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colorfulleo92's review against another edition
4.0
I wasn't expecting to like this as much as I did, I sometimes adore Stephen King and other times their just okay. But I did actually end up liking this quite a lot and is a book I definitely want to reread to get as much out of the story as possible.
clarks_dad's review against another edition
4.0
A poignant homage to Steinbeck. Once again King shows his sentimental side as he takes up the story of Clayton Blaisdell, Jr., a mentally challenged small time con artist who tries to pull off the one "big caper" worked out by his late partner George before heading off into a sunny and warm retirement. As you can imagine, just about everything that can go wrong, does and the reader is left perpetually giving themselves the face palm as Blaze bumbles his way into rather serious business. Through the cracks in your fingers, when you can bear to watch, you gain a real sympathy for the big lunk, and his story is indeed a sad one. Building on themes of belonging and acceptance, you become really emotionally entangled in the briefs ups and the depressing downs of Blaze's life. His dependence on Johnny and, later on, George, indicates a debilitating desire to be accepted and leaves him at the mercy of people who are willing to take care of him, for better or for worse, and we get examples of each over the course of the narration.
This novel struck me as more in-tune with the hard-case crime genre. Here we have a miscreant anti-hero with some hard luck who commits some down-right deplorable acts of violence, but you can't seem to hold it against him. In spite of the murder of an old lady and several police officers, you can't help but be on Blaze's side. I liked this novel because too often the anti-hero schtick tends to follow a formula; the protagonist is gruff and a misogynistic, but appeals to the inner-male attunement to bad-assery so we're willing to put aside the negative qualities of the anti-hero. The life of violence and action has a sort of ritualistic appeal to it in the midst of our routine existences. Blaze is different. He's not a bad-ass. He's a screw-up, but the lovable giant kind. It's the genuine pity you feel for him that makes you sympathize and want him to succeed, even when you know from the outset what the inevitable conclusion is going to be. His life is not glamorous or exciting - it's a nightmare, and you just want the poor guy to catch a break. Kudos to King because that's a lot more complicated and difficult to pull off than creating a James Bond like character with a screwed up childhood and making him drink martinis while pulling off heists. This story had a sort of intimacy that makes it more enduring and less interchangeable with the rest of the anti-hero crime genre.
I can kind of see why this one was shelved by King for so-long. It basically is Of Mice and Men with King's edgier mark transforming it for more modern audiences. Yet in spite of this sense of derivation, or perhaps because of it, the novel succeeds quite spectacularly. You're forced to compare with Mice intentionally at several junctures and that connection adds to the drama and poignancy. In fact, I'd go so far to say that if you haven't read Steinbeck's classic first, you probably wouldn't get as much from Blaze. That's not a bad thing necessarily. Think of it as a companion piece that is more of an updated social commentary of the post-World War II era to Steinbeck's homage to the working life of pre-World War II America. And at the core of both: the idea of friendship, companionship and brotherhood.
Oh! And do yourself a favor and read the foreword.
This novel struck me as more in-tune with the hard-case crime genre. Here we have a miscreant anti-hero with some hard luck who commits some down-right deplorable acts of violence, but you can't seem to hold it against him. In spite of the murder of an old lady and several police officers, you can't help but be on Blaze's side. I liked this novel because too often the anti-hero schtick tends to follow a formula; the protagonist is gruff and a misogynistic, but appeals to the inner-male attunement to bad-assery so we're willing to put aside the negative qualities of the anti-hero. The life of violence and action has a sort of ritualistic appeal to it in the midst of our routine existences. Blaze is different. He's not a bad-ass. He's a screw-up, but the lovable giant kind. It's the genuine pity you feel for him that makes you sympathize and want him to succeed, even when you know from the outset what the inevitable conclusion is going to be. His life is not glamorous or exciting - it's a nightmare, and you just want the poor guy to catch a break. Kudos to King because that's a lot more complicated and difficult to pull off than creating a James Bond like character with a screwed up childhood and making him drink martinis while pulling off heists. This story had a sort of intimacy that makes it more enduring and less interchangeable with the rest of the anti-hero crime genre.
I can kind of see why this one was shelved by King for so-long. It basically is Of Mice and Men with King's edgier mark transforming it for more modern audiences. Yet in spite of this sense of derivation, or perhaps because of it, the novel succeeds quite spectacularly. You're forced to compare with Mice intentionally at several junctures and that connection adds to the drama and poignancy. In fact, I'd go so far to say that if you haven't read Steinbeck's classic first, you probably wouldn't get as much from Blaze. That's not a bad thing necessarily. Think of it as a companion piece that is more of an updated social commentary of the post-World War II era to Steinbeck's homage to the working life of pre-World War II America. And at the core of both: the idea of friendship, companionship and brotherhood.
Oh! And do yourself a favor and read the foreword.
nichole1988's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
jamesbullinger's review against another edition
4.0
Sometimes, when you read a short story by Stephen King you wish he had fleshed it out into a full story. That’s what Blaze felt like. I’m glad it was a full story, but not spectacular in any way.
gemmaduds's review against another edition
4.0
A fabulously tense account of a big 'dummy' who finds himself in the wrong situations with the wrong people.
I love the way that Stephen King weaves Blaze's past with his present to give an all round view of his life and his quite soft natured personality. There wasn't a character in the book that fell flat, they were all so well written and three dimensional.
I really found myself connecting with Blaze despite his wrongdoings, and rooting for him to be happy though I knew this could never happen. I wasn't quite sure about the voice of George in Blaze's head however, I feel that Blaze seemed to be magically aware of things that he wouldn't have otherwise known.
King is the master of building tension and character, and Blaze is no exception. Definitely worth a read, and I will be reading more and more by him.
I love the way that Stephen King weaves Blaze's past with his present to give an all round view of his life and his quite soft natured personality. There wasn't a character in the book that fell flat, they were all so well written and three dimensional.
I really found myself connecting with Blaze despite his wrongdoings, and rooting for him to be happy though I knew this could never happen. I wasn't quite sure about the voice of George in Blaze's head however, I feel that Blaze seemed to be magically aware of things that he wouldn't have otherwise known.
King is the master of building tension and character, and Blaze is no exception. Definitely worth a read, and I will be reading more and more by him.
sam_el's review against another edition
4.0
Lately, Stephen King's books have been hit-and-miss for me. Cell wasn't bad, but then there was the superbly boring Lisey' Story. While King calls this book a "trunk novel," it's still a novel from the days when his work was consistently good. It may not be a Carie or The Shining, but it's still pretty entertaining.
loonyboi's review against another edition
3.0
A fairly straightforward kidnapping story from King. Not bad, but definitely not great, either.
darkbaysfordays's review against another edition
5.0
This one was super suspenseful and a quick read. You really feel for Blaze even though he’s a criminal.