Blaze | Richard Bachman

Title: Blaze
Author: Richard Bachman


If you've ever wondered what happens when Stephen King forgets a manuscript in a drawer for thirty years and then decides to dust it off during a book tour, Blaze is your answer. It's a crime novel that's wearing a Bachman mask, but the voice underneath is pure, unadulterated King--complete with his signature "bloat," even at a modest 300-something pages.

The story follows Blaze, a goliath with cognitive challenges whose life choices are currently being managed by George. The catch? George is dead. Whether George is a supernatural hitchhiker or just a symptom of Blaze's tragic head trauma is up for debate, but either way, he convinces Blaze to kidnap a baby for ransom.

The book operates on two tracks, and like a lopsided train, one side is much sturdier than the other:
  • The Flashbacks (The Good): This is where the heart is. Seeing Blaze's transition from a normal kid to a "simpleton" after a brutal beating from his father is genuinely devastating. King excels at making you root for a criminal; by the time the wheels predictably come off the wagon, you're less worried about the ransom and more worried about this poor guy who never stood a chance.
  • The Present (The Bad): The kidnapping plot feels a bit thin. It's a straight-up crime noir that lacks the punch of other Bachman books like The Running Man. 
Even under 400 pages, the King Bloat is real. There are sections where the story just sort of...exists. 

It's a fascinating look at "Early King," considering he wrote the first draft around the same time as Carrie. It's a fast read with a nerve-wracking finale that'll tug at your heartstrings, even if you're rolling your eyes at the logistics of the crime.

King donated the royalties to The Haven Foundation, which supports struggling artists. I think that's pretty commendable.

I give this one three out of five stars.

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