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A review by stormwise
Carrie by Stephen King
dark
tense
fast-paced
4.0
I'd like to have words with whoever penned the tag line featured on my copy of this book. "Trust her and she will lead you into a nightmare" - if the 'she' in question is intended to be Carrie, and I can't see any reason why that wouldn't be the intention the way this cover is laid out, then it's incredibly misleading!
At no point does Carrie ever abuse a position of trust to harm anyone; it's everyone else who abuses her trust, ultimately leading to the horrific climax of this novel.
It's always exciting to experience a famous piece of media for the first time - you know what happens but you don't know HOW. I'm yet to watch any film adaptation of Carrie so this was my first foray into the story, armed only with the knowledge of the iconic prom scene.
King uses an epistolary structure, weaving excerpts from news reports, scientific studies and personal accounts into the narrative, foreshadowing the horror to come - somewhat ironically, considering how widely known the story now is almost 50 years later. I still enjoyed how the tension was built leading up to the climax and it was an effective way of showing the impact of Carrie's actions.
As for Carrie White herself...I can't see her as a villain.Subjected to the controlling abuse of her mother, the bullying of her peers and the indifference of the other adults in her life, she is a victim of neglect and cruelty. The overtures of kindness made by Sue, Tommy and Miss Desjardin are too little, too late. Carrie's awareness of her treatment was particularly heartbreaking: "I don't like to be tricked. Do You People think you can just go on tricking me forever?" she says to Tommy, desperately trying to defend herself from further pain. It's bittersweet that it is as she begins to trust her classmates and enjoy herself that the worst betrayal at all occurs. Not gonna lie, I'd probably go on a murderous rampage too!
At no point does Carrie ever abuse a position of trust to harm anyone; it's everyone else who abuses her trust, ultimately leading to the horrific climax of this novel.
It's always exciting to experience a famous piece of media for the first time - you know what happens but you don't know HOW. I'm yet to watch any film adaptation of Carrie so this was my first foray into the story, armed only with the knowledge of the iconic prom scene.
King uses an epistolary structure, weaving excerpts from news reports, scientific studies and personal accounts into the narrative, foreshadowing the horror to come - somewhat ironically, considering how widely known the story now is almost 50 years later. I still enjoyed how the tension was built leading up to the climax and it was an effective way of showing the impact of Carrie's actions.
As for Carrie White herself...I can't see her as a villain.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Mental illness, Child death, Rape, Child abuse, Violence, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Car accident, Bullying, Body shaming, and Blood
Moderate: Gore
Minor: Miscarriage