“Master storyteller Stephen King (writing as Richard Bachman) presents this gripping and remarkable New York Times bestselling crime novel about a damaged young man who embarks on an ill-advised kidnapping plot—a work as taut and riveting as anything he has ever written.”
pickThis was a surprise favorite in my readthrough. Though taking obvious inspiration from Of Mice and Men, Blaze tells its own unique story, one that captivates from start to finish. This is largely accomplished by way of its titular protagonist; his naive personality and cognitive deficits soften the blow of some of his more despicable acts, and his backstory, revealed piecemeal throughout, cannot help but inspire empathy for its hapless owner. 5/5
pickThis was interesting. I wanted to read because I knew King had chosen to stop it‘s publication, and I was curious. It‘s fascinating to see this glimpse into a more innocent time (in school shootings), and the idea of how students might have reacted to a school shooting. Now we can look back and say nope, not like that, but it‘s intriguing in a Lord of the Flies way. I also thought the ending, while not what I expected, was really good.
panI‘m not sure how to feel about this one. King famously asked for this novella to fall out of publication, so it enjoys an allure as most King fans try to locate/read it. I was pulled into the story at first despite it‘s uncomfortable subject matter, but was left disappointed and confused with the ending. There are no redeeming characters or meaning. Ultimately, I think King was right to pull this story. It doesn‘t add anything to his omnibus. 2⭐️
pickI'm glad I read this and Desperation within a gasp of one another - the parallels between the two are numerous, and can be fun to spot - but I'm even happier I read this one second this time around. Of the two, The Regulators is a lot more rough around the edges, and having started with an enjoyable read like Desperation makes it a lot easier to keep plodding through its twin. Despite its flaws, it's a fun experiment with a good ending. 4/5
pickWe 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.
Can't tell you how stoked I am to FINALLY have a copy of Rage to read so I can continue my Stephen King chronological saga. This was a hard one to find. Thankfully MelCat came to the rescue because a used copy of this book ran anywhere from $500-$1250 online 😵💫
#libraryfinds #bachmanbooks #stephenking #constantreader
Why why WHY am I doing this to myself?!?!? I need to stop giving King more chances!!!!
Some books are set in a certain time and feel timeless. King's books feel like the movies MST3K would make fun of. I was 18 in 1996 and have ZERO recollection of Hee Haw having been on tv... I think this is one of the hardest things to get past with his writing. It's like talking to that one relative you had who peaked in 11th grade in 1972 and can't talk about anything else...
