8 Things I Learned Reading Stephen King’s Carrie for the First Time in 2024

Stephen Kings Curry is a horror classic, however I only read it for the first time in 2024 – and it cleared up some misconceptions I had about this book after years of hearing about it. King’s first novel debuted in 1974, telling the story of a teenage outcast with telekinesis. Carrie White is eventually driven to shun the classmates and town that spends so much of her life humiliating and ostracizing her. And most people know the premise, like Curry is one of King’s best-known works. It is also one that has been adapted many times.

I certainly knew the basics of Carrie White’s story, but I was in the dark when it came to the specifics. King’s first novel tackled some topics I was not expectingAnd it made me realize how little I really knew about his debut. I am happy to report that Curry Holds up very well, even 50 years after its release. I am also happy to fully understand this horror story and why it is so popular. Many of the details I was not expecting contributed to how much I enjoyed it.

8

A lot of the book is not told from Carrie’s perspective

I did not expect so many opinions

I guess that makes sense Curry is not told entirely from the title character’s perspective, because it would be difficult to keep the reader in the sense of such a tragic character for almost 300 pages. This would be especially difficult after revealing that she is an assassin. however, I didn’t realize how many points of view King offers throughout his 1974 novel. I was pleasantly surprised at how good it was Curry Falling, even jumping from character to character.

With so many different perspectives offers a well-rounded take on Carrie White’s story, and it drives home just how subjective the reporting of tragedies can be. It also highlights one of the larger themes of King’s book: That conformity can lead people to make choices they normally wouldn’t. It all came together well Currys different perspectives, which proved to be one of my favorite aspects of the book.

7

Sue Snell is a surprisingly sympathetic character

I almost felt for her as much as Carrie (and maybe that’s the point)

The name Sue Snell vaguely rang a bell before I picked up curry, As I’d likely heard it in discussions of the book and movie adaptations. I was not expecting to really feel for any of the characters in CurryEspecially those responsible for bullying the title character. however, King does a good job of making Sue Snell relatableEven if she factors in Currys ending significantly. From the beginning, it’s obvious that Sue feels guilty for going along with Carrie’s treatment. And she tries to make amends – although her plans backfire spectacularly.

All of this made Sue more likable than even Carrie at times, and that surprised me. This revelation made me think that this might be on purpose. By getting readers to connect to Sue, King makes the point that anyone can find themselves in Sue’s shoes. Many people won’t relate to the level of distress Carrie faces, but succumbing to peer pressure or standing up to bad behavior is a much more universal experience. I think we’re supposed to relate to Sue, and that’s supposed to make us uncomfortable.

The reporting on telekinesis and Carrie’s massacre was a highlight

Just as I wasn’t expecting to get so many perspectives on Carrie White’s story, I also didn’t realize how much epistolary writing there would be in King’s first book. King slowly reveals what happens the night of Carrie’s prom through a series of reports on the incident, whether it is from books, news clips or interviews. This was a highlight of the novel for me, and I appreciated how well-paced King’s revelation was. Although I knew what to expect, I felt like the reporting gradually built up tension and kept me on edge the whole time.

I’ve rarely seen horror books handle epistolary writing as well Curry, And I think it does a great job of keeping readers slightly removed from the title character and situation at hand. Like the various perspectives, it also shows how skewed coverage of a tragedy can be. The additions to the novel proved another pleasant surprise when reading it for the first time.

5

Stephen King puts thought into the science of telekinesis

Carrie takes a deeper approach to the phenomenon than I expected

The reporting on Carrie’s telekinesis added context to her story, but it also offered scientific insights into the phenomenon. So many stories about telekinesis don’t dig too deeply into the lore behind it, so I wasn’t expecting Curry to each. however, King goes much deeper than I expected. He even unpacks the genetics behind telekinesis, comparing it to a real condition like hemophilia. This made Carrie White’s powers feel more grounded in reality, despite being fictional.

In addition to investigating the genes that may cause telekinesis, The reporters inside Curry Take a scientific approach to the questions surrounding Carrie White’s condition. They try to pinpoint other incidents where her powers emerged, and they try to relate the events. They also ask what would happen if more children had this ability. I almost wish King explored this question further in some sort of sequel or spinoff to the 1974 novel.

4

Carrie’s home life was much harder to read than the bullying

The incidents at Carrie’s school dominate conversations about the story

I knew that Carrie was driven to the carnage of the book by bullying, however I didn’t realize what a big role her home life played until I read King’s novel. Both the bullying scenes and the abuse of her mother were hard to stomach, but I found the latter much harder to read. Perhaps this is because I expected the bullying – or it could be because the topic is covered to a similar extent in other media. King does not hold back when it comes to the trauma Carrie faces at the hands of her mother, however, depicting the harsh realities of such abuse.

Everyone knows about Carrie’s period incident at the beginning of the book, and the pig’s blood trick at prom dominates conversation around the story. The more gruesome moments between Carrie and her mother aren’t talked about as oftenSo I wasn’t prepared for the scenes – or how difficult they would be to read. They certainly added more context to Carrie White’s story, and they still made sense of her actions later on. I just never realized the amount of pain Carrie faced.

3

Religious trauma plays a much bigger role in Carrie than I realized

So much of the story hinges on this theme

I knew religious trauma was a topic of Curry Before diving in, however I don’t think I realized what a massive role it played in King’s story Until I read it first hand. Many of Carrie’s problems in the 1974 novel stem from her mother’s religious fanaticism, which she pushes on her daughter. It is so extreme that she believes that Carrie’s period and puberty are the result of sin, and she forces her daughter to feel guilt over normal teenage experiences. This is a big part of why Carrie struggles to make connections with the people around her.

Even when Carrie rebels against her mother and goes to prom, she constantly has thoughts that highlight how much Margaret’s ideology has affected her. Perhaps one of the most tragic moments in King’s book is when Carrie complains that her mother was right after getting pig’s blood dumped on her. She sees this as some sort of punishment for acting out, driving home just how twisted Margaret imparting her guilt on her daughter really is. The fact that she is willing to kill her own daughter only makes things more tragic.

2

Carrie doesn’t just destroy the gym and high school during prom

She takes down a large part of Chamberlain

Fifty years after the book’s release, you’d be hard-pressed to find someone who didn’t know how Curry ends But I didn’t know the extent of Carrie’s carnage in King’s novel until I finished it. I knew that Carrie killed a lot of people at her school because I knew that the pig’s blood incident and the subsequent slaughter started at the prom. I didn’t realize that Curry went on to destroy much of ChamberlainPunished the city in which she grew up along with her classmates and teachers.

The range of Carrie’s destruction is much greater than I expected, but it feels like a fitting end to the book. This makes the climax even more suspenseful and tragic, because so many more people are affected by her rage. It also makes sense that Carrie lashes out To this extent. After all, she holds so much anger and sadness in her life that it all comes out after prom – and it’s enough to level a whole city. It is not so shocking, but I still did not expect this scope.

1

I finally learned how to carry white dyes

This part of Stephen King’s novel somehow never fails for me

Although I knew about Carrie’s massacre at the end of King’s novel, I never actually learned how Kerry White died – not until I read the book for myself. Honestly, I’m not even positive she did Die at the end of the story. I suspected as much from conversations about the book and the reports included in it. And Carrie’s death proved a bit shocking, at least when it comes to Sue Snell’s role in it. It didn’t surprise me that her mother would stab her, and I’m not afraid of Carrie’s ultimate revenge on Billy and Chris.

I was surprised that Carrie and Sue shared one final interactionBut what made them see each other. It was an intriguing way to close the book, focusing on the two most important characters and their strange relationship with one another. Stephen King Does a solid job closing the book this way, and then diving into the aftermath of the massacre. And I’m glad I can finally discuss how Curry Ends, as I’d been in the dark about parts of the conclusion before.