Sep 09, 2005 11:22 PM
3302 Views
(Updated Oct 04, 2005 09:04 PM)
Stephen King has to be as one of the most prolific writers ever. From his first work onwards, this man has been dishing out masterpieces that range from borderline thrillers to the macabre. What more, he does it at an alarming pace too.
Being a fan of the genre, Stephen King's works have been ones that I relish. His works like the eerie Carrie, the vampire thriller Salems Lot, the macabre Pet Semetary, the cyber-thriller Lawnmower Man and this one... Firestarter have all occupied my shelf space for a while now. The man has also penned some great works like The Green Mile, The Dark Tower series and that Arnold Schwarzenegger movie The Running Man (written under the pen name Richard Bachman.)
On to....
Firestarter
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The focal point of Firestarter is a rare ability called Pyrokinesis - the ability to start fires. The central character of this novel, Charlie McGee is a young girl who possesses this rare ability.
Charlie's parents take part in a government experiment where people were used as lab rats. The experimental drug that they are injected with and the tests they endure leaves them both with limited pyrokinesis. However, their daughter, who inherits pyrokinesis by default, can do much more than her parents - she can start some seriously major fires.
The parents however are wary of this ability and tell their daughter to never use her ability in order to assume as normal a life as possible. However, the sequence of events that follow, doesnt allow Charlie to do so - her powers become her only means of survival.
This makes her the target of a Government agency known as The Shop. The Shop agents are on a mission to grab the little girl and to use her abilities for their own selfish means.
In their bid to survive, the mother dies. The father, Andy, and Charlie then fight to survive the onslaught of The Shop and the villain in this tale (who goes by the name of Rainbird). As a means of self defense, Charlie gets to use her powers to cause some major damage to the pursuers.
This is one tale without a happy ending though.
Some Thoughts
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Firestarter depicts how a rare power can deny a normal life. It also paints a heartwarming picture of a Father-Daughter bond, the strength of which caused them to fight every hostile element, to protect each other. The sad ending however is inevitable.
Firestarter makes a good read as it is fast paced and pretty tight.
Stephen King = Fiction Writer Extraordinaire...
~ finis ~
This book has been made into a movie by the same name.
