Christine

This is the very first Stephen King book that I ever read, the one that started it all for me.  Funny, I still remember picking up this book from the Book Exchange where I lived at the time. Up until then I had mostly gone in for the V.C. Andrews books or kid stuff - this felt like my first real step into adult reading.  I will tell you my mom was not thrilled with me bringing it home - she was afraid that it would scare me too badly I am sure. From this book on I was hooked.  I believe I have read this book around 7 times, so you would think it would have been a faster read this time, but it seemed to take a long time to get through it.  I am sure that some of it was the holidays, but I think it also had to do with my wanting to take the time and really pay attention to it.

This is more than just a story about an evil car. It is a story about love and how we would do anything for those we love. Christine would do it for LeBay, Dennis would do it for Arnie, parents do it for their kids, etc. At the heart of this story is Arnie Cunningham, who is a bit of a nerd or loser in his high school.  He has one close friend, Dennis, who has been his friend since grade school (and is the narrator of the story).  Arnie finds a car one day, or maybe the car finds him, and becomes obsessed about owning it.  The man who had it previously is not a very nice man and was devoted to the car - at the sacrifice of his own family.  Shortly after selling the junker to Arnie, he passes away. Arnie spends every possible minute working on Christine - or seeming to - Christine really works on herself by running her odometer backwards and at the same time running herself back to her pristine condition.  At the same time, Arnie's acne starts clearing up, he gets a girlfriend, and all seems right with the world.

Then things start going downhill fast. His parents, who were beyond pissed that he got the car in the first place, insist he keep it at the airport parking lot instead of the do-it-yourself garage where he had it. While it is there it is vandalized by these bullies who had harassed Arnie at school and became expelled as a result.  Christine is beyond totalled, but some time in the next few weeks she manages to repair herself - only to then sneak out late at night (with no driver by the corpse of LeBay) and kill the boys involved with the vandalizing.  During all this, Dennis is locked up in school, Arnie's parents are in denial about the changes that are happening to him, and his girlfriend is too new to really appreciate what is happening..  The situation escalates when Christine tries to kill the girlfriend in the same way it killed LeBay's daughter.

Much like a lot of things in King's world, evil has a way of getting through and getting what it wants.  The situation may end up ok, but usually a high price has been paid to get there.  Christine is no different.