The Bachman Books: Rage, the Long Walk, Roadwork, the Running Man

Rating:
Summary: Too bad Bachman had to die.
Review: Within this collection of stories is one titled "The Long Walk" This story punches you in the gut, repeatedly, as you can't tear your eyes away from the atrocities on the page. The story is amazing as well as the prose.

Reading each of these stories is like banging your head against a wall over and over. It is painful but there is a certain amount of pleasure in the action. You may not enjoy the concepts of the stories but you will sure enjoy how the storyteller engulfs you with them.

Rating:
Summary: Best fiction book I've ever read.
Review: Simply stated, this book is the best fiction book I have ever read. This book is actually the four early Bachman books rolled into one tremendous read. This isn't the typical King formula of characters caught up in a supernatural landscape, but believable characters in plausible situations.

I have read hundreds of fiction books. This one is the best by far, and my all time personal favorite. It was the first book I read by King, and hooked me to purchase other King books, some of which were disappointing.

Rating:
Summary: Very different
Review: I think that the best way to characterize these books would be to look at the reviews. People who have liked these books have also generally appreciated books like 'Salem's Lot--I take this to mean that these people have very little taste for the finer points of literature and are after only a story (which Lot still didn't provide very well--King misplaced some of his characters and abadoned a promising start, but that's for another review). If that's what you're in search of, you should be adequately satisfied here. As these books progress along a timeline, the presence of a story begins to become more and more evident. But, let's go one by one.

Rage: By most standards, this book is really quite bad. It's obvious with it's point and decidedly unrealistic in its depiction of the students, their reactions, and the school system in general. King occasionally departs from reality even further in an attempt to make a point, as with Charlie's interchange with his psychiatrist. Overall, though, I found this story engrossing for reasons that I can't quite explain. I took an interest in Charlie, perhaps because I had a similar adolescence, and so I cannot call this book a complete failure, though it is a decidedly sophomoric entry.

The Long Walk: Another obvious effort to get a point across. Both of these first two books were written before Carrie, so my conclusion is that King was probably naive enough at this point to think that an author deliberately went about inserting his message into his work. Perhaps he read Atlas Shrugged one too many times (a feat like that is difficult to duplicate). The analogy between the Walk and life is obvious, but still entertaining, and the story maintains a consistent pace and interest. At this point, the books are getting better.

Roadwork: The best in the collection, by my standards. King still tries to make a point in this one, but he does so with a realistic character (at least at first blush) and a much lighter hand. Contrary to some reviewers, I found this story to be engrossing and entertaining, despite the fact that it was the only one of these books that I didn't read in a single sitting. King's natural talent for creating characters that the audience can relate to and feel for shines through in this book, and I'd recommend it even outside of the collection, though it is a little too mired in the environment and conditions of the late seventies for some younger readers to relate to.

The Running Man: Here there is an abrupt dip in the message factor of the book (something that King admits to himself in the introduction). This is a story, plain and simple--there's no overtones to be had, just pure science fiction. As "just a story" the book is okay--it's decidedly predictable, and there's nothing new here for anybody who has even a passing familiarity with this sort of book (the apocalyptic, social control dystopia book), but it still manages to be entertaining in the fashion that most King books do. This is a book that most authors would not have written--I think that almost anybody else would have written it as a short story--but it still manages some entertainment value.

Overall: This certainly isn't the best work King ever did, primarily because Bachman died before he finished developing as an author. Some of the books are decidedly sophomoric, but most King fans shouldn't be too disappointed. For the casual reader, I'd say that this is a great book to pick up for an air trip or a lazy afternoon if you can find it (due to issues with the Columbine shooting, Rage, and The Bachman Books as a corollary, have been taken out of publication), but it isn't what you'd call "serious reading."

Rating:
Summary: "Rage" against censorship!
Review: This is one of my favorite collections of Stephen King's short stories. It's really too bad he's decided to make "Rage" unavailable in future printings. I assume this is why he's released the three other stories in this collection, individually. While I can't say I agree with his decision, in fact it's very saddening to me, it IS his prerogative to do so. It's just a shame that today's society seems to blame the media for the actions of a handful of mentally unstable teenagers across the USA; while their actions are wrong, so are the actions of the bullies at school who've pushed one too many times, and the teachers and parents who turn a blind eye to these situations. That said, I really wish he'd reconsider his decision to pull the plug on "Rage". It was my second favorite story in this book ("The Long Walk" being 1st on my list!) and I'd hate to see it fade away like that. As a matter of fact, I tracked down another copy of this version of The Bachman Books for that reason alone. I find censorship to be detestable in any form, and hate the idea of not being able to read a story ever again just because of the actions of a few. Should "Catcher in the Rye" be banned as well, just because it's been found in some killer's possession? It all just brings up too many questions which require careful consideration and not a knee-jerk reaction to whichever way the wind blows today.

If all "offensive" texts were censored, whether by the author or by the government or some other group, we'd be left with a sterile, more horrifying society - a place I surely would not like to live in. This is the main reason I wanted to write a review of this book. I love each story for different reasons. I love "Roadwork" because of the idea of fighting for what you believe in. "The Running Man" was quite disturbing, and definitely MUCH more worthwhile than the movie. "Rage" was an excellent story of a boy pushed over the edge by life in general, and all the thoughts that run through his mind. I've always been fond of stories that allow you a peek into the mind of the insane.

"The Long Walk" is by far the BEST story in this book, and easily one of the most disturbing things I've ever read. One reviewer here said it was boring and repetitive. I couldn't disagree more. The horror of it all is slow to build, but you soon realize that you're caught in something WAY larger than you, much like a small fly in a spiderweb. In the same way Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery" was terrifying, so is this, but in a much deeper, even more senselessly violent way.

I also find it rather interesting that at least two of these stories are still quite relevant. It's no accident that "Rage" and "The Long Walk" are my two favorites... I explained why I love "Rage". "The Long Walk" is disturbing because it's really not that far from today's reality if you think about it. Sure, it's quite a leap, but there are many shows such as Survivor and Boot Camp where people are pushed to their limits, with actual danger involved if you're not strong enough (physically or mentally) or not resourceful enough. While these shows are a long way from murder, one wrong move and a participant's life could easily be in jeopardy - all for the almighty dollar and a bit of fame. Hey, kids... it's all fun and games till someone loses an eye, right?

In conclusion, if you've never read these stories and you're a fan of the macabre, I'd highly recommend that you find a copy of all four of these stories, whether through this site's auctions or even your library. They're well worth it. There's not much of the supernatural in these books, if that's what you're looking for, but what's there is true psychological terror, which I find infinitely more interesting because of the possibility that these things CAN happen.