[Renaissance Man for the New Millenium] Review: "Carrie" by Stephen King

[treehead]

[http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/233661.Carrie]
Carrie by Stephen King

My rating: 3 of 5 stars This is the first fiction book of Stephen King's I have read, and I found myself surprised by a number of things. First, this was Stephen's first novel, and he took some really creative chances with both the narrative structure and the conventions of novel writing. He used various sources to tell the story of Carrie, which I thought was an end in and of itself, but Stephen used these rather as a means to his ultimate end--an effect too complex to explain here, you must simply read it for yourself. Second, given my empirical ignorance of King's work, I expected the book to play out as mere fluff--like a "popcorn flick"--but was surprised at how the story resonated with me on several levels. On a purely academic level, I found that it was neither one-dimensional, nor non-applicable: there was a moral--actually, several. I was pleased, though, that the more subjective aspects were not trite or simplistic, but evoked a realism and confusion that is intrinsic to the human condition. I will not share any specifics, I will only say that I have been served right to have pre-judged Stephen King, especially after having read his volume on writing several times, and I will no more face his or any other work with a predisposition. Thank you Stephen, for a fine story that reaches into human condition, and for the life lesson in blind criticism. Perhaps I was throwing a few napkins at you all these years. I know better now. View all my reviews >>

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Posted By treehead to Renaissance Man for the New Millenium at 11/10/2009 02:23:00 PM