Tuesday, November 14, 2017

Carrie (Stephen King)


Carrie White is a sixteen-year-old telekinetic, able to control objects with her mind.  Raised by a mother practicing an extreme* interpretation of Christianity, Carrie is a sheltered outcast.  Relentlessly teased by kids at school, things seem to turn in her favor when her crush asks her to prom.  Things go well at first . . . but when her world comes tumbling down, she'll make sure everyone else's does, too.

I really liked this book.  A master of suspense and horror, renowned author Stephen King does an impressive job here, in his first published work.  The tale is told in nonlinear fashion and alternates between "standard" omniscient narrator, newspaper clippings, AP reports, book extracts, and various character points of view.  I loved that aspect, and was particularly impressed that the reader knows early on how the tale ends, but that foreknowledge heightens (rather than detracts from) the suspense.

Though Carrie is seen by many in the tale as a monster, I believe King's point is that we're all monsters.  Almost everyone in the book has a hand in the tragedy that occurs; such is life for our fallen race.  We use our powers (words and deeds) to torment and destroy others . . . at times to the ruin of all.

Rating: A

*and blatantly incorrect

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