Hey, guys! A few days ago, I bought a collection of four Stephen King novels that he wrote under the pseudonym of Richard Bachman in the eighties. The books were Rage, The Long Walk, Roadwork, and The Running Man. I picked it up mainly because I have been really wanting to read The Running Man, and the whole collection was three dollars (it was a used book store) so I thought that even if I hated the other three books, I would have a good deal. Let's just say that based on just the first book, I've already more than gotten my money's worth!
The Cover:
The Cover:
I don't like this cover. It shows Charlie, our protagonist, sitting at the front of Mrs. Underwood's class with the pistol in his lap. That's fine, but the expression on his face is too cruel. It doesn't match the tone of the book at all. C cover.
Official Description:
A disturbed high-school student with authority problems kills one of his teachers and takes the rest of his class hostage. Over the course of one long, tense and unbearable hot afternoon, Charlie Decker explains what led him to this drastic sequence of events, while at the same time deconstructing the personalities of his classmates, forcing each one to justify his or her existence.
My Review:
I loved the idea of this book. It is a book about a school shooter, from the shooters's perspective. He seems perfectly reasonable, and I found myself rooting for him, as absurd as that sounds. The most interesting part of this idea was how chill Charlie's hostages were. They also seemed to be rooting for Charlie. I don't want to spoil anything for you guys because this book was a roller-coaster ride of subtle shifts that ended up... where it did. (Wow, what an ending!) Rage was a very interesting view on humanity, insanity, and schools. It is definitely worth reading and I'm glad that I did!
A good portion of this book was Charlie completely wrecking teachers and policemen as they tried to talk him down, and it was hilarious! That alone was fantastic.
The only drawback of Rage was that a few of Charlie's stories were a little long-winded. It wasn't a big deal but it did slow the book down a bit.
Also, I need to warn you that this book is for the older folks. If you are not in high school yet, I would not read this book. There are a few scenes that are a bit racy that could make you uncomfortable. Even if you are in high school, I would give a warning. You know what you are comfortable with, keep it in mind! The scenes in question have some variation of language, violence, and sexual situations. The last one is the one that I'm mainly warning about. Decide for yourself.
I still definitely recommend Rage as it has a unique view on humanity and the way that society works.
Phrase:
The next time you ask a question...
Quote:
"What must it be like for a suicide coming down from a high ledge? I'm sure it must be a very sane feeling. That's probably why they scream all the way down."
*Note: I was browsing the internet because I thought there was a movie version of this to draw your attentions to (there isn't), and I noticed that Stephen King has stopped the printing of Rage because he is afraid about inspiring school shooters. You can still find it in The Bachman Books collection and libraries, but you may be unable to buy a new copy. Sorry!
To read more: http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2013/07/15/stephen-king-discusses-book-he-doesnt-want-anyone-to-read/
Happy Reading!
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BookshelfSecret
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BookshelfSecret
The Cover:
I don't like this cover. It shows Charlie, our protagonist, sitting at the front of Mrs. Underwood's class with the pistol in his lap. That's fine, but the expression on his face is too cruel. It doesn't match the tone of the book at all. C cover.
Official Description:
A disturbed high-school student with authority problems kills one of his teachers and takes the rest of his class hostage. Over the course of one long, tense and unbearable hot afternoon, Charlie Decker explains what led him to this drastic sequence of events, while at the same time deconstructing the personalities of his classmates, forcing each one to justify his or her existence.
My Review:
I loved the idea of this book. It is a book about a school shooter, from the shooters's perspective. He seems perfectly reasonable, and I found myself rooting for him, as absurd as that sounds. The most interesting part of this idea was how chill Charlie's hostages were. They also seemed to be rooting for Charlie. I don't want to spoil anything for you guys because this book was a roller-coaster ride of subtle shifts that ended up... where it did. (Wow, what an ending!) Rage was a very interesting view on humanity, insanity, and schools. It is definitely worth reading and I'm glad that I did!
A good portion of this book was Charlie completely wrecking teachers and policemen as they tried to talk him down, and it was hilarious! That alone was fantastic.
The only drawback of Rage was that a few of Charlie's stories were a little long-winded. It wasn't a big deal but it did slow the book down a bit.
Also, I need to warn you that this book is for the older folks. If you are not in high school yet, I would not read this book. There are a few scenes that are a bit racy that could make you uncomfortable. Even if you are in high school, I would give a warning. You know what you are comfortable with, keep it in mind! The scenes in question have some variation of language, violence, and sexual situations. The last one is the one that I'm mainly warning about. Decide for yourself.
I still definitely recommend Rage as it has a unique view on humanity and the way that society works.
Phrase:
The next time you ask a question...
Quote:
"What must it be like for a suicide coming down from a high ledge? I'm sure it must be a very sane feeling. That's probably why they scream all the way down."
*Note: I was browsing the internet because I thought there was a movie version of this to draw your attentions to (there isn't), and I noticed that Stephen King has stopped the printing of Rage because he is afraid about inspiring school shooters. You can still find it in The Bachman Books collection and libraries, but you may be unable to buy a new copy. Sorry!
To read more: http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2013/07/15/stephen-king-discusses-book-he-doesnt-want-anyone-to-read/
Happy Reading!
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BookshelfSecret
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BookshelfSecret
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