Wow what a ride. Very much enjoyed my first read of Carrie.
It wasn't perfect by any stretch. It feels like watching a college or high school athlete with real talent, but not quite sure what the limits of that talent is yet. You can see there could be greatness though.
I liked the plot structure. Poking around online after finishing the book, I notice that the book snobs like to deride the news clippings and supposed novel snippets scornfully. "OH LOOK SILLY AUTHOR GETTING CUTE. FAIL."
I actually liked the approach. It didn't always work, but it allowed him move the narrative along in a way that conventional third person storytelling wouldn't. I didn't find any of the sections long enough to be boring or distracting. And even the Sue Snell book snippets, while not adding much to the story, it added depth and perspective. Also noteworthy is how these outsider-looking-in articles gets the reader to look at the actual narrative more critically. Was Snell somehow involved in the plot? Were Tommy's motives less than pure? It was a cool device that added depth to what otherwise would have been a flat narrative.
Not much to complain about. I do have a minor quibble, and I'm probably just nit-picking here, but it involves Carrie's final confrontation with Mother. While I thoroughly enjoyed the moment of "full stop", causing Mother's heart to slow down and eventually just stop, merely by thinking about it, upon further reflection it seems too easy. Too cheap an end for someone as deliciously twisted as Mother. I would have loved Mother's final demise to be entwined somehow either visually or symbolically with her corrupted notion of religion.
Final thought: other than a few long outdated pop culture references (brands of beer or cigarettes that haven't been produced in decades), this novel still seems very relevant and current. A very strong first novel.
Full Stop.
On to my next adventure.
-B.
No comments:
Post a Comment