Synopsis: The story of misfit high-school girl, Carrie White, who gradually discovers that she has telekinetic powers. Repressed by a domineering, ultra-religious mother and tormented by her peers at school, her efforts to fit in lead to a dramatic confrontation during the senior prom.
In the beginning… there was Carrie. This was Stephen King’s first Novel that almost never was. He actually hated it and tossed it into the trash after finishing it. His wife, Tabitha King who is also a writer, pulled it out of the garbage and loved it. She pushed for him to get it published and the rest is history. Mostly everyone knows the story of Carrie because of the original film that was released in 1976 starring Sissy Spacek and John Travolta among others. This is definitely one of King’s shortest works but one that sticks with you. For me, this wasn’t a revenge story at all. It was a heart breaker. Carrie White wasn’t even trying to fit in, she just wanted to fly under the radar and make it through unnoticed. But events arise in her senior year of high school that bring out and strengthen her
telekinetic powers that have been lying somewhat dormant her whole life. If only they knew what horrors would come from them later on. This book has some pretty interesting characters across the spectrum. From golden boy and my personal favorite, Tommy Ross who takes Carrie to the prom, all the way to Chris Hargensen who tortured and put Carrie through hell the entire book leading to its bloody body riddled ending. Stephen King is really great at making you fall in love with characters as well as hope and pray for others deaths. For example, Carries mother. The way King describes her in the book makes you think shes not even human at all but some sort of monster. Another thing about this book is the way it’s laid out is really different. It jumps back and forth from past to present but not in the normal way as other stories might. One minute you’re reading through the eyes of Carrie and then you’re reading an article about the dangers of telekinetic abilities based off the incidents of the bloody prom murders years before. So it defiantly keeps your attention held. Now lets get into some of the differences between the novel and the film!
What are the major differences? (SPOILERS)
- In the book we get a much deeper look into Carrie’s background as a child growing up with her religion raged mother and how that affected her to be the outcast that she is.
- There is a scene in the book where Carrie unintentionally brings down a hell storm of rocks and chunks of ice from the sky and through their homes roof as a result of her mother punishing her for looking at the neighbors daughter sunbathing. Its a terrific spot in the book that I would have loved to have seen make this movie.
- In the film when Carrie gets the bucket of pigs blood dumped on her she flips out and begins her rampage on the students and faculty right away. Killing even her gym teacher Ms. Desjardin. In the book, after the bucket drops, Carrie runs out of the gym and outside to collect herself. She then walks back and using her telekinesis, slams all of the exits shut, sets off the sprinklers which starts an electric fire and from there takes a walk through the town exploding gas stations here and there.
- In the book, Carrie kills her mother by using her powers to stop her heart. Then walks back to town before falling over in the road where Sue later finds her. They have a moment of communicating through telekinesis and as Carrie dies, blood runs down Sue’s leg telling the reader that she has had a miscarriage with Tommy’s child. This also brought it full circle to how the book began in the shower scene. The movie takes more of a horror route where Carrie goes home and her mother consoles her. While distracted she stabs Carrie in the back. Carrie crucifies her to the wall making kitchen knives fly at her sticking her to the wall. She then brings the house down on them to a rubble and sets it on fire.
So if I were to rate these, I’d give the book and film both 3.5 out of 5 stars. I know there are plenty of other differences I could poke at but I want to keep these posts relatively short. I didn’t even get into the other two remakes of the film as well as the 1999 sequel The Rage: Carrie 2 which has absolutely nothing to do with the original story whatsoever… so don’t waste your time. But this is where I’ll leave things open for discussion. Please, leave a comment and lets chat more about this great story. I’d also love some feedback on ways I could make this blog better and more enjoyable to read so any and all suggestions are welcome! This is my first time doing something like this so I’m pretty much winging it. But I highly recommend reading Carrie for yourself! Then maybe make some popcorn, cozy up on the couch and watch the 1976 film. The next book and film up for review will be the classic vampire story of Salem’s Lot so get hype! Leave your comments at the bottom and thanks for stopping in guys! Happy reading!
Keys to the Kingdom 