Blaze
Ratings33
Average rating3.5
15
Ratings33
Average rating3.5
Blaze is a novel by American writer Stephen King, published under the pseudonym of Richard Bachman. King announced on his website that he "found it" in an attic. As stated in the afterword of Different Seasons, it was written before Carrie. King offered the original draft of the novel to his Doubleday publishers at the same time as 'Salem's Lot; the latter was chosen to be his second novel and Blaze became a "trunk novel." King rewrote the manuscript, editing out much of what he perceived as over-sentimentality in the original text, and offered the book for publication in 2007.
Reviews with the most likes.
Tragic story of Blaze who has such bad luck. There's a bit of a supernatural element and a tribute to Of Mice and Men.
The events of Blaze's life are so dark: brain-damaged by his father, hated by the head of the orphanage, placed with an abusive foster family, tricked out of a good home by cruel fate. How much could one man take? People taking advantage of his size and slowness right and left. You can't blame him for falling into a life of crime or anything he does because he's a true gentle giant.
“Bachman” really got to me with this one. Blaze's story is frustrating, tragic, compelling, and inevitable.
One seemingly small thing that stood out for me was the irony of the child Blaze fathered (but never knew about.) The son is similar in size and temperament. He's adopted by a presumably good couple, plays high school football, and goes onto college. The implication that Blaze could have had a similar life, but for all bad that happened, really hurts.
