Wanna be taken on a final ride on the highway to hell?

(Big)Boys and their toys. An average King, focusing on the relationship between teenage boys and cars, something often fetishized. With other hobbies, it leads to lifelong obsessions and special interests of many males. Of course, since it involves boys and later men, there is also something pathological, if not somewhat sexual. Males just can't do something without mental issues or erections.

Coming of age with much horsepower. The teenage drama outsider setting, with dramatic changes of personality during the story. The seemingly first positive change, and the underlying question of why consumerism and status symbols won't go out of fashion soon make it a King work. However, it's in the line of novels he didn't really invest much finetuning in. That's mostly the case when there is just one complex character vs a problem or the world, with no metaplot and no fascinating inner struggles. In contrast, his best novels have two or multiple character perspectives and sometimes even a premise and deeper meaning that might have suddenly appeared while he let the characters tell the story or, secretly plotted, planned, and storyboarded a bit.

Just if you're into it. How enjoyable the novel can be is highly subjective. Just as Cujo might be a great read for dog enthusiasts, Christine is something for the car maniac. They feel more than the usual pride about a fancy new vehicle, and it's more about driving the route towards developing an unhealthy fixation and fetishism for a pile of metal. I'm also not sure if this special group might not find it more appealing than horrifying what happens in this story. Not just the gore, but this intimate relationship, the human-car fusion in the tradition of primitive, steampunk cyborg love.

Inspired by King being pretty high and drunk in the 80s. Cujo is one of his really bad works from that time, while others are ingenious, and Christine is somewhere in the middle. It could have been accelerated with some storytelling nitro and finetuning, but King didn't just produce en masse without care. His own fuel consumption immensely influenced the quality of his work. He freaking wrote Different Seasons, Pet Semetary, and It in this time period. What a freaking high titan of literature.

Tropes show how literature is conceptualized and created and which mixture of elements makes works and genres unique: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.ph...

One hell of a ride. Maybe the ride of a lifetime.

‘Son, you’re probably too young to look for wisdom in anyone’s words but your own, but I’ll tell you this: love is the enemy.’ He nodded at me slowly. ‘Yes. The poets continually and sometimes wilfully mistake love. Love is the old slaughterer. Love is not blind. Love is a cannibal with extremely acute vision. Love is insectile; it is always hungry.’

Before delving into this book, I had watched its movie adaptation numerous times, and what an enjoyable flick it was. Due to this, I had been procrastinating reading the novel, thinking I knew the storyline inside out. Oh, how wrong I was!

This story isn't solely about Christine, the famous red and white '57 Plymouth Fury from the movie. It delves deeper into themes of friendship, family, and growing up, while also exploring the dark corners of deep obsession and yearning. This novel is like a Swiss army knife, equipped with a plethora of different tools.

'And I think I understood then that what really scares people about growing up is that you stop trying on the life mask and start trying on another one. If being a kid is about learning how to live, then being a grown-up is about learning how to die.'

The story is presented in three distinct parts, mainly narrated by one character throughout. King employs this format to absolute perfection, creating an experience that is extremely endearing, personable, authentic, and rich in detail. My words simply cannot do it justice.

There were moments in this book where the writing transported me back in time. I could vividly envision what he was describing and sense the nostalgia of the era seeping from the pages. King also managed to evoke moments of intense and almost overwhelming tension and dread within these pages.

The same can be said for the exceptional character development and the social commentary that runs throughout this novel. It all combines to construct a larger and more vivid picture of the times and events within this story.

Often, when reading a book of this length, I tend to get bored or even zone out at times. However, this was one of the very few books that completely hypnotized me and immersed me in its world.

'On the far verge of Squantic Lake, some ten miles away as the crow flies, a young man who had gone out for a cross-country ski by starlight heard the sound and suddenly stopped, his hands on his poles and his head cocked. Abruptly the skin on his back prickled into bumps, as if a goose had just walked over his grave, and although he knew it was only a car somewhere on the other side – sound carried a long way up here on still winter nights – his first thought was that something prehistoric had awakened and had tracked its prey to earth: a great wolf, or perhaps a sabre-toothed tiger.'

An absolute stone-cold masterpiece. I didn't just read this story, I LIVED IT!

Even if you don't know much about this story, you'll probably know it's about a killer car. I already knew that much going into this story. That just shows how famous this story actually is. And it's clear this fame is very much earned. Because it's one heck of a read.

The story is about Arnie, but his friend Dennis starts out as the narrator. Through his eyes, we see that Arnie buys a wreck of an old car, hoping to repair it. Arnie sees a potential in this car that nobody else sees. He loves his car and becomes obsessed with it. Thanks to or even because of the car, we see Arnie changing right before us, as seen through the eyes of Dennis. And for a while, it actually seems to be for the better most of the time. But Dennis still has a bad feeling about the car. Then strange things start happening, and it's like the car itself has something to do with it.

I must admit, I'm not really a fan of cars. Driving a car is more a necessity rather than something I actually like to do. So it was a bit hard to relate to the main character in that regard, as he was very much in love with his car. Though it's definitely very recognizable. Plus, everyone probably knows what it's like to be a child or teenager and to really want something. So it's definitely very relatable. And that's even not the core of the protagonist's character, nor of the story in general.

This is classic Stephen King, in a very eighties setting. It's easy to read and even more easy to get hooked to the story. So even though it starts out a bit slow, you're basically flying through the pages. The characters are well fleshed out and the plot is a lot more than just simply a car going on a killing spree. It's actually more of a love triangle, with the car as a jealous girlfriend. And once the horror part of the story starts, it's absolutely brutal. Though changing the point of view after having only one fixed point of view the whole first third of the story took me a bit by surprise.

The second time was just as good as the first time.

I had completely forgotten some of the details in the book since I hadn't read it for a considerable number of years.

However, when I decided to re-read it, it was truly an amazing experience.

As I turned the pages, memories of the story started to flood back, and at the same time, I discovered new aspects and subtleties that I had missed before.

The words seemed to come alive on the page, painting vivid pictures in my mind and transporting me to another world.

It was like reuniting with an old friend and getting to know them all over again, but this time with a deeper understanding and appreciation.

Re-reading the book not only refreshed my knowledge but also gave me a new perspective and a sense of joy and fulfillment.

I'm so glad I decided to pick it up again and embark on this literary journey for the second time.

Don’t let the 3 stars fool you. The book was good, but if we’re being completely honest, it was a little generic. I love SK and I’m working my way up his reading list in order. However, I was a little disappointed with Christine. It has 700 plus pages of decent build-ups, but with little rewards of twists and “gotcha” moments.

Pros:

How on earth did SK make an old car terrifying? I have no idea, but I’m not shocked he could deliver a haunted, tormented, predator-influenced jealousy car. There are plenty of parts where you may question how a car could barge into a living room, kill someone, and then back out like nothing happened. SK truly made the harmless notion of a guy loving his car into something to take a second look at. Point blank, my truck’s name is James, and now I wonder if he’ll possess me someday the way I baby him. Loved how only SK can put such twisted things in my head.

Subliminal Scares: SK has a talent for this. By subliminal scares, I mean his ability to take everyday thoughts and actions and turn them into something overlooked and dark. It boils down to the way he describes people and things. For example, he examines a regular home body and makes it into something dark and creepy. He also compares a car guy dropping a lot of money into his car to a vampire sucking blood. And he describes parents in a violent and almost damned way.

Hard Edged Ending: Without spoiling the ending, be prepared for a lot of deaths of core characters. It’s full of blood, horror, cursing, exhaustion, and just plain killing anger. It’s good, but not the best SK could have delivered. The ending in “IT” was a bit better, but you do get the sense of teens fighting till the bitter end in this book. Additionally, there is a great twist in the end.

Cons:

No real character connections: This was a real bummer for me. I’m used to connecting with SK’s characters, but I didn’t feel any personal connections in Christine. The only character I kind of liked was Arnie, but his character was all over the place and hard to focus on. SK spent too much time on useless chapters about family members or town history. He could have spent more time on one character to create the connection I was craving.

Book is way too long for what it can deliver: As others have said, a 700 plus page book is normal for SK. But this book has a lot of useless chapters that I can’t even remember. For example, there were 20 pages of Dennis talking to his dad about nothing. Denis’s dad had little to do with the overall story, so I didn’t need to know all that information. There is just too much information and not enough twists or plot progressions to justify the 700 plus pages.

Well, that’s my review. I still think it was a decent read and not that bad. I just wish it had more of an impact on me. Thanks for reading! -Alex

I remembered having a great time enjoying this, but I completely forgot just how truly brilliant it was! It is a timeless classic that possesses an astonishing depth of both creepiness and humanity. It makes us think about the lengths we are willing to go to for our obsessions. What would happen if we turned our backs on everything that has supported us? The rapid degradation of humanity would be inevitable. Stephen King masterfully and horrifically shows Arnold's decay while still maintaining his humanity. The way he writes it is just beautifully crafted. And even after more than a decade, it is still even better than before! Without a doubt, it deserves a full 5 Stars.

Misfit Arnie Cunningham purchases a 1958 Plymouth Fury christened Christine, and it's an immediate case of love at first sight. As he undertakes the task of fixing the car, his obsession with it intensifies, and his life gradually spirals out of control.

On 11/5/2013, I'm temporarily parking Christine as it fails to rev my engine. It moves at a pace as sluggish as a Plymouth Fury with the emergency brake firmly engaged. One can only hope that I'll resume working on it in a few weeks' time, and perhaps then it'll manage to get my motor running once again.

Arnie's connection with Christine seems almost supernatural, and as his fixation deepens, it becomes clear that this car holds a strange power over him. The once ordinary life of Arnie Cunningham is now irrevocably changed by his encounter with Christine.

Reread on 10th Feb 2024

3.75/5 stars

I definitely had a more enjoyable experience on this reread. However, it still took me an incredibly long time to complete. This book is extremely long, perhaps longer than it should be. Don't misunderstand me; there are some truly outstanding sections. The descriptions are brilliant, really dark and suspenseful. But there are also paragraphs and maybe even a few chapters that I believe this book could do without. It prolongs the story unnecessarily and turns what is a great concept into a book that isn't the simplest to read. I really loved the characters in this book. Especially Dennis and Repperton. I wish we could have seen more of Repperton as I think he's one of the scariest bullies that King has ever written. This will always be a great concept for a book, with a lasting legacy. But after reading it twice, I won't be in a hurry to reread it again.

This is the story of Christine, a custom-painted red and white 1958 Plymouth Fury. You might think that a story about a car wouldn't justify a novel as long as 529 pages or that it would be dull and overstuffed. But this is Stephen King, and he has a way of making the most unexpected things come alive.

Arnie, a pimply-faced teenage outcast, one day spots a car and it's love at first sight. Despite the financial strain and the protests of his parents and friends, he buys the car from the grumpy owner and begins working on it. Slowly but surely, Christine is restored to its former glory. Just as gradually, Arnie undergoes a transformation too. Not only does he look different, but he also becomes more confident - and more angry. Are these changes more closely linked to the car than anyone could have imagined?

Well, since this is Stephen King, we can probably guess the answer. ;) School bullies and crooks, overbearing and terrifying parents, raging hormones - and a single-minded car with its undying love. But what exactly is driving Christine? That's the question, isn't it? Don't all the great poets say that lovers become one? BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Much of the book is told from Dennis', Arnie's best friend's, point of view. This was a refreshing change, as I haven't read many books in the first person. It also added a more genuine feel to what is essentially a very messed-up coming-of-age story. After all, it's Stephen King. *lol*

I was really surprised by how much I enjoyed this novel. Not just the scenes of school bullies and drug smugglers getting run over (and yes, I admit I relished the bloody deaths), but the overall story - the characters (I love to hate most of King's characters), the creepy atmosphere... It was truly entertaining and exciting from beginning to end.

This is my second time reading Christine. The first time was way back in the 80's when I was just a teenager.

Now, I'm reading it as the parent of teenagers. It's truly amazing how time flies.

I think I like it even better this time around. Over the years, my appreciation for King has grown significantly. He has an incredible talent for capturing the voice and setting vivid images in the reader's mind. This holds true even for those of us who aren't especially visual when we read.

Christine is yet another example of King's masterful slow, layered storybuilding. He carefully places each element until the perfect moment for action arrives, when all those carefully placed parts come together. The denouement, even when anticipated, still manages to surprise and satisfy, while also leaving a slight chill, as if there are still things that aren't quite finished.

A secret needs two faces to bounce between; a secret needs to see itself in another pair of eyes. This quote really adds an interesting layer to the story.

I initially thought I would despise this story

simply because the antagonist was a car. I had the preconceived notion that it would be among the weaker novels penned by King.

However, to my pleasant surprise, it was truly wonderful and I found myself really liking it.

The author's ability to create well-written characters and a captivating setting is truly remarkable.

As I delved deeper into the story, I became completely lost in the world that King had crafted.

The characters felt so real and their interactions added depth and complexity to the narrative.

The setting, too, was vividly described, making it easy for me to envision the scenes in my mind.

Despite my initial doubts, this novel managed to exceed my expectations and left a lasting impression on me.

It goes to show that sometimes, we should not judge a book by its cover or by our initial assumptions.

This story has taught me to keep an open mind and be willing to explore new and unexpected literary experiences.

I finished this book last night. It was my first genuine attempt at reading a Stephen King novel. The Mist had already piqued my interest in King, so I decided to pick another one of his good old books from my library. Fortunately, unlike The Mist, this one finally had an ending. I'm really glad about that because after reading over 500 pages, I would have been extremely frustrated if it had left me hanging without any closure. Granted, it wasn't the happiest of endings and there were still a few loose ends, but it was sufficient.

My only remaining question is: Does Stephen King include random sex scenes that don't really lead anywhere in every book? I've asked one person's opinion and the rather disappointing answer was yes. However, at least it's not overly excessive and it's somewhat tolerable.

One thing I have to say about King is that he does an excellent job of making the characters seem real. In too many books, the characters are almost too easily definable and their quirkiness or individuality is taken to an extreme. But with King's books, there have been very few characters that I couldn't say, "Hey, this guy reminds me of this other random person I know." Along with that, he creates a great suspenseful and eerie mood. I'm a bit of a wimp when it comes to scary books or movies, so I thought I'd be okay with Christine. But I finished it last night and ended up staying up for another half hour because I was too scared to close my eyes. Again, I'm a total scaredy-cat, but I still didn't expect a book about an evil car to make me jump like that.