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The Long Walk

4.08 of 5 stars 4.08 · rating details · 35,628 ratings · 1,549 reviews

Only death can keep you from the finish line - in the ultimate competition of the all-too-near future...

Every year, on the first day of May, one hundred teenage boys meet for an event known throughout the country as "The Long Walk." Among this year's chosen crop is sixteen-year-old Ray Garraty. He knows the rules: that warnings are issued if you fall under speed, stumble,...more

Paperback, 370 pages

Published April 1st 1999 by Signet (first published 1979)

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Feb 27, 2012 Kay rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: those unafriad of raw pain and mindless philosophizing

Recommended to Kay by: my feet will get nightmares

Shelves: chilling, apocadystopia, grittier-than-sand, journey-not-destination, mind-fuck, all-time-favorites, 6-plus-stars

If this book does not make you feel physical pain, I don't know what will.

This isn't a book about killer clowns or haunted hotels. It's not a Hunger Games type of book, despite the "game show" element of the Long Walk, nor is it a world attached to any tower, Dark or not. This book is in-your-face and physical, while simultaneously never losing that dreamy, philosophic quality of existenstial fiction.

The premise of the book is very simple: Every year, 100 boys enter a contest called the Long Wa...more

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Apr 21, 2011 Trudi rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011-reads, stephen-king, dystopia, audiobook, deadly-games, love-the-premise, re-reads, survive-this, books-i-want-to-marry, my-desert-island

I've re-read this book many times because I love it so much and I get something different out of it every time that I do. I decided to listen to it this time just to experience the story on another level.

This was the first audiobook I ever listened to, and I must say it's a lot different than what I imagined it would be. I was expecting something along the lines of a radio play with different voices for different characters and sound effects in the background, like rain or wind or gunfire. Inst...more

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Dec 02, 2007 Andy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. The book I chose to read was called The Long Walk by Stephen King. I have read several books by him, The Shining, The Stand, IT, Cujo, Pet Sematary, and Needful Things, plus a short story called “Crouch End”. I thoroughly enjoyed all those books, so I decided to read another. When it came time to pick one out of the library, The Long Walk was the only one that wasn’t a short story collection, so I checked that one out. The story is, once again, set in Maine, in a despotic and totalitarian alter...more The book I chose to read was called The Long Walk by Stephen King. I have read several books by him, The Shining, The Stand, IT, Cujo, Pet Sematary, and Needful Things, plus a short story called “Crouch End”. I thoroughly enjoyed all those books, so I decided to read another. When it came time to pick one out of the library, The Long Walk was the only one that wasn’t a short story collection, so I checked that one out. The story is, once again, set in Maine, in a despotic and totalitarian alternate history, with the main character named Ray Garraty. An annual competition is held each year, called the Long Walk, run by a man called the Major. One hundred teenage boys are chosen for the competition, and they see how long they can walk, nonstop, at no less than 4 miles per hour. The walkers get a warning if they drop below 4 mph. If a walker gets three warnings, he gets a ticket, and is shot by the guards. The last person alive wins “The Prize”, anything they want for the rest of their life. During the walk, Garraty befriends a few people, including McVries, and Stebbins. Most of the walkers die from foot cramps, falling down from fatigue, but some go crazy. Garraty is eventually declared the winner, but leaves during his celebration to follow a “dark man” (Flagg?).

The book, although definitely not King’s best work, has very few flaws. One flaw is that the book begins to drag a little in the middle. The story begins to slow down at that point, before picking up again near the end. And, like King’s other books, it has a fairly slow beginning.

The overall mindset of this book was absolutely chilling, just like all his others. It is the only King book I have read so far to be set in an alternate future. Like The Stand, and IT, it has many different characters, but they are all in the same place throughout the novel, so King doesn’t need to shift storylines between chapters. This makes the book a lot smoother to read.

Despite the aforementioned weaknesses, this book is overall a great read. It is a science fiction/ horror book that sounds like it could be real. It is a frightening story that sounds like it could happen. I would definitely recommend this book to people who like the Stephen King writing style. If you are new to King, read The Shining or Pet Sematary.
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Jul 20, 2012 Damali rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: If you like copycats like The Hunger Games and Battle Royale

Shelves: dystopian-pa-zombies-survivalist

In this 1979 dystopian classic, 100 boys meet every May 1st to compete in The Long Walk. There’s only one winner. Remarkably, along the way, there’s tons of character development, and we hear a little bit about the world they’re living in. Non-King readers think that King is creepy, and that it’s his supernatural novels like Carrrie, The Shining, and Firestarter that makes him so great, but it’s his characterizations, relationships between characters, and the suspense that really stays with the...more

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Aug 20, 2007 Dan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Long distance walkers, totalitarianists and extreme optimists.

The Long Walk is simply exhausting to read. I found myself keep drifting in and out of sleep, needing to eat, drink, and use the bathroom. But most of all, my feet ached a little more after each page. This is not because the book was bad and that I was losing attention, it was simply because I was so involved in the story. I was walking WITH them.The premise is simple and I'm sure if you're reading this review you're aware of what its about. The fact that the story is so simple, allows for it to...more

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Mar 10, 2011 Ace rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The story starts when a hundred boys from different states of America joined a yearly "Long walk" contest. The participants need to walk without decreasing their speeds and without stopping until they reach the finish line. Each time they fail sustaining their walks is equivalent to a ticket, they can only get three tickets, the next one will be a gunshot in their heads.

What made me buy this book is because it is in my favorite genre, Dystopia. Maybe, I expect too much when I'm about to read thi...more

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Jun 11, 2012 Seak (Bryce L.) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: audio, 2012, top-10-scifi

I've been going through a kind of mild Stephen King binge at the moment. I've mentioned before that I thought I wasn't a fan of the King and had given up on him for a while, but with my high enjoyment of his Dark Tower series, I've given him a second chance. This was not a bad idea.

The Long Walk intrigued me when I started hearing people say it was like The Hunger Games, but darker. While I can see where this comparison comes from - a televised game of kids competing (view spoiler)...more

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Feb 25, 2011 Brandon rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, fiction, uncle-stevie, 2011, alternate-history, dystopia

This tale takes place in the future, I'm not entirely sure when King has this marked for but it sure as hell isn't present day. You've got 100 teens and you tell them that you have to walk at a consistent pace of 4 miles per hour until you just cannot do it any longer. While you're allowed 3 warnings (you’re never quite sure the length allowed before a warning is issued but I can only assume it's about 30 seconds) before you're eliminated, you need to walk for an hour straight to clear your warn...more This tale takes place in the future, I'm not entirely sure when King has this marked for but it sure as hell isn't present day. You've got 100 teens and you tell them that you have to walk at a consistent pace of 4 miles per hour until you just cannot do it any longer. While you're allowed 3 warnings (you’re never quite sure the length allowed before a warning is issued but I can only assume it's about 30 seconds) before you're eliminated, you need to walk for an hour straight to clear your warning. For those that are not math geniuses, if you obtain 3 warnings, you need to walk for 3 hours to clear your slate.

**Oh, and you're eliminated by having your head blown off by armed soldiers who are forever on the sidelines. So, you're under a wee bit of pressure.

You know, as far fetched as this plot seems to be, it's not that insane that it couldn't happen. I know the thought of this occurring today is going to be as acceptable as Snooki playboy centerfold but for those with nothing to loose, why not give it a shot? It’s not like the prize at the end of the game isn’t worth it? C'mon, it's anything you could ever want for the rest of your life! ANYTHING. How attractive is that?

Hey, I'm not advocating that this event be started, from a society standpoint, I really don't understand its purpose. Yes, it could be interesting to watch provided you're not killing everyone off. That's just destroying a segment of your population that could actually work to achieve something. Then again, it's not like the human race hasn't proven they're capable of murdering large numbers of innocent people in the past.

As the story progresses, King poses to the reader - is the prize really worth it? Isn't escaping with your life enough? The truth is all these characters got into this situation believing that they were going to win - no debating that. The thing is, you couldn't even begin to fathom the sheer amount of pain or exhaustion you would endure. Yes, on paper - it said "walk until you drop" (or something like that) but can your brain really comprehend that? With teens, most have a feeling of immortality; that you would be the first 15 year old that would live forever. Death is just a concept at this point, not an inevitability. The feeling that you were going to confront your own death didn't really hold the type of weight that a person of greater age might feel - besides, as I said earlier, there was no way you were going to loose, right? Probably the reason the contest is marketed towards teens.

As of yet, I’ve yet to come across an author who can write such relaxing prose. Even when putting the reader in high tension situations, you always feel in control of the story. Usually, I’m not one for gore or the fad of “torture porn” but King writes in a way that lets the reader come up with his own vision of the situation rather than beat you over the head with graphic imagery. He’s subtle. That’s what I love about him.

There’s someone I work with who says he just cannot get into King because when I describe a book to him, it always sounds “too weird” for him – he says he has a weak stomach. King just uses the walk and the constant death throughout as a backdrop – he wants to craft compelling characters and ask the reader questions of morality. Could you support the walk? Could you be so selfish to risk your life for the achievement of ultimate greed?

The ending. I didn't particularly enjoy the ending all that much until I read online about what other people thought. If it is what people seem to think it is, I'm immensely satisfied. I must say, I'm 100% turned around on it.

All in all, maybe I’m looking too much into it and it’s just a written adaptation for The Proclaimers, “500 miles”. I swear to God, if that song gets stuck in my head again, I’m going to lose my mind.

DAMMIT.(less)

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Dec 21, 2007 Shannon rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: cream-o-the-crop, stephen-king

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

6 likes · like · see review

Jun 22, 2012 Hayden rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Anyone

Recommended to Hayden by: A friend

Shelves: favorites

The Long Walk by Stephen King tells the story of an alternate, totalitarianistic America in which one hundred teenaged boys line up on a desolate Maine highway. At nine o’clock in the morning, ‘The Long Walk’ begins. In this alternate universe, ‘The Long Walk’ is a sort of sporting event that is carried out by the military. It is fully embraced by the American people, in a way that is reminescent of the Olympics. The idea is that the contestants are to begin walking down the highway without stop...more The Long Walk by Stephen King tells the story of an alternate, totalitarianistic America in which one hundred teenaged boys line up on a desolate Maine highway. At nine o’clock in the morning, ‘The Long Walk’ begins. In this alternate universe, ‘The Long Walk’ is a sort of sporting event that is carried out by the military. It is fully embraced by the American people, in a way that is reminescent of the Olympics. The idea is that the contestants are to begin walking down the highway without stopping. If they fall below five miles per hour, they are given a warning. Fall below this margin more than three times, and they are given their ‘ticket’, and are removed from the walk. The last man standing is the winner, and is awarded whatever he wishes for, for the rest of his life. But there is a darker idea lurking behind the event, because there are no ‘tickets’ handed out. If a contestant falls below five miles per hour more than three times, he is laid on the street, and shot in the head with a high powered military rifle, to be killed instantly. The story follows Ray Garraty, a sixteen year old boy who, for his own personal reasons, has decided to sign up for the walk. Throughout the novel, we follow him, literally down the road, as he gains friendships, makes enemies, and learns some hard truths about life. As he walks down the road in an effort to make it out alive, he realizes that nothing in this life is really as it seems.

It is impossible to comprehend the true meaning of ‘page turner’ until one has read this terrifying novel. The suspense is so heavy, you can almost feel it emanating from the pages of the book. The story is also full of character development, in which you spend time getting to know each of the walkers, their strengths, their weaknesses, their personalities, their reasons for signing up for this unholy event. Once the walkers begin to tire, and slow down, the reader will find that the character development has only enhanced the suspense, as you will truly care for the protaganists as if they were family, and will not want to see them fall down and meet their demise on the cold, hard road. What makes the whole premise even scarier, is the idea that any one small thing can kill you. At one point, a walker gets a pebble in his shoe, which causes a blister, which causes him to walk slower. Another drinks his water too fast, and gets a cramp, slowing him down to meet his certain doom.

What adds to this story’s brilliance, is, when you think about it, the entire premise is almost like a metaphor for life itself. As humans, we all walk down the road of uncertainty, with nothing but the desire of achieving a goal being our only driving force. Over time, most of us slow down, and are taken out of the ‘walk’, so to speak, whether it be actual death, or just that natural acceptance of defeat. It is the last man standing, the one who has pushed himself through all of the pain and obstacles, the one who has watched his friends fall before him and still drives on, that makes it to the top. But, the question this story poses, is that when you’ve driven yourself that far, even once you’ve finally met your goal, is it possible to stop walking?

No reader is spared comfort or assurance as they follow along behind the one hundred young men. Sadness, love, and caring also run abundant in this tale. Any reader who can sit through the three hundred pages of fast paced story, and feel not one bit of emotion towards any of these perfectly drawn characters is surely insane. From its quiet, uneasy beginning, to its shocking ending, this story is guarunteed to rock you to your foundations, and leave you speechless for days.

5 stars, out of 5.
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Mar 02, 2009 Karl Ruben rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed

It didn't strike me quite as hard as the first Bachman book, Rage did, but The Long Walk is still a blinder of a book, containing much of the same kind of pure, distilled adolescent energy its predecessor was brimming with. In a way, it's the mirror image of the previous book I read, but whereas The Plague was more or less detached in the way it portrayed people constantly on the brink of death, TLW never lets you forget that it's a story about young men walking, walking, walking to their doom....more

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May 01, 2009 Becky rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: stephen-king, 2009, dystopias, reviewed

I love reading about dystopian societies, but this book left me wanting. I was really unsure of whether I liked it enough to warrant giving it 3 stars or 4 stars, and I'm still not sure, so for the time being, it will be marked as 4, but in my mind its 3.5.

I really felt like the King (or Bachman, if you prefer) who wrote this story was just not the King that I know and love yet. One of the things that I love the most about King is that he creates a world that is tangible and real, and then peop...more I love reading about dystopian societies, but this book left me wanting. I was really unsure of whether I liked it enough to warrant giving it 3 stars or 4 stars, and I'm still not sure, so for the time being, it will be marked as 4, but in my mind its 3.5.

I really felt like the King (or Bachman, if you prefer) who wrote this story was just not the King that I know and love yet. One of the things that I love the most about King is that he creates a world that is tangible and real, and then people's it with characters that are real. This book was half there, but I didn't feel like it was done.

The world didn't feel 'complete' to me. I wanted to know more about how society got to the point of allowing 100 young men to essentially torture and sacrifice themselves every year. I wanted to know what the point was, aside from the prize, which to be honest, seemed too good to be true.

With the self-proclaimed expert regarding The Long Walk, Stebbins, offering up little tidbits here and there, I felt like King could have explained a bit more about the origins of The Long Walk, but maybe that's just a personal desire because I love knowing the origins of things.

I thought that the characters were pretty well developed, but I was disappointed that none of them know why they had signed up for The Long Walk. Maybe it was a teenage boy rebellion/pride/honor thing, I don't know. I would have liked to have an answer to that, at least in Garraty, since he's our man.

I did appreciate the parallels to life itself though. Sometimes, you just have to keep going, even if you don't know why you're doing it. That's what makes me undecided about the rating I should give this one. I also believe that there was a reference to the Crimson King in there, too- or maybe the spark of an idea of what the Crimson King would become? When Garraty is thinking about the Crowd, and how it "...claws its way out of the Augusta basin on scarlet spider-legs and devour[s:] them all alive..." it just reminded me of that.

Anyway, this was a bleak and unforgiving story, and I'm not sure I could recommend it exactly, but I did enjoy it, overall. (less)

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Mar 06, 2013 sj rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: re-read, more-times-than-i-can-count, sk-in-order, yorwtfiw, favourites, read-with-heather-l

Bleak, relentless and beautiful. Mostly the first one, though.

(view spoiler)

Easily my favourite thing Stephen King has written (excepting the first three DT books, natch) and I'm now fighting myself to not go troll all the one star reviews.

Fuck the naysayers, read this book.

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Oct 18, 2011 Todd Russell rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: horror, reread

I'm going back through and rereading the Bachman Books trying to decide which one was Stephen King's best. This is one of the front-runners about Ray Garraty, "Maine's Own" making The Long Walk across Maine. If you walk too slow, you get a warning and too many warnings and the guards shoot you dead.

I think what keeps this from being a five star read for me--and I'm admittedly nitpicking--is that I wish King would have shown more madness from the Walkers experiencing sleep deprivation and fatigue...more

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Jul 08, 2011 Ntina P rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

My favorite book from Stephen King as Richard Bachman, this one describes the story of 100 boys who take part in an annual walking contest, the Long Walk where the rule is walk or die and there can be only one winner who can have everything he wishes for after that.
What was amazing about this book for me is that I found myself walking with these boys, thinking what they were thinking, feeling their physical and mental pain, despair, hope and sufering! An intense, depressing, brutal book with gr...more

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Nov 20, 2012 Victor rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, i-recommend

Words can't describe how great this book is...

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Nov 16, 2011 Aaron rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Aaron King
11/10/11
Per. 6
Quarter 1 Book Review: The Long Walk (Stephen King)
One of the most enjoyable and vital pastimes throughout history is that of reading. Reading is an absolute good, with nothing wrong to possibly come out of it. Reading sharpens the mind, enhances vocabulary, and is a pleasurable approach to escape from the stresses of life into a world of fantasy as well as non-fiction. Whichever style of reading is preferred, and whether you read in your spare time or have to schedule t...more Aaron King
11/10/11
Per. 6
Quarter 1 Book Review: The Long Walk (Stephen King)
One of the most enjoyable and vital pastimes throughout history is that of reading. Reading is an absolute good, with nothing wrong to possibly come out of it. Reading sharpens the mind, enhances vocabulary, and is a pleasurable approach to escape from the stresses of life into a world of fantasy as well as non-fiction. Whichever style of reading is preferred, and whether you read in your spare time or have to schedule time for the activity, it is a very prevalent part of society, and for good reason. For this quarter’s book I read the novel The Long Walk by the storied author Stephen King. A very famous modern writer, Stephen King is widely known for his work in writing horror stories. While this story is not so much about horror, it thrillingly tells the story of 100 young boys going on a long march south from the Northeastern part of the country, from Maine to, on average, New Hampshire or Massachusetts. This book, while giving a straightforward (yet additionally interesting and powerful) story, it also gives a deeper lesson on psychological aspects and added much material to form a recommendation.
The Long Walk is a novel that tells the story of one hundred young boys, all adolescents. It takes place in a macabre, alternate reality of the U.S. where life is somewhat harsher and more military-oriented. Talk of widespread fear of being “Squaded” indicates a strict government that squanders any resistance. The basic premise of the Walk is that you must keep above a certain speed or you get a warning. After three warnings, you “buy your ticket,” by which it means you are killed. However, walking one hour straight through without any warnings erases one of the warnings you carry with you. The Major orchestrates the Walk, and appears several times throughout it. The story is told through the perspective of the main character, Ray Garraty. Garraty, throughout the story, is at odds to win the competition due to his athletic build and as well as his home field advantage, as he is from Maine. When all is said in done, the winner of the Walk, i.e. the last man standing, gets the Prize, anything he desires for the rest of his life.
This book offers a great lesson in the discussion about the psychology of death and mortality. All these boys are walking in the face of death, and many of them realize soon after the first Walker buys his ticket that they will not go back home alive. In fact, many of the Walkers who die have mental breakdowns and receive their warnings and ticket. Even the winner, who is supposed to have weather all of that, is indicated in past Walks to have died from not only physical damage but also mental scarring. As is with Mitch Albom’s Tuesdays with Morrie, The Long Walk takes heavy examination about what happens to the mind in the face of mortality. However, unlike Mitch Albom’s novel, King takes a much harsher approach in that the Walkers cannot really do anything about death aside from think about it. This leads to a mental breakdown in which the Walkers “burrow deep inside themselves” to escape from the hardships. In these ways this novel teaches the psychological elements that come with death. Additionally, it teaches about hardships of relationships. From the beginning, Garraty befriends other Walkers such as McVries, Baker, Olson, Scramm, and others. They form a close-knit group that ends up walking together for much of the time, even so much as to call themselves “The Musketeers.” However, when it comes to helping each other out in times of danger along the Walk, the group eventually realizes that they are hurting their own chances of winning and have to make a tough decision to decide on a no-help rule. In this way, the book teaches the harsh lesson of relying on one self and focusing on only yourself when it comes to survival.
This book was a fantastic read. This is for two main reasons. The first was personal interests when it comes to reading. I am a great fan of the concept of alternate reality in which life is different from that of which we know. Therefore, this harsh, militarized, grisly version of our country is interesting to me. The story itself in addition is quite interesting and, while gruesome, is something that is different and creative. Next, story follows the happenings of teenagers, and yet it is not your usual teen book. Although you would expect the perspective of a teenager to speak in adolescent and childish manners, but the book has very adult and profound ideas. This ties into the next idea of why this book is very recommendable. Stephen King is an extremely talented writer, and that is evident in this novel. His style of writing was very reflective of the ideas he was trying to convey in each section of the story. For example, about halfway into the story, when Garraty is beginning to burrow his hole down into himself and at the same try to remain sane, King writes in that sort of style; there is little dialogue and much thought from Garraty instead. In these ways, I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone, not just those with a liking for fantasy but those with an appreciation for extremely skilled writing.
Stephen King’s The Long Walk (1979), a macabre story of a gruesome combination of physical and mental challenges that offers a great lesson in mental states in a commendable manner, did not disappoint. The novel was well worth the time spent reading, and is one those books that you make time to read even if you have a busy schedule. I look forward to reading more of Stephen King’s works.
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Apr 20, 2013 Sarah rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Stephen King's earliest written book (Carrie was the first published), it's a simple premise. A dystopian future that has a contest once a year where teenagers compete until only one is left alive. Sound familiar?

One of the best the best things about this is that the book is just about the walk. There are references to the outside world and what happened, but that's not the point of the story. It's all about these boys, and what they realize as they walk dozens of miles. It's not heralded much...more

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Dec 07, 2012 Daniel Lomax rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Long Walk is my 24th read by Stephen King. It's set in a dystopian future America, with a radically different culture to anywhere in modern day, and it takes place entirely on a road sectioned off from anything resembling civilisation, so, unusually for a Stephen King book, cultural references are absent and they'd be redundant anyway.

What I'm trying to get at is this: The Long Walk could have been set anywhere in the world, at no extra difficulty to the author. But can you guess where it wa...more The Long Walk is my 24th read by Stephen King. It's set in a dystopian future America, with a radically different culture to anywhere in modern day, and it takes place entirely on a road sectioned off from anything resembling civilisation, so, unusually for a Stephen King book, cultural references are absent and they'd be redundant anyway.

What I'm trying to get at is this: The Long Walk could have been set anywhere in the world, at no extra difficulty to the author. But can you guess where it was set? That's right, Maine. Except for Desperation, everything I've read by King is set in Maine. A character even mentions that the road runs past Bangor, Maine and Derry, Maine.

So in Maine, just according to the books I've read so far, there's a girl with telekinesis, a vampire-infested city, a haunted hotel, an indestructible killer car, two alien invasions and three portals to other dimensions, full of monsters and evil gods. Maine's so hazardous, it's surprising anyone still lives there.

All I'm saying is, why doesn't he spread things out a bit?

Anyway, the real problem with The Long Walk is that its core premise is implausible. If you're unfamiliar, it's much like The Lottery, Battle Royale or The Hunger Games - a dystopian world hosts a game show in which nearly every contestant will surely die. The difference here is that all 100 contestants are in the game on a purely voluntary basis. They keep wondering aloud why they got themselves into this mess; it's as if Stephen King thought that that would be sufficient to quench the reader's skepticism. But he never actually answers the question, and so all the way through I'm asking myself the same question: "why are they in it if it's such a bum deal? And why are they acting like it's everybody else's fault that they willingly signed up to a deathmatch?" Would you sign up for a game show that gives you a 1% chance to get rich and a 99% chance to die trying? Would you sign up if it was 50-50? These kids aren't starving, like the kids in the Hunger Games. It's just as well Forrest Gump wasn't from Maine, he'd have put these milksops to shame.

And that's the other problem. The contestants are all children (teenage boys, to be more specific) but the author himself seems to regularly forget this. Consider this passage:

"Once he had dated a girl who lived on Brickyard Hill, a girl named Carolyn. She was married now. Had a kid. She might have let him, but he was young and pretty dumb."

These are the reflections of our 16 year old protagonist. There are countless other moments in which King starts treating a mere nipper like he's over the hill and probably more concerned about arthritis than acne.

If nothing else, this book serves to show the Avid Stephen King Reader what progress he made over the next few years. The character psychology, for instance, is a million leagues more mature and plausible in Carrie or The Shining. So that's who I recommend this book for: the fellow Constant Reader, who finds King's casual-yet-absorbing writing style good enough that he could rewrite the phone book into something spectacular. But if you're just starting out with Stephen King, maybe skip ahead to those two books. It's all in the same damn neighbourhood, anyway.(less)

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Mar 03, 2013 Daniel rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011, penny-dreadfuls

I was reading something on the internet that mentioned a book, the premise of which is that 100 boys start walking north from Maine in a huge contest where the last person still walking is the winner. Contestants must walk at a clip of four miles/hour. If they drop below that clip for thirty seconds they are given a warning. They are allotted three warnings, and if they exceed that their last warning is a ticket.

Oh yeah, and by “ticket,” I mean they get shot. To draw a ticket is to draw of the m...more I was reading something on the internet that mentioned a book, the premise of which is that 100 boys start walking north from Maine in a huge contest where the last person still walking is the winner. Contestants must walk at a clip of four miles/hour. If they drop below that clip for thirty seconds they are given a warning. They are allotted three warnings, and if they exceed that their last warning is a ticket.

Oh yeah, and by “ticket,” I mean they get shot. To draw a ticket is to draw of the mortal coil, or whatever Shakespeare said. I suppose you couldn’t expect less from S. King.

A few things were running along with me as I read this book. I’ll call them genre, art, and draw.

On genre. I typically don’t read books like this. It’s a thriller for goodness sake. I don’t read to get a buzzing tingle in my stomach. Reading is for the high functions. Okay, so that’s a snooty attitude. It’s funny to contrast the things that I watch on TV (mysteries, thrillers, sports) with the things I typically read (theology, philosophy, aesthetically-interesting literature, poems). There’s definitely the possibility for an overlap between the two groups, but generally the division is between the instantly gratifying and the delayed-in-gratification. I suppose the moral here is that I should be willing to read more zingers and watch more long-form things. The media are generally suited to the opposite levels of depth, but the opportunity is there with some things, as in video lectures, for example.

On art. But books that read like Christopher Nolan movies aren’t somehow inferior to something more heady/snooty/obscure. I’ve heard many try to defend (not a necessary starting point, perhaps) their interest in less-than-high art books from a subjective stance. That’s not necessary! The facts are laid bare and the truth can be explained. The books called literature and the books called cheap vary only in complexity. A book like The Long Walk, or The Long Walk itself, doesn’t really do much. The characters do not develop, there are very few characters, there is one plotline, there is one basic location (you guessed it, it’s a road), there is one basic character type, and there is one moral view proposed by the characters that bother to opine mid-walk. Nevertheless, it’s not bad stuff, it’s just not out to do what other books are to do. Both types are potentially enjoyable for the same reasons, each type tend to use the reasons in different ways. I enjoy sermons, I enjoy semester-long lecture series, I enjoy pep-talks, I enjoy a well-written blog post. Again, there’s something to someone who can perpetually churn out bestsellers. He’s up to something. There’s some kind of skill there, and if skill, then I have the potential to appreciate. Appreciate I did.

On draw. And the main mechanism that cause this was his ability to weave dialogue between 4-5 walkers at a time, to maintain a narrative tone that was consistently teenage, tired, and horny. That takes something to do, argue about the value of the result if you will. It’s interesting to see someone accomplish something using a few characters, a basic plot outline, the geography of Maine, and the complexities of humanity. In the end it’s King’s imagination that rules the day. It’s one that I hope to visit again. (less)

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May 10, 2012 Veeral rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: dystopian, favorites, favorites-of-2012

This novel was better than what I had expected. One thing I liked about this story was the rawness with which it was handled. No flashy gadgets, no mind-boggling futuristic technology to keep track of the Walkers. Nothing. Just some soldiers following the Walkers in a military vehicle with chronometer in their one hand and a rifle in the other one. Really, what else do you need?

One question that kept nagging at my mind at all the times while reading this was that WHAT actually happened to the wo...more

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Nov 17, 2011 Allison (The Allure of Books) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: author_stephen-king, mysteries-thrillers-crime-horror, 2011, loved-it, dystopian, to-get

The Long Walk by Stephen King seriously impressed me. Every time I pick up a book by Stephen King, some piece of the book always reiterates why he is basically the storytelling master. The Long Walk is absolutely no exception. You guys – this book is brilliant.

Brilliant it might be, but it also redefines the word bleak. It is a dystopian, so that is mostly to be expected. However – with most dystopians circulating these days, there is some form of hope. There is someone fighting for a cause they...more The Long Walk by Stephen King seriously impressed me. Every time I pick up a book by Stephen King, some piece of the book always reiterates why he is basically the storytelling master. The Long Walk is absolutely no exception. You guys – this book is brilliant.

Brilliant it might be, but it also redefines the word bleak. It is a dystopian, so that is mostly to be expected. However – with most dystopians circulating these days, there is some form of hope. There is someone fighting for a cause they believe is right – readers devour the pages in hopes of seeing the protagonist succeed.

In this book, you can forget about it. Just check out the synopsis:

On the first day of May, 100 teenage boys meet for a race known as “The Long Walk”. If you break the rules, you get three warnings. If you exceed your limit, what happens is absolutely terrifying.

The book never pretends to be something it isn’t. We meet all these teenage boys – including Garraty, the MC – and we know from the beginning that most (if not all) of them will die. This is where the Stephen King magic touch comes in – because who would really want to read a book like this? Why get to know all these characters knowing they will die? Only one author I can think of could ever make me want to pick this book up.

From page one, I couldn’t put it down. Every single person introduced in the story is compelling – all of them in completely different ways. I was so torn when I found myself caring for some of them, because I knew I’d most likely be watching them die at some point. As the pages kept turning and I watched a hundred pairs of shoes start to fall apart and starvation and exhaustion set in – I was riveted. The rules of the walk say that it will only end when one person is left – so who was that person going to be? Or was there going to be a twist of some kind saving more than one of the boys?

If you know Stephen King, you know things are never as simple as they seem. The end will surprise you.

So, even though the entire book is overwhelmed with hopelessness, pain, exhaustion and cruelty – I can’t help but recommend you pick it up. It is storytelling at its very best, and is definitely a book I won’t be forgetting anytime soon.(less)

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Apr 19, 2008 Mike Salzman rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is one of a few books I have that can I pick up and re-read when I have nothing else to read or am just too lazy to run to the bookstore. Does anyone else have books that they've read half a dozen times which are just good 'filler' books (for lack of a better word)?

100 teenage boys voluntarily line up on a Maine road in mid spring. When the clock strikes 9, the long walk begins. 4 MPH is the minimum speed that must be maintained. If the limit is breached, a warning is issued. If, an hour af...more This is one of a few books I have that can I pick up and re-read when I have nothing else to read or am just too lazy to run to the bookstore. Does anyone else have books that they've read half a dozen times which are just good 'filler' books (for lack of a better word)?

100 teenage boys voluntarily line up on a Maine road in mid spring. When the clock strikes 9, the long walk begins. 4 MPH is the minimum speed that must be maintained. If the limit is breached, a warning is issued. If, an hour after being warned, no more warnings are given, one is dropped. You can have a maximum of 3 warnings. The next time you drop below 4 MPH, you're shot. Last boy left walking wins.

Wins what, you might ask? That's not important. "The prize" is mentioned with reverance several times, but never better defined than "whatever you can wish for". What is important are the characters and how they deal with choosing death. What drove them in their lives to risk it all for the chance at the prize? And how will they deal with the insane situation they now find themselves?

At first you think, "Why would anyone throw their life away on almost certain suicide?! It's insane!" There is, after all, only one winner. However, the more you think, the more you begin to rationalize. It sounds so simple. The most innocuous of actions; something we've done almost since birth. All you have to do is walk. I can sympathize so readily with the characters in believing that I could keep up the pace for as long as it took to win. But it's the little things that you don't think about that ruin you. A pebble in a shoe causes a blister. A canteen, drunk too fast, results in a cramp. Charley horses, bathroom breaks, sleep, hunger, delerium, hallucinations, insanity. I love this book.

Stephen King has always been one of my favorite authors when it comes to the art of characterization. I've always firmly believed that if your characters are believable and interesting, the plot is of secondary importance. And King's characters are legendary. Look no further than Needfull Things, The Shining, or The Stand.(less)

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Dec 29, 2007 Jeremiah rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is my favorite Stephen King book, and I've read quite a few of them. I've read this one probably a half-dozen times, and it really thrills me every time.

This isn't a horror book, like some of Stephen King's other works. This was the second book in the "Bachman Books" that were released some years ago, and along with "The Running Man," foreshadowed the reality TV epidemic we have today.

The story in "The Long Walk" centers around a competition to see who can walk the furthest without sleeping...more

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Mar 14, 2011 Antoaneta Mitrusheva rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Не бях чела книга на Стивън Кинг от ученическите си години. Сигурно и през следващите десет няма да посегна отново към него. Но книгата наистина е удивителна, потресаваща, много силна, въздействаща.

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Sep 29, 2008 Andrea rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Not King's typical horror, this book is pretty awesome. It really gets under your skin as these 100 boys begin their "Long Walk." One by one they are picked off (they call it "buying a ticket") until we are desensitized to their horrific deaths. You don't want any of them to "buy a ticket" but there can only be ONE winner. It's a different kind of hell from what we are used to from King, but when you read about the people lined up to see the Walkers and what they go through, the book really make...more

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Aug 21, 2011 Beth rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Horrifying and at the same time exhilarating. Amazing what the human body can endure, but why? WHY did these boys volunteer for "The Long Walk". The visions this put in my head will stick with me for a long time. The book will be one to read again, perhaps not so close to having taken not so long a walk.

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Feb 04, 2009 Josh rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was book #2 from the Dudes' Book Club, as selected by young Craig Massie.

While I can't say I was "wowed" by this, I can say that it's stuck with me. Excellent pace, mood, and characters. I feel like it was almost a writing excerise for Stephen King (aka Richard Bachman - whose only discernable difference from King is that he's from New Hampshire instead of Maine. And somehow he was still extremely upset when people figured out it was him). It allowed him the opportunity to create and devel...more

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Apr 03, 2013 Lin Yang added it · review of another edition

A book review is one’s opinion on a book after they have finished reading it. These reviews are vital to other people because before reading a book, the first thing that someone will do is read the blurb, or read someone’s review on it. The book that I’ll be reviewing is The Long Walk, by Richard Bachman AKA Stephen King. Yes, Stephen King. You now know that the book I’m reviewing is a suspenseful book because all of his books revolve around suspense and horror with maybe a few exceptions. The...more A book review is one’s opinion on a book after they have finished reading it. These reviews are vital to other people because before reading a book, the first thing that someone will do is read the blurb, or read someone’s review on it. The book that I’ll be reviewing is The Long Walk, by Richard Bachman AKA Stephen King. Yes, Stephen King. You now know that the book I’m reviewing is a suspenseful book because all of his books revolve around suspense and horror with maybe a few exceptions. The book, The Long Walk talks about a contest that’s held every year where a hundred teenage boys line up to face against each other in the rigorous event called, “The Long Walk”. The winner of this walk gets whatever he wants, for the rest of his life. But it comes with a catch; only one will survive, and that’s the winner. Every other contestant BUT the winner will either die from the harsh nature or get shot throughout the race, whether it be breaking the rules, stopping, going under the speed limit, or quitting. Some lose their legs and try to crawl through the race, one even rips their throat out, and most will suffer from mental breakdowns. The protagonist, Raymond Garraty must face these challenges and try his best to make friends throughout this race to the death as he strives towards the unbelievable prize.
I believe that this book is a great read because it shows you need hard work and determination to reach a goal and you can’t get there alone. The author brings suspense to the story by making you question the protagonist. Will he win? Will he give up? Will the other contestants pass by him? Will his determination be enough to win? Every page you turn to in this book will add more and more suspense and you won’t let go of it until you finish the book itself. Well, at least that’s what happened to me. One main reason why I really enjoyed this book is because I felt a connection with the protagonist. As he strives for his goal to win the race, I too strive for a goal in my life and would go through anything to achieve it, just like Garraty himself did. He had determination, and never gave up.
I would recommend this book to teenagers because if they read this book, they would get a sudden urge of determination, they would strive for something, and best of all, they’d obtain a goal. In this book, the protagonist, Raymond is also a teenager whose hard work eventually pays off as he sees the finish line, looking around, back and front to see if anyone is still alive and with him. The feel of being the first of your friends to achieve something, isn’t it nice?
(less)

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Mar 22, 2013 Stephen rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was quite a good book for Stephen king, iv tried to read quite a few of his books but i seem to stop reading about a quarter of the way in due to sheer boredom, the man doesn't half chat some bull sometimes and most of the ones iv tried to read aren't coherent enough for me. This one was different, the story was pretty coherent, it was easily followed and the characters were well written. The story was good but a few things really pissed me off reading this, first of all, the reason why thi...more

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About Stephen King

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Stephen Edwin King was born in Portland, Maine in 1947, the second son of Donald and Nellie Ruth Pillsbury King. After his parents separated when Stephen was a toddler, he and his older brother, David, were raised by his mother. Parts of his childhood were spent in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where his father's family...more Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Stephen Edwin King was born in Portland, Maine in 1947, the second son of Donald and Nellie Ruth Pillsbury King. After his parents separated when Stephen was a toddler, he and his older brother, David, were raised by his mother. Parts of his childhood were spent in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where his father's family was at the time, and in Stratford, Connecticut. When Stephen was eleven, his mother brought her children back to Durham, Maine, for good. Her parents, Guy and Nellie Pillsbury, had become incapacitated with old age, and Ruth King was persuaded by her sisters to take over the physical care of the elderly couple. Other family members provided a small house in Durham and financial support. After Stephen's grandparents passed away, Mrs. King found work in the kitchens of Pineland, a nearby residential facility for the mentally challenged.

Stephen attended the grammar school in Durham and then Lisbon Falls High School, graduating in 1966. From his sophomore year at the University of Maine at Orono, he wrote a weekly column for the school newspaper, THE MAINE CAMPUS. He was also active in student politics, serving as a member of the Student Senate. He came to support the anti-war movement on the Orono campus, arriving at his stance from a conservative view that the war in Vietnam was unconstitutional. He graduated from the University of Maine at Orono in 1970, with a B.A. in English and qualified to teach on the high school level. A draft board examination immediately post-graduation found him 4-F on grounds of high blood pressure, limited vision, flat feet, and punctured eardrums.

He and Tabitha Spruce married in January of 1971. He met Tabitha in the stacks of the Fogler Library at the University of Maine at Orono, where they both worked as students. As Stephen was unable to find placement as a teacher immediately, the Kings lived on his earnings as a laborer at an industrial laundry, and her student loan and savings, with an occasional boost from a short story sale to men's magazines.

Stephen made his first professional short story sale ("The Glass Floor") to Startling Mystery Stories in 1967. Throughout the early years of his marriage, he continued to sell stories to men's magazines. Many of these were later gathered into the Night Shift collection or appeared in other anthologies.

In the fall of 1971, Stephen began teaching high school English classes at Hampden Academy, the public high school in Hampden, Maine. Writing in the evenings and on the weekends, he continued to produce short stories and to work on novels.(less)

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Quotes from The Long Walk

“Just go on dancing with me like this forever and I'll never tire. We'll scrape our shoe on the stars and hang upside down from the moon.” — 16 people liked it

“They're animals, all right. But why are you so goddam sure that makes us human beings?” — 12 people liked it

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