi come criminali prima della campanella e mollagli un pacco. E qualche volta vengono davvero fatti fuori, anche se non in senso fisico;altre volte trovano qualcosa a cui aggrapparsi e sopravvivono. Arnie aveva me. E poi ebbe Christine.
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
ok not gonna lie when I picked this up I thought it was going to be kinda corny BUT I ended up really liking it and being really invested in the characters AND the writing/world building was really strong
felt slow in some parts but it was nice and creepy, especially the epilogue
The King Buddy Reads book for February was CHRISTINE by (of course) Stephen King. This is one I had read before, but I picked it up on audio to reread with the group.
CHRISTINE is told from the perspective of high schooler Dennis Guilder. His best friend Arnie Cunningham is a self proclaimed loser, his only friend is Dennis and he’s the target of bullying from the other guys at school. When Arnie spots a run down Plymouth Fury for sale on the way home one day, he is instantly obsessed. Against his parents’ wishes and Dennis’ advice he sinks all of his savings into buying the car named Christine and fixing it up.
As the car begins to shape up, Arnie undergoes some rapid changes as well. His acne clears up, he gets a girlfriend Leigh and his confidence takes a serious boost. Even so, he continues to be the target of some serious abuses. Dennis and Leigh have never warmed up to Christine and Dennis begins to investigate its dark past. Soon people are dying off around Arnie and no one is safe.
This was a fun reread for me. It starts off as a bit of a slow burn and takes a while to really get going, but as people start dropping around Arnie, the action picks up. Getting the story from Dennis’ perspective puts the reader in an interesting position. Dennis and Arnie have had a long term close relationship so Dennis has some insights into Arnie, but we really are outside looking in as Arnie becomes less and less of the friend Dennis knows.
Overall I was glad to revisit King’s Christine. While this isn’t a favorite King for me, it is a solid read and I do recommend the audio!
CHRISTINE is told from the perspective of high schooler Dennis Guilder. His best friend Arnie Cunningham is a self proclaimed loser, his only friend is Dennis and he’s the target of bullying from the other guys at school. When Arnie spots a run down Plymouth Fury for sale on the way home one day, he is instantly obsessed. Against his parents’ wishes and Dennis’ advice he sinks all of his savings into buying the car named Christine and fixing it up.
As the car begins to shape up, Arnie undergoes some rapid changes as well. His acne clears up, he gets a girlfriend Leigh and his confidence takes a serious boost. Even so, he continues to be the target of some serious abuses. Dennis and Leigh have never warmed up to Christine and Dennis begins to investigate its dark past. Soon people are dying off around Arnie and no one is safe.
This was a fun reread for me. It starts off as a bit of a slow burn and takes a while to really get going, but as people start dropping around Arnie, the action picks up. Getting the story from Dennis’ perspective puts the reader in an interesting position. Dennis and Arnie have had a long term close relationship so Dennis has some insights into Arnie, but we really are outside looking in as Arnie becomes less and less of the friend Dennis knows.
Overall I was glad to revisit King’s Christine. While this isn’t a favorite King for me, it is a solid read and I do recommend the audio!
I actually did like this! Definitely one of my favorites by Stephen King so far. I still only gave it 2 stars though because I don't like it as much as my usual 3 star reads, but for Stephen King I really enjoyed it.
3-3.5 stars.
There's only King to write about a revenge-seeking car.. and make it work.
This is insane, and yet, I still believed it; it was a well-constructed story.
Unfortunately, I didn't connect with the characters; anyone dying was just one person less to remember.
Christine was the only with character, and what a character she had.. or has ?
There's only King to write about a revenge-seeking car.. and make it work.
This is insane, and yet, I still believed it; it was a well-constructed story.
Unfortunately, I didn't connect with the characters; anyone dying was just one person less to remember.
Christine was the only with character, and what a character she had.. or has ?