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Rage
A disturbed high-school student with authority problems kills one of his teachers and takes the rest of his class hostage. Over the course of one long, tense and unbearable hot afternoon, Charlie Decker explains what led him to this drastic sequence of events, while at the same time deconstructing the personalities of his classmates, forcing each one to justify his or her existence.
131 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 6, 1977
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39.9k people want to read
About the author
Richard Bachman
44Ìýbooks4,616ÌýfollowersThis is a Stephen King pseudonym.
At the beginning of Stephen King's career, the general view among publishers was that an author was limited to one book per year, since publishing more would be unacceptable to the public. King therefore wanted to write under another name, in order to increase his publication without over-saturating the market for the King "brand". He convinced his publisher, Signet Books, to print these novels under a pseudonym.
In his introduction to The Bachman Books, King states that adopting the nom de plume Bachman was also an attempt to make sense out of his career and try to answer the question of whether his success was due to talent or luck. He says he deliberately released the Bachman novels with as little marketing presence as possible and did his best to "load the dice against" Bachman. King concludes that he has yet to find an answer to the "talent versus luck" question, as he felt he was outed as Bachman too early to know. The Bachman book Thinner (1984) sold 28,000 copies during its initial run—and then ten times as many when it was revealed that Bachman was, in fact, King.
The pseudonym King originally selected (Gus Pillsbury) is King's maternal grandfather's name, but at the last moment King changed it to Richard Bachman. Richard is a tribute to crime author Donald E. Westlake's long-running pseudonym Richard Stark. (The surname Stark was later used in King's novel The Dark Half, in which an author's malevolent pseudonym, "George Stark", comes to life.) Bachman was inspired by Bachman–Turner Overdrive, a rock and roll band King was listening to at the time his publisher asked him to choose a pseudonym on the spot.
King provided biographical details for Bachman, initially in the "about the author" blurbs in the early novels. Known "facts" about Bachman were that he was born in New York, served a four-year stint in the Coast Guard, which he then followed with ten years in the merchant marine. Bachman finally settled down in rural central New Hampshire, where he ran a medium-sized dairy farm, writing at night. His fifth novel was dedicated to his wife, Claudia Inez Bachman, who also received credit for the bogus author photo on the book jacket. Other "facts" about the author were revealed in publicity dispatches from Bachman's publishers: the Bachmans had one child, a boy, who died in an unfortunate, Stephen King-ish type accident at the age of six, when he fell through a well and drowned. In 1982, a brain tumour was discovered near the base of Bachman's brain; tricky surgery removed it. After Bachman's true identity was revealed, later publicity dispatches (and about the author blurbs) revealed that Bachman died suddenly in late 1985 of "cancer of the pseudonym, a rare form of schizonomia".
King dedicated Bachman's early books�Rage (1977), The Long Walk (1979), Roadwork (1981), and The Running Man (1982)—to people close to him. The link between King and his shadow writer was exposed after a Washington, D.C. bookstore clerk, Steve Brown, noted similarities between the writing styles of King and Bachman. Brown located publisher's records at the Library of Congress which included a document naming King as the author of one of Bachman's novels. Brown wrote to King's publishers with a copy of the documents he had uncovered, and asked them what to do. Two weeks later, King telephoned Brown personally and suggested he write an article about how he discovered the truth, allowing himself to be interviewed. King has taken full ownership of the Bachman name on numerous occasions, as with the republication of the first four Bachman titles as The Bachman Books: Four Early Novels by Stephen King in 1985. The introduction, titled "Why I Was Bachman," details the whole Bachman/King story.
Source:
At the beginning of Stephen King's career, the general view among publishers was that an author was limited to one book per year, since publishing more would be unacceptable to the public. King therefore wanted to write under another name, in order to increase his publication without over-saturating the market for the King "brand". He convinced his publisher, Signet Books, to print these novels under a pseudonym.
In his introduction to The Bachman Books, King states that adopting the nom de plume Bachman was also an attempt to make sense out of his career and try to answer the question of whether his success was due to talent or luck. He says he deliberately released the Bachman novels with as little marketing presence as possible and did his best to "load the dice against" Bachman. King concludes that he has yet to find an answer to the "talent versus luck" question, as he felt he was outed as Bachman too early to know. The Bachman book Thinner (1984) sold 28,000 copies during its initial run—and then ten times as many when it was revealed that Bachman was, in fact, King.
The pseudonym King originally selected (Gus Pillsbury) is King's maternal grandfather's name, but at the last moment King changed it to Richard Bachman. Richard is a tribute to crime author Donald E. Westlake's long-running pseudonym Richard Stark. (The surname Stark was later used in King's novel The Dark Half, in which an author's malevolent pseudonym, "George Stark", comes to life.) Bachman was inspired by Bachman–Turner Overdrive, a rock and roll band King was listening to at the time his publisher asked him to choose a pseudonym on the spot.
King provided biographical details for Bachman, initially in the "about the author" blurbs in the early novels. Known "facts" about Bachman were that he was born in New York, served a four-year stint in the Coast Guard, which he then followed with ten years in the merchant marine. Bachman finally settled down in rural central New Hampshire, where he ran a medium-sized dairy farm, writing at night. His fifth novel was dedicated to his wife, Claudia Inez Bachman, who also received credit for the bogus author photo on the book jacket. Other "facts" about the author were revealed in publicity dispatches from Bachman's publishers: the Bachmans had one child, a boy, who died in an unfortunate, Stephen King-ish type accident at the age of six, when he fell through a well and drowned. In 1982, a brain tumour was discovered near the base of Bachman's brain; tricky surgery removed it. After Bachman's true identity was revealed, later publicity dispatches (and about the author blurbs) revealed that Bachman died suddenly in late 1985 of "cancer of the pseudonym, a rare form of schizonomia".
King dedicated Bachman's early books�Rage (1977), The Long Walk (1979), Roadwork (1981), and The Running Man (1982)—to people close to him. The link between King and his shadow writer was exposed after a Washington, D.C. bookstore clerk, Steve Brown, noted similarities between the writing styles of King and Bachman. Brown located publisher's records at the Library of Congress which included a document naming King as the author of one of Bachman's novels. Brown wrote to King's publishers with a copy of the documents he had uncovered, and asked them what to do. Two weeks later, King telephoned Brown personally and suggested he write an article about how he discovered the truth, allowing himself to be interviewed. King has taken full ownership of the Bachman name on numerous occasions, as with the republication of the first four Bachman titles as The Bachman Books: Four Early Novels by Stephen King in 1985. The introduction, titled "Why I Was Bachman," details the whole Bachman/King story.
Source:
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 4,160 reviews
March 28, 2021
I just don´t get how people can be hypocritical enough to give video games, TV, drugs, or this book the fault for school shootings.
The moral guardians can already be heard moaning, bickering, and ranting about why, oh why, of course not comparing, let´s say Northern Europe, or Europe in general, with the US. Not thinking and talking about why a mobbing culture of unknown dimensions, mixed with income inequality, in stark contrast most other democratic countries, has forced young humans to be so desperate that they become mass murderers and why teens have weapons just military personnel and police forces are allowed to have in most other nations of the world.
The element of dealing with Stockholm syndrome and the extra psychological warfare between the killer and his victims gives it an extra surprise element and it´s one of the very rare King novels that has no supernatural extra, except one deems mental illness as such.
How King takes critical and controversial topics, death penalty, dictatorships, racism, social injustice, etc. and uses them as driving forces of his novels is the sign of an enlightened and open mind, because not being able to talk about such topics out of conservative evilness makes all that madness possible by opposing prevention through strong, public social worker nets, mediators, and, why not, it has never been tried, less perpetrator protection, big bang for everyone, and downplaying of mobbing.
Not to speak of the victims that don´t go on killing sprees, but suffer as a consequence from substance abuse, depression, anxiety disorders, other mental illnesses, traumas, PTSD, career problems, can´t be as great parents as they would wish to be, and commit suicide.
Tropes show how literature is conceptualized and created and which mixture of elements makes works and genres unique:
The moral guardians can already be heard moaning, bickering, and ranting about why, oh why, of course not comparing, let´s say Northern Europe, or Europe in general, with the US. Not thinking and talking about why a mobbing culture of unknown dimensions, mixed with income inequality, in stark contrast most other democratic countries, has forced young humans to be so desperate that they become mass murderers and why teens have weapons just military personnel and police forces are allowed to have in most other nations of the world.
The element of dealing with Stockholm syndrome and the extra psychological warfare between the killer and his victims gives it an extra surprise element and it´s one of the very rare King novels that has no supernatural extra, except one deems mental illness as such.
How King takes critical and controversial topics, death penalty, dictatorships, racism, social injustice, etc. and uses them as driving forces of his novels is the sign of an enlightened and open mind, because not being able to talk about such topics out of conservative evilness makes all that madness possible by opposing prevention through strong, public social worker nets, mediators, and, why not, it has never been tried, less perpetrator protection, big bang for everyone, and downplaying of mobbing.
Not to speak of the victims that don´t go on killing sprees, but suffer as a consequence from substance abuse, depression, anxiety disorders, other mental illnesses, traumas, PTSD, career problems, can´t be as great parents as they would wish to be, and commit suicide.
Tropes show how literature is conceptualized and created and which mixture of elements makes works and genres unique:
April 14, 2019
"It has been conclusively proved that there is no gravity; the earth just sucks."
Rage was a book before it's time. One of King's earliest books and the first released under the Bachman pseudonym. It's a look into the troubled mind of a teenager; a story that is really close to home for many now, but was very far fetched when it first came out. Now, due to the rash of school shootings and calls to end bullying over the past couple of decades, the story sounds eerily familiar.
I have heard that after a few school shootings a copy of this book was found in the lockers of the shooters. Because of this, the book is no longer in print per King's request. If you want to read it, your best chance is to find and early copy of the collected Bachman Books at your library or a used book store. I am guessing that finding a copy of this book by itself would require a trip to eBay and cost a pretty penny!
This was my second time reading it. The first time must have been over twenty years ago. It was definitely before gun violence in schools became a frequent part of of the news. When I joined Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ and was running through all the books I had already read and was trying to rate them, I gave this book 2 stars. I am not sure why I remembered it as 2 stars, I think it is more of a 4 star book.
Reading this is like reading a cautionary history lesson. Much of the language and many of the elements are dated to the late 70s. But, with the subject matter being so relevant and disturbing, it does endure through today. This is a horror story not of supernatural monsters or mischevious poltergeists. This is real horror that could exist in your community right now waiting to be unleashed, and that is truly terrifying!
Based on subject matter, I suggest proceeding with caution if you are troubled by stories of teen violence.
Rage was a book before it's time. One of King's earliest books and the first released under the Bachman pseudonym. It's a look into the troubled mind of a teenager; a story that is really close to home for many now, but was very far fetched when it first came out. Now, due to the rash of school shootings and calls to end bullying over the past couple of decades, the story sounds eerily familiar.
I have heard that after a few school shootings a copy of this book was found in the lockers of the shooters. Because of this, the book is no longer in print per King's request. If you want to read it, your best chance is to find and early copy of the collected Bachman Books at your library or a used book store. I am guessing that finding a copy of this book by itself would require a trip to eBay and cost a pretty penny!
This was my second time reading it. The first time must have been over twenty years ago. It was definitely before gun violence in schools became a frequent part of of the news. When I joined Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ and was running through all the books I had already read and was trying to rate them, I gave this book 2 stars. I am not sure why I remembered it as 2 stars, I think it is more of a 4 star book.
Reading this is like reading a cautionary history lesson. Much of the language and many of the elements are dated to the late 70s. But, with the subject matter being so relevant and disturbing, it does endure through today. This is a horror story not of supernatural monsters or mischevious poltergeists. This is real horror that could exist in your community right now waiting to be unleashed, and that is truly terrifying!
Based on subject matter, I suggest proceeding with caution if you are troubled by stories of teen violence.
April 6, 2012
RAGE…we’ve all experienced it, whether bumper to bumper on the roads, interacting with ass stains at work, or railing against the evils of beachfront development.
Here, Stephen King explores the darkest aspect of this emotion, and strikes a chord that can be felt by anyone who remembers the awkwardness, the insecurity, the anger-inducing turbulence of being a teenager. King taps a mighty strong vein in this one.
Originally entitled Getting It On, this early effort of the master, while less polished and containing more technical flaws than his later work, is one of his most visceral and striking psychological stories. This is Catcher in the Rye meets American Psycho, and it is made all the more eerie by the echoes and reflections of real life high school shootings that this story is sure to conjure in the mind of the reader.
PLOT SUMMARY:
A deeply troubled high school senior, Charlie Decker, shoots and kills two teachers and takes his Algebra class hostage. This all happens faster than you can say “Holy Shit, Stephen King wrote this gripping, evocative story while he was in High School…High School…that over-abundantly talented bastard.� This just sets the stage for the real drama to come.
While the police surround the building and make unsuccessful attempts to negotiate with Charlie, the classroom becomes a tense, angry crucible, in which dark secrets and memories of betrayals and painful persecutions are shared by Charlie and his hostages. See Charlie believes that everyone has bad secrets that build up and gnaw at you until you eventually decide to “get it on.�
For his part, Charlie, through a series of flashback, tells the reader and his classmates, about the events that led to him standing before them a violent, rage-filled double murderer. All of this leads up to an exceptional ending that will stick with you.
THOUGHTS:
This is tough stuff, full of raw, unfiltered anger, and descriptions of the kinds of casual ruthlessness that teenagers are subjected to from their parents, their peers and even themselves. Charlie is a “hold nothing back� narrator and his descriptions of events are unvarnished and somewhat bizarre since he is explaining events as he saw them, not necessarily as the actually occurred.
This is a portrait of a troubled child exploding against the injustices, both real and imagined, to which he feels he’s been subjected.
It is also, like all of King’s novels, addictively readable. Despite being one of his first works, King’s natural, effortless storytelling ability is on full display. It’s amazing to me that a high school student could so easily engage readers and keep them turning the pages in need of knowing what happens next.
The man is gifted like few others in that department.
Finally, the ending. If I had one gripe about some of King’s novels, it’s that his endings are letdowns from the slow, creeping horror of the set up. There’s a sense of letdown and even disappointment. Not so here. The ending of this story is sublime and, I would argue, its best feature. The last 20 pages are positively haunting and reminded me of a cross between Lord of the Flies and The Wicker Man.
I’m going to leave you with a quote that I think expresses the tone of the story very well, and also provides insight into Charlie’s character. The school psychiatrist, who Charlie hates, is coming to try and “talk him down� and Charlie gives you his thoughts on the man's profession.
Here, Stephen King explores the darkest aspect of this emotion, and strikes a chord that can be felt by anyone who remembers the awkwardness, the insecurity, the anger-inducing turbulence of being a teenager. King taps a mighty strong vein in this one.
Originally entitled Getting It On, this early effort of the master, while less polished and containing more technical flaws than his later work, is one of his most visceral and striking psychological stories. This is Catcher in the Rye meets American Psycho, and it is made all the more eerie by the echoes and reflections of real life high school shootings that this story is sure to conjure in the mind of the reader.
PLOT SUMMARY:
A deeply troubled high school senior, Charlie Decker, shoots and kills two teachers and takes his Algebra class hostage. This all happens faster than you can say “Holy Shit, Stephen King wrote this gripping, evocative story while he was in High School…High School…that over-abundantly talented bastard.� This just sets the stage for the real drama to come.
While the police surround the building and make unsuccessful attempts to negotiate with Charlie, the classroom becomes a tense, angry crucible, in which dark secrets and memories of betrayals and painful persecutions are shared by Charlie and his hostages. See Charlie believes that everyone has bad secrets that build up and gnaw at you until you eventually decide to “get it on.�
And all that weirdness isn’t just going on outside. It’s in you too, right now, growing in the dark like magic mushrooms. Call it the Thing in the Cellar. Call it the Blow Lunch Factor. Call it the Loony Tunes File. I think of it as my private dinosaur, huge, slimy, and mindless, stumbling around in the stinking swamp of my subconscious, never finding a tarpit big enough to hold it.Initially, the confessions of Charlie’s classmates are only partially voluntary. However, as the day goes on, the atmosphere thickens and morphs until a form of group mind takes hold. Suddenly the classroom is a like a dark “after hours� episode of Dr. Phil and the confession begin to come fast and furious…and the rage builds.
For his part, Charlie, through a series of flashback, tells the reader and his classmates, about the events that led to him standing before them a violent, rage-filled double murderer. All of this leads up to an exceptional ending that will stick with you.
THOUGHTS:
This is tough stuff, full of raw, unfiltered anger, and descriptions of the kinds of casual ruthlessness that teenagers are subjected to from their parents, their peers and even themselves. Charlie is a “hold nothing back� narrator and his descriptions of events are unvarnished and somewhat bizarre since he is explaining events as he saw them, not necessarily as the actually occurred.
This is a portrait of a troubled child exploding against the injustices, both real and imagined, to which he feels he’s been subjected.
It is also, like all of King’s novels, addictively readable. Despite being one of his first works, King’s natural, effortless storytelling ability is on full display. It’s amazing to me that a high school student could so easily engage readers and keep them turning the pages in need of knowing what happens next.
The man is gifted like few others in that department.
Finally, the ending. If I had one gripe about some of King’s novels, it’s that his endings are letdowns from the slow, creeping horror of the set up. There’s a sense of letdown and even disappointment. Not so here. The ending of this story is sublime and, I would argue, its best feature. The last 20 pages are positively haunting and reminded me of a cross between Lord of the Flies and The Wicker Man.
I’m going to leave you with a quote that I think expresses the tone of the story very well, and also provides insight into Charlie’s character. The school psychiatrist, who Charlie hates, is coming to try and “talk him down� and Charlie gives you his thoughts on the man's profession.
A man with a headful of sharp, prying instruments. A mind-fucker, a head-stud. That’s what a shrink is for, my friends and neighbors; their job is to fuck the mentally disturbed and make them pregnant with sanity. It’s a bull’s job, and they go to school to learn how, and all their courses are variations on a theme: Slipping It to the Psychos for Fun and Profit, Mostly Profit. And if you find yourself someday lying on that great analyst’s couch where so many have lain before you, I’d ask you to remember one thing: When you get sanity by stud, the child always looks like the father. And they have a very high suicide rate.4.0 stars. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
But they get you lonely, and ready to cry, they get you ready to toss it all over if they will just promise to go away for a while. What do we have? What do we really have? Minds like terrified fat men, begging the eyes that look up in the bus terminal or the restaurant and threaten to meet ours to look back down, uninterested. We lie awake and picture ourselves in white hats of varying shapes. There’s no maidenhead too tough to withstand the seasoned dork of modern psychiatry. But maybe that’s okay. Maybe now they would play my game, all those shysters and whores.
December 26, 2023
“It's only a little secret, but having a secret makes me feel better. Like a human being again.�
King’s worst? For me, yes. I hated this book from start to finish.
Rage tells the story of Charlie Decker. One day Charlie goes into his school, shoots his algebra teacher and holds the rest of his classmates hostage. This book was released back in 1977 under King’s pseudonym, Richard Bachman. However following a number of school shootings where the perpetrators had Rage in their possession, King made the decision to cease publication. Thank heavens - I still don’t understand why King would ever want this published in the first place.
There were many reasons why I didn’t like this book, but first and foremost, it was boring as hell - not at all what I expected. Essentially it’s a bunch of teenagers sitting around talking. And although that does sound pretty frickin� dull, look at what King was able to achieve with books like Gerald’s Game... The characters are flat and interchangeable, particularly the females who are assessed on their virginity, or lack thereof, and sexual activities. Oh, apart from “ugly Irma�, who is somewhat an anomaly due to the fact she is too ugly for anyone to want her...
Charlie is a despicable character, an utter arsehole. His use of the phrase “getting it on� made me roll my eyes so hard I almost went blind (this was actually a working title for Rage, I’m forever thankful it didn’t stick). The way the teenagers converse with each other just didn’t feel natural or realistic to me. Oh, and how Bachman was not outted as King right away is shocking given the multiple mentions of Maine and chambray workshirts!
All in all, I found very little to enjoy when reading Rage. Writing this review was a cathartic experience that I enjoyed more than the book itself.
(I still love you, King, but this was trash.) 1 star.
King’s worst? For me, yes. I hated this book from start to finish.
Rage tells the story of Charlie Decker. One day Charlie goes into his school, shoots his algebra teacher and holds the rest of his classmates hostage. This book was released back in 1977 under King’s pseudonym, Richard Bachman. However following a number of school shootings where the perpetrators had Rage in their possession, King made the decision to cease publication. Thank heavens - I still don’t understand why King would ever want this published in the first place.
There were many reasons why I didn’t like this book, but first and foremost, it was boring as hell - not at all what I expected. Essentially it’s a bunch of teenagers sitting around talking. And although that does sound pretty frickin� dull, look at what King was able to achieve with books like Gerald’s Game... The characters are flat and interchangeable, particularly the females who are assessed on their virginity, or lack thereof, and sexual activities. Oh, apart from “ugly Irma�, who is somewhat an anomaly due to the fact she is too ugly for anyone to want her...
Charlie is a despicable character, an utter arsehole. His use of the phrase “getting it on� made me roll my eyes so hard I almost went blind (this was actually a working title for Rage, I’m forever thankful it didn’t stick). The way the teenagers converse with each other just didn’t feel natural or realistic to me. Oh, and how Bachman was not outted as King right away is shocking given the multiple mentions of Maine and chambray workshirts!
All in all, I found very little to enjoy when reading Rage. Writing this review was a cathartic experience that I enjoyed more than the book itself.
(I still love you, King, but this was trash.) 1 star.
July 3, 2022
The author-withdrawn / banned / book that is more notorious for no longer being published than - the 'student loses it at school, kills, and takes a class hostage' story. Still a story very much ahead of its time when it was written. 6 out of 12
I believe I am member of a pretty small group of people who own both the UK and USA First Editions... and the French and German First Editions!
2017 read
I believe I am member of a pretty small group of people who own both the UK and USA First Editions... and the French and German First Editions!
2017 read
September 29, 2021
DOBBIAMO PARLARE DI CHARLIE
Ezra Miller è il giovane protagonista del bel film di Lynne Ramsay “We Need To Talk About Kevin - …E ora parliamo di Kevin� (2011). Sullo sfondo Tilda Swinton, la madre di Kevin.
Il mio primo Stephen King.
Ne è seguito solo un altro, Il gioco di Gerald, così deludente da tenermi da allora lontano da questo più che prolifico scrittore, saccheggiato dal cinema, anche con magnifici risultati.
Ma anche questo non è che mi abbia fatto tremare i polsi. Vero che King lo scrisse in epoca “non sospetta�, quando ancora i fatti come quelli qui raccontati non erano esplosi ricorrenti, e lo fece uscire sotto lo pseudonimo di Richard Bachman. Leggo che King non ama molto questa sua creatura, che è contento sia fuori catalogo, anzi pare sia stato lui stesso a chiedere che venisse ritirata dal mercato per evitare che diventasse ispirazione a delinquere.
Gus Van Sant: “Elephant�, magistrale film del 2003.
Qui si racconta di un liceale che per motivi vari si arma e fa fuoco nella scuola uccidendo qualche persona, perlopiù insegnanti.
E quindi, sì. Fatti così sono noti: se ne sono occupati sia la letteratura che il cinema (di nuovo, a volte con esito eccellente).
Mi pare interessante che l’attenzione di King si concentri sia sui fatti antecedenti, quelli che spingono il giovane ad armarsi, far fuoco e ammazzare, e forse ancor più su quanto segue, le ore dell’assedio, il rapporto con i compagni di scuola tenuti come ostaggi che si trasforma in una specie di terapia di gruppo.
Ma a parte confermarmi che negli Stati Uniti circolano troppe armi, io oltre le tre stelle non riesco ad andare, sono rimasto lettore tiepido.
Denis Villeneuve al suo inizio, prima di diventare il regista affermato che è adesso: “Polytechnique�, del 2009.
Ezra Miller è il giovane protagonista del bel film di Lynne Ramsay “We Need To Talk About Kevin - …E ora parliamo di Kevin� (2011). Sullo sfondo Tilda Swinton, la madre di Kevin.
Il mio primo Stephen King.
Ne è seguito solo un altro, Il gioco di Gerald, così deludente da tenermi da allora lontano da questo più che prolifico scrittore, saccheggiato dal cinema, anche con magnifici risultati.
Ma anche questo non è che mi abbia fatto tremare i polsi. Vero che King lo scrisse in epoca “non sospetta�, quando ancora i fatti come quelli qui raccontati non erano esplosi ricorrenti, e lo fece uscire sotto lo pseudonimo di Richard Bachman. Leggo che King non ama molto questa sua creatura, che è contento sia fuori catalogo, anzi pare sia stato lui stesso a chiedere che venisse ritirata dal mercato per evitare che diventasse ispirazione a delinquere.
Gus Van Sant: “Elephant�, magistrale film del 2003.
Qui si racconta di un liceale che per motivi vari si arma e fa fuoco nella scuola uccidendo qualche persona, perlopiù insegnanti.
E quindi, sì. Fatti così sono noti: se ne sono occupati sia la letteratura che il cinema (di nuovo, a volte con esito eccellente).
Mi pare interessante che l’attenzione di King si concentri sia sui fatti antecedenti, quelli che spingono il giovane ad armarsi, far fuoco e ammazzare, e forse ancor più su quanto segue, le ore dell’assedio, il rapporto con i compagni di scuola tenuti come ostaggi che si trasforma in una specie di terapia di gruppo.
Ma a parte confermarmi che negli Stati Uniti circolano troppe armi, io oltre le tre stelle non riesco ad andare, sono rimasto lettore tiepido.
Denis Villeneuve al suo inizio, prima di diventare il regista affermato che è adesso: “Polytechnique�, del 2009.
December 11, 2013
Charlie Decker takes a room full of his classmates hostage. Will any of them walk out alive?
In this Bachman book, Holden Caulfield takes the Breakfast Club hostage with a pistol. At least, that's what the book feels like to me.
Rage is a really quick read, short and to the point. It's also not that great. King can say he wanted it out of print because of all the school shootings in the last couple decades but I have to wonder if quality wasn't also a contributing factor.
Charlie Decker is a bit of a outcast and has a whole dresser drawer full of issues. His classmates, seemingly normal, aren't without problems themselves. John Hughes at gunpoint is a good way to describe most of what goes on in the book. If snipers were watching the windows of the library in the Breakfast Club, Rage is probably what the result would be like.
I don't have a lot to say about this one. The ending was unexpected. I'll give Bachman/King that. Other than that, I'm glad it was short. 2 stars. I hope this doesn't lead to Stephen King rejecting my friend request.
In this Bachman book, Holden Caulfield takes the Breakfast Club hostage with a pistol. At least, that's what the book feels like to me.
Rage is a really quick read, short and to the point. It's also not that great. King can say he wanted it out of print because of all the school shootings in the last couple decades but I have to wonder if quality wasn't also a contributing factor.
Charlie Decker is a bit of a outcast and has a whole dresser drawer full of issues. His classmates, seemingly normal, aren't without problems themselves. John Hughes at gunpoint is a good way to describe most of what goes on in the book. If snipers were watching the windows of the library in the Breakfast Club, Rage is probably what the result would be like.
I don't have a lot to say about this one. The ending was unexpected. I'll give Bachman/King that. Other than that, I'm glad it was short. 2 stars. I hope this doesn't lead to Stephen King rejecting my friend request.
March 1, 2016
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This was a super shorty so there isn’t a whole lot to say without giving the entire thing away. I’ll just leave it as . . .
“This,� I said pleasantly, “is known as getting it on.�
Yep. Ol� Charlie’s having a bit of a shit day and to top it all off . . .
It probably says something for the state of the universe (or at least the state of my psyche) that this book left me with such a “meh� reaction. I’d blame it on the fact that it was written by “Richard Bachman� and not King, but that argument doesn’t fly since The Long Walk is one of my favorite stories. For Rage being a book that was pulled from printing by King due to its disturbing nature I didn’t find it to be all that disturbing. I appreciated (horrible choice of words there, so forgive me) the spin on the “deranged student,� but for me the execution was a failure. I wasn’t invested in Charlie or in any of his classmates, and when you’re dealing with a hostage situation it’s kind of important to route for someone - be it the bad guy or the “good� guys. Bottom line is I was left feeling like this . . .
“You are disturbed, Charlie.�
And more like this . . .
My friend Councillor does a much better job explaining why this story didn’t quite live up to expectations and even uses words instead of pictures to do the talking!
This was a super shorty so there isn’t a whole lot to say without giving the entire thing away. I’ll just leave it as . . .
“This,� I said pleasantly, “is known as getting it on.�
Yep. Ol� Charlie’s having a bit of a shit day and to top it all off . . .
It probably says something for the state of the universe (or at least the state of my psyche) that this book left me with such a “meh� reaction. I’d blame it on the fact that it was written by “Richard Bachman� and not King, but that argument doesn’t fly since The Long Walk is one of my favorite stories. For Rage being a book that was pulled from printing by King due to its disturbing nature I didn’t find it to be all that disturbing. I appreciated (horrible choice of words there, so forgive me) the spin on the “deranged student,� but for me the execution was a failure. I wasn’t invested in Charlie or in any of his classmates, and when you’re dealing with a hostage situation it’s kind of important to route for someone - be it the bad guy or the “good� guys. Bottom line is I was left feeling like this . . .
“You are disturbed, Charlie.�
And more like this . . .
My friend Councillor does a much better job explaining why this story didn’t quite live up to expectations and even uses words instead of pictures to do the talking!
December 4, 2013
Lately I've been wondering about why violence seems to breed so freely in the United States (I don't have an answer by the way). Everywhere I seem to look there is something violent being portrayed: books, movies, music, art, heck, even CNN is going to do a new segment on Cold Cases that they have deemed so interesting that further exploration is needed--Tupac and Biggie, here's your chance to spin a few more rhymes...Anyway, I was sitting in my basement, perusing my collection of books, wondering what to read next, when The Bachman Books caught my eye. I took it down from the shelf and flipped through the pages, wafting to my nostrils old dust motes caught within the yellowed pages that have traveled with me from place to place over the years, then I started to read the first story: Rage.
The title alone was enough to get me hyped. I mean, c'mon, it's not like I didn't know that this was going to be a story I would be affected by one way or another. I kept reading. Pretty soon, my freshman year in college came back to me. I had just finished a geology test, before heading into the week of finals, and was meandering my way across campus in that whimsical manner one does after spilling their brains out on some problem or essay, when one of my friends intercepted me. She was talking a mile a minute, telling me that there was a shooting at a high school named Columbine. I can honestly tell you I was little affected by her words. I didn't have any family or friends in Colorado, and I still didn't have any idea as to what all happened. Back in my dorm, before turning on the television, the hallways to my room buzzed with the news. Smalls groups of huddled conspirators whispered to each other as if talking aloud about what happened would doom their high school, or, worse, our university. When I finally sat and listened to the news report, the information about the two killers washed over me as if I was in some weird dream. Why did they do this? How could they do this? The answers were provided by Talking Heads and their belief that the youth of the day had checked out and given the finger to all and every authority, including the one connected to the sanctity of life.
Time has passed. School shootings still continue. And I realize that those Talking Heads didn't understand one damn thing about being young, confused, or scared about making a mistake. All they wanted to do was place the blame on Marilyn Manson and Stephen King and video games.
BULLSHIT!
Their remarks are too convenient, nestled with too pretty of a bow. I understand for the first time since walking across campus that fateful day, that one can only choose what to do when exposed to violence. This may not be physical violence; it might be emotional or mental or spiritual. And that’s what King was saying in this short novella. We have a choice with every act of violence committed against us. (Pardon my soapbox for a bit.) Take Christianity for instance—those of you who are not Christians please feel free to insert your choice of religion, deity, or belief—we are taught that to err is human, but to forgive is divine. We are expected to live by the New Testament, not the Old one. When lashed out against, it is imperative to check one's emotions. To answer with more violence is just plain silly. Okay, I’m rambling�.the point is, things can’t take the place of personal responsibility. Art doesn’t make a suitable excuse. Music doesn't hypnotize you to place a baby in an oven. Video games can't make you go out and rob a 7-11 or kill hookers. That is all FAKE!! What aren't fake are the emotions and insecurities of our youth. If you are a parent, hug your child, kiss them, and tell them you love them. But most of all, LISTEN TO THEM. If you don’t have kids, but know of young ones that need help, HELP THEM. This is a fucked up world we live in. But it can also be a wonderful place. I’m not saying we all need to hold hands and sing kumbaya (that would be even a more fucked up world), but we can stop the precipitation of violence. Think about it. Maybe I made a point. Maybe not. Regardless, this is for you Mr. King, I think it a shame that you took this novella out of print. It’s not your job to be a parent to others� kids. Your job is to be a storyteller. And that you have done wonderfully.
VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
The title alone was enough to get me hyped. I mean, c'mon, it's not like I didn't know that this was going to be a story I would be affected by one way or another. I kept reading. Pretty soon, my freshman year in college came back to me. I had just finished a geology test, before heading into the week of finals, and was meandering my way across campus in that whimsical manner one does after spilling their brains out on some problem or essay, when one of my friends intercepted me. She was talking a mile a minute, telling me that there was a shooting at a high school named Columbine. I can honestly tell you I was little affected by her words. I didn't have any family or friends in Colorado, and I still didn't have any idea as to what all happened. Back in my dorm, before turning on the television, the hallways to my room buzzed with the news. Smalls groups of huddled conspirators whispered to each other as if talking aloud about what happened would doom their high school, or, worse, our university. When I finally sat and listened to the news report, the information about the two killers washed over me as if I was in some weird dream. Why did they do this? How could they do this? The answers were provided by Talking Heads and their belief that the youth of the day had checked out and given the finger to all and every authority, including the one connected to the sanctity of life.
Time has passed. School shootings still continue. And I realize that those Talking Heads didn't understand one damn thing about being young, confused, or scared about making a mistake. All they wanted to do was place the blame on Marilyn Manson and Stephen King and video games.
BULLSHIT!
Their remarks are too convenient, nestled with too pretty of a bow. I understand for the first time since walking across campus that fateful day, that one can only choose what to do when exposed to violence. This may not be physical violence; it might be emotional or mental or spiritual. And that’s what King was saying in this short novella. We have a choice with every act of violence committed against us. (Pardon my soapbox for a bit.) Take Christianity for instance—those of you who are not Christians please feel free to insert your choice of religion, deity, or belief—we are taught that to err is human, but to forgive is divine. We are expected to live by the New Testament, not the Old one. When lashed out against, it is imperative to check one's emotions. To answer with more violence is just plain silly. Okay, I’m rambling�.the point is, things can’t take the place of personal responsibility. Art doesn’t make a suitable excuse. Music doesn't hypnotize you to place a baby in an oven. Video games can't make you go out and rob a 7-11 or kill hookers. That is all FAKE!! What aren't fake are the emotions and insecurities of our youth. If you are a parent, hug your child, kiss them, and tell them you love them. But most of all, LISTEN TO THEM. If you don’t have kids, but know of young ones that need help, HELP THEM. This is a fucked up world we live in. But it can also be a wonderful place. I’m not saying we all need to hold hands and sing kumbaya (that would be even a more fucked up world), but we can stop the precipitation of violence. Think about it. Maybe I made a point. Maybe not. Regardless, this is for you Mr. King, I think it a shame that you took this novella out of print. It’s not your job to be a parent to others� kids. Your job is to be a storyteller. And that you have done wonderfully.
VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
April 5, 2017
........Sad and Frightening
........RAGE is the story of a disturbed child....who becomes a disturbed teen....who acts out on his frustrations by taking a hand gun to school his senior year, taking the life of his algebra teacher, and holding his class hostage for several hours. (no spoiler here)
........In the midst of all the chaos, keeping school officials and police at bay, Charlie shares a few tales of his abusive home life, his encounters with bullies, a sex episode, and strongly requests his captives disclose embarrassing secrets about themselves too. All are cooperative....except one.
........A good portion of this short read is dedicated to Charlie discussing his feelings and regrets, but be prepared for a few shockers along the way.
........RAGE is one of Stephen King's earliest novels written under pen name Richard Bachman, a work he has pulled from the market due to real time events 'somewhat' resembling the storyline. He has also excluded RAGE from new editions of The Bachman Books. Highly recommend reading GUNS as a follow-up to RAGE as it fully details the reasoning behind his decision.
March 15, 2025
Rage is the first short novel that King published under the pseudonym of Richard Bachman. After the Carneal incident in December of 1997, King allowed Rage to go out of print in the United States.
You can mainly find this now in rare original copies, or in old versions of The Bachman Books, which released in 1985 and was comprised of a bind-up of Rage, The Long Walk, Roadwork, and The Running Man.
I am lucky enough to have a 1st-edition hardback copy of The Bachman Books, which is how I read this story. It's been in my family since it was published and is one of my most treasured books.
This was a reread for me, but I haven't read it since the 6th, or 7th grade, many years before 1997. I didn't remember too much about it except for the setting and the basic premise.
This is a well-written story. It contains wonderful character work and succeeded in pulling me in. The entire scene is set in Mrs. Underwood's Algebra classroom, after our MC, Charlie Decker goes berserk ((his words)), kills the teacher and takes the rest of the students hostage.
We follow, fly on the wall style, all that goes down inside that classroom after Charlie takes control. I loved the dynamics and conversations amongst the students.
It's very dialogue heavy, but in such a way that keeps you engrossed as you see an evolution of the character's opinions within that space. By the end, it gets very Lord of the Flies as the teens develop their own system of self-reflection, judgement and even, punishment.
I really enjoyed the themes explored, especially those involving the experience of teens, or kids, and the various pressures they can feel from those in authority positions, as well as their lack of autonomy, and how that can backfire if pushed too far.
King has always showed an interest in the mind, and psychology, but that was most evident to me in his earlier works. You clearly see that interest within this story, and I loved the way he incorporated that into Charlie's character and these events.
I understand and respect King's opinion on this story. I do. In a way though, I think it's a shame this story isn't more readily available, as it does offer up a lot of important food for thought and discussion.
There are mentions of the violence children are exposed to and how that effects them over time. I think this would make an incredible Book Club pick. It would be so interesting to see how various Readers interpret this story.
I'm glad that I took the time to reread this one. I obviously have way more grounds to appreciate it as an adult reflecting back on my youth, than I did as a child picking it up.
I would recommend this if you can get it!
You can mainly find this now in rare original copies, or in old versions of The Bachman Books, which released in 1985 and was comprised of a bind-up of Rage, The Long Walk, Roadwork, and The Running Man.
I am lucky enough to have a 1st-edition hardback copy of The Bachman Books, which is how I read this story. It's been in my family since it was published and is one of my most treasured books.
This was a reread for me, but I haven't read it since the 6th, or 7th grade, many years before 1997. I didn't remember too much about it except for the setting and the basic premise.
This is a well-written story. It contains wonderful character work and succeeded in pulling me in. The entire scene is set in Mrs. Underwood's Algebra classroom, after our MC, Charlie Decker goes berserk ((his words)), kills the teacher and takes the rest of the students hostage.
We follow, fly on the wall style, all that goes down inside that classroom after Charlie takes control. I loved the dynamics and conversations amongst the students.
It's very dialogue heavy, but in such a way that keeps you engrossed as you see an evolution of the character's opinions within that space. By the end, it gets very Lord of the Flies as the teens develop their own system of self-reflection, judgement and even, punishment.
I really enjoyed the themes explored, especially those involving the experience of teens, or kids, and the various pressures they can feel from those in authority positions, as well as their lack of autonomy, and how that can backfire if pushed too far.
King has always showed an interest in the mind, and psychology, but that was most evident to me in his earlier works. You clearly see that interest within this story, and I loved the way he incorporated that into Charlie's character and these events.
I understand and respect King's opinion on this story. I do. In a way though, I think it's a shame this story isn't more readily available, as it does offer up a lot of important food for thought and discussion.
There are mentions of the violence children are exposed to and how that effects them over time. I think this would make an incredible Book Club pick. It would be so interesting to see how various Readers interpret this story.
I'm glad that I took the time to reread this one. I obviously have way more grounds to appreciate it as an adult reflecting back on my youth, than I did as a child picking it up.
I would recommend this if you can get it!
June 4, 2019
I read this book when I still went to school myself and thought it very disturbing but extremely well written. Bachman/King really knows the mind of his protagonist and let's him act in a brilliant way. As the other Bachman books, a clear recommendation. It's a classic even though its content is regarded a bit critical with all the shootings and violence at school.
November 19, 2024
After thinking a lot about how to rate and review "Rage", the first novel Stephen King published under his pseudonym Richard Bachman, I still have no clue what to think of this (really short) novel. "Rage" is not available anymore as King decided to take it off the market since it was feared the novel would inspire people to run amok, and due to the socially relevant and interesting subject this novel deals with, I was very interested in reading the actual text. But after finishing it this morning, all the impressions the novel leaves in my thoughts consist of disappointment. The more I think about it, the more does the opinion that King utterly failed to depict the novel's core in his work become manifest in my considerations.
It's about Charlie Decker, the spree killer himself, who kills his teacher in school and then takes several hostages in the aftermath of this escalation. King spends a lot of time inside Charlie's head, exploring his thoughts, his inner turmoil and his plagued past. Although his character is well-developed, his deeds themselves remain unexplained, which may be the most significant factor for why I wasn't able to get into the story. Spree killers may have been victims in their past, but they become perpetrators the moment they commit their crimes, and Charlie's crime is a horrible one - however, King depicts him as the victim during the entire course of the story, not only by telling the book from his first-person point of view, but also by making the hostage-taking feel like an afternoon coffee party. Some scenes appeared dubious and unrealistic to me, while - in addition - King's writing talents are not performed at their best in this novel. Apart from that, I thought "Rage" shares a lot of similarities with "Carrie", King's first published novel, which was interesting to investigate.
Finally, what is left to be said about "Rage"? It is no huge loss to the world of literature that it isn't officially available anymore, and although it deals with a socially important subject, King leads the story into absurdism. 2.5 stars, rounded down to 2 stars for the lack of explanations of the protagonist's actions.
(Why is this book shelved as 'horror' by 412 users? Had it been written by any random author, it would have been shelved anything but that. In my opinion, "Rage" is a thriller with dramatic components, but does not belong into the section of King books meant to be horror novels.)
It's about Charlie Decker, the spree killer himself, who kills his teacher in school and then takes several hostages in the aftermath of this escalation. King spends a lot of time inside Charlie's head, exploring his thoughts, his inner turmoil and his plagued past. Although his character is well-developed, his deeds themselves remain unexplained, which may be the most significant factor for why I wasn't able to get into the story. Spree killers may have been victims in their past, but they become perpetrators the moment they commit their crimes, and Charlie's crime is a horrible one - however, King depicts him as the victim during the entire course of the story, not only by telling the book from his first-person point of view, but also by making the hostage-taking feel like an afternoon coffee party. Some scenes appeared dubious and unrealistic to me, while - in addition - King's writing talents are not performed at their best in this novel. Apart from that, I thought "Rage" shares a lot of similarities with "Carrie", King's first published novel, which was interesting to investigate.
Finally, what is left to be said about "Rage"? It is no huge loss to the world of literature that it isn't officially available anymore, and although it deals with a socially important subject, King leads the story into absurdism. 2.5 stars, rounded down to 2 stars for the lack of explanations of the protagonist's actions.
(Why is this book shelved as 'horror' by 412 users? Had it been written by any random author, it would have been shelved anything but that. In my opinion, "Rage" is a thriller with dramatic components, but does not belong into the section of King books meant to be horror novels.)
July 19, 2024
The next book on my journey to reading all of SK's books in publication order (give or take).
This book was way before it’s time and ended up being banned which King himself approved of because of its themes and how they unfortunately became reality. I am currently reading all of Stephen King books in order and this was the next on my list, having never read this before this was interesting to say the least. I’m finding it hard to digest this book and give it a rating but, in the end, I think 3.5 is fair.
The insight into this young, troubled mind was really something to behold and it was masterfully written but it isn’t up there with the top short stories I have read from SK. It is true horror, no monsters, ghost or creatures just the mind of a young boy.
I think this is a great book with dark themes that are hard to digest. I think if I re-read this it might bump it up a few stars. This book packs a real punch with only 200 pages and it is beautifully written. Please take caution if you pick up this book, teen violence is the centre of this book and it terrifying. I live in the UK so gun violence isn’t prevalent, but it still shook me and left me with a uneasy feeling in my stomach. I do think the class and the reactions of the students in this book were so realistic and haunting and that made this book more amazing.
I know King doesn’t want this book to be printed/read but I think it is an amazing example of how a young mind can be triggered and how you never know how someone is feeling or what they are thinking at any given time. I disagree that it might cause someone to act this way, or glorify it but I do understand why America in particular might want to push this book into the shadows.
This book was way before it’s time and ended up being banned which King himself approved of because of its themes and how they unfortunately became reality. I am currently reading all of Stephen King books in order and this was the next on my list, having never read this before this was interesting to say the least. I’m finding it hard to digest this book and give it a rating but, in the end, I think 3.5 is fair.
The insight into this young, troubled mind was really something to behold and it was masterfully written but it isn’t up there with the top short stories I have read from SK. It is true horror, no monsters, ghost or creatures just the mind of a young boy.
I think this is a great book with dark themes that are hard to digest. I think if I re-read this it might bump it up a few stars. This book packs a real punch with only 200 pages and it is beautifully written. Please take caution if you pick up this book, teen violence is the centre of this book and it terrifying. I live in the UK so gun violence isn’t prevalent, but it still shook me and left me with a uneasy feeling in my stomach. I do think the class and the reactions of the students in this book were so realistic and haunting and that made this book more amazing.
I know King doesn’t want this book to be printed/read but I think it is an amazing example of how a young mind can be triggered and how you never know how someone is feeling or what they are thinking at any given time. I disagree that it might cause someone to act this way, or glorify it but I do understand why America in particular might want to push this book into the shadows.
April 4, 2020
Finally, I've read this elusive novel!
The first thought I had after reading this was: It's a shame this book is no longer in print.
The reason it was removed from print, by request from Stephen King himself, is because the novel was found in the locker of Michael Carneal, a bullied boy who opened fire on students at Heath High School in 1997. Under the assumption that the book partly inspired the school shooting, the book was pulled from print.
Given the sensitive nature of the novel, I can certainly understand King's decision to stop its print. However, after I read the novel I was very surprised to find it was nothing I had expected it to be. In all honesty, I've read a lot fiction that remains in print that has more violent depictions of gun violence in schools than was displayed in Rage. Forgive me if that comes off as insensitive; I in no way want to play down the sheer terror and trauma that comes from any violence in a school. I simply mean that Rage doesn't deal with as much forward and utterly gruesome violence as some other books out there. In fact, many of King's characters in his other novels have been far more violent than Charlie was in Rage.
What I read was a book that dissects a troubled teenage boy's mind. The entire novel is a psychoanalysis into what caused this boy to hold his entire class hostage at gunpoint. And what we are told by the characters (but mainly by Charlie himself) is that he grew up in a violent home and was bullied at school. Textbook...
What really troubled me (not in a bothersome way, but in such a way that I knew this book was hitting an emotional chord in me) was the way the kids reacted to being held hostage. They were, for want of a better word, blasé about the situation. At times they were quite well-humoured and seemed almost to enjoy being there. Only in a few instances did they become jumpy or frightened. This is a curious juxtaposition from what we often see in real life hostage situations, where the hostages are extremely frightened to the point of hysteria, begging for their lives, or screaming and trembling uncontrollably. It creates this gigantic spotlight on the children in that classroom and forces us to observe their behaviour. And I think this contrast is why the novel is so powerful. It draws a clear line between Charlie and the other children, between troubled young man and the people who didn't ask to be held hostage. But interestingly enough, I found myself wondering, who exactly is the victim in all this...?
This novel is short, and in true King (Bachman) fashion, you can't help but keep turning the pages until the end. I know this book is hard to come by, but it was well worth my months-long search for a copy. From a purely entertainment standpoint, this is a must read if you're a King fan.
I think there is a lot that can be learned from Rage (and books of a similar nature) in why violence in schools happens. Or, to look at it more broadly, we can learn why and how violent behaviour in adolescents develops in the first place. It gives us a window into the mental health of youth, in particular youth that have been bullied. And it may provide us with answers on how to act before it is too late for everyone.
In defence of Richard Bachman and Rage, I don't think the book created a monster in Carneal in 1997. I think the tendencies were there in a boy who had gone through the ringer, and Rage may have been the final straw for him in a overlong, delayed cry for help.
To sum up: this book deserves to be back in print, I think it's particularly important to have in bookstores at this day and age. This is a fantastic novel.
Onward.
The first thought I had after reading this was: It's a shame this book is no longer in print.
The reason it was removed from print, by request from Stephen King himself, is because the novel was found in the locker of Michael Carneal, a bullied boy who opened fire on students at Heath High School in 1997. Under the assumption that the book partly inspired the school shooting, the book was pulled from print.
Given the sensitive nature of the novel, I can certainly understand King's decision to stop its print. However, after I read the novel I was very surprised to find it was nothing I had expected it to be. In all honesty, I've read a lot fiction that remains in print that has more violent depictions of gun violence in schools than was displayed in Rage. Forgive me if that comes off as insensitive; I in no way want to play down the sheer terror and trauma that comes from any violence in a school. I simply mean that Rage doesn't deal with as much forward and utterly gruesome violence as some other books out there. In fact, many of King's characters in his other novels have been far more violent than Charlie was in Rage.
What I read was a book that dissects a troubled teenage boy's mind. The entire novel is a psychoanalysis into what caused this boy to hold his entire class hostage at gunpoint. And what we are told by the characters (but mainly by Charlie himself) is that he grew up in a violent home and was bullied at school. Textbook...
What really troubled me (not in a bothersome way, but in such a way that I knew this book was hitting an emotional chord in me) was the way the kids reacted to being held hostage. They were, for want of a better word, blasé about the situation. At times they were quite well-humoured and seemed almost to enjoy being there. Only in a few instances did they become jumpy or frightened. This is a curious juxtaposition from what we often see in real life hostage situations, where the hostages are extremely frightened to the point of hysteria, begging for their lives, or screaming and trembling uncontrollably. It creates this gigantic spotlight on the children in that classroom and forces us to observe their behaviour. And I think this contrast is why the novel is so powerful. It draws a clear line between Charlie and the other children, between troubled young man and the people who didn't ask to be held hostage. But interestingly enough, I found myself wondering, who exactly is the victim in all this...?
This novel is short, and in true King (Bachman) fashion, you can't help but keep turning the pages until the end. I know this book is hard to come by, but it was well worth my months-long search for a copy. From a purely entertainment standpoint, this is a must read if you're a King fan.
I think there is a lot that can be learned from Rage (and books of a similar nature) in why violence in schools happens. Or, to look at it more broadly, we can learn why and how violent behaviour in adolescents develops in the first place. It gives us a window into the mental health of youth, in particular youth that have been bullied. And it may provide us with answers on how to act before it is too late for everyone.
In defence of Richard Bachman and Rage, I don't think the book created a monster in Carneal in 1997. I think the tendencies were there in a boy who had gone through the ringer, and Rage may have been the final straw for him in a overlong, delayed cry for help.
To sum up: this book deserves to be back in print, I think it's particularly important to have in bookstores at this day and age. This is a fantastic novel.
Onward.
April 23, 2018
In this case the GR bug that says I read this twice is correct. The first time was over 20+ years ago, so the story seemed new to me.
In light of all the school shootings that have occurred since this book was written, I understand why King pulled it from publication in later editions of The Bachman Books.
That said, I do not think this is a good example of King's work. I've always thought that it was King's characters that made his stories so great, but I didn't find the characters in this story to have much depth. I didn't care about any of them and other than the novelty of being inside the school shooter's head, I didn't find anything special about this tale, other than that I did need to see it through to the end.
I re-read RAGE so that I could take part in a local Stephen King book group, and I'm glad that I did. (Though I'm still waffling about actually attending the group meeting, as my introvert alarm is sounding.) I say that I'm glad because this story reminded me that King hasn't always been the master of storytelling that he is today, he stumbled now and then. But hey, even when he stumbles he gets 3/5 stars from me because RAGE is a compelling tale.
In light of all the school shootings that have occurred since this book was written, I understand why King pulled it from publication in later editions of The Bachman Books.
That said, I do not think this is a good example of King's work. I've always thought that it was King's characters that made his stories so great, but I didn't find the characters in this story to have much depth. I didn't care about any of them and other than the novelty of being inside the school shooter's head, I didn't find anything special about this tale, other than that I did need to see it through to the end.
I re-read RAGE so that I could take part in a local Stephen King book group, and I'm glad that I did. (Though I'm still waffling about actually attending the group meeting, as my introvert alarm is sounding.) I say that I'm glad because this story reminded me that King hasn't always been the master of storytelling that he is today, he stumbled now and then. But hey, even when he stumbles he gets 3/5 stars from me because RAGE is a compelling tale.
June 7, 2021
I know a lot of people have very polarizing feelings about King’s work as Bachman and Rage in particular but I have to say, I thoroughly enjoyed it. My first time around I gave it five stars but after reading it a second time it lost a tad bit of its sparkle because part of what made it so good was the not knowing and it went down to four stars. Which might I add, is still good for a book that generates SO much hate. It isn’t my favourite out of the gang of Bachman books but it was excellent nonetheless! I really enjoy the rawness that you get when King writes as Bachman, it draws me in every time. I find this story particularly raw and heartbreaking for so many reasons that I won’t go into depth on because spoilers. And of course I in no way sympathize with Charlie and his actions, this story just really strikes a nerve with me and makes my heart hurt because this horror story is all too real.
July 26, 2019
Otro libro corto, pero que trata de una tema que casi no se ve, y por ello es bastante valioso.
Rabia nos narra la historia de un chico que ha sufrido acoso escolar, y lo peor es que no solo sucede en la escuela, sino en su propia casa y de su padre.
Las emociones del muchacho son duras, y leer como tiene que sobrellevar toda esta situación y encontrar de algún modo una salida, son claves que nos guiarán entre sus páginas.
Sé que es un libro con una disponibilidad baja, e incluso prohibido en algunos paÃses, debido a su temática, pero por ello es una joya, que nos habla de algo que pocos abordan y que nos puede dejar una lección importante.
Rabia nos narra la historia de un chico que ha sufrido acoso escolar, y lo peor es que no solo sucede en la escuela, sino en su propia casa y de su padre.
Las emociones del muchacho son duras, y leer como tiene que sobrellevar toda esta situación y encontrar de algún modo una salida, son claves que nos guiarán entre sus páginas.
Sé que es un libro con una disponibilidad baja, e incluso prohibido en algunos paÃses, debido a su temática, pero por ello es una joya, que nos habla de algo que pocos abordan y que nos puede dejar una lección importante.
June 12, 2020
2 stars
Rage is Stephen King's first work under the pseudonym of Richard Bachman. I didn't really know what to expect from this. Mostly I was curious because I know of this book's problematic past. If you are unaware, this book is currently out of print at King's request because it may have incited violent behaviour similar to that seen in the story. This book follows a school shooting/occupation by Charlie Decker.
Honestly, for most of this I was just bored. Although usually I am a character-driven reader, I just could not sympathize or appreciate Charlie. He was problematic and the narrative is written in a way that the reader is encouraged to sympathize with him. Bachman/King gives this sense of him being a victim, don't get me wrong, he kind of is (what with his traumatic childhood), but I just can't get past the vibe that he is right for shooting up a school!
I guess the theme that was supposed to be portrayed here was that we are what our backgrounds make us. I think that this theme can be done much differently/better. Again, Decker was an issue. The problem with the classmates was that they weren't compelling. Since a lot of the novel is spent exploring the dynamics/backgrounds of these people, not being invested in them really hindered my like of this novel.
The best way I can describe Rage is "problematic + meh". Not my cup of tea. It made me feel uncomfortable. When I started reading it, I wanted to see why it caused an uproar. Now I understand.
Rage is Stephen King's first work under the pseudonym of Richard Bachman. I didn't really know what to expect from this. Mostly I was curious because I know of this book's problematic past. If you are unaware, this book is currently out of print at King's request because it may have incited violent behaviour similar to that seen in the story. This book follows a school shooting/occupation by Charlie Decker.
Honestly, for most of this I was just bored. Although usually I am a character-driven reader, I just could not sympathize or appreciate Charlie. He was problematic and the narrative is written in a way that the reader is encouraged to sympathize with him. Bachman/King gives this sense of him being a victim, don't get me wrong, he kind of is (what with his traumatic childhood), but I just can't get past the vibe that he is right for shooting up a school!
I guess the theme that was supposed to be portrayed here was that we are what our backgrounds make us. I think that this theme can be done much differently/better. Again, Decker was an issue. The problem with the classmates was that they weren't compelling. Since a lot of the novel is spent exploring the dynamics/backgrounds of these people, not being invested in them really hindered my like of this novel.
The best way I can describe Rage is "problematic + meh". Not my cup of tea. It made me feel uncomfortable. When I started reading it, I wanted to see why it caused an uproar. Now I understand.
January 31, 2020
Given this book's chilling history and King's subsequent decision to remove it from his list of publications, it's almost impossible to get hold of a copy. All this combined to heighten my intrigue.
The tale provided a chilling and unforgettable insight into a chaotic and psychotic mind and details the tragedy of a school shooting in almost unbearable detail. The abused becomes the abuser and the reader becomes privy to secrets only ever before realised in the dark.
The tale provided a chilling and unforgettable insight into a chaotic and psychotic mind and details the tragedy of a school shooting in almost unbearable detail. The abused becomes the abuser and the reader becomes privy to secrets only ever before realised in the dark.
March 17, 2020
Rage is the first book Stephen King wrote under his pseudonym Richard Bachman back in 1977 and which he let fall out of print after the book was associated with some High school shootings.
I had felt that perhaps us SK fans were missing out on this pulled book but thanks to the internet I managed to get hold of this novella and honestly, we are not missing much. I mean it's a good decent 3 star read but from SK my expectations are higher.
At 130 pages is a fast read in which we spend 4 hours with Charlie, in his classroom, with a loaded gun.
I've read worst fiction books with this trope so it's a shame SK felt uncomfortable and responsible for other peoples actions and had the book pulled but SK is the man so I shall respect his decision.
3 stars.
I had felt that perhaps us SK fans were missing out on this pulled book but thanks to the internet I managed to get hold of this novella and honestly, we are not missing much. I mean it's a good decent 3 star read but from SK my expectations are higher.
At 130 pages is a fast read in which we spend 4 hours with Charlie, in his classroom, with a loaded gun.
I've read worst fiction books with this trope so it's a shame SK felt uncomfortable and responsible for other peoples actions and had the book pulled but SK is the man so I shall respect his decision.
3 stars.
March 26, 2019
Metto le mani avanti: Ossessione lo potete trovare (se siete baciati dalla dea Fortuna) per pochi euro ai mercatini dell’usato, o magari qualche anima gentile che ce l’ha a casa e non se ne fa niente decide di regalarvelo (io rientro tra questi fortunati), altrimenti per acquistare Ossessione dovete spendere parecchio visto che è stato tolto dal mercato. Perché? Perché il libro viene associato a due fatti di cronaca nera avvenuti dopo la sua pubblicazione (in particolare nell’armadietto di scuola di un ragazzo che nel 1997 uccise tre studenti, fu ritrovata una copia di questo libro). Si è deciso così di bloccare la stampa del libro, e di ritirare dalle librerie le copie già stampate.
Prima di leggere Ossessione comprendevo la scelta di Stephen King, ma non la condividevo. Ora che ho letto il libro posso dire che non la comprendo nemmeno visto che sul mercato ci sono libri molto più violenti di Ossessione e che possono essere emulati tanto quanto questo libro.
Il protagonista è Charlie, un ragazzo all’apparenza come tanti, ma che dentro di sé soffre come non mai. È un ragazzo che ha bisogno di aiuto, ma non sa come chiederlo, non vuole chiederlo e preferisce urlare al mondo, a modo suo, la sofferenza che prova. Le vittime saranno due insegnanti, ma Charlie renderà partecipi della sua follia anche i suoi compagni di classe.
Resteremo in loro compagnia per alcune ore, ore dove verranno a galla segreti e soprattutto odio. Odio per i propri genitori, odio per alcuni compagni. Sarà Charlie ad avere sempre la pistola in pugno, ma sembrano essere i suoi compagni quelli pronti a premere il grilletto.
Se Charlie si presenta come un pazzo carnefice, ben presto scopriremo che i suoi compagni non sono da meno. Verremo trasportati in un vortice di delirio e di follia quasi senza fine. E alla fine sapete una cosa? Ho empatizzato con Charlie, ma non con i suoi compagni. È vero, Charlie ha ucciso due insegnanti, ma i suoi compagni sembrano più malati di lui, più sadici, più vendicativi, pieni di odio e di gelosia, e sono loro che faranno impazzire un altro ragazzo presente in quell’aula, loro, non Charlie.
Ossessione, scritto in realtà con lo pseudonimo di Richard Bachman, mette su carta le tragedie di alcuni adolescenti, la loro vera natura, i pensieri più oscuri e profondi. E Stephen King è stato davvero bravo a entrare nel corpo e nell’animo di Charlie, il narratore, perché l’impressione che ho avuto leggendo Ossessione è che in quel momento Charlie fosse nella stanza con me, mi sembrava di sentire la sua voce, di vedere il suo viso, mi sembrava che fosse lui in carne e ossa a raccontarmi la sua storia, non uno scrittore.
È davvero un peccato che questo libro non sia più in commercio, e non lo dico da semplice fan di Stephen King. Semplicemente è un buon libro, con una bella (passatemi il termine) storia, narrata molto bene.
Se lo trovate, non fatevelo scappare perché merita. E se lo avete a casa e non ne fate nulla, regalatelo a chi lo desidera veramente, non lucrateci sopra.
Prima di leggere Ossessione comprendevo la scelta di Stephen King, ma non la condividevo. Ora che ho letto il libro posso dire che non la comprendo nemmeno visto che sul mercato ci sono libri molto più violenti di Ossessione e che possono essere emulati tanto quanto questo libro.
Il protagonista è Charlie, un ragazzo all’apparenza come tanti, ma che dentro di sé soffre come non mai. È un ragazzo che ha bisogno di aiuto, ma non sa come chiederlo, non vuole chiederlo e preferisce urlare al mondo, a modo suo, la sofferenza che prova. Le vittime saranno due insegnanti, ma Charlie renderà partecipi della sua follia anche i suoi compagni di classe.
Resteremo in loro compagnia per alcune ore, ore dove verranno a galla segreti e soprattutto odio. Odio per i propri genitori, odio per alcuni compagni. Sarà Charlie ad avere sempre la pistola in pugno, ma sembrano essere i suoi compagni quelli pronti a premere il grilletto.
Se Charlie si presenta come un pazzo carnefice, ben presto scopriremo che i suoi compagni non sono da meno. Verremo trasportati in un vortice di delirio e di follia quasi senza fine. E alla fine sapete una cosa? Ho empatizzato con Charlie, ma non con i suoi compagni. È vero, Charlie ha ucciso due insegnanti, ma i suoi compagni sembrano più malati di lui, più sadici, più vendicativi, pieni di odio e di gelosia, e sono loro che faranno impazzire un altro ragazzo presente in quell’aula, loro, non Charlie.
Ossessione, scritto in realtà con lo pseudonimo di Richard Bachman, mette su carta le tragedie di alcuni adolescenti, la loro vera natura, i pensieri più oscuri e profondi. E Stephen King è stato davvero bravo a entrare nel corpo e nell’animo di Charlie, il narratore, perché l’impressione che ho avuto leggendo Ossessione è che in quel momento Charlie fosse nella stanza con me, mi sembrava di sentire la sua voce, di vedere il suo viso, mi sembrava che fosse lui in carne e ossa a raccontarmi la sua storia, non uno scrittore.
È davvero un peccato che questo libro non sia più in commercio, e non lo dico da semplice fan di Stephen King. Semplicemente è un buon libro, con una bella (passatemi il termine) storia, narrata molto bene.
Se lo trovate, non fatevelo scappare perché merita. E se lo avete a casa e non ne fate nulla, regalatelo a chi lo desidera veramente, non lucrateci sopra.
January 16, 2015
Though a reasonably good piece for a teenager to have written (apparently King started writing this as a teenager), a lot of immaturity still shows through.
Despite the fact that I could not manage to build up any empathy with the main character (the killer) Charlie Decker, Charlie simply seemed too normal in his general thought processes to appear phsychotic. He simply came across as a spoilt, extremely immature kid - a product of the typical syndrome of the military father and over-indulgent mother. Many families function like this, though very few of the kids from such families actually pick up guns and go around shooting people, or clobber people over the head with wrenches; indeed - most kids show some resilience - so basically this is a person with no phsychological reserves.
He doesn't seem to quite fit 100% into a pshychopath mold either; - so I'm not sure where King was going (or trying to go) with this character.
In fact, it would seem that King is trying to talk out against discipline, and at the same time condoning hooliganism and destructive behaviour, not to mention murder and violence.
I felt a lot more empathy for the real victim in the story, Ted Jones. The way he is tortured and victimised by the mob on both a psychological and a physical level, left me a with an extremely bad taste in the mouth - was this supposed to be a modern version of aspects of Lord of the Flies?
A lot of the dialogue came across as pretty unrealistic of how people would talk in a crisis situation like this one. Especially the story that Decker recounts of his sexual misadventure while under the influence of marijuana, seemed like a streamlined and polished retelling of an event by a professional writer - and not what must have been a painful recollection of a relatively traumatic (or frustrating and embarassing at the least) event by a teenage boy.
All in all, although the book was an easy read due to King's very accessible style, (and definitely an infinitely more gripping read than Catcher in the Rye), I'm giving it only 2 stars due to the plain mean-spiritedness of character that shines through on every page, not to mention the trivialisation of (and even glimmers of glorification of) cruelty and violence.
EDIT: I've slept on it, and I think I need to downgrade my rating to a 1. The more I think of the callous way that the subject of the death of 2 teachers and torture of an already beleaugered boy is treated, the more I want to give the book a zero.
Despite the fact that I could not manage to build up any empathy with the main character (the killer) Charlie Decker, Charlie simply seemed too normal in his general thought processes to appear phsychotic. He simply came across as a spoilt, extremely immature kid - a product of the typical syndrome of the military father and over-indulgent mother. Many families function like this, though very few of the kids from such families actually pick up guns and go around shooting people, or clobber people over the head with wrenches; indeed - most kids show some resilience - so basically this is a person with no phsychological reserves.
He doesn't seem to quite fit 100% into a pshychopath mold either; - so I'm not sure where King was going (or trying to go) with this character.
In fact, it would seem that King is trying to talk out against discipline, and at the same time condoning hooliganism and destructive behaviour, not to mention murder and violence.
I felt a lot more empathy for the real victim in the story, Ted Jones. The way he is tortured and victimised by the mob on both a psychological and a physical level, left me a with an extremely bad taste in the mouth - was this supposed to be a modern version of aspects of Lord of the Flies?
A lot of the dialogue came across as pretty unrealistic of how people would talk in a crisis situation like this one. Especially the story that Decker recounts of his sexual misadventure while under the influence of marijuana, seemed like a streamlined and polished retelling of an event by a professional writer - and not what must have been a painful recollection of a relatively traumatic (or frustrating and embarassing at the least) event by a teenage boy.
All in all, although the book was an easy read due to King's very accessible style, (and definitely an infinitely more gripping read than Catcher in the Rye), I'm giving it only 2 stars due to the plain mean-spiritedness of character that shines through on every page, not to mention the trivialisation of (and even glimmers of glorification of) cruelty and violence.
EDIT: I've slept on it, and I think I need to downgrade my rating to a 1. The more I think of the callous way that the subject of the death of 2 teachers and torture of an already beleaugered boy is treated, the more I want to give the book a zero.
April 20, 2024
Leà este libro en un dÃa, me resultó fluido y casi sin darme cuenta habÃa llegado a la mitad. Luego de un té, me leà la otra mitad porque no tenÃa interés en dejarlo para otro dÃa.
Me reà en varias ocasiones, algunos de los diálogos son hilarantes. Si uno lo piensa con seriedad es grave lo que ocurre, pero te metes en la historia y te envuelve.
No me gustó el principió ni el final. No termina de convencerme la idea que después del primer ataque de locura en el que el protagonista daña a un profesor al punto que tienen que operarlo para salvarle la vida (esto lo dice en la sinopsis y las primeras páginas, por tanto no lo considero spoiler) haya retomado su vida “normal�.
El final, lo que ocurre cuando se bajan las persianas (digo asà para no hacer spoiler), no lo termino de entender. La reacción de los alumnos, lo que hacen, no tiene suficiente fundamento para mÃ, no al menos en ese momento. Si hubiera ocurrido antes, tras algo provocativo quizás tendrÃa más sentido.
Los agregados finales de lo que ocurrió posteriormente son innecesarios, hubiera quedado mejor que no estuvieran y que fuera un final abierto (como en muchos libros de King).
Les dejo un video sobre el decálogo de King (por si les interesa):
Me reà en varias ocasiones, algunos de los diálogos son hilarantes. Si uno lo piensa con seriedad es grave lo que ocurre, pero te metes en la historia y te envuelve.
No me gustó el principió ni el final. No termina de convencerme la idea que después del primer ataque de locura en el que el protagonista daña a un profesor al punto que tienen que operarlo para salvarle la vida (esto lo dice en la sinopsis y las primeras páginas, por tanto no lo considero spoiler) haya retomado su vida “normal�.
El final, lo que ocurre cuando se bajan las persianas (digo asà para no hacer spoiler), no lo termino de entender. La reacción de los alumnos, lo que hacen, no tiene suficiente fundamento para mÃ, no al menos en ese momento. Si hubiera ocurrido antes, tras algo provocativo quizás tendrÃa más sentido.
Los agregados finales de lo que ocurrió posteriormente son innecesarios, hubiera quedado mejor que no estuvieran y que fuera un final abierto (como en muchos libros de King).
Les dejo un video sobre el decálogo de King (por si les interesa):
October 5, 2020
This was a weird one. I was warned, certainly, but that still didn't prepare me. Apparently, there is a reason Stephen King wrote and published this under a pseudonym. *lol*
The set-up is simple: Charlie snapps (for very good reasons), brings a gun to school, kills a teacher or two and then takes a few students hostage. Why (especially the latter)? Well ... it's twisted to say the least.
I hear that people get their panties in a twist about this story. Have since its publication and don't seem to be stopping. I guess I can see why, to some degree. Though I bet it's actually for a different reason (see, I think they object to him having used a school shooting at all since it's a sensitive topic).
Anyway, instead of a boy just losing his marbles and shooting, he engages his fellow students in a little game to reveal their "dark sides" while he also somewhat challenges the "authority figures" by confronting them with their supposed demons. Whether he's actually as spot on about their secrets or not remains for the reader to decide.
Personally, I don't mind him setting up this kind of scene. I mean, true horror is in the every day, which SK has proven time and time again.
And why should there not be anything horriffic about teenagers when we all know that there is a bloody good reason why there are so many small children in horror movies (they have to grow up eventually and why/how should they get better)?! ;P
That being said, some elements in this story just didn't work for me. However, I believe that especially in America, then and sadly even nowadays, .
The writing, to mention that shortly as well, was typical King which is to say that it was really extremely good.
So this was a slightly uneven reading experience but by no means bad and I think it's an interesting angle for this topic and actually a very important story.
The set-up is simple: Charlie snapps (for very good reasons), brings a gun to school, kills a teacher or two and then takes a few students hostage. Why (especially the latter)? Well ... it's twisted to say the least.
I hear that people get their panties in a twist about this story. Have since its publication and don't seem to be stopping. I guess I can see why, to some degree. Though I bet it's actually for a different reason (see, I think they object to him having used a school shooting at all since it's a sensitive topic).
Anyway, instead of a boy just losing his marbles and shooting, he engages his fellow students in a little game to reveal their "dark sides" while he also somewhat challenges the "authority figures" by confronting them with their supposed demons. Whether he's actually as spot on about their secrets or not remains for the reader to decide.
Personally, I don't mind him setting up this kind of scene. I mean, true horror is in the every day, which SK has proven time and time again.
And why should there not be anything horriffic about teenagers when we all know that there is a bloody good reason why there are so many small children in horror movies (they have to grow up eventually and why/how should they get better)?! ;P
That being said, some elements in this story just didn't work for me. However, I believe that especially in America, then and sadly even nowadays, .
The writing, to mention that shortly as well, was typical King which is to say that it was really extremely good.
So this was a slightly uneven reading experience but by no means bad and I think it's an interesting angle for this topic and actually a very important story.
October 7, 2019
I found this story to be a whole load of MEH. Charlie did not come across as sympathetic to me, the writing felt overdone and tried too hard to be sharp and philosophical at times (‘But my arms were too tired to pull down temples. I was never cut out to be Samson� - lol okay), and the situation was unrealistic and disturbing. The ending... ugh.
First one in the Bachman collection down. Things can only get better, right?
First one in the Bachman collection down. Things can only get better, right?
December 2, 2015
Es el libro que más me estremeció después de Cementerio de animales. Es muy intenso y que esté narrado en primera persona aumenta los escalofrÃos.
Existe un Mr. Hyde para cada feliz rostro de doctor Jekyll, una cara oscura al otro lado del espejo.
Es la obra más controvertida de Stephen King por ser usada como inspiración en jóvenes estudiantes para cometer atentados contra sus compañeros en Estados Unidos. Por eso King la retiró del mercado en su edición inglesa. Muchos lo llaman El Libro que King se Arrepintió de Escribir.
Yo puedo decir que me encantó. El autor nos sumerge profundamente en la mente enferma del protagonista. Es una novela rápida, que de entrada me atrapó, y conforme avanzaba en la historia me atrapaba aún más. Tiene un final demencial.
En definición, es un libro muy fuerte. Es más inteligente de lo que aparenta y no tiene desperdicio. Es una obra muy polémica, pero eso no le quita excelsitud.
Existe un Mr. Hyde para cada feliz rostro de doctor Jekyll, una cara oscura al otro lado del espejo.
Es la obra más controvertida de Stephen King por ser usada como inspiración en jóvenes estudiantes para cometer atentados contra sus compañeros en Estados Unidos. Por eso King la retiró del mercado en su edición inglesa. Muchos lo llaman El Libro que King se Arrepintió de Escribir.
Yo puedo decir que me encantó. El autor nos sumerge profundamente en la mente enferma del protagonista. Es una novela rápida, que de entrada me atrapó, y conforme avanzaba en la historia me atrapaba aún más. Tiene un final demencial.
En definición, es un libro muy fuerte. Es más inteligente de lo que aparenta y no tiene desperdicio. Es una obra muy polémica, pero eso no le quita excelsitud.
April 26, 2024
I grew up reading King in the 70s and that is when I first read this (wish I had kept my copy!) and still enjoy going back to early King and his Bachman books on occasion. I would not call Rage a horror novel (King did not either in his intro to the Backman Books), but rather a pulp thriller that still packs a punch. All the school shootings in the last few decades might have taken some of the edge off this one, but the shootings here exist more as backdrop to the main story.
The story starts off when one Charlie Decker gets called to the office out of his morning class in high school; he returns to class with a gun and takes out the teacher. Quite a way to set the stage! What follows involves disturbing remembrances, for after Charlie basically holds the class hostage, students proceed to share deep, dark secrets. King can really build believable characters with few words and does so here with aplomb. King may have started penning this one while he was in high school and it kinda shows! All the teenage angst about life, struggles with parents and fellow students, sex, the whole overwhelming aspect of being 17 or so and getting ready to face life head on.
The erratic pacing does not take too much away from the tenseness of the story, and King deftly uses a bit of foreshadowing to help with this. Really gritty pulp to be sure. Is this a great novel? By no means, but it is fun and hits the spot when you need some pulp. 3.5 early stars!
The story starts off when one Charlie Decker gets called to the office out of his morning class in high school; he returns to class with a gun and takes out the teacher. Quite a way to set the stage! What follows involves disturbing remembrances, for after Charlie basically holds the class hostage, students proceed to share deep, dark secrets. King can really build believable characters with few words and does so here with aplomb. King may have started penning this one while he was in high school and it kinda shows! All the teenage angst about life, struggles with parents and fellow students, sex, the whole overwhelming aspect of being 17 or so and getting ready to face life head on.
The erratic pacing does not take too much away from the tenseness of the story, and King deftly uses a bit of foreshadowing to help with this. Really gritty pulp to be sure. Is this a great novel? By no means, but it is fun and hits the spot when you need some pulp. 3.5 early stars!
July 26, 2017
I've expected to like Stephen King's infamous pseudo-school shooting novella, but I didn't expect it to unflinchingly raise important questions like that. I understand why he willingly let it fall out of print (I wouldn't like to be held responsible if a deranged mind felt inspired by it), but it's too bad because it's a book supposedly written in the friggin' SIXTIES about a problem that's still happening today. So heavy metal, psychiatric drugs and easy access to weapons be damned. It makes the killings more spectacular, but it doesn't lead to killing. Something else does. That is the disturbing idea this book is confronting us to.
I don't think I've ever read something more terrifying than protagonist's Charles Decker's depiction of his father. That got right to my bones. He sure is scarier than any monsters King ever described. Perhaps the scariest thing about RAGE though is that Stephen King's writing refuses to condemn or to empathize him. Charles Decker is impossible to put into a box. He doesn't show psychopath behavior and he sure as hell not a victim. He wants that one thing everyone has denied him since he was born. CONTROL. It's something much more important to every one of us that we'd like to admit.
Odd book, but very powerful nonetheless.
I don't think I've ever read something more terrifying than protagonist's Charles Decker's depiction of his father. That got right to my bones. He sure is scarier than any monsters King ever described. Perhaps the scariest thing about RAGE though is that Stephen King's writing refuses to condemn or to empathize him. Charles Decker is impossible to put into a box. He doesn't show psychopath behavior and he sure as hell not a victim. He wants that one thing everyone has denied him since he was born. CONTROL. It's something much more important to every one of us that we'd like to admit.
Odd book, but very powerful nonetheless.
April 3, 2016
I was going to talk about why Rage was taken out of print, but I think plenty has been said on that subject. I side with King on the decision to pull the plug. Stephen King has stated, "The Carneal incident was enough for me. I asked my publisher to take the damned thing out of print. They concurred."
Rage is about a deeply disturbed high school student who basically has gone through the ringer of life, short as it has been, and came out broken. Charles Decker is the possibly brilliant young man who takes the left turn towards horror town, when all the others would choose the right turn of sanity. At the end of his road lies a gun in one hand, two teachers in his path, and a surreal Lord of the Flies few hours with his fellow students in a classroom.
In Rage, there is some crazy good writing that I did not expect, being one of King’s earliest works. The best parts of the novel were those brief stories told by Charlie and the other students because they were like synapses bridging time, explaining so much in so few words. It’s not only that the stories are interesting, but the way they are worded. Granted, the finale did not capture me as did the earlier scenes. Still, this is good stuff. “Getting it on�, as Decker would say.
Finally, my 1985 copy of includes an intro by Stephen King titled, “Why I was Bachman�. This is one of the many things all King fans find fascinating. I want to include a bit of this with each Bachman book I review. Rage, begun in 1966 was almost published 2 years before Carrie, and was initially called Getting It On. Five novels were actually written before Carrie. King considered The Long Walk to be the other only good book of these five. He had also started writing it as a senior in high school, in 1966. “Being Stephen King in 1977: there is almost nothing to bitch about�. It seems that both the Beatles and Elvis Presley desired a different persona at times.
Rage is about a deeply disturbed high school student who basically has gone through the ringer of life, short as it has been, and came out broken. Charles Decker is the possibly brilliant young man who takes the left turn towards horror town, when all the others would choose the right turn of sanity. At the end of his road lies a gun in one hand, two teachers in his path, and a surreal Lord of the Flies few hours with his fellow students in a classroom.
In Rage, there is some crazy good writing that I did not expect, being one of King’s earliest works. The best parts of the novel were those brief stories told by Charlie and the other students because they were like synapses bridging time, explaining so much in so few words. It’s not only that the stories are interesting, but the way they are worded. Granted, the finale did not capture me as did the earlier scenes. Still, this is good stuff. “Getting it on�, as Decker would say.
Finally, my 1985 copy of includes an intro by Stephen King titled, “Why I was Bachman�. This is one of the many things all King fans find fascinating. I want to include a bit of this with each Bachman book I review. Rage, begun in 1966 was almost published 2 years before Carrie, and was initially called Getting It On. Five novels were actually written before Carrie. King considered The Long Walk to be the other only good book of these five. He had also started writing it as a senior in high school, in 1966. “Being Stephen King in 1977: there is almost nothing to bitch about�. It seems that both the Beatles and Elvis Presley desired a different persona at times.
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