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A review by lararosemary
The Running Man by Stephen King
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
This is the first Stephen King book I have ever read so this is also my first impression of his works. I have to admit that when I bought this in my local bookshop I had it confused with The Long Walk (which I had on my TBR) as it had a similar concept so that is the only reason why I ended up buying it.
This book reminds me of the Hunger Games, Squid Game and Black Mirror. The poor are being exploited for the entertainment for the rich people in a dystopian future (the year 2025). The story and setting is very simple and the depth of social critiques remain very surface-level. The issues that are being mentioned feel more like dystopian set pieces and are not actually being explored much further which makes the story feel a little incohesive. There are many things that could have been removed which would have made no difference.
The story reads very easily due to the fast pacing (which was a little inconsistent here and there) and the short chapters. For me though, the language was much too crude. Slurs are thrown around for no reason, if you need to use the N-word to show that the morally questionable character has questionable morals I feel like you are underestimating your audience.
I liked the ending but I also feel like no point was actually made and since almost all characters were insufferable I was not really rooting for anyone except for maybe a couple of people whose storyline was just dropped at some point. I suppose not every book needs a mind-blowing point, but for me it really adds to the enjoyment.
If you like fast-paced action and gore or if you really like action movies you might like this. I didn’t really like it a lot due to the language and gore but reading it didn’t feel like a chore and I was actually quite invested towards the end so I ended up rating it a 7/10. I am willing to try more Stephen King and I’m hoping to find something I enjoy more.
This book reminds me of the Hunger Games, Squid Game and Black Mirror. The poor are being exploited for the entertainment for the rich people in a dystopian future (the year 2025). The story and setting is very simple and the depth of social critiques remain very surface-level. The issues that are being mentioned feel more like dystopian set pieces and are not actually being explored much further which makes the story feel a little incohesive. There are many things that could have been removed which would have made no difference.
The story reads very easily due to the fast pacing (which was a little inconsistent here and there) and the short chapters. For me though, the language was much too crude. Slurs are thrown around for no reason, if you need to use the N-word to show that the morally questionable character has questionable morals I feel like you are underestimating your audience.
I liked the ending but I also feel like no point was actually made and since almost all characters were insufferable I was not really rooting for anyone except for maybe a couple of people whose storyline was just dropped at some point. I suppose not every book needs a mind-blowing point, but for me it really adds to the enjoyment.
If you like fast-paced action and gore or if you really like action movies you might like this. I didn’t really like it a lot due to the language and gore but reading it didn’t feel like a chore and I was actually quite invested towards the end so I ended up rating it a 7/10. I am willing to try more Stephen King and I’m hoping to find something I enjoy more.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Murder, Classism
Moderate: Cursing, Gore, Racial slurs, Racism, Kidnapping, Grief, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Death, Drug use, Suicide, Terminal illness, Sexual harassment