The long walk

Author:  Richard Bachman (Pseudonym), Stephen King 

Genre: Sci-Fi, Horror, Fiction

Original publication: July 1979

Book description: In the near future, when America has become a police state, one hundred boys are selected to enter an annual contest where the winner will be awarded whatever he wants for the rest of his life. Among them is sixteen-year-old Ray Garraty, and he knows the rules—keep a steady walking pace of four miles per hour without stopping. Three warnings and you’re out—permanently.

Thoughts:

It is a very compelling story and yet it feels too long. We start with a group of young men who are participating in the Walk. they are all full of confidence and stupid ideas that they could not help but accepting to participate. It seems very drastic and yet they still did not seem to take it seriously, throughout the walk one by one they start to see the reality. As they become hopeless and almost crazy with hunger, fatigue, and lack of sleep you get to see their true nature. 

There is very little of the past explored, also you never get any explanation on why this race began in the first place nor what the other people e had actually won.

You are left with a few unanswered questions. 

The walkers have very questionable sanity and yet they are young men so maybe the only thing on their mind is female companionship when they are too bored and would like to avoid their reality. Through the walk, we see several sexual ideas, advances, and thoughts on the young men, it's hard to understand as they are facing death but then again, you are going to die probably so why not let your fantasies have free reign. 

I was caught very surprised by the big reveal one of the walkers gives, and mainly by the end. I do not understand it! What was the point of it all? Did anyone win? And if they did what did they win?

It is still a very recommendable read, its interesting. 

You are made to feel their journey as interminable being given a lot of details of their thoughts as they walk and then the mentions of time, it makes it feel interminable very likely the same way the walkers are feeling. The walk takes place on a few hours, ( a few days) and yet you are feeling that much more time should have passed according to the page count and the thoughts you read from the characters. 

Having a story makes you feel very similar to what the characters felt that in itself is a very good indication.