Rage: Simplified Plot….. The Long Walk: Entertaining…. Roadwork: Underrated…. The Running Man: Dystopian Suspense…. This neatly summarizes each novel in The Bachman Books. Since there are four novels included, I provided an individual review of each one and then an overall review at the end. However, the review of each of these four novels should not be seen as a comparison between the four. Instead, it should be regarded as a review based on considering each as an individual book compared to all of Stephen King's works. For example, if The Stand is a 5-star book, what does that make Rage, The Long Walk, Roadwork, or The Running Man?

RAGE – This book had a great start, but I anticipated a much better ending. The plot could have taken many directions, and I was disappointed with the path Stephen King chose. It drags on a bit in the second third and then plateaus. You expect a climax that never materializes. There were too many stories of past events and less focus on the classroom. I would have liked to read more about how the cops were handling the situation and what the news reporters were saying. Some interview clips, like in Carrie, would have been a nice addition, along with more action. At least one other shocking scene like the opening would have been sufficient and necessary. Although it was well-written for what it is, the plot seemed amateurish. FINAL VERDICT: I give Rage 2 out of 5 stars. I know Stephen King started writing this at a young age, but in my opinion, Rage didn't show many signs of the great author he would become. I think he made the right decision to use a pseudonym during this time.

THE LONG WALK – I expected this to be the best novel in the book, so my expectations were high. It had a great opening with an intriguing plot, and I was excited to read it. Overall, I did enjoy the read. However, I have some complaints. There seemed to be too many fillers, which is understandable considering the limitations of the plot. I think the book was a bit too long, or more background should have been provided. I would have liked to know more about the Major and why he was so imposing and sadistic. A dedicated chapter for each main character would have been valuable, as well as more information about why they entered the walk. The ending is abrupt and may leave a bad taste if you don't like interpretation. FINAL VERDICT: I give The Long Walk 3 out of 5 stars. In my opinion, it's an overrated book among King fans. It had its moments and was entertaining, but it wasn't as good as The Running Man and shouldn't be ranked among King's classics. However, I will read it again. It was fun and an easy read.

ROADWORK – In my opinion, this is a very underrated book, but it has its audience. The majority of Stephen King fans seem to dislike this book and consider it the worst Bachman novel. I don't share that view. This book didn't have the excitement and suspense expected of a King or Bachman book, which is why I think most fans had a problem with it. But if you remove the author's name and read it objectively, you'll find it's actually quite enjoyable and interesting. What happens to Barton Dawes could happen to any of us, which makes it intriguing. The beginning is slow, with too many flashbacks and dreams that seem like fillers. It was hard to tell if I was reading about the past or the present. At one point, I missed the fact that the protagonist's full name was Barton George Dawes and that some people called him Bart and some called him George. The same goes for Freddy. I had to resort to Wikipedia to understand the plot and characters. That's my only real complaint. It takes about 50 or 60 pages to really understand what's going on and care about how it will end. As the suspense builds, you'll find yourself wondering how it will all turn out. Will he commit suicide, give in and relocate, or blow up the equipment and end up in prison? As you get to the closing chapters, it becomes relatively predictable, but King still ends it in typical Bachman fashion. FINAL VERDICT: I give Roadwork 3 out of 5 stars. I always start reading a book with an open mind and try to be objective. This book has been highly underrated and has its place with a certain audience. However, I understand why a younger reader may not find it enjoyable. You really have to relate to and sympathize with the protagonist to get wrapped up in his story. This was one of my favorites in The Bachman Books.

THE RUNNING MAN – A fast-paced game of death in a dystopian future? Sign me up! I'd be amazed if Suzanne Collins wasn't influenced by The Running Man when she wrote The Hunger Games. Typical of a Richard Bachman book, Stephen King dives right in with very little background information before the action starts. If you've read my other reviews, you'll know I'm not a fan of rushed opening chapters, even though I appreciate a suspenseful start. I prefer to establish a connection with the main characters before the main plot begins. King does provide sufficient character background later in the book, but I would have liked to know more about the protagonist earlier. At first, I wasn't looking forward to reading this one because I'm not a big fan of science fiction and I'd seen the movie (which was nothing like the book). But I ended up really liking it. It was more innovative and suspenseful than Rage, and the writing was better (more Stephen Kingish). There were some parts that were hard to imagine because of the excessive detail, but there were only a couple of those. The ending was suspenseful and exciting, but it had an overdramatic 80's cliché finale that I wasn't too pleased with. It was also a bit far-fetched, but I can suspend my disbelief for the greatest author ever. FINAL VERDICT: I give The Running Man 3 out of 5 stars. It was definitely the best of the four novels, much better than Rage. However, something was lacking, and I can't quite put my finger on it. I think if King had provided more background information from the beginning and added another hundred pages or so, it could have been a classic.

FINAL VERDICT: As a whole, I give this book 3 out of 5 stars. It's not quite a 4-star book in my opinion because that would mean I rated it as highly as Misery and Pet Sematary, and that's not the case. The Bachman Books is good, but not classic good. However, you can't go wrong with four Stephen King novels in one book! Even if you only like two out of the four, they're all still readable, and you get to see a different style of writing from Stephen King. The Running Man and The Long Walk alone are worth buying The Bachman Books for many people. For me, my two favorite novels in The Bachman Books were The Running Man and Roadwork, with The Long Walk a close third. Rage was the only one I really didn't care for. It's too bad Rage wasn't replaced with Thinner!

Stephen King is a renowned author, and his alter ego Richard Bachman has an interesting story. King created Bachman to prove he could succeed in publishing without relying on his own name. His debut, 'Carrie', was a significant work, although the film might have contributed to its future success. 'Carrie' was a decent start, and King followed it up with the scarier and more complex 'Salem's Lot'.

King then became Richard Bachman, the one who took on the "darker" and more disturbing stories that often lacked a happy ending and the optimistic spirit of King's other works. However, there isn't much difference between the two names. The novellas in 'The Bachman Books' are very much Stephen King, with a bleaker tone.

The collection starts with 'Rage', one of King's darkest stories. It tells of an awkward high-school boy who takes a classroom hostage after shooting a teacher. The story explores the high-school social ladder and how easily power can be corrupted. Although disturbing, it's a powerful and thought-provoking tale.

'The Long Walk' is set in a dystopian future where teenage boys must walk endlessly in a sadistic contest. The story is both disturbing and subversively enjoyable, with many gruesome deaths and a focus on the contestants' physical and mental struggles. It works well because the fear of the participants is relatable to our own childhood fears.

'Roadwork' is a different kind of story. It's about a grieving father who is forced to relocate after the loss of his son. King wrote this in response to his mother's death, and it captures the depression he was feeling at the time. While it might not be as exciting as some of his other works, it shows King's ability to write seriously.

Finally, we have 'The Running Man'. The premise is similar to 'The Hunger Games', with a contestant fighting for his life in a game-show. However, the story slows down after a while, and the protagonist becomes less interesting. Overall, while 'The Bachman Books' is a fascinating read, 'The Running Man' doesn't quite measure up to the other three stories.

In conclusion, 'The Bachman Books' is a strong effort in Stephen King's career. It's a collection of dark and disturbing stories that are well-written and thought-provoking. While some might find the book intimidating due to its length, it's well worth reading for fans of this type of fiction.

I revisit these stories every decade or so and they're always as remarkable as the first time I read them. Each time I pick up these tales, it's like embarking on a new adventure. The characters come alive in my mind, their struggles and triumphs vividly portrayed. The plots unfold with such intricacy and charm that I find myself completely engrossed. Whether it's a classic novel or a short story, these literary works have a timeless quality that never fails to captivate me. They offer insights into the human condition, explore themes of love, loss, and hope, and transport me to different worlds and eras. Revisiting these stories allows me to rediscover the beauty and power of literature, and it reminds me of the importance of keeping these treasures alive for future generations to enjoy.

"Rage" is simply garbage. It fails to offer anything of real value or substance.

"The Long Walk" was rather decent. It had its moments and managed to hold the reader's attention to a certain extent.

"Roadwork," on the other hand, was SO MUCH BETTER THAN I REMEMBERED. It contains absolutely spot-on commentary about highway construction, eminent domain, and the way those projects have destroyed communities, mostly poor, working class, and minority ones. It's astonishing that this aspect wasn't talked about AT ALL until the last decade, considering that "Roadwork" was published 40 years ago!

"The Running Man" provides pretty solid commentary about how the Powers That Be can keep citizens in the dark by removing public access to information. It's a thought-provoking exploration of the power dynamics and the importance of transparency in society.

Rage – 4 Stars


I'm truly finding it quite a challenge to fully digest this book and assign it a rating. However, after much deliberation, I've decided that a 4-star rating is fair. The exploration of this young, troubled mind is truly something remarkable to behold. The author has masterfully crafted this story, yet it doesn't quite reach the level of the top short stories I've read from Stephen King. This is a different kind of horror, devoid of monsters, ghosts, or creatures. Instead, it delves deep into the mind of a young boy, which is perhaps even more terrifying.

The Long Walk – 5 Stars


Wow, this book! I've read numerous Stephen King books, and this one undoubtedly ranks among the absolute best. The premise of this book is truly one of a kind. Although it's ultimately about 1000 boys walking, it is filled to the brim with a plethora of emotions, including doubt, hope, and hopelessness. The feeling of hopelessness is almost overwhelming to read, but it's a book you won't regret picking up. It takes you on an emotional rollercoaster and makes you question the human spirit.

Roadwork – 3 Stars


Honestly, this isn't a bad book at all. However, it does feel a bit too long, despite not being overly lengthy in terms of page count. The story is incredibly believable and wouldn't be that shocking to read about in the news. It opens your eyes to just how quickly your life can be turned upside down. Our main character is gradually beaten down and seems unable to pick himself back up. It's a poignant reminder of the hardships that life can throw our way.

The Running Man – 4 Stars


Set in 2023, this book has some truly scary similarities to the world we live in today. It shows how people can be corrupted into believing that those with low incomes are criminals and don't deserve to live. People willingly volunteer for game shows, knowing full well that they will probably die in the process. It's a sad reflection of the reality of money problems and the feeling that there is no other choice. While it may not be one of Stephen King's more horrifying reads in terms of body horror or the paranormal, what makes it truly horrifying is how close it is to our own reality. It's like a real-life version of Squid Games.

Rage - The banned Bachman book that is more notorious for being banned than for its content. It tells the story of a student who loses it at school, kills, and takes a class hostage. This story was very much ahead of its time when it was written. However, it only received a rating of 4 out of 12, which is two stars.

The Long Walk - This book haunts me. It is an exceptionally horrifying read. 100 teenage boys compete in the Long Walk endurance race, where there can only be one winner and the losers die or are killed! It is so far ahead of its time, as King/Bachman takes the reality TV show to its logical conclusion. I gave it a 10 out of 12, a FIVE STAR READ!

The Running Man - Completely different from the film. Ben Richards is compelled to take part in The Running Man in this dystopia to save the lives of his family. But the Games have no idea just how difficult Richards will be to kill. It is a dark, thrilling, and definitely hardcore dystopian horror classic. It is also King's blazing attack on consumerism and capitalism's inability to truly help the masses. I rated it 8 out of 12, a firm Four Star read.

Roadwork - King/Bachman's tale of a white suburban male finally having one too many First World problems and going out with a bang! Like Rage, it is a pretty poor book, albeit written by a very young and busy King. I gave it a 3 out of 12, a Two Star read.

Two stinkers and two Constant Reader classics give an average of about 6 out of 12, which is Three Stars overall. At such an early stage in his career, this, in hindsight, is now known that King wrote them, is a huge marker that this writer would be a sometimes supreme novella writer.

2003 read

This is the omnibus that is no longer sold commercially.

The reason for this is the lead novella "Rage," which was discovered in the locker of one of the school shooters in the late '90s.

Nowadays, you can only find editions of the other three novellas sold separately.

Fortunately for me, I managed to purchase this before SK removed it from the market.

Looking back more than 10 years later, I believe that most of these stories have withstood the test of time very well.

Especially considering that some of them were among the very first things King ever wrote.

"The Running Man" is the only one that doesn't quite measure up.

It becomes even more absurd when the memories of the movie are brought to mind while reading the page.

However, the other three are solid.

"The Long Walk" in particular is a masterpiece of psychological terror.

And "Rage" was more intense than almost anything else I had read up until that point.

I haven't spent a great deal of time analyzing the differences between a Stephen King novel and one with the Bachman imprimatur on it.

But I would推测 that it has something to do with the utter bleakness of the Bachman stories.

No matter what evil conspires to destroy the down-home characters in a SK book, there is usually a fair amount of humor scattered throughout.

Bachman characters, on the other hand, just get continuously pounded from start to finish, and the endings offer no glimmer of hope.

I read two books, namely Rage and The Long Walk.

These books were extremely violent and depressing. I really didn't have any liking for them.

Although they were well-written, as anyone who knows me can attest, I simply don't engage in depressing pleasure reading.

I much prefer books that can bring me joy, excitement, or at least some sort of positive emotion.

I'm truly glad that King's style has changed over time.

Maybe his newer works will offer a different kind of reading experience that suits my taste better.

I'm looking forward to seeing what he comes up with next.

Hopefully, it will be something that I can enjoy and get lost in without feeling overly burdened by the darkness and depression.

After all, reading should be a source of entertainment and relaxation, not a cause of stress and sadness.

If this was a short story book, I would have given it an overall rating. However, since it consists of four novellas, I thought it would be best to rate each story individually.

Rage - 3 stars. I'm not really sure what to say about this one. I almost don't remember it because it was so short and didn't have anything that really stood out as significant. I don't remember hating it either, so that's Rage.

The Long Walk - 2 stars. I was really expecting this one to be my favorite of the four because of all the good things I had heard about it. If not my favorite, I was at least expecting to enjoy it. I hate to say that I had a lot of trouble even getting through it. It reminded me a lot of "The Road," which I also didn't like. It had that same dull atmosphere throughout, with a lot of repetitiveness. It was really hard for me to even care about any of the characters. So in the end, it was just that... a LONG walk.

Roadwork - 5 stars. Now this one I was expecting to be my least favorite, and go figure, not only was it my favorite of the four but one of my all-time favorites. Not only that, but George is one of my all-time favorite characters. There are parts when you feel so sorry for him and want him to turn his life around. Then there are parts when you are falling down the rabbit hole with him and rooting for him to go down in a blaze of glory. I also really loved the interactions he had with other characters. All in all, this was a gem I was not expecting.

The Running Man - 3 stars. This was definitely better than the movie but still just OK for me. This is one of those books where if it was a couple hundred pages longer, it probably would have been great. It felt a little rushed to me. You come across characters that could have been more fleshed out if the book were longer. The best part of this book was the last like 50 pages with a great ending.

The Long Walk: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book, like the others, had a fair amount of what could be considered ‘filler material’. It made the reading experience a bit less engaging at times.

Roadwork: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Roadwork was especially guilty of having too much filler. In fact, it felt as if this book could have easily been condensed into a 20 or 30 page short story. The unnecessary details really dragged the narrative down.

The Running Man: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Running Man was more exciting compared to the other two. However, it still had some sections that could be described as waffle. These parts could have been trimmed to make the story even more engaging. Overall, while all three books had their flaws, The Running Man did manage to hold the reader's attention a bit better.

All in all, it seems that these books could have benefited from a more careful editing process to remove the filler and waffle and make the stories more concise and engaging.

⭑ ⭑ ⭑ ⭑ (4 estrellas en promedio)

THE BACHMAN BOOKS is a compilation of the early works of Stephen King. When he wrote these works, he used the pseudonym Richard Bachman to encourage himself to write works that he couldn't write as Stephen King. The works included are:

1. RAGE / FURIA ⭑ ⭑ ⭑ ✫ (3.5 estrellas). I expected something stronger considering that this book was taken out of circulation years ago for allegedly inciting several shootings in the US. However, the truth is that it didn't seem that terrible to me. It was a book that started raw but then just stayed there.

2. THE LONG WALK / LA LARGA MARCHA ⭑ ⭑ ⭑ ⭑ ⭑ (5 estrellas). This book is captivating from the beginning. Despite being monotonous (only 100 people walking and dying as they can't go on until there is only 1 winner left), it never disappoints. It's an excellent novel for lovers of dystopias.

3. ROADWORK / CARRETERA MALDITA ⭑ ⭑ ✫ (2.5 estrellas). This is a slow book that promises a lot but delivers little. It's a monotonous story with only one surprise at the end. It's a predictable work from the very beginning and, to be honest, it's one of his books that I enjoyed the least.

4. THE RUNNING MAN / EL FUGITIVO ⭑ ⭑ ⭑ ⭑ ⭑ (5 estrellas). It's an intense and thrilling book from start to finish. In the story, we follow Richards who decides to participate in a TV show called “the running man”, where a group of hunters hunt down the participants (who usually have a troubled past) until they kill them. He does it to earn money for his family (the show pays for each hour he stays alive). Like many of Stephen King's works, it has an unexpected twist at the end that makes the story take on a different rhythm. It's a very good book for lovers of dystopias.

Rage - 4 ⭐

The Long Walk - 5+ ⭐ !!!!!

Roadwork - 2 ⭐

The Running Man - 5 ⭐

Stephen King is a renowned author, and his works often receive various ratings. "Rage" has been given a 4-star rating. It's a story that likely contains elements that keep readers on the edge of their seats. "The Long Walk" has an outstanding 5+ star rating, which indicates that it is an exceptional piece of work. The exclamation marks emphasize its high quality. "Roadwork," on the other hand, has only received a 2-star rating, perhaps suggesting that it didn't quite meet the expectations of some readers. Finally, "The Running Man" has a solid 5-star rating, showing that it is a well-received and engaging novel. Overall, these ratings give us an idea of how different readers have responded to King's diverse range of works.