Walk the Walk: The Long Walk Book Review

 

The Long Walk by Richard Bachman

Gratitude

Thank you to Montgomery County Public Library for making The Long Walk by Stephen King (originally published under the pseudonym Richard Bachman) readily available to the public at no cost.

Description

Ray was chosen as 1 of 100 boys who will participate in the Long Walk, a contest in which the prize is whatever you want, and the way you get it is to be the last one still walking. The catch is that if they slow down too often, stop too long, or break any of the other rules, a soldier in the pace vehicle shoots them. So, not only is the winner the only one still walking, he is also the only one still alive. Although he has applied and been chosen for the context, Ray claims he doesn’t know what he wants.

It may seem shocking that anyone would volunteer to participate in the Long Walk--their chances are 1% to win and 99% that they will not only lose, but die. Who, except someone totally confident, or totally desperate, would accept that challenge? Except it’s not just the prize. It’s also the fame and taking part in a national pastime--the boys who are participating in the walk also watched it when they were little kids--standing on the side of the road when the walk came through, as though they were watching a parade, cheering and celebrating.

It is also clear that something is askance in this society--Ray’s father was arrested under mysterious circumstances, and the Major--the man in charge--seems like a particularly unsavory character who for sure does not believe in the great freedoms, like free speech and free press.

Ray finds some walking buddies who he sticks with. They swap stories, encourage each other, and just keep each other company. The boys are referred to by their last names, and by defining characteristics. There are, of course, some really nice guys, a really jerky guy, and the mysterious guy who doesn’t seem to fit in anywhere.

Would I Teach This Book?

Would I teach The Long Walk? Parts of the book are trying too hard. There are moments between the boys that rely more on mysterious subtext than what is actually occurring in the book. I won’t get into the ending, but that is definitely one of them.

The book is clearly not just about an ultramarathon walk that will winnow out many good young men--the plot is too thin for it to be just that. It is clearly also working on a metaphoric level, considering what happens when freedom and choices are taken away, and what happens to youth when they are convinced to do things that are less in their best interest and more in the interest of the larger society or government.

I suppose that The Long Walk could be taught alongside 1984, but I cannot create an argument for how The Long Walk could ever stand beside 1984. It is a possibility, I suppose, in a themed literature class on political fear.


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There's No Place Like the Home You Fled: Book Review of Honor

 

Honor by Thrity Umrigar

Gratitude

Thank you to my book club for choosing Honor by Thrity Umrigar.

Description

In Honor, Smita is a foreign correspondent, and she spends her life traveling the world and reporting on issues of human rights. Though born in India, Smita moved to the United States as a girl, and she vowed never to return to her country of origin, instead using the United States as her infrequently used home base. So when a fellow journalist needs her help with an assignment in India, she is extremely apprehensive about returning, but decides to go because she wants to aid the friend who had been so caring toward her. Basically, she feels that she cannot say no.

Once there, Smita is drawn into the case a Hindu woman, Meena, who has been met with violence as a result of marrying a Muslim man. Meena shows an openness that Smita finds hard to understand. To help navigate tricky interviews and spots that are potentially dangerous for women, Mohan has been tasked with being Smita's guide. As her friendship with Mohan develops, it seems that it might become something more. 

Would I Teach This Book?

Umrigar considers a lot of different dynamics in Honor--honor to one’s family of origin, to one’s self, to one’s spouse, and honor as it pertains to religion. The choices that Smita makes and the past she must face are not easy. The threads to her past unravel slowly throughout the book, and looking back at the beginning, it is not exactly seamless.

There was a lot of buildup toward a few moments of violence, and I felt a growing dread as the narrative moved toward these moments. It was not a pleasant dread, either. The violence did seem to be more than just plot devices, and it did help to establish and explore theme.

Because of the exploration of prejudice between Hindus and Muslims, Honor might be an interesting novel to teach. The book club discussion was lively and touched on many different aspects of the novel, and these aspects could also be analyzed in a classroom setting. However, I would be reluctant to trudge back into those waters. I won't spoil the ending, but it was pretty meh. 


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He's Single, Ladies!: Book Review of Storm Warning

 

Storm Warning by James Byrne

Gratitude

Thank you to Minotaur and Goodreads Giveaways for the review copy of Storm Warning by James Byrne.

Description

Desmond “Dez” Limerick is hired by the United States government to investigate a secret underground research facility that, along with the mine and the whole island up above, has lost all communications. What exactly they were researching is a mystery, but Dez quickly learns that the U.S. government is not the only group who has an interest in why everything went dark. He is teamed up with a small group and soon meets up with other people who intend to investigate the island. It is not immediately clear who he can trust, but a few people make themselves known as untrustworthy right away. Oh, and there is a treacherous storm headed toward the island which will make it virtually impossible to get there. Dez is always up for a challenge, but he’s especially invested in solving this one, because a former love interest was in the lab when it went dark.

Would I Teach This Book?

Would I teach Storm Warning? That is an interesting question, for a few reasons. The biggest reason is that Dez is not a complicated character. He is practically perfect in every way: strong, handsome, smart, and respectful to the ladies. He knows everything--hand to hand combat, computers, how elevators work, languages, obscure facts about world politics, and histories of developing countries. He has no mysterious past, his closets are clear of skeletons, and he never gets ruffled. He is a bit too perfect for my post-postmodern tastes.

He is a Bond-MacGyver-Bruce Lee mix who could save you from any situation. Byrne makes much of his muscled physique, and as a freelancer, he may go and do as he pleases.

Storm Warning is entertaining--there were certainly moments that surprised me, and it took me a while to figure out how it would end, as opposed to many suspenseful books, which I can already guess what will happen no later than halfway through. As a beach read, I encourage anyone who enjoys this genre to read Storm Warning. As a teacher, I would skip this one.

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Turtle Confusion: Book Review of The Turtle House

 

The Turtle House by Amanda Churchill

Description

In The Turtle House by Amanda Churchill, Lia has left her job and come home under mysterious circumstances. There, she finds her grandmother, Mineko, also staying at her parents’ house, due to a fire that destroyed her home.

Lia’s parents suspect that Mineko caused the fire by falling asleep while smoking. They fear that she can no longer live on her own. As for Lia, they have no idea why she quit her job at an architectural firm in order to come home and work in a stationary store.

Lia asks her grandmother to tell her her story—she knows so little about the woman who left Japan for a new life in America with her military husband. As Mineko talks, she also tries to help her granddaughter to face whatever is haunting her.

Would I Teach This Book?

Would I teach The Turtle House? As historical fiction, set during World War II and after, Amanda Churchill blends romance, war, family drama, and modern day early adulthood in this generational story. The twining narratives of Mineko and Lia inform each other and help the reader to understand the struggle to keep one’s own dreams from being sublimated by another’s.

This is a compelling theme, and it is gratifying to see Mineko’s growth throughout the book. Lia’s growth and narrative is way less satisfying, in part because she is at the beginning of adulthood, but she is also not as developed of a character as Mineko.

The Turtle House was a book club book, and it brought about lively discussion. As for including it in a curriculum, the perspectives of Mineko and Lia, as Japanese Americans, could be a meaningful contribution, though there are arguably books with more compelling Japanese American characters.

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