Double Book Review – Roadwork and The Running Man by Richard Bachman (Stephen King)

Hey book lovers! I’m here with a book review for two Richard Bachman books: Roadwork and The Running Man. If you’re new here, hi, my name is Amanda and I love books. I read all kinds of genres…horror, thriller, mystery, fantasy, sci-fi, romance…you name it, I’m willing to give it a try. I’ve read a lot of Stephen King’s books growing up, and I’m currently reading them in chronological order of publication which means some of them will be re-reads, but Roadwork and The Running Man were new reads for me this time around.

About The Book 📚

Title: Roadwork

Publication Date: first published March 1981

Suggested Reader Age: 16+

Genre: Horror, Suspense

My Review

“On this hot August afternoon in 1972, the WHLM Newsmobile was parked near Westgate at the end of the Route 784 expressway.”

› Roadwork has changed Barton Dawes’ life. A new highway will displace hundreds of people, including Bart and his wife, and the laundromat Bart has worked at for years. He hasn’t healed from past trauma and this move is too much for him to handle. Bart is slowly losing his mind as he struggles to deal with the changes. I don’t think any reader will like Bart, and at first, you might not relate to his defiance of the move, however, if your reading experience is like mine you’ll find yourself feeling sad for him, and hoping for a happy ending.

“All places are the same unless your mind changes. There’s no magic place to get your mind right. If you feel like shit, everything you see looks like shit.”

› Characters: 8
› Atmosphere: 6
› Writing Style: 10
› Plot: 7
› Intrigue: 8
› Logic: 9
› Enjoyment: 6
Average 7.7

My Rating ★★★★

About The Book 📚

Title: The Running Man

Publication Date: first published 1982

Suggested Reader Age: 16+

Genre: Horror, Thriller, Sci-Fi, Dystopian, Suspense

My Review

“In the year 2025, the best men don’t run for president, they run for their lives. . . .”

› The Running Man takes place in a dystopian world where there aren’t many jobs available and many people are very sick due to pollution. Ben Richards and his wife Sheila have a sick 18-month-old baby named Cathy. “Free-vee” is something that almost everyone watches in order to take their mind off of their bleak lives. There is no internet and books have been banned because the government wants to be the only source of information. On the “free-vee” there are crazy Hunger Games/Big Brother/Squid Game competition shows such as “Treadmill to Bucks”. This game involves people with chronic heart, liver, or lung problems running on a treadmill and being paid $10 for every minute they run on the treadmill. Ben and Sheila have no way to pay for their baby’s medicine, so Ben decides to try out for the show. After a physical and IQ test he’s chosen for the show called “The Running Man”. The participant earns $100 for every hour, and if they make it 30 days on the run then they get $1 billion. This show has been on for six years and no one has survived. Ben embarks on a wild adventure on the run being hunted by the expert trackers from the show.

STRANGE TIDBIT: The book talks about people getting immunized in July 2023 and getting their booster in September 2023.

› Characters: 8
› Atmosphere: 10
› Writing Style: 10
› Plot: 10
› Intrigue: 10
› Logic: 10
› Enjoyment: 10
Average 9.7

1.1-2.2 = ★
2.3-4.5 = ★★
4.6-6.9 = ★★★
7-8.9 = ★★★★
9-10 = ★★★★★

My Rating ★★★★★

› Final Thoughts
• I think this is my favourite Stephen King book of all time.