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Blaze
The last of the Richard Bachman novels, recently recovered and published for the first time. Stephen King's "dark half" may have saved the best for last.
A fellow named Richard Bachman wrote Blaze in 1973 on an Olivetti typewriter, then turned the machine over to Stephen King, who used it to write Carrie. Bachman died in 1985 ("cancer of the pseudonym"), but in late 2006 King found the original typescript of Blaze among his papers at the University of Maine's Fogler Library ("How did this get here?!"), and decided that with a little revision it ought to be published.
Blaze is the story of Clayton Blaisdell, Jr. -- of the crimes committed against him and the crimes he commits, including his last, the kidnapping of a baby heir worth millions. Blaze has been a slow thinker since childhood, when his father threw him down the stairs -- and then threw him down again. After escaping an abusive institution for boys when he was a teenager, Blaze hooks up with George, a seasoned criminal who thinks he has all the answers. But then George is killed, and Blaze, though haunted by his partner, is on his own.
He becomes one of the most sympathetic criminals in all of literature. This is a crime story of surprising strength and sadness, with a suspenseful current sustained by the classic workings of fate and character -- as taut and riveting as Stephen King's The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon.
8 pages, Audio CD
First published June 12, 2007
1872 people are currently reading
39853 people want to read
About the author
Richard Bachman
26 books5,220 followersThis is a Stephen King pseudonym.
At the beginning of Stephen King's career, the general view among publishers was that an author was limited to one book per year, since publishing more would be unacceptable to the public. King therefore wanted to write under another name, in order to increase his publication without over-saturating the market for the King "brand". He convinced his publisher, Signet Books, to print these novels under a pseudonym.
In his introduction to The Bachman Books, King states that adopting the nom de plume Bachman was also an attempt to make sense out of his career and try to answer the question of whether his success was due to talent or luck. He says he deliberately released the Bachman novels with as little marketing presence as possible and did his best to "load the dice against" Bachman. King concludes that he has yet to find an answer to the "talent versus luck" question, as he felt he was outed as Bachman too early to know. The Bachman book Thinner (1984) sold 28,000 copies during its initial run—and then ten times as many when it was revealed that Bachman was, in fact, King.
The pseudonym King originally selected (Gus Pillsbury) is King's maternal grandfather's name, but at the last moment King changed it to Richard Bachman. Richard is a tribute to crime author Donald E. Westlake's long-running pseudonym Richard Stark. (The surname Stark was later used in King's novel The Dark Half, in which an author's malevolent pseudonym, "George Stark", comes to life.) Bachman was inspired by Bachman–Turner Overdrive, a rock and roll band King was listening to at the time his publisher asked him to choose a pseudonym on the spot.
King provided biographical details for Bachman, initially in the "about the author" blurbs in the early novels. Known "facts" about Bachman were that he was born in New York, served a four-year stint in the Coast Guard, which he then followed with ten years in the merchant marine. Bachman finally settled down in rural central New Hampshire, where he ran a medium-sized dairy farm, writing at night. His fifth novel was dedicated to his wife, Claudia Inez Bachman, who also received credit for the bogus author photo on the book jacket. Other "facts" about the author were revealed in publicity dispatches from Bachman's publishers: the Bachmans had one child, a boy, who died in an unfortunate, Stephen King-ish type accident at the age of six, when he fell through a well and drowned. In 1982, a brain tumour was discovered near the base of Bachman's brain; tricky surgery removed it. After Bachman's true identity was revealed, later publicity dispatches (and about the author blurbs) revealed that Bachman died suddenly in late 1985 of "cancer of the pseudonym, a rare form of schizonomia".
King dedicated Bachman's early books—Rage (1977), The Long Walk (1979), Roadwork (1981), and The Running Man (1982)—to people close to him. The link between King and his shadow writer was exposed after a Washington, D.C. bookstore clerk, Steve Brown, noted similarities between the writing styles of King and Bachman. Brown located publisher's records at the Library of Congress which included a document naming King as the author of one of Bachman's novels. Brown wrote to King's publishers with a copy of the documents he had uncovered, and asked them what to do. Two weeks later, King telephoned Brown personally and suggested he write an article about how he discovered the truth, allowing himself to be interviewed. King has taken full ownership of the Bachman name on numerous occasions, as with the republication of the first four Bachman titles as The Bachman Books: Four Early Novels by Stephen King in 1985. The introduction, titled "Why I Was Bachman," details the whole Bachman/King story.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard...
At the beginning of Stephen King's career, the general view among publishers was that an author was limited to one book per year, since publishing more would be unacceptable to the public. King therefore wanted to write under another name, in order to increase his publication without over-saturating the market for the King "brand". He convinced his publisher, Signet Books, to print these novels under a pseudonym.
In his introduction to The Bachman Books, King states that adopting the nom de plume Bachman was also an attempt to make sense out of his career and try to answer the question of whether his success was due to talent or luck. He says he deliberately released the Bachman novels with as little marketing presence as possible and did his best to "load the dice against" Bachman. King concludes that he has yet to find an answer to the "talent versus luck" question, as he felt he was outed as Bachman too early to know. The Bachman book Thinner (1984) sold 28,000 copies during its initial run—and then ten times as many when it was revealed that Bachman was, in fact, King.
The pseudonym King originally selected (Gus Pillsbury) is King's maternal grandfather's name, but at the last moment King changed it to Richard Bachman. Richard is a tribute to crime author Donald E. Westlake's long-running pseudonym Richard Stark. (The surname Stark was later used in King's novel The Dark Half, in which an author's malevolent pseudonym, "George Stark", comes to life.) Bachman was inspired by Bachman–Turner Overdrive, a rock and roll band King was listening to at the time his publisher asked him to choose a pseudonym on the spot.
King provided biographical details for Bachman, initially in the "about the author" blurbs in the early novels. Known "facts" about Bachman were that he was born in New York, served a four-year stint in the Coast Guard, which he then followed with ten years in the merchant marine. Bachman finally settled down in rural central New Hampshire, where he ran a medium-sized dairy farm, writing at night. His fifth novel was dedicated to his wife, Claudia Inez Bachman, who also received credit for the bogus author photo on the book jacket. Other "facts" about the author were revealed in publicity dispatches from Bachman's publishers: the Bachmans had one child, a boy, who died in an unfortunate, Stephen King-ish type accident at the age of six, when he fell through a well and drowned. In 1982, a brain tumour was discovered near the base of Bachman's brain; tricky surgery removed it. After Bachman's true identity was revealed, later publicity dispatches (and about the author blurbs) revealed that Bachman died suddenly in late 1985 of "cancer of the pseudonym, a rare form of schizonomia".
King dedicated Bachman's early books—Rage (1977), The Long Walk (1979), Roadwork (1981), and The Running Man (1982)—to people close to him. The link between King and his shadow writer was exposed after a Washington, D.C. bookstore clerk, Steve Brown, noted similarities between the writing styles of King and Bachman. Brown located publisher's records at the Library of Congress which included a document naming King as the author of one of Bachman's novels. Brown wrote to King's publishers with a copy of the documents he had uncovered, and asked them what to do. Two weeks later, King telephoned Brown personally and suggested he write an article about how he discovered the truth, allowing himself to be interviewed. King has taken full ownership of the Bachman name on numerous occasions, as with the republication of the first four Bachman titles as The Bachman Books: Four Early Novels by Stephen King in 1985. The introduction, titled "Why I Was Bachman," details the whole Bachman/King story.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,804 reviews
November 13, 2015
Wow! This book was fantastic!
Why does King start the book with an apology/warning? This book is now definitely in my top 10 favorite King books (if not the top 5)
Seems like this one is even frequently skipped by King fans - please, stop skipping and read!
This book has a great story and great characters. It is quick and easy to read and kept me interested every page.
Blaze is a flawed but easy to sympathize tragic hero who doesn't really know what he is doing, but thinks he is doing it for the best. The course of his life is driven by unfortunate events and I am left wondering how much different it would have been if the cards hadn't been stacked against him.
This book has so much going for it - and I think almost anyone would enjoy it.
Why does King start the book with an apology/warning? This book is now definitely in my top 10 favorite King books (if not the top 5)
Seems like this one is even frequently skipped by King fans - please, stop skipping and read!
This book has a great story and great characters. It is quick and easy to read and kept me interested every page.
Blaze is a flawed but easy to sympathize tragic hero who doesn't really know what he is doing, but thinks he is doing it for the best. The course of his life is driven by unfortunate events and I am left wondering how much different it would have been if the cards hadn't been stacked against him.
This book has so much going for it - and I think almost anyone would enjoy it.
October 15, 2024
‘It was a dirty world, and the longer you lived, the dirtier you got.’
Blaze is a hauntingly tragic novel that showcases Stephen King’s ability to craft compelling character driven narratives, even when he steps outside the supernatural realm. Written under his pseudonym Richard Bachman, the book is a departure from King’s usual fare, focusing instead on the inner turmoil of a man whose life has been shaped by tragedy and abuse.
The protagonist, Clayton “Blaze” Blaisdell, is a large, mentally impaired man whose tragic backstory unfolds alongside a present day crime scheme. However, the real heart of the novel lies not in the crime itself but in Blaze’s internal world, a man whose misfortunes have left him in the margins of society, yearning for connection and grappling with loneliness.
King does a masterful job of portraying Blaze as a deeply sympathetic figure, despite his involvement in the crime. His backstory is riddled with heartbreak. The plot flips between past and present, offering a fuller picture of Blaze’s life and how his innocence was slowly chipped away by a cruel world.
The pacing is tight, with King maintaining a sense of tension throughout, but unlike many of his other works, Blaze is more introspective than action packed. The crime element is secondary to the psychological and emotional exploration of the protagonist.
What makes Blaze particularly striking is its humanity. King allows the reader to sit with the uncomfortable reality that Blaze is both victim and perpetrator. There’s a sadness woven into the narrative that lingers long after the book is closed, especially as it becomes clear that Blaze’s aspirations for a better life are as unattainable as his grasp on reality.
Blaze may not be as widely celebrated as some of King’s other novels, but it’s a quietly powerful entry in his bibliography. It’s a story about loneliness, the impact of trauma, and the small tragedies that accumulate over a lifetime.
If you’re looking for something more introspective and emotionally resonant from King, this book delivers in spades.
I Highly Recommend.
Blaze is a hauntingly tragic novel that showcases Stephen King’s ability to craft compelling character driven narratives, even when he steps outside the supernatural realm. Written under his pseudonym Richard Bachman, the book is a departure from King’s usual fare, focusing instead on the inner turmoil of a man whose life has been shaped by tragedy and abuse.
The protagonist, Clayton “Blaze” Blaisdell, is a large, mentally impaired man whose tragic backstory unfolds alongside a present day crime scheme. However, the real heart of the novel lies not in the crime itself but in Blaze’s internal world, a man whose misfortunes have left him in the margins of society, yearning for connection and grappling with loneliness.
King does a masterful job of portraying Blaze as a deeply sympathetic figure, despite his involvement in the crime. His backstory is riddled with heartbreak. The plot flips between past and present, offering a fuller picture of Blaze’s life and how his innocence was slowly chipped away by a cruel world.
The pacing is tight, with King maintaining a sense of tension throughout, but unlike many of his other works, Blaze is more introspective than action packed. The crime element is secondary to the psychological and emotional exploration of the protagonist.
What makes Blaze particularly striking is its humanity. King allows the reader to sit with the uncomfortable reality that Blaze is both victim and perpetrator. There’s a sadness woven into the narrative that lingers long after the book is closed, especially as it becomes clear that Blaze’s aspirations for a better life are as unattainable as his grasp on reality.
Blaze may not be as widely celebrated as some of King’s other novels, but it’s a quietly powerful entry in his bibliography. It’s a story about loneliness, the impact of trauma, and the small tragedies that accumulate over a lifetime.
If you’re looking for something more introspective and emotionally resonant from King, this book delivers in spades.
I Highly Recommend.
December 16, 2016
OMG........I cannot believe how good this book is.......well, there were a couple things that bothered me in the narration sequence, particularly the final flash from the past, but I'm still surprised at the overall low ratings.
This is not your typical Stephen King (Richard Bachman) read, as a matter of fact, King did not originally think it worthy of being published, but be prepared, there are scary times, a kind of horror of a different sort you might say, that caused me multiple OH NO! and OMG! moments.
It's not easy to entice a reader to like a character that kidnaps a baby (no spoiler here) but Mr. King accomplished just that for me with BLAZE.....his GREAT BIG 6' 7" doofus of a man who begins his early life with a busted head and slow brain through no fault of his own, and takes the reader on an intense, worrisome and exasperating adventure that results in a non-stop action filled conclusion.
Update: November 24, 2016 - Turkey Day
MEMORY is a short bonus read that follows BLAZE about two horrible accidents one of which is a lead-in to KING'S novel DUMA KEY that was published back in 2008. Sounds pretty darn good too!
January 21, 2022
This is obviously King's homage to Of Mice and Men, a non-linear story of the brawn with not so much brains 'Blaze'.
I'm not 100% convinced this belongs in the Richard Bachman stable, but I found it a solid read with a lot more of a sentimental crime fiction feel than suspense, thrills or horror. A must-read for King-completists, but not one I would recommend say, if you wanted to read his top 20 works. Long days and pleasant nights. 7.5 out of 12.
2018 read, 2008 read
I'm not 100% convinced this belongs in the Richard Bachman stable, but I found it a solid read with a lot more of a sentimental crime fiction feel than suspense, thrills or horror. A must-read for King-completists, but not one I would recommend say, if you wanted to read his top 20 works. Long days and pleasant nights. 7.5 out of 12.
2018 read, 2008 read
January 2, 2019
”It was a dirty world, and the longer you lived, the dirtier you got.”
If you love Of Mice and Men, then this would be a great King to pick up! Both feature a couple of guys just trying to make ends meet, one of which is the “brains” of the two and the other is this 6 foot 7 gentle giant that isn’t too bright due to the beatings he took as a kid (poor Blaze!)
The story unfolds with two separate timelines: we have current day where Blaze is trying to kidnap a baby in order to make some money, and then we have the past which details Blaze’s childhood and friendship/partnership with George. Blaze has been dealt a bad hand in life, you can’t help but wonder what kind of life he might have had if things had been different. King does a terrific job of making you sympathise with this tragic character - I may have shed a few tears! I much preferred the flashbacks to Blaze’s past than the present events though .King is well known for his sprawling epic books that can really give your biceps a workout, but in Blaze he shows that he is capable of a wham-bam-thank-you-mam story. There's no real filler, the story moves along at a moderate pace and nothing feels wasted.
King issues an apology at the beginning in a little introduction and explains how he initially thought it wasn’t a great book. Apparently he wrote it around the same time as Carrie but it was left on the back burner until years later when he decided to realise it as Richard Bachman’s final novel. It fits into the Bachman style in terms of the ending (the Bachman books tend to have distinctively dark endings that lack any semblance of hope), but it also felt a lot like a King novel to me. We actually had a likeable character to root for! Blaze is great, he’s just like Lennie :(
All in all, one of the better Bachman books in my opinion. Probably second best after The Long Walk. Worth a read!
If you love Of Mice and Men, then this would be a great King to pick up! Both feature a couple of guys just trying to make ends meet, one of which is the “brains” of the two and the other is this 6 foot 7 gentle giant that isn’t too bright due to the beatings he took as a kid (poor Blaze!)
The story unfolds with two separate timelines: we have current day where Blaze is trying to kidnap a baby in order to make some money, and then we have the past which details Blaze’s childhood and friendship/partnership with George. Blaze has been dealt a bad hand in life, you can’t help but wonder what kind of life he might have had if things had been different. King does a terrific job of making you sympathise with this tragic character - I may have shed a few tears! I much preferred the flashbacks to Blaze’s past than the present events though .King is well known for his sprawling epic books that can really give your biceps a workout, but in Blaze he shows that he is capable of a wham-bam-thank-you-mam story. There's no real filler, the story moves along at a moderate pace and nothing feels wasted.
King issues an apology at the beginning in a little introduction and explains how he initially thought it wasn’t a great book. Apparently he wrote it around the same time as Carrie but it was left on the back burner until years later when he decided to realise it as Richard Bachman’s final novel. It fits into the Bachman style in terms of the ending (the Bachman books tend to have distinctively dark endings that lack any semblance of hope), but it also felt a lot like a King novel to me. We actually had a likeable character to root for! Blaze is great, he’s just like Lennie :(
All in all, one of the better Bachman books in my opinion. Probably second best after The Long Walk. Worth a read!
January 5, 2014
Aided by the voice of his dead friend George in his head, a slow goliath named Blaze kidnaps an infant and holds him for ransom. Can Blaze hold things together long enough to collect the ransom?
Blaze is a straight up crime book from Stephen King, aside from the voice of George in Blaze's head, which might not even be supernatural in origin. I have to wonder why this wasn't the book Stephen King offered up to Hard Case instead of The Colorado Kid.
The story of Blaze unfolds in two parallel stories, one of the present day kidnapping and the other of Blaze's past, how a beating at the hands of his father rendered him a simpleton and landed him in the state home. I found Blaze's past way more interesting than his kidnapping scheme, which had some ludicrous moments due to Blaze not really knowing what he was doing. When the wheels predictably come off, things quickly go to hell in a handbasket.
For the most part, this book was just kind of there for me. Blaze was the only really memorable character for me. I thought that for a book that was less than 400 pages, there was a bit of the King bloat in effect. While I liked it, it almost fell back into the "it's okay" realm. Maybe it was a wrong book, wrong time scenario.
Apparently Stephen King wrote the original draft of Blaze around the same time he was writing Carrie. Carrie got picked up and Blaze fell by the wayside until King decided to revive it while on the Lisey's Story tour. Why he stuck the Bachman name on it, I don't know. It feels more King than Bachman to me.
Three out of five stars but it's a weak three.
Blaze is a straight up crime book from Stephen King, aside from the voice of George in Blaze's head, which might not even be supernatural in origin. I have to wonder why this wasn't the book Stephen King offered up to Hard Case instead of The Colorado Kid.
The story of Blaze unfolds in two parallel stories, one of the present day kidnapping and the other of Blaze's past, how a beating at the hands of his father rendered him a simpleton and landed him in the state home. I found Blaze's past way more interesting than his kidnapping scheme, which had some ludicrous moments due to Blaze not really knowing what he was doing. When the wheels predictably come off, things quickly go to hell in a handbasket.
For the most part, this book was just kind of there for me. Blaze was the only really memorable character for me. I thought that for a book that was less than 400 pages, there was a bit of the King bloat in effect. While I liked it, it almost fell back into the "it's okay" realm. Maybe it was a wrong book, wrong time scenario.
Apparently Stephen King wrote the original draft of Blaze around the same time he was writing Carrie. Carrie got picked up and Blaze fell by the wayside until King decided to revive it while on the Lisey's Story tour. Why he stuck the Bachman name on it, I don't know. It feels more King than Bachman to me.
Three out of five stars but it's a weak three.
October 19, 2021
“Blaze himself was pretty sure he himself was going to hell, as were most other people. It was a dirty world, and the longer you lived, the dirtier you got.”
Stephen King might be best known for his horror novels, but his non-horror books are every bit as good. His newest book Billy Summers springs to mind and this older book does too.
Like Billy Summers, Blaze is about a criminal, a flawed person who does bad things but who you can't help liking because King paints him in a sympathetic light.
We are reminded that between black and white is a vast area of differing shades. Blaze, the eponymous protagonist, lies somewhere amidst the grey. He's a con man but likable. He does horrible things, and yet one cannot help but feel sorry for him. I imagine if he'd been given a better start in life, had his father not thrown him down a set of stairs and damaged his brain, his life would have turned out much differently.
But Blaze can't change his past any more than any of us can. He's a victim of circumstances and getting by in life the best way he knows how.
Upon losing his partner in crime, Blaze decides to go through with the "job" they had planned, the one that will set him for life. He kidnaps the infant son of a millionaire.
Because he's not very bright, Blaze makes mistake after mistake. I cringed so often, wanting to shout at him to turn around, cover those tracks and wipe up that blood. Terrible, because he's doing a horrific thing, stealing that baby. And yet.... it's impossible to not want him to get caught.
I'm amazed at the way Stephen King writes, how he can make any story seem real. I have to remind myself Blaze is not an actual person and I needn't feel sorry for him. But I love this, when I feel so much for a character because it's almost impossible to believe they're not a flesh-and-blood individual.
If you're a King fan or just someone who loves a well-told story, you should pick this one up. It won't scare you, but you'll probably enjoy it nonetheless.
Stephen King might be best known for his horror novels, but his non-horror books are every bit as good. His newest book Billy Summers springs to mind and this older book does too.
Like Billy Summers, Blaze is about a criminal, a flawed person who does bad things but who you can't help liking because King paints him in a sympathetic light.
We are reminded that between black and white is a vast area of differing shades. Blaze, the eponymous protagonist, lies somewhere amidst the grey. He's a con man but likable. He does horrible things, and yet one cannot help but feel sorry for him. I imagine if he'd been given a better start in life, had his father not thrown him down a set of stairs and damaged his brain, his life would have turned out much differently.
But Blaze can't change his past any more than any of us can. He's a victim of circumstances and getting by in life the best way he knows how.
Upon losing his partner in crime, Blaze decides to go through with the "job" they had planned, the one that will set him for life. He kidnaps the infant son of a millionaire.
Because he's not very bright, Blaze makes mistake after mistake. I cringed so often, wanting to shout at him to turn around, cover those tracks and wipe up that blood. Terrible, because he's doing a horrific thing, stealing that baby. And yet.... it's impossible to not want him to get caught.
I'm amazed at the way Stephen King writes, how he can make any story seem real. I have to remind myself Blaze is not an actual person and I needn't feel sorry for him. But I love this, when I feel so much for a character because it's almost impossible to believe they're not a flesh-and-blood individual.
If you're a King fan or just someone who loves a well-told story, you should pick this one up. It won't scare you, but you'll probably enjoy it nonetheless.
December 8, 2021
Stephen King never ceases to surprise me with his ability to create characters I root for despite the evil they do ...
December 2, 2025
Не знаех, че Кинг е написал още един роман, по времето когато се е подвизавал с псевдонима Ричард Бакман.
Понеже много харесвам и четирите му други творби от този му период, се зарадвах да науча, че е извадил от някаква музейна библиотека черновата на "Блейз", преработил я е и ни е дал възможност да ѝ се насладим.
Ще си призная, малко ми дойде нанагорно основната тема в книгата - отвличането на бебе за откуп, но пък животът и съдбата на Блейз ме очароваха и компенсираха напрежението от неприятното усещане. Имам син на 6 месеца и ми беше трудно на моменти да продължавам да чета случващото се в романа.
Моята оценка - 4,5*.
P. S. Хареса ми предговора на автора, и донякъде ми се иска да си беше останал Бакман…
Понеже много харесвам и четирите му други творби от този му период, се зарадвах да науча, че е извадил от някаква музейна библиотека черновата на "Блейз", преработил я е и ни е дал възможност да ѝ се насладим.
Ще си призная, малко ми дойде нанагорно основната тема в книгата - отвличането на бебе за откуп, но пък животът и съдбата на Блейз ме очароваха и компенсираха напрежението от неприятното усещане. Имам син на 6 месеца и ми беше трудно на моменти да продължавам да чета случващото се в романа.
Моята оценка - 4,5*.
P. S. Хареса ми предговора на автора, и донякъде ми се иска да си беше останал Бакман…
January 16, 2021
Clay Blaisdell JR "Blaze" es una persona corpulenta , y que carece de varias luces. Esto se debe a que fue brutalmente golpeado por su padre cuando era pequeño.
Se la paso gran parte de su vida entre instituciones y prisión.
Solo tubo dos amigos, en dos diferentes etapas de su vida, John y George. Con este ultimo se dedicaban a hacer estafas y robos. Luego de muerto, George aparentemente hace sus apariciones ante Blaze, dándole indicaciones para que lleve a cabo el golpe final que tenían planeado... Secuestrar a un bebe de una familia adinerada.
Es una obra bidimensional, al igual que su protagonista.
Hay una frase que le decía George a Blaze, y define perfecto a la novela ...
"Fuera de la lista de éxitos, pero no de nuestros corazones"
Se la paso gran parte de su vida entre instituciones y prisión.
Solo tubo dos amigos, en dos diferentes etapas de su vida, John y George. Con este ultimo se dedicaban a hacer estafas y robos. Luego de muerto, George aparentemente hace sus apariciones ante Blaze, dándole indicaciones para que lleve a cabo el golpe final que tenían planeado... Secuestrar a un bebe de una familia adinerada.
Es una obra bidimensional, al igual que su protagonista.
Hay una frase que le decía George a Blaze, y define perfecto a la novela ...
"Fuera de la lista de éxitos, pero no de nuestros corazones"
May 31, 2020
Blaze was originally written as a short story way back in King's early career when he was predominantly submitting to magazines. He found it in his pile of old manuscripts and bulked it out for this 2007 release.
An obvious homage to Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men, Blaze follows the life of clay Blaisdell Jnr. A big lummox of a man, a little short in the intelligence field, he is both needy and loyal. The sum of these traits make him easy prey for undesirables who like to use him as an offsider.
Clay has a poor upbringing. Abusive parents, abusive schooling and abusive work placements leave him like a beaten dog - wary but desperately wanting to be needed. It is his close friendship with George that brings everything to a head.
Not a true Stephen King horror but definitely enough King moments to keep the reader interested. In some ways I liken this writing to his much later Bill Hodges trilogy.
An obvious homage to Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men, Blaze follows the life of clay Blaisdell Jnr. A big lummox of a man, a little short in the intelligence field, he is both needy and loyal. The sum of these traits make him easy prey for undesirables who like to use him as an offsider.
Clay has a poor upbringing. Abusive parents, abusive schooling and abusive work placements leave him like a beaten dog - wary but desperately wanting to be needed. It is his close friendship with George that brings everything to a head.
Not a true Stephen King horror but definitely enough King moments to keep the reader interested. In some ways I liken this writing to his much later Bill Hodges trilogy.
February 21, 2025
Un libro interesante sin duda. No es una historia de terror, pero si te hace estremecer, al menos eso me sucedió a mí. El personaje es de esos que no tuvieron suerte en la vida, con los que el mundo se portó de manera muy injusta.
Creo que King ha logrado en este libro plasmar una realidad que lamentablemente existe. Pienso que si la novela hubiera sido más larga no me hubiera disgustado, todos los flashback y ramificaciones aportan mucho a la historia y uno tiene ganas de seguir conociendo esos detalles.
Lo que no me gustó fue el final, principalmente porque me parece previsible. Creo que en otras de sus obras el autor crea un final no previsible, aunque muchas veces abierto e inconcluso, los prefiero al de este libro.
Les dejo un video sobre el decálogo de King (por si les interesa): https://bit.ly/48YnNaa
Creo que King ha logrado en este libro plasmar una realidad que lamentablemente existe. Pienso que si la novela hubiera sido más larga no me hubiera disgustado, todos los flashback y ramificaciones aportan mucho a la historia y uno tiene ganas de seguir conociendo esos detalles.
Lo que no me gustó fue el final, principalmente porque me parece previsible. Creo que en otras de sus obras el autor crea un final no previsible, aunque muchas veces abierto e inconcluso, los prefiero al de este libro.
Les dejo un video sobre el decálogo de King (por si les interesa): https://bit.ly/48YnNaa
March 22, 2012
This was a bit of a return to the old classic King, sans monsters and gore. It's a novel King wrote 30-odd years ago, then rediscovered and polished up and released as the last of his Bachman books. Ironically, I found it to be one of the better stories of his I've read recently, but I always have had a bit of a preference for his older stories - his newer stuff often just doesn't quite strike the right chord with me.
King has always been good with stories that pull up the carpets on small town America and look at what's crawling around between the planks of the floorboards. Blaze is about a huge galoot of a man, Clayton Blaisdell, Jr., who's as slow-witted as he is strong-bodied. Basically a genial soul who doesn't want to hurt anyone and whose only sin was being born into a crapsack world where he never got a break, the book alternates between Blaze's childhood, growing up in an (of course) abusive orphanage and his adulthood, where he has become the sort of small-time criminal everyone predicted he'd become. His partner of many years, George, who was the brains of their two-man outfit, has died, leaving Blaze to fend for himself. Blaze is trying to pull off George's last scheme, a kidnapping and ransom plot. Unfortunately, without George's brains to think through the plotting, Blaze's plan can't possibly end well.
The climax is fairly predictable - we know from the beginning that this poor sap never had a chance, so there isn't much suspense about how it's all going to turn out. But King, in his marvelous way when he's focusing on characterization and writing relatively economically, sketches out the life and personality of Clayton Blaisdell, Jr. for us, until we see him as a human being, a good guy in a bad place who made bad choices through little fault of his own, but mostly was just kicked around by a harsh, unfeeling world. And then we see the things he does, things which would make any reasonable person looking at his history but without the reader's knowledge of everything that happened alongside it, the context that framed the events and his actions, believe that he is just a two-bit thug and little more than a monster. To the rest of the world, that's all he is, but by the end you, the reader, just want to give this guy a hug.
Stephen King can be very sentimental when he wants to be, though he never goes for schmaltz. Blaze is about as close to a tearjerker as I've ever read from him. It's not all sparkling prose and the plot is perhaps a bit too predictable - even after King's very belated editing, this is obviously an earlier work. But it demonstrates that King has always been able to write fine suspense novels and fine human dramas, and his writing deserves to be taken seriously.
King has always been good with stories that pull up the carpets on small town America and look at what's crawling around between the planks of the floorboards. Blaze is about a huge galoot of a man, Clayton Blaisdell, Jr., who's as slow-witted as he is strong-bodied. Basically a genial soul who doesn't want to hurt anyone and whose only sin was being born into a crapsack world where he never got a break, the book alternates between Blaze's childhood, growing up in an (of course) abusive orphanage and his adulthood, where he has become the sort of small-time criminal everyone predicted he'd become. His partner of many years, George, who was the brains of their two-man outfit, has died, leaving Blaze to fend for himself. Blaze is trying to pull off George's last scheme, a kidnapping and ransom plot. Unfortunately, without George's brains to think through the plotting, Blaze's plan can't possibly end well.
The climax is fairly predictable - we know from the beginning that this poor sap never had a chance, so there isn't much suspense about how it's all going to turn out. But King, in his marvelous way when he's focusing on characterization and writing relatively economically, sketches out the life and personality of Clayton Blaisdell, Jr. for us, until we see him as a human being, a good guy in a bad place who made bad choices through little fault of his own, but mostly was just kicked around by a harsh, unfeeling world. And then we see the things he does, things which would make any reasonable person looking at his history but without the reader's knowledge of everything that happened alongside it, the context that framed the events and his actions, believe that he is just a two-bit thug and little more than a monster. To the rest of the world, that's all he is, but by the end you, the reader, just want to give this guy a hug.
Stephen King can be very sentimental when he wants to be, though he never goes for schmaltz. Blaze is about as close to a tearjerker as I've ever read from him. It's not all sparkling prose and the plot is perhaps a bit too predictable - even after King's very belated editing, this is obviously an earlier work. But it demonstrates that King has always been able to write fine suspense novels and fine human dramas, and his writing deserves to be taken seriously.
November 2, 2021
Blaze is a Stephen King book under the Richard Bachman name. He wrote this in 1973 along with the original 4 novels he published under the Bachman name. He thought this was bad and so he put it in a box and stored it with his other papers. After some time he came back to it and published it after polishing it up a bit.
Normally, accept for 'the Long Walk', which is one of my all time favorite books, I typically do not like anything Bachman does. I don't like Thinner or Rage or Roadwork and Regulators is one of my least favorites of all. I had heard many people don't like this book and only one positive review of it. I didn't know what to expect.
I can't believe how much I enjoyed this book. I read it quickly and I needed to finish it. The character work is unbelievable. Both George and Blaze have some great back stories. I love how King always seems to understand the underdog and how he writes them is amazing.
It's a difficult story. On the one hand, I really like Blaze as a character and I want to root for him seeing his history. On the other hand, Blaze has kidnapped a kid and he does some bad things. So, I want justice for the family. There isn't any excuse for what Blaze did, but I wish he hadn't of done this. The story is satisfying in the end and I like the ending.
The book is so well done. I really enjoy Blaze and this might be my favorite Bachman book. I'm not sure it knocked 'the Long Walk' off that spot, but it may have. The writing is so clean and sharp and the setting is perfect, a snowstorm in Maine in January. It seems to me that everything simply works.
Spoilers ahead:
I do want to talk about George and Blaze. So, early on we learn that George died and Blaze seems to be talking to him in his head. The thing left to the reader to decide is, well, is George haunting Blaze or is this all happening in Blaze's head. Being a King novel, it could be a ghost. I did think that the end would be the ghost was trying to kill the kid and Blaze would die protecting the kid and taking out the ghost. I was wrong on that count. The end was all it could be. Still, I wonder if it was a ghost. Was it George's ghost? It could be either.
When I started out reading, I thought it might be all in Blaze's head and it was how he tapped into his own brain power, but by the end of the story, I was leaning more toward ghost. Anyway, I like that unknowing. It's interesting.
I keep hearing people say this is Of Mice and men retelling. I know there were 2 guys similar, but in this one, the brains is dead and Blaze is on his own. I think the seed for the story came from the 2 characters, but I think this is its own story.
I'm so surprised how much I enjoyed this. Honestly.
So, I only have 4 King books left to read. Not many now. I wont finish them in 2021, but soon after.
Normally, accept for 'the Long Walk', which is one of my all time favorite books, I typically do not like anything Bachman does. I don't like Thinner or Rage or Roadwork and Regulators is one of my least favorites of all. I had heard many people don't like this book and only one positive review of it. I didn't know what to expect.
I can't believe how much I enjoyed this book. I read it quickly and I needed to finish it. The character work is unbelievable. Both George and Blaze have some great back stories. I love how King always seems to understand the underdog and how he writes them is amazing.
It's a difficult story. On the one hand, I really like Blaze as a character and I want to root for him seeing his history. On the other hand, Blaze has kidnapped a kid and he does some bad things. So, I want justice for the family. There isn't any excuse for what Blaze did, but I wish he hadn't of done this. The story is satisfying in the end and I like the ending.
The book is so well done. I really enjoy Blaze and this might be my favorite Bachman book. I'm not sure it knocked 'the Long Walk' off that spot, but it may have. The writing is so clean and sharp and the setting is perfect, a snowstorm in Maine in January. It seems to me that everything simply works.
Spoilers ahead:
I do want to talk about George and Blaze. So, early on we learn that George died and Blaze seems to be talking to him in his head. The thing left to the reader to decide is, well, is George haunting Blaze or is this all happening in Blaze's head. Being a King novel, it could be a ghost. I did think that the end would be the ghost was trying to kill the kid and Blaze would die protecting the kid and taking out the ghost. I was wrong on that count. The end was all it could be. Still, I wonder if it was a ghost. Was it George's ghost? It could be either.
When I started out reading, I thought it might be all in Blaze's head and it was how he tapped into his own brain power, but by the end of the story, I was leaning more toward ghost. Anyway, I like that unknowing. It's interesting.
I keep hearing people say this is Of Mice and men retelling. I know there were 2 guys similar, but in this one, the brains is dead and Blaze is on his own. I think the seed for the story came from the 2 characters, but I think this is its own story.
I'm so surprised how much I enjoyed this. Honestly.
So, I only have 4 King books left to read. Not many now. I wont finish them in 2021, but soon after.
December 4, 2019
This is one of the few King books I haven’t read before and it’s always a treat to read a new to me King! Or Bachman if you’re being fussy. I think this might actually my fave out of all the stories King wrote under the Bachman name, I got slight King vibes from it as well and I was all there for it! It reminded me a bit of Of Mice and Men and that is NEVER ever a bad comparison because that book is brilliant. But where this book really got me is the characters, Blaze just hit me right in the feels in that aspect! Blaze was such a great character, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for him despite everything he does. He’s just a poor misguided soul that I couldn’t help but root for. This was a great story and I already can’t wait to read it again in a couple of years and fall in love with it all over again!
November 23, 2014
Considering that this is one of King's earliest works, (even under the Bachman Pseudonym), I think it's rather good. It's certainly not in the same league with his best fiction, but I was drawn in from the very beginning, and the story continued at a good pace up until the tense, nerve-wracking ending.
I like the way King introduced his main character in the beginning with a sparse amount of information, and then interchanged chapters the character's past with the present. We know that Blaze has done some bad things throughout his life, and that he's about to do something even worse, but King makes him a sympathetic character from the very start, and then increases the reader's sympathy with each subsequent flashback chapter. In the end you want Blaze to come to justice, but it's painful, because his entire life has led him to a harsh sentence that he ultimately doesn't really deserve.
I also liked that King published this novel and then donated all of the royalties to The Haven Foundation. King wrote Blaze when he was just starting out, and it never would have been published if he hadn't continued to revisit it and decide to share it with his Constant Readers. He has a tremendous amount of clout now, but King knows what it's like to be a struggling writer.
I like the way King introduced his main character in the beginning with a sparse amount of information, and then interchanged chapters the character's past with the present. We know that Blaze has done some bad things throughout his life, and that he's about to do something even worse, but King makes him a sympathetic character from the very start, and then increases the reader's sympathy with each subsequent flashback chapter. In the end you want Blaze to come to justice, but it's painful, because his entire life has led him to a harsh sentence that he ultimately doesn't really deserve.
I also liked that King published this novel and then donated all of the royalties to The Haven Foundation. King wrote Blaze when he was just starting out, and it never would have been published if he hadn't continued to revisit it and decide to share it with his Constant Readers. He has a tremendous amount of clout now, but King knows what it's like to be a struggling writer.
September 24, 2022
This book grew on me. Blaze the giant simple soul and the ghostly George. This is a homage to Mice and Men with more detail and an explanation of Blaze’s past growing up in a orphanage. The abuse and happy times are described in flashbacks as Blaze is on the run with the kidnapped baby.
A thought provoking story. It made me think about nature versus nurture and the importance of your early environment. How Blaze or George never had a chance and their fate was preordained.
A thought provoking story. It made me think about nature versus nurture and the importance of your early environment. How Blaze or George never had a chance and their fate was preordained.
December 4, 2013
Stephen King may be the "master of horror," but with BLAZE he proves that he's also just a plain ole good writer. This story is a mixture of a thriller, a mystery, a police procedural, and a personal struggle to figure out who you are.
Blaze, aka Clayton Blaisdell, Jr., is a dummy, and he knows it. Ever since his father threw him down a flight of stairs (and then hauled him back up and did it a couple of more times), Blaze hasn't had the brains for learning. The dent in his forehead might make him look scary, but we soon learn that Blaze isn't much of a threat -- except when he's really angry. He might look like a giant at 6'7" and nearly 300 pounds, but this man's heart is as soft as his mind.
Blaze has pretty much drifted through life by skirting the law and mostly (with exceptions) avoiding trouble. When he meets George Rackley, Blaze learns the art of the con. The two of them (or, rather, George) have been planning one big job for awhile now. That big job would be kidnapping the baby of a rich couple, collecting the ransom, and living the high-life somewhere with white sandy beaches and lots of sun.
But we soon learn that things aren't going quite the way either man had expected. For one, George is dead, even though he's still helping with the kidnapping plot. For another, Blaze, as we've already learned, isn't the smartest guy around.
What follows is a mixture of present day mystery/thriller as Blaze carries out the kidnapping of little Joey, mixed with the flashbacks of his life that show how Blaze ends up where he's at.
King (aka Bachman..does it really matter the name?) shows great control in the pacing of BLAZE, and expertly weaves the present with the past. You'll also be surprised (and entertained) by the joy that is Blaze, who is a wonderful, fully-developed character.
Blaze, aka Clayton Blaisdell, Jr., is a dummy, and he knows it. Ever since his father threw him down a flight of stairs (and then hauled him back up and did it a couple of more times), Blaze hasn't had the brains for learning. The dent in his forehead might make him look scary, but we soon learn that Blaze isn't much of a threat -- except when he's really angry. He might look like a giant at 6'7" and nearly 300 pounds, but this man's heart is as soft as his mind.
Blaze has pretty much drifted through life by skirting the law and mostly (with exceptions) avoiding trouble. When he meets George Rackley, Blaze learns the art of the con. The two of them (or, rather, George) have been planning one big job for awhile now. That big job would be kidnapping the baby of a rich couple, collecting the ransom, and living the high-life somewhere with white sandy beaches and lots of sun.
But we soon learn that things aren't going quite the way either man had expected. For one, George is dead, even though he's still helping with the kidnapping plot. For another, Blaze, as we've already learned, isn't the smartest guy around.
What follows is a mixture of present day mystery/thriller as Blaze carries out the kidnapping of little Joey, mixed with the flashbacks of his life that show how Blaze ends up where he's at.
King (aka Bachman..does it really matter the name?) shows great control in the pacing of BLAZE, and expertly weaves the present with the past. You'll also be surprised (and entertained) by the joy that is Blaze, who is a wonderful, fully-developed character.
February 7, 2022
Sabía muy poco del argumento de Blaze y me llevé una grata sorpresa. Novela ágil e interesante, con varios aditivos, drama, suspenso, policial y elementos sobrenaturales. Me gustó muchísimo.
March 13, 2025
Blaze, born from Stephen King's 1970s pseudonym, Richard Bachman, is both what you’d expect — and what you wouldn’t — from King’s writing. I once read that this book features "one of the most sympathetic criminals in all of literature," and I can’t help but agree.
(No spoilers ahead)
Clayton "Blaze" Blaisdell Jr. is a giant of a man — physically imposing but mentally impaired by a childhood shattered by abuse and neglect. He clings to anyone who shows him even a scrap of attention, finding fleeting moments of companionship with his partner in crime, George. But George, like everyone else in Blaze's life, is abusive. And when he dies, his voice lingers, berating Blaze from inside his head like a ghost that refuses to let go.
Following this voice, Blaze kidnaps a baby for ransom — but instead of a hardened criminal, we see a broken man cradling the child like a lifeline, desperate for the love he never received. He cares for the baby with heartbreaking tenderness, struggling to resist George’s cruel commands, leading to an ending that feels either tragic or peaceful, depending on how you see it.
A departure from King’s typical horror, it's a crime story that's emotional, forces you to sympathise with the main character, and which dives into the turmoil of a damaged mind rather than the horror of the crime itself. It’s not his best work, but it lingers.
(No spoilers ahead)
Clayton "Blaze" Blaisdell Jr. is a giant of a man — physically imposing but mentally impaired by a childhood shattered by abuse and neglect. He clings to anyone who shows him even a scrap of attention, finding fleeting moments of companionship with his partner in crime, George. But George, like everyone else in Blaze's life, is abusive. And when he dies, his voice lingers, berating Blaze from inside his head like a ghost that refuses to let go.
Following this voice, Blaze kidnaps a baby for ransom — but instead of a hardened criminal, we see a broken man cradling the child like a lifeline, desperate for the love he never received. He cares for the baby with heartbreaking tenderness, struggling to resist George’s cruel commands, leading to an ending that feels either tragic or peaceful, depending on how you see it.
A departure from King’s typical horror, it's a crime story that's emotional, forces you to sympathise with the main character, and which dives into the turmoil of a damaged mind rather than the horror of the crime itself. It’s not his best work, but it lingers.
May 29, 2025
3.75/5
To niesamowite jak King potrafi tworzyć portrety postaci w taki sposób, że z dogłębnego znużenia na początku przechodzę do absolutnego wzruszenia pod koniec.
To niesamowite jak King potrafi tworzyć portrety postaci w taki sposób, że z dogłębnego znużenia na początku przechodzę do absolutnego wzruszenia pod koniec.
Read
October 1, 2017DNFed on page 76
I hated this book from the very first page. I didn't like the atmosphere of it. I didn't like the writing, which, to me at least, felt very dry. And I didn't like the two main characters; not even Blaze, who is soft in the head (I am sorry if that sounds inhuman to say, but it is how I felt), and I thought that he isn't an interesting character, as far as I've read.
I just didn't care about anyone and anything.
Also, I need to say that I was very excited to read Blaze, especially since I was buddy-reading it with Mrs. Janie, from Bookworms Buddy, who is a fantastic Booktuber . . . But the book didn't work out to me.
Of course, I wouldn't say DON'T READ THIS BOOK, because I haven't read the whole thing (Because I was impatient), and I can't judge it as a whole (because it might indeed turn out to be worth the read, but like I said 'I was impatient'), only from what I so far read . . .
I hope this review does not irritate you from reading this book, but every one of us is entitled to our opinions, and this is mine. Anyway, I need to say that this is my first Stephen King book that I am not putting hold for a future reading (just because I couldn't get into it at this reading) ... The first Stephen King book that I DNF and won't get back to AT ALL (And I am really hurt to say it, honestly).
F
I hated this book from the very first page. I didn't like the atmosphere of it. I didn't like the writing, which, to me at least, felt very dry. And I didn't like the two main characters; not even Blaze, who is soft in the head (I am sorry if that sounds inhuman to say, but it is how I felt), and I thought that he isn't an interesting character, as far as I've read.
I just didn't care about anyone and anything.
Also, I need to say that I was very excited to read Blaze, especially since I was buddy-reading it with Mrs. Janie, from Bookworms Buddy, who is a fantastic Booktuber . . . But the book didn't work out to me.
Of course, I wouldn't say DON'T READ THIS BOOK, because I haven't read the whole thing (Because I was impatient), and I can't judge it as a whole (because it might indeed turn out to be worth the read, but like I said 'I was impatient'), only from what I so far read . . .
I hope this review does not irritate you from reading this book, but every one of us is entitled to our opinions, and this is mine. Anyway, I need to say that this is my first Stephen King book that I am not putting hold for a future reading (just because I couldn't get into it at this reading) ... The first Stephen King book that I DNF and won't get back to AT ALL (And I am really hurt to say it, honestly).
F
July 3, 2024
I appreciate that this novel exists. I don’t appreciate having to endure its story. If you read this not knowing who Bachman was, I don’t think you’d ever be able to guess it was King behind the typewriter. It is so disparate from everything else he has ever written in style and tone that it is completely unrecognizable. This includes all the other Bachman books, which might be distinct in style, but were still recognizable in shape and language. This sits among my least favorite King books, and I’ve read 62 of them to date.
Character I Loved & Hated
The baby was cool. Everyone else was whatever the opposite of cool is.
Themes
People are non-linear and complicated… even the bad ones.
One Thing I’ll walk away with
A lingering thought about how I can justify giving myself the nickname Blaze
Character I Loved & Hated
The baby was cool. Everyone else was whatever the opposite of cool is.
Themes
People are non-linear and complicated… even the bad ones.
One Thing I’ll walk away with
A lingering thought about how I can justify giving myself the nickname Blaze
September 25, 2015
2- 2.5 Stars.
I just kept waiting for something to happen, but nothing really did. This felt like Stephen King-lite. Yawn. Not a fan of this story.
I just kept waiting for something to happen, but nothing really did. This felt like Stephen King-lite. Yawn. Not a fan of this story.
February 21, 2008
Look...
First and foremost, I am a self-described and unembarrassed "King Head." I have devoured Stephen King's words since reading "Thinner" as a fairly young boy with a slightly twisted mind that loved to be challenged, expanded, and scared.
I am also a person who has read loads of classic and contemporary fiction, non-fiction, science fiction, scientific journals, periodicals, etc. My point? I don't simply spend my time reading one author or genre, and I am a fairly discrimiinating reader.
I feel that Stephen King has become one of the masters of (a) story-telling, and (b) character development. I believe his characters, care about them, and, even through the unbelievable worlds and situations through which these palpable characters inhabit and experience, believe them.
In "Blaze," which was originally written at a very young age, sat on the back burner for 25+ years, and fortunately revisited the author after his "retirement," King is - in my opinion - at his best creating a situational plot line that follows two amazing characters blurring the lines of ethical/unethical, right/wrong, and nature/nuture.
I recommend this relatively short book to anyone interested in a good story and a great character.
First and foremost, I am a self-described and unembarrassed "King Head." I have devoured Stephen King's words since reading "Thinner" as a fairly young boy with a slightly twisted mind that loved to be challenged, expanded, and scared.
I am also a person who has read loads of classic and contemporary fiction, non-fiction, science fiction, scientific journals, periodicals, etc. My point? I don't simply spend my time reading one author or genre, and I am a fairly discrimiinating reader.
I feel that Stephen King has become one of the masters of (a) story-telling, and (b) character development. I believe his characters, care about them, and, even through the unbelievable worlds and situations through which these palpable characters inhabit and experience, believe them.
In "Blaze," which was originally written at a very young age, sat on the back burner for 25+ years, and fortunately revisited the author after his "retirement," King is - in my opinion - at his best creating a situational plot line that follows two amazing characters blurring the lines of ethical/unethical, right/wrong, and nature/nuture.
I recommend this relatively short book to anyone interested in a good story and a great character.
April 13, 2017
I thought this "Mice and men"-inspired little trifle was a more enjoyable read than I was afraid of, but it surely did not feel like an important one. What really made it was the flashbacks showing what shaped the brain injured baby-napper to what he is. The story itself unfolds and ends following the only logical pattern (except for the very ending which is probably not too realistic, but still very predictable).
I'm not sure why King felt compelled to publish this after so many years and certainly not why he contributed it to Bachman - a pseudonym that wasn't even born when the original draft was written (at least I think, please correct me if I'm wrong). Re-written and heavily expanded by King now but still a Bachman? Also - wasn't one purpose of the pseudonym to find out if the writer's success could be accounted for by any other means than his making himself a name?, i.e. would he still sell books under another name? Serving up this re-luke-warmed up lesser tale seems like the absolute opposite - using both famous names to sell something that maybe should have been left in that cardboard box...
I'm not sure why King felt compelled to publish this after so many years and certainly not why he contributed it to Bachman - a pseudonym that wasn't even born when the original draft was written (at least I think, please correct me if I'm wrong). Re-written and heavily expanded by King now but still a Bachman? Also - wasn't one purpose of the pseudonym to find out if the writer's success could be accounted for by any other means than his making himself a name?, i.e. would he still sell books under another name? Serving up this re-luke-warmed up lesser tale seems like the absolute opposite - using both famous names to sell something that maybe should have been left in that cardboard box...
September 8, 2022
تمام قسمت های آخر را گریه کردم.
چرا که او فرصت یک آدم معمولی بودن را برای همیشه از دست داده بود و من این را خیلی خوب میفهمیدم...
چرا که او فرصت یک آدم معمولی بودن را برای همیشه از دست داده بود و من این را خیلی خوب میفهمیدم...
February 18, 2023
** The Stephen King Goodreads Discussion Group is doing a re-read of his works from the beginning to the end. It’s been a long time since I have really immersed myself in Uncle Stevie’s world, but a rate of a book a month, I am all in. My goal is to read and review each one with as much honesty and reflection that I can give. **
Background – “Blaze” was originally published under the pseudonym of Richard Bachman in June 2007 as a Scribner hardcover. It is the last Bachman novel written by King (at least as of the writing of this review).
Length-wise - my hardback lists it as 285 pages and my Kindle lists it as 311 pages.
Plotline – This is the story of Clayton Blaisdell Jr. who goes by the nickname “Blaze”. He is mentally disabled after being thrown down the stairs by his father (more than once) and suffering a serious head injury. He also spent most of his teenage years in and out of Hetton House, a boy’s home run by a strong-willed headmaster.
Blaze gains a friend in George Thomas Rackley, a serial killer that teaches him how to be a con artist. George knows how to run the cons, how to be a leader, and takes care of Blaze. That is until George is killed and Blaze is back on his own. Sort of… George’s voice is still talking to him and influencing Blaze to commit a vey dangerous and risky crime that they had been planning previously - that of kidnapping a baby heir worth millions of dollars in ransom money.
The question becomes can a sad and sympathetic small-time criminal pull off such a criminal activity that involves putting the life of a baby at risk?
Thoughts and Reflections – This was definitely a dark Richard Bachman style story. It is a stark and mostly negative read, but like a horrible car wreck you find yourself staring and engrossed in what happened. Blaze is terribly mistreated and mentally unstable individual that comes across as almost an anti-hero. How can you cheer for someone who is trying to kidnap a baby? It’s King strength as a writer to drawn you in, let you share in Blaze’s struggles and mistreatments, and before you know it, you are totally emotionally involved in his unfortunate Shakespearian tragedy. You know what’s coming, and yet you are hoping for his success, all the way to the end. And in typical Bachman delivery, you have that empathetical soul-crushing ending that takes over your thoughts for days as you contemplate the themes from the book.
I am not sure why I was so drawn to Blaze. I think that probably most of us have known a Blaze at some point in our lives. Someone who was very strong physically, but not sharp, lacking intelligence in most levels of understanding. But someone who had their own kind of moral code, that included walking to the beat of their own internal clock. Simple and uncomplicated. Someone who’s stuck in the role of a constant underdog, like Charlie Brown, who constantly finds himself flat on his back because Lucy keeps pulling the football back every single time he tries to kick it.
This book was written earlier in King’s writing career and carries that 1970’s vibe and feel. It is one of his short ones, at just over 250 pages in length. Still, it has that raw delivery and harsh outlook on life that was a common theme in King’s earlier writings, which is most likely why it was published as a Bachman novel. As I was reading it, I kept hearing the lyrics from Tom Petty’s hit “Even the Losers (get lucky sometimes…”). And one thing was for sure. It made me think about how we treat others… Especially those that have mental or physical challenges… This was a nice reminder that life’s not always fair. Not a very positive message, but one that makes you think.
And one side note… And what was with George’s voice in Blaze’s head? Even without an explanation, I found this element of the story so flipping cool. I loved it!
Other Notes – King stated on his website that he "found it" in an attic. As he stated in the afterword of Different Seasons, it was written before Carrie and he offered the original draft to his Doubleday publishers at the same time as “Salem's Lot”, but the publisher chose “Salem’s Lot” be his second novel and “Blaze” was set aside. Years later, King rewrote the manuscript, editing out much of what he perceived as over-sentimentality in the original text, and re-offered the book for publication in 2007.
“Blaze” also contains a short story called "Memory" that was first published in 2006 and later King worked into his novel “Duma Key”.
Overall – For me, this was a worthy first time read. Sad and frustrating in many ways, but very Shakespearian in other ways. Not a large or complex story, nor a very large canvas, but I would put right in the upper middle of my King rating list, with a strong 3 stars.
Background – “Blaze” was originally published under the pseudonym of Richard Bachman in June 2007 as a Scribner hardcover. It is the last Bachman novel written by King (at least as of the writing of this review).
Length-wise - my hardback lists it as 285 pages and my Kindle lists it as 311 pages.
Plotline – This is the story of Clayton Blaisdell Jr. who goes by the nickname “Blaze”. He is mentally disabled after being thrown down the stairs by his father (more than once) and suffering a serious head injury. He also spent most of his teenage years in and out of Hetton House, a boy’s home run by a strong-willed headmaster.
Blaze gains a friend in George Thomas Rackley, a serial killer that teaches him how to be a con artist. George knows how to run the cons, how to be a leader, and takes care of Blaze. That is until George is killed and Blaze is back on his own. Sort of… George’s voice is still talking to him and influencing Blaze to commit a vey dangerous and risky crime that they had been planning previously - that of kidnapping a baby heir worth millions of dollars in ransom money.
The question becomes can a sad and sympathetic small-time criminal pull off such a criminal activity that involves putting the life of a baby at risk?
Thoughts and Reflections – This was definitely a dark Richard Bachman style story. It is a stark and mostly negative read, but like a horrible car wreck you find yourself staring and engrossed in what happened. Blaze is terribly mistreated and mentally unstable individual that comes across as almost an anti-hero. How can you cheer for someone who is trying to kidnap a baby? It’s King strength as a writer to drawn you in, let you share in Blaze’s struggles and mistreatments, and before you know it, you are totally emotionally involved in his unfortunate Shakespearian tragedy. You know what’s coming, and yet you are hoping for his success, all the way to the end. And in typical Bachman delivery, you have that empathetical soul-crushing ending that takes over your thoughts for days as you contemplate the themes from the book.
I am not sure why I was so drawn to Blaze. I think that probably most of us have known a Blaze at some point in our lives. Someone who was very strong physically, but not sharp, lacking intelligence in most levels of understanding. But someone who had their own kind of moral code, that included walking to the beat of their own internal clock. Simple and uncomplicated. Someone who’s stuck in the role of a constant underdog, like Charlie Brown, who constantly finds himself flat on his back because Lucy keeps pulling the football back every single time he tries to kick it.
This book was written earlier in King’s writing career and carries that 1970’s vibe and feel. It is one of his short ones, at just over 250 pages in length. Still, it has that raw delivery and harsh outlook on life that was a common theme in King’s earlier writings, which is most likely why it was published as a Bachman novel. As I was reading it, I kept hearing the lyrics from Tom Petty’s hit “Even the Losers (get lucky sometimes…”). And one thing was for sure. It made me think about how we treat others… Especially those that have mental or physical challenges… This was a nice reminder that life’s not always fair. Not a very positive message, but one that makes you think.
And one side note… And what was with George’s voice in Blaze’s head? Even without an explanation, I found this element of the story so flipping cool. I loved it!
Other Notes – King stated on his website that he "found it" in an attic. As he stated in the afterword of Different Seasons, it was written before Carrie and he offered the original draft to his Doubleday publishers at the same time as “Salem's Lot”, but the publisher chose “Salem’s Lot” be his second novel and “Blaze” was set aside. Years later, King rewrote the manuscript, editing out much of what he perceived as over-sentimentality in the original text, and re-offered the book for publication in 2007.
“Blaze” also contains a short story called "Memory" that was first published in 2006 and later King worked into his novel “Duma Key”.
Overall – For me, this was a worthy first time read. Sad and frustrating in many ways, but very Shakespearian in other ways. Not a large or complex story, nor a very large canvas, but I would put right in the upper middle of my King rating list, with a strong 3 stars.
December 5, 2022
Kingova verzija priče “O miševima i ljudima” samo, naravno, kako to kod Kinga mora da bude dosta jezivije i uznemirujuće.
Blaze je lik koji u životu nije imao sreće. Zadobio je teške povrede glave kada ga otac alkoholičar bacio niz stepenice. Ni u sirotištu nije bilo ništa lakše, uglavnom su ga selili iz jedne hraniteljske porodice u drugu, gde bi im poslužio tokom sezonskih poslova i onda bi ga odbacili jer nije više potreban.
Kada je napustio sirotište bavio se sitnim kriminalom sa prijateljem Džordžom. Džordž je razvio plan da otmu bebu iz bogate porodice i tako obezbede sebi bolju budućnost. Samo što je ostao jedan problem, Džordž je mrtav. Ipak, Blaze je istrajan u tome da ostvari taj plan, kidnapuje bebu, pokupi milion dolara i ode negde gde je toplo.
I nije sam, Džordž mu i dalje pomaže sa svojim savetima, bar je u njegovoj glavi tako.
Priča je dosta uznemirujuća, ali opet nekako topla. Blaze je mnogo simpatičan kao lik, jako je lako povezati se sa njim jer ima tu pojavu nekog naivnog diva i izaziva simpatije.
I eto, kažem po ko zna koji put, razlog zbog kog šta god čitala uvek jedva čekam da se Kingu vratim, kod njega su likovi izgradjeni do najmanjeg detalja, da se brzo stvori taj osećaj bliskosti.
Završih čitanje skoro u 1am, jer nisam nikako mogla da je ostavim, ridajući. Ali ne marim. King je to. Zbog toga ga i volim.
•
“Bio je to prljav svet, i što si duže živeo, prljaviji si postajao.”
Blaze je lik koji u životu nije imao sreće. Zadobio je teške povrede glave kada ga otac alkoholičar bacio niz stepenice. Ni u sirotištu nije bilo ništa lakše, uglavnom su ga selili iz jedne hraniteljske porodice u drugu, gde bi im poslužio tokom sezonskih poslova i onda bi ga odbacili jer nije više potreban.
Kada je napustio sirotište bavio se sitnim kriminalom sa prijateljem Džordžom. Džordž je razvio plan da otmu bebu iz bogate porodice i tako obezbede sebi bolju budućnost. Samo što je ostao jedan problem, Džordž je mrtav. Ipak, Blaze je istrajan u tome da ostvari taj plan, kidnapuje bebu, pokupi milion dolara i ode negde gde je toplo.
I nije sam, Džordž mu i dalje pomaže sa svojim savetima, bar je u njegovoj glavi tako.
Priča je dosta uznemirujuća, ali opet nekako topla. Blaze je mnogo simpatičan kao lik, jako je lako povezati se sa njim jer ima tu pojavu nekog naivnog diva i izaziva simpatije.
I eto, kažem po ko zna koji put, razlog zbog kog šta god čitala uvek jedva čekam da se Kingu vratim, kod njega su likovi izgradjeni do najmanjeg detalja, da se brzo stvori taj osećaj bliskosti.
Završih čitanje skoro u 1am, jer nisam nikako mogla da je ostavim, ridajući. Ali ne marim. King je to. Zbog toga ga i volim.
•
“Bio je to prljav svet, i što si duže živeo, prljaviji si postajao.”
April 22, 2021
This was my last unread Bachman book, and it's got an interesting history: Written in 1973, it was rejected by the publisher in favor of 'Salem's Lot as King's second novel, so it ended up becoming a "trunk novel" he wasn't very fond of and more or less forgot about for decades. In the intervening years, Bachman was discovered and died of "cancer of the pseudonym"; this was the second (and likely last) "posthumously" released Bachman book, following The Regulators in the mid-90s, the mirror-novel to Desperation.
King rewrote the manuscript to edit out what he considered "over-sentimentality" and some references that dated it, and the book begins with an author's note that's essentially an apology and warning of sorts, which I don't understand. This novel was perfectly enjoyable, and I don't understand where King's need to justify himself comes from when he's published books like Roadwork, the aforementioned The Regulators, or even novels in his own name like Dreamcatcher or The Tommyknockers that were... pretty lacking. My point being: He's written and willingly released far worse things, under cover of the pseudonym or without it.
Blaze is the nickname of Clayton Blaisdell, Jr., a mentally disabled (thanks to repeatedly being thrown down the stairs by his father in a drunken rage) behemoth and small-time con artist who is alone in the world after the death of his partner in crime, George—the brains of their operation. Before dying, George had worked out a plan for one last big con to set them up for the rest of their lives (lives that would then preferably be lived out somewhere with sandy beaches and lots of sun): Kidnapping an extremely wealthy couple's only baby son for ransom... and Blaze now decides to go through with it on his own.
I've seen it likened to Of Mice And Men, which I still haven't read, shame on me, but from what I know of the premise, I'd agree—it's essentially a story about two men, a clever and a mentally challenged one, who are both down on their luck and trying to make ends meet. In Blaze, the smart one just so happens to be dead, but Blaze imagines him by his side providing helpful advice on how to pull off the kidnapping anyway (the story seemed free of any supernatural element until one tiny instance in a flashback towards the very end that made me wonder). What the novel does extremely well is take its time to wrap the reader around its finger, but without turning into one of King's signature door-stoppers; it's a quick read, but the kidnapping doesn't even happen until almost halfway through. Instead, the chapters alternate between Blaze starting to put George's plan into action, and flashbacks to his childhood in a state home which explain how he slid into a life of crime despite his sweet nature... I'll come right out and say it, in a heart-tugging way, he manages to kinda-sorta-maybe make you root for the kidnapper. Blaze is a victim of circumstance who does reprehensible things, but it's incredibly easy to feel sympathetic towards this dim-witted gentle giant—all the cards he's been dealt in life are stacked against him, and the reader knows from the onset that this can't possibly end well, but King draws you into the story despite the obvious futility of hoping for a happy ending.
The story I got wasn't at all what I'd expected when I started reading this book. I didn't read the blurb, and the nondescript cover of my paperback edition didn't offer any clues—from the title, and based on past experience with the darkness of Bachman's stories, I'd assumed it would be about an arsonist or something in that vein. Instead, Blaze is a short and fast-paced crime novel with some great characterization, and despite what Mr. King seems to think, it's undoubtedly one of the better Bachman books—possibly second best behind The Long Walk, the undisputed crown jewel of the works released under the pseudonym.
King rewrote the manuscript to edit out what he considered "over-sentimentality" and some references that dated it, and the book begins with an author's note that's essentially an apology and warning of sorts, which I don't understand. This novel was perfectly enjoyable, and I don't understand where King's need to justify himself comes from when he's published books like Roadwork, the aforementioned The Regulators, or even novels in his own name like Dreamcatcher or The Tommyknockers that were... pretty lacking. My point being: He's written and willingly released far worse things, under cover of the pseudonym or without it.
Blaze is the nickname of Clayton Blaisdell, Jr., a mentally disabled (thanks to repeatedly being thrown down the stairs by his father in a drunken rage) behemoth and small-time con artist who is alone in the world after the death of his partner in crime, George—the brains of their operation. Before dying, George had worked out a plan for one last big con to set them up for the rest of their lives (lives that would then preferably be lived out somewhere with sandy beaches and lots of sun): Kidnapping an extremely wealthy couple's only baby son for ransom... and Blaze now decides to go through with it on his own.
I've seen it likened to Of Mice And Men, which I still haven't read, shame on me, but from what I know of the premise, I'd agree—it's essentially a story about two men, a clever and a mentally challenged one, who are both down on their luck and trying to make ends meet. In Blaze, the smart one just so happens to be dead, but Blaze imagines him by his side providing helpful advice on how to pull off the kidnapping anyway (the story seemed free of any supernatural element until one tiny instance in a flashback towards the very end that made me wonder). What the novel does extremely well is take its time to wrap the reader around its finger, but without turning into one of King's signature door-stoppers; it's a quick read, but the kidnapping doesn't even happen until almost halfway through. Instead, the chapters alternate between Blaze starting to put George's plan into action, and flashbacks to his childhood in a state home which explain how he slid into a life of crime despite his sweet nature... I'll come right out and say it, in a heart-tugging way, he manages to kinda-sorta-maybe make you root for the kidnapper. Blaze is a victim of circumstance who does reprehensible things, but it's incredibly easy to feel sympathetic towards this dim-witted gentle giant—all the cards he's been dealt in life are stacked against him, and the reader knows from the onset that this can't possibly end well, but King draws you into the story despite the obvious futility of hoping for a happy ending.
"It was a dirty world, and the longer you lived, the dirtier you got."
The story I got wasn't at all what I'd expected when I started reading this book. I didn't read the blurb, and the nondescript cover of my paperback edition didn't offer any clues—from the title, and based on past experience with the darkness of Bachman's stories, I'd assumed it would be about an arsonist or something in that vein. Instead, Blaze is a short and fast-paced crime novel with some great characterization, and despite what Mr. King seems to think, it's undoubtedly one of the better Bachman books—possibly second best behind The Long Walk, the undisputed crown jewel of the works released under the pseudonym.
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