I got lucky at my local bookstore recently and got the hardcover (although without the dust jacket) and paperback of The Bachman Books. I hadn't read Rage or The Long Walk yet, but I own all the other Bachman stories. I was most excited to get to read Rage since it's now out of print, and hopefully someday I'll get to have my own paperback edition of it by itself.
Anyway, I liked it a lot. I had certain expectations for it that it didn't follow at all. I thought it was just going to be Charlie Decker terrorizing the school, and it turned out to be much more psychological than that. Some people hate Charlie's character, but I find him pretty fascinating. It's incredible that King wrote this thing when he was a senior in high school, the talent pouring out of him even back then is insane. He really nails down what life is like at that age when it seems like the whole world is against you, and it's around that time you do truly begin to understand that there's no real sanity to the world and its workings. It's a really interesting piece, and its brevity and setting of only a few hours in one location make it work very well. I appreciate that it goes into the minds of all of Charlie's classmates and shows just how much lurks under the surface; under the guise of sanity and normalcy.
The only negative I have about this one is that I don't find it believable that the students would ever react the way that they do under the circumstances. That almost takes me out of the story.
I wish this story was still in publication, but I understand why King chose to let it go. It's a damn shame. If anyone has a copy of it for a reasonable price (the only ones I can find go for almost $600!), let me know! On to The Long Walk, which I hear great things about.
Anyway, I liked it a lot. I had certain expectations for it that it didn't follow at all. I thought it was just going to be Charlie Decker terrorizing the school, and it turned out to be much more psychological than that. Some people hate Charlie's character, but I find him pretty fascinating. It's incredible that King wrote this thing when he was a senior in high school, the talent pouring out of him even back then is insane. He really nails down what life is like at that age when it seems like the whole world is against you, and it's around that time you do truly begin to understand that there's no real sanity to the world and its workings. It's a really interesting piece, and its brevity and setting of only a few hours in one location make it work very well. I appreciate that it goes into the minds of all of Charlie's classmates and shows just how much lurks under the surface; under the guise of sanity and normalcy.
The only negative I have about this one is that I don't find it believable that the students would ever react the way that they do under the circumstances. That almost takes me out of the story.
I wish this story was still in publication, but I understand why King chose to let it go. It's a damn shame. If anyone has a copy of it for a reasonable price (the only ones I can find go for almost $600!), let me know! On to The Long Walk, which I hear great things about.