"Rage", by Richard Bachman (Stephen King) || Book Review

"Rage" is one of the first of King's novels that was published under the pseudonym Richard Bachman. The book is apparently not available anymore, as Stephen King decided to take it off the market due to its subject and the fear of the implications it might have caused. And while this is a legit reason, I can't help but wonder if the book's poor quality was also considered in this decision. If I had one phrase to sum up how I feel about this book it would be "it's just not very good".

The book is about Charlie Decker, a student who kills his teacher in school and takes several of his classmates as hostages. The reader gets to spend a lot of time in Charlies's head, exploring his thoughts and inner turmoil. 

I can't say I found Charlie's character to be very well-developed and I had a hard time explaining his actions and understanding his "reasoning" for them. This is one of the main reasons I couldn't get into the story. I found it a bit annoying that King attempts to depict him as the victim in this situation, not only by the first-person narration that he has picked but also by the stance he has chosen to adopt for him. Charlie is by no means a hero or a victim of his circumstances, he is an outcast full of unaddressed issues, although he's not always portrayed that way. 

Then we have Charlie's classmates, who although may seem more normal, aren't without issues themselves. I found none of them compelling, relatable or likable. And since most of the novel is spent exploring the dynamics/backgrounds of these people, not being able to connect with them or be invested in them really hinders the story.

Honestly, for most of it, I was just bored. Although I'm usually all about character-driven stories, I just could not - and did not want to - sympathize, connect with, or appreciate the protagonist. The narrative is written in a way that's supposed to make the reader sympathize with him while he's clearly the problematic one. And while he kind of may be the victim of a traumatic past, he certainly is the perpetrator in this case and there is no way his actions could be justified or understood.

I guess that the theme of the story was supposed to be something along the lines that we all become what our backgrounds make us. If that was the case, I don't think it was very well served and I think it could have been executed much better.

"Rage" was not my cup of tea. It felt problematic and it made me feel bored. It's a quick read, the book is short, but despite its short length, it often has a hard time remaining focused. It's definitely not one of King's finest moments, despite his otherwise undeniable talent. I rated it 1* out of 5*. However, it was still interesting to get to know one of King's earlier works and even if I didn't love it, I'm still glad I got to read it.

Feel free to share your opinions in the comments below, I'd love to hear them. Once more, thank you for reading!

The Art Of War by Sun Tzu || A Book Review

I read this a while ago and it was one of the books that are completely out of my comfort zone. When it comes to books I don't usually go for, I tend to pick the audiobook, as a great chance to get more familiar with audiobooks as a medium and with different and unfamiliar subjects as well. I listened to the audiobook in a few hours and the narrator was excellent, but I have to admit that I felt weird reading it, however, in the end, it was still an interesting experience.  

This book is a guide on war, but it could as well be called "The Art of Strategy". What is interesting about it, is that despite it being a guide on war, the advice given could easily be applied to multiple other occasions outside of war or battle. It manages to give simple and still coherent today advice on dealing with conflict, and complicated, messy situations.

Another interesting fact about it is that even though it was written in a particular era, most of the rules are still of use and can apply to the modern-day world and situations. In my opinion, this gives it a sense of timelessness. I can't tell if the other intended to give this timelessness to it, or if it just occurred, but it's definitely there.

The writing style wasn't great, as I felt it was repetitive and a bit tedious at times, but the book is not so much about the wiring itself, as it's for the concepts analyzed and these concepts are worth the read. The book is short but it could have been shorter and more concise, thus helping with the repetidness as well. 

Concluding, this is a simple and accessible book that's unique and memorable in its own way. It was an interesting experience reading it and I'm glad to have read it, and even though I recognize its value, I couldn't rate it more than 2* out of 5*. I didn't love it, but it was a good read and I believe that even if you feel hesitant, you should still give it a chance.