Oct 27, 2001 04:15 AM
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This summer I was really a book freak as well as a movie freak. So much so that I haven’t really even stopped to write about many of them at all. Now that I’m coming up for air (a little) here goes.....
The Long Walk is the first one of Stephen King’s Bachman books that I have had a chance to read. For those of you who don’t already know this, early in his career King wrote quite a few novels and short stories under the name Richard Bachman. These books have a little bit of a different “color” to them - King himself comments on this in the forward of this printing of The Long Walk. He says that the importance of being Bachman was finding a good voice and a valid point of view that were different from his own.
The story revolves around an event that takes place every May called “The Long Walk”. This event is well known all over the country - exactly one hundred teenage boys take part in this “event” each year.
The story centers on Ray Garraty, a teenager who is taking part in the walk. Generally the rules are that you cannot drop below four miles per hour at any time during the walk (which is extremely long, by the way). This means you have to do EVERYTHING while moving, bathroom, everything. If you drop below this speed you are issued a warning by the guards that are watching you - after that, a “ticket”. You need to read to find out about the “tickets”, I wouldn’t want to give that away....
Garraty interacts with several other teens as they walk. The entire story is the development of these characters, their interaction and the elimination of each until a winner is found.
I didn’t care for this book as much as I thought I would. I am a huge Stephen King fan, however this one didn’t measure up. The story is well written but just doesn’t really go anywhere beyond the idea, which is pretty much presented right at the beginning of the book. Also, have you ever tried to keep up a four mile per hour pace on a treadmill? I tried it at the gym - I think it would have been more believable at 3 mph, but maybe I’m pathetically out of shape.
I do recommend this book, although grudgingly. It is well written but not terribly deep.
