Blaze: A Novel by Richard Bachman Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Blaze: A Novel
Book Review: Of Mice and Men meets Crime Noir
Summary: 5 Stars
I am currently in my second read-through of Blaze, and it still strikes me that it takes a great novelist to get you to sympathize with a criminal. Blaze is both deplorable as well as instantly likeable in a sympathetic-leaning-towards-pity sort of way. You will end up wanting things to go well for him, down to the end. When he smiles, especially in the flashbacks, you end up smiling along.
I have nothing but praise for this book. It might be that it has been a good half-year since I last read it, but the story still hooked me, for example I still felt the same heart-wrenching sorrow over the section later dubbed "the fabulous blueberry summer." My first thought was "Man this kid didn't deserve half the things that were thrust upon him" followed by "Oh yeah, its a novel."
I don't think this story is for everyone, it WAS written by a much youngr King, and doesn't have the characterization or complexity of his later works. But if you are looking for a simple story with a lot of heart, you should check this one out.
Book Review: Really good
Summary: 5 Stars
I have been left dissapointed by King's last few books (especially since he seems to refuse to write horror anymore, which is what made him so popular) but I thought that Blaze was really good (I know it was written in 1973, so technically not a new book).
Not really a horror, more of adventure/thriller. Blaze, a huge man who is borderline-retarded from a head injury as a child, along with his dead parter (who still exists in Blaze's mind), kidnaps Joe, the baby boy of a rich family in order to claim $1 million ransom money. However, he ends up loveing the baby and wanting to keep it for himselves, leading to a massive police persuit.
These chapters are often alternated with chapters from Blaze's past which are just as good as the primary story line as the add really well to character development and explain why Blaze is the way he is.
The book also contains a 20 odd paged short story called Memory which King has written into a novel Called Duma Key (published January 2008). Unfortunatly this short story was absolute rubbish. It begins with a man in hospital after an accident. He feels angry all the time especially at his wife who wants a divorce. Then he leaves the hospital (after an entirely uneventful stay) and kills an injured dog to put it out of its misery...and it just ends there...it was weird there was no story line and the whole thing was totally pointless. I hope there's a lot more to Duma Key than there was to that.
Blaze itself was an excellent novel which I would reccomend to fans of King and/or Bachman.
Book Review: Richard Bachman lives again!
Summary: 4 Stars
This was an enjoyable read from the first page. It was intriguing to see King developing his early style. I'm not sure how much he edited before he published this attic-box novel, but it reminded me a lot of some of the stories from Night Shift and his early novellas (Rage, Roadwork).
The story follows a slow witted character, Blaze, who successfully performs a kidnapping with the help of his dead companion who acts as a conscience or voice of reason the entire time. It's very reminiscent of "Of Mice and Men" which is what I think I remember King saying he was going for at the time. Imagine "Of Mice and Men" where George is dead, but Lennie still hears his voice and lives a life of crime.
I like how much Blaze's character is developed throughout the story, but for as short as the book is, he starts to get old. King gives you a couple of breaks from Blaze by developing minor characters and showing the news stories surrounding the kidnapping, but you're stuck with Blaze for most of the novel. The ending of the novel is sudden, yet predictable.
But if you have an afternoon or two to spare, sit down with Blaze. I think you'll really like him.
Book Review: Should have saved my money
Summary: 1 Stars
Don't get me wrong. Our family loves Stephen King (and Richard Bachman). We have nearly every book he's written and many of them are "comfort reading" material. But this book is not one of them. The character development is surprisingly limited for King, and much of the writing is overdone. One of the things we love about King's typical writing is his ability to create memorable, albeit often uncomfortable, passages that stay with you forever. The sad thing about this book is that even though I just finished reading it, I really couldn't tell you anything memorable about it.
Sad to say, this book won't be joining the rest of the SK/RB family on our bookshelf.
Book Review: Simple, Touching Storytelling
Summary: 4 Stars
I read at work, but one day I left my current book at home. A co-worker brought BLAZE in case she'd finished her current book during the night shift, and I was much obliged to borrow it when she offered to have something to read.
From the above paragraph, you can probably tell it was more a matter of circumstance than desire that I set to reading BLAZE. Now I like Mr. King, the book I left was actually a DARK TOWER book, it's just that this looked like another one of King's 'over a weekend' works. Not to call it 'throw away' by any means, but somewhat uninspired work like THE GIRL WHO LOVED TOM GORDON. Compulsively readable mind you, but insubstantial in concept.
Anyway, I was more than pleased to find BLAZE, a 'Trunk Novel', an emotionally sweet and simultaneously heart wrenching story. Sometimes What bothers me most about King is the idiocyncracies of his writing, such as his many parentheses, and his colloquial New England speech. These were fine to me at first, but as I have read close to 30 of King's books, it has begun to mildly detract from my enjoyment. Consider it like a roommate you have lived with too long and who's habits irritate you where you once thought they were charming. You like them just fine, but need a break sometimes so as not to let the annoyances ruin an otherwise good respect for them.
In BLAZE, King attempts to write in a more clipped - read Noirish - style, and consequently left out many of those attributes that I stumble over. It's King, but with an altered style that allows you to rediscover what a gifted and moving writer he can be rather than just trying to scare you.
The Protaginist, Clayton 'Blaze' Blaisdell, who's IQ has been irreparably altered by an abusive father, gets by on sheer luck for most of the novel, in attempting a kidnapping even though the 'brains' behind the operation has died prior. His luck never feels like a lazy plot device, however; Instead it is more like Karma paying back a man who has been dealt a terrible hand by society, if only until luck eventually runs out.
In one chapter, a summer at a farming camp is described with the bittersweet nostalgia of one perfect moment in youth that can never happen again. It actually teared me up, which is something that King rarely does to me. Towards the end, it becomes apparent that 'Blaze' has other forces at work in his brain, and the story takes a dramatic (although believeable) turn as antagonists other than the Police attempt to change Blaze's plans. I won't spoil it, but it's is rather chilling. Thats how I would sum up how this book excells so well at moving the reader; it is from one chapter to the next uplifting, funny, and heart-wrenching. King changes the resonance from one to the other elegantly, and it never clashes.
I would urge anyone who enjoyed King's RITA HAYWORTH AND THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION, or THE BODY, to give BLAZE a chance. It is an uncommonly touching and moving story, while never being emotionally exploitative.