The Long Walk
Ratings359
Average rating3.8
This is the only Bachman book that I've read. I remember just thinking that this is Stephen King, but on a much more darker (if possible) and harsher level. The story was really intriguing and really kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end. My only negative I have for it is that it really depressed me haha. It was awful reading this story and getting to know these characters and knowing that they were all going to be dead by the end of it..save one. Not sure if ill venture into anymore of the Bachman books. Wonderful writing, just really dark for me.
Even though it wasn’t his first published, this was apparently the first book Stephen King wrote, and I gotta say: I’m pretty damn impressed by that!
The premise here is somewhere between the Hunger Games saga and King’s (or Bachman’s) own The Running Man. Although the reader isn’t given much story behind the dystopian society, it’s apparently some sort of military dictatorship where young men sacrificing themselves is the main source of entertainment each year.
I really liked the premise and I really liked the cast of characters, but the story fell flat in a few ways for me. For one, the book was very uneven. About 75% of the book tells of the first 1/3 or so of the Walk. The last quarter rushes things. My other gripe is that, even though my suspension of disbelief allowed me to buy the premise, I didn’t feel that the walkers’ stamina was very realistic. Even with extensive vetting, I can’t believe that more people weren’t out within the first 25 miles nor can I believe how long the Walk went on. The stories for why people decided to join were mostly silly too.
A few tweaks and the book could be perfect imo. I see that they’re making a movie. Maybe they can smooth over some of those things.
Due to the high amount of characters, I sometimes felt like I was drowning in keeping track of who’s who. At times, it was tough to shake the repetitive nature of the story. Regardless, really great exploration of adolescence under tyranny, innocence, and sexual identity.
Somehow a bunch of boys walking is so interesting.
A really well written book but thats no suprise because it is Stephen king. I was hooked the whole way through, I felt like I knew the characters and was attached to the story and it hurt me whenever a musketeer died. Such an interesting dystopian world. The idea that the mind is what really pushes you the furthest is something I’ve always been interested in and the way that it’s depicted in this book is incredible. I recommend.
This was a very fun read. There were scenes that disturbed me and the ending was good. Overall a good book that I would recommend to anyone looking for some earlier King works or is looking for something quick.
Bueno, fue una historia poco de entretenida, si ha sido bastante interesante, claro. Pero al menos a mí no me atrapo.
Si tiende a sentirse la desesperación en la trama y eso le da puntos para darle seguimiento, pero fue un libro con buen inicio y final sin nada de gloria.
En general, puedo decir que el libro me ha gustado.
Este libro salió para nuestro club de lectura, y el primer cuarto del libro lo empecé con muchas ganas y me encantó. El planteamiento de la trama, la sensación de dejarlo todo atrás, despedir a tu familia casi con la certeza de saber que no te volverán a ver... Eso, añadido a la sensación de fatiga constante de la que te inunda esta novela, me encantó.
Vale, pues desde eso no he vuelto a tocar el libro hasta tres semanas después. No sé por qué, realmente; es verdad que estaba priorizando otras lecturas, pero soy muy de intercalar unas con otras. Aun así, no leí más hasta últimos de mes, cuando el plazo de acabar el último cuarto del libro se acercaba y ya me sentía bastante mal por haberlo dejado a medias. Hoy, entre la madrugada y durante el día, me he leído todo lo que me restaba de libro. Tengo la cabeza como el que se pega tres Largas Marchas seguidas, pero me siento bien.
Ahora, ¿el libro qué tal?
Pues el libro tiene una distopía que mola bastante, tiene unos personajes interesantes de los que te encariñas, mucha carga emocional, un ritmo constante (de 6,5 km/h concretamente) y reflexiones muy acertadas.
También es muy ligero, contiene mucho diálogo que te ayuda a comprender más a los personajes y hace que corras leyéndolo.
Pero claro, le he dado 3 estrellas, o sea que algo malo tendrá.
A ver, no es que tenga unos aspectos negativos como tal. La novela está bien ejecutada, y hasta el final sorprendió para bien. Simplemente, no es una historia que dé tantísimo de sí como para poder decir que te encante, o por lo menos no es mi caso. Esta historia se va a quedar conmigo porque me ha producido cosillas en ciertos momentos (cosa estupenda), pero me cuadra más como un relato por su sencillez en cuanto al desarrollo de la trama, que como una novela completa.
Como aspecto negativo sí que consideraría el apartado más sexual de la obra, que no me aporta nada y me pareció, como poco, bastante brusco. Eso, y algo que hace Garraty al principio del libro que me hizo despreciarle bastante y que creo que hubiese quedado algo mejor si se suprimiera.
En fin, un libro bastante interesante. No es mi novela favorita de King, pero sí que podía ser mi relato favorito, si así fuese considerado.
I never would have imagined there would be any way for a book that is literally about walking down the road to grip you like this. It's insane. I couldn't put it down (stop listening, rather, as I listened to this).
Its simple, yet quite complex. It's surface level and real, yet philosophical. It's a book I'll think about well into the future, as I think it gives insight into the human mind in a way many things can't. It's well worth the read.
4 stars because it's depressing, but mostly.in a good way.
I'm definitely a Stephen King fan, but don't fall into the “constant reader” category. I have, however, devoured every bachman book I've read. This one is no different.
This is THE dystopian teen elimination game. The writing's rough around the edges at times (considering King would later say “the road to hell is paved with adverbs”, they're egregious on occasion - but that's growth!) and I'm undecided on the ending. But what a concept.
FYI this has all the same problems as all the other King books I've read: racism, misogyny, toxic masculinity, hyper sexualization and the infamous non-ending.
But if you are able to work through that you will find a book that really explores the experience of an American teen boy against a gripping dystopian backdrop.
95/100
Excellent book. Perfectly paced and gives us just enough story between characters to care about them.
Un libro que engancha desde el principio, con una historia interesante que no queres parar de leer ni un segundo.
Me costó el final, fue todo muy rápido y me dejó con sabor a poco, esperaba saber que pasaría después..
Pero en general me pareció muy bueno, lo sufrí, sin dudas te hace sentir el peso de esa interminable caminata...
Holy shit, how can anyone give this more than 2/5 is beyond me. I finished it but just barely. To call it a novel is overstatement since it has no structure. People walk, people die and it doesn't end until the last man is left. He wrote this before anything else but Rage (as far as published novels go) but Rage was so much better. Characters in this one aren't interesting. Motivations are laughable. The dialogues could've been done so much better if he reworked it properly before publishing. It was published after a few of his big hits.
By far the worst and most boring King novel. And he himself says Roadwork is the worst in The Bauchman Books anthology... We shall see.
3.5. My first Stephen King. Interesting premise, all they really do is walk, but it deals with topics so much deeper than that. I would have liked more background information about the walk, how it came about and why. Quite slow-moving, some sections haven't aged so well but overall an interesting read.
Not my favorite. Actually, the concept of the long walk is really interesting. The idea that these teenage boys have to walk each year in this competition. Every day that passes the tension and terror intensifies. But... this concept was a bit too underdeveloped for my taste. So many questions left unanswered.
Also, while all in all liking the writing style, I found the book very tedious and boring especially in the middle. I have to be honest, usually I like the characters most in King novels but these kids were so uninteresting I wasn't sure about who he is talking half the time. Also, what about these weird sexual conversation topics all the time. LOL
And as usual for king novels the ending was a bit unsatisfying for me.
One of the best books i've ever read. An instant new favourite and a book i know i'll read over and over again as i age.
If you like The Hunger Games then you'll looove this. So many similarities but also so uniqually different.
You'll go crazy reading this, it feels like your walking until you collapse and die, you get so tired reading this and you can feel every ache and pain the characters are feeling.
It's a short book but it's also a Stephen King book so the characters are so well written and you feel like you've known them for your whole life. Some of these characters will stick with me for ages, especially McVries. He is one of Kings best characters.
Let's be honest. If people didn't know this was a King book you'd more than likely hate it. This book is so boring. First off why make 300+ pages of just walking? Hell you could've made them jog or run and made this a short story and it would actually be good. The ending was also garbage. I've come to realize that King's novellas and short stories mostly aren't good.
“The Long Walk”... a long freaking walk indeed.