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3.55 AVERAGE
3.55 AVERAGE
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Very good King book. I don't know how I missed it. Victim of child abuse has poor luck through entire life and it finally brings him down. There is no supernatural horror in this tale. This is just a story of the life of one man and how everyday horror can affect any of us.
Blaze is a Stephen King book under the Richard Bachman name. He wrote this in 1973 along with the original 4 novels he published under the Bachman name. He thought this was bad and so he put it in a box and stored it with his other papers. After some time he came back to it and published it after polishing it up a bit.
Normally, accept for 'the Long Walk', which is one of my all time favorite books, I typically do not like anything Bachman does. I don't like Thinner or Rage or Roadwork and Regulators is one of my least favorites of all. I had heard many people don't like this book and only one positive review of it. I didn't know what to expect.
I can't believe how much I enjoyed this book. I read it quickly and I needed to finish it. The character work is unbelievable. Both George and Blaze have some great back stories. I love how King always seems to understand the underdog and how he writes them is amazing.
It's a difficult story. On the one hand, I really like Blaze as a character and I want to root for him seeing his history. On the other hand, Blaze has kidnapped a kid and he does some bad things. So, I want justice for the family. There isn't any excuse for what Blaze did, but I wish he hadn't of done this. The story is satisfying in the end and I like the ending.
The book is so well done. I really enjoy Blaze and this might be my favorite Bachman book. I'm not sure it knocked 'the Long Walk' off that spot, but it may have. The writing is so clean and sharp and the setting is perfect, a snowstorm in Maine in January. It seems to me that everything simply works.
Spoilers ahead:
I do want to talk about George and Blaze. So, early on we learn that George died and Blaze seems to be talking to him in his head. The thing left to the reader to decide is, well, is George haunting Blaze or is this all happening in Blaze's head. Being a King novel, it could be a ghost. I did think that the end would be the ghost was trying to kill the kid and Blaze would die protecting the kid and taking out the ghost. I was wrong on that count. The end was all it could be. Still, I wonder if it was a ghost. Was it George's ghost? It could be either.
When I started out reading, I thought it might be all in Blaze's head and it was how he tapped into his own brain power, but by the end of the story, I was leaning more toward ghost. Anyway, I like that unknowing. It's interesting.
I keep hearing people say this is Of Mice and men retelling. I know there were 2 guys similar, but in this one, the brains is dead and Blaze is on his own. I think the seed for the story came from the 2 characters, but I think this is its own story.
I'm so surprised how much I enjoyed this. Honestly.
So, I only have 4 King books left to read. Not many now. I wont finish them in 2021, but soon after.
Normally, accept for 'the Long Walk', which is one of my all time favorite books, I typically do not like anything Bachman does. I don't like Thinner or Rage or Roadwork and Regulators is one of my least favorites of all. I had heard many people don't like this book and only one positive review of it. I didn't know what to expect.
I can't believe how much I enjoyed this book. I read it quickly and I needed to finish it. The character work is unbelievable. Both George and Blaze have some great back stories. I love how King always seems to understand the underdog and how he writes them is amazing.
It's a difficult story. On the one hand, I really like Blaze as a character and I want to root for him seeing his history. On the other hand, Blaze has kidnapped a kid and he does some bad things. So, I want justice for the family. There isn't any excuse for what Blaze did, but I wish he hadn't of done this. The story is satisfying in the end and I like the ending.
The book is so well done. I really enjoy Blaze and this might be my favorite Bachman book. I'm not sure it knocked 'the Long Walk' off that spot, but it may have. The writing is so clean and sharp and the setting is perfect, a snowstorm in Maine in January. It seems to me that everything simply works.
Spoilers ahead:
I do want to talk about George and Blaze. So, early on we learn that George died and Blaze seems to be talking to him in his head. The thing left to the reader to decide is, well, is George haunting Blaze or is this all happening in Blaze's head. Being a King novel, it could be a ghost. I did think that the end would be the ghost was trying to kill the kid and Blaze would die protecting the kid and taking out the ghost. I was wrong on that count. The end was all it could be. Still, I wonder if it was a ghost. Was it George's ghost? It could be either.
When I started out reading, I thought it might be all in Blaze's head and it was how he tapped into his own brain power, but by the end of the story, I was leaning more toward ghost. Anyway, I like that unknowing. It's interesting.
I keep hearing people say this is Of Mice and men retelling. I know there were 2 guys similar, but in this one, the brains is dead and Blaze is on his own. I think the seed for the story came from the 2 characters, but I think this is its own story.
I'm so surprised how much I enjoyed this. Honestly.
So, I only have 4 King books left to read. Not many now. I wont finish them in 2021, but soon after.
adventurous
medium-paced
This is a lot better than I was expecting. King says in the intro that he edited this story since it was written in his twenties ('70s something). I much prefer King's earlier writings (though his psycho porn has improved with age) so the fact that he tore out a lot of the imagery made me think this was going to be crap. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I really enjoyed the story. Excepting the ending, the whole thing was put together well and flowed. King may have tore out a lot of the emotion but his writing as a younger person still stands out and gives the book more flavor than many of Kings writings. King was going for a minimalist approach and feel to the words and I think it worked, conveying all the imagery with fewer words but no lack of imagination.
The ending is a bit too vague (and by the ending I mean the very last page). Perhaps King was super editing by then? Who knows. I do know that this doesn't really feel like the dark Bachman who is supposed to be writing and who penned the great and awful The Long Walk but it is a good story that doesn't feel like King's usual work. Perhaps King has gotten out of his wooden writing that has prevailed as recently as 2 years ago and has improved since Lisey's Story. The story at the end of Blaze, a short story that Duma Key is based on, has actually made me want to go find Duma Key.
The ending is a bit too vague (and by the ending I mean the very last page). Perhaps King was super editing by then? Who knows. I do know that this doesn't really feel like the dark Bachman who is supposed to be writing and who penned the great and awful The Long Walk but it is a good story that doesn't feel like King's usual work. Perhaps King has gotten out of his wooden writing that has prevailed as recently as 2 years ago and has improved since Lisey's Story. The story at the end of Blaze, a short story that Duma Key is based on, has actually made me want to go find Duma Key.
As Mr. King himself says in the foreword, this book was heavily influenced by Of Mice and Men, and having recently read that too, I found it unmistakably true.
However - and this is probably where I get shouted at by literarysnobs folk - I found King/Bachman's version to be infinitely more enjoyable. Where OMAM was, frankly, a little dull, Blaze was a page-turner that actually had me duck out of the headlining acts at the music festival I was at this weekend to go and read some more.
Well worth a read, in my opinion.
However - and this is probably where I get shouted at by literary
Well worth a read, in my opinion.
BLAZE BY RICHARD BACHMAN: Stephen King puts the questioners – including those who might be wondering why the name Stephen King is larger than Richard Bachman on the front cover – to rest in his introduction explaining his use of the pseudonym during the 1970’s. He also goes on to explain how when he originally discovered the manuscript for Blaze, he wasn’t that impressed with it, and left it to “mature” with time, perhaps. Recently, King decided it worthy for publication with a few minor modifications; Simon & Schuster is now calling Blaze “Fargo meets Of Mice and Men.”
Clayton “Blaze” Blaisdell is not a very clever fellow, in fact you might go as far as saying he is mildly retarded, due to his father throwing him down the stairs when he was a kid, cracking his head, gaining an ugly dent in his forehead, and spending weeks in a coma. Upon finally recovering, Blaze was considered a “special” person. He is currently very much down on his luck, flat broke, and looking to make some money fast, whatever it takes.
Blaze is essentially two stories about one man’s life. One story is of Blaze’s history, his childhood, his life-changing experiences, his time spent in foster care, the good times, and mostly the bad. The other story told concurrently with his biography in separate chapters, is Blaze’s plan to kidnap a baby from a rich family, hold the child for ransom, and then make bank on it. The problem is that Blaze is a con artist; he’s never been a very good con artist, because he used to have a partner – George Rackley – who was his best friend and always looking out for him. George got killed in one of their cons and Blaze is all alone now. Sort of. Because in his mind, he hears the voice of George, telling him what to do, how to carry out the kidnapping, how to cover his tracks, and how to make the ransom. Only, as I said, Blaze is a few sandwiches short of a picnic, actually make that a few cups of coffee short of the thermos too; so he keeps making mistakes. He also starts to really like looking after the baby and even becomes pretty good at it. And now the police are on his tail and he’s not sure what he’s going to do. The made-up voice in his head – which he knows isn’t really George – isn’t helping. He’s going to have to make a decision for himself, which he hasn’t really done before.
After the unpleasant disinterest I had with Cell, and the unimpressive Lisey’s Story, Blaze is a welcome return to classic Stephen King with a gritty reality that we’ve all come to look for in his work. The characters are interesting and well created; the plot while somewhat predictable, still riveting. Blaze will probably go on to become a favorite novel for many King fans, and will no doubt start attracting movie producers for option rights in the near future.
For more book reviews, and author interviews, go to BookBanter.
Clayton “Blaze” Blaisdell is not a very clever fellow, in fact you might go as far as saying he is mildly retarded, due to his father throwing him down the stairs when he was a kid, cracking his head, gaining an ugly dent in his forehead, and spending weeks in a coma. Upon finally recovering, Blaze was considered a “special” person. He is currently very much down on his luck, flat broke, and looking to make some money fast, whatever it takes.
Blaze is essentially two stories about one man’s life. One story is of Blaze’s history, his childhood, his life-changing experiences, his time spent in foster care, the good times, and mostly the bad. The other story told concurrently with his biography in separate chapters, is Blaze’s plan to kidnap a baby from a rich family, hold the child for ransom, and then make bank on it. The problem is that Blaze is a con artist; he’s never been a very good con artist, because he used to have a partner – George Rackley – who was his best friend and always looking out for him. George got killed in one of their cons and Blaze is all alone now. Sort of. Because in his mind, he hears the voice of George, telling him what to do, how to carry out the kidnapping, how to cover his tracks, and how to make the ransom. Only, as I said, Blaze is a few sandwiches short of a picnic, actually make that a few cups of coffee short of the thermos too; so he keeps making mistakes. He also starts to really like looking after the baby and even becomes pretty good at it. And now the police are on his tail and he’s not sure what he’s going to do. The made-up voice in his head – which he knows isn’t really George – isn’t helping. He’s going to have to make a decision for himself, which he hasn’t really done before.
After the unpleasant disinterest I had with Cell, and the unimpressive Lisey’s Story, Blaze is a welcome return to classic Stephen King with a gritty reality that we’ve all come to look for in his work. The characters are interesting and well created; the plot while somewhat predictable, still riveting. Blaze will probably go on to become a favorite novel for many King fans, and will no doubt start attracting movie producers for option rights in the near future.
For more book reviews, and author interviews, go to BookBanter.
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Stephen King has unearthed and revamped a final Bachman tale. Blaze was originally written in 1973 and misplaced until just recently. It is the story of Clayton Blaisdell, Jr., an unfortunate man whose life began with promise and went downhill from there. As a boy, Blaze was smart and studious, until his father pushed him down a set of stairs leaving him forever changed. Blaze then became a ward of the state and was sent to Hetton House, a home for orphaned boys. Here, Blaze learned the value of friendship but not much else. Blaze is large for his size and not particularly bright, but loyal to a fault, and this eventually leaves him a perfect target for thieves and criminals in need of a strong-arm. After much experience with simple con jobs, Blaze and his partner George have devised the perfect kidnapping. Unfortunately, George dies and Blaze decides to pull it off on his own, sort of. While I enjoyed this dark and bleak tale, I missed the distinctive style that was present in all of the previous Bachman books. I think this comes from the length of time between when it was originally penned and when it was edited (1973 and now). This edition also includes a short story called “Memory” that is the inspiration for King’s Duma Key. A must read for all King fans.