The Running Man by Stephen King Summary and Reviews
|
List Price: Our Price: $4.16 You Save: $3.83 (48%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $0.40 (click here) Category: Book See more book details and other editions |
|---|
Book Reviews of The Running Man
Book Review: Fast moving and scarily believable
Summary: 5 Stars
Set after 2020, I think what makes this story scary is the public's obsession with reality television...and the more gruesome and self destroying the better. In the book the participant is manipulated by the media, making him appear how they want him to appear...even that is scarily realistic!
King had amazing foresight to see how mercenary society could become. Okay...so we're not quite so sadistic to watch a game show that hunts people down and kills them but it's not THAT far fetched to imagine a world that would.
Great to read a book with a likable character who we can root for and an ending that fits the story.
Book Review: Fast paced and its got that Stephen King fire!
Summary: 5 Stars
Stephen King is great at making a long story short as he did with the earlier Stand. The character Ben Richards is nothing like Arnold(who portrays him in the ridiculous movie). I like the way King makes Richards so vulnerable and confident at the same time. You will love the friction between Richards and his rival, the top ranked hunter.Book Review: Fast-paced action, one of Bachman's best
Summary: 5 Stars
I've read online reviews of Richard Bachman/Stephen King's novel The Running Man, and some of them claim that this book lacks a certain something that relegates it to being the worst of the Bachman Books. For the life of me, I can't understand why anyone would think that. As far as I'm concerned, The Running Man is not only one of Bachman/King's best books, it's one of the best straight-up action novels I've had the pleasure to read.When you think about it, there are a ton of action movies out there, but not very many action novels. Sure, you have a plethora of low-grade action series, such as Mack Bolan, Remo Williams, etc, but there aren't very many stand-alone, pure action novels. The Running Man is one, though, and from beginning to end it's a thrill a minute.
I grew up in the `80s, and of course loved the Schwarzenegger film, loosely based on this book. Matter of fact, I still do. But the movie just doesn't compare; whereas it's goofy, WWF-type fun, the novel is dark, brutal, and brimming with mean-spirited, hardcore action. Ben Richards, the scrawny, underfed, cynical protagonist of the novel, is a far cry from Schwarzenegger's he-man. This is one of the best features of the novel, witnessing the "pre-tubercular" Richards (per King's description, in his "The Importance of Being Bachman" foreword) take on the forces sent against him.
According to King, the novel was written over a 72-hour period, and the published version supposedly isn't much different than that first draft. This speed of writing is reflected in the novel: it chugs along like a No Doze-popping trucker. Whereas most King novels are bogged down by excessive description and detail (something King is normally criticized for by the literary critics), The Running Man is a trim, fat-free exercise in the concept of "less is more." A grander scheme (and theme) is hinted at in the subtext of the book, but like all good novels, it isn't beaten over your head; the story itself is the star, and after reading it you'll reflect on the little details ingrained within.
Since this is a Richard Bachman novel, expect his trademark, downer ending. However, the ride there is exciting and excellent, and this is one of the few Bachman/King books I would consider re-reading in the future. The novel begs for a more faithful film adaptation; the modicum of description, the streamlined action and characters, and the black humor dripping from the dialog all make the book read like a well-done, action-packed screenplay.
It's never been considered a part of the subgenre, but I think The Running Man is an early example of what has become known as cyberpunk. Though it doesn't feature the trademarks normally associated with the genre, such as computers and hackers, the atmosphere in which the novel takes place - a grim, technology-ravaged, depressing world in which a large wall separates the rich from the poor, and the media reigns supreme - could come straight out of William Gibson, or even the film "Blade Runner."
Simply put, The Running Man comes highly recommended, whether you're an action fan, a King aficionado, or even if you're looking for an introduction to the world of Stephen King/Richard Bachman.
Book Review: Forget seeing the movie....
Summary: 5 Stars
read this book. The movie simply pales in comparison. The underground post-apocalyptic game area of the movie just made no sense. This book actually takes part in the U.S. and regular people can call in and tell the Hunters where the Runners are. It's like America's Most Wanted turned in to a game show. All the characters are as real as they come and there's no cheesy weapons or story lines. If you are in to action stories this is it.Book Review: Forget the piece of crap film, this is the real version of the story.
Summary: 4 Stars
I finished this book just today. It was my first Stephen King book that he wrote under the pseudonym Richard Bachman, and I must say, it was very good. The movie is garbage that should be avoided. The plot of the novel was very well done and the detail had style. The ending was great. The reason I give it four stars instead of five is because of a couple disturbing moments in the last 4-5 pages before the ending. Other than that, it was good, and I recommend it to all Stephen King fans.
P.S. Until Blaze came out, this was the only one of the Bachman books that was worth reading. I am going to read Blaze and will review it when I get a chance.