A scary, page-turner of a story
Sometimes life seems too short to read every novel and author on your list. Oftentimes, I tend towards classics and literature. After all, you only live once so why would I not go straight to the greats?
But life has been hectic and lately (try as I might) I can’t seem to get hooked on anything dense with themes and meaning. What I really want is to simply sit and enjoy a good story.
I recalled my childhood and the irresistible latch mysteries and scary stories always seemed to have and that narrowed down my search. Soon after, a newly made friend told me how captivating she found Stephen King to be; and having had him on my to-read list for a long time, the recommendation became an obvious yes for me.
So I asked my dad if he had anything by Stephen King and he lent me his old copy of the Bachman Books, a collection of four of King’s early novels under his pen name, Richard Bachman. More dystopian than supernatural horror, these stories are well-written and intriguing and make sense that they are lumped together in a set, even though they are unrelated in plot. The second novel in here I found particularly compelling and can also be bought on its own for those who want to dip their toes before committing to the plunge of four novels: “The Long Walk” (Scribner, Reissue Edition, 2016, 320 pages).
Originally published in 1979, this story is set in a future America ruled by a totalitarian regime. This dystopia is never fully explained but what is known is that there is an annual competition called the Long Walk which has become the nation’s infamous pastime entertainment. Teenage boys from all over the nation apply but only 100 are selected to participate. Without stopping, they must walk along U.S. Route 1 as long as possible. They cannot drop under four miles per hour, but if they do so for more than 30 seconds, they receive a warning. A warning can be lost if the walker walks for an hour without any further warning. However, three warnings mean a ticket, and that ticket means getting shot by soldiers who ride in machines alongside the route. The last surviving walker wins the competition, earning a large sum of money and a prize.
The story follows the point of view of Ray Garraty, a 16-year-old from Maine. Unlike many of the other contestants, he is not an accomplished athlete, but is still a fit, strong young man. Despite a general wariness to make friends in this cutthroat game, Ray finds a close companion in Pete McVries, a tough, sarcastic 16-year-old from New Jersey. Eventually the Southern boy Baker, the mysterious Stebbins, bold and belligerent Olson, and the simple, kind Scramm join the comradery along with some others. As the boys walk, the stories of their lives unfold and soon, Ray is not the only one you are rooting for to win. Each boy recounts different memories and experiences, some of which explains why they applied to such a “game,” while others still leave you perplexed.
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Aside from the baffling voluntariness of such a competition, the seemingly unpreventable outcomes capture the aura of the dystopian genre, begging the questions of why and how. The inevitability of the competition gives this novel an inescapable sadness that drives you as the reader to keep going, hoping for a twist or break in this disturbing, depraved game that will allow more than one survivor. Moreover, the constant motion forward of the characters aids in keeping you reading.
But what begins as a feat of physical prowess quickly morphs into an internal battle of the mind, each walker trying to find it within himself to overcome the mental anguish the competition inflicts upon them the longer they are there. Besides his intensity, I also applaud King’s creativity for managing to write within the confines of one setting – the walk on Route 1 – while maintaining a riveting storyline that you won’t want to put down.
For those who are hesitant to delve into what is technically considered the horror genre, I get it. Part of the reason it’s taken me so long to pick up a Stephen King novel, is that I was under the impression that his novels were horrors filled with the supernatural or stories more akin to a slasher film. While I can by no means comment on the rest of his abundant works, the ones I have read so far seem more of a thriller or intense suspense.
I have heard great things about King’s writing for a long time now. I remember seeing his spooky covers in the basements of my grandfather and my uncle. Now, I know for myself just how gripping his works can be and why so many households seem to feature at least a few of his stories. If you are looking to get wrapped up in a book you can’t put down this summer, this is the one for you. And the best part of it all is that if you really enjoy his writing, King has more than plenty to choose from.
(Anna Barren teaches fifth grade and is a lifelong lover of books. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..)
