Blaze by Richard Bachman (Stephen King)

I got a copy from my book club. In the intro King said he hated it when he first wrote it, but dug it out recently, reworked it, and thought it wasn't a bad story.

I thought it was a great story! It was a crime novel, but in the best King tradition, Bachman be damned. Picture a noir version of Of Mice and Men.

I was absolutely riveted through the entire novel. It's about Blaze, a giant with a small intellect, who had a partner/handler named George. George is now dead, but when he was alive they ran cons all over New England. Taking money from fools, basically.

George is killed in a craps game and Blaze, not much smarter than our current president, is set loose in the world on his own. How will he survive?

He remembers a plan that George had come up with and sets out to pull it off by himself. It involves a 6 month old heir of very rich parents. Somehow bumbling Blaze manages to snatch the kid, and then he's on the run with an infant in winter in Maine, with no good sense and the haunting presence of his dead partner.

I was scared to read the end, I was so afraid that the baby was going to come to a very bad end. I won't spoil it for you, let me just say it's a real page-turner of a story and I stayed up too late trying to finish reading it.

Sounds very interesting MM. I loved King's short stories and his classic stuff circa 'Shining'. The man could write thrillers that pinned me to the edge of my chair with anticipation. Sounds like he is back to old form.

I just read King's, writing as Bachman, The Long Walk a few weeks back. I was a little dissapointed by the ending, or lack there of, but all-in-all I enjoyed it. King writes a nine page introduction to the book titled, "The Importance Of Being Bachman," [online here] about the origins and 'death' of his alter ego which I found very interesting too.


Guess I'll put Blaze on my list now, thanks.

What is it about King? He's my favorite storyteller. Even the books of his I didn't particularly like, I still read all the way through. Somehow he can just take your mind and carry it along almost effortlessly.

I hope you guys enjoy Blaze, too.

MM, King is perhaps my favorite author and I have enjoyed all of his works. I learned my lesson when I read the cover blurb in Bag of Bones and said, ''I'm not reading some sissy ghost love story.'' It turned out to be one of my favorite books that I have read by any author let alone him. I enjoyed Blaze very much and I am glad he un-retired so I can selfishly look forward to more of his novels.

Every time I am in Barnes & Noble I cruise by the Literature - K aisle, hoping ... so wistfully hoping. And nothing. Grrr.

Even when he's a hack, he's a damn fine story teller. I wish he'd get with the program and write something new already.

reply to post by MajorMalfunction


Hey MM, sorry to be the bearer of bad news but you have a couple months more to wait. Dumas Key comes out at the end of January. I pre-ordered mine, which is one of the few times I will pay full price for a book instead of buying it on Half.com, so I guess you can tell how eager I am to get anything he writes.

Awesome! at least there is light at the end of the tunnel!

I could wait to get mine at Costco for half price the week it comes out, or I could order it for about 25% off from my book club. Decisions, decisions.