Roadwork-Bachman book

[Kit★]

I didn't see a thread for Roadwork, and since I just read it a few days ago, I was thinking about it. I really liked this one, it tied for my favorite in The Bachman Books, along with The Long Walk and The Running Man. I can't even really articulate why, I just sort of liked watching how it all played out, almost like watching a wreck in slow motion or something. I was cheering for Bart, making his little stand, but at the same time, wanting to slap him like, "man, what are you doing!" I really liked the ending though, after I'd spent the time getting to know him and his motivations and reactions, I thought the end was awesome, I was definitely cheering then. Anyone else like this one, or hate this one? Any opinions? :)

[Amanda]

I loved Roadwork. It really managed to convey all the little bits and pieces of his life and made you understand him better than a lot of young people would have (I was 18 when i read it). He's very tragic but you also feel he was entitled to his grief and need for keeping what was his.

[Tyler]

I loved it as well, but I haven't found a King book yet that I couldn't say that about. Even the ones that aren't near the top I still have to give at least 4 stars.

[Aditya]

I am yet to read The Running Man..it is next on my to read list but i think it is safe to say this book was nowhere close to The Long Walk which was very good.Actually this was a pretty average book which i guess none but the hardcore King fans will appreciate & it surely is not a book that i would like to re-read ever again.

I do not have a problem with a dark or nihilistic book but this IMHO took too long to get into the meat of the story.

[Matthew]

I am finally reading this - I read all the other Bachman Books (except Blaze) years ago. This book is not starting off the way I expected. I get the impression from some reviews that this might be the weakest of the Bachman stories. It is okay so far, not blowing me away, but not bad either.

[Matthew]

I forgot to comment on this when I finished. Probably my least favorite Stephen King book. Kind of just blah. I expected more - the climax lasted about half a page and by the time I got to it I didn't care. Oh well, not every book is perfect (and this was an early effort under the pseudonym, so he was trying to write like someone else anyway . . . The Long Walk and The Running Man were Bachman victories, so I can forgive this defeat!)

[Chris]

My favorite of the Bachman stories has always been "The Long Walk" but this ranks up pretty high as well. Its very subtle, and the bleakness of the situation just creeps up on you. Some interesting questions to ponder as well like "what price do we ultimately pay in the name of progress?" Good stuff.

[Steve]

This book is better than most people rate it. I love the psychological aspect of it! Though it was slow getting started.

[Mike]

It hooked me the whole time. Definitely one of my favourites from the Bachman books.

[Michael]

Roadwork wasn't bad at all. Have to find a copy of Cycle of the Werewolf, since it's out of print.

[Kandice]

I haven't read Roadwork in years, but don't remember loving it. I'm always up to reread his, though, and it's not long.

[Stevo]

I haven't read Roadwork so I'm going to juggle it into my reading this month. Looking forward to it and hoping it inspires some good conversation amongst us. :)

[Latasha]

I was surprised at how much I did like this book. it's a book about walking. ok.... well I gave it a try and liked it! hope everyone enjoys it.

[Latasha]

Agh! I was. Sorry! I really did read this one too though. I wonder if Arnie & the other guy from Christine were part of the road crew during this book.

[Kandice]

I'm actually near the end of reading The Long Walk right now!

[Latasha]

I do too Matthew.

[Effie (she-her)]

Great choice! It's sold out in Greece for a few years now, but we're expecting it to be published again very soon. I hope I'll be able to read it this month!!

[Stevo]

I've started, Fred. You're 10% in and getting to understand what's going on aren't you, George? That's right, Fred.

[Dan]

I'm about halfway through, but it's dragging for me.

There are times when I'm really enjoying it, but then it seems to cool off and I'll have to read 10-15 pages that I just don't care for.

As far as Bachman Books go, it is definitely my least favourite at the moment, though I haven't read The Running Man.

[Summer]

For me this and Blaze are the weakest of the Bachman books, but they're still pretty good. As others have noted, I really liked the bleakness, the hopelessness, the complete resignation that Barton felt. I was living in a border state when the government started buying/seizing land for the 2006 border fence and a lot of people felt the same frustration and resignation. It's pretty easy for one's life to stall out like that when it feels like there's no control over a situation so large.

[Alexandria]

Uggg I was NOT a fan of this one for some reason. I liked the main protagonist but the story was just meh I'm not sure how I felt

[Jake]

This is actually my third read of Roadwork. It's one of my favorite King novels. I usually wait until a dark, cold, depressing November day (I live in IL) to read it. The reason I love Roadwork so much is that it's a rare King novel where the monsters are real; and some of them are internal!
SPOILERS AHEAD!

I've seen many Bart Dawes in my life. I've seen the 40 to 50 year old people who have lost a child, feel helpless against circumstance, fallen out of love with their spouses, feel like the world has moved on (as Roland says), etc. As a happily married 28 year old man with a beautiful wife and beautiful daughter, this book scares the hell out of me! It makes me think that all of us are a pea-sized tumor away from becoming Bart. This is honestly, in my opinion, the scariest King book of all time!

[mrbooks]

This book is more true to life then you know, loosing a child does send you over the edge it how you deal with it that counts.

[Nick]

It's been so long since I read this I can't remember a thing. Guess it's time to read it again.

[Stevo]

Nice post, Jake.

I'm about half way into Roadwork now and what can I say, it's just good old readable SK doing his thing. It is pretty interesting to get such a close look at the main character, it almost feels like this is being told to us in the first person as we are so close to him.

I'm pretty sure there isn't going to be a happy ending here (unless Dawes completely turns himself around...! He has screwed everything up royally and has been only nice to the hitch hiker) but I'm still looking forward to see what happens in the second half. Freddie has been a bit too quiet for my liking so let's see what happens when he pops back into the story.

[Karri]

I listened to this one last summer. I enjoyed getting to know the main character and I remember having a lot of empathy for him, even as I found myself wanting to shake some sense into him. I was both touched and appalled by this character.

[Stevo]

Karri wrote: "I listened to this one last summer. I enjoyed getting to know the main character and I remember having a lot of empathy for him, even as I found myself wanting to shake some sense into him. I was both touched and appalled by this character. "

Hey Karri. Yes I can completely relate to this feeling. I'm going to finish Roadwork later today which must say something about this story seeing as I just started it one week ago. You really get a great understanding of the main character and what is going on with him and like you say, it just makes you want to reach in and give this man a shake. Yes, he is in a terrible situation but I get the feeling that if someone could just relate to him he could be helped. I'm not being naive by saying this - his treatment of and advice for the hitch hiker shows us that he is still a 'good' guy (somewhere on the inside) and he wants the hitch hiker to get their act together before they realise they have let their life waste away. If he only had the perspective to apply these pearls of wisdom to his own life...

[Linda]

I'm starting this one soon as I finish The Gunslinger.

[Stevo]

Linda wrote: "I'm starting this one soon as I finish The Gunslinger."

Glad to hear it, Linda. I'm doing the opposite and joining The Gunslinger reading group now.

Anyway, I've just finished Roadwork. A week ago, I began by thinking, meh okay, this is just some second rate SK effort, hence being published under the Bachman name. Probably a 3/5 when all will be said and done. Then as I got into it that went up to a hey, this is more engaging than other 3/5 books I've read, so it will only be right to rate it 4/5. Now, having finished Roadwork I've rated it 5/5 with no hesitation and wouldn't object to rereading it again in the future.

I found it to be a very interesting look at the main character, Dawes, life and mindset. The street he lives on, Crestallen Street, every time I read it I made the natural connection to the adjective 'crestfallen' which in its own way, sums up the feeling this story conveys. The wind has been taken out of his sails to such an extent he himself doesn't seem to know who he is any more. (I'd like to post more so hopefully a good discussion will grow here as the month goes on!)

[Donna]

I am on page 315 of "Roadwork" and I am really into it! I like Bart's character. Might be weird but he does and says what most people only think or wish they could do sometimes.💣🔥💥😈

[Linda]

I just started Roadwork and so far I'm enjoying it.

[Donna]

Just finished reading "ROADWORK" by STEPHEN KING as RICHARD BACHMAN. I read this book while listening to the audible version narrated by G. VALMONT THOMAS. This is #1 in my selections from the STEPHEN KING BOOK CLUB on GOODREADS (September 2017 selection). I have read many of his books in the past and loved them, so am definitely going to enjoy this club.
Barton Dawes’ unremarkable but comfortable existence suddenly takes a turn for the worst. Highway construction puts him out of work and simultaneously forces him out of his home. Dawes isn’t the sort of man who will take an insult of this magnitude lying down. His single-minded determination to fight the inevitable course of progress drives his wife and friends away while he tries to face down the uncaring bureaucracy that has destroyed his once comfortable life. Very enjoyable. 💣🔥💥
Now, on to "CYCLE OF THE WEREWOLF".

[Linda]

I'm having a bit of trouble getting through this one. It isn't bad but it's not brilliant.

[Karri]

Steven wrote: "Karri wrote: "...If he only had the perspective to apply these pearls of wisdom to his own life..."

Isn't that like so many people/situations?

[mrbooks]

Donna wrote: "Just finished reading "ROADWORK" by STEPHEN KING as RICHARD BACHMAN. I read this book while listening to the audible version narrated by G. VALMONT THOMAS. This is #1 in my selections from the STEP..."

Let me know what you think of cycle of the Werewolf I found a few errors in the screen play for silver bullet and want to know if anyone else read the same version as I did and if they noticed anything different.

[Stevo]

Karri wrote: "Steven wrote: "Karri wrote: "...If he only had the perspective to apply these pearls of wisdom to his own life..."

Isn't that like so many people/situations?"

Totally. One of the things I love about SK books is that the characters are all pretty normal people so we can relate to them and see our own faults reflected back at us. Do we use any of this insight or do we continue down our own paths to self destruction? (Even in smaller scale situations than in Roadwork, obviously!)

[mrbooks]

That is the beauty of his books, how easily it is to see ourselves in the characters. How many of use have seen parts or more then parts of our selves in his characters? I know I have in Ritchie and in Larry and even Tom.

[Tracy]

Aditya wrote: "I am yet to read The Running Man..it is next on my to read list but i think it is safe to say this book was nowhere close to The Long Walk which was very good.Actually this was a pretty average boo..."

Agreed. I enjoyed the book, but it just seemed to take too long. It needed more action or suspense.

[Ian]

Wow - Roadwork surprised me completely.

I wasn't too sure i'd enjoy a book about a man losing his grip on reality and very little else. I was wrong.

Roadwork is amazing. Great characterisation - Bart Dawes quickly comes alive from the very pages which describe how he's slowly dying on the inside.

An exceptionally well crafted book about destruction, not just of worldly possessions but of memories, relationships and the mind.

[Tracy]

It was hard to be with Bart while he was loosing everything. It was hard at some points to understand why he made some of the choices that he did. I guess that's why he was loosing everything though, he wasn't thinking clearly and rationally.

[mrbooks]

It is hard to think clearly and rationally when your world is falling apart.