From Publishers Weekly
Written circa 1973, this trunk novel, as Bachman's double (aka Stephen King) refers to it in his self-deprecating foreword, lacks the drama and intensity of Carrie and the horror opuses that followed it. Still, this fifth Bachman book (after 1996's The Regulators) shows King fine-tuning his skill at making memorable characters out of simple salt-of-the-earth types. Clayton Blaze Blaisdell has fallen into a life of delinquency ever since his father's brutal abuse rendered him feebleminded. King alternates chapters recounting Blaze's past mistreatment at a series of Maine orphanages and foster homes with Blaze's current plans to follow through on a kidnapping scheme plotted by his recently murdered partner in crime, George Rackley. Blaze talks to George as though he's still there, and the conversations give the tale tension, with Blaze coming across as a pitiable and surprisingly sympathetic contrast to prickly George. Despite its predictability, this diverting soft-boiled crime novel reflects influences ranging from John Steinbeck to James M. Cain. Also included is a previously uncollected story, Memory, the seed of King's forthcoming novel Duma Key. (June)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Audiofile
Stephen King, writing here as Bachman, has said he doesnt like this book very much. Thats a case of a guy being waaaaaay too hard on himself. BLAZE, written in 1973, should have been published years ago. Its a powerful, well-written story (really, Stephen, it is) about a mentally challenged behemoth who falls into a life of crime and kidnaps a baby as a path to easy money. Ron McLarty makes listeners feel both pity and disgust for the main character of the novel. McLarty actually sounds like a lumbering oaf and imparts equal character to the other actors, as well. Dont listen to Kings opinion--BLAZE burns bright. M.S. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine
