Wednesday, October 23, 2013

A Chilling First Novel by a Master Writer


Carrie by Stephen King (1974; Anchor, 2013, 320pp.)

Everyone’s seen the movie. Or if not, you’re definitely aware of the infamous prom scene. No? Then let me recap: Carrie White, high school reject, is being charitably crowned prom queen by the student body—but at the height of the ceremony, someone dumps a bucket of pig’s blood on her. She then reacts as any angst-ridden, humiliated teenager might: she simply goes nuts and sets the town on fire with her awesome telekinetic powers. A fictional case study, Carrie interweaves story with “historical” documents that examine the devastating tragedy long after it occurs. As King’s first novel, Carrie acts as an excellent gateway to the rest of King’s work about the supernaturally inclined.

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