Book Review: The Long Walk, by Richard Bachman

 

Image Source: Amazon

Name of the book: The Long Walk

Author: Stephen King (as Richard Bachman)

Country: United States

Language: English

Genre: Psychological Horror, Dystopia

 

About the Author

Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author of horror, supernatural fiction, suspense, crime, science-fiction, and fantasy novels. His books have sold more than 350 million copies, and many have been adapted into films, television series, miniseries, and comic books. King has published 62 novels, including seven under the pen name Richard Bachman, and five non-fiction books. He has also written approximately 200 short stories, most of which have been published in book collections.

Review

The Long Walk is a dystopian horror novel by American writer Stephen King, published in 1979, under the pseudonym Richard Bachman.

The Long Walk is one of the famed “Bachman Books”, a novel that King wrote before he was published in his name, and that was only published (under the pseudonym Richard Bachman) in the wake of the success of Salem’s Lot. The Long Walk is the earliest of all King’s books, written when he was just 18.

In 1985, King released the novel The Long Walk under the pen name Richard Bachman. It is set during the present day, and while the America of King’s imagination is easily recognizable, several keys elements mark this world as a terrible, twisted version of our own. 

First, it appears as though there is a militaristic government running the country, one that squelches any sign-up uprising by removing citizens from their homes and disposing of them silently. 

Second, there is the annual “Long Walk.” Apart the sporting event, part intimidation tactic, the Long Walk is an organized event that rounds up 100 teenage boys from around the nation, drops them off at the Maine-Canada border, and commands them to walk until their bodies give out or their minds break, whichever comes first. 

On the upside, there is a possibility that each boy could make it to the end, gaining riches and fame beyond their wildest dreams. On the downside, there can be only one victor.

After all, 99 boys need to perish before the novel can end. Yet the moments of action are few and far between; the worst horror, King reveals, isn’t found in the sharp crack of a bullet ripping through bone, but rather in witnessing the slow decay of life and self. Losing one’s life is scary, yet inevitable.

 This may not be King’s greatest novel, but it is still a fascinating page-turner, as well as a psychological study of a small group of characters. As the novel progressed, I became increasingly invested in Ray Garrity’s inner life. Compared to the other walkers—and doubtless, other teenage boys—Garrity is a kind guy, empathetic and thoughtful. 

He forms bonds with others quickly, entering into a loosely knit group with several of his competitors. They do not an ally, yet they do get to know each other’s quirks and failings. Some boys even go against the brutal nature of the competition to help their friends survive. 

Just as there are moments of gut-wrenching fear, there are also moments of humor and flashes of compassion. But King is at his best when he’s twisting the knife and despite the relatively straightforward plotline, The Long Walk offers ample opportunities for King to do just that.

I enjoyed The Long Walk as both a gripping story and a great example of King’s basic strengths, particularly his ability to take mundane things and turn them into sources of extreme terror.

The Long Walk may not be a masterpiece, but it is an important piece of the puzzle for anyone seeking to decipher King’s literary history.

My Ratings for the book 4/5

You can easily order a copy of it from Amazon- Stephen King, The Long Walk

Written By - Violet Priscilla S

Edited By - Anamika Malik