The Long Walk by Stephen King Book Review & Reaction | The Best of Richard Bachman?

[@kimschmehl4424]

I read this in high school and the long walk has stayed with me ever since. Incredible story.

[@jwcarlson]

I really like The Long Walk. King's ability to take things so mundane and make it terrible is impressive.

[@littleaussierippa]

Something about King that has never ceased to amaze me is his ability to put characters in a situation as mundane as walking and make it so interesting and compelling. I'm reminded of Misery and Gerald's Game in that the main character in both of those books is essentially just laying in a bed for the majority of the run time but I'll be damned if they aren't some of the most intriguing stories he's written.

[@moritod]

I read this decades ago, and it's still my favorite. I feel like I know these kids. When I started teaching I always start with the opening line of this book. "An old blue Ford pulled into the guarded parking lot that morning, looking like a small, tired dog after a hard run." Look at how much we know just from one sentence! Look at how he already wraps steel fingers around your heart like a wisp of fog. It's just... Damn, Stephen.

[@lukeskywalker6809]

THE LONG WALK is one of the greatest books ever written. It’s my second favorite Stephen King book, right after IT.

[@adamriemer5131]

Wouldn’t say it’s my top 5 King books but it’s an amazing story, and the fact that king was able to keep me (and damn near everyone else) enthralled for almost 400 pages of a book that takes place primarily during a walk is incredible

[@QuirkyQuillify]

I recently re-read this book because of you, and it hit even harder than the first time. The characters are so rich and their relationships rang a lot more genuine than much thicker novels. Thank you for constantly bringing us Stephen King contents.

[@Maximus0623]

I don’t have The Long Walk in my King top 10, but it’s very good. It’s amazing he wrote that as a teenager. It shows how much natural talent he has as a writer.

[@CAVEMANsean]

What are your top 10? It's in mine for sure but I like the psychological stuff the most

[@Maximus0623]

@@CAVEMANsean I’ve only read about 25 of his books, so I have a lot to go. Here is my top 10: 1. 11/22/63 2. Wizard and Glass 3. The Stand 4. It 5. Fairytale 6. The Outsider 7. The Drawing of the Three 8. Pet Sematary 9. Salem’s Lot 10. The Institute I’m in the minority in that I like his newer books. I know most don’t have any of those in his top 10. What is your top 10?

[@calista3371]

Fabulous! This is still, after more than 25 years, still one of my favorite Stephen King stories. There is nothing like it and it's so gripping. I was so horrified reading this in college. You do such great videos on King's works. Thanks so much. I hope you keep doing more.

[@calista3371]

PS, I only have 3 books left to read now: Holly, Sleeping Beauties, Gwendy's Final Task and then the new one coming out in Oct. I hope to catch up this year.

[@mariposa9506]

​@@calista3371 if you were to skip sleeping beauties you would not be missing a thing. You may even be happier for lack of it.

[@calista3371]

@@mariposa9506 I've heard that before, but if I can make it through the pile of poop that is Dreamcatcher and Thinner, I can make it through Sleeping Beauties. It's about completion this late in the game.

[@carlosbranca8080]

I read TLW over 20 years ago and it became one of my King's favorites, top 5 for me. All the Backman books are good.

[@angelaholmes8888]

The long walk is truly one of kings underrated books it deserves more attention im surprised that it still hasn't been adapted yet

[@CAVEMANsean]

They're working on it I believe (but it's also been in the conversation since 2019 and has switched studios last year)

[@cpwalton813]

The Long Walk is such a great reading experience. I love the outstanding character work King would come to be known for. And Peter McVries is such a great supporting character to Garraty. I’m hesitant to see this adapted to film though, as there is always a rumor of film adaptation, not sure it would live up.

[@samiurai0]

Mike reviewing another King book? Always a pleasure to watch!

[@michaelwalker4219]

Read this about a year ago and couldn’t agree more. I try to keep 4 as a minimum anytime I’m on a treadmill now. Hard to imagine keeping that pace even close to as long as the characters in this book.

[@DV-ty6yc]

That's my go to walking speed on the treadmill too! However it does show how unrealistic that speed is for more than a few hours.

[@CAVEMANsean]

​@@DV-ty6ycyea they turned it into a sport in Sweden I think. They brought it down to 3.1 and the longest they've made it is a little over half the distance in the book over the course of 3 and a half days (they also aren't walking for their life though)

[@readbykyle3082]

I think I've read this book more than any other King book, combination of it being short and just being incredibly good. Need to do another reread. It's amazing he wrote it so young.

[@angelagraham3911]

This is by far my favorite book by Stephen King. It was started by him in high school the year I was born and I feel a kind of kinship with it (if thats possible, lol) I read it a few times a year every year. I always experience the same emotions every time I read it. Thanks for this review, it is such an amazing first novel written by anyone. I really hope if they finally make a movie it does it a little justice.

[@lisac1619]

One of my favourite Stephen King stories. Really hits you at the end.

[@btprange]

I just read this a couple of months ago and couldn’t believe how engrossing it was. I was bawling towards the end.

[@HellFireReads]

Amazing that he wrote it around age 18 or 19 and it ends up being one of his best! The characters had strong personalities and great banter. This nearly tempts me into a second reread

[@markpedrick1470]

Are you planning on also doing a video for The Regulators? I am currently reading or rereading one Stephen King book a month in publication order and then watching your videos. I just finished From a Buick Eight, so I am just a little bit ahead of you.

[@AGreenG]

I read this in one sitting a few years ago, and it was amazing. Cried a lot.

[@patcoston]

People are amazed at how good a writer King was at age 19, when they read The Long Walk but what they don't realize is that he revised it before it was published in 1979. For all we know, he could have rewritten the whole book. Until you've read the original version that publishers turned down, you can't say how good a writer he was then. BTW, it wasn't his first novel. He wrote The Aftermath at age 15 but it was never published.

[@richvaughan7019]

Read this several times. I agree. The horror in it, is that it is the closest to being real. Before the hunger games, we had the Long Walk.

[@PsilocybeJedi]

Needed this! Haven't read a King book in 6 months, been hooked on First Law but once I'm done I couldn't decide if I wanted to read Bag of Bones or the Long Walk, then you perfectly timed this video

[@NamasteBbooktube]

Dr. Chase once accurately said that King is very good at catching us in our not-so-glorious moments. I agree...excellent review by the way. Haven't read this one yet

[@pamelalagree-kanotz6845]

Who is Dr. Chase?

[@stevehoran6011]

I’m bringing The Long Walk with me on a short trip this weekend. Thanks, Mike

[@markb3534]

I never really knew what this book was about before. Thanks, Mike!

[@mikesbookreviews]

Read it ASAP! You'll love it.

[@olgaleinveber5484]

Right now I'm reading it for the fifth time and it's as good as it was the first four ones. I root for all of them. Yes, even for Barkovitch.

[@chiefwiggum3131]

Would love videos where u actually talk about what happened in the book (spoilers) curious of your reactions to certain characters and thoughts on ending.

[@wesb2823]

I read the Long Walk in High School and remember liking it a lot. Time to do a re-read!

[@bill0804]

Same I read it when I was 15

[@hardwing]

The Long Walk is amazing and one of my all time favorites ... rivals with "The Gunslinger".

[@Petterkopp]

Was the book that made me discover King. My favourites are the long walk, salems lot and needful things

[@mikesbookreviews]

Great picks!

[@ilovethetalleys7375]

I just started reading this book the other day. I'm halfway through it and I love it

[@natneedsbooks]

Yes! Easily one of my favorite Stephen King/Richard Bachman books. So glad to see this one pop up on your channel. Great video and discussion (per usual). This is one of the first books I like to recommend, especially to people who don't think of themselves as "big readers." It's never disappointed anyone yet. This book also caused me to never be able to walk under 4mph on my treadmill, so it's great for fitness, too. ;)

[@Yamp44]

I read this when I was 15 years old, and it moved me to tears. I love the ending so much. But yeah, this is not the book to be reading when you need cheering up! I would say it definitely is in me top 10 Stephen King's book, probably in my top 3. It really is an underrated gem. In French, the title as been translated as : "Walk or die", and I might like this title just a bit better than "The Long Walk" because I feel it tells you straight away that this book takes place in a world that is cruel and without mercy. Then again, I might like it better because it's what I knew the book was called first and I grew up with it like this. I've never read the English version, so I might have to do it at some point to see if some things were lost in translation. I would also view it in a different light being an adult now.

[@coltennial9513]

Haven't watched the vid yet, but I completely agree with the title. My gf and I randomly read it without knowing and was surprised how good it was.

[@timkirsten6184]

It's definitely one of his best. Glad you reviewed this!

[@mindyours2023]

I have The Bachman books and I loved it! The Long Walk is my second favorite, the first will always be Rage. It's brilliant!

[@brianreif7305]

Picking this one up today. I’m about halfway through It right now. Thank you for introducing me to Stephen King’s work!

[@patcoston]

4:06 You read the synopsis from the book itself which isn't accurate. It contains 6 mistakes for example they're out if they get 3 warnings. Many characters get 3 warnings. It happens to Garraty multiple times. Another mistake is you get a warning if you drop under 4 mph. Not entirely true. If it was, they'd stay under 4 mph so they wouldn't get any more warnings. If you were walking on the edge of 4 mph, you might rise above and drop below 4 mph on every step and be dead in about 4 seconds. That is not how it works. Warnings are based on their 2-minute timer which counts down when their speed in the "correct" direction drops below 4 mph. They get warned at 90, 60, 30 and a ticket at 0. If they don't get a warning after 1 hour, they lose a warning, when means their timers get reset to 60, 90, or 120 depending if they have 3, 2 or 1 warnings, respectively. Nobody can figure this out on a first read. It takes numerous reads while taking notes to figure out how warnings work, which is why every reviewer gets it wrong. The wrong synopsis sounds better than the accurate synopsis. I think some reviewers say stuff because it sounds good even though they know they're not being accurate. They say stuff like the walkers can't stop, they can't slow down, 3 strikes and they're out, they can't stop to pee or poo, they must walk at a steady 4 mph, it's post-apocalyptic, the Major is the president, The US is a military regime, they force the boys to walk, it's in the near future, written as Bachman (he wrote it before he invented Bachman), and so many more.

[@xsplittinheadsx3244]

Read this book 5 years ago and loved it

[@stevewhite8178]

I wanted to like it but to me it read like it was one long writing exorcise. I think I would have liked it better as a short story.

[@littlec1332]

I read this two years ago and I am a long distance runner. I gotta tell you, this SK book hurt me in ways that none of his previous works had. When he's describing their pain, blisters, that "hit the wall" feeling you get but have to continue....I've actually lived through some of that pain and to know that if you stop...you don't just lose the race per say...So yeah this book hit me both psychologically and physically on so many levels.

[@stebeardX]

Ah so you are 3 years older than me! i knew you where close because i love loads of the books and films you do...great work. much appreciated. cheers

[@kellycorbit7260]

This is one of my favorites by S.K. I go back to it over and over

[@lisac1619]

Same and it always hits me hard.

[@jakobwetzel7065]

Hands down the best of the Bachman and probably a top 10 King book. We need Flanagan to adapt it. It’s all talk, he’s love that!

[@nightmarishcompositions4536]

Long Walk is one of the more unique battle royale horror books because there’s no actual battling involved. Still manages to be just as brutal, emotional and intense though.

[@brianrogers4344]

I thought the setup was great, but I sometimes had difficulty remembering and differentiating the characters. Also thought the ending was very abrupt. My favorite Bachman book so far is Roadwork (haven't read Thinner yet).

[@calebharke4475]

I’m actually reading it right now and I’m loving it! Cant wait to see where it goes!

[@briteskin]

This is my favorite of the Bachman books. This has never dropped from #2 on my King book rankings. The Bachman collection was released when I was in high school and like other books of young people I read around that time, Lord of the Flies and almost all the S.E. Hinton books, it has left a decades and decades long impact. I just might have to try to actually finish Roadwork after my current foray into finally getting through Lord of The Rings.

[@danielmaidman9125]

I read this totally at random last year and it blew me away. Even though it covers a physical distance, it felt like it adhered brilliantly to the Aristotelian unities. It was spare, closely observed, and almost unbearably sad. I got done with it and apart from the heartbreak I was like, I cannot *believe* how good this is. Had no idea it was his first.

[@_Mike.85]

Read the Long Walk for the first time last year... definitely up there as one of my favourite King reads.

[@debhanzlik540]

Awesome review Mike, as always, I’ve added to my TBR 😊 thank you again for all that you do on here 😊 love me some more King

[@xXStevenHerbavoreXx]

Read it in middle school and a few months ago listened to the audio book. Its one of my all time favorites.

[@simonepiranio1380]

I think this is my favorite king book, I haven't read all his work yet but I've read a lot, and I really loved this little cruel story. I think I'll reread it soon enough

[@ieselinocalla]

The long one is one of the first set of books i've read from Stephen King, and it got me hooked!💕

[@lesliepowell-mccarty7067]

I loved The Long Walk when I read it decades ago. Time for a reread!!

[@mrHAHA512]

In Bag of Bones, the book that Mike is writing has a character named Ray Garratey in it ;o

[@CurieBohr]

You’re looking much better. Glad to see you getting your health back

[@paulfitzgerald9367]

I have been saying this for years! Thank you!

[@peterconlon8234]

There's a reason why this CR has had The Long Walk smack dab at #5 on his favorite King book list...even after several rereads, top notch, well written stuff.

[@gryftkin]

And added to my wishlist :D On a side note, I am no longer allowing myself to go on vacation. I'm so far behind on all my booktuber videos :D

[@user-do2ev2hr7h]

I first read this book as a teenager and it's the King book I come back to the most. There's just something darkly powerful about it.

[@theromanwanderer8923]

I'm happy you will resume the Into the Multiverse series. I finished the Dark Tower series last month and found the ending quite good and satisfying (apart from a couple of things), so I'm curious to see your review after rereading the last two books (especially the last one)!

[@Thecatladybooknook_PennyD]

This is one of my favorites!! I also really like The Running Man and Roadwork... in that order.

[@colewatts3329]

It is the one Stephen King story I couldn’t put down! I always recommend it when people ask my favorite Stephen King book!!!!

[@JoeNegan]

#1FAN of SK! When will someone make this into a movie?

[@SciFiScavenger]

Gosh i haven't read this in a loooong time. Funnily enough, my other hobby is endurance running, the next ultramarathon i enter, I'll be checking the small print to be sure i won't get shot in the head if i sail too close to the cutoffs! There actually are ultramarathon races, no set distance, where the winner is the last person standing at the end. They go on for days, totally nuts. Again, no-one gets shot, although in my experience they might wish they had!!

[@Paul_McSeol]

Loved this book! Read it back when I had a collected version of the Bachman books.

[@patcoston]

Features AI images I created with Midjourney posted to The Long Walk subreddit. 0:27 Garraty 0:45 Scramm 0:54 Stebbins 1:03 Ewing 1:15 Gribble 1:22 McVries 1:32 Jan 1:42 Barkovitch 1:54 Parker 2:06 The Major

[@praetorxyn]

I think I picked up the Kindle version of this on sale for $1.99 recently, so good to know. My favorite band, Unleash the Archers, has a song called Faster Than Light with a music video inspired by this book.

[@christinepeters3212]

yes. this book is gold. powerful

[@jasonwhite3576]

Ray Garraty is a character name in the book Mike Noonan is (trying to) write in Bag of Bones.

[@mikesbookreviews]

That sound right!

[@Michigntiger08]

I loved this book and always explain to people it's just a bunch of kids walking with her little action yet is still enthralling. I've still got a long way to go with King's full writings but I would call this one the most Kingish book of his, only the more interesting that it was his first.

[@dphunk87]

This was the second king book I read and final book that made me realize King isn't for me, primarily because the endings

[@BioPhoenixReviews]

this was the one book that got me back into reading in recent years and i loved it. also kinda surprise it has taken so long to get a movie made. i know there were some that never got made which sounded interesting like george romero wanted to make one

[@Jojopeepee]

*spoiler talk” My issue is how much detail the book was throughout the whole story. Then the ending was so rush I had to read the last chapter twice to confirm what happened. Also how did Stebbins die? He was a tank the whole book. Then poof he just dies before getting his “ticket” with no explanation.

[@sergi-13]

I felt exactly the same.

[@nick_a_93]

This was my 2nd King book i read (after IT, and also read The Green Mile later on) and i thought it was really memorable and enjoyable. I still need to read more of his stuff, especially since i like all three of these a lot

[@popsiclepunk2112]

I read The Long Walk last month and I really enjoyed it!!!

[@williamgwynne]

Definitely adding this to the TBR pile!

[@patcoston]

One mistake reviewers make is saying the last man walking is the winner but there is a scenario where the last man standing or sitting is the winner. Assume there are 2 walkers left, me and another guy. I have no warnings but the other guy has 3 warnings. I can't walk anymore, so I lie down and await my death, but the other guy falls under 4 mph and his timer counts down to 0 and he gets his ticket before I get mine. I win although I stopped for nearly 2 minutes and the other guy kept walking. It's more accurate to say that the last boy alive is the winner.

[@pyperbarrows8051]

My favorite book ever! I read it 25 years ago. I finished it at 6 am the next morning and waa pissed. Like what the hell happenes. Almost asleep I figured it out and was more upset but with myself. Ugh still don't know how I feel about the end. But best story!! Such a great read!

[@JetScreamer_YT]

I read this back in Jr. High. The thing I took from it the first time was how we look at authorities. How we are conditioned to follow blindly, and somehow thankfully. Even when treated poorly. This was at least written by a teenage King. I think my generation is a little bit numb when it comes to a violence against children. The average age of the casualties in the Vietnam war was 19 years old. Adolescence. And I think there's still a cavalier attitude on the life of a youth. But that is a whole different discussion for the first book in that collection.

[@austindehn5507]

Maybe SK's best ending. Anyone looking for a great, modern King story that you can read in a day? I recommend "Life of Chuck."

[@joshhayes8172]

This book was great and didn't know it was HIS first..... I think the connection to the draft during the Vietnam War makes it creepy .... at the time it wasn't too off kilter if you think about it

[@kellycorbit7260]

I both long for and dread an adaptation

[@chrissmith2963]

Okay 7 minutes in and I feel like you're telling too much so I'm going to stop now. I'll finish watching this after I read the book. Thanks for the recommendation! Sub-scribed 😁📚

[@Isaiah_McIntosh]

The long walk is the best stephen king book I've read. Read the stand as a kid, enjoyed it but didnt send me reading king really. The long walk in my early 20s was just so special.

[@benconlin3557]

It’s on my list to read soon. Gotta get Shogun and Empire of the Damned finished first then it’s Long Walk and more Dresden. Good times

[@HereIsWisdom1318]

17:10--the Royal River is mentioned as far as multiverse aspects go.

[@bethbaskett3]

Love this book!

[@arthur8013]

The world of the Long Walk just feels depressing and it permeates over the book. Like sure they can win but what's there to gain in a world like this. Also I'm gonna disagree with your framing of the Long Walk. If the only way to make it is to disfigure yourself and put yourself through a great amount of trauma, then that's not a way to make it, that's a hazing practice meant for the fun of your higher ups. The people in power don't care about the contestants nor do they care about if they actually succeed, the odds are stacked against them. It's just for some fun.

[@DrB1lly]

I just finished it today!

[@totallysick88able]

Adding to my TBR 👍👍👍

[@DragonWarrior976]

Ya I read ‘The Long Walk’ and it was amazing.

[@mikeprince6685]

After my first read of The Long walk I honestly wasn’t impressed. At the time I was a new King fan and fresh off of reading all his big hits, but my 2nd read I was blown away! I too loved the ending.

[@HereIsWisdom1318]

I just finished this book. I wish he would have described the shooting of the heads more. There was no description of it at all. The most King does to describe someone's death is, "he bought a ticket". And although we know what that means, it leaves TOO MUCH to the imagination that at least one incident should have been described for us.

[@Ulmo90]

Wanna read this soon!

[@TheJesseGladSaget]

Easily in my SK top-10 all-time. Hopefully Frank Darabont finally adapts this into film

[@khittiekhat9]

My favorite King book. ❤