The Long Walk
By Stephen King, writing as Richard Bachman
Read by Kirby Heyborne
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2 Formats: Digital Download
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2 Formats: CD
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or 1 CreditISBN: 9781508217299
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In this #1 national bestseller, “master storyteller” (Houston Chronicle) Stephen King, writing as Richard Bachman, tells the tale of the contestants of a grueling walking competition where there can only be one winner—the one that survives. “I give my congratulations to the winner among your number, and my acknowledgements of valor to the losers.” Against the wishes of his mother, sixteen-year-old Ray Garraty is about to compete in the annual grueling match of stamina and wits known as The Long Walk. One hundred boys must keep a steady pace of four miles per hour without ever stopping...with the winner being awarded “The Prize”—anything he wants for the rest of his life. But, as part of this national tournament that sweeps through a dystopian America year after year, there are some harsh rules that Garraty and ninety-nine others must adhere to in order to beat out the rest. There is no finish line—the winner is the last man standing. Contestants cannot receive any outside aid whatsoever. Slow down under the speed limit and you’re given a warning. Three warnings and you’re out of the game—permanently....
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Summary
Summary
In this #1 national bestseller, “master storyteller” (Houston Chronicle) Stephen King, writing as Richard Bachman, tells the tale of the contestants of a grueling walking competition where there can only be one winner—the one that survives.“I give my congratulations to the winner among your number, and my acknowledgements of valor to the losers.”
Against the wishes of his mother, sixteen-year-old Ray Garraty is about to compete in the annual grueling match of stamina and wits known as The Long Walk. One hundred boys must keep a steady pace of four miles per hour without ever stopping...with the winner being awarded “The Prize”—anything he wants for the rest of his life. But, as part of this national tournament that sweeps through a dystopian America year after year, there are some harsh rules that Garraty and ninety-nine others must adhere to in order to beat out the rest. There is no finish line—the winner is the last man standing. Contestants cannot receive any outside aid whatsoever. Slow down under the speed limit and you’re given a warning. Three warnings and you’re out of the game—permanently....
Editorial Reviews
Editorial Reviews
Reviews
Reviews
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Fantastic Story
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I decided not to use spoiler tags, so beware, as my thoughts are very spoilerific.
I was about 16 or 17 when I first read this book, and I remember not being able to put put this book away. There was no way in hell I could imagine society going in this direction. I'm much older now, and to me, it seems that something like this could be just a few short years away. I could not conceive of a scenario where 100 kids would enter a contest where the chances of winning was unachievable for damn near everyone. To quote Gimli from The Return of the King, "Certainty of death. Small chance of success. What are we waiting for?" The best parts of this novel for me are where the relationships these boys build in a very short amount of time. They get to know each other's successes, quirks, and failings. But there is real fear in this story. At any time, any of these boys are seconds from death. And it's not like these boys don't know what happens during the Long Walk, because it takes place year after year. Is it the desire for self destruction? If only 1 in 100 wins, why go through with it?
The Long Walk puts you right in the middle of what's happening. You are right there among the rest of the walkers as they fall one by one. You get a front row seat when someone is warned for needing to answer a call of nature. You are right there when the failure to walk four miles an hour has someone on the verge of getting shot in the head for getting sick. You are right there when characters you get very attached to simply sits down and refuses to walk any further.
This is a very visceral story that is not afraid to punch you in the gut as your emotions are pulled one way and then another. And to be honest, as one person does win each year, there really are no winners because of the emotional and physical trauma the victor goes through. Can you imagine the survivor's guilt one feels if he is even able to recover from the exhaustion of walking four miles per hour until you are the last person standing? The Long Walk is simply a death wish, as even the person who wins still loses.
Author
Author Bio: Stephen King
Stephen King has written more than sixty books, many hitting the #1 spot on the New York Times bestsellers list. He has won the World Fantasy Award, several Bram Stoker Awards, and the O. Henry Award for his story “The Man in the Black Suit.” He is the 2003 recipient of the National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters, and in 2007 he received the Grand Master Award from the Mystery Writers of America. His epic works The Dark Tower and It are the basis for major motion pictures.
Details
Details
| Available Formats : | Digital Download, CD |
| Category: | Fiction |
| Runtime: | 10.74 |
| Audience: | Adult |
| Language: | English |
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