Reviews

Story: The Long Walk
Stars for Story: 5/5
**I read this in May 2021. I am writing this review based on notes that I wrote at the time.**

One hundred teenage boys sign up to an annual walking contest where the winner gets awarded whatever he wants for the rest of his life. The only thing he has to do is to keep walking at a steady pace of 4mph without stopping. Three warnings and he’s out of the contest - permanently (dead).

What the actual hell? First of all this was brutal. But what annoyed me (in a good way?) about it was that the boys kept moaning about it being murder and that it’s not fair, but they voluntarily signed up for it! If they didn’t want to die, they shouldn’t have signed up in the first place! Also the whole story was just morbid and depressing but I couldn’t stop reading, I just had to know what was going to happen to the boys! There was a constant feeling of impending doom throughout this book. Having said that though I thought it was absolutely brilliant! It kept me engaged and I just wanted to know what was going to happen next!

This story has stuck with me long after reading it and I sometimes still feel that impending doom whenever I think about it. I don’t remember there being anything that I didn’t love about this story. As harrowing as it was, it was just storytelling at its best. It will morbidly keep your attention from start to finish, so I give The Long Walk 5 out of 5 stars!

Story: Roadwork
Stars for Story: 5/5
**I read this in September 2021. I am writing this review based on notes that I wrote at the time.**

A man grieving over the death of his son and the breakdown of his marriage, is driven to mental instability when he learns that both his home and his workplace will be demolished to make way for an extension to an interstate highway.

I think this is the first story by Stephen King that I’ve read that didn’t have some kind of supernatural element to it. It was a story of a deeply disturbed man. It was very good but I’m not sure his actions were justified. Although I don’t really know or understand much about Schizophrenia so I don’t think I can really say whether he thought his actions were justified or not. As always, the writing was on point. I just wanted to know what he planned on doing with the goddamn guns!

All this time later I didn’t really remember much about this story but judging by the notes I’d say I enjoyed it! I give Roadwork 5 out of 5 stars!

Story: The Running Man
Stars for Story: 5/5
**I read this in August 2022.**

Ben Richards enters reality TV show The Running Man. It’s a real-life version of the game Manhunt in which the contestants are allowed to go anywhere in the world, while being hunted to the death by the general public, who will get paid a big sum of money if they kill the participants. Any contestants who remain alive have the chance of winning $1 billion.

This story was also very brutal. I felt for the main character, known mostly as Richards throughout. He was basically a bum who entered himself for the Manhunt-style reality show to make some money to pay for his daughter’s medical care. What follows is a gripping rollercoaster ride of corruption and intrigue! I couldn’t stop reading. I really needed to know what was going to happen to Richards next and I felt so sorry for him. This story also had that constant feeling of impending doom from start to finish, you never knew if Richards was going to get caught and what kind of horrors would be inflicted upon him. The whole thing was just awful, but it was also brilliant!

I don’t think that there was anything that I didn’t love about this story. I was completely engrossed throughout the entire thing. And that ending was probably the best it could possibly have been! I give The Running Man 5 out of 5 stars!

I would highly recommend this anthology to anyone who loves horror, (not so) short stories, thrillers and mysteries, and great storytelling.