Christine

[SarahKat, Buddy Reads]

This thread is to discuss Christine by Stephen King.

Pages: 411 pages

Length: 1 Month (October)

Participants: Eirelyn, Trisha

Everyone reads at their own pace during a Buddy Read. Because participants can be at different parts of the book at different times, it is extremely important to mark spoilers so that the book is not ruined for someone who is not as far along as others!!!

Mark spoilers by placing {spoiler} before the text and {/spoiler} after the text but use the < and > instead of the { and }.


Happy Buddy Reading!

[Trisha, Buddy Reads]

Hey Eirelyn, long time! ;) How have you been?
When are you planning to start this one?

[Eirelyn]

Haha, hey, Trisha! XD I actually already started it while waiting for my final September book hold to come through. But that one is in now so I'm taking a break from this one until I finish that one. I'm about 20% through Christine at the moment, and I plan to restart it towards the beginning of October (it'll be my 1st Oct. book). :D

[Trisha, Buddy Reads]

OMG! Already started? I'm so upset, why didn't you tell me before?

Only kidding! I'm planning to start by next weekend if not sooner. Got a couple of books to finish before that! :)

[[deleted user]]

Christine by Stephen King

I am going to read this for the October Buddy Reads with SarahKat.

[Eirelyn]

lol Trisha. XD I knew I wouldn't finish right away because I was still waiting for my final September book to come through. I am still working on that one because it came in sooo laaate! So I have put Christine on hold until I finish. I'm sure you'll catch up with (& probably pass) me by the time I restart! XD

[Eirelyn]

@Debra, are you & SarahKat going to hang out in here & discuss with us too? :D

[[deleted user]]

@Eirelyn, I would like to if that's ok. I love Stephen King. I just finished Sleeping Beauties for a TBR buddy read in September.

[Eirelyn]

Absolutely! The more the merrier! :D I've been wanting to read Sleeping Beauties as well, but I had too many books already planned to join in the Buddy Read of it this year. Maybe next year!

[Trisha, Buddy Reads]

I’m finally starting this tomorrow! Yay, I can’t keep calm, I love Stephen King!! ☠️

[Eirelyn]

Yay, Trisha! :D My ebook loan returned, so now I'm waiting for it again while I read one of my other Oct books, lol.

[Trisha, Buddy Reads]

Not a problem! This time around I am planning to read about 50-60 pages a day and fyi, my copy has over 600 pages. So I’ll take it slow!

Btw, if you find time, I’d like to read your views so far. Your posts are always so enlightening! :)

[Trisha, Buddy Reads]

Heyy, although I started the book a week ago, I parked it after reading 60 pages and only picked it up yesterday. This is just the kind of book, the King of Horror is famous for. I have read till chapter 14.

Not a spoiler, just a comment on the writing and the overall stoy of the book: (view spoiler)[Very gripping and creepy writing! The action has not even started and might not even be there for all you know, but the buildup is so creepy and fascinating that I can't help but be pulled into the scene. I love all of King's old books, all of them!! It's the buildup that excites me - a young boy who has always been bullied and tormented, both at school and at home - who has always been a nobody! He suddenly comes across this car and starts feeling special, something he hasn't felt before. But this car has a dark past - a past that would possibly become Arnie's future? I'm enjoying the thrill! (hide spoiler)]

I do not have me iPad handy on which I'm reading my ebook; I have marked a few sections to discuss, will post something in the evening. :)

[Trisha, Buddy Reads]

Hey Eirelyn, are you okay? Believe me, I went really slow and peeked into this thread every single day to check if you’re back, but even with that, I finished today. Can’t wait to talk to you about it!

[Eirelyn]

Aaahhh, so sorry, Trisha! I've been so MIA and haven't really been reading much. I've been so busy with other stuff (it's this time of year for me!). I re-checked out this one a couple days ago & am slowly working my way through it.

[Eirelyn]

I'm through ch. 22 so far and really liking it. It's definitely got a slow burn to it, which is fine by me. I like the build up. It hasn't been too...weird...yet so far, lol, which is also fine by me. XD I like the characters & am enjoying reading them. It just switched from Dennis's POV to Arnie's a couple chapters ago, so I'm getting used to the switch. I'm really interested to see where this goes.

(Also, I'm glad this thread will be open through Nov so we can continue to discuss. Sorry I've taken forever...)

[Trisha, Buddy Reads]

Hey, take your time! In fact, in case you are unable to finish by Nov 25th, let me know and I’ll extend the thread for you. We all have that time of the year! :)

Btw, your comment about the switch from Dennis’s POV to Arnie’s has gotten me a bit confused. The book is divided into 3 parts, so you’re now in part 2. I don’t think part 2 was from Arnie’s perspective; it was, in fact, from a third person point of view, you know the standard POV in fiction - when the reader is simply narrated a story and the narrator has complete access to the thoughts and experiences of all the characters in the book. (Copied this last sentence from Google to explain myself better!)

[Eirelyn]

Thanks for understanding! :D I am about 62% of the way through now & really hoping to finish soon!

lol Yeah, I realized this after I posted my comment. That first scene in Part 2 was following Arnie at home (and the Part is named Arnie, after all, lol), so I mistakenly thought it was going to follow him exclusively like Part 1 had followed Dennis, but since that first scene, it has been bouncing around, following various characters. XD

Ah, Christine. She is a (view spoiler)[vengeful, possessive lady, isn't she? XD Moochie got run over several times. How vicious! And then Buddy and his, well, buddies, all just got killed as well. Those were some wicked scenes. I don't blame Dennis at all for being so wary about walking in front of or behind her. XD And poor Leigh, nearly choking to death in the car! I'm glad she stood up for herself and decided not to ride in the car anymore! (hide spoiler)]

Also, I want to like (view spoiler)[Arnie, but...he is just kind of driving (pun intended? XD) me nuts. I know Christine has her hooks in him deep, lol, but omg his mouth around his parents... The way he talks to them just makes me cringe a bit. (hide spoiler)]

[Eirelyn]

Oh, and I agree with you about the style of this book. This is my first classic King book, and it is a lot different from the ones I'd read before (which have all been from the 21st century!).

I was really into that slow burn at the beginning, and how it felt dark without anything having happened yet. It was a great build-up!

[Eirelyn]

Arnie just got (view spoiler)[arrested! He's not doing himself any favors by not talking. But the kid has to protect Christine! He can't piss off Will Darnell & let him get at her! XD Although, honestly, why not? She healed herself before, right? (hide spoiler)]

Also, I was just thinking about this while reading, but...I had a friend throughout school whose full first name was Christine...and her initials were CAR. We'd joke about that from time to time. lol Kind of spooky, though. XD

[Eirelyn]

Uh oh. (view spoiler)[Dennis & Leigh are starting to moon over each other. Christine's not going to like this. XD (hide spoiler)]

[Eirelyn]

I'm through ch. 48 -- almost there!

Things are really heating up now. Dennis & Leigh (view spoiler)[are making plans to demolish Christine. I don't think she's going to be too happy about this or go quietly at all. XD (hide spoiler)]

[Eirelyn]

I finally finished a couple nights ago! I really liked this one. I've only read 3 Stephen King books in my life, but this has been my favorite so far. :D

Although, I was cringing a little when (view spoiler)[Dennis & Leigh decided to crush Christine. Mostly because I didn't think it would work out! I kept yelling at them to at least break her into pieces and separate them, hoping that would stop her from fixing herself. But even at that, I didn't think it would stop her. And with that ending, with the final guy getting killed by a car out west...and Dennis's worries about it...I'm a little frightened for their well-being! I knew she wasn't gone forever! (hide spoiler)]

Also, as the story progressed, I felt (view spoiler)[so badly for Arnie, knowing that he was basically being possessed by crazy LeBay. And then his plea with Dennis to help him. :( And then he & his whole family ended up getting killed! How horrible! :'''''( (hide spoiler)]

All around, a great read! Sorry it took me so long to finish. It certainly had nothing to do with how well I liked the book. :D

[Trisha, Buddy Reads]

Eirelyn wrote: "Also, I want to like Arnie..."

I agree! (view spoiler)[There wasn’t much dimension to his character. Wholeheartedly agreeing with your pun there. I still fail to understand what got him to like Christine in the first place, remember it was love at first sight? I remember vaguely something Dennis mulling over after Arnie got Christine home , it was about how Christine was similar to Arnie - both alienated from the world outside, ugly and defeated. Although if that was what got him attracted in the first place, Christine was definitely not part of the loser gang to which Arnie belonged. She was, like you said, wicked and vengeful! (hide spoiler)]

[Trisha, Buddy Reads]

Eirelyn wrote: "I had a friend throughout school whose full first name was Christine...and her initials were CAR..."

Laughing out loud at your friend’s name! Creepy! 💀

[Trisha, Buddy Reads]

Eirelyn wrote: "Dennis & Leigh are starting to..."

I initially thought that it was in favour of Christine,(view spoiler)[ you know how that would have left Arnie for her alone. But then as the story progressed, it was not just Christine being wicked, but Le Bay’s ghost (is that what it was) got involved too. So Christine wanted Arnie while Le Bay wanted Leigh - I was genuinely confused for a while! (hide spoiler)]

[Trisha, Buddy Reads]

Eirelyn wrote: "I finally finished a couple nights ago! I really liked this one. I've only read 3 Stephen King books in my life, but this has been my favorite so far..."

I remember you read The Institute with me; which is the other King book that you’ve read? I have read some of his most famous works and I think this book was absolutely in line with those. Such gripping and vivid writing!

In response to your spoilers: (view spoiler)[
I didn’t think Dennis’ plan would work and like you, I was thinking of ways to get rid of her. How about burning the car, or burying the pieces in a holy place ( a church, temple, anything), etc. lol! And yes, I guessed there would be something in the epilogue. (hide spoiler)]

Also, wasn’t there a message for all (view spoiler)[ parents who are way too strict and calculative with their kids, planning every single thing of their lives, not giving them a breather! I hated how poor Arnie was raised. Totally understand that Regina had a bitter childhood but that shouldn’t have led her to groom her child the way she did. But then, therapy wasn’t a thing then! What about Michael? Why was he always so submissive - raising Arnie was part of his job too so he ideally should have superseded some of his wife’s decisions. I was so annoyed with his character sketch although it was believable. I once had a friend whose parents were exactly like Regina and Michael. She wasn’t a loser though, but quite alienated the way Arnie was. Wasn’t allowed to go to picnics, do stuff that other girls of her age did. When she got into college, she ended her relationship with them and the last I spoke to her, she hadn’t seen them in years. (hide spoiler)]

[Eirelyn]

Yeah, the (view spoiler)["love at first sight thing" -- I think it was just kind of a supernatural draw, I guess? Christine knew Arnie was the type of person she could draw in when he first laid eyes on her (& she on him?). (hide spoiler)]

I agree about the whole LeBay/Christine thing. I was a little confused about that as well. It had been all Christine the whole novel and then suddenly they realized that (view spoiler)[LeBay was "possessing" Arnie too and wanted Leigh. (hide spoiler)]

The other King book I read was Cell. I really liked the beginning of it and the introduction of the characters, but as it went along, it took a turn I wasn't really fond of. Plus, I didn't like the ending at all.

Haha, yes, maybe (view spoiler)[burying Christine on holy ground would have worked! Or perhaps, smashing her apart and dropping the pieces in acid? lol. (hide spoiler)]

Oh, that's so terrible about your friend! :( There is certainly a fine line between being protective & being overly protective/controlling. (view spoiler)[Arnie's parents did drive me nuts, but I found it very realistic as well. Regina was the way she was because of her past, and not having had any opposition to that via her husband or Arnie, she probably didn't really realize she was stifling either of them. Plus, if they are just going along with it, they are basically enabling her behavior & kind of making it seem like it's okay that it continues. A lot of times we just get into a rhythm without realizing some of the effects of what we're doing until they are pointed out to us. So, when Arnie did point out that she had been controlling him his entire life, I was hoping she would have a little bit of introspection about that and try to change. Of course, that didn't happen. But also, I think a big part of that was that Arnie didn't come to her calmly about it. He was always exploding at her and being really kind of hateful, and when that happens, the core of the message is generally lost. We're much less likely to take the meaning to heart when the words & demeanor are so disrespectful.

My dad's best friend & his friend's wife are kind of Michael/Regina-like. She is very controlling. I don't know about how she is with the kids but with him, she likes to control everything. When he'd get paid, he'd give his paycheck to her and she would basically give him an "allowance" of money to spend for the week. Put like this, she sounds incredibly domineering, which I suppose she was, but...he also let it happen. Giving in to it just shows that nothing's wrong (in her eyes), so why would she even consider changing things? They did finally kind of have it out, and I think they were going to marriage counseling. I'm not sure how all that worked out, though. (hide spoiler)]

[Trisha, Buddy Reads]

Well-written, Eirelyn! Parenting is a tough job; I wonder how our parents did it. I don't have kids as of now, in fact, the very idea of raising kids scares me to the bone. Someday for sure, just not now! :)

Btw, I haven't read Cell yet, it's on my to-do. But looking at your feedback, I might push it down the list. ;)

[Eirelyn]

Thanks. :D There was a lot to consider in this novel, developmentally & psychologically, for sure.

lol Whoops. Who knows -- maybe you'll like it better than I did? XD