Thoughts on Rage

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The Walkin' Dude

Well-Known Member
Jul 5, 2016
47
267
30
Charlotte, NC
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.
 

doowopgirl

very avid fan
Aug 7, 2009
6,946
25,119
65
dublin ireland
I have a copy of Rage and it was always one of my favorites. I love the way we all get to see what is under the surface of all the kids in the class. I wasn't surprised by the way his classmates came together. Some felt that they had lived with other peoples assumptions about them for long enough and Decker gave them the opportunity to find their voice. Kind of like a Stockholm Syndrome thing.
 

Lynnie L

Well-Known Member
Aug 7, 2016
314
1,637
64
Tarpon Springs, FL
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.

I'd be interested in what you think of The Long Walk. It's my favorite of the Bachman books. Frank Darabont has the movie rights for it, but I don't know how they would ever make a movie out of this. But he did bring us The Walking Dead, so if anyone can do it, it's him!
 

HedlessChickn

Booger Eater Extraordinaire
Jun 14, 2015
554
2,027
KC
My son actually just read Rage as his first Stephen King novel. I lent him my PB copy of the Bachman set and I kept my hardcover in case he messes up the other one. He has to read 6 novels this year so he's starting with the four included. I hope he gets interested in reading more SK.
 

Waylander

Well-Known Member
Oct 7, 2011
234
372
London UK
I have BB in paperback and recently re-read Rage. To be honest, I wasn't really impressed with it. It's only a short story, but it seemed to drag on. I personally wasn't moved by it at all. I think the whole "out of print" thing was a massive overreaction to real life events.
 

HedlessChickn

Booger Eater Extraordinaire
Jun 14, 2015
554
2,027
KC
I totally forgot about this thread.

He started laying off of reading a lot.

Last year he and I listened to The Long Walk on the way from KC, MO to Washington, DC and back.

Apparently he ended up reading the rest of the four books and went to see IT with me last week.

He has a fondness for Needful Things that I don't understand. (Not to say I don't love that book, too)