By Richard Bachman (Stephen King)
This is a special review of Stephen
King’s only out of print work. Being a
Stephen King nut, my wife knew that I was dying to read this rare King
work. She was able to find a hardcover
copy of “The Bachman Books,” and in an effort to add to her lengthy list of “Best
Wife Ever” she bought it for me. I
probably would have finished the story in a single day, if day to day
responsibilities hadn’t gotten in the way.
The story begins with Charlie Decker
being summoned to the principal’s office from his math class. Mr. Denver has called Charlie down to expel him
for almost beating his Chemistry teacher to death with a pipe. While being lectured, we get our first
insight to Charlie’s mental state. Soon
after being informed that his chemistry teacher survived the beating, Charlie
begins to rebel against Mr. Denver’s psychoanalysis and starts to deride Mr.
Denver personally. Making inappropriate
comments; Charlie leaves the office, grabs his weapon, sets his locker on fire,
and takes his class hostage when he shoots his math teacher in the head.
While Charlie is in control of the
classroom, we gain further understanding about his mental health. We learn about his life and struggles through
a shared story time with his classmates.
This is a very effective way to provide backstory, motive and compassion
for the main character without doing so in some overt way. His fellow students share stories as well, further
supporting the motif of teenage
angst. As the story reaches its rapid
conclusion, Charlie has changed in the eyes of the reader from a nebulous hard
case to a relatable troubled teen. The
story kept a moderate pace and quickened slightly at the conclusion as the
reader anxiously waits to see what will happen to Charlie and his classmates.
I found this story to be edgy,
relatable and distinct. As always,
Stephen King has created an interesting story with relatable characters. I am sure that my enjoyment is somewhat
colored by the rarity of this story, much like an expensive pair of shoes or
clothing just feels “better.” But I must
say that this early story (started when King was in high school) caries all of
the familiar elements of a Stephen King book.
In a recent interview; Stephen King stated that he does not believe that
music, video games, and other media are to blame for violent behavior. He does, however, feel that these types of
media can act as an “accelerant” for certain individuals who are looking for a
specific outlet for their behaviors.
This “book control” is the reason he has pulled “Rage” from print. Having read the story, I can understand why
the book was pulled. While the book does
not romanticize or glorify violent behavior, the attention Charlie gets from
his classmates as well as the sheer fantasy provided by the plot of this book
could be dangerous in the wrong hands. I
respect Mr. King’s resolve to keep this controversial (and possibly dangerous)
story out of the hands of the general public, as a sacrifice to keep this story
out of the hands of “broken” individuals.
I would definitely recommend that you read this book if you are a fan of
Stephen King as I am.
Rating:
4.25 out of 5 Bunsen Burners
Up
Next: I have really fallen behind on my
postings. My intention is to post my
reviews of the following stories which I have read within the past few months. Fall of Giants (Follett), Winter of the
Worlds (Follett), Something Wicked this Way Comes (Bradbury), NOS4A2 (Hill),
The Given Day (Lehane), and Micro (Crichton and Preston). I am also currently reading Coma by Robin
Cook. I apologize for the delay, but
keep coming back if you’re looking for a good read and don’t know what to
get.
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