Welcome to Litsy!

We meet Bart when everything is about to change, the government are ripping up his house and place of work to accommodate a new highway.

The Roadwork is beginning, Bart isn't moving.

The insight King has into grief I find so powerful. Bart has spent a very long time looking away and I wonder I'd he had sat with the grief, looked the horror of it in the square of the eye, maybe things would have been different.

Definitely not my favorite early work by King. The front half is extremely anxiety-inducing as Dawes allows his self-destructive impulses free rein, and the destruction of his personal and professional life reaches its logical conclusion. The second half builds to a predictable finale that leaves an empty sadness in its wake. Ultimately, this is a book that examines the twin marches of time and progress in terms of what they strip away. 3/5

🎧 This felt familiar. Predictable. I still loved it!!

A character study of a father who loses a son and the madness that he slowly sinks into … focusing his ire on a road that is going to go straight through his house & where he works … he ends up with no wife, no house, no job, no life but not before he goes completely off the deep end!

I‘m shocked by the low rating!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/4

I enjoyed Bart Dawes‘ anger over the injustice of eminent domain taking his home and his business. I could feel his mental decline and instability. But I was bored to tears with the way this story was written. Way too much inner dialogue! Could have been better at half the length. The only reason I didn‘t DNF is because of my #readingStephenKing personal challenge.

Next up: Cujo!! (I‘m VERY nervous about this one because I love dogs so much.)

My current #readingStephenKing is Road Work and I was DELIGHTED to hear The Mangler featured briefly in this novella. The Mangler is a possessed ironing press that kills people in one of my favorite short stories from the Night Shift collection.

So fun!!

1. This is the first name that came to mind, Richard Bachman or aka: Stephen King.

2. Roadwork. I read this many years ago.

3. It truly doesn't matter to me at all. It's the authors choice and I respect that 🤓

PS: Maggie snuggling on this Sunday morning, refusing to look at the camera 🥰🐾

#sundayfunday
@ozma.of.oz

This is not one of my favorite King (Bachman) books. Starts very slowly and while it does pick up, it's just so-so for me. I did enjoy finding a Dark Tower connection. I love how connected most of his books are. 3 ⭐⭐⭐

Next on my #stephenkinglonghaul journey!

This one was rough for me. I really struggled getting though it.

My #bookspin and #doublespin books this month for #BookBingo. One is a kids book and the other is Stephen King...quite a mishmash!

@TheAromaOfBooks

Found some time to do another Stephen King book!

In some ways, this story feels very dated; however, the plot could easily be ripped from today's headlines. Angry man suffering mental health issues begins amassing guns, ammunition and explosives with a plan to use them--all to prove a point. This was certainly not a great novel, but I did find it incredibly frightening because there are so many incidents like this happening all over the US right now. 😡🖕💣💥🧨 #stephenking #pseudonym #bachman

It‘s official. I suck at #ghosthosting. I‘m so sorry this is so late but open discussion for #Roadwork will be my next post. Discussion starts NOW!
#LosersClub

Open discussion is in the FOLLOWING POST marked as a SPOILER. Find the post for #Roadwork & tap "show me" on the spoiler tag to join in the discussion. Join in whenever you can! The post will always be up so just tag any of us & we‘ll jump in to discuss with you. See you there!

The book was okay. Had a decent build up and a fast paced end. Still, the book is nothing more than the chronicals of one man's poor luck. Besides "The Almost Moon" by Alice Sebold, this is one of the most depressing books I have ever read.

From a political stance, one sees how this book is nothing more than a big plea for gun control.

As he stays incognito of his crimes, his wife leaves him. Since he has nothing left to lose, he makes his final stand fully armed.

*Spoiler* Bart goes down in a blaze of glory. However, not long after his death the road workers receive a change of plans and they don't build through the area.

Don't read this book if you are already depressed.

For the entirity of this book, not a single good thing happens to the lead character, Bart. Perhaps his only break was his one night stand, but that was the high point of positive events. Otherwise, Bart has suffered the loss of a misscarriage, has lost a son to a brain tumor, & has discovered he is soon to lose his house & job due to a road crew needing to build through the area. Determained to make a stand, he sabotages the roadwork. CONTINUED

I have no side. That's why I'm doing this.

All places are the same, unless your mind changes.

Trying to catch up but with my #losersclub reading, but this main character is grating my nerves. 🙄

Halfway through and although it's not my favorite by King, it is still engaging. I love the references that have been made regarding Carrie's prom and how the lead character, Bart, works at the Blue Ribbon Laundry and references the mangler.

I read this years ago, so am listening this time for #losersclub. Cecil and I are not impressed.
#catsoflitsy

Okay so this is definitely not my favorite Richard Bachman novel. The story is about a guy going crazy because a highway is being built where his house and work are by imminent domain. I wanted to feel some sympathy for him but I just couldn't. His reaction was pathetic and his downward spiral really ridiculous. 👎🏻
#losersclub

Gah! I‘m super late #losersclub. Please forgive me. The next book in a #bachmanbook: #Roadwork starts today! Grab your copy and check back Dec. 18th for open discussion!
#Roadwork #LosersClub #StephenKing #StephenKingInOrder #KingFromTheBeginning #ConstantReader #ReadAlong #BuddyRead #BookDiscussion #RichardBachman #BachmanBooks

Just a reminder that November‘s #losersclub read is the next #Bachman! Buy, borrow, or beg your copy and check back in next month for #Roadwork.

Poor Bart is losing it over the construction of a highway that will run where his home and his house and place of employment exist. The story started off strong with his crazy behavior and scary decisions, but I kind of lost interest after awhile. 😏

Bart Dawes is your ordinary Joe Schmoe middle class man, except he's having a complete mental breakdown & about to lose everything. You know that this can only end in destruction, but first you have to watch Bart spiral & listen to his constant internal monologue. At a point, I started getting bored & just wanted the destruction & that wasn't even really satisfying. Overall, this was just an ok read.

PS: Happy Bday SK, I still ❤ you 😂

My work shift was canceled and it's been raining all day! Perfect opportunity to drink hot coffee and read. I've been feeling under the weather lately and haven't had the energy to do much, so this break is much appreciated.

Hoping to get a bit of a start on this one tonight!

At first I wasn't enjoying Roadwork, but as the story progressed into more and more sadness and madness, I caught myself caring about Bart's fate. This story follows a man's mental breakdown as he loses all he cares about. It definitely isn't King's best writing, but it is intense and emotional. There are sections that don't really add to the story, but I'm glad I stuck it out to the end.

Starting #22 as I journey through the Stephen King universe in order! Easier than I thought it would be since he is so readable! Just finished Pet Sematary and only gave it a So/So....I didn't like Louis and I couldn't stand Rachel. #booksarebetter #readmore

#KingAtoZ

R is for Roadwork. I first listened to this book during my ongoing #chronologicalkingread. I didn‘t like it - it may be my least favorite of King‘s books. Fortunately, that‘s an exception!

#2018Book8
#SummerOfStephen
#KingAndI
#BachmanBook3

Alright, ladies and gents, I did it. I finished Roadwork. Now, I didn't sit down and read every word because it was too painful. But I skimmed and grabbed the main points. Definitely not my favorite King, not even by a long shot. It was just meh for me. #epicstephenkingreread #book10 #1981

UGHHHHHHHH. You guys, I'm currently reading Roadwork for #epicstephenkingreread. I absolutely hate it. It's horrible. It makes no sense. I hate all the characters, and not in the good way. I really didn't want to have any DNF books in this reread. I want to conquer them all. But I really don't know if I can. Help?

I don't know which of the Bachman books ended up outing Stephen King but this one has King at his worst written all over it. I've seldom been so bored by a King novel. Biggest problem was that unlike most other King novels, the characters in this one are either boring or hard to relate to. Sorry your house is getting bulldozed, dude, but worse shit happens every day. Including to you!

#aprilbookshowers day 1: #apriltbr

This overambitious (and precarious) stack brought to you by me giving myself a lot of options and not necessarily planning to read them all. A couple are currently in progress.

#LRC12 #litsyreadingchallenge #setinthe70s

I wish I loved this book, but I don't. I have minutes left in the audiobook and I just want it to be over already.

This is a first read as I make my way through King's bibliography chronologically. The main character, Dawes, doesn't warrant my sympathy. The narrator of this audio, G. Valmont Thomas, grates.

Danse Macabre is next.

This also counts as an unplanned #LetterR for #LitsyAtoZ

@jessica

It's been a minute since I finished Firestarter, but Roadwork just became available, though both libraries I subscribe to are missing the ebook.

Will be listening to this on the commute to/from work this week!

#chronologicalKingread

This is the book for anyone who has ever been angry and wanted to take a stand! The depth of the mc and the reasons for his anger were so clearly laid out that you have no choice but to root for him! Quick easy read with fun pacing