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booking_along's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
this reread ended in a bit of a surprise for me: i didn’t dislike this book this time around.
when i first read this book some years ago, i got hung up on specific moments and situations in the that i think could have been done better -especially the bullying situation about the topic of becoming your period and getting made fun of for that and that becoming the catalyst for it all.
i still wish King could have picked something different as the big moment that it can all be pointed back at.
but at the same time King did a pretty good job in rounding the entire situation out and building it around blood and the release of it.
this time reading carrie, i just felt horrible for carrie and how horrendously hard her life would have been and how instead of trying to help or getting a child out of the clutches of a horrendous mother that clearly isn’t fit to be rising a child everyone overlook those things and instead just went right on teasing carrie as soon as they could.
and in many ways sadly those things and reactions are too realistic.
as i said i still wish King would have chosen a different starting point - i don’t know why but having a man write about a teenage girls body and her breasts and her sensitive reactions of her body in her period… that still gives me a bit of an icky feeling (King is not the only author i have that with, i have that with all (but especially male) authors that sexualize teenage (girl) bodies and describe how they look and how they feel)
but as i also already mentioned i understand and see how it all rounds up and together, he could have done it differently and still got the same results BUT overall it’s not the worst (he still could have left out the scene werte carrie touches her breast and pinches her nipples for no reason at all?)
i do think that this book -even 50 years later- still packs an incredible punch and showing the consequences of bullying. sure in an unlikely and unrealistic way with the supernatural powers and all that but still, the bullying was the thing that pushed it all into horror.
the constant harassment and battering, the mistreatment and abuse from everyone in carries life was sadly something realistic and i wish especially those moments would have become as unrealistic as the powers.
overall the writing was good, the characters horrible but well writing and the story as a whole well done.
small changes could have made it even better but those moments also added some shock or normality to the story overall.
also the ending was very well done and especially with king that’s something that can’t be taken for granted.
i think it’s still a very readable and relevant sadly even relatable story for some people.
and interestingly this book went from one of my least favorite king books to one of the good to better ones of him.
when i first read this book some years ago, i got hung up on specific moments and situations in the that i think could have been done better -especially the bullying situation about the topic of becoming your period and getting made fun of for that and that becoming the catalyst for it all.
i still wish King could have picked something different as the big moment that it can all be pointed back at.
but at the same time King did a pretty good job in rounding the entire situation out and building it around blood and the release of it.
this time reading carrie, i just felt horrible for carrie and how horrendously hard her life would have been and how instead of trying to help or getting a child out of the clutches of a horrendous mother that clearly isn’t fit to be rising a child everyone overlook those things and instead just went right on teasing carrie as soon as they could.
and in many ways sadly those things and reactions are too realistic.
as i said i still wish King would have chosen a different starting point - i don’t know why but having a man write about a teenage girls body and her breasts and her sensitive reactions of her body in her period… that still gives me a bit of an icky feeling (King is not the only author i have that with, i have that with all (but especially male) authors that sexualize teenage (girl) bodies and describe how they look and how they feel)
but as i also already mentioned i understand and see how it all rounds up and together, he could have done it differently and still got the same results BUT overall it’s not the worst (he still could have left out the scene werte carrie touches her breast and pinches her nipples for no reason at all?)
i do think that this book -even 50 years later- still packs an incredible punch and showing the consequences of bullying. sure in an unlikely and unrealistic way with the supernatural powers and all that but still, the bullying was the thing that pushed it all into horror.
the constant harassment and battering, the mistreatment and abuse from everyone in carries life was sadly something realistic and i wish especially those moments would have become as unrealistic as the powers.
overall the writing was good, the characters horrible but well writing and the story as a whole well done.
small changes could have made it even better but those moments also added some shock or normality to the story overall.
also the ending was very well done and especially with king that’s something that can’t be taken for granted.
i think it’s still a very readable and relevant sadly even relatable story for some people.
and interestingly this book went from one of my least favorite king books to one of the good to better ones of him.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Fatphobia, Gore, Hate crime, Sexual content, Blood, Religious bigotry, and Murder
hiddenfallacies's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, Carrie is a landmark achievement in horror for many reasons. It's the start of King's long and celebrated career, a novel that centers around women and places their pain at the epicenter of its plot, and it created a cultural memory that endures to this day - one that empathizes with Carrie rather than demonizes her. Told over three parts that function as three long chapters, the novel tells Carrie's story in retrospect through a collection of articles, interviews, and varying point of views. Going through the past, present, and future of the ill-fated prom night, the reader gets to know Carrie and all she has endured. Above all else, this novel is a tragedy about Carrie White's last hope to become a person and the ways in which society crushed that dream.
The first of the three parts suffers the most, lacking the natural momentum and masterful framing that surrounds the prom night itself and its aftermath in the story. This fact alone is what keeps this novel from garnering five stars for me. The novel is also littered with the artifact of being King's first, lacking some of the grammatical and structural prowess he cultivated over time. It's also important to note that there's a fair bit of racism present throughout the novel, dropped in small phrases and cultural references that leave the modern reader wondering if King meant to include them to indicate moral failings of certain antagonists or the time period itself, or if he simply was ignorant of certain biases he held himself. I believe informing potential readers of this is crucial, as I was blindsided by their sporadic inclusion while reading, taking me out of the story.
Although King has published better novels, as well as worse, I believe Carrie deserves a space not only on an essential reading list for King, but for horror as a whole. It remains culturally significant and moving to this day. May Carrie White never be forgotten.
The first of the three parts suffers the most, lacking the natural momentum and masterful framing that surrounds the prom night itself and its aftermath in the story. This fact alone is what keeps this novel from garnering five stars for me. The novel is also littered with the artifact of being King's first, lacking some of the grammatical and structural prowess he cultivated over time. It's also important to note that there's a fair bit of racism present throughout the novel, dropped in small phrases and cultural references that leave the modern reader wondering if King meant to include them to indicate moral failings of certain antagonists or the time period itself, or if he simply was ignorant of certain biases he held himself. I believe informing potential readers of this is crucial, as I was blindsided by their sporadic inclusion while reading, taking me out of the story.
Although King has published better novels, as well as worse, I believe Carrie deserves a space not only on an essential reading list for King, but for horror as a whole. It remains culturally significant and moving to this day. May Carrie White never be forgotten.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Fatphobia, Gore, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Religious bigotry, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Confinement, Cursing, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Antisemitism, Grief, Abortion, Alcohol, and Classism
Minor: Pregnancy
thewoodlandbookshelf's review against another edition
dark
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Racial slurs, Rape, Blood, Religious bigotry, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
heikosstories's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
2.5
My first Stephen King novel and here are some thoughts:
- This was super racist. I don't care that the book came out in the 70s. The original passages are giving me the ick and show that Mr. King was viewing characteristics of PoC as a tool to degrade his characters. Not. Cool.
- It's not scary. It had some moments that were chilling and at times I was actually quite hooked but..not scary.
- Stephen King is not a good writer. Especially for an English teacher. His writing style is very simplistic, you can either enjoy or it not, but what bothered me was the frequent repetition of the same literary devices over and over.
- This book felt longer than it should have been. This makes sense after reading the afterword: "Carrie" was originally only 98 pages long and Stephen King was then asked to make this longer.
- This was super racist. I don't care that the book came out in the 70s. The original passages are giving me the ick and show that Mr. King was viewing characteristics of PoC as a tool to degrade his characters. Not. Cool.
- It's not scary. It had some moments that were chilling and at times I was actually quite hooked but..not scary.
- Stephen King is not a good writer. Especially for an English teacher. His writing style is very simplistic, you can either enjoy or it not, but what bothered me was the frequent repetition of the same literary devices over and over.
- This book felt longer than it should have been. This makes sense after reading the afterword: "Carrie" was originally only 98 pages long and Stephen King was then asked to make this longer.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Blood, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, and Murder
icephoenix44's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
its okay, i guess? i feel like the writing style could be a little better though. some of the parts describing the female characters felt male gazey.
i also dont like the attempt to replicate accents, it makes the writing more weirder and clunkier to read, instead of feeling more authentic.
i also dont like the attempt to replicate accents, it makes the writing more weirder and clunkier to read, instead of feeling more authentic.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Religious bigotry, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Body shaming, Toxic relationship, Car accident, and Gaslighting
Minor: Racial slurs, Racism, Pregnancy, and Fire/Fire injury
also i really dont think the attempted sexual assault by billy towards chris near the end of the novel really added anything to the story, i mean yeah they are in a toxic relationship but it doesnt really adds anything and fslt like a random plot point as it was not mentioned afterwardsmightyfrenchbookworm's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
C'est le 50e anniversaire de publication de ce livre et je ne peux pas dire que ça a vieilli comme du bon vin! Certaines expressions, traduites faut dire, ne voulaient rien dire pour moi. Je tiens aussi à dire que je n'ai pas vu le film. Encore. J'ai failli abandonner quand j'ai emprunté ce livre à la couverture franchement moche, les pages jaunies et écrit en Times New roman 9 simple interligne.
Ceci étant dit, c'était vraiment addictif comme lecture quoique portant parfois à confusion. Saut dans le temps passé, présent, futur. Saut de personnages. Sans avertissement. Ce qui est étonnant c'est que, le lecteur sait dès le départ la fin du livre. Au fur et à mesure que le livre avance, on en sait davantage, on a des rapports de la commission d'enquête, etc. Le personnage de Carrie n'est pas tout à fait facile à apprécier et c'est voulu (je crois). On veut avoir de l'empathie pour elle et ce qu'elle subit mais elle n'est pas vraiment aimable non plus.
Bref, je suis satisfaite d'avoir lu ce "classique" de la littérature si s'en est un.
Ceci étant dit, c'était vraiment addictif comme lecture quoique portant parfois à confusion. Saut dans le temps passé, présent, futur. Saut de personnages. Sans avertissement. Ce qui est étonnant c'est que, le lecteur sait dès le départ la fin du livre. Au fur et à mesure que le livre avance, on en sait davantage, on a des rapports de la commission d'enquête, etc. Le personnage de Carrie n'est pas tout à fait facile à apprécier et c'est voulu (je crois). On veut avoir de l'empathie pour elle et ce qu'elle subit mais elle n'est pas vraiment aimable non plus.
Bref, je suis satisfaite d'avoir lu ce "classique" de la littérature si s'en est un.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Fatphobia, Self harm, Violence, Blood, Religious bigotry, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
skye189's review against another edition
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Death, Gore, Racial slurs, Religious bigotry, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Fatphobia, Rape, and Sexual assault
octagon's review against another edition
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Blood, Religious bigotry, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Racial slurs
amalas_bookstop's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Even though I am way late to reading this and I have already watched he movie. This was still a really great read. It was a bit of a slow start for me, and the writing style didn’t agree with me totally. This is still a solid 4 stars.
What a horror gruesome lesson about not treating others horribly, because you have no idea what they are going through.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Confinement, Gore, Mental illness, Violence, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail
cryptofauna's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-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
4.0
woah!! okay i can def see how this launched his career. just amazing.
scary in its honesty and dark but it all feels so authentic? although it is more tense/ a thriller than i think it's a horror story. the events are horrifying but it wasn't scary or spooky in the traditional sense
i also feel like knowing the vague plot of this book because of how popular it is kind of added to the tense vibe because you know whats gonna happen at prom but carrie goes anyway.
well written with an interesting style (i do really enjoy a book that's a completion of different sources) but I did find it a little hard to keep track of sometimes, but i think it was mostly the kindle formatting making everything look the same w no breaks in between perspectives occasionally
read all in one day (especially as i tried to beat my kindle battery)
scary in its honesty and dark but it all feels so authentic? although it is more tense/ a thriller than i think it's a horror story. the events are horrifying but it wasn't scary or spooky in the traditional sense
i also feel like knowing the vague plot of this book because of how popular it is kind of added to the tense vibe because you know whats gonna happen at prom but carrie goes anyway.
well written with an interesting style (i do really enjoy a book that's a completion of different sources) but I did find it a little hard to keep track of sometimes, but i think it was mostly the kindle formatting making everything look the same w no breaks in between perspectives occasionally
read all in one day (especially as i tried to beat my kindle battery)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse
Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Religious bigotry, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Drug use, Miscarriage, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Classism