Carrie Readalong: Part 3 and Final Thoughts

We're at the end!  I've had a wonderful time re-reading this book, and I'm really looking forward to our next Stephen King Read-a-long of Salems' Lot (the starting post and sign up will be up tomorrow mid-morning). 

So let's Discuss Part 3 of Carrie: Wreckage

 Here's some questions thought up by me and my co-host, Midnyte Reader:

1. If you've seen the movie, how did the book compare?
2. Carrie: Victim or Villain?
3. If you had TK powers what would you do with them?

4. The Wreckage talks about the demise of the town.  I've noticed the theme of SK's setting as a character in other works.  What are your thoughts on this?

5. Does anybody think they know what line from Bob Dylan was written in Carrie's notebook?

 

and finally, what are your final thoughts/review of Carrie by Stephen King?

Here are my answers:

1. I actually thought the original movie was fairly faithful to the book.  Obviously it's set up differently and the ending has one of those gotcha! moments, but I think it does a really good job of showing how Carrie went from the butt of everyone's joke, to a girl blossoming into a woman, and finally into a vengeful, blood soaked killer.

2. Honestly, she's both.  But I don't think she'd ever have become a murderer if she hadn't been picked on so heinously.  What Carrie endured, both at home and at school, went beyond the typical bullying probably most of us experienced.  It was almost relentless.  She's a villain in the the sense that she killed innocent people, but her status of victim drove her to it.  Maybe she's an anti-hero?  Because, I kind of found myself rooting for her when she confronted her mom, and Billy and Chris.  That just might make me twisted though...

3. House work!  Oh, my God!  I'd be Mary Poppinsing the crap out of my house.  Think of the ease with which you could use your TK powers to rearrange your bookshelves, or carry all those  books around at BEA!  Ah... Seriously though, I'd probably try to keep it quiet, because if there is one lesson I've learned from Stephen King, it's that if you have special powers and the government finds out, they will kill your parents and keep you prisoner.  No thank you!  I'll stick to using my powers to clean the house and shelf my books.

4. I think King is very intrigued with the idea of small towns and their particular ways.  It's often easy to think of evil and murder as being a city problem, but often small towns hide dark secrets of their own (which I've also learned from watching City Confidential on A&E).  It's a way of telling a large scale story on a small stage, whereas a few hundred or thousand people represent society as a whole.  When I think of my favorite King books, almost all of them deal with small towns- even The Stand, in a way, since most of humanity is wiped out and the two opposing forces are drawn to Boulder, CO and Las Vegas, NV.  In It, which I'm re-reading right now, you have the town of Derry, which isn't as small as Castle Rock, but still not a large city.  It's big enough for something monstrous to feed off of, but small enough to keep the horror contained.  You can tell King has a love for small towns, even as he shows their seedy underbellies.  I lived in a small town in Pennsylvania during my teen years, and whenever I read King's small town stories, I can easily relate.  

5. I thought the song was the Just Like a Woman song?  Right? Or was there another one mentioned that I missed? The lyrics are: "Nobody has to guess/That Baby can't be blessed/Till she finally sees that she's like all the rest."  Which I felt showed how isolated Carrie was, and how much she longed to be part of the crowd.  She just wanted to be normal.  Out of everything that happened, I'm glad Carrie got to have a few truly happy moments at Prom, how different things might have been if her school life could have been like that all along!

My Review:

Carrie is a great novel to start your Stephen King experience with (my own personal one was with Fire-Starter), because it's not a horror novel per se, although I don't think many of King's books are horror books, but rather a look at teenage girls. In fact, King started Carrie after someone said that he couldn't write a true female character. In the book both Carrie and Sue, and even Chris, are very real feeling.  I knew girls like them growing up- well minus the TK powers.  The butt of the jokes, the golden girl who was popular simply because she was both nice and pretty, and the mean girl who's popular because people are scared of her.  King gives these girls dimension, and puts you in their shoes.  Even Chris, who is so easy to dislike, was easy to relate to, and even to feel sorry for.  She got in over her head, as one does.  Chris is full of anger that has no particular direction, she's gotten everything far too easily in life and she's bored.  Carrie is the perfect target.  

Carrie's mom is probably the most scary character of all, because isn't she real too?  Don't we all know that one person, just a little bit too far off the rails?  People like Mrs. White are who give religion a bad name, and she's twisted the words of the Bible to fit her own tormented mind.  Most likely Mrs, White is mentally ill, but she's functional.  Having her raise a daughter with Carrie's gift is like having a dictator baby-sit a nuclear bomb- it's only a matter of time before the thing is going to go off.

I loved the way the book was written, with first hand accounts, news articles, passages from books, etch.  Carrie was the very first book I ever read written in that style, although I've since seen it since then (and I may have even attempted to tell a story like that once myself).  I found it a great way to get all the information the reader needs to understand the story, but also a great way to entertain.  Teasing the final ending, but then going back and explaining: This is how we got here.    I think it adds to the story, rather than taking away anything.

Finally, Carrie is a story of what it's like for high school misfits. Maybe for girls like Sue it's rainbow and kittens, but for nerds, geeks, and loners, it can be a form of torture.  Carrie endures far more than the average kid bullied, but the things Carrie goes through happens to teens.  Stephen King was writing about the problems with bullying long before our current anti-bullying movement happened.  

 

Okay, that's it for now!

 

So tell me what you thought!

 

And I'll see you on Twitter tonight around 8pm EST under the hashtag #CarrieEnd!

 

 

 

Carrie Readalong Discussion of Part Two: The Prom

First off, a huge thank you to my amazing co-host Midnyte Reader for coming up with the discussion questions! 

So here they are:

1. There is a part quoted form "My Name is Susan Snell" when she stated that she is not really sorry that Tommy is dead anymore, because the idea of him was too perfect.  I was kind of shocked by this.  What do you think of this?

2. Miss Desjardin talked to Carrie about her own prom.  And for Carrie, the prom was magical up to a point.  Did you have any glamorized feelings about your own prom?  

3. When Sue was at home on prom night she said that she was still uncomfortable about her own motives and was afraid to examine them too closely in case she discovered selfishness.  Can you elaborate on this?  

4. Do you think that Tommy could have fallen for Carrie?

5. Tell me what you think of the significance or symbolism of blood.  (Tommy pricked his finger, Mrs. White cut herself, Sue either got her period late or lost a pregnancy.)

6. If that prank had not been played on Carrie at the prom, what kind of life do you think she would have had?

 

7.  What did you think of Billy and Chris's relationship?

 

Bonus question: Did you catch the mistake Stephen King made with regards to Carrie's dad?  Courtney from Abducted by Books did!  See below for the answer.  

 

My Answers:

 

1. There is a part quoted form "My Name is Susan Snell" when she stated that she is not really sorry that Tommy is dead anymore, because the idea of him was too perfect.  I was kind of shocked by this.  What do you think of this? 

I do get it.  I think maybe Sue felt Tommy was too good to be true, that had he lived he would have eventually let her down- like all humans do because we're, well, humans. Instead he gets to remain untainted by age or actions.  Their love is forever frozen in time.  Plus, it may be that's how Sue moves on with her life, because she has to feel guilt over helping to set things in motion.

2. Miss Desjardin talked to Carrie about her own prom.  And for Carrie, the prom was magical up to a point.  Did you have any glamorized feelings about your own prom?  

I didn't go to prom, it really wasn't my thing. So no magical moments for me, but also no goat's blood dumped on me, so that's a plus.  Although, does anyone wonder why that goat blood didn't congeal before prom night?

3. When Sue was at home on prom night she said that she was still uncomfortable about her own motives and was afraid to examine them too closely in case she discovered selfishness.  Can you elaborate on this?  

I do think there was a certain amount of selfishness involved.  If the she hadn't participated in the shower incident than she would never of thought to help Carrie go to prom.  Although it's very mature of her to seek atonement, I think it's pretty hard to separate the fact that Sue was getting something out of it too.  In a way she uses Carrie to distance herself from Chris and the mindless high school machine.  

4. Do you think that Tommy could have fallen for Carrie?

I think his feelings that night were because it was prom and Carrie was a sweet girl.  I think he really loved Sue.  However, in the long run, I could see Tommy settling down with Carrie or someone like her.  Sue had bigger dreams, whereas Tommy seemed to realize that his future was tied up with the town.  He probably would have been okay having his dad's life.

5. Tell me what you think of the significance or symbolism of blood.  (Tommy pricked his finger, Mrs. White cut herself, Sue either got her period late or lost a pregnancy.)

This may be too deep for me, but I'll try.  The book begins with blood, and ends with blood (Carrie's and then Sue's).  While Carrie's, Tommy's and Mrs. White's blood was a sign of things to come, I think Sue's was the opposite, it was a closing of the events.  As if her miscarriage (if that's what it was) was the last sacrifice that had to be made for Carrie's pain and rage. 

6. If that prank had not been played on Carrie at the prom, what kind of life do you think she would have had? 

I don't know.  If prom hadn't of happened, if Carrie had graduated unharmed, she still would have had to face a life with her mom.  I think after re-discovering her powers after she started her period set a countdown in motion.  Adults might be better than teens, but people are still cruel.  Carrie would have been hurt again, and with her powers and years of being bullied, coupled with her bizarre upbringing, I still think she would have snapped.  Would it have been as bad?  Maybe not... but then, maybe so. 

 

7.  What did you think of Billy and Chris's relationship?

I was really fascinated by how toxic it was.  In the movie version, Billy isn't nearly as evil, whereas Chris is portrayed as being a lot more evil.  Without Billy, I don't know that Chris would have gone through with her plan.  Maybe just talking about it, blowing off that steam would have been enough.  For Billy though, he had so much resentment built up.  If he'd had Carrie's powers he probably would have leveled the town a long time ago.  Chris, for all her tough talk, was really in over her head with Billy.  Although in her own way, Chris was a nasty piece.  She probably would have grown up some, but of course she never got the chance.  If she'd had a little of Sue's self-awareness then there wouldn't have been book. ;)

 

Bonus question: Did you catch the mistake Stephen King made with regards to Carrie's dad?

Okay, not only did I not catch this, but this is the fourth or fifth time I've read Carrie.  Here's the mistake: The book clearly states in Part One that Carrie's dad, Ralph, dies BEFORE Carrie was even born.  But in Part Two, Mrs. White thinks of how she should have killed Carrie when she was a baby (about one?) and that Ralph stopped her.  I kind of love that the mistake is fairly large, but I'm really shocked I didn't catch it before.  I'm not always a super sleuth when I'm reading, but it's a pretty big mistake.  Good catch, Courtney!

Can't wait to see your answers, and don't forget to be on Twitter tonight!  I'll be on there to discuss Carrie from 6pm EST until 7pm, although we'll go to 8 if enough people join in.  Just look for #CarrieProm!

 

Carrie Readalong, Part One: Blood Sports Discussion

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Carrie Read-a-Long Discussion Post: Part One: Blood Sports 

Congratulations, you are now almost half way through Carrie!  According to my Kindle we are about 47% through. Tonight I'll host a Twitter discussion (starting at 9pm EST, under the hashtag #CarrieBS). I thought this would be a good place to pause and discuss what we've read so far.  Stop and see what my co-host Midnyte Reader is thinking so far. Here's some questions to consider:

1. Is this your first Stephen King book?

2. What do you think of the style Carrie is written in?

3.  Do you think the bullying/attack on Carrie that occurs in the late 1970's in the book could happen today? 

4.  What are your thoughts on Carrie's mother?

5.  Young Carrie brings the rain of rocks down on her house at the tender age of three, but then there are no major events for years. Why do you think her powers remained fairly quiet until now?  What role does her mother play in Carrie's use of her power?

6. Do you believe that telekinesis exists?

7. What is your favorite moment so far?

8. What do you think of Sue's plan to have Tommy take Carrie to the prom?

9. Any predictions (um, only if you haven't read this before or seen the movie! ;)

10.  Just how crazy is Mrs. White?!

Please leave the link to your answers in the comment or you can just answer in the comments area, whichever works for you.  Stop by Midnyte Reader for her take on Carrie so far!

Here are my answers:

1. No, this is not my first Stephen King novel, and it's not even my first time (or second) that I'm reading Carrie.  It's not the first book I ever read of King, that'd be Fire-starter, and it actually took me a long while to get to.  I think because I'd seen the movie so many times when I was a kid I just has assumed I'd read Carrie before, but the first time I was about 22.  Ugh, so long ago!

2. I love the style it's written in, but I can tell it's an earlier King novel.  But I like the  jump in between characters, and the excerpts from official books, reports and newspapers.  I think that King could do an even better job now... but then Carrie would be 1100 pages long. ;)  I could do without the word Popular being capitalized though...

3. I think the constant bullying of Carrie definitely could still take place.  I don't know that the shower attack would still happen, I'd like to believe that there would be enough kids aware of how cruel it was, but I think it could take place on a smaller scale.  Bullying has been around as soon as there was more than three kids on the face of the planet.  What happened to Carrie in the showers was extreme, but I think when you add someone like Chris, who is popular and mean, to the mix, some people would follow her lead simply because she's the one doing the bullying. 

4. Mrs. White is straight up CRAZY!!  Seriously, I would love to know more of this woman's past to have shaped her into such a crazy mess.  The book talks about the TK gene, but even if it's passive in Mrs. White, I'd be willing to bet she's got some dominant mental illness genes at work- definitely more than one.  But... I think she truly believes in her own version of God, and that makes her dangerous.  I really think Carrie's powers are the one thing that has prevented her mother from killing her.  If Carrie had just been a normal, powerless kid, then no doubt she wouldn't have the strength to fight off an attack from her religiously skewed mama.

5. I think maybe the rock incident was so traumatic that Carrie buried the incident deep in her mind.  So while other things occur during times of deep emotional stress, she doesn't necessarily make the connection until the day of the shower attack.  In a way, Carrie has begun to unravel.  Years of torment at the hands of her classmates has worn her down, and has allowed her tap into her powers again.  Couple that with her mom's violent religious beliefs, and you have Carrie suddenly wide awake to her powers.  If Carrie's upbringing had been more stable and loving, her powers might have never really been an issue.  Strange things might have happened still, during early childhood and puberty, but I really doubt that it'd be something she'd be so aware of.

6. Hmm, yes, I guess I believe that it's possible.  To the extent of Carrie's powers?  Probably not.  But I do think there is so much about our brains and abilities that we don't know.  But, I'm skeptical.  I would definitely have to see it to believe it.

7. My favorite moment, BY FAR, was when Chris's dad and the Principal face off.  Sadly, his "my precious daughter" routine is all to familiar in this day and age when kids can do no wrong, and his sue-happy threats were nicely smacked down by Principal Grayle.  I was literally cheering!  I hope in the new Carrie re-make that that scene makes it in the movie.  I don't think until this re-read that I caught that Principal Grayle was not the same Assistant Principal that Desjardin takes Carrie to see after the shower incident.

8. I actually get why some people questioned Sue's motives after the fact, but I am surprised that so many people just assumed that it was nasty on her part.  But I think that Sue and Tommy were a bit more evolved than some of their classmates, and that Sue was really trying to atone.  Tommy loved Sue enough to want to help her, and I think he genuinely didn't mind taking Carrie.  Tommy is that rare person that people love and like not just because he's Popular (with a capital P!) but because he's got that magnetism that draws people to him.  Because of it, he's able to just be himself.  Unlike Sue, who is tormented by who she wants to be compared to who she is, Tommy is completely at home in his own skin.  He's not perfect, but he's also not so freaking concerned about what everyone is going to think of him.  Ugh, how I wish I'd been like that as a teen!  I'd settle for being like that now, but I'm much more of a Sue.  I'm a people-pleaser in the extreme, and I always over analyze things.  But I think Sue had good intentions, even if I think it was more for herself than for Carrie.  She should have known that Carrie going to the prom, especially after Chris is denied her tickets, would be a bad thing.

9. None here, because I already know!

10. She is so crazy!!!  Seriously, there are few characters in books that I have disliked as much as I dislike Mrs. White.  She's the type of person who would drown a sack full of black kittens because she believes them to be evil.  And she's such a hypocrite!  How much better for Carrie if her bikini clad neighbor had taken her away that day!  Or if one of those rocks had killed Mrs. White.  Sadly, that didn't happen, and whatever chance kids have in the beginning of life to have a normal kid experience was ruined when Mrs. White squeezed Carrie out.  I mean, I get that she's all super religious, but her belief system is so messed up that it bares little resemblance to any actual biblical teachings. I'm just going to say it, Mrs. White is one crazy bitch.  There.  I said it.


So, don't forget to read Part Two: Prom Night by the 23rd!  And I'll see ya'll on Twitter tonight!