Christine by Stephen King Is A Deeper Look At Boys Fascination With Girls & Cars & Not In That Order
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- Опубликовано: 24 июл 2024
- Mike continues down the beam of the Stephen King Multiverse by talking about 1983's Christine.
You can purchase Christine by Stephen King here: amzn.to/3i5GZYY (physical) amzn.to/30cqJPR (digital) amzn.to/3cyu6Wh (audio)
0:00 Intro & Excerpt Reading
2:25 Christine Background
3:45 What Is It About?
4:53 What Makes It Good or Bad?
14:58 Why You Should Read It
16:58 Spoiler Talk
20:41 Multiverse Connections
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#MikesBookReviews #StephenKing #Christine 
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My mom was a huge King fan when I was growing up. She would always wait until his books came out in paperback before she would buy them. She couldn’t wait for this one and got it when it first came out. Being as this was her first King hardcover I was constantly reminded how I had to be careful when reading it so I didn’t “damage” it in anyway. I also remember how I’d have to put the book down after dinner because it was her turn to read it and we each had individual book marks. Now this copy is in my bookshelf and it’s still in near perfect condition even though it’s been read several times.
I love that.
That's beautiful man.
Christine's most iconic line is where it mentions the only smell better than new car. 13yo me was fascinated by that...
Repperton's death in the book is a thousand times more impactful than in the movie. Zooming around in his sports car, Christine on his tail sloowly gaining on him from behind, with one of the other bullies and one freshman who had done nothing to anyone at speeds of 100+ mph on snowy roads, becoming more and more desperate and afraid, culminating in a crash after which a dying Repperton sees the ghost of Lebay looking down at him..
"You're all done, you shitter."
Oh yeah, totally agree. How about Moochy (iirc)-- rammed by Christine and flew into a brick wall at 50 mph... Fucking gnarly..
I wish this series got more traffic i love this into the multiverse so mutch. I hope you wont get demotivated to make these
I havent read Christine yet but i am very intrested. I am currently still reading Insomnia (about halfway trough) and i enjoy it A LOT (insomnia also has a lot of connection to the multiverse) but i definetly added it to my tbr
I love many of stephen kings books but this is the only one where I can remember that I actually cried at the end. I am talking about that part where the protagonist says "I love you arnie". I get goosebumps just writing this right now. that was so sad
Killed me when he saw Arnie at his bedside after all of it
"Thanks. You did okay. I feel better now"
doctor sleep made me pretty teary eyed at points. mostly the stuff about alcoholism.
I got bullied until 4th grade. I was the fat kid!😂 One day after school my principal actually came to my house, and told my dad that I needed to stand up for myself. My dad told me the next time someone picks on me to punch them, and that's what I did. I was twice the size of everyone (I've been 6'3 since I was 12 years old.) So I have no idea why it took me so long to stick up for myself. I never got picked on again though after that, and made it a point to stick up for kids that were getting bullied in high school. It was definitely a different time back then. I don't think a principal today would give permission to fight at school.
He wouldn’t, but that’s great that he cared
I fell in love with the story the second time reading. As you get older, your perception picks up on different things.
Great video! I actually really enjoyed the 1st person - 3rd person - 1st person narrative shift. I can't explain why but it keeps it interesting to me.
Another great intro. This is one King book I'm yet to read even though it's one of his most well known. Going to have to eventually.
Just love the intro sound ♥️
I discovered your channel yesterday after looking up Salem’s Lot reviews. I just wanted to say love your content and can’t wait for more of these multiverse reviews!
Hey, thanks! Hope you enjoy.
I *just* finished reading Christine a few hours ago. I was really apprehensive about this book and was kind of putting it off but once I got about 180 pages in, I just really had a good time with it. I was pleasantly surprised by this one!
MIKE LOVE THE WAY YOU INTRODUCE THE BOOKS YOU REVIEW FOR US. LOVE THE MUSIC, GRAPHICS AND THE QUOTES FROM THE BOOK. KEEP THAT UP.
Your book reviews are just so good man. Thank you!
I remember my mom was cracking up so hard at how Arnie kept yelling "SHITTERS!"
I loved this book and the movie! Takes me back to my early 20s. Great nostalgia! I had no idea Christine was tge car in IT. that totally passed me by.
Fun video
Great intro mike
This was a great review. I listened to this one on audio and I struggled to connect with it, but you definitely make me want to go back and give it another go with a physical copy. King's character work is definitely the best
Been watching these reviews while writing. The moment where you talk about model cars made me stop and smile. Haven’t thought about those in a while. Thank you for that.
That mug is epic!
This was the second Stephen King book I ever read, at thirteen years old. I've re-read it since, still one of my favorites
Read this one in high school. I remember liking the books a lot. I thought about rereading this book recently, but this book’s details are still very vivid to me. I love all of your vids but the Stephen King reviews are my favorites. I will put it this way. Been reading King since I was about 9 years old. King is like a third parent who visited every year and gifted me with a new story. Very integral in my upbringing.
Just picked it up and started it , im excited
So great to see your commentary about this one! I got into Stephen King when I was in high school and Christine was the 4th book of King’s that I read. I always thought that the car was possessed by the former owner’s soul, but I’ll have to do some research on the other arguments! 11/22/63 is on my TBR for next month, I’ll be eager to see if I catch the Christine cameo.
It killed someone as it came off the assembly line.
The camaro pic!!!! OMG my dad used to have a nice black mustang when I was a child and he loved that car to pieces.
This was my first King book I ever read. This book was the resson I became a huge King fan.
It seems to get disrespected by King fans but I still find plenty of redeeming qualities in it.
@@mikesbookreviews It is the King book I re read the most.
Christine to me is the perfect example of how King can make the more outlandish ideas believable and terryfying.
I liked this one a lot. I read it at the age where kids really want a car. If a kid had a car that cool, even if it was possessed, he'd almost have to work around it. lol
i just found this book in my dads old library and wanted to check what this book was about
I liked the book and the movie. A friend in college recommended SK to me. I started with Salem's Lot then went back and caught up. I kept reading until I finished Gerald's Game and then didn't pick up another SK until years later. I started back up with Delores Claiborne and have been reading his books fairly regularly. I need to pick up some like Dr Sleep and others, but not anytime soon though. Thanks for the review.
Nice.
I spent the Christmas of '84 in Juvenile Hall, and this book was my best friend there for two weeks. I would trade that memory for anything.
Wow. I have never heard about that one. Sounds intense. Oh, and I did want to let you know, that I started listening to Traitor's Blade tonight, and I am already 6 chapters into it and I love it. I had read this book before, but I didn't remember anything from that first listen. This time, I do want to finish reading the whole series, instead of stopping for some odd reason after reading the first 2 books. I am also about 60% finished with listening to the Shadow Rising.
Just finished this book today
It's been at least 25 years since I read the book, but IIRC Dennis clearly agreed that hooking up with Leigh was a dick move. He says that they both knew it was messed up at the time, and instantly regretted it (albeit not enough to make them stop doing it). But it's also kind of understandable - Dennis and Leigh shared fears of and for Arnie, and guilt at being unable to reach or help him. More, they felt like they were the only people in the world who knew or cared that something terrible seemed to be happening to Arnie, that they couldn't talk to anyone but each other. That's the kind of witches' brew that can lead grown-ass adults into terrible life decisions, even without adding hormone-addled teenagerism into the mix. None of that makes it _okay_ - see above re: "dick move" - but at least it's an understandable screw-up. And it's an important development for the story and characters - I would even say Dennis's and Leigh's betrayal is actually necessary to the book's central theme.
My personal theory on Christine is that there were two kinda-separate things happening. The car itself was possessed by something, perhaps a demon, along the lines of King's short story, "The Mangler," _and_ Arnie was being possessed by the ghost of the car's former owner, Roland LeBay. I know it's more complicated than the ideal, and in the book Dennis speculates that it's all just LeBay's ghost, alternately possessing both Arnie and Christine. And Arnie gradually dressing, acting, and even _looking_ like LeBay certainly sounds like a classic story of possession. But weird stuff starts happening around Christine even before LeBay's death, and in _most_ ghost stories you don't get to start haunting people until _after_ you've died. So, two separate (but somehow linked) entities possessing two separate (but linked) hosts. Ultimately, though, I think the supernatural mechanics of the thing don't matter, because the story isn't really _about_ answering the question, "How do you create a killer car?" More like, "How do you feel, knowing that you failed your life-long best friend when he needed your help the most? That you even hammered the last nail into his coffin yourself?"
As someone who was constantly bullied in Junior High l loved this book and really cheered Christine on when she ran down hateful people.
I was bullied horrendously in Jr High. I decided enough was enough and began to defend myself. A couple broken noses later I was never bullied again. Turning the other cheek is good, but usually that approach doesn’t do squat
I had to sneak this one into the house to read this, because my aunt was so religious that she believed that you could bring a demon into the house by reading this
I enjoyed the 3rd person and back to 1st person when Denis jumps back to action.
My 1st Stephen King book that I bought as a youth with my own money. Loved the movie also
In one way,this is my favorite...because,to me ,its about bond of friends,and the pain of youth,particularly school,specifically boys life in school. And the vintage brutality inherent in high school is a specialty if king,especially late sixties,early seventies. Its a wonderful surrogate ,the car,for all the things that hold fatal attraction for us as youth -drugs, toxic relationships, obsession...I remember the buddy reppertons of my own story,and the Christine's as well.
Have to disagree with your thoughts about Dennis and Leigh. I get it about Dennis seeing Leigh, but to me, it was a natural unfolding of what actually would have happened. Look, they both understood the stakes. That naturally would have gravitated them both to each other. I get the bro code, but it would have happened just like that. Not that it’s right, but it made total sense to me. Dennis was a kid before all else. Let’s not judge him too harshly Mike’.
Yeah agreed, they were two love struck teens in extraordinary circumstances. It was inevitable. I don’t think many guys would have been able to resist the allure of Leigh. Shit happens man
Don't remember the movie, but a dog that looks like Cujo is crossing a road and a car slams on it's brakes just before hitting him. In the pan up to it, it's wearing a nametag on it's bumper: "Hello! My name is CHRISTINE"
Great video. I definitely like this book more than Pet Sematary or Cujo because the behavior of the characters in the former never made much sense to me and the latter is lacking in the supernatural elements that I prefer in a good horror story.
It might be a longish novel but I just love the experience so much that it always feel like a very quick read. Arnie's relationship with Leigh was ruined because he was being possessed. Dennis had nothing to do with it and if it makes you feel any better he's probably not going to live long after the end of the book.
It’s certainly underrated
It's funny because I first heard of this once when I saw the movie on TV. I thought the movie sucked (they always cut out all the good parts on TV). Anyway, fast forward probably 20 years later and I happened to come across this book while I was looking for something to read and I figured what the hell. Several friends told me it was a good book and I have to say since reading it, I absolutely loved it and it made me love the movie. I agree with you on stealing Arnie's girl. I didn't like that at all and I too routed for Christine when she killed Buddy and his crew. Loved this book so much I might give it a reread.
Have to disagree on the Dennis/Leigh angle. I think it was inevitable. Two love struck teens with hormones raging? In extraordinary circumstances? Yeah, tell me the guy who would have turned Leigh away.
About teen boys and cars. My Aunt has been dorm housekeeping at a college since the 80s. In the 2000s she noticed what (college) boys can tell the make, model, and *year* of something: cell phones. I don't mean smart phones, but cell phones. Remember the Razor? The modern equivalent of fixing up cars or hot rods is building your own suped up gaming PC. But these are mostly by people over the age of 30 (around the year 2020).
Also a final tidbit. I teach religious education (6-8th grade depending on who was available for the year) since 2010 and at the start of the year ask personality questions and popular culture to gauge the students and what to use as references and examples. I can say successfully that Television is *DEAD* around 2015. But I mean Broadcast TV, Cable, Streaming services, and RUclips are dead. For 3 years straight nobody could give me their favorite show on TV or the Internet. They just constantly text to each other of their local social group of classmates. (Minor blessing that nobody mentioned things like Jake Paul.)
I just finished reading "Christine" for the first time, but have always loved the movie. For me the book fleshed out the movie more. Although I like Dennis and Leigh much better in the movie. With the book I enjoyed the fact that there was so much of the parents and Dennis' sister. The movie does the classic detour where the parents kind of disappear (if they show them at all) and the teenagers are on their own. For some reason is surprised me that the book was 100% from Dennis' perspective and was being told to us by him. Anyway, really enjoyed it and for a 721 page book, I got through it pretty quickly.
My fave book of all time
I've never read Christine but now I have too. Great video, Mike! That intro really sucked me in.
For the upcoming remake they should cast Odessa Young who played Franny in the 2020 version of The Stand as Leigh Cabot. Idk what it is about her, but she perfectly portrays the sense of horror that King adaptations have.
What?!! A remake! Can't wait!
I plan to try to do all King books in publication order top of the year. Christine is one I never got around to. Probably because I saw the movie. That happens.
I definitely think this book could’ve been shorter. I flew through the first 500 or so pages but the end just seems to drag on a bit and I found myself finishing at a much slower pace in the end of part two and throughout part three.
"Don't turn your back on the Wolfpac, you might wind up in a body bag🤘"
HAHAHA!! I just read Christine and I am now walking around calling people Shitter inside my head and laughing about it...can't let that word go :)
That's one thing that gets on my nerves where in especially 90s sitcoms , bullying is portrayed for laughs.
17:25 - 1000% AGREE with you! I did not like the fact Dennis took/ slept with Leigh, even tho Arnie kicked her out. I mean the way how Dennis and she fell for each other was kinda silly and rushed/ forced in the book and all King's words say to rationalize it was "teenage hormones" & I get King wants to make his characters imperfect but this move was seriously again, forced & convenient. What made Dennis truly special for me was this was King going against stereotype jocks, where this time the jock truly cared for his buddy but when he slept with her & conveniently quickly fell in love, that was King making Dennis a typical cliche jock again. I was really glad that the film adaptation got rid of that part and their romance subplot.
On a whole, this book was great and I loved the extra chapters about Le Bay's backstory. But the whole Junkins-Darnell racketeering subplot was very unnecessary & made the story go sideways but at least they were never boring. IMO the film could've even taken out Detective Junkins since he served no purpose. I do totally wish though, that the Christine remake does the whole Buddy-gang kill chase sequence like in the book. I can tell why they changed it in Carpenter's film bcoz the budget/ fx at the time made it unfilmmable but now, they can definitely do it!
Also that he(Dennis) was pretty much into her and was hoping to get her and see her that way (even before the choking incident), and in general his attitude where he could have been a bit clear, I mean sure there were things to like about Dennis but I just didn’t like him from the onset
Mike said the same thing I was thinking all along 😅
Title is missing a bracket brother
I wonder if buddy and Henry were in school together, who would be the top dog? Henry is crazier, but would they be in the same gang or be fierce rivals? We will never know
Arnie's descent into madness and his growing obsession with this car, which is a beautiful car btw, is what is scary about this book and movie.
Haven’t read Christine yet but King does that weird confusing switching between first and third person in From a Buick 8. There’s a theme there I think...
Oh man, physical bullying is still really bad for kids, but now they have to deal with cyber bullying in addition.
I think the only Stephen King book I have read is Misery, which I did like, but didn't lead me to want to pick up any others. I'm just not a big fan of horror. But I'm trying to watch all your videos so you don't lose any views LOL.
Was not really looking forward to reading this. Always heard it was one of his worst. I needn’t have worried. I loved it. Felt a bit disjointed in certain places, but was such an amazing, enjoyable read.
The switch in narrative was odd but the story was solid.
@@mikesbookreviews 100% agree. As you say in your other reviews from 74-87, King could do no wrong.
I sure got bullied a lot and Stephen King definitely felt like he was on the side of writing about bullying and what harm it can do.
Glad you didn't read Rage then.
There's a strong current of melancholy going through King's books in his early 80s period. It seems like he was going through some kind of depressive episode or something. You get that in Christine where he's writing about getting older, but it also appears in Cujo and Pet Semetary. This was the period where he wrote The Gunslinger and Different Seasons. In my opinion, this was King's best period where he produced some of his most inspired and memorable writing.
Christine is a lesser demon from the Prim, similar to the cars in FROM A BUICK 8, "Mile 81", and NOS4A2 by Joe Hill, if not the same exact species. Arnie was used by the car just as Roland Lebay was used by her as well. That's just me, though. The story I heard about King was that his publisher was pressuring him to come up with something else scary (note, his last several books were a lot less than horror) and he, at a whim, pitched a story about a haunted car. Who knows?
I didn’t personally mind him going after armies girl because Arnie had gone completely Bezerk by that point. Guy goes on a couple dates with her and we’re supposed to think they were some great love story. In fact, I was a more upset with how unlikely the most beautiful girl in school would fall for this nerd that was already showing signs of being manic depressive (possessed) over his car. She would have been like eww, “next!” So that seemed more far fetched than Dennis going after the girl. I loved this book though all in all!
Im 3/4 of the way through the book and I’ve seen the movie idk how many times.. and I love the book. One thing I’ve noticed is when you read a Stephen king book and watch the movie, the book fills in the blanks. Things that happen make a lot more sense. You hear the background of Christine. My take is Christine needs someone to feed on. Like when LeBay sold her..he dies. So she starts using Arnie to gain back her youth..where it wears Arnie down. The book mentions LeBays corpse a lot..so I think the owners become part of her.. it’s hard to explain if you haven’t read the book
I think that Christine could be pennywise seeing that pennywise is a shapeshifter. but that's just me.
Early in the book, there’s a mention of a high school burning down. This must be Carrie’s school.
I was very satisfied with each cool car scene, taking out each shitter that needed dealt with. So in that regard, I don't consider this horror. Just action/thriller. Not masterpiece status, but a fantastic palate cleanser
Great video man, love the NWO Wolfpack t shirt
Love Kristine
Bang-Shang-a-lang
I read the book and i felt christine was evil from the start but usually got confused can anybody explain what was the evil actually was
damn this missing bracket triggers me :D
As a 15 year old kid I can say we are not as into cars as you were as a teen.
pretty lame premise for a novel, somehow King does it.
haven't read this in ages, but i clearly remember thinking King really tapped into the teenage boy POV.
Every single non-super-natural situation in this book happened to me or someone i knew
in this instance i like the ambiguity about the nature of the villain. I feels to me like some kind of evil entity, one that enfolded Roland (I think that was his name... not the scion of Eld) and was doing the same with Arnie, and would eventually go on to a new "host." There's something feminine about Christine (beyond the name) and there's obvious relationshippy aspects with Arnie and the car that makes it seem like more than the previous owner haunting the town. And the fact that the car had powers while (i think his name was) Roland was alive means it's not just a ghost. Do we see a snippet of when Christine was originally being made? Or am i inserting a Futurama episode in there?
Overall this is still only a middle of the road King for me. If i was going to start a reread of any of his novels, i would reach for several others before this one. Very strong in some areas, for some reason not a home run for me personally, though i haven't read it for many a year.
LOVE INTO THE MULTIVERSE SERIES
Getting hardcore Judas Priest vibes from that book cover and I'm not upset about it.
As more of a king critic than fan, i dont think christine is the red headed step child, but the forgoted child. People enjoy the movie and just make fun of the concept of a book about a car that kills people like it's a terrible idea. I've never read it, myswlf, but i imagine it's better than Trucks. But i haven't read one, either.
Cmon Mike.. that’s just naive and holier than though. Given the circumstances, and the situation at hand, it was inevitable. Tell me the guy who could have turned Leigh down in this situation? Not likely my friend
I wouldn't call this a spoiler-free review at all, which makes me glad I've already read the book (I've always loved Christine - it's meditative). I won't believe you in the future when you claim to be spoiler-free.
Man, typography was sexy back in the day.
Christine was the only thing LeBay loved and the death of his family cemented their union. Decades later I still remember his disgusting description and remain chilled by his casual racism.
No, young people don’t care about cars or even driving much, Uber and inflation have caused the new generation to obsess about sneakers ( affordable for them unlike cars) that way you talk about loving cars.
Haunted car, no thanks.