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Stephen King/Richard Bachman – The Long Walk | Review

Title: The Long Walk

Author: Stephen King/Richard Bachman

Type: Fiction

Page Count/Review Word Count: 246

Rating: 4.5/5

The Long Walk has a lot of hype and I’ve heard from quite a few die-hard Stephen King fans that this is one of their favourites of his novels. That meant that I already had high expectations going into it, and while it wasn’t exactly what I was expecting it to be, I still enjoyed it. I especially liked the concept, which is reminiscent of a cross between a battle royal and the forced death marches of the Nazi Party during the final solution.

Basically, the idea is that we have 100 teenage kids who all have to keep walking until there’s only one left standing. If people stop walking or if they fall below a certain pace, they get a bullet to the head. And that’s all you need to know.

My only real complaint about this is the ending, but it’s still better than some of the others that I’ve seen from King and we all know at this point that he’s not the best when it comes to the way he finishes his novels. Here, the journey itself is pretty much the point of the novel, and so it doesn’t really matter. I think I still prefer The Running Man out of the Bachman books, but this is definitely a close second. And I understand why people like it.

Click here to buy The Long Walk.

Shirley Jackson – The Haunting of Hill House | Review

Title: The Haunting of Hill House

Author: Shirley Jackson

Type: Fiction

Page Count/Review Word Count: 252

Rating: 4/5

Shirley Jackson – The Haunting of Hill House

I’ve been meaning to get to this book for a while now, but I just somehow haven’t found the time. Then the Netflix adaptation came out and everyone says it’s great, and I didn’t want to watch it without having read the book first. So here we are.

All in all, I thought this was great, reminiscent almost of a cross between The Turn of the Screw by Henry James and And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie. Jackson is a cracking writer, as I already knew from picking up some of her short stories, and her words are powerful here. It’s the kind of book that sticks in your head and gives you an almost physical reaction. It makes your hands go clammy and gives you goosebumps.

I wouldn’t say that this is a book that absolutely everyone should read, but it’s definitely a decent idea if you’re into horror. Jackson was a big influence for Stephen King and after reading this book, I can see why. But you shouldn’t pick this up because King is a fan or because of the Netflix show, even though that’s what I did. You should pick it up because it’s a great book, a short read and a lot of fun. Just try not to let Hill House get inside your head too much. Oh, and sweet dreams.