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raalux's review against another edition
3.25
It's an interesting attempt at a psychological thriller, and there is something to be said about its exploration of teenage angst; however, I was overall unimpressed with the characters and the climax - I was expecting the build-up to resolve in a much more emotionally satisfying way than it did. I was intrigued by the dynamics that shape up between the different classmates, but I kept feeling like I'm waiting for something *more* to happen, besides the classmates beating on Ted Jones, which was cool but not as cathartic as I would've hoped .
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse and Murder
Moderate: Sexual content
giovanni_pn's review against another edition
dark
funny
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
vacanthungarian's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This short story, banned from print due to American sensibilities is a nice little read. Ok, so the subject matter is probably going to touch a nerve for many people in the US, but personally I just took it at face value. It surprisingly detailed for a story of less a couple of hundred pages. The protagonist, like many others in similar stories, just oozes charisma. He has an almost admirable level of confidence and even temperament that makes him likable. Equally, his class mates' reaction to the situation seems to tell a story of its own, suggesting that the situation itself is less important than the few hours of earnest connection they all shared and how dissatisfied they all are with the mundane reality of their lives. Realism is not the aim here, of course. Like many times before, King/Bachman paints a vivid picture of a variety of characters that feel very real and familiar. I liked it.
mxpringle's review against another edition
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Mass/school shootings, Murder, and Gun violence
hakimbriki's review against another edition
3.0
Stephen King + Controversy = Curiosity.
While I understand the seriousness of the subject tackled in this book, I don't think Rage is anywhere near the best works of the author.
It is a simple, twisted and quite depressing story with a lot of shock value that lacks depth in my opinion. The narrative is engaging, which makes it a page-turner, and the protagonist is... sinister enough to keep you interested.
Overall, I would say Rage has its moments, but if you are looking for a good King story, pick another book.
While I understand the seriousness of the subject tackled in this book, I don't think Rage is anywhere near the best works of the author.
It is a simple, twisted and quite depressing story with a lot of shock value that lacks depth in my opinion. The narrative is engaging, which makes it a page-turner, and the protagonist is... sinister enough to keep you interested.
Overall, I would say Rage has its moments, but if you are looking for a good King story, pick another book.
m4riareads's review against another edition
5.0
Termino el año a lo grande, como lo comencé, leyendo al King del terror.
Rabia, una de las obras más polémicas del autor, y la primera que publicó bajo el seudónimo de Bachman, debo decir que debido a las críticas y lo que decían respecto al tema, yo me imaginaba un chico loco que hacia una masacre y ya, pero terminé encontrándome con algo mucho más complejo y perturbador, este libro nos habla sobre problemas internos, familiares, abuso, inseguridades, y nos muestra lo peor del ser humano, de lo que somos capaces de llegar a hacer en ciertas situaciones. La verdad me encantaría recomendarle este libro a todo el mundo porque está lleno de tantas cosas que hacen reflexionar de muchas maneras.
5 de 5 para ti Stephen.
Rabia, una de las obras más polémicas del autor, y la primera que publicó bajo el seudónimo de Bachman, debo decir que debido a las críticas y lo que decían respecto al tema, yo me imaginaba un chico loco que hacia una masacre y ya, pero terminé encontrándome con algo mucho más complejo y perturbador, este libro nos habla sobre problemas internos, familiares, abuso, inseguridades, y nos muestra lo peor del ser humano, de lo que somos capaces de llegar a hacer en ciertas situaciones. La verdad me encantaría recomendarle este libro a todo el mundo porque está lleno de tantas cosas que hacen reflexionar de muchas maneras.
5 de 5 para ti Stephen.
j_ausbern's review against another edition
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence and Violence
jpjkemp's review against another edition
3.0
Throughout you are bombarded with the many mental illness problems that impact the shooter and narrator, Charlie Decker, and that drives him to commit many of the atrocities he does throughout the book. I believe it gave a fairly accurate depiction of mass shooters, trauma and isolation pushed Charlie to kill two of his teachers and take his classmates hostage. This parallels the problems that many modern mass shooters face. However, I believe the book takes a turn for the ugly when Charlie is able to completely psychoanalyze and break down all of his hostage classmates to the point of turning on one of their other classmates, Ted Jones. Ted is seen as the hero figure throughout the beginning of the story, the confident jock who is going to take down Charlie and save the class from this terror. However, Charlie manipulates all of his hostages into believing he won't hurt them, despite taking a bullet from a sniper as he was about to shoot Ted. The hostages turn on Ted to the point of brutally beating and torturing him into a catatonic state. It was not the shooting of the two teachers or the flashback of Charlie and his father brutalizing each other that caused my stomach to turn most, but the acute manipulation of Charlie to push his victims into violent offenders alongside their new ring leader. Charlie frequently uses the phrase "getting it on" to describe what they're doing, which refers to Charlie's yearn for people to be honest and understanding with him. But you can also see a need on Charlie's part for control of his situation as he's been missing that all his life. Rage leaves you wondering throughout reading whether Charlie truly deserves the empathy that King writes him to receive, but by the end, I had completely turned to where I was in the beginning. There was hope for a holistic approach to gun violence and the possibility for an empathetic future with policy, but the ending I feel ruins the main point that King cultivates throughout, 3/5.