The Long Walk

You wouldn't think a story about walking would be a page turner, but I found myself taking breaks from other stuff I had to do over the past two days and sitting down to read another 20 pages. It's 8 a.m. now, I started reading when I woke up to weak sunlight at 6, and I just read the last page.

Sometimes I found the exchanges between the main group of characters awkward when they sounded more like the author just using the characters as ventriloquist dummies for his own opinions and musings.

But most of the time, I think the meandering and sometimes poignant thoughts and existential sparring were probably the kind of things that would bubble up during any experience that forces people to endure the unendurable. Trail of Tears. A movie I remember about Australian women on a forced march as prisoners of the Japanese. Any of those stories about being a prisoner of war, or trying to survive in a barbarous pit of a prison.

On a lighter note, anyone who's grown up in New England, especially Maine of course, will appreciate how familiar the sights along the route feel. Stephen King is good at that.

I think this is one of those books that will linger in the imagination for a while. Right now, I still feel like I am trudging along in shredded shoes and shivering in rain soaked clothes with a hollow stomach and a numb sense of horror at the insanity of being human.

My wife recommended this book and I thought the plot sounded too simple and unappealing. I was wrong. During the first twenty or thirty pages I felt overwhelmed by all of the characters, but soon I found myself completely rooting for some and despising others. As usual with Stephen King, the character development is great and it never slows the plot. At one point, I was even a little choked up. I realized while reading, that I felt like the audience on the sides of the road in the book, cheering some on and hoping others will "buy their ticket". This book could actually be the perfect metaphor for life. I can't believe I waited so long to read this. If you like Stephen King you will love this. If this is your first time reading Mr. King, its the perfect place to start.

The Long Walk by Stephen King (writing as Richard Bachmann) is the quiescential Stephen King horror story. It is hardcore, no apologies and pure unadulterated King. This is set back during the 60's in a police state where 100 boys are chosen randomly each year to participate in a "Walk" across the state. King weaves a story so twisted that it hurt my heart. It tells of the relationships men form during traumatic events and the question how did I get in this situation. It's definitely worth your time to read this and come up with your own take on what the story is a metaphor for.

Stephen King's "The Long Walk" beckons readers into a hauntingly dystopian world where endurance is not merely a choice but a stark reality. In this dark masterpiece, King weaves a tale of psychological intensity, exploring the thin line between survival and surrender.

"The Long Walk" unfolds in a society where an annual event forces young boys to participate in a grueling trek until only one remains standing. The title itself becomes a metaphor for the journey into the abyss of the human psyche, where physical and mental resilience are put to the ultimate test.

The narrative thrusts readers into the shoes of protagonist Ray Garraty as he navigates the unforgiving path ahead. King's ability to create a sense of impending doom is palpable, and the tension builds with each step, mirroring the relentless march of the participants.

The characters are intricately developed, each with their unique quirks and backstories. Ray's internal struggles and the dynamics within the group add layers of complexity to the narrative. King delves into the psychological toll of the walk, exploring themes of desperation, camaraderie, and the haunting specter of death that looms over the participants.

King's prose is both evocative and atmospheric, painting a vivid picture of the dystopian world. The desolate landscapes and the ever-present threat contribute to the story's intensity, making it impossible for readers to escape the suffocating atmosphere of the long and winding road.

While the pacing is deliberate, mirroring the slow, methodical nature of the walk itself, it serves a purpose in building suspense. The narrative is a gradual descent into the darkness of the human soul, and the deliberate pacing allows readers to feel the weight of each step and the toll it takes on the characters.

One of the novel's strengths lies in its exploration of the psychological toll of the walk. As the characters face physical exhaustion and mental anguish, King invites readers to question the limits of the human spirit and the choices individuals make when pushed to the brink.

The climax is both poignant and gut-wrenching, delivering a powerful emotional punch that lingers long after the final page. The resolution leaves room for contemplation, inviting readers to reflect on the themes of mortality, sacrifice, and the indomitable nature of the human will.

In conclusion, "The Long Walk" is a gripping exploration of the human condition, masterfully crafted by the maestro of horror himself. The title becomes a metaphor for the journey into the depths of despair, where every step brings the characters closer to the edge. With its rich character development, atmospheric prose, and psychological depth, this novel stands as a testament to Stephen King's storytelling prowess, earning it a well-deserved four stars.

Decades ago, Argentinean writer Jorge Luis Borges wrote a short story about two men, longtime rivals, who find themselves captured by the enemy during a war. The enemy commander orders that the two men be lined up side-by-side for a footrace to finally settle their ongoing dispute. The trick is, he has his men slice their throats before he yells "Go!" They both die, of course, but one of them manages to thrust his arm ahead of his rival before the end. He, of course, is "the winner."

Stephen King's THE LONG WALK is pretty much this same story. Set in an alternate America, the novel revolves around an annual footrace in which a hundred teenage boys walk to the death. The rules state that the walkers must continue at a speed of at least 4 miles per hour. If they fall below that speed for any reason, they are warned. After three warnings, they are shot. The winner, who is the last boy standing, gets something vaguely referred to as "the Prize," which is supposedly everything he wants for the rest of his life. One wonders while reading whether "winning" such a contest is even possible.

King wrote THE LONG WALK when he was eighteen and a freshman in college back in the 1960's. His goal seems to have been to satirize the very American fixation on television game shows (in which people willingly humiliate themselves for a chance to win a refrigerator or a car), as well as our perverse attraction to such horrors as highway accidents, fistfights, and bloodletting of any kind. King has a valid point and THE LONG WALK works as social satire. However, it doesn't work as well as a novel.

First, the premise itself is impossibly absurd. The walkers in this novel continue for over four days (yes, more than 96 hours!) at a brisk pace of 4 mph without a break of any kind. This is, without a doubt, physically impossible. World record walkers have managed close to 127 miles of continuous walking, but King's teens make it over 300 miles.

Second, these walkers spend most of those 96 hours talking to each other! Anyone who's ever done any fast walking knows that you can't carry on a conversation for very long when you're exerting yourself like that. But King's teens rattle on and on about their childhoods, their girlfriends, their fears, their philosophies of life, and their wishes and dreams. They make jokes, razz each other, yell at each other, and act like any bunch of kids hanging out on a Saturday afternoon. It just stretches credibility beyond its limits and makes it hard to really buy into the real horror as the boys are shot dead, one by one.

I like King's work, and THE LONG WALK is entertaining enough, if you can get past the absurdity of its plot. I think, however, this would have made a much better short story than it does a full-length novel. Borges got it right in just three pages.