Carrie by Stephen King

In his 1979 Yankee interview, Stephen King shared the story of he nearly scrapped Carrie, his horror tale about a supernaturally gifted teenage outcast. He actually threw the first pages into the trash; luckily, his wife pulled them back out and told him to keep going.

Good thing she did: Published in 1974, the novel launched King’s career. And while he’s had countless other bestsellers, Carrie stands out as our first look into the mind of arguably the most accomplished English-language storyteller since Dickens.

If you haven’t yet read Carrie, the 50th anniversary edition—with a foreword by fellow literary legend Margaret Atwood—is an invitation into the world of Stephen King you shouldn’t pass up. —Jenn Johnson, Yankee senior managing editor

Unpopular at school and subjected to her mother's religious fanaticism at home, Carrie White does not have it easy. But while she may be picked on by her classmates, she has a gift she's kept secret since she was a little girl: she can move things with her mind. Doors lock. Candles fall. Her ability has been both a power and a problem. And when she finds herself the recipient of a sudden act of kindness, Carrie feels like she's finally been given a chance to be normal. She hopes that the nightmare of her classmates' vicious taunts is over . . . but an unexpected and cruel prank turns her gift into a weapon of horror so destructive that the town may never recover.

• Publisher: Vintage
• Print length: 305 pages
• Item Weight: 2.31 pounds
• Dimensions:‎ 5.18 x 0.69 x 8 inches