Scan barcode
A review by johnreadsthings
Carrie by Stephen King
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
*Editing my review, because I learned that this is King's first book. I thought it was Salem's Lot. In line with that, the criticism I've included didn't seem as valid as I thought it'd be because this was literally King's debut work.*
This is a career-defining book for King and I can see why. It's a scary and memorable story. The introduction was amazing and the inclusion of excerpts from books, news articles, and recorded court interrogations were inspired and made the whole thing much more interesting.
In this debut work, King's distinctive style of character writing was teased. And although it still wasn't in their best (he'd have hundreds of stories to compensate for that), it already took shape and it was already compelling as it was. Having read future works by him, I saw how much he'd improved from this. But Carrie alone was already a stunner.
Lastly, I was expecting a cathartic ending, and though the aftermath was powerful on its own, the conclusion still felt messy and sort of anticlimactic. Brian De Palma's closing on his Carrie film adaptation was much more satisfying and horrific, a final scare that would linger. It was said that even King himself liked De Palma's ending than his own. But still, Carrie will always be one of King's most well-known story with a lasting legacy.
This is a career-defining book for King and I can see why. It's a scary and memorable story. The introduction was amazing and the inclusion of excerpts from books, news articles, and recorded court interrogations were inspired and made the whole thing much more interesting.
In this debut work, King's distinctive style of character writing was teased. And although it still wasn't in their best (he'd have hundreds of stories to compensate for that), it already took shape and it was already compelling as it was. Having read future works by him, I saw how much he'd improved from this. But Carrie alone was already a stunner.
Lastly, I was expecting a cathartic ending, and though the aftermath was powerful on its own, the conclusion still felt messy and sort of anticlimactic. Brian De Palma's closing on his Carrie film adaptation was much more satisfying and horrific, a final scare that would linger. It was said that even King himself liked De Palma's ending than his own. But still, Carrie will always be one of King's most well-known story with a lasting legacy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Body shaming, Bullying, Car accident, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, and Violence