Christine

“His single-minded purpose. His unending fury.”

Christine by Stephen King is one of the most quintessential horror novels, and one of the first the Writer ever read. I, personally, don’t understand the appeal of cars. Every time I am in one, I end up at the vet.

But when she saw that copy at the discount bookstore, she just had to get it. Kind of like how some poor teen named Arnie just had to have a 1958 Plymouth Fury named Christine.

Originally published in 1983, Christine examines just how deep a boy’s love for his first car truly is, and how deep an old man’s hate can be.

We the cats had to have a conference to determine just what genre the book could be considered. On the one paw, there is the supernatural element of Christine herself, a car capable of infiltrating a boy’s brain and taking over his life.

On the other paw, there is a distinct eldritch note to the book. The car is a living, breathing entity capable of warping reality. When some bullies break the lights and front bumper, all Christine needs is a little blood and time to right herself.

On another paw, there is a disturbingly human antagonist in the form of the late Roland LeBay. Although he dies early in the book, he sold the car to Arnie and his soul is potentially responsible for everything that happens.

In the end, LeBay won out. He may be a ghost, but it is his uniquely human characteristics of violent rage and obsession which color the book.

The Plot

This story is narrated by Dennis Guilder, the best friend of one Arnie Cunningham. During the summer of 1978, the pair drive through a neighborhood and see Christine out in the yard. Immediately, Arnie’s obsession begins and he purchases the car from the elderly LeBay.

Arnie slowly restores the car at a shady garage in town, but people begin to notice the haphazard way in which the repairs occur. Sometimes half the bumper is complete. Sometimes the windshield is done. No one ever sees Arnie working, and he has started to behave differently.

He is more confident, but more aggressive. And he loves that car. Almost as much as I love my mom….

Soon, people who have wronged Arnie start dying in vehicular deaths, but there is no evidence on Christine to tie Arnie to the murders. Plus, Arnie has airtight alibis.

Soon, Dennis comes to realize his friend is no longer his friend: He is LeBay.

The Review

It might surprise some readers, but Christine was not the first story about an animate vehicle. It is, however, one of the most well-written.

This story features a lot of the signature King flair, including small town distress, emotional abuse, a dangerous obsession, and plenty of references to pop culture and music.

The plot unfolds slowly enough that the reader is allowed to piece together the ultimate twist much faster than Dennis, but this adds to the suspense.

Honestly, this is a biased review. This was one of the first horror books the Writer ever read – having borrowed her dad’s copy and read it so much she destroyed the cover and first pages of the old paperback.

It truly is an interesting examination of a poor teen’s descent into madness as his soul is slowly possessed by a bitter old man full of rage and hate. At the end, you’re left pitying Arnie more than anything, and there is a strange sense of loss once Christine is destroyed.

Like any good horror story, Christine makes you empathize with the characters, and it touches on some significant teenage themes:

• Trying to break loose of a mold set by your parents
• Becoming intoxicated by a new sense of freedom
• Learning that friendships don’t stay the same after high school
• Struggling with the reality of drifting apart

Overall, this story deserves its 5/5 Paws. And I’m not just saying that because the writer threatened to withhold my tuna if I disagreed.