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juushikaTitle: The Long Walk
Author: Stephen King writing as Richard Bachman
Published: New York: Signet, 1999 (1979)
Rating: 4 of 5
Page Count: 370
Total Page Count: 65,910
Text Number: 189
Read For: recommended by![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
genrereviews, checked out from the library
Short review: Every May, 100 teenage boys (all volunteers) are selected to participate in The Long Walk. The walk begins in Maine and continues without pause until only one walker remains; stopping for any reason incurs a warning, and at three warnings the walker is shot. Ray Garraty is a local participant and a favorite to win, and his long walk takes him through his past, into the reasons he and the other boys are walking, to the final step on the road. The Long Walk is all about concept, character, and motivation, and so is comprised primarily of an exploration of what the Long Walk is and what it entails, and an exploration of who Ray and his fellow walkers are and why they're participating. Unfortunately, the premise is never fully explained or justified, and so it feels artificial and the book is disappointing; the characterization, on the other hand, is exceptional. This book isn't quite as good as it could be, but it's intriguing nonetheless, with a chilling concept and wonderful characters. I recommend it.
What drew me to this book was the concept: the endless, desolate road, the impossibly difficult journey, the death-wish of a hundred adolescent boys. That concept is as important as the protagonist (if not moreso), and much of the book's length goes to descriptions of the difficulty and perseverance of the long journey. King writes horror, of course, and he writes it well; The Long Walk is more distanced and psychological than much of his work, but his skills transfer smoothly and make the book consistently tense and chilling. Even when the deaths get monotonous (as they are wont to do when there are 99 of them), it only contributes to the unending, harrowing struggle down the road. Unfortunately, the book's concept is never adequately explored. King reveals more and more about how the Walk functions and how it affects both participants and spectators, but he never explains why it exists. Perhaps that's intentional—and the Long Walk does become a metaphor for living and dying in real life, which also lacks an explanation—but regardless, it makes the premise feel artificial and incomplete.
Characters and motivations don't quite make up for this lack of explanation, but they are brilliantly realized. Ray, and his past; the friends he makes and the secondary characters who die along the way; what motivates each character and what eventually takes them to their death: King creates realistically detailed, individualized, compelling characters. Some back stories (primarily for Ray) and character traits (primarily for secondary characters) are over-simplified, but that's acceptable given the nuanced characterizations and character interactions (as well as the limitations of setting and plot) which do exist. The Long Walk did not quite live up to my expectations, and if there had been more reason and explanation behind the Walk itself, it would have been a better book. Nonetheless, it is a harrowing novel fueled by an intriguing concept and wonderful characters, and it's a pleasure to read. I recommend it.
Review posted here on Amazon.com.
Author: Stephen King writing as Richard Bachman
Published: New York: Signet, 1999 (1979)
Rating: 4 of 5
Page Count: 370
Total Page Count: 65,910
Text Number: 189
Read For: recommended by
genrereviews, checked out from the libraryShort review: Every May, 100 teenage boys (all volunteers) are selected to participate in The Long Walk. The walk begins in Maine and continues without pause until only one walker remains; stopping for any reason incurs a warning, and at three warnings the walker is shot. Ray Garraty is a local participant and a favorite to win, and his long walk takes him through his past, into the reasons he and the other boys are walking, to the final step on the road. The Long Walk is all about concept, character, and motivation, and so is comprised primarily of an exploration of what the Long Walk is and what it entails, and an exploration of who Ray and his fellow walkers are and why they're participating. Unfortunately, the premise is never fully explained or justified, and so it feels artificial and the book is disappointing; the characterization, on the other hand, is exceptional. This book isn't quite as good as it could be, but it's intriguing nonetheless, with a chilling concept and wonderful characters. I recommend it.
What drew me to this book was the concept: the endless, desolate road, the impossibly difficult journey, the death-wish of a hundred adolescent boys. That concept is as important as the protagonist (if not moreso), and much of the book's length goes to descriptions of the difficulty and perseverance of the long journey. King writes horror, of course, and he writes it well; The Long Walk is more distanced and psychological than much of his work, but his skills transfer smoothly and make the book consistently tense and chilling. Even when the deaths get monotonous (as they are wont to do when there are 99 of them), it only contributes to the unending, harrowing struggle down the road. Unfortunately, the book's concept is never adequately explored. King reveals more and more about how the Walk functions and how it affects both participants and spectators, but he never explains why it exists. Perhaps that's intentional—and the Long Walk does become a metaphor for living and dying in real life, which also lacks an explanation—but regardless, it makes the premise feel artificial and incomplete.
Characters and motivations don't quite make up for this lack of explanation, but they are brilliantly realized. Ray, and his past; the friends he makes and the secondary characters who die along the way; what motivates each character and what eventually takes them to their death: King creates realistically detailed, individualized, compelling characters. Some back stories (primarily for Ray) and character traits (primarily for secondary characters) are over-simplified, but that's acceptable given the nuanced characterizations and character interactions (as well as the limitations of setting and plot) which do exist. The Long Walk did not quite live up to my expectations, and if there had been more reason and explanation behind the Walk itself, it would have been a better book. Nonetheless, it is a harrowing novel fueled by an intriguing concept and wonderful characters, and it's a pleasure to read. I recommend it.
Review posted here on Amazon.com.
