Book Reviews | Christine, by Stephen King

Christine: The Car That Stole My Heart

And made me a King fan for life!

The car that stole my heart wasn’t a car I owned… or drove. It wasn’t even a real car at all. It was Christine.

Ah, Christine… you made me a Stephen King fan, and you have a place in my heart forever for that alone.

A car changed everything

If you’re unfamiliar with Christine, she’s a car. A 58’ Plymouth Fury that could barely be driven…

It was the last year of high school for best friends Arnie and Dennis. At the end of summer, the two boys were making some cash by working on a motorway extension — pretty good money for a summer job.

And that’s how Arnie had enough cash to buy Christine. He saw her one day while riding home with Dennis after work. Dennis couldn’t believe his friend was interested in that pile of junk. The red beauty that stole Arnie’s heart wasn’t in good shape when they first met.

But Arnie saw something in her, in Christine. He even agreed to pay the atrocious quantity that old man LeBay, who had owned her since buying her as a brand new car, asked for her. Arnie was even willing to get into a fight with his parents (he had always been such a good boy up to that point!).

Dennis never liked Christine. There was something about her… she gave him nightmares. But there was no denying that Arnie was doing an excellent job restoring the car. So good it was almost unbelievable.

And Arnie deserved something nice for himself. Dennis was almost happy for him. But soon, weird things start to happen. And they’re all somehow connected to Christine.

Second-hand books: or how I got my hands on a Stephen King book for the first time

The first time I read Christine, I was just thirteen.

I had heard of Stephen King, as I suspect anybody who likes to read has. But to that point, I haven’t read anything from the bestseller author.

Thinking about it now, I’m glad it took me a while to read King’s work. After all, he’s not known as the master of horror for no reason.

But at thirteen, that changed.

I used to save the bus fare and walk to my English lessons. It was no easy feat since it was an hour there and an hour back… But I liked to save that money to buy second-hand books. And it was worth it.

We didn’t have much money growing up. And, of course, books are not as essential as food. Or so some people say… And my parents believed that too.

And they didn’t have the money to pay for English classes either. Those were damn expensive at the time.

But I found a place that was on the cheaper side, secured myself a good discount, and my aunt (and godmother) paid for me to attend the classes as a gift. To this day, that’s one of the best presents I’ve ever got from anyone.

She also paid for the bus fare. That I didn’t use for the bus… Every two to three weeks, I’d have enough money to buy a second-hand book.

Mainly, I bought classics. That’s because they were cheap and even cheaper from the second-hand bookshop. And the stories are good. So they were my usual choice.

All Stephen King books were far too expensive for my pockets, even second-hand ones… After all, he’s a bestseller author. So although I wanted to read his books for a while, I had never had the chance.

They didn’t have any of his books in our library at school (it was a tiny library)… And I couldn’t wait long enough to save the money to buy any of his books.

That is… until I found Christine.

Just like the car, the book was in terrible condition. And quite expensive, if you consider it was basically falling apart.

(The book actually did fall apart while I was reading it. But I still kept it and re-read it several times. I was careful only to read it at home. And every time I closed the book, I ensured the loose pages were tucked in nicely at the right spots.)

Ah, Christine, I fell in love with you too

Christine was calling me. There it was: a Stephen King book I could afford.

I didn’t think twice. I bought that book and started reading it as soon as I got home.

And as battered as the book was, as expensive as it had been… not for one second I regretted buying it. In fact, I’m grateful to this day.

So there it was—my first ever Stephen King book. Did I know what I was getting myself into? No, absolutely not. But I would find out very soon.

I rapidly fell in love with Christine. For many reasons. The relatable characters, the fascinating plot, the intriguing supernatural vein, and all the rock’ n’ roll songs. It was reading paradise for a thirteen years old girl.

Well… it was reading paradise for a thirty-four years old woman too… Even though I’ve read this book many times, I still found a lot of enjoyment in re-reading this gripping horror story.

One thing I wasn’t expecting was how much I connected with Arnie’s parents this time around. Reading Christine as a parent was a completely different experience. Everything hits a little bit differently once your perspectives change.

I can still understand Arnie and his desire for more freedom. I haven’t forgotten how it feels to be a teenager. At least, not yet. But now I can relate to Regina’s loss much more.

My kids are very far away from being teenagers. So it’s not that I’m going through something similar myself. Perhaps, when I re-read this story next time, I’ll understand Regina and Michael, Arnie’s parents, even more.

But I could relate to them now. Thinking that my babies (do we ever stop thinking of them as babies? I don’t think so…) could change overnight is frightening… even just thinking that one day they’ll be big enough and old enough to make all their decisions, without needing me for anything makes my heart skip a beat.

I want my girls to be happy, independent, and follow their own hearts. I don’t want them to be a copy of me, stay under my wings, or ask for my advice all the time. I want them to grow up and become themselves. But I also fear it’ll be a hard pill to swallow when that day comes. I hope I can let them go more gracefully than Regina did with Arnie.

It’s your turn to be seduced by the Red Fury

I’m highly suspicious when discussing any Stephen King book… that’s true. But I’m such a huge fan because the books are good!

I wouldn’t say Christine is one of King’s best books. Even though it’s a great story, I must admit that a lot of nostalgia is embedded in my feelings toward this novel. It was my first book from the Master of Horror, so it does have a special place in my heart.

If you’re a fan of cars and found of the supernatural, I can’t recommend this book enough. It may not be King’s best work, but wow, it’s right up there.

You’ll surely love the story and find yourself seduced by Christine too.