Blaze: A Novel

I have always thought that the Bachman books started out as regular Stephen King stories but either SK or his agent decided that certain books just didn't meet the SK standard and were put in the Bachman universe. This may or may not have been a marketing strategy as the Bachman books were quickly outed as really SK books and I imagine they sold quite well. Either way I find that I enjoy the Bachman stories just as I would any other authors books just not quite as rabidly as 'Salems Lot, The Stand, It, Sums Key, etc. Blaze is definitely an SK character and I'm sorry his story ends the way it ultimately had to...

It's hard to expect much from a book when it opens with the author telling you he felt so little for his own creation he didn't even keep the original typed copy.

But "Blaze," in my opinion, is a great read. It hooks you instantly with its sympathetically slow main character and rumbles along to its inevitable finale.

Stephen King always knows best what does and does not work in his novels, and he's correct that the flashbacks in this book are its highlight. Even though they occasionally veer into near Upton Sinclair-esque melodrama, they have a clean sentimentality that I loved. They may even be a little cliche, if we're being honest, but King has always been a master of the little details of spirit and humanity. That is on strong display here.

What King does brilliantly in this novel is take someone doing something absolutely horrible and make you love him. Blaze, a smart boy who had his brain scrambled by a drunk, abusive father, who now stands a massive 6'7", is the ultimate pulling-on-your-heartstrings "big dumb guy" -- he's the original John Coffey, really. Blaze is a small-time con artist whose partner dies right before their big final score can happen, and Blaze goes about it alone (along with the help of his partner's ghost). You almost have to shake your head in sympathy as Blaze imagines he's outsmarting everyone but is clearly laying down a trail that will easily lead right back to him. The unraveling of his crime is as obvious as how he will react to what he has taken.

Blaze's sad growing affection for the baby he kidnaps is so overly melodramatic it's almost comedic, but you can't stop it from affecting you. That's fully because of King's ability to take such a scenario and make you care.

"Blaze" is a straightforward, almost sappy, story from Stephen King -- and I definitely loved every sentimental moment of it.

I was spellbound waiting for the supernatural to pop off but it didn’t do so in Kings most intense way. This one was easy to figure out. A graceful explanation of what a troubled, abusive childhood can lead to in life and what a tragedy a mentally, chemically wasted soul can be to someone who could have very possibly had a good, if not even prosperous life.

I’m an avid reader and always have a stack of books to read. I ordered this one and opened it up after having received it and didn’t think anything was wrong on initial inspection. Everything on the outside looked almost new, that was until I finally had the chance to get to read it. Within the first 20 pages, I found the binding coming loose at the bottom of the pages. As I ventured further, I noticed a page or two that had been dog earred. I was pretty upset considering this was a book I planned on keeping in my collection and paid a pretty penny for something that should have been sold as a used product. Wish I could exchange this for a different copy but my window has closed. 3 stars for the story. 0 for the quality of the book.