Carrie

In 1952, a film of Theodore Dreiser's novel Sister Carrie was made under the title Carrie; for that film, see: Sister Carrie. For the digital library see Carrie (digital library).

Carrie (1974) was Stephen King's first published novel.

Plot

The book uses false documents to frame the story of Carrie White, a teenager who has been bullied at home for years by her vindictive Christian fundamentalist mother. She does not fare much better at school either: at the beginning of the novel, she has her first period while showering after her P.E. class. Instead of sympathizing with Carrie, the other girls use this opportunity to taunt her. However, Carrie gradually discovers that she has telekinetic powers. Carrie tries to keep these powers under control, but after she is humiliated in front of her school at their senior prom, she wreaks havoc on the entire school and, when returning home, her mother.

Carrie draws strong parallels between the onset of the title character's adolesence, especially her menstruation and sexuality, and her psychic powers.

Movie and musical adaptations

Brian de Palma directed a film version of Carrie in 1976 with Sissy Spacek as Carrie. Amy Irving, William Katt, Betty Buckley, Piper Laurie, Nancy Allen and John Travolta are also featured. A much-belated sequel appeared in 1999; it featured another girl with telekenetic powers (who is eventually revealed to have shared a father with Carrie), but the overall plot was painfully similar to the first story. A TV movie remake was released in 2002.

A 1988 Broadway musical, starring Betty Buckley, Linzi Hateley, and Darlene Love closed after only five performances and 16 previews. An English pop opera filtered through Greek tragedy, the show was such a notorious turkey it provided the title to Ken Mandelbaum's survey of theatrical disasters, Not Since Carrie: Forty Years of Broadway Musical Flops.