Chills & Thrills: Carrie by Stephen King

 

   Hello, Fellow Book Worms and Book Dragons!

   Chills and thrills have been synonymous with Stephen King. One of his works that has a unique attribute is the audiobook edition of Carrie, read by the actress who played the main character, Sissy Spacek. Let's dive into some high school woes and telekinetic powers. Just don't get caught in the auditorium after the blood drops. 

      Carrie is Stephen King's 1974 novel, currently published by Doubleday Books. In this telekinetic terror of a novel, we are introduced to Carietta White. An outcast and school punching bag, Carrie does her best to live her life sin-free and keep her head down at school, lest she becomes her classmate's latest prank. Her mother, Margaret, is a hard-working woman raising Carrie on her own. But Mrs. White has a dark side, one fueled by religious zealotry and insanity. When Carrie is home she lives in fear that her mother may snap at any moment, sending her to be locked in their prayer closet for hours on end. Carrie desperately wants to live her life like other girls, but Margaret is always on duty to make sure her daughter does not sin. Then one day an incident in the girl's locker room puts Carrie in the spotlight. She is ridiculed and demonstrates her first act of telekinesis.

  Soon Carrie is becoming more adept at her skill. She begins moving objects and recalls incidents in her childhood when things occurred that she could not explain. She has one ally at school in the form of a classmate, Sue Snell. Having made fun of Carrie in the past, Sue begins to feel remorseful for her actions. In an attempt to make Carrie feel better, she asks her boyfriend, Tommy, to bring White to the school prom. He agrees and takes Carrie. What they do not know is that a dangerous adversary is about to set off a chain of events that cannot be stopped. For when Carrie gets mad, all hell breaks loose.

  Carrie was a fun and fast read that kept me engrossed in the story from start to finish. The unique storytelling of this novel is presented through a general narrative and book pages, interviews, and interrogations. I enjoyed King's multiple points of view and when prom night happens. We witness it not only through Carrie's eyes, but those around her. The overall character roster was fleshed out very well. I liked several background characters and their stories. The pacing was excellent, which whisked me away into the story. Carrie's destruction of her school and hometown was chilling.       

  I read Carrie in part with the narration of actress, Sissy Spacek. It was a very smart idea to have Spacek read this novel since she played the titular character in Brian De Palma's 1976 film adaptation. What she brings to the reading of this novel is an almost personal telling of this tragic story. She handles Carrie White like she did on film, completely immersing herself in the role. She also handles Margaret White's role as an almost homage to Piper Laurie, playing the religious fanatic almost as over the top as Laurie. I loved Sissy Spacek's work on this novel and will look for more of her work in other books. Fantastic!

  Carrie was a fun book to read and passed the time away quite fast. Four stars later I am happy I chose this King novel. It did not disappoint.  

  

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