Stephen King Fans discussion

I don't think there is a topic for this book...

Finally, I have found a copy that I can borrow. It's in French, but it's better than nothing.
I have wanted to read this book since I was 16 (maybe even 1-2 years younger).

Jc11, have you tried looking for a copy of The Bachman Books? It has Rage, The Long Walk, The Running Man and Roadwork in it. There are actually lots of copies floating around (I've run into two just myself in the past year or so...).

:)

There are even two available via GR Swap: http://www.goodreads.com/swap/book/14...

I'm from Canada, and this feature is only available for the U.S.
:(

However, after your message I went to the website of my library, and they say that If I order The Bachman Books, their supplier can deliver it in about 15 days.
:)

I was wrong...they only have a study guide

Nevertheless, I have found a copy of the Bachman Books on ebay...hope I get it

JC11 - if that falls through, here are copies available on Bookmooch (International shipping supported but varies by member):
http://bookmooch.com/detail/0451147367
http://bookmooch.com/detail/0451191935

I really want to read this.

What's the general opinion on this one?

Hi, Brandon. You should definitely read Rage. It's great, IMO!

As a teacher, I have mixed feelings. (You'll see what I mean when you read it.) Ultimately, I found it psychologically interesting, though the ending is frustrating. But the pop psych. also falls flat to me towards the end. I guess there was an interesting premise with nowhere solid to go with it. It unintentionally foreshadows a lot of what happened in the 80s and 90s, though it (and music and video games) didn't cause it, as some suggest. King himself has expressed his own disappointment with this work. So...read it, it's worthwhile. And it's got one of my all-time favorite epigrams that's also rather intelligent and wise on its own, and it goes something like this: "No matter how much you increase the number of variables, the axioms themselves remain the same." That's the last thing the teacher says, for a reason. Hope this helps!

Steven Belanger
www.stevenbelanger.com
www.stevenebelanger.blogspot.com

Good to hear! I'll have to try and find a copy of this in the new year - so much to go through already.

Thanks for the feedback!

Brandon, you can find a copy of Rage in The Bachman Books, which is available in GR Swap (last I checked anyway).

You could also look for a copy at a used book store...that's where I found mine.

Does anyone else think of Rage every time they hear the news about that boy in Wisconsin? I wonder if he had read it.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/a...

Dung Beetle wrote: "Does anyone else think of Rage every time they hear the news about that boy in Wisconsin? I wonder if he had read it.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/a......"

Sadly, that's the first thing I thought of when I heard the details.

Becky wrote: "Brandon, you can find a copy of Rage in The Bachman Books, which is available in GR Swap (last I checked anyway)."


Thanks, Becky.

It appears that if for whatever reason, Swap is not available to Canadian readers.

Yes, indeedy DB -- "Rage" was the first thing that popped into my mind when I heard the news report from Wisconsin. Heartbreakingly so.

I thought Rage was a great book. I think The Long Walk might be my favorite of those included in The Bachman Books! Great story!

Read this one in The Bachman Books and I thought it was good, but not his best. I could sort of understand Charlie, in the way that sadly there's a lot of angry kids out there nowadays (or maybe there always were, but they controlled their selves better or something). I liked the interactions of the kids in the classroom, it was interesting to see how they reacted and treated each other. I'd like to know just what they did to Ted though. It had to be bad to make him all mental, but I wanna know details.

I agree completely, Kyle!

Kyle wrote: "Rage is a book way ahead of it's time in the way it deals with the repercussions of bullying."

I second that.. or is it 3rd??

I'd have to agree with Steven and Kyle. A book truly ahead of it's time, and a very good idea. But coming up with a way to end it up had to be difficult. Aside from the ending, which worked but i didn't love as much as the rest of the story, i would recommend Rage to anyone that can find a copy to read. It's a story that sadly has become very close to reality rather than staying on paper of fiction.

I'm probably going to read this soon, but I think it is very stupid to be banning books. these jerks try to ban like every book that comes out! Did you know they tried to ban Harry Potter because of Satanism and being away from parents? It is quite sad really that they're taking books away from us:(
Honestly I don't think that anyone who is going to start shooting people in school will get the idea from reading a book. There are plenty of video games and movies that have to deal with shooting innocent people. It also frustrates me that Skeleton Crew is still in print when this isn't?

Victor wrote: "I'm probably going to read this soon, but I think it is very stupid to be banning books. these jerks try to ban like every book that comes out! Did you know they tried to ban Harry Potter because o..."

Hi, Victor!

You might try looking for at a used books store. That's where I got mine.

Victor wrote: "I'm probably going to read this soon, but I think it is very stupid to be banning books. these jerks try to ban like every book that comes out! Did you know they tried to ban Harry Potter because o..."

Rage actually wasn't banned. King requested that printing be discontinued after the Carneal (Heath Highschool) shooting in 97'. Which actually occurred before Columbine.

Rage is an excellent book. Very realistic and scary the way King lets you inside the head of the student. I would rate this as #2 on my list of his early works, next to The Long Walk.

I agree with earlier comments, it is very easy to find I used copy of the Bachman books. I bought a very decent quality copy off of Amazon for $15.

I always use Amazon if I can't find a copy of a book I want. They have decent prices there. I can usually find the older books in our used book store. I just purchased The running man. However I do have a copy of the Bachman books as well. I would like to have them all as individual books though if it is possible.

Janie wrote: "...I just purchased The running man. However I do have a copy of the Bachman books as well. I would like to have them all as individual books though if it is possible."

I would too! Rage is the real trick. You can get an unread copy for about $2,000, and it goes down to about $300 for poor condition. http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listin...

Speaking of Running Man... I wish they would remake this movie. This is one of my all time favorite King stories. The Schwarzenegger movie is such a departure... I mean, there are a lot of bad King adaptations (and a lot of good), but this movie barley touches on the story. I wish Hollywood would get on this, and maybe cast an Adrian Brody-type as Ben Richards.

Dan wrote: "I would too! Rage is the real trick. You can get an unread copy for about $2,000, and it goes down to about $300 for poor condition. http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listin...

Speaking of Running Man... I wish they would remake this movie. This is one of my all time favorite King stories. The Schwarzenegger movie is such a departure... I mean, there are a lot of bad King adaptations (and a lot of good), but this movie barley touches on the story. I wish Hollywood would get on this, and maybe cast an Adrian Brody-type as Ben Richards."

Wow had no idea it would be that expensive there. Glad I have the Bachman books so I can at least have Rage. This has made me very curious. I must check our used book store and see if I can find it as a seperate book. Maybe some day they will remake The running man. I saw the movie too, just dont remember too much of it. Thanks Dan for the Amazon info! :)

Thriftbooks. Com

About to start reading this. Curious to hear more of everyone's thoughts about it. I read Rage several years ago, and it didn't have much of an affect on me - I can't remember much outside the general plot. Hopefully I'll find something of interest this time around.

I think Rage gets a bad rap. It's a good story with a believable character. It's truly tragic that school shootings have become a reality rather than fiction. I know reading it as a 15 year old, I found it funny but wholly implausible. Sadly I didn't know that to not be the case.

I must be in the minority as well. I've read Rage a couple of times. The latest being a couple of weeks ago and I really like it. I do think there is some great black humor in there with great characterization.

Rage was among the weakest of Bachman books, it had such an interesting subject matter but could not do justice to it. The plot felt disjointed and aimless, on the plus side it is really a miniscule novel by King standards.

I loved it as well. One of my favorite King's/Bachman's.

Rage costs a fourtune in paperback orginal, The Bachman Books re-print is the way to go for a reading copy...but be warned: King has pulled Rage from publication because of all the school shootings, so newer copies of The Bachman Books ain't got it in there....

personaly, I liked the novel...not King's best, BUT REMBER, he wrote the thing in high school!!! Pretty good for a high school kid I think.

I cringed when I first started reading Rage (for the reason's King decided to let it fall out of print), but ended up liking it a lot more than I expected. Charlie wasn't my favorite character, but I did enjoy the dialogue in the story. I do agree there was a lot of pop psychology that made me roll my eyes a bit, but overall wish it wasn't out of print.

I finished Rage a few days ago, and it was the first time I have read it, and The Bachman Books.

I have to say, I really enjoyed this story. King really put me in the classroom, and I felt like I was a huge fly on the wall, and sometimes in Charlie's head as I read.

One of the things I enjoyed reading most in this story was, the way the tables kind of turned, if you will. (view spoiler)[ The students almost becoming part of the problem, as well. Also, most people would have hated Charlie for what he did, but then at the end, it was almost like they sympathized and respected him. (hide spoiler)] You don't see that these days, except for when people try to analyze why a shooter does what he does, and possibly reveals a dark past.

I know some didn't really care for the ending, but I did. I think, for me, it went with what I said in the spoiler above. (view spoiler)[ The tables turned a bit, and I think unexpectedly. (hide spoiler)] Are school shootings really that dramatic in the end?

One other interesting thing about Rage is, the way the situation (view spoiler)[ changed people. Would the girls in the classroom admit what they did, etc. in any other situation or time? Most likely not. What makes us confess feelings and events to practical strangers in a tense situation? And with the ease they did confess them. (hide spoiler)] Would any of the "secrets" told by Charlie and everyone else have been kept secrets, if circumstances were different, but with all of the same people. Who knows? I'd like to think yes. Great story.

Kathryn wrote: "Would any of the "secrets" told by Charlie and everyone else have been kept secrets, if circumstances were different, but with all of the same people. Who knows? I'd like to think yes. Great story. "

I don't think the secrets would have come out so easily or quickly if all their emotions weren't already heightened by the situation. I found that part the most interesting part of the story.

Coni wrote: "Kathryn wrote: "Would any of the "secrets" told by Charlie and everyone else have been kept secrets, if circumstances were different, but with all of the same people. Who knows? I'd like to think y..."

Completely agree. It's interesting what came out during that time period. And same here. I don't think I would have found the story as intriguing if that part wasn't in the story.

Started Rage, first time reading, originally titled Getting It On, how Wickedly 1970's!
This is King's very first published work (under the pseudonym Richard Bachman). Even then in his writing you can see and feel the burgeoning capacity of King's powerful skill. This is just "awesome"!