Ephemeris of the Mind (Book Review) Carrie
Time to read: 2 min read
Book Cover
Blood, fresh blood. Blood was always at the root of it, and only blood could expiate it.
Past Stephen King reviews:
- End of Watch
- Finders Keepers
- Mr. Mercedes
- Night Shift
- Four Past Midnight
- Different Seasons
- The Stand
- Under the Dome
- Bag of Bones
- The Dead Zone
- 11/22/63
- It
- Dreamcatcher
- Misery
- The Institute
Review
Urged on by his wife Tabitha to finish this novel, Carrie is Stephen King’s first book. The story follows Carietta "Carrie" White, a high school student bullied by her peers and abused by her overzealous religious mother. Carrie has a secret, which her community finds out a little too late.
King has always excelled at writing outcast characters and Carrie is a textbook example of one. She’s continuously ridiculed by her peers for just existing and her mother is not only oppressive but also physically abusive. In particular King’s depiction of the malice inflicted on Carrie is in depth and difficult to read at times. King also explores other social dynamics, such as the poor parenting from Chris’ father and how people can feel sympathetic towards Carrie but also take part in her abuse. The characters are well written but not as good as some of King’s other novels; it feels that King is dipping his toe in with this novel. The story is predictable but well written and has awesome elements of the supernatural. King opts for an interesting narrative style, where he interlays snippets of documents such as academic papers and survivor accounts in between the main narrative which provides additional context and unveil the full story. King also uses the character's internal thoughts to break up the flow of text.
Conclusion
An awesome first book by a legendary author.