The Long Walk By: Richard Bachman/Stephen King Review by Wes

[newcastlekingdom]

i had read everything eventual back in 2003. it was great. ive just recently got back into king last winter and so far ive read desperation, the regulators, the tom gordon book and his short works nightmares & dreamscapes also full dark no stars and just after sunset. they say that the RELAPSE hits harder than the first addiction, its true.

[wb4ever1]

Still have my copy of the Bachman Books that I got for Christmas in 1986. I believe The Long Walk is King's best non-supernatural horror story (not counting The Mist); it's a masterpiece of how a simple premise is used to generate unbearable suspense. Don't want them to ever make a movie of it; Hollywood would sex it up and water it down, plus tack on a happy ending, the best movie is the one in our mind. Rage is almost as great, but too politically incorrect for our times.

[Simon0]

also.. what do you make of the ending? Send me your interpretation of the end if you want i would be interested to know what you thought.

[Simon0]

Hey i deleted my other two comments cause i couldnt work out how to leave a spoiler space in my comment and i dont want to ruin the book for anyone.

But yeah.. i cried when that one character near the end died. And i dont usually cry! Awesome book.

[2manylost]

'The Long Walk' took me by surprise, I didn't think the storyline would hold my attention... but I was wrong. This book got into my mind so much that I had to read it again straight away. I have since recommended it all my friends in hope one of them will understand my feelings over it. By far my favourite book. I laughed a few times & sobbed like a baby too!

[templarsofsteel]

i loved this book it was amazing to read frank darabont apparantly has the rights but hasnt done anything about it yet i so want him too ray garrity rocks frank olson, peter mcvries and art baker, i loved it

[TubaHero17]

I just finished The Regulators too. So good, as well.

[TubaHero17]

It's so surprising that a book about a walk is SOOO interesting. It's my favorite Stephen King/Richard Bachman book. 

[EternallyFalse]

the best books hes written is the long walk, it, the green mile, and the shining. oh man was the shining a fucked up book or what?

[Number1Productionz]

best book i ever read. I was hooked on right from the beginning. 

[MrChessguy2]

This book's easily my favorite of all time, waiting incredibly anxiously for the movie!

[Bendertoo]

I think the book was almost unbearingly claustrophobic and disturbing - my favourite just after It.

[ssmorales1]

im 12 and i read the long walk when i was 11 five words : BEST BOOK IN THE WORLD!!!!

[BookWorm1398]

The long walk was on of my favorites too, kinda sad tho but a really fast paced page turner :)

[quikflow]

Book is really good, would love to see a movie on it.

[travelertim88]

I'm sorry,but the long walk was a like a long walk to the electric chair.THE MOST DEPRESSING BOOK EVER.UUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGHHHHHH­HH.This guy must haved loved the road.

[2pacsrevenge]

The Long Walk really hit home for me. I know what it's like to walk when your body tells you it's not possible anymore. Back in BT cohesion we had to walk a good 50km in full gear, nobody shoots you if you lag behind or fall down, but then you become a burden on the rest of the troops, which is no better. Being more of a short distance kind of guy, I found it excruciating, and for most of the trip I lapsed into an Olson-like sort of trance.

King captures in text something that is...harrowing

[kerrijoy66]

By far, best King novel ever. Dark with a very unique but plausible plot. Any thoughts on similar books?

[Darkrunner1975]

I agree man. Probably my favorite short story by King, but I wouldn't be counting on a movie anytime soon. It's too dark for mass movie goers.

[virgil6091]

Great story! I read it years ago and still never forgot it, I thought this story was in the book" The night shift" I also like gerolds game , now that would be a cool movie

[OolabaSwa]

@PenultimateRun You can get it in The Bachman books.

[RaguelAngelofBalance]

@PenultimateRun I speak from experience.

[RaguelAngelofBalance]

@PenultimateRun My attention span is short because my intelligence levels require only a page of description, instead of seven! XD David Gemmell is an author that is a great example of creating excitement with less.

[feeblepizza]

@PenultimateRun :D

[feeblepizza]

@PenultimateRun Stephen demanded that Rage be taken off the shelves. There will never be a movie. But the Long Walk would make a great movie :)

[baboonpokemonexpert]

@PenultimateRun Yeah but Stebbins seemed so strong a moment before

[Alexm799]

@baboonpokemonexpert  Yeah I thought that too. One minute Stebbins was a walking machine the next he was close to collapse, seemed a bit rushed, fantastic book though.

[Rebound622]

just finished the book. i thought nothing could top "IT" but this book is so god damn dark and creepy and emotional. weeks from now i will still be thinking of this book. i try to tell my self its just fiction! these people, these poor kids are not real. yet i feel i have been walking beside them the whole time. i like to think that in the end Garraty see his "prize" his father that was squaded.

[feeblepizza]

I liked Rage

[Alexm799]

@feeblepizza Never read Rage, is it any good?

[feeblepizza]

@Alexm799 Oh yes, it's very good. It's the best of the Bachman books, imo

[baboonpokemonexpert]

I don't get why he ran away from the major at the end, what the dark figure meant, and why Stebbins died. It's very confusing.

[novaflo339]

3 stars for the running man???...please.

[ruagamer]

Love this story, fantastic nightmare fodder.

[RaguelAngelofBalance]

Stephen King is a better short story writer that his long form novels which can be as boring as hell.

[ambie6471]

I think this is an amazing book. I love it, I only wish the ending was a little more clear. I think it may have been the major he saw or his own shadow, possibly even a figment of his imagination. Overall, very wonderful book.

[SlashMan405]

@ambie6471 some people think that the dark man at the end might be randall flagg who appears as a evil figure in other stephen king novels. most notable from the stand. he is often referred to as the "walkin' dude" and " the dark man" so i think its a possibility. a lot of his stories are connected sometimes. he also might have just gone insane like many of the others. Its probably just supposed to be ambiguous. Its better that way. Great Book.

[iou1clip]

Frank Darabont is going to adap. this into a movie sometime in the near future. And he is a great director (shawshank redemption for example) hopefully he will make stephen's pen name more known (unlike the running man adap)and make more people read Bachman.

[Theseanzer]

gud book and gud review

[BossgameMedia]

Yes I agree! This has always been my favorite King story. Just hope they pull out all the stops whenever they make the movie. I have read this story 5 times, and it's still just as haunting. Frank Darabont has sat on this for a minute. Hope he does it justice. Good review.

[JustStoker]

the dark figure at the end, in my opinion, is the kid gone nuts. After his friend dies, and after walking for damn long and the pain he endures his mind can't comprehend the walk is over. It was what five days that he was walking? Its been awhile since I've read it. His mind set itself to "Must move or die" so it made the dark figure in front of him. He had to keep going, had to keep walking. But, thats what I got out of it. Great book!! King fan til death!

[GrimReaper30]

they have been talking about making a movie of this for years now, I really do hope they make one soon. Also, RAGE was even better, but they will never make a movie and it also is not in print anymore cause of the school shootings and all. I'm lucky to have a very nice copy from years ago

[adislavchev]

The long walk for me its one of his best written books i love that book :D

[XxTwixyLovexX]

The ending really confused me but besides that it's my favorite story out of all the Stephen king books I read, 5 stars on the book

[DJWondersInc]

They should make a movie about the Long Walk.

[Brian79camino]

@DJWondersInc i know, i'm still waiting!

[jennygreatbrit]

if you read much of kings work you find that he was tying in the dark tower series into a lot of his books many years before he actually released it...its amazing!!!

[FrecklesPhoenix3]

I have to agree, this book was excellent. I just finished it. It was really emotionally draining. Then again, most of King's stories are (for me). It's interesting to read on here that someone thinks the dark figure is Randall Flagg/Walter O Dim... that would be really neat if this story somehow ties into the Dark Tower. It definitely shares the theme of immortality/an endless cycle. Like, Ray Garraty is forced to walk the Long Walk forever... like Roland... just a thought. Great review! :D

[MrSuperDuperAnthony]

u no at the end it says Ray saw a dark figure??? well everybbody says it was his dad or randall flag...has anybody considered ray was dead the whole time? remember when he got the cramp ? maybe he bought his ticket then and that was his spirit the whole time after that and the dark figure was all the 99 figures combined after stebbins died and ray went to join them

[jiclejicle0]

thanks man, ive been debating whether to get the long walk or not, i guess i will :)

[scottpastry]

good post.... the long walk has always stuck with me....

i also think the running man could be remade into an excellent movie if it rings a little more true to the book...

[buxymaiden]

damn keep me updated plz on any of his works I appreciate it 8-) Sooo freaking sad that people havent read them...LOL but what can you do... thanks hon !

[buxymaiden]

I also read this book as a teen an as a 30+ year old now it has always been a book that has shocked and touched me so completly for such a simple plot. Of course as an adult i have sought out and found the book to read again with the same effects, why of all his books has this one not been made into a movie, and why is it so unknown?! It is my all time favourite of stephen kings stories

[pricerightbooks]

My guess is that since it was written under the pen name Richard Bachman that it does not have as much popularity to be made into a movie only dedicated King fans know of the pen name and respect the works.

[drawism]

@pricerightbooks There's going to be a film based on this storie by Frank Darabont and he is a dedicated king fan, and a good director, the film should be a good one.

[orrca2112]

@pricerightbooks Cool beard, Beard-man. Beardy beardy beard. Beardee Beardoooo!!!!! Look at that beard! Congratulation, Beardy-Jones! Does it have a name? How old is your beard? Is your beard seeing another beard? How tall is your beard? How much can your beard bench-press? Is your beard incompetent? Is it angry? Is it angry at me?

[jblim83]

@pricerightbooks I think Frank Darabont has the film rights to this. It would make a lousy Hollywood movie IMHO, since Hollywood demands a happy ending, a plot with more twists, and lots of action. The Long Walk is very 'inward-looking' and I believe it would be difficult to translate the story into film.

But I think it would work if it were low budget and very gritty.

[comedywannabes]

@pricerightbooks Actually, just recently is was announced on King's website that the film rights have been bought.

[lonstar70]

@pricerightbooks Are you kidding me? EVERYONE now knows Bachman was King. He still has the rights to it. As for a movie out of this story,,,, that would be tricky. I mean, they are just walking and talking, you know? I wouldnt mind that, but studios arent going to try something like this. Today's stupid movie goers love explosions and weak plots and no character development. I can see a network picking this up for a 2 or 3 part mini series, though.

[imanadult]

Stebbins!!!

[derick78b]

Good review! You should review more of SK's works.

Thank you!

Try Bag of Bones, it's amazing and lovely! You'll cry in the end;

[derick78b]

I loved that book. The ending is weird but it's an excelent splot after all.

4 star for the book!

[vcough]

I ordered a copy of the long walk yesterday! Thanks for this review I am so excited to read this it sounds amazing

[doowoppingchainsawer]

I've read The Long Walk like 30 times. I first read it in 1993. It is my favorite book ever. I hope it is NEVER made into a movie. Stebbins was such a badass. I did not read Roadwork. Is it good?

[derick78b]

I have not read it neither. It didn't captive my attention..

¬¬º

If you did, let me know.

[marceloyanez111]

I love this book and I agree with Boogy I remember him being described very similarly in the stand

[hollywoodtetsu]

I've always liked to think that garraty actually lived and his wish would be no more long walks...kinda cliche i guess but considering what the contest entails it would be the best case scenario ending

[derick78b]

OMG! That was "my ending" as well! Funny thing... He saying "For this time forward, there's no more The Long Walk".

[Eponine2008]

I've read it several times and still suffer along with all the guys...outstanding story! And yes, it could be Flagg at the end. Definitely a symbol of death, destruction, etc,

[boogysplit]

the man Garrety saw at the end has been thought to be Flagg....since in several other books he was in, described him in similar ways. Eye of the Dragon, Dark Tower with the Gun Slinger, The Stand and some others I think.....but yes I agree, The Long Walk rules this book.

[jasonrosen2008]

Definitely Stephen King's BEST (and I've read quite a few)

[Flippinflopperstein]

There is another book named "The Long Walk" written by Slovomir Rawicz; I dont know if it is related to Stepen Kings book.

[TheIronGimp]

What does the end mean please?

[pricerightbooks]

Can you be more specific? I just rewatched it and saw nothing in question.

[Xander112000]

i think he means the end of the book where garraty sees some1 and gets up and runs towards it, i personally thinks it death i have had research on it but they also say they think "bachman" was saying he dies and see's his deceased friends from the walk and runs towards them also.

[Simon0]

thats also quite a cool ending if that is right (deceased people from the walk).

Even though i am not sure 100% what it means i still love the ending.

[taffycool]

@pricerightbooks @pricerightbooks I'm not sur if I understand the ending...

*****SPOLIER******

After he won, he saw a shadow and it seems that he's dead, in the ''other world''...

Or did he run for his price? I'm confuse.

[citys4]

@pricerightbooks he meant in the book 

[lonstar70]

@pricerightbooks Watching it? Watching what?

[DanceSeejDance]

To me, I think the man Garraty sees at the end was death.

Like, he had died of fatigue just after winning, and saw death, and ran to him.

[MrGuitarandvocals]

@TheIronGimp

There was no winner. The black figure represented death. Garraty ran to his death

[TheIronGimp]

@MrGuitarandvocals Thanks

[MrGuitarandvocals]

@TheIronGimp

your welcome

[smellydee]

my favourite part is when he sees his mum and his girlfriend and he goes over to them crying and hes about to give up but then his friend tells him to keep going. it made me cry :¬(

[Simon0]

Oops sorry i rated this video 1 star by mistake!

MAJOR BOOK SPOILERS BELOW!!

Art dying was the saddest (in my opinion)

What does the ending mean by the way? Who does Garraty see.. or has he just gone mad.

[DanceSeejDance]

To me, I think the man Garraty sees at the end was death.

Like, he had died of fatigue just after winning, and saw death, and ran to him.

[boogysplit]

i think it was Flagg

[Xander112000]

kept me thinking for ages and im so mad theres no movie :S i love it

[pricerightbooks]

agreed there should be

[AndrewANNIHILATE]

@pricerightbooks i go to film school in new york. I want to adapt this into a movie eventually. So, within the next five years I'll try to make it happen!

[DanceSeejDance]

Frank Darabont (he directed The Green Mile, The Mist, Shawshank, etc.) is going to hopefully be making the movie after he finishes Farenheit 451.

[Xander112000]

hopefully , to me personally the mist wasnt that good of a movie tho they coulda made a better ending as no father would of done that.

[DanceSeejDance]

I thought the ending was pretty good, but I liked the novella's original ending better.

Except that you can't really end a film like that, so I understand why he changed the ending.

[Garren16]

All of them is dying is sad lol. I thought Olson's was the worst. Cause he just lost his mind utterly.