Review Carrie by Stephen King

Rating: 🌟🌟

Table of Contents:

1. The Unsettling Beginning
2. The Supernatural Element
3. The Characters
4. The Halfway Point
5. Why I Stopped Reading
6. Final Thoughts

1. The Unsettling Beginning:

Stephen King’s Carrie starts off with a bang, introducing us to the titular character, Carrie White, in a deeply unsettling and traumatic scene in her high school locker room. King’s knack for horror is evident from the get-go, painting a vivid picture of Carrie’s torment and isolation. The raw depiction of bullying and the visceral reaction it evokes sets the tone for the rest of the novel. King doesn’t shy away from the harsh realities of high school life, instead, he magnifies them, adding a layer of horror to the already distressing situation.

Carrie’s introduction is not only unsettling but also deeply sympathetic. As a reader, you’re immediately drawn to her plight, her struggle. You feel her pain, her humiliation, her desperation. It’s a powerful introduction, one that pulls you into the story, compels you to read on. King masterfully uses this scene to not only set the tone for the rest of the novel but also to establish a connection between the reader and Carrie.

The locker room scene is a testament to King’s skill as a writer. He takes a mundane setting, a high school locker room, and turns it into a scene of horror and humiliation. He uses the familiar to evoke fear, the everyday to create unease. It’s a powerful technique, one that King employs to great effect throughout the novel.

2. The Supernatural Element:

As the story progresses, we learn that Carrie possesses telekinetic powers, adding a supernatural element to the already tense narrative. This aspect of the story is intriguing and adds a unique twist to the high school drama unfolding. However, the supernatural element also introduces a level of unpredictability and chaos that can be disconcerting.

Carrie’s telekinetic powers are a symbol of her inner turmoil, her repressed emotions. They’re a manifestation of her anger, her frustration, her desperation. They’re a physical representation of her mental state, a tangible expression of her inner turmoil. They add a layer of complexity to her character, a depth that makes her all the more intriguing.

The supernatural element also serves to heighten the tension in the story. It adds an element of unpredictability, a sense of impending doom. It’s a ticking time bomb, a disaster waiting to happen. It’s a constant reminder of the chaos that lies beneath the surface, the turmoil that’s bubbling under the facade of normalcy.

However, the supernatural element can also be disconcerting. It adds a level of chaos and unpredictability that can be unsettling. It’s a wild card, a variable that can’t be controlled or predicted. It’s a reminder of the unknown, the uncontrollable, the inexplicable.

3. The Characters:

The characters in Carrie are a mixed bag. While Carrie herself is a sympathetic figure, her deeply religious and abusive mother, Margaret, is a character that is difficult to stomach. The other high school students, with their cruelty and lack of empathy, can be equally hard to relate to.

Carrie is a character that you can’t help but root for. She’s a victim, a scapegoat, a punching bag. She’s the underdog, the outcast, the misfit. She’s a character that evokes sympathy, empathy, compassion. She’s a character that you want to see succeed, to see triumph, to see overcome her circumstances.

Margaret, on the other hand, is a character that’s hard to stomach. She’s abusive, controlling, fanatical. She’s a character that evokes disgust, anger, frustration. She’s a character that you love to hate, a character that you can’t help but despise.

The high school students are equally hard to relate to. They’re cruel, callous, indifferent. They’re characters that embody the worst aspects of high school, the worst aspects of humanity. They’re characters that evoke disgust, anger, frustration. They’re characters that serve as a stark reminder of the cruelty and indifference that can exist in the world.

4. The Halfway Point:

By the halfway point, the story has built up a significant amount of tension and dread. Carrie’s powers are growing, and it’s clear that a confrontation is looming. However, the relentless negativity and the escalating cruelty can make the book a challenging read.

5. Why I Stopped Reading:

I decided to stop reading Carrie halfway through because the relentless cruelty and horror started to outweigh my interest in the story. While I appreciate King’s skill in creating tension and his unique blend of horror and supernatural elements, the constant barrage of negativity became too much.

The characters, particularly Carrie’s mother and the other high school students, were difficult to relate to and their actions often left me feeling frustrated and upset. The escalating tension and impending sense of doom made the reading experience more stressful than enjoyable.

6. Final Thoughts:

While I can appreciate the skill and creativity that went into writing Carrie, and understand why it might appeal to fans of horror and supernatural fiction, it ultimately wasn’t the book for me. The relentless negativity, the unrelenting cruelty, and the escalating tension made it a challenging and stressful read. I may revisit it in the future, but for now, I’m content with putting it aside.