The Long Walk

By: Stephen King

Narrated by: Kirby Heyborne

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

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

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

©1979 Richard Bachman (P)2010 Penguin Audio

Wish they would fix the editing

I LOVE this book. I had never read this particular King/Bachman book and decided to try it out. I have now listened to it 8 or 10 times. The only issue is that the editing department got a little too excited and cut off sentences too soon. You can still understand the book and the meaning but it does mess with the flow of the character's conversations and the "reader"/listener's concentration.

Before the Hunger Games there was ...

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I have recommended this book. Written years before all the dystopian teen sacrifice stories, this one rules them all.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Garrety of course but also McVrees is the typical tragic hero.

Which scene was your favorite?

No one particular scene stood out but the story still haunts me.

If you could rename The Long Walk, what would you call it?

Farewell to Youth.

Good story, problems with audio

What did you love best about The Long Walk?

Excellent plot, very compelling. Watching the characters develop is almost painful at times. (in a good way)

What other book might you compare The Long Walk to and why?

The running man

What about Kirby Heyborne’s performance did you like?

his characterization is superb. By the end of the first hour you know every character by voice and mannerisms. Outstanding.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

absolutely

Any additional comments?

dozens of times throughout the playback the narrator's last word of a sentence is clipped and the next sentence starts with no gap. I though it was my internet but the same thing occurs on my iPhone and at my work PC. It doesn't impact the story but it's really very annoying.

Awesome story and performance -- bad recording edits

I loved this story so much (then again, I am a King fan) and I thought the performance was most excellent...totally invested and thoughtful. But who, oh who was the audio engineer??? The ends of words are frequently chopped off and moments where a pause is necessary are just cut right out. I feel so terrible about not giving it five stars overall...sad that the reader put so much time and attention in to have moments butchered by a thoughtless edit. Still...i was totally sucked in. Just had to rise above those awful cuts.

Makes Me Want To Walk

If you could sum up The Long Walk in three words, what would they be?

Exhausting, Heartache, Anger

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Long Walk?

I have two moments that stick out. When Garraty talks to Olson after Stebbins suggests Olson has a secret and the moments with Scramm. Undoubtedly the sweetest character and he broke my heart.

Which scene was your favorite?

I don't know if it's because of the performer but I enjoyed everything with Stebbins. Though he's not in the book much and is the mysterious walker throughout the majority of the book. I just really enjoyed his character.

If you could rename The Long Walk, what would you call it?

Bloody Shoes

Any additional comments?

I very much enjoy this story, so much so I have listened to it about 2 and a half times. I cried at points and gagged at others. Highly recommend

Great story, not so great performance

This is a book that really draws you in. It is well written and breathtaking but unfortunately the experience is overshadowed by Kirby Heyborne's slightly annoying way of reading the book. I particularly found his way of handling the shouting characters disruptive and even though Mr. Heyborne is quite profound with the different voices and accents the shouting parts just make me think of poor story telling. All in all a good experience that leaves something to be desired.

It's not about the destination, but the journey...

I caught myself thinking throughout the story "Why on earth would anyone sign up for The Long Walk". As the story goes on it shows you different characters and their reasons for being there, but it's a large price to pay.

This was my first experience with Stephen King writing as Richard Bachman and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The tone was a lot different than Kings normal books, and even though I found myself rooting for certain characters, I knew that wouldn't change the outcome in the slightest.

I highly recommend this book. I listened to a majority of it throughout my commute to work, but I think I'd suggest listening while taking a walk. It will definitely add a certain feel to the experience and make you appreciate being able to walk at your own pace.

5/5 would try this book out.

Intriguing right to the very last line!

I had never heard of this Stephen King novel but thought it would risk it. It seems intriguing and having the potential to be super boring as well. Intriguing won out! A book about a bunch of boys taking a walk doesn’t sound very interesting but king through his twisted it as it always does and I was hooked very early on. The relationships that he built between the boys on the walk as well as the suspense is you waited for the next shoe to drop always kept you intrigued with. Numerator was excellent and the story never got a hold right to the very last line.

Editing issues, but overall a good book.

The audio definitely had some issues. These were not enough to prevent the listener from understanding.
Overall, a good listen. I enjoyed it.

A March into madness

A good story of a kid going insane, a dark and demented story. Good performance.