Thursday 3 October 2013

The Long Walk by Robert Bachman

So, I read a book not that long ago and I haven't stopped thinking about it. I have become one of those people who only talk about one thing that no one else knows about! So I wanted to share the love.

I have been a lover of Stephen King ever since I can remember. I have my Mother to thank for that. I even enjoyed 'It' after spending what seemed like an eternity trying to overcome my pure hatred of clowns. So when I found out he had written a series of shorter booked under the pseudonym Richard Bachman, I just had to give them a go!

I struggled for quite a while to get hold of this and there seemed to be a couple of variations of the series. The one I managed to get my hands on was the version with 'Rage, The Long Walk, The Running Man and Roadwork'.

I was really excited about reading 'The Long Walk' but I was determined to read all of them. Now to be honest, I don't have much to say about the other three books, they didn't really affect me in anyway. I enjoyed the writing as I always do with Stephen King, but I usually look for books that have an impact on me.

'The Long Walk' was one of those books. It had a profound impact on me. I am one of those avid readers that think there are two different ways that you can read a book and to go with this there are two different types of readers.

You can be one of those people who go through your life reading each book and just enjoying it for the story. Or, you can read it and truly take something from the characters you meet and the journey they go through. I am not saying there is anything wrong with the former, but I am definitely one of those that want to take something away from a novel.

I don't want to give too much away about this book but it is probably one of the best books that I have EVER read and I don't say this lightly. I have never read a book that has made me think so much about why we chose to do things to ourselves both good and bad. It makes you look at things in a whole new light. Have you ever wondered why we do things to ourselves when know full well that it won't turn out well. Well this is exactly what this book makes you feel.

The story follows the journey of a young teenager, Garraty, who goes on this mad journey with a group of other total strangers whom you learn to love and cry with throughout the story.

I am not going to delve any deeper into the story with you because it will completely ruin it. But I will say that this story has made me questions why we do things and why we chose to put ourselves in certain situations and also how society can sit back and condone things that happen in the world.

Go on give it a read and then maybe go one a long walk of your own to digest what you have just witnessed!

X

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