Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.55 AVERAGE
3.55 AVERAGE
I can’t understand Stephen King starting this book with a warning/apology that this book isn’t good. I think the best part about this book is Blaze’s character; he’s complicated, yet easy to understand. I think the only time King has come close to writing a character as good as Blaze is maybe Billy Summers.
Good straightforward crime novel. Well developed characters. Good summer social distancing read.
I've seen mixed reviews on this book and I don't understand why. This is a great story, I loved it from beginning to end. Even though I saw the ending coming it was good. This is a story like The Body, Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption, and even a bit of The Green Mile feel.
This is about a guy named Clayton Blaisdell aka Blaze. This is the story of his life, Blaze did not have an easy life. At a young age his mom was killed and that is when his life would change for the worst. His dad became a drunk who one day threw Blaze down the stairs, twice, for eating a bowl of cereal in the living room. This event almost killed Blaze, instead of dying he is turned from a very smart kid to slow not so bright kid with a huge dent in his forehead.
Blaze is sent off to live at a state run boy's home and became a ward of the state. He spends his life getting into trouble with the law. He meets a guy named George and together they pull robberies until George dies leaving Blaze alone who is haunted by the "ghost" of his friend. George is all in Blazes head but because of limited mental capacity he thinks it is all real most of the time. George convinces Blaze to pull off the one job the never got around to doing together, kidnapping the infant son of a rich family to get a huge ransom and be set for life.
Blaze is likeable and loveable character and you really feel for the guy. You know things are going to end badly for him and it is really sad how things turn out for Blaze. This story is King's nob to Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men, I have seen many reviewers say this and I could not agree more. The whole story has the feel of it. This is an overlooked book of King's that more people should read.
This is about a guy named Clayton Blaisdell aka Blaze. This is the story of his life, Blaze did not have an easy life. At a young age his mom was killed and that is when his life would change for the worst. His dad became a drunk who one day threw Blaze down the stairs, twice, for eating a bowl of cereal in the living room. This event almost killed Blaze, instead of dying he is turned from a very smart kid to slow not so bright kid with a huge dent in his forehead.
Blaze is sent off to live at a state run boy's home and became a ward of the state. He spends his life getting into trouble with the law. He meets a guy named George and together they pull robberies until George dies leaving Blaze alone who is haunted by the "ghost" of his friend. George is all in Blazes head but because of limited mental capacity he thinks it is all real most of the time. George convinces Blaze to pull off the one job the never got around to doing together, kidnapping the infant son of a rich family to get a huge ransom and be set for life.
Blaze is likeable and loveable character and you really feel for the guy. You know things are going to end badly for him and it is really sad how things turn out for Blaze. This story is King's nob to Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men, I have seen many reviewers say this and I could not agree more. The whole story has the feel of it. This is an overlooked book of King's that more people should read.
An homage to the classic "Of Mice and Men" but with a Stephen King twist.
Not Stephen King's best, but I enjoyed revisiting Richard Bachman's world. It's funny how Stephen King can take characters that you wouldn't ever identify with and you find sympathy for them, interest in them. And chuckle at Stephen's turns of phrase.
I don't know why Stephen King thought this book was bad. I devoured it and I thought it was very heartfelt and sad. Definitely one of my fave reads.
King’s Bachman books are some of my favorites of his. Happy he revisited this one years later to give it a proper release!
Silly horror remake based on "Of Mice and Men."
Only if you've read EVERYTHING ELSE by Mr. King (I have), is this worth the 17 minutes it'll take you to read it.
Only if you've read EVERYTHING ELSE by Mr. King (I have), is this worth the 17 minutes it'll take you to read it.
If you haven’t read Of Mice and Men, then you should first (it’s barely even a novella, so won’t take you long). There is a large, powerful guy who is actually very gentle, and slow-witted because of a traumatic childhood event. He has a friend named George who takes care of him. Otherwise, he has no one, and he is prone to doing things that get him in trouble, including badly hurting (or killing) people because he was so strong and unaware. He even calls the baby “Skinner” (p. 216), a term used on Steinbeck’s novel to describe mule drivers.
But I also thought all the time about Raising Arizona, which messed up the mood. I mean, he kidnaps a baby and holds up convenience stores with a stocking on his head (except when he forgets). And indeed, it is a tragicomedy, in the sense that the mistakes he makes are painfully obvious and sometimes kind of funny (such as forgetting to lie).
The book moves along well, and it's one of the better Bachman books.
Bits of King: obligatory mention of Shawshank (p. 45 and p. 241). The realtor for the old Hetton House is Gerald Clutterbuck (p. 221) in Castle Rock, clearly a relative of Andy Clutterbuck from Needful Things.
The strong connection to Of Mice and Men made it clear that not only would Blaze not succeed, but he would be killed. Given this is a Bachman book, I actually thought the baby would die too, and it seems like he almost did, but not quite.
The link with George remains unexplained. Was Blaze smarter than he realized, or was there something supernatural?
But I also thought all the time about Raising Arizona, which messed up the mood. I mean, he kidnaps a baby and holds up convenience stores with a stocking on his head (except when he forgets). And indeed, it is a tragicomedy, in the sense that the mistakes he makes are painfully obvious and sometimes kind of funny (such as forgetting to lie).
The book moves along well, and it's one of the better Bachman books.
Bits of King: obligatory mention of Shawshank (p. 45 and p. 241). The realtor for the old Hetton House is Gerald Clutterbuck (p. 221) in Castle Rock, clearly a relative of Andy Clutterbuck from Needful Things.
Spoiler
The strong connection to Of Mice and Men made it clear that not only would Blaze not succeed, but he would be killed. Given this is a Bachman book, I actually thought the baby would die too, and it seems like he almost did, but not quite.
The link with George remains unexplained. Was Blaze smarter than he realized, or was there something supernatural?
Not my favorite King book, but still a riveting tale nonetheless.