Why Does Stephen King’s ‘Carrie’ Keep Getting Remade?

In the early ‘70s, a talented young teacher despaired over the first draft of a novel he wrote in the laundry room of his trailer, so much so that he balled it up and threw it away. However, when his wife found and read the manuscript, she knew there was something remarkable on those pages, and encouraged him to see the project through to completion. It was the story of a tortured young girl with telekinetic powers; a meditation on victimhood, the corruption of religion, and just where the line is drawn between good and evil. It was a tough slog, but he stuck it out, it was picked up by a publisher, and he became one of the most celebrated writers of the 20th century. His name was Stephen King, and his debut novel was Carrie. It was an instant hit, and now, fifty-odd years later, this work of fiction continues to live on in the public consciousness.