Tolog Review: The Long Walk

The Long Walk
by Stephen King 
reviewed by Christine Nguyen 

Every year one hundred teenage boys choose to compete with their lives in “The Long Walk”. Each boy or “Walker” is to walk of a speed of at last four miles an hour nonstop. If they do not constantly meet the minimum requirement three times, they get shot. Every Walker walks as long as they can until there is only one survivor left. Although ninety-nine percent die, the prize for the winner receives “The Prize”; anything he needs or wants for the rest of his life. As the boys walk closer to their prize or death, they begin to question what they really want. Soon, some wish they never made friendships with each other because in the end, there can only be survivor.

The Long Walk written by the horror fiction author Stephen King is different from his typical style of writing. This book is not his typical book of horror. It is a book of tragedy. As an avid reader of King, I have noticed the “monsters” he created are not his “usual” ghosts and zombies. The “monsters” he created are within the characters. Many of the problems these young men take are mental. This was a powerful element to my experience because King was very successful on making their problems realistic. This caused me to feel nervous for the characters in the book. I also did not expect myself to be ponding about the book after finishing it

The book’s simple and straightforward style on the events of the book showed me that good novels do not need polydeton, personification, foreshadowing, or elaborate details.Since I was reading Great Expectations, I predicted I would connect more to that book instead of The Long Walk because of its historical and very detailed content. I was wrong. I found that the simple style of The Long Walk was elegant. The straightforward style had the same effect as if someone just broke out news to you in person. The bluntness allowed me to register these tragic events in my head and accept what would happen in the novel.

If you want a book that inspires deep thinking,The Long Walk is a necessity. Since the characters know there is a ninety-nine percent change they will die, this book gave me a new insight think about strength. I came to an understanding that in life and death situations, your ability to keep going on will always surpass your physical strength no matter the type of ordeal. What do you wonder about life? If you read The Long Walk, do not be surprised if you find yourself making new insights about life.