not about the book, we share a family name not found in Ireland where are you from?I am almost 100percen t n orweigan... find me on fbook in bantry ireland cheers!
Simon Mcgrath why are you watching this video, and going to the comments if you don’t want to be spoiled? Obviously there will be spoilers everywhere. Don’t tel him to think about what he says, you should focus more on thinking about what you do.
James Sweet I'm about the fourth person to comment on the spoiler comment but u have a valid point but don't u read the comments before watching a video or reading/listening to a book etc? I do it always but mostly out of habit I suppose!!
Lmao! "Yup, I'd die instantly." That was a great illustration on the treadmill, btw. I thought 4 mph seemed a pretty fast pace to sustain for that long.
I am 52 yrs old and I read this in my early 20's, it is my favorite book of all time. Like you I felt so intense and flew through it. I have re read it about 100 times and am overwhelmed every single time I read it. Loved your review!! Cant wait to see the movie!! I will be there opening day just like i was with The Shawshank Redemption. Love love love this book!!!!!!!
It's a gruesome, dreary, unpleasant and exhausting book. I'm glad it stopped when it did. I felt as worn out as Garrity did at the end. King, you brilliant bastard.
This was my first book. I think I was 13 and had the misfortune of finishing it in the middle of English class. I had to excuse myself so I could go run to the bathroom to cry. That ending really got to me.
I am glad I am not the only one! I didn’t cry but dang was I down after I finished it. It really got to me and man was I down for the rest of that day.
I absolutely adore this book. It is one of my absolute favorites, but everyone around me refuses to read it. They say it sounds boring, and truthfully, a contest about walking doesn't sound that exhilarating. But, of course, I try to insist it is more than that while pleading with them to read it. Just thank you for talking about this book because I have searched far an wide nearly everywhere else with little success. I wish more people would read this book and appreciate it because it deserve much more praise and recognition. And thanks for actually showing how fast four miles an hour is. I was always one to assume it was an average walking pace, but that is definitely more of a speed walk. I know on my next read through of the book this will factor in immensely. Thank you, thank you, thank you for reading this book and appreciate it. Though I don't necessarily agree with all of your opinions (I liked Collie Parker, and I really loved Barkovitch's character and all that he symbolized), I loved hearing your review.
I have never heard truer words than everything you said everyone says it sounds boring and I'm like maybe barkovitch should dance on your grave. guess what? Maybe I'll join him! Jk but still I get so mad and collie Parker and barkovitch were NOT bad!
I cried and get chocked when i finished this book.. This is an amazing book, i love Stephen King and his books, this one is probably my favorite, but really painfull psychologically the first time for me.. Poor McVries.. i loved this one..
I really enjoyed your re-review, but most of all, I enjoyed your enthusiasm for the excellent writing of Stephen King. I'm glad to hear that you are an aspiring author because you do seem to have a love for words and enjoy describing things in detail. I started reading Stephen King's books shortly after becoming a mother in the early 70's and continued until I became disabled. Part of my disability affects my memory so I was looking for a way to refresh my memory about the Long Walk and I was so surprised to find all the info re:Stephen King on RUclips - really made me feel behind the times and way over that hill, but I'm also glad to find such a great source of info! Thanks again for your contribution.
I think Stephen didn't want to have one specific ending, I guess he wanted the readers to have their own ending if that makes sense. Some people say that Garraty died at the end and the shadow was the angel of death, other people say that he went completely insane after the trauma of having so see his friends die. At the end you may choose to believe your own ending :)
I think that he saw McVries because his spirit was mentioned in conversation right after his death. I am not sure but I think that the mystery in the end was cool.
Mono Pepper I know how to explain it, when he found the strength to run from the general, he thought he was just another bystander that would get him killed like the watermelon man almost did. So he kept walking, no matter what. Not stopping, and in theory until he died
Wow, I just loved the ending so much. Probably my favorite of all King's novels (second for me is Pet Semetary, with that hand falling onto that shoulder, and the word spoken in a gravelly voice: "Darling...") I'm really, really sorry you didn't like the end, because it's such a beautiful moment. In the end, the entire thing came down to one thing: friendship.
Currently February of 2022 and I just wanted to add my thanks to you for reviewing this book! I hadn't read many of the Bachman books until my mom gave me her SK book collection and she not only had an original first edition of Rage, but also had the giant book that contained ALL of the Bachman books! So when I first read this, about 5 yeats ago, I was on an emotional Rollercoaster with it. Up and down with happy memorable moments between the boys and then terror and horror when it came to the hard eyed soldiers and, well, the walk itself. And I kept asking myself: WHY can't I put this book down? Why have I read it over and over? Because it's a hellava ride! It's a crazy mind twisted book and of course, it's SK- so that explains it! Great review!
There is a moment at the very end of _The Long Walk_ that blows me away; somehow King manages to assemble a montage of all the faces of the boys who had lost their lives along the way, and it is so incredibly visual, so incredibly cinematic... I have never read anything in a book that put a movie scene in my head - in real time - the way that scene does. I can almost hear a swelling musical soundtrack as I read it. It's beautiful and sad, and creates such an indelible impression. I have never forgotten it. One of my favorite endings in any book I've read - not because of how it sits in the plot, but simply for the power of its effect. This is a must- read.
My favorite book ever and I highly doubt I will ever change my mind. My favorite character is McVries (I love him he's great and hilarious especially when he teases Olson I cracked up especially when he said "hey Hank wanna go for a walk?") and then Olson. I cried for both of them and Baker who is my third. This book is just great but the ending tho! Omg guys if you haven't read it you have to. But I did like collie Parker and felt bad for barkovitch I mean he was like I never had much friends and I was like 😔 anyways guys definitely worth reading some scenes are brutal (Olson's death! 😭 and McVries's was the saddest thing ever, how he just sat down and smiled at garraty) but like I just can't explain how much I love this book it's great
This book is one of my favorite books. The story and characters are amazing. I feel if this was made into a movie people would call it a rip off of the hunger games. Which is sad because this is so much better and this book was made decades before. I would love to see this a movie. Also is it bad that I'd want to be in it?!
I just finished this book and halfway through I thought literally what you just typed out. About how it'd make a great movie, how people would think it copied the Hunger Games, and how I want to be in it (I'd love to play Peter McVries character so much). It feels like you read my mind
Nick Gutheil I sort of see what you're saying but it's really nothing like the Hunger Games. I'd LOVE to see this as a movie but only if it was actually done well.
I think I've worked out a simple algorithm to explain how each walker's timer functions. Every time a walker's pace falls under 4 mph, their timer accumulates time. They get warnings when their timer reaches 30, 60, and 90 seconds. They are killed if their timer reaches 120 seconds. If they hold a pace of 4+ mph, their timer is decremented by 30 seconds every hour until it reaches 0. If they have 118 seconds on their timer, like Garraty did, and they walk at 4+ mph for 59 minutes 57 seconds, then fall under 4 mph for 2 second, they are killed, 1 second short of decrementing their timer by 30 seconds. A smart walker would take regular breaks to rest and stretch their muscles. They would need to keep a close watch on their timer, their pace, and make sure they keep a pace of 4+ mph for 1 hour periods to get those 30 second decrements. If your pace drops below 4 mph for 1 second every hour, your timer would increment by 1 second every hour, and never decrement by 30 seconds, and you'd be shot after 120 hours (5 days). So the best strategy is to rest just short of 90 seconds, every 3 hours, after your timer resets to 0.
I adore this book. King entered it in a competition before he was known, he said he never heard anything back. What was wrong with the judges?? Good review, like how you got into the characters. Roadwork is my second Bachman fave!!
Great review! There are SK books that that grow on you in time and ones that lose steam with time. The Long Walk, for me, was great from the beginning, never lost any steam with the years and multiple reads, and has been holding my number 1 Stephen King spot for a long time. Utterly terrifying, engrossing and psychologically packed, it never misses to get me on a emotional two-day (can never stop reading until I finish it) roller coaster. I also think it would make a terrific movie. Though, honestly, the book is enough for me. But I do think it would translate greatly on the big screen.
Really interesting review, I liked seeing how fast 4mph is, didn't realise it was so quick. I've read it six times now, it is my favourite book. I'd just like to say that Barkovitch and Parker are necessary characters because it shows the different characters entering the Walk: Barkovitch is mentally insane, and Parker thinks he is invincible, but both fail. Remember, it's an allegory for the Vietnam War and is supposed to show the ranges of young men that would have enlisted.
The world around the characters is interesting to speculate about: why was there a nuclear base in Santiago in the 50's, how come America is under authoritarian regime, who is the Major and what are the Squads? I assume this takes place in alternative universe where WW2 lasted well into the 1950's, and it took some sort of Marshal Law to win over, but it costed America a big part of its freedom.
One of my coworkers brought the Bachman books in to read. Our job at the time had a fair amount of downtime, lol. I read all four of the books. I enjoyed three of them, but The Long Walk...that one stood out as easily the best of the four. I re-read it. Then I read a third time. I've long since moved on from that job, but I find myself rereading some books, and this is one of them. I've read it many, many times. Actually, I've read it more than any other King book by far. Going by that scale, I'd have to say that it's in my top three King books. It is so much deeper than what it portrays. The character interplays happening in real time...going from strangers to going against their own best interest to help. How they interact...the discussions that they have. Truly amazing stuff. Not just one of my favorite works by King, but one of my favorite books, period.
I think that garraty died. He followed a dead man's voice running when there was no space to run (remember who was standing in front of him) entering the after life. That's the only thing I can get about that strange ending
I think either he died and the figure he saw was death, he went insane and the figure was a sort of infinite walker that Ray felt he had to outlast, or that the figure was his dad who he hasn't seen in so long. I think the first one is the most likely though
I didn't love it. I want to think he survived but, after much thought, I've decided it doesn't matter one way or the other...because he died on the INSIDE. A shell with a dead soul. All around just a gut wrenching, chilling and somehow beautiful read. How else could it end really?
Heath, I had watched your review a few years ago, and I had always meant to comment, but it eventually just slipped my mind. Now I've heard that New Line Cinema is turning it into a movie which made me remember your review. I just wanted to say: I know exactly how you feel. I only wish I'd read it at the age you did. I did, however, listen to it while on my own long walk through the Columbia Gorge in Oregon. It's the perfect book for the adolescent male. The one thing I would add is that the end of the novel is the most "visual" experience I've ever had while reading. That "looking back" moment, and seeing those faces. It was an incredible "cinematic" montage in my mind's eye, and it just blew me away emotionally. It's a young man's book, no question about it. I can't imagine your average female enjoying it much at all, honestly. It's like "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" in that way -- definitely a novel about brotherly love. Your review is superb. Hats off.
What's cool about Parker is that at the start, Parker seems to be angered by everyone around him, but McVries breaks through that tough exterior and learns that he's actually a good guy. I love the scene where Parker tosses Garraty half his watermelon and says "Don’t say I never gave ya nothin’, ya goddam rube!" and Garraty replies “Go fuck yourself,” then later during the storm Parker screams “Garraty, this is without a doubt-” Garray interrupts “-yeah, the most fucked-up state in the fifty-one,” Garraty finished. “Go soak your head.” Parker threw his head back, opened his mouth, and let the cold rain patter in. “I am, goddammit, I am!” Little by little they became friends and that was cool to see. As for Parker's final scene, it's my suspicion that McVries told Parker "Me, Garraty, Baker and the guys are planning kill the soldiers and take the halftrack, are you in?" with no intention of doing so. He tricked Parker who lead the attack, but nobody joined. As he lie there dying trying to say "You Bastards", he wasn't talking about the soldiers. He was talking about his friends who let him down. When Garraty asked what happened, McVries covered with some lame story like "He must have known he couldn’t make it."
This book is so awesome! There's one I couldn't figure out about the warnings though: If you fall below the limit and get a warning and stay below it for 30 seconds you get another one, but what if you catch up before it? Will the 30 seconds be counted even though you're not slowing down anymore, so that you will get the second warning instantly when you slow down again (if you've stayed over the limit for over 30 seconds) or will they just resume counting down the 30 seconds from where they left off? Yeah, quite complicated but I hope you understand my question.
Thank you for making and uploading this review. I don't think there is ever enough discussion of this book and more often than not hardly anyone ever has heard or read this book when i talk about it. This book actually got me up and doing almost daily walks and it was not until I started using the treadmill, for convenience (Texas heat kills) that I found out just how much of a, for lack of a better term, inconvenience that 4 mph walk really is. It may seem doable at first but when you remember this goes on for days and there is descriptions of how just the sheer amount of calories being burned that they are dropping weight like crazy is just insane. Is it worth the prize? Probably, but I'm not going to do it.
Just finished it. It had been years since I read a King book. This reminded me why I love reading him. Damn I hope they do make a movie of it. Thanks for this review. I think you're spot-on.
I liked Stebbins. But the ending couldn't have ended any other way. We know he by-passed the Major. Remember Garraty didn't have a wish for himself if he won, so he joined everybody else and said riches. But, he really wanted to see his father again. The ending is Garraty's death and he's seeing his father as he's dying.
@CarsonHughes85 if my memory serves me right, it could go two ways: either the main character straight up died and was imagining his final moments. Or he survived and straight up has a PTSD attack and starts sprinting.
@@KEYO_87 ok, thanks! I got both of those possible vibes, and something else seemed to hint toward the idea that the race didn’t actually start yet, although that would be weird since the story was told in 3rd person.
Awesome review. Just a side note. Stephen wrote the Bachman books under that name because his publisher wanted him to stay in paranormal and horror and they felt that these books weren't that.
I'd have to agree. I've read IT (my favorite King novel), the Dark Tower series, and over a dozen others. I'm only half-way through it right now, but I have to say I think it's one of his best. The concept alone is just soooo superb!
Just proves how objective reading is, I thought the Dark Tower series was a self-indulgent, convoluted mess. The Long Walk is probably my favourite King novel ever and I've read most of his collection. Different strokes for different folks man.
I've read every novel King has ever published, and this one is absolutely in my top 3. Well, of King's books that is. I can't put it above some of the true classics that I love.
Lol at 2:46 , "Yep, I'd die instantly." Great review. I seriously had a dream last night that I was in the Long Walk. I haven't even read the book yet, damn. I love stephen king. I read It Salems Lot, Shining, Misery, and Night Shift. I'm reading Carrie right now but The Long Walk will be next.
It's a boy's book. A very, very good book for adolescent boys. It takes juvenile fiction where none would dare tread today. I read it as an adult, and I absolutely loved it. Made me feel 16 again.
I love this book! Stephen King’s first book was Rage. He wrote it in high school and published it as Richard Bachman, like this book. I heard they’re making the long walk into a movie, but not sure how true that is.
This is one damn good book and a must read. Get the full version not the condensed one that first came out. what I liked about it is the pace of the writing follows the pace of the walkers.
What I find strange is that the reading is set to the pace of the walk. As the walkers speed up the reading speeds up but when they are tired or slow the reading is slow.
I LOVE this book! It's one of my favorite books of all time. I have honestly read it at least ten times. I agree whole-heartedly that it needs to be a feature film. And sooner rather than later. But something with a good director, a budget, and high production values. Some adaptations leave a bit to be desired.
I just finished the boom today. Other than the end of the book (Inwhich I will not spoil) the hole story was fine, but it was the end that did not make much sense.
The ending is left up to interpretation. One idea is that Ray simply went insane, and couldn’t stop himself from continuing to walk until he died. Another idea is that when he runs after being touched on the shoulder, he actually has died and is running to be with the souls of his lost friends. There are a number of other possible interpretations, but it’s important to realize that this is intentionally open ended. The book should leave you with questions, and they can’t all be answered.
The Long Walk is probably one of my all time favorites too. And I agree, if it's his first book then I give up. Fucking Barkovich really gets on my ever loving nerves, but it still breaks my heart when he buys his ticket. It's just so amazingly written that I can't put it down either. And the different charactes are almost palpable. When Percy started walking into the forest, I felt like I could reach out and grab him, to stop him. Like I'm actually with them and I can see them and touch them. I just LOVE his writing!! It's one of a kind.
Tbh the movie would be pretty boring for the ones who didn't read the book as it involves walking the whole damn time. Only a few number of people would like it
my favorite. I read it in '80. idk jack about shakespeare.....king is a master story teller. my mother knew I love king and as she was hauling me to the airport as I was on my way to korea for a year (army) she said 'I gotta run by the mall for a sec'. this was back in the day and there was a b. dalton.s in there. she came out with a hardback of four past midnight to occupy me on the flight
This is my favorite dystopian novel. Your review is fantastic and I am delighted to see others who also love this book to death. Most modern young adult dystopian/thrillers owe tribute to TLW. Thank you for awesome review, man!
Hi we talked a while back, but I I think I finally have a good book, one is called crossroads and another one I am going to self publish each chapter every month or so called the last stand
Nice review. I share your enthusiasm for this book. I've read it at least three times, starting in high school about 20 years ago. I just ordered two copies so my girlfriend and I can read it simultaniously. (Can't find my old copy). I too would LOVE to see this as a movie!
Currently rereading and our sentiments are insanely similar lol this is 100% in my top ten king books. I so badly want an adaptation but ONLY if done correctly. I feel like the only big shot studio to do this justice would be A24
I agree that at the beginning of the book I hated Parker but by the end, even before his “big event”, in my eyes he was redeemed and became a good guy and he definitely grew on me.
Im 40 (ish) years old, no book will ever compare, ever, read t so many years ago, and THE ONE I tell my friends, if they havent read it, they miss some twisted part of life, It really is a must read for reality. I first read this when richard bachman was the name of the short story book. It is the first version of the hunger games, but not....
I don't know about this novel. But Heath, you look fantastic! Been working out, buddy? P.S. Stephen King's first novel had a page of about three hundred plus pages. It was Carrie. So, he isn't a foreign writer when it comes to straightforward prose. I do believe that most of Stephen King's novels are straightforward. What made them long is that Stephen King puts a lot of scenes into his novels and binds them together consistently.
Dan that's so cool...I was so curious as to what the towns they walked through looked like that I looked them up on google. They were in a lot of pain walking through some beautiful places.
It seems there's sort of a consensus here that the ending to The Long Walk isn't King at his best. It's sad to me that so many feel this way. I'm not sure many readers actually got the intended emotional impact of it. If you've ever seen "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest," the end to The Long Walk is sort of the same deal. In "Cuckoos Nest," Chief escapes from the loony-bin, and it is implied that he carries the spirit of McMurphy with him. The rest of the "nuts" all awake and are ecstatic at the idea that "McMurphy" has escaped, and they feel this way because of the bonds that were built with him, and with each other, throughout the film. In "The Long Walk," when Garraty takes off running, against all physical odds, it's a lot like Chief lifting that water basin and chucking it out the window. But in Garraty's case, he's carrying the spirit of all of his "brothers." I thought it was so powerful, and I just loved it. I hope some of you will go back and read that last bit one more time.
Stebbins is my favorite. If I could be any character, I'd be Stebbins. He knew he was going to win from the start. He was prepared physically and mentally. Whereby our main character, Garraty, is very unprepared and almost dies 4 times. He comes within 2 seconds from a leg cramp, then McVries slaps him out a laughing fit, and they both come within about 10 seconds, seeing his girlfriend Jen and mother, he wants to be with them so bad, he can't go on, but McVries saves him again, and finally at the end with just Stebbins, he reaches that point McVries reached, where he loses his will to go on, and decides to tell Stebbins that he is quitting. I'm guessing Stebbins got a blood-clot on his leg that moved to his heart or brain, so sudden death. They seriously need to be heavily medicated with blood thinners, anti-depressants, cortisone injections into their joints, pain-killer, stimulants and whatever else will help them walk non-stop for 500 miles.
![I read THE LONG WALK by Stephen King [reading vlog with SPOILERS] February 2020](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/fveUrQzK7hc/mqdefault.jpg)
I actually thought stebbins was going to win but the last 3 pages just changed the whole story I was left breathless
My favorite character is McVries.
BUT BOTH THEIR DEATHS KILLED ME
Kyle Bower me too
I cried at the end of this book. When Baker & McVries died, I cried so hard.
not about the book, we share a family name not found in Ireland where are you from?I am almost 100percen t n orweigan... find me on fbook in bantry ireland cheers!
Altered Perceptions same, the ending was so sad :(
Loved when you represented the 4 miles per hour pace
I tried that on a threadmill back in the day. I wouldn't have last long, I must say-darn, it WAS fast :-/
I wanted Peter Mcvries to win, but I knew the main character would end up winning.
Ben Dunn Same here he was my favorite character
thanks a lot for spoiling the end, lets find another book now
Ben Dunn dude why the fuck did u say that u ruined the book for me now please think about what u say
Simon Mcgrath why are you watching this video, and going to the comments if you don’t want to be spoiled? Obviously there will be spoilers everywhere. Don’t tel him to think about what he says, you should focus more on thinking about what you do.
James Sweet I'm about the fourth person to comment on the spoiler comment but u have a valid point but don't u read the comments before watching a video or reading/listening to a book etc? I do it always but mostly out of habit I suppose!!
Lmao! "Yup, I'd die instantly." That was a great illustration on the treadmill, btw. I thought 4 mph seemed a pretty fast pace to sustain for that long.
GeetarAdam I thought it was fast but it looks like my walking soeed when he showed it on the treadmill.
I am 52 yrs old and I read this in my early 20's, it is my favorite book of all time. Like you I felt so intense and flew through it. I have re read it about 100 times and am overwhelmed every single time I read it. Loved your review!! Cant wait to see the movie!! I will be there opening day just like i was with The Shawshank Redemption. Love love love this book!!!!!!!
Stebbins was the most interesting character for me, and the one i would have picked to win about half-way through.
I thought he was cheating this whole time since Garraty kept saying he looked the way he looked at the beginning of the race
i know stebbins irl.
It's a gruesome, dreary, unpleasant and exhausting book. I'm glad it stopped when it did. I felt as worn out as Garrity did at the end.
King, you brilliant bastard.
This was my first book. I think I was 13 and had the misfortune of finishing it in the middle of English class. I had to excuse myself so I could go run to the bathroom to cry. That ending really got to me.
I cried for an hour after reading this book, its so sad, depressing and beautiful.
I am glad I am not the only one! I didn’t cry but dang was I down after I finished it. It really got to me and man was I down for the rest of that day.
I absolutely adore this book. It is one of my absolute favorites, but everyone around me refuses to read it. They say it sounds boring, and truthfully, a contest about walking doesn't sound that exhilarating. But, of course, I try to insist it is more than that while pleading with them to read it. Just thank you for talking about this book because I have searched far an wide nearly everywhere else with little success. I wish more people would read this book and appreciate it because it deserve much more praise and recognition. And thanks for actually showing how fast four miles an hour is. I was always one to assume it was an average walking pace, but that is definitely more of a speed walk. I know on my next read through of the book this will factor in immensely. Thank you, thank you, thank you for reading this book and appreciate it. Though I don't necessarily agree with all of your opinions (I liked Collie Parker, and I really loved Barkovitch's character and all that he symbolized), I loved hearing your review.
I have never heard truer words than everything you said everyone says it sounds boring and I'm like maybe barkovitch should dance on your grave. guess what? Maybe I'll join him! Jk but still I get so mad and collie Parker and barkovitch were NOT bad!
I cried and get chocked when i finished this book..
This is an amazing book, i love Stephen King and his books, this one is probably my favorite, but really painfull psychologically the first time for me..
Poor McVries.. i loved this one..
I cried too.
I'm 61 now and am rereading the TLW for the 5th time. It is just as good now as it was when I was in my 20s.
What does the end mean to you?
I really enjoyed your re-review, but most of all, I enjoyed your enthusiasm for the excellent writing of Stephen King. I'm glad to hear that you are an aspiring author because you do seem to have a love for words and enjoy describing things in detail. I started reading Stephen King's books shortly after becoming a mother in the early 70's and continued until I became disabled. Part of my disability affects my memory so I was looking for a way to refresh my memory about the Long Walk and I was so surprised to find all the info re:Stephen King on RUclips - really made me feel behind the times and way over that hill, but I'm also glad to find such a great source of info! Thanks again for your contribution.
Thank you for watching!
I just finished this book today, and I loved it. But the ending left me confused.
I think Stephen didn't want to have one specific ending, I guess he wanted the readers to have their own ending if that makes sense. Some people say that Garraty died at the end and the shadow was the angel of death, other people say that he went completely insane after the trauma of having so see his friends die. At the end you may choose to believe your own ending :)
I think that he saw McVries because his spirit was mentioned in conversation right after his death. I am not sure but I think that the mystery in the end was cool.
Quite intentional - maybe Garrity died, maybe hes running toward the Man in Black, maybe he running towards the general...
EXACTLY JUST FINISHED IT A MINUTE AGO "THE ENDING" MANNNN
@@MsBeronica i thought he died
I love the book seriously but, i don't like how it ends ;(
Gijs Wolters ikr it doesn't make sense
Mono Pepper I know how to explain it, when he found the strength to run from the general, he thought he was just another bystander that would get him killed like the watermelon man almost did. So he kept walking, no matter what. Not stopping, and in theory until he died
Toxic Bunny it makes sense, he either died freeing him of the pain of walking or, he went insane last second because mcvries died :( pretty sad ending
the ending is amorphous....always thought it left the reader to their own conclusions...
Wow, I just loved the ending so much. Probably my favorite of all King's novels (second for me is Pet Semetary, with that hand falling onto that shoulder, and the word spoken in a gravelly voice: "Darling...")
I'm really, really sorry you didn't like the end, because it's such a beautiful moment. In the end, the entire thing came down to one thing: friendship.
Barkovich had the greatest death in the book. The final level of insanity...
Exactly.
I felt so bad for him
I had to reread it 3 times because it just happened so quickly lol
Currently February of 2022 and I just wanted to add my thanks to you for reviewing this book! I hadn't read many of the Bachman books until my mom gave me her SK book collection and she not only had an original first edition of Rage, but also had the giant book that contained ALL of the Bachman books! So when I first read this, about 5 yeats ago, I was on an emotional Rollercoaster with it. Up and down with happy memorable moments between the boys and then terror and horror when it came to the hard eyed soldiers and, well, the walk itself. And I kept asking myself: WHY can't I put this book down? Why have I read it over and over? Because it's a hellava ride! It's a crazy mind twisted book and of course, it's SK- so that explains it! Great review!
All of the Bachman books are entertaining enough, but _The Long Walk_ is the only "must read" among them, imo.
There is a moment at the very end of _The Long Walk_ that blows me away; somehow King manages to assemble a montage of all the faces of the boys who had lost their lives along the way, and it is so incredibly visual, so incredibly cinematic... I have never read anything in a book that put a movie scene in my head - in real time - the way that scene does. I can almost hear a swelling musical soundtrack as I read it. It's beautiful and sad, and creates such an indelible impression. I have never forgotten it. One of my favorite endings in any book I've read - not because of how it sits in the plot, but simply for the power of its effect.
This is a must- read.
My favorite book ever and I highly doubt I will ever change my mind. My favorite character is McVries (I love him he's great and hilarious especially when he teases Olson I cracked up especially when he said "hey Hank wanna go for a walk?") and then Olson. I cried for both of them and Baker who is my third. This book is just great but the ending tho! Omg guys if you haven't read it you have to. But I did like collie Parker and felt bad for barkovitch I mean he was like I never had much friends and I was like 😔 anyways guys definitely worth reading some scenes are brutal (Olson's death! 😭 and McVries's was the saddest thing ever, how he just sat down and smiled at garraty) but like I just can't explain how much I love this book it's great
Great book. I read it multiple times. The first time was in 2000.
This book is one of my favorite books. The story and characters are amazing. I feel if this was made into a movie people would call it a rip off of the hunger games. Which is sad because this is so much better and this book was made decades before. I would love to see this a movie. Also is it bad that I'd want to be in it?!
I just finished this book and halfway through I thought literally what you just typed out. About how it'd make a great movie, how people would think it copied the Hunger Games, and how I want to be in it (I'd love to play Peter McVries character so much). It feels like you read my mind
Sam Penta Haha yes! I'd love to either be Ray or Hank Olsen! Let's do it haha
Nick Gutheil I sort of see what you're saying but it's really nothing like the Hunger Games. I'd LOVE to see this as a movie but only if it was actually done well.
I think I've worked out a simple algorithm to explain how each walker's timer functions. Every time a walker's pace falls under 4 mph, their timer accumulates time. They get warnings when their timer reaches 30, 60, and 90 seconds. They are killed if their timer reaches 120 seconds. If they hold a pace of 4+ mph, their timer is decremented by 30 seconds every hour until it reaches 0. If they have 118 seconds on their timer, like Garraty did, and they walk at 4+ mph for 59 minutes 57 seconds, then fall under 4 mph for 2 second, they are killed, 1 second short of decrementing their timer by 30 seconds. A smart walker would take regular breaks to rest and stretch their muscles. They would need to keep a close watch on their timer, their pace, and make sure they keep a pace of 4+ mph for 1 hour periods to get those 30 second decrements. If your pace drops below 4 mph for 1 second every hour, your timer would increment by 1 second every hour, and never decrement by 30 seconds, and you'd be shot after 120 hours (5 days). So the best strategy is to rest just short of 90 seconds, every 3 hours, after your timer resets to 0.
I adore this book. King entered it in a competition before he was known, he said he never heard anything back. What was wrong with the judges?? Good review, like how you got into the characters. Roadwork is my second Bachman fave!!
I had to re-read the last page a few times and the scene I pictured in my head was one of the most touching things ever. Amazing read I loved it.
Great review!
There are SK books that that grow on you in time and ones that lose steam with time. The Long Walk, for me, was great from the beginning, never lost any steam with the years and multiple reads, and has been holding my number 1 Stephen King spot for a long time. Utterly terrifying, engrossing and psychologically packed, it never misses to get me on a emotional two-day (can never stop reading until I finish it) roller coaster.
I also think it would make a terrific movie. Though, honestly, the book is enough for me. But I do think it would translate greatly on the big screen.
Just finished this about an hour ago, and I want to read it again already!
Really interesting review, I liked seeing how fast 4mph is, didn't realise it was so quick. I've read it six times now, it is my favourite book. I'd just like to say that Barkovitch and Parker are necessary characters because it shows the different characters entering the Walk: Barkovitch is mentally insane, and Parker thinks he is invincible, but both fail. Remember, it's an allegory for the Vietnam War and is supposed to show the ranges of young men that would have enlisted.
Thanks for showing how fast 4mph actually is. I was wondering that too and yeah, that is way faster than I had imagined-
The world around the characters is interesting to speculate about: why was there a nuclear base in Santiago in the 50's, how come America is under authoritarian regime, who is the Major and what are the Squads? I assume this takes place in alternative universe where WW2 lasted well into the 1950's, and it took some sort of Marshal Law to win over, but it costed America a big part of its freedom.
You are 100% spot on with your review. One of my all time favorite books ever.
SUCH an AMAZING book. I felt like I had been walking with them and I was dying by the time I finished it.
One of my coworkers brought the Bachman books in to read. Our job at the time had a fair amount of downtime, lol.
I read all four of the books. I enjoyed three of them, but The Long Walk...that one stood out as easily the best of the four. I re-read it. Then I read a third time. I've long since moved on from that job, but I find myself rereading some books, and this is one of them. I've read it many, many times. Actually, I've read it more than any other King book by far. Going by that scale, I'd have to say that it's in my top three King books.
It is so much deeper than what it portrays. The character interplays happening in real time...going from strangers to going against their own best interest to help. How they interact...the discussions that they have. Truly amazing stuff. Not just one of my favorite works by King, but one of my favorite books, period.
What do you guys think about the ending?
I think that garraty died. He followed a dead man's voice running when there was no space to run (remember who was standing in front of him) entering the after life. That's the only thing I can get about that strange ending
kevin schulman I went crazy, he lost the mind!.
Surviving all these situations, so extremely hard and difficult.
#poorraygarraty.
I think either he died and the figure he saw was death, he went insane and the figure was a sort of infinite walker that Ray felt he had to outlast, or that the figure was his dad who he hasn't seen in so long. I think the first one is the most likely though
I didn't love it. I want to think he survived but, after much thought, I've decided it doesn't matter one way or the other...because he died on the INSIDE. A shell with a dead soul.
All around just a gut wrenching, chilling and somehow beautiful read.
How else could it end really?
I love this book so much. I also like that SK didn't write a 800 page book. He got right to the point, great book and great review.
I read the Long Walk back in 1985 along with Rage, Roadwork, and The Running Man and absolutely loved it
Heath, I had watched your review a few years ago, and I had always meant to comment, but it eventually just slipped my mind. Now I've heard that New Line Cinema is turning it into a movie which made me remember your review. I just wanted to say:
I know exactly how you feel. I only wish I'd read it at the age you did. I did, however, listen to it while on my own long walk through the Columbia Gorge in Oregon. It's the perfect book for the adolescent male. The one thing I would add is that the end of the novel is the most "visual" experience I've ever had while reading. That "looking back" moment, and seeing those faces. It was an incredible "cinematic" montage in my mind's eye, and it just blew me away emotionally. It's a young man's book, no question about it. I can't imagine your average female enjoying it much at all, honestly. It's like "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" in that way -- definitely a novel about brotherly love.
Your review is superb. Hats off.
I share your love for this book mate. Have you heard that New Line Cinema have picked it up now?
👏👏👏
What's cool about Parker is that at the start, Parker seems to be angered by everyone around him, but McVries breaks through that tough exterior and learns that he's actually a good guy. I love the scene where Parker tosses Garraty half his watermelon and says "Don’t say I never gave ya nothin’, ya goddam rube!" and Garraty replies “Go fuck yourself,” then later during the storm Parker screams “Garraty, this is without a doubt-” Garray interrupts “-yeah, the most fucked-up state in the fifty-one,” Garraty finished. “Go soak your head.” Parker threw his head back, opened his mouth, and let the cold rain patter in. “I am, goddammit, I am!” Little by little they became friends and that was cool to see. As for Parker's final scene, it's my suspicion that McVries told Parker "Me, Garraty, Baker and the guys are planning kill the soldiers and take the halftrack, are you in?" with no intention of doing so. He tricked Parker who lead the attack, but nobody joined. As he lie there dying trying to say "You Bastards", he wasn't talking about the soldiers. He was talking about his friends who let him down. When Garraty asked what happened, McVries covered with some lame story like "He must have known he couldn’t make it."
Who would you want to play Garatty and McVries if there was a movie?
This book is so awesome! There's one I couldn't figure out about the warnings though: If you fall below the limit and get a warning and stay below it for 30 seconds you get another one, but what if you catch up before it? Will the 30 seconds be counted even though you're not slowing down anymore, so that you will get the second warning instantly when you slow down again (if you've stayed over the limit for over 30 seconds) or will they just resume counting down the 30 seconds from where they left off? Yeah, quite complicated but I hope you understand my question.
Thank you for making and uploading this review. I don't think there is ever enough discussion of this book and more often than not hardly anyone ever has heard or read this book when i talk about it. This book actually got me up and doing almost daily walks and it was not until I started using the treadmill, for convenience (Texas heat kills) that I found out just how much of a, for lack of a better term, inconvenience that 4 mph walk really is. It may seem doable at first but when you remember this goes on for days and there is descriptions of how just the sheer amount of calories being burned that they are dropping weight like crazy is just insane. Is it worth the prize? Probably, but I'm not going to do it.
Just finished it. It had been years since I read a King book. This reminded me why I love reading him. Damn I hope they do make a movie of it. Thanks for this review. I think you're spot-on.
I feel like 1:30 to 2:00 is too short for this book to be a movie
Drake Medrano i feel 1:30 is too short but 2 hours is too long
I liked Stebbins. But the ending couldn't have ended any other way. We know he by-passed the Major. Remember Garraty didn't have a wish for himself if he won, so he joined everybody else and said riches. But, he really wanted to see his father again. The ending is Garraty's death and he's seeing his father as he's dying.
I want a video that explains the end. I just finished the book, and not only do I not understand the end, I don’t even have a guess at what it means.
@CarsonHughes85 if my memory serves me right, it could go two ways: either the main character straight up died and was imagining his final moments. Or he survived and straight up has a PTSD attack and starts sprinting.
@@KEYO_87 ok, thanks! I got both of those possible vibes, and something else seemed to hint toward the idea that the race didn’t actually start yet, although that would be weird since the story was told in 3rd person.
@@CarsonHughes85 we'll have to see what ending the movie that is in the works chooses!
@@KEYO_87 definitely. Looking forward to it. I’m reading Firestarter next, for the first time, and I haven’t seen the movies.
Preach. Just finished my fourth read of it, and somehow, finished it and loved it more than before.
Finished this last night. As a veteran, this book resonated with me. It was completely chilling. Cool review.
Hank Olsen is my favorite character. I was sooo sad when he died
Awesome review. Just a side note. Stephen wrote the Bachman books under that name because his publisher wanted him to stay in paranormal and horror and they felt that these books weren't that.
Absolutely love this book too
I'd have to agree. I've read IT (my favorite King novel), the Dark Tower series, and over a dozen others. I'm only half-way through it right now, but I have to say I think it's one of his best. The concept alone is just soooo superb!
A good book, but if it's in your top 3 keep reading.
Have you read the Dark Tower?
dark tower was awesome too. did the sequels
ever get written?
Just proves how objective reading is, I thought the Dark Tower series was a self-indulgent, convoluted mess. The Long Walk is probably my favourite King novel ever and I've read most of his collection. Different strokes for different folks man.
shoutsatpigeons24 you mean subjective.
I certainly did
I've read every novel King has ever published, and this one is absolutely in my top 3. Well, of King's books that is. I can't put it above some of the true classics that I love.
Lol at 2:46 , "Yep, I'd die instantly." Great review. I seriously had a dream last night that I was in the Long Walk. I haven't even read the book yet, damn. I love stephen king. I read It Salems Lot, Shining, Misery, and Night Shift. I'm reading Carrie right now but The Long Walk will be next.
It's a boy's book. A very, very good book for adolescent boys. It takes juvenile fiction where none would dare tread today. I read it as an adult, and I absolutely loved it. Made me feel 16 again.
"Warning, warning 7!" God that was a punch in the stomach
it is actually an analogy of the vietnam war and draft...
The book was genius
great review! Would you consider this novel coming of age?
I love this book! Stephen King’s first book was Rage. He wrote it in high school and published it as Richard Bachman, like this book. I heard they’re making the long walk into a movie, but not sure how true that is.
How about Kodi Smit-McPhee and Josh Hutcherson?
Does it tell why the people are made to walk? but sounds good most stephen king is..though i heard people bash his newer work
This is one damn good book and a must read. Get the full version not the condensed one that first came out. what I liked about it is the pace of the writing follows the pace of the walkers.
What I find strange is that the reading is set to the pace of the walk. As the walkers speed up the reading speeds up but when they are tired or slow the reading is slow.
I LOVE this book! It's one of my favorite books of all time. I have honestly read it at least ten times. I agree whole-heartedly that it needs to be a feature film. And sooner rather than later. But something with a good director, a budget, and high production values. Some adaptations leave a bit to be desired.
I just finished the boom today. Other than the end of the book (Inwhich I will not spoil) the hole story was fine, but it was the end that did not make much sense.
Awesome! I'm on the second story now, so good!
What is an appropriate age to read this book? Thank you for helping😉
I would personally say 15 and up.
HeathChase Thank you ;)
I am actually 17 buy I have never read any of King’s books and I am a bit nervous )
i didn't understand the ending could anyone explain me?
did Ray went crazy at the end and walked till he died
The ending is left up to interpretation. One idea is that Ray simply went insane, and couldn’t stop himself from continuing to walk until he died. Another idea is that when he runs after being touched on the shoulder, he actually has died and is running to be with the souls of his lost friends. There are a number of other possible interpretations, but it’s important to realize that this is intentionally open ended. The book should leave you with questions, and they can’t all be answered.
The Long Walk is probably one of my all time favorites too. And I agree, if it's his first book then I give up.
Fucking Barkovich really gets on my ever loving nerves, but it still breaks my heart when he buys his ticket. It's just so amazingly written that I can't put it down either. And the different charactes are almost palpable. When Percy started walking into the forest, I felt like I could reach out and grab him, to stop him. Like I'm actually with them and I can see them and touch them. I just LOVE his writing!! It's one of a kind.
Tbh the movie would be pretty boring for the ones who didn't read the book as it involves walking the whole damn time. Only a few number of people would like it
Yup
When I read the last couple sentences, it left me dumbfounded and shocked. I remember my parents asking me if I was ok. Lol SO GOOD
Nice re-review of Long Walk, its just an awesome work
my favorite. I read it in '80. idk jack about shakespeare.....king is a master story teller. my mother knew I love king and as she was hauling me to the airport as I was on my way to korea for a year (army) she said 'I gotta run by the mall for a sec'. this was back in the day and there was a b. dalton.s in there. she came out with a hardback of four past midnight to occupy me on the flight
The best King/Bachman book. Should have been a movie a long time ago.
This is my favorite dystopian novel. Your review is fantastic and I am delighted to see others who also love this book to death. Most modern young adult dystopian/thrillers owe tribute to TLW. Thank you for awesome review, man!
Hi we talked a while back, but I I think I finally have a good book, one is called crossroads and another one I am going to self publish each chapter every month or so called the last stand
I am reading this at the moment and it is hard to put down. Awesome!
I think that the dark figure in the end is D'Allessio, George (Freaky)
Wait, before I watch this video, are there any spoilers in it?
Loved this review, this book grabbed me like it did you in high school man.
Nice review. I share your enthusiasm for this book. I've read it at least three times, starting in high school about 20 years ago. I just ordered two copies so my girlfriend and I can read it simultaniously. (Can't find my old copy). I too would LOVE to see this as a movie!
Phenomenal book. Read Insomnia. That's great too, imo.
I love this book so much!! Best Stephen King book to me! It's my dream to adapt this novel into a film. Best characters!
I love this book!! Frank Darabont where are you with that movie adaptation?!!!!
If only. No, New Line picked it up and Darabont won't be involved. Very, very sad.
My fave King book for a normal novel length. IT ftw!!
Great review! I might read this after Full Dark, No Stars - which is really good btw. Stephen King is the best.
who was the dark figure at the end beckoning?
Currently rereading and our sentiments are insanely similar lol this is 100% in my top ten king books. I so badly want an adaptation but ONLY if done correctly. I feel like the only big shot studio to do this justice would be A24
I agree that at the beginning of the book I hated Parker but by the end, even before his “big event”, in my eyes he was redeemed and became a good guy and he definitely grew on me.
Im 40 (ish) years old, no book will ever compare, ever, read t so many years ago, and THE ONE I tell my friends, if they havent read it, they miss some twisted part of life, It really is a must read for reality. I first read this when richard bachman was the name of the short story book. It is the first version of the hunger games, but not....
Stephen King is a brilliant writer for getting deeply into peoples psyches . It makes the stories even more chilling ! This should be a MOVIE .
I don't know about this novel. But Heath, you look fantastic! Been working out, buddy?
P.S. Stephen King's first novel had a page of about three hundred plus pages. It was Carrie. So, he isn't a foreign writer when it comes to straightforward prose.
I do believe that most of Stephen King's novels are straightforward. What made them long is that Stephen King puts a lot of scenes into his novels and binds them together consistently.
Love this book, super interesting having lived in Lewiston, Maine. Used to walk on Lisbon street everyday
Dan that's so cool...I was so curious as to what the towns they walked through looked like that I looked them up on google. They were in a lot of pain walking through some beautiful places.
It seems there's sort of a consensus here that the ending to The Long Walk isn't King at his best. It's sad to me that so many feel this way. I'm not sure many readers actually got the intended emotional impact of it. If you've ever seen "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest," the end to The Long Walk is sort of the same deal. In "Cuckoos Nest," Chief escapes from the loony-bin, and it is implied that he carries the spirit of McMurphy with him. The rest of the "nuts" all awake and are ecstatic at the idea that "McMurphy" has escaped, and they feel this way because of the bonds that were built with him, and with each other, throughout the film. In "The Long Walk," when Garraty takes off running, against all physical odds, it's a lot like Chief lifting that water basin and chucking it out the window. But in Garraty's case, he's carrying the spirit of all of his "brothers." I thought it was so powerful, and I just loved it. I hope some of you will go back and read that last bit one more time.
I must read some Stephen King, this sound quite good. Good review.
They are FINALLY making a movie out of the long walk. I've been wondering for years when this would happen.
I've always been fascinated by this book.
@JonSmith-i8h I just noticed that too! So pumped!
Hey buddy you still here?!?! I've been looking for videos about The Long Walk and got me here. Thank you for your review!
@mikechinas7871 still here man, alive and well!
Finally, I find someone else who love this book as much as I do. I've read it about ten times.
Loved the book and this review! Was it ever made into a movie?
jpamusher no but frank darobont has the rights to make one, I hope he does
Stebbins is my favorite. If I could be any character, I'd be Stebbins. He knew he was going to win from the start. He was prepared physically and mentally. Whereby our main character, Garraty, is very unprepared and almost dies 4 times. He comes within 2 seconds from a leg cramp, then McVries slaps him out a laughing fit, and they both come within about 10 seconds, seeing his girlfriend Jen and mother, he wants to be with them so bad, he can't go on, but McVries saves him again, and finally at the end with just Stebbins, he reaches that point McVries reached, where he loses his will to go on, and decides to tell Stebbins that he is quitting. I'm guessing Stebbins got a blood-clot on his leg that moved to his heart or brain, so sudden death. They seriously need to be heavily medicated with blood thinners, anti-depressants, cortisone injections into their joints, pain-killer, stimulants and whatever else will help them walk non-stop for 500 miles.
Couldn’t agree more with this review