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  • The Long Walk

  • Written by: Stephen King
  • Narrated by: Kirby Heyborne
  • Length: 10 hrs and 44 mins
  • 4.3 out of 5 stars (311 ratings)

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The Long Walk

Written by: Stephen King
Narrated by: Kirby Heyborne
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Publisher's Summary

In this number-one national best seller, "master storyteller" (Houston Chronicle) Stephen King, writing as Richard Bachman, tells the tale of the contestants of a grueling walking competition where there can beonly one winner - the one who survives.

In the near future, when America has become a police state, 100 boys are selected to enter an annual contest where the winner will be awarded whatever he wants for the rest of his life. Among them is 16-year-old Ray Garraty, and he knows the rules - keep a steady walking pace of four miles per hour without stopping. Three warnings and you're out - permanently.

With an introduction by Stephen King on "The Importance of Being Bachman".

©1979 Richard Bachman (P)2010 Penguin Audio
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What listeners say about The Long Walk

Average Customer Ratings
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Stephen King's greatest novel

The Long Walk was the first book King wrote chronologically, albeit not the first to be published. It's a much more subdued book compared to his other titles. Slower paced, more drawn out. The book was written long before King's novelist style was further solidified and his common clichés manifested. It's a deceptively simple story with a greater deal of subtle worldbuilding sprinkled throughout. The premise of the story is every year 100 boys volunteer to walk down a road. Each walking at least 4 miles per hour. And if they fall slower than this speed they risk getting warned. 3 warnings leading to being shot by a group of soldiers following. The book has an extremely bleak tone that at the same time carries forward themes of friendship and camaraderie. These themes are the highlight of the book and really keep its slow pace gripping. The Long Walk is a really good example of subtle worldbuilding. The book takes place in an alternate history United States but it doesn't come across that way on a first reading. Only from listening to the subtle clues of dialogue does this become apparent. "The German airblitz on the east coast of the United States during the last years of World War 2". It's surprisingly effective at making the world the story takes place in feel believable. King would later go on to write somewhat fantastical stories taking place in very outlandish settings. See: The Stand, the Tommyknockers etc. However The Long Walk accomplishes something none of his later stories are able to truly grasp. This simultaneous marriage between extremely vivid characters with a bleak and desolate setting. When it's ending comes it leaves you wondering what it all means, what might happen next. The Long Walk has since greatly inspired me artistically in life since I first read it and I greatly appreciate how well written it is. I've always desired a sequel to this book exploring more of its mythos. But at the same time I'm also satisfied with it ending in such an ambiguous way. And I hope future readers/listeners do too.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

It was decent. Nothing amazing

Narrator was okay. He had some questionable choices when characters were ramping up and yelling but he had a decent voice otherwise.
The story was interesting but overall anticlimactic for me.

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What can you say?

I love to hate this man. How he gets into the head of children is amazing. I've read this several times and my opinion has never changed. Still love to hate it!

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Review on the long walk

Story was amazing. I loved it!
The only thing that bothered me a bit was that the audio would cut off for a sec which threw me off. But other than that it was really good.

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

A great audio performance

This is the second time I listened to this book and the guy reading it is phenomenal.
I loved all his different voices for the main characters. The last 30 mins especially I thought tugged at the old heart strings.
I’d recommend this book to anyone who liked the hunger games series. Although it’s quite a bit more mature. My only gripe was story wise you don’t get to learn more about how future society got that way. Other wise, a good audible.

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    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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Unsatisfying

I am surprised that my interest held through the whole book. While the concept was really intriguing, it felt like there was very little substance to the story and the ending was quite unsatisfying to me.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Stephen king yes it is

I had great hope with this story. I like the idea but at the end of the day it’s Stephen king the master of horror. Like all Stephen king there’s a lot of wandering off topic thoughts in the characters heads that go on for pages. I starting to struggle with it

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Unappreciated King

Very enjoyable, definitely recommend. How
horrific could a boys long walk be? It's quite simple👍

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Still Awesome

50 years later, and this story still slaps, and is still relevant. King proves again he's not just all about ghosts and ghouls. He knows the real monsters are humans.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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needs to go to film!

loved this story when I was a kid and I love it again now. I think it would be a powerful film to see on the screen, such a simplistic concept followed from beginning to end. actually seeing their faces and exhausting in their last moments, I think it would chill and kill at the box office.

ps. the audio edit needs an adjustment, some spots seemed to skip sort of abruptly as the recording sessions lapse.

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