The Long Walk

May 31, 2010
Ray Garraty—along with 99 other teen boys—has entered the Long Walk, a grueling march at four miles per hour that continues until only one person is standing. The losers receive bullets to the head. As the march progresses, the numbers dwindle, the challenges of continued marching increase, and the senselessness wears on the participants' state of mind. King (writing as his alter ego, Richard Bachman) delivers another psychologically dark tale with commentary on society, teenage life, and cultural entertainment that is still poignant decades after its original publication. Kirby Heyborne's skills shine in the narrative passages, which he executes with a good mixture of rhythm and emphasis. Heyborne's light and youthful-sounding voice exudes the needed attitude of the mostly male adolescent characters. However, some of his character voices for the teens feel created just for the sole purpose of clearly distinguishing them, rather than matching voice organically to personality. His female voices lack substance, but since there are so few of them, listeners will not be too distracted. A Signet paperback.

In the not-too-distant future, teenage boys meet on a secluded highway to take part in a death march that will provide endless hours of enjoyment for the viewing public, who want nothing more than to see the participants meet an untimely end. THE LONG WALK is perhaps the most original and character-driven story King has ever written (originally under the name of Richard Bachman). The novel revolves around 16-year-old Ray Garraty, who struggles his way through the course, which begins at the Maine/Canada border and stretches along the eastern coast of the U.S. Narrator Kirby Heyborne delivers a stunning performance that sounds as if it was recorded in a single marathon session. Heyborne's voice waivers throughout, battling fatigue as he walks every step of the journey in Garraty's bloody shoes. L.B. (c) AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine