Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #9878 in Books
• Published on: 1999-04
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• 384 pages

Customer Reviews

One of King's best!
I found myself thinking about this book long after it was read.

Its a simple plot, enter a competition, walk for as long as you can and if your the last man standing, claim the ultimate prize. Yet, the simplicity of the plot contrasts with the emotional turmoil which plagues the contestants. They soon come to realise that fatigue is not the only challenge they face...and whilst they walk and fight for their lives, the Crowd watch on.

Not a scary book like Salems Lot but rest assured, this is horror. Their are monsters, but not the type you would expect. In a way it feels a little similar to The Mist, the real enemy is the enemy within. spooky :)

One viewer gave this a 1 star rating because you don't find out the prize at the end of the story. I might be wrong but the prize is not relevant to the story or the reader. Worst of all, at the end of the book, the prize isn't even relevant to the contestants either.

Read it, love it.

Enjoy.

fantastic
really really good. i can't believe this isnt a film yet. it's such a great idea. it got me thinking about it for weeks. my advice would be though, get the bachman books collection, instead of buying the novels seperately

You will be with them every step of the way
One of King's finest tales- a brutal depiction of America as a militant state, where the mysterious major has devised a gruelling marathan- a 450 mile walk. It's only as the walk gets underway that you realise that opting out essentially means being shot.

King creates a vivid picture of the hopelessness and pain the long walkers experience. If you want to win, you must accept that all those with you must die. Ray Garraty, the hero of the story, questions why he entered the competition but never seems to question why it exists.

So well does King set the scene, that I swear my feet ached after reading this book. It is by no means a cheerful tale, but it is a tale of friendship, hope over adversity, tragedy and mildly like George Orwell's 1984. This is one of King's finest- certainly in the same league as the Shawshank redemption. It is also very moving and I will admit to shedding a tear or two.