The Running Man

"Sample"?

You mean the cover, table of contents, and less than a paragraph of the introduction. Honestly, B&N, if you can't control the price of the book, at least make the sample long enough so I can decide whether or not to agree to the extortion your prices are.

6 out of 10 people found this review helpful.

A Race to the End

This novel is a tense, page-turning, heart stopping chase. I wasn't expecting it to be so suspenseful or so dark. As others have mentioned, don't read the introduction until after you have read the novel since it reveals the ending rather matter-of-factly. The "Introduction" really should be changed to an "Afterward" with a disclaimer that it reveals key plot elements of The Running Man. I'm not sure why the publishers haven't made this change in recent printings. Incidentally, the other Bachman books share the same introduction, so if you are reading Roadwork or The Long Walk, for example, and you haven't yet read The Running Man, skip the introduction. This novel is more tightly plotted and cinematic than the other Bachman books. The 100 short chapters, titled only as a numerical countdown marching feverishly towards 0, contribute to the feeling that time is running out. The social commentary is biting and caustic, and the ending is both sad and chilling. Although I'm a huge Stephen King fan, I neglected to read this book because of my associations to the movie. The book is much better, much darker, and I am glad that I read it. For King/Bachman fans - don't miss it.

6 out of 6 people found this review helpful.

WARNING!

So this would have been the first Stephen King book I read cover to cover. I was REALLY excited with the story line and could not wait to start reading it. The mistake I made was start at the beginning and am warning you about it because during the introduction "The Importance of Being Bachman" King gives away the ending!!! Not just a "Oh, and then something negative happens" but "Blah, blah, and then he blah blah" specifically. If you want to enjoy the book (as I am CERTAIN I would have) DO NOT READ THE INTRODUCTION!!!!

Who does that?? Yes, I get it, it has been republished so you want to add a note, but for those who would have picked up the book for the first time (never had seen the movie either so I don't know if it tells the true ending) the book has been ruined!!!. . . I always pictured Stephen King as a smart man. . . WRONG!

So please! Add a HUGE SPOILER warning if you are giving away the ending of a book before the story even starts!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

9 page sample

You know, I'm sure this book is great, but there's no way to tell from the free sample. It's nine pages long, and eight of them are copyright information and the table of contents. Barnes and Noble, if you're reading this, please lengthen some of your samples to include some of the actual story. People don't buy books for the introductions.

2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

The Running Man Review

The Running Man is set in a 2025 American society in which the government is corrupt, pollution is rampant, and the television, or free-vee, runs people's lives. The protagonist, Ben Richards, is an unemployed man struggling to care for his wife and sick six month old daughter. As a last resort, Richards finally enters as a contestant in the game show Running Man, a show in which the contestant is given a head start and is then hunted by professional bounty hunters and essentially, all of America. For every hour he remains alive, money is sent to his family.

While this novel sends meaningful messages about corruption, pollution, and social chaos, it was only vaguely entertaining and left me feeling indifferent about the themes and book as a whole. Though it was a bit of a page-turner, by the end, I felt as though I had only wasted my time reading it. I was more optimistic in the beginning of the novel, but the twisted ending was simply unnecessary and unsatisfying. Ben Richards, who, in the start of the novel the reader identified with and was rooting for, was alienated from the reader by the end because of his extreme actions and thoughts. He began as the underdog, but quickly became a heartless man whose only aim was inflicting pain on others. Though some may argue that his actions were justified and necessary for the author to effectively get his point across, I was slightly angered by the time I had finished the novel.

Though the novel does communicate some frightening truths concerning the future of our nation regarding pollution and social class separation, it was overall not worth reading.

2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Couldn't put the book down

This was a great book and it really lies mention to the difference in social groups, as in poor and rich. It is a fiction and to the extreme. The ending is very unpredictable and you will find yourself wanting to keep reading to finish the book. I will definitely keep for a book I might read again

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Best of the Bachman Books

I have read 4 of the Bachman Books, by far this is the best. I recommend this to anyone who enjoys other Stephen King novels. Five out of five stars.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Ooh man.

This is definitely NOT like the movie! The book is so much better! I just finished reading it, and let me tell you, it is so mind boggling, you'll never put it down! Excellent read!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

The Best of the Bachman Books

the running man is one of the few books i have ever read in which i could not remove my eyes from the pages. if you were only to read this by stephen king, i think you would have a good summary of his style.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Bachman = King = Great Story

King wrote this book back when he was still pretending to be Bachman, and it is nice to see that it is being published with the King name on it because it was a great read. I was a little nervous about reading this book because lets face it, the movie was terrible. Thankfully the story is much different, better, from the one staring a certain California Governor. This is not horror story, which may turn off some King loyalists, but more of an action thriller. It's set in 2025 where the rich get richer and the poor die young. The only way to make some money for your family is to enter the Games.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Stephen King Does IT again

The Running Man is evidence that Stephen King is the best action thriller writer around. The book is set in a world of pollution and turmoil, only twenty years ahead of our own. Only a few years ago the government made a law forcing every one to get a Free-Vee, it¿s almost like today¿s television, except for the game shows. The Game Network makes people not compete for just money but for their survival. Ben Richards, out of work and poverty-stricken and is unable to afford a doctor for his seriously ill daughter, Cathy . After watching her suffer with no medical care, he decides to collaborate with the thing he hates most, the Games. He soon gets picked for the deadliest game, if you lost you would not end up in the hospital with a heart attack or loose one or two limbs, you would die. This game name is The Running Man. I thoroughly enjoyed this well written novel it had a perfect blend of suspense action with the numerous plot twists. Besides the action and the main plot, this book illustrates our fears of the future. Stephen Kings writing leaves no room for improvement and demonstrates amazing writing anywhere. If you liked the book you would love, some of King¿s other novels. These include Salem¿s Lot, and the Dark Tower series.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Great action book!

The running man book review
The running man, written by author Stephen King, Is a book set in the east coast in the year 2025. The main characters name is known as Richards (Ben Richards). But in the year 2025, society has broken and further divided the Rich from the poor. And Richards, is exceedingly poor. He lived in a dilapidated apartment building on the west side of town. He can barely afford food for his family to eat. But bad soon goes to worse when his daughter catches pneumonia, and he has no money to get her medical attention that she needs. She is in danger of dying, and Richards needs the money, so he comes up with a solution… With the desensitization that society underwent, a new kind of entertainment arose, one that strives to hurt, and test people. It's called the game show. But this new channel was not full of family friendly games. Instead of "wheel of fortune", they had wheel chair on a treadmill. And then their top game, The Running Man. It's a game show where you run away, and "Hunters" hunt for you. You can run anywhere in the world, and if they find you, they will kill you. Richards was to compete in The Running Man games. If he evaded capture for 80 days, he would have enough money to not only heal his daughter, but enough money for him and his family to live without money issues. So Richards took on the challenge. He started to run. He evaded, fooled, and did spectacular in the games. But, he was found at a traffic stop... He ran a nearby airport, and with the hunters and crowd, demanded a supersonic jet aircraft. But the lead hunter was to go with him. He got his wish, he got the aircraft. But while on the plane, he learned that his family was killed by the hunters. So he hijacked the airplane. He then flew into the city, and found the game shows skyscraper... He aimed 2/3 of the way up on the building, and hit I'd dead on...

The running man is a gripping story with fair details, and an exciting plot line. The book breaks ground with the desensitized visions of how America could become. But the book over all is an action book. It draws you in with it's fast paced nature. And for an action book, it is relatively smartly written. It has some surface to the plot. For example, it gives some detail on Richards life. And Stephen King gives a little more depth on the games themselves. But unlike many other books, it lacks a strong character background. And most of the characters, including Richards, are vague and somewhat incomplete. As gripping as this story is, there are no underlying themes. Granted, this is an action book. Over all, I would rate this book an 8. I give it that raring because of how fun it is to read. I picked the book up, and found it impossible to set down. Even through my 3rd read.

Do not read the forward

I have read this book before so it wasn't a big issue but the author gives away the ending to the book in the forward, so if you haven't read the book skip the forward.

This was a very good book. After I loaned it to a co-worker who

This was a very good book. After I loaned it to a co-worker who had seen the movie first he told me that the book was much better! Of course isn't that how it usually is? This was a nice fresh story from King using his alter-ego. When I want easy reads that are slightly different from his other works I like his Bachman series.

COOL

My aunt said that this book is really good. She explained to me what its about and i told her that its like the hunger games. Now shes reading it and loves it. You'll thank me when you read the hunger games by suzanne collins.

Really good book

The book the running man is an amazing novle about a man named Ben Richards. Ben Richards is a man living in poverty with a daughter who is sick with the flu. In this futuristic world you can’t even get medicine without being wealthy and the only thing that seems to be free it the Free-V. So it is up to Ben to find the money for his daughter’s medicine which is why he joins the running man game show. For a month he will have to strain to stay alive and earn more money every hour to save his daughter from the “flu”. This is a really good book which I highly recommend for you to read. It had me keep turning the pages to see what happens and I never wanted to put it down. From the dramatic beginning to the climatic end it was all a really good read. I’m a avid reader of Steven King and this has to be one of my favorites. I would probably have to give this book a four out of five

Wonderful

On of King's greatest works. There is a lot of swearing (more than most of his books) though.

One of his best.....

Read this book in 24 hours, couldn't put it down. The tension build up is palpable. Highly recommend!

Good Book

Though not as well written as a Clockwork Orange, Running Man was thoroughly enjoyable and should become a classic of dystopian literature.

Note: Dont read the intro before reading the book. It gives part of the storyline away.

different from movie

This book was very interesting. It was certainly very different from the movie. When I saw the movie, I didn't know it was based on a Stephen King/Richard Bachman book. Since it was a movie with Arnold, they tried to make it funny (like cutting the guy with the chainsaw and saying that he had to split). Don't expect the book to be like that. If you do, you will be disappointed.