Saturday, August 18, 2007

Blaze by Richard Bachman


Blaze is the last book written by King during his Bachman years. Being a huge King fan, I could not help but buy this book. Being someone who has read all the other Bachman books, including the long lost Rage, I HAD to read this "final installment." Overall, I wouldn't rank this book as the worst book I have ever read, but definitely not the best either!


So, what's it about? It's about the title character, who has one bad thing happen after another and one who makes poor choices. Can he really help those choices though, considering his circumstances? I don't know. As King states in his forward, he hopes that it will bring us to tears, but not because we are laughing! It didn't bring me to tears, but it did do one thing that I don't think any other book as made me do yet . . . it made me feel terribly sorry for the bad guy! Horribly, bitterly sorry for poor Blaze. Blaze -- one who cannot seem to catch a break. Blaze -- one who had everything going for him until he lost his mother and was damaged so bad by his own father -- both psychologically and physically. I began to play the "what if" game as I read this book. What if Blaze's mother had not died? What if his father didn't throw him down the stairs and then throw him down again? What if he wouldn't have lost so many people so close to him? Would he have made the same choices? Definitely not! But now he is in a bugger of a position, and what is he to do? He does what he feels is the only thing to do -- listens to George, his one friend in the world. But, does George know what's best for Blaze? Does Blaze know what is best for Blaze?

Though I do not think that this is one of the best books that King has written, I do believe that it is worth the read -- if not because it is quick and easy, but because it makes you feel for the bad guy. It reminded me that each of us has a story that leads us to our choices. It reminded me that there are good people out there that bad things happen to against their will. It reminded me that there is at least a shred of good in everyone. Maybe I just like to think on the positive side of things, but then again, maybe it is true!

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