The Long Walk - Stephen King Challenge # 7

[Vicki Willis]

Starting tonight... hey, I am distracted by my edition's cover... I cant find it on Good Reads, but it is gray and looks cartoony... does anyone else have this cover??

[Rob]

Vicki wrote: "Starting tonight... hey, I am distracted by my edition's cover... I cant find it on Good Reads, but it is gray and looks cartoony... does anyone else have this cover??"

Is it this?

:- http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--UFwjPMnC3I...

[Jaro]

Vicki wrote: "Starting tonight... hey, I am distracted by my edition's cover... I cant find it on Good Reads, but it is gray and looks cartoony... does anyone else have this cover??"

I think it might be this one

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

A bunch of editions were listed with Kings as primary author. The original author should always be listed as primary. It gets a bit confusing when new covers have the name Stephen King in big letters. These are now listed with the others.

[Rob]

Jaro, that links to a Harry Potter book for me!

[Jaro]

Rob wrote: "Jaro, that links to a Harry Potter book for me!"

That was weird, I don't know how that happened. Now it should work though. Thanks Rob.

[Jaro]

I'm about half way home with this book, and I'm sort of amazed by it. I've read or heard somewhere(?) that he wrote the early Bachman books (or some of them) in the house in Durham when he was still a teenager. His language is so careful and controlled, and even though his characters are so young he manages to bring in grown-up themes like destructive marriages. So maybe this one was not one of his teenage books.

[Jaro]

I remember now, it was in the documentary "Shining in the Dark", where he points to the bedroom window of the bleak house "the old hood place" where grew up and says that he wrote two books that eventually were published in that room. One of them Rage, but he never says which the other one was.

[Kenneth]

Terry wrote: "Same for me Adamus, and enjoying it too. [spoilers removed]"

That would be an interesting twist. I took it as it was simply the military. I wonder if we'll ever find out.

[Kenneth]

Addy wrote: "Just finished ch4[spoilers removed]"

Mary wrote: "Chapter 4 [spoilers removed]
And yes, Vulva, I am feeling their pain !"

Chapter Four - more thoughts:

(view spoiler)[ I'm wondering what ever possessed them to do the Long Walk. Is it voluntary? Was it a draft? I felt like King was eluding that it was voluntary. (hide spoiler)]

[Terry]

Ken wrote: "Addy wrote: "Just finished ch4[spoilers removed]"

Mary wrote: "Chapter 4 [spoilers removed]
And yes, Vulva, I am feeling their pain !"

Chapter Four - more thoughts:

[spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[ I agree, seems like it was a voluntary thing just by the way Garraty's story started, but it is left a little vague. The way he just jumped in to the story, I wasn't sure we were going to ever find out why. (hide spoiler)]

[Rob]

As an aside, why would anyone eat raw hamburger?!? Is that common in the states?

[Terry]

Lol, good question Rob. Not the norm by my standards!

[Kenneth]

Rob wrote: "As an aside, why would anyone eat raw hamburger?!? Is that common in the states?"

Lol. Not that I'm aware of!

[Rob]

As in, uncooked meat? Is this a lost-in-translation thing?

[Empress Reece (Hooked on Books)]

Rob wrote: "As an aside, why would anyone eat raw hamburger?!? Is that common in the states?"

Lol I was wondering the same thing. I was thinking maybe some people eat it because it's high in protein but I Google'd it anyways and this is what I found:

Why Eat Raw Meat:

●Raw meat is easy to digest. Many people note that indigestion is eliminated after switching to raw meat, although one probably wouldn’t have indigestion if they didn’t eat grains.
●Raw meat has more vitamins than cooked meat and contains enzymes for digestion.
●Raw meat contains fewer free radicals and no heat-mutated proteins.
●Raw fats help balance metabolism and detoxify the body.

Source: http://theprimalparent.com/2011/04/06...

I still don't think I could make that a regular item in my diet. A Medium Rare steak is about as far as I'll go. : )

[Adamus (Like Adonis, but with a M)]

I'm definitely not eating raw meat after seein kids get there brains blown out I just wouldn't be able to look at meat the same for the rest of the walk

[Vicki Willis]

Jaro wrote: "Vicki wrote: "Starting tonight... hey, I am distracted by my edition's cover... I cant find it on Good Reads, but it is gray and looks cartoony... does anyone else have this cover??"

I think it mi..."

Yes, that is the one... :)

[Kenneth]

Chapter 5 - thoughts

(view spoiler)[ As the fatigue is setting in, it seems like the boys are realizing that they're walking into their own demise. It's as if none of them thought out the consequences of this Long Walk until they were smack dab in the middle of it. Is this a metaphor for young boys enlisting during the Vietnam War? Also, has anyone noticed that there are no female walkers? (hide spoiler)]

[Kenneth]

Empress Reece (Hooked on Books) wrote: "Rob wrote: "As an aside, why would anyone eat raw hamburger?!? Is that common in the states?"

Lol I was wondering the same thing. I was thinking maybe some people eat it because it's high in prote..."


Raw meat for a boy that's about to go into the proverbial meat grinder. Coincidence?

[Empress Reece (Hooked on Books)]

Ken wrote: "Raw meat for a boy that's about to go into the proverbial meat grinder. Coincidence?"

With King/Bachman, probably not : )

[Jaro]

Vulva(Sylvia) wrote: "I'd like to know what the other one was. I can't recall."

It was The Long Walk, and he wrote it before Rage. So amazingly this was Kings first book, written when he was only 18 years old.

[Vicki Willis]

I am behind but loving the comments here.
Chapter 2
What a tense start.
I thought (view spoiler)[the prize was a lifetime of whatever they wanted? Which made me think for some reason all of these kids are extremely desperate. Also, the fact that the first 2 killed was because of blisters and cramps is scary and eye opening because that means no amount of preparation or training is any guarantee, which to a teenager is not what they expect. (hide spoiler)]
Great start to this!

[Mary]

I am finished. This was my third reading and the book still held up.(view spoiler)[ The ending was, in my mind, perfect. No, nothing about the prize(s) was explained, but I like filling in with my own ideas. I thought the uncertain ending went along with all of the uncertainty of the walk. Who would get a ticket next, and how?The only objection I have is that King never, for me, made it unclear if Ray was going to make it or not. It seemed to me a foregone conclusion. I'm wondering if any one else saw that differently? Love SK. (hide spoiler)]

[Glenn]

I started a couple days ago (reading like 7 books right now).

I love the way it starts off without giving you any answers. That really builds the mystery and therefor hooks the reader. As a writer, I've learned that I'm often too chickenshit to try this. I feel like the reader is gonna kill me if I don't tell them what's going on, but King''s way is the right way. I read a piece of advice that once said after you've begun your story, go back and delete the first page or two. Sounds outrageous, but it works.

Love getting to meet the "Walkers" and really intrigued by Stebbins and "our guy" Ray.

Can you guys imagine trying to do this??? I live in Maine. Limestone and Caribou are waaaayyy up there.

[Kenneth]

Glenn wrote: "I started a couple days ago (reading like 7 books right now).

I love the way it starts off without giving you any answers. That really builds the mystery and therefor hooks the reader. As a writer..."

I'm with you on the starting off with no answers. My curiosity kicks into overdrive as I try to figure it out as King flips an occasional biscuit our way. The question is, does King have the balls to end the story and not give us the definitive answers of why?

I'm loving how the personalities of these Walkers are coming out. McVries is like the smart-ass poet. Barkovitch is the pain-in-the-ass pest that no one likes and the only thing he lives for is to get under people's skin.

I've been to Maine a dozen or so times and I backpack at a place in Cutler. This is even farther up than that!

[Kenneth]

Vicki wrote: "I am behind but loving the comments here.
Chapter 2
What a tense start.
I thought [spoilers removed]
Great start to this!"

(view spoiler)[ I think that's one of the things that makes this story so great. A little thing like a blister or a cramp can get you a bullet. Imagine trying to fight that along with the fatigue of walking night and day nonstop for hundreds of miles trying to outlast the 99 others! (hide spoiler)]

[Kenneth]

Chapter 7 - Thoughts

(view spoiler)[ A good point was brought up. The spectators. At first, I thought it was odd and barbaric for people to be lining up and cheering when 99 of the 100 are walking towards their own deaths. But then I thought about it and wondered, isnt this exactly what we do and have always done? McVries mentions people watching the gladiators and the guillotine. I've always said that we could get out of debt, as a country, if we held public executions in football stadiums, charged outrageous amounts for tickets and also showed it on pay-per-view. It's not that I'm for this. It's that I've always noticed how people really are. Death is fascinating for many. Look at how long a line in traffic is when there is a bad accident. The traffic doesn't slow down due to a safety issue. They slow down to rubberneck and gawk to see if they can see anything gruesome. (hide spoiler)]

[Kenneth]

Finished it tonight while watching the SuperBowl and the commercials. Absolutely loved it!

If you're interested, you can read my review here:

Http://kenmckinley.wordpress.com or
Http://intothemacabre.booklikes.com

[Terry]

Mary wrote: "I am finished. This was my third reading and the book still held up.[spoilers removed]"

I agree, Mary. (view spoiler)[ Just right way to end that leaving us to wonder if he survived or not. (hide spoiler)] Powerful story for such a simple idea. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

[Terry]

Ken wrote: "Chapter 7 - Thoughts

[spoilers removed]"

Sad, but true, Ken. (view spoiler)[ I like how Garatty ended up viewing the spectators as a monster itself - Crowd. An excellent way to portray that. (hide spoiler)]

[Glenn]

Man, Stebbins Long Walk story at the end of Chapter 4. Puts you right in the shoes of these kids. Imagining the end.... Great stuff from King here.

[Addy]

I'm a little slower than the rest. I'm at ch8 and it's definitely making me think. Can't wait to see how it ends. Great comments by the way. (view spoiler)[What exactly is night-riding and is getting squaded basically a death sentence in itself? (hide spoiler)]

[Kenneth]

Addy wrote: "I'm a little slower than the rest. I'm at ch8 and it's definitely making me think. Can't wait to see how it ends. Great comments by the way. [spoilers removed]"

I took being Squaded as the equivalent of the Nazi SS taking you away and being put into a concentration camp.

[Addy]

Ok. Thanks!

[Vicki Willis]

I am at Chap. 9 now and still have more questions than answers. I think the ones we know the most about are going to meet their end. The stories about the different people are great, but I am getting anxious to know the how/why they are in the race. (view spoiler)[Maybe noone finds out the truth behind it because then it would become common knowledge and noone seems to know. Which would support the idea of no survivors (hide spoiler)]

[Adamus (Like Adonis, but with a M)]

Don't worry Addy since I was working I was a little bit behind too I'm at Chapter 10

[Addy]

Oh good! I'm glad u and Vicki are still reading it. I don't know why I'm slacking and that's because I'm enjoying it!

[Erin *Proud Book Hoarder*]

I finally started last night. On chapter six. That walk is brutal. It's half interesting and half enraging.

[Erin *Proud Book Hoarder*]

Ken wrote: "Chapter 7 - Thoughts

[spoilers removed]"

You're right that society has been notoriously cruel, especially with the Gladiator Games. I'd like to think something such as this wouldn't/couldn't be embraced though. Disturbing.

[Erin *Proud Book Hoarder*]

I finished last night. It was surprising how much tension King put into a story that focuses on a long walk.

Can anyone explain the very, very end to me? I didn't get it. Obviously don't read the spoiler if you haven't finished.
(view spoiler)[
What happened when Garrity reached the end, did he also die? Was he hallucinating? What did the last line mean when he ran? (hide spoiler)]

[Terry]

Erin (Paperbackstash) *Proud Book Hoarder* wrote: "I finished last night. It was surprising how much tension King put into a story that focuses on a long walk.

I agree and good question. (view spoiler)[ I don't think we're supposed to know if he won and lived, or if he ended up dying because he had pushed beyond his own limit. I had wondered if the person he saw in front of him was supposed to be his own father that he would end up tryin to catch up to... (hide spoiler)]

[Vicki Willis]

I finished today. I am exhausted like I was the one on the walk. I cant imagine the feeling of making the decision to start this and then realizing there is no stopping! I thought each character was completely unique and what great writing it takes to do that given this story! The ending wasnt what I expected (view spoiler)[being left with so many questions about everthing (hide spoiler)] but it worked for me. This was a great book. I am glad i read it.

[Kenneth]

Vicki wrote: "I finished today. I am exhausted like I was the one on the walk. I cant imagine the feeling of making the decision to start this and then realizing there is no stopping! I thought each character wa..."

Glad you liked it, Vicki. This is one that doesn't get talked about very much as far as King's body of work goes and I think it's a very underrated story. I'm one that likes open endings, like this one. I don't have to have everything wrapped up by the time it ends. It makes my mind work overtime and it needs that! Lol. I hope you can join us for the March read of the Stephen King Challenge. March is The Dead Zone. This invite goes out to everyone else too. I'll be posting in Buddy Reads and start the next thread. Thanks again, everyone!

[Latasha]

I agree Ken. I'm also ok with books and movies not having a happy ending. It's ok for the baddies to win sometimes.

[Latasha]

And I'll be joining in the dead zone read.