Long walk. Men at work

Long Walk Stephen King

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Title: Long walk

About The Long Walk by Stephen King

The Long Walk is the first novel that Stephen King wrote in his freshman year at the University of Maine in 1966, but was not published until 1979 under the pseudonym Richard Bachman. The socio-psychological novel The Long Walk is written in the dystopian genre.

The novel is set in the uncertain future of America in Maine in early May. The country has turned into a police state with a totalitarian regime under the control of a certain Chief.

The plot of the novel revolves around an annual nationwide "survival of the fittest" competition called The Long Walk, in which 100 young people can participate. Only one will be able to finish, the rest of the participants who have left the race will face death. The reward for winning is a large cash prize of a million dollars and the fulfillment of any desires and whims of the finalist for the rest of his life.

According to the rules, the competitors must go the distance without sleep and rest, without stops and respite, at a speed of about six and a half kilometers per hour, under the close supervision of the military, armed with carbines and devices that record the performance of the participants. A fourfold reduction in speed leads to the disqualification of the participant and his exclusion from the competition by shooting. If, after three violations within an hour, the participant does not receive a fatal fourth, then one of the previous ones is written off. Competing young men are provided with food in the form of tubes with high-calorie concentrates once a day, water in unlimited quantities - as needed.

The protagonist of this work is the winner of the competition Rey Garraty, participating at number 47. The death of the participants with whom he managed to get to know and make friends during the "walk" in the final leads to clouding of Ray's mind.

In The Long Walk, Stephen King masterfully describes the different psychological types of characters and their characteristic, different styles of behavior, desires and motivations of the competitors.

Despite the fact that most of the works written by Stephen King have been made into films, this novel has never been filmed in its fifty-year history. The American film director Frank Darabont, known for his successful film adaptations of this author's works, planned to fix this. As of 2016, his intention has not progressed.

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Quotes from The Long Walk by Stephen King

The road almost always kills the need to joke.

The mule does not like to plow. But he loves carrots. Conclusion: hang a carrot in front of your eyes. Without carrots, he will run out of steam. And if there is a carrot in front of him, he will work for a long time, despite being tired.

The motto of the three musketeers is inappropriate for us. I like you, and only a blind man will not see that you are successful with beautiful girls. But if you stumble, I won't help you.

Once it happened that someone downstairs slammed the door and scared me so much that I finished. And Mary got pregnant.

It seemed as if his heart had burst in his chest and was now flowing out along with his tears.

Your Plan looks suspiciously like the thing that periodically falls out of my ass.

Any game seems fair if all the players are swindled at the very beginning.

If souls really exist, then his soul is still here. You can catch up with him.

We are all suspended in time.

Stephen King

long walk

For me the Universe was devoid of Life, Purpose, Will, even Hostility; she was just a gigantic, dead, vast steam engine, indifferently working then only to grind me to powder. O boundless, gloomy, lonely Golgotha, O Millstone of Death! Why was the Living One banished there, alone, conscious of himself? Why, if there is no Devil; Or is the Devil your God?

Thomas Carlyle

The pump is not working

unscrewed the handle.

Bob Dylan

Part one:

Let's start

Chapter first

"Say the secret word and win a hundred dollars. George, who is our first participant? George? .. Where are you, George?"

Groucho Marx. The bet is life.

That morning, an old blue Ford that looked like little dog, tired after a long run, taxied to a guarded parking lot. One of the guards, an expressionless guy dressed in khakis and wearing an army belt, asked for ID. The young man in the back seat handed a blue plastic card to his mother, who was driving, who handed it to the security guard. The guard held up the map to a computer terminal, completely out of place in this frozen countryside. After processing the information, the terminal issued:

GARRETY RAYMOND DAVIS

UL 1 POUNAL MEN

ANDROSGOGGIN COUNTY

NUMBER 49-801-89

The guard pressed some kind of button and the letters disappeared: the display of the terminal again became green, clear and empty. They were missed.

Shouldn't they return the card? asked Mrs. Garraty. - I think they...

No, mother, - patiently answered the son.

You do what you want, but I don’t like it, ”she said, parking the car in an empty space. She did not get tired of repeating this from the moment of departure, from two in the morning.

Don't worry, he said, not even thinking about the meaning of what he was saying. He was busy looking around, as well as the mixture of anticipation and fear seething inside him. Before the last asthmatic gasp of the engine had subsided, he was out of the car, a tall, well-built youth, protected from the insidious coolness of an early spring morning by a faded military-style jacket.

His mother was also tall, but too thin. She had almost no breasts - so, symbolic swelling; her eyes wandered uncertainly - she was terribly worried. Her face looked sickly, and her dark gray hair was pulled to one side under the weight of a whole system of hairpins that were supposed to hold it in place. The dress hung ugly on her, as if she had recently lost a lot of weight.

Ray,” she whispered in that same conspiratorial whisper that had long evoked nothing but dreary horror in him. Ray, listen...

He nodded quickly and began carefully tucking his shirt into his pants. One of the guards ate canned food from a can and read a comic book. Garraty looked at him and thought for the million and first time: this is actually happening. But now, at last, that thought really meant something.

You can still change your mind...

Fear and anticipation, mingling for a moment, overwhelmed him with renewed vigor.

No, I can't, he replied. - Last chance was yesterday.

They will understand,” she said in the same conspiratorial tone he hated, “they must understand. Major...

Major…” Garraty cut her off, but stopped when he saw her flinch. “You know what Major will do, Mom.

Another car passed simple ritual at the entrance to the parking lot and took one of the empty seats. A dark-haired guy got out of it. His parents followed him, and for a few seconds the three of them stood in a single group, like anxious baseball players. The guy behind him, like many others, hung a light backpack. Garraty wondered if he had been foolish to go light.

So you won't change your mind?

It spoke guilt, guilt under the guise of anxiety. Although he was only 16, Ray Garraty knew a thing or two about guilt. His mother felt she was too dry, tired, or maybe just too preoccupied with her old fears to stop her son's madness at an early stage - to stop before the cumbersome state apparatus with those khaki guards and computer terminals gained the upper hand, becoming every day more and more inhuman; and yesterday, finally, the trap slammed shut completely.

He put his hand on her shoulder.

Mom, I came up with this myself. I know you're not here. I... - he looked around. Nobody paid them the slightest attention. - I love you, but this is the best way, anyway.

It's not true, she said almost crying. - It's not, Ray, and if your father was here, he would forbid you...

Well, he's not here, right? he said deliberately rudely, hoping somehow to keep her from bursting into tears. What if you have to take her out? He heard it happened before. The thought made him go cold. Slightly softened, he continued: - Throw it out of your head, mom, okay? - And he answered himself, squeezing out a smile: - Well, well.

She nodded, though her chin was still trembling. There is really not much good, but there is no turning back. Nobody can change anything.

A light breeze carried its whisper through the crowns of pines. The sky sparkled blue. There was a road ahead, and a simple stone pillar marked the border between America and Canada. The anticipation in him for a moment overcame his fear, and he suddenly wanted everything to start already, wanted to start on the road already.

I baked it here... You can take them, right? They're not too heavy, are they? and she handed him a tinfoil-wrapped cookie.

Of course.” He took the cookie and awkwardly hugged his mother, wishing with all his heart to give her what she had been waiting for. He kissed her on the cheek, and her skin seemed to him like old silk. For a second he wanted to burst into tears himself, but then he thought of Major's smiling, mustachioed face and took a step back, stuffing the biscuits into his jacket pocket.

While mom.

So long, Ray. Behave yourself.

She stood for another minute, and it suddenly seemed to him that she was very light, so much so that even a slight gust of this morning breeze could pick her up like fluffy dandelion seeds and carry her away. She then returned to the car and started the engine. Garretty stood and looked at her. She raised her hand and waved at him. Tears ran down her cheeks. Now he saw them clearly. He waved back at her, she drove off, and he just stood there with his hands down, thinking about how beautiful, manly and lonely he must look now. But when the car drove through the gate, loneliness overwhelmed him, and he was again just a sixteen-year-old boy, found himself without support in an unfamiliar place.

He turned towards the road. The other boy, the dark-haired one, watched his parents drive out of the parking lot. He had an ugly scar on his cheek. Garretty approached him and greeted him.

The dark haired man looked at him.

My name is Ray Garrety,” Ray said, feeling like an idiot.

And I'm Peter McFreeze.

Ready? Garraty asked.

McFreeze shrugged.

I'm nervous. This is the worst.

Garrett nodded.

The two of them walked closer to the road and the stone pillar on the side of the road. Behind them, more and more new cars were taxiing into the parking lot. A woman suddenly started screaming. Unconsciously, Garrety and McFreeze moved closer. closer friend to friend. They didn't look back. The road lay before them, black and wide.

The surface will be very hot by noon,” McFreeze said suddenly. - I'm going to stay close to the curb.

Garrett nodded. McFreeze looked at him thoughtfully.

How much do you weigh?

Seventy two and a half.

I am almost seventy six. They say the harder it gets, the faster you get tired, but I think I'm in good shape.

Garraty thought that McFreeze was not just in good shape, he was in great shape. Ray wondered who they were, who said that the harder it got, the faster you got tired, he almost asked it out loud, but decided not to ask anyway. A walk is one of those things that exists entirely in apocrypha, talismans and legends.

McFreeze sat on the ground in the shade not far from a couple of other guys, and Garraty sat down beside him for a second thought. McFreeze seemed to have completely forgotten about him. Garretty looked at his watch. Five past eight. There are 55 minutes left. The impatience and anticipation returned, but Garraty did his best to quell them, reminding himself to enjoy the opportunity to rest while he still had it.

Title: Long walk
Writer: Stephen King
Year: 1979
Publisher: AST
Age limit: 16+
Volume: 300 pages
Genres: Foreign detectives, Thrillers

About The Long Walk by Stephen King

The nickname "King of Horror" is not without reason belongs to the incredibly talented writer, Stephen King. Who, no matter how he, knows how to play on our hidden phobias and fears. He develops truly shocking and chilling stories from our complexes. His novel The Long Walk is no exception.

Sometimes, in order to achieve our goal, we use every chance given to us. And we get involved not only in a dirty game, but also in a life-threatening one. And some feel a pure high from the fact that they play roulette with Death. Similar sensations are experienced and main character stories of Stephen King, Ray Garraty, who decided to participate in an unusual marathon, which is called the "long walk". This game kicks off May 1 in Maine and is a nationwide competition, with young boys of sixteen and seventeen years old flocking from all over the country to try their luck. The main prize is very high - the winner receives a huge amount of money and everything he wants for the rest of his days. However, the stakes on this marathon are truly ominous: if any of the hundred participants slows down the speed of passing through the distance, he receives the first warning. If a marathon runner scores three warnings, he is shot thirty seconds after that.

The Long Walk is a dystopian novel. In it, the author shows some kind of alternative reality, according to which the United States is a police state. In the distant future described by Stephen King, the country has all the signs of a totalitarian regime. A certain Chief manages the society, the military obeys him. With the help of bloody terror, he strengthens his power. This is not even terror anymore, but permissiveness, which is evident from the annual game, where young people are killed without trial or investigation. The author in his work shows all the horror and hopelessness of a dictatorial, tyrannical society. In the world, in different time Indeed, there were police states. The most famous of these are Germany during the reign of Adolf Hitler and South Africa during apartheid. The main features of such a state is the presence of a military junta, which carried out a coup d'état, coming to its rule through human sacrifice. In such a society, sociology, economics and politics are tightly controlled, repressions are applied to dissidents. The author masterfully wrote out the oppressive atmosphere of such a cruel system.

The Long Walk is a book that shakes the reader to the core. She is very cruel, but that is how life goes, subject to extreme fanaticism. IN this work the author exposes the cult of militarism and the consumer society. It warns us that if we do not stop helping to unleash wars, if we obey strong, but not humane, just rulers, one day we will see that we live in a society that is remarkably reminiscent of the Third Reich ...

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Stephen King books are not always easy for me, and therefore I decided to take a chance and still read The Long Walk. From the books I read by Richard Bachman (aka Stephen King) "Slimming", "Rage", "Running Man" about the writer's work, I had ambiguous impressions. The first book made a big impression on me. strong book, atmospheric. But the last two caused only negative emotions, I did not notice anything from the genuine Stephen King. Fortunately, The Long Walk was to my liking. Stephen King was able to intimidate me and make me nervous about the fate of the characters. With them, I even began to feel like I was going crazy while reading. The story is very bright, memorable and unique. But, despite all these qualities, the work did not become my favorite. There are moments that repel me from her. The story is crumpled, there is a lot of understatement in it. King's world is incomplete. You can’t call The Long Walk a typical dystopia, because I don’t understand its motives, and the organization is completely obscure, the Major has captured the world, but his personality remains largely a mystery to the reader. I had little explanation about New America and the game, about which so little is known. It doesn't even seem to make sense. Hundreds of people take part in the marathon, the walking game is called "The Long Walk". It repeats over and over again every year. You just need to go without slowing down. When you get tired, you can’t stop, because after three warning signals you get a ticket to the next world. The race will end when only one of all participants remains. But will the winner like the prize? Will he enjoy the victory? Will he look at everything that happens with the same eyes as before the game? King's world is really crazy. There are a lot of modern realities in it, it is not difficult to imagine that a similar situation will happen in the distant future, because for the sake of profit, young guys are ready to enter into a painful game. Young people are even capable of prolonged suicide, when the rest will be watching by the road or on TV at everything that happens. People are thirsty bloody details, they put money on the participants, as if they were on a racetrack. They do not see anything disgusting or bad in this. One line describes the whole situation in the novel: “They are animals, right. But why do you think we are human?” The novel is also a psychological thriller. The reader will be in suspense all the time, right up to the very end. His nerves will tickle, the story will make people think about life, look at all its sides again. The big advantage of the Long Walk is exact description in all the colors of the development of the game itself. Gradually, the guys go crazy, there is a complete transformation of the psyche. Reading, you understand that this is really a terrible tragedy, it becomes a chore in the soul. There are many dialogues of charismatic characters in The Long Walk. The atmosphere of a thriller is indescribable. You read and feel the whole situation in the game, it is conveyed perfectly by the author. The main characters are tired, and you take on their fatigue, as if you yourself are taking part in the cruel “Walk”. The situation is not easy, it’s a pity for the heroes, but you immediately realize that it was their personal decision. By own will they committed suicide. It is shocking that the participants do not realize why they took part in the game, no one even thinks what victory will bring them. The whining of the participants is infuriating, because they were brave, making fatal mistakes at the beginning of the book. People only after they find themselves in the thick of huge troubles begin to think why they themselves got involved in them. Each participant in the Walk - walking Dead. Even at the start, they are destined to come to terms with this role. Russian roulette is cruel, and therefore stupid boys needed to know this. The book is read quickly and easily, you understand that The Long Walk captivates from the first minutes, plunging headlong into the world of heroes. This is not only a very poignant story, but also one of the scariest in King's arsenal. The book will not leave anyone indifferent, it is unrealistic to break away from it. You are always waiting for the finale to find out what the “Walk” will lead to. I foresaw many moments in the book, from the first page I understood who would win in the Walk, the author focuses on it. But the ending gave me goosebumps. In principle, Stephen King is true to himself in this. The ending is realistic, correct, but it seemed to me not entirely clear. I had to read it a couple of times to understand what really happened. The ending is definitely screwed up. The elimination of other participants is well-written, but the deaths of the last guys are written in a few lines. The impression was that King quickly wanted to finish the novel, and therefore did not even bother. There was one in my head interesting idea that King's novel is a representation of our everyday life. We are participants in the Long Walk, because we go through life without setting specific goals, without even understanding whether we have the motivation to move on. All lives end, it's just that everyone has a different way to go into a different world. The end is one - Death, everyone has their own Major. People are afraid of the end, wanting to prolong the walk. Throughout life, we meet enemies and friends, a walk does not like those who are lagging behind, reaching the Dream, we do not understand why we so stubbornly walked towards it. Everything seems unnecessary, but the most important thing is to remain human in this "Long Walk", which looks like a furious race.

Is the game fair if the players are cheated in the final? One hundred young guys who want to win the coveted prize will fight for their lives. You should have thought about your physical health and comfortable shoes, the walk will not end quickly. Starting the game, you should forget about your name, because from now on the participants will be called by their number. Is it hot under the sun? You need to pour water from a flask and continue on your way. Walk, walk, walk, even if it's terribly cold in the night. In such conditions, you will not fall asleep, you will not slow down, but you will only go. Legs cramp, there is a minute to restore the muscles. You just have to keep walking. What if the guy next to you gets sick? You don't have to stop, you have to keep going. Forget about temperature, stomach pain, wounds on your legs - you need to get to the exit, no matter what. You should not even make friends with other participants, it will be very difficult to part with them. Do not look back. Don't think about anything, wet shoes, sweat or pus. Just go ahead. No one should turn off the path or run away. A shot will quickly throw out all your doubts. You just need to walk! The chances will be higher if there are fewer people. Mile after mile, you can - you can not, but only steps forward will give you the opportunity to stop!

Walking the path of death. One hundred young guys decided to take part in the walking marathon. Only one person will win. Ahead of them are hundreds of miles without sleep and rest, fields, forests, cities, hot heat, rains, dry rations once a day. But why all this? Soldiers' automatic weapons follow each participant. 3 warning signals and death will come. Pain, hysteria, fear, rage and weakness - all this will interfere with walking, which means that death will soon come. The first to leave is the blond who falls face down and gets shot. The crowd of people yelled until they saw that the winner wanted to speak the word. He knelt down and seemed to want to say a prayer, but tears flowed from his eyes. He crawled up to another guy and spoke some words into his shirt. There is definitely no winner in The Long Walk. Everyone has reached their finish line. The screams of the crowd deafened everything that was happening. The reader finds himself in the midst of these events. Experience, fear and pain of each participant of the deadly marathon will accompany all reading. Despite all this, I really want to read to the end and understand who will be the very “winner”, if he can be called such ... After the salvo sounded, the man’s body jumped and fell on the road. The march of the dead, who actually walked freely along the road of the "Long Walk" - a really depressing picture. Desires will be fulfilled, but you need to win. Only there will be no party, no happy ending. Everyone is guaranteed to receive a ticket to heaven ...

Widely known among science fiction writers Stephen King for his unusual works, shocking and terrifying stories and extraordinary characters. He has more than two hundred works to his credit. One of his books is the dystopian novel The Long Walk, released in the second half of the 20th century, and at the beginning of the 21st century it was called one of the best teenage works. The novel makes you think that the end does not always justify the means to achieve it.

The events take place in America in an uncertain future. Now this is a state with a totalitarian regime, where everything is monitored by the police. Every year there is a Long Walk competition in which 100 guys can take part. For the victory in it, the participant will receive a huge amount of money, and his wishes will be fulfilled until the end of his days. The point is to go a long way without sleep and rest at a constant speed. All this is watched by armed soldiers. Participants are provided with unlimited water and once a day a tube of high-calorie food. If a participant loses speed, he receives a warning, after a four-time warning he is out of the game - he is shot. Only one can reach the end.

The main character Ray is a smart and kind guy. He decides to take part in the competition. The main goal for him is not money, but testing himself for endurance. Along the way, he meets many people, makes friends, whom he then has to lose. Each of those who meet on his way has his own character, his own reasons why he is here. Everyone has their own story and their own motivation. Throughout the journey, Ray has to see death, the participants are shot one by one. Isn't this the real test? What you experience when you walk a long distance without rest can hardly be compared to what you experience after each death. And this test is even more difficult to pass. And is it possible to call a happy victory, which is stained with the blood of almost a hundred people ...

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