Stephen King Fans discussion

Hey, I didn't see a topic thread about this so I made one myself. I'm interested in reading Rage which was written under the name of Richard Bachman. Where can I find the book? Like does anyone have a copy of it on their shelf Because amazon has it listed for like $300 for a used copy..

I looked on his website and because of the whole school shooting thing, king himself pulled it off of the shelfs and won't be publishing it in the future.. I will check my library but I have doubts that it will be there knowing it is out of peint

David wrote: "I looked on his website and because of the whole school shooting thing, king himself pulled it off of the shelfs and won't be publishing it in the future.. I will check my library but I have doubts..."

I have a copy of it in a rare Bachman Book..I've not decided to sell/or not, though!! Sorry!! It's a very good story, and I encourage you to keep trying to find it!!

Haha well I'm hoping that a relative or someone I know would also have a copy of it on their shelf, it is just amazing that even though King pulled it off of the shells that it is so difficult to find a used and cheaper copy of it. I will keep looking and hopefully not have to spend a fortune for it

David...they do sell "The Bachman Books" in hardcover which has Rage in it...with 3 other stories...and it sells for about $30...if you just want to read it and not own as a standalone.

I had an e-book version of Rage (I only read e-books) so you may want to see if such is available.But even if you don't read it I personally won't consider it some great loss as it is one of the weaker King books I read & surely the worst book written in his Bachman persona.It may not be a complete stinker but neither is it good enough to shell out an astronomical price.

I also have seen it crop up in ebook form from time to time. But as others have said, since King himself let it go out of print, it has become increasingly hard to find. I have seen it on the Barnes and Noble ebook online store and that's where I got my copy, but that was about two years ago and I don't know if its still avaliable.

I have a copy of it in an old version of the Bachman Books. I got mine off Amazon marketplace a couple of years ago for very cheap, so it might be worth checking there every so often to see if the price ever comes down.

Thank you everyone! This has helped answer my question :)

I liked it more than I thought I would because this isn't a pulpy story about a school shooting. Even in his first completed novel, King had this uncanny knack for combining everyman language with eloquent descriptions. But the narration is not the voice of a frustrated kid - it's the witty voice of a literate, thoughtful adult: Stephen King. A person with those mental tools would have processed their anger toward something creative (as King did) instead of just acting out, and such a person has too much imaginative sympathy to shoot people.

:æ: wrote: "I liked it more than I thought I would because this isn't a pulpy story about a school shooting. Even in his first completed novel, King had this uncanny knack for combining everyman language with ..."

Perfectly said!

Anyone able to get their hands on a copy?

Angie wrote: "Anyone able to get their hands on a copy?"

I have the original paperback and I also have it in two editions of the Bachman Books.

I had a recent copy of the Bachman Books which does not include Rage. A library local to me (Barbican Library in London, UK) had a hardback copy of the Bachman Books in it's archive room. It sounded like it would be an old copy so I asked them to retrieve from archive and now I have it and it does have Rage.

I only started a couple of days ago so won't be contributing to the group read until later this week.

Guess there's not a lot of cross-referencing here. I couldn't find this link, and asked about it in "what are you reading now." Then Angie posted this. So, yes I got a copy years ago and even then it was used and beat up. I finished re-reading the book last night and thought it was great. Will have a four-star review shortly. It was part of a collection of the Bachman Books 1-4 including an intro by King about why he chose to be Bachman and the history of the books.

So, I liked the characterizations and the logic of the plot. King started writing it in high school and finished it up in the early 70s when he came across it in a box of old books (he says in the intro). He thinks it's one of the best of the Backman Books and together with The Long Walk an excellent piece of work. It's full of teenage rage and sexual fantasies. The issue, of course, is could this really happen. Ie: (view spoiler)[could a kid with a gun, walk into a classroom, shoot and kill the teacher and then, as the hours roll by, have the other kids begin to side more and more with him, until in the end, they gang up on another boy, because he sides with the school administration? (hide spoiler)]

I was lucky enough to find Rage as a part of my collection of Bachman Books, sadly I'm not sure if I can read it; I was wondering I its just me, or do you think that some of the older print runs of King editions have much smaller print?
Obviously I was aware of it as an issue many years ago, however I hadn't realised it was apparent in more recent years.
*Sorry to be off topic, Moderators! ..I think I might need new prescription glasses.

Reenie wrote: "I was lucky enough to find Rage as a part of my collection of Bachman Books, sadly I'm not sure if I can read it; I was wondering I its just me, or do you think that some of the older print runs of..."

The type really is small.

I've done some more digging on this. And according to Wikipedia, there are actual school shootings that have been related to this book. But the more I think about it and talk with my wife (who taught Junior High) this is an incredibly realistic portrayal, and the reaction of the other kids in the class, as surprising as it is, is real too. So I've upped my rating to 5 stars. My review is at:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Matthewcross87 wrote: "hey nick i found that info on Wikipedia a few months ago when i was searching king books to buy"

Right, Matthew. In Dance Macabre King pretty much exonerates writers from copy cat crimes related to their books, but I guess he felt more strongly about RAGE.

Nick wrote: "Guess there's not a lot of cross-referencing here. I couldn't find this link, and asked about it in "what are you reading now." Then Angie posted this. So, yes I got a copy years ago and even then ..."

I added the book into the "what's this topic about" so I am hoping it will help people find it easier. Sometimes the search on goodreads groups can be awful!

Angie wrote: "Nick wrote: "Guess there's not a lot of cross-referencing here. I couldn't find this link, and asked about it in "what are you reading now." Then Angie posted this. So, yes I got a copy years ago a..."

Thanks, Angie. It's a book worth talking about.

This is a pretty solid read, though eerie that school shootings have now become an accepted part of our society. As others mentioned, though, I do wonder about (view spoiler)[the rest of the class turning on Ted, particularly when most of them didn't seem to have any issue with Ted. I would have expected them to turn on Pigpen or someone else rather than Ted. Still, it's an interesting execution of the idea. (hide spoiler)]

Hi! I am trying to find a copy of RAGE too, but don't want to spend $500. Yikes! I couldn't believe it when I checked out Amazon. Anyone selling? Thanks. :-)

I found Rage 2 years ago on Madrid, Spain for 30€. The last time I checked it's price it was being sold for 60 or 70€... I recommend you to look for this book on second hand libraries or on the internet.
Rage is one of my favourite books from King if you're a fan of this author you need to have this book on your collection!

You can buy it on e-bay at prices ranging from $24 for the Bachman Books Collection to $500 or more for the individual book. Prices keep changing so check it out.

Hi all - good discussion going so far on Rage (for those who can find a copy). The way the story progressed was very unexpected for me. It is much more thoughtful, and I think the point regarding Ted and the other kids in the class is worth considering from a number of different angles. I immediately thought of Lord of the Flies when I reached the end of the story. Did anyone else make this connection? I know LOTF is a big influence on SK.

I finished Rage a couple of days ago and did enjoy it.

For the benefit of anyone living in London who is looking for this book, I have returned the copy of the Bachman Books I borrowed to the Barbican Library. It is easy to join if you are not a member already. The book was held in their reserve section when I borrowed it so I had to call ahead to give them time to retrieve it so you might have to do so too.

My thoughts on the book...

(view spoiler)[I thought the reactions of the hostages and the actions of the police was very unrealistic despite the story being set in the real world. This didn't bother me too much as it is just a story. I thought what happened to Ted at the end was harsh but made for an interesting ending - the only guy who was desperate to leave the classroom was the only hostage left there at the end.

I found myself rooting for Charlie which is always a good sign.

I am not sure what else to say. The narrative is typical Stephen King which is always enjoyable. (hide spoiler)]

Carol wrote: "Hi! I am trying to find a copy of RAGE too, but don't want to spend $500. Yikes! I couldn't believe it when I checked out Amazon. Anyone selling? Thanks. :-)"

The copies I'm finding are no more then $8.00. They are paperback if you don't mind having it not in hardback.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listi...

Barnes and Noble around $20:http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bachm...

I think the high priced ones could be first edition maybe??

I don't think the Bachman Books collection is particularly hard to track down here in the UK. Got a copy out of my (tiny) local library.

I'd already read The Long Walk, and finished Rage last night. I found myself enjoying it. It's got a Lord of the Flies vibe about it.

I've been looking for this one at 1/2 priced books and on Amazon for a while, as I've wanted to read all of King's books in order (I've since begun skipping around). This is one I've continued to struggle to get my hands on for obvious reasons. I did finally find it on Amazon for about 20 bucks, but I unfortunately didn't read the description well, as it was in French when I got it. (whomp-whomp)

I was complaining about it to a co-worker, though, and he had an old copy and he brought it for me to borrow! I am so excited I finally get to read this and I feel so rebellious reading something that is generally not supposed to be available to be read.

I've been rebuilding my SK book collection and as a result have discovered that Value Village (thrift store) is a great source for books. Today I found a paperback copy of The Bachman Books which includes Rage for $3! I'm seeing it listed online for more than $50 so this was a great find.
Still on the hunt for vintage copies of Salem's Lot and The Shining since I want to reread the books in chronological order. Hopefully, I'll find these by the time I'm finished the Bachman Books.

I got a paperback copy of the Bachman Books off of Amazon about two years ago, it included Rage. The book was $5. It may take awhile, but there are copies out there to find. Just be patient.

Still have my copy of RAGE in that compendium of Bachman books that came out in the late 80's. I fully understand why King has withdrawn from publication in the era of mass school shootings if for no other reason than it might open him to litigation if it is suspected of influencing a shooter. Still, I think it is one of his strongest books, worthy of being defended.

I’m slowly making progress on my Reread of SK’s books in chronological order. I’m really enjoying getting reacquainted with these older works.
What I like about Rage and SK’s work in general is how he shows us the potential of seemingly “normal” people we encounter daily being capable of doing terrible things in certain situations. In Rage, the classmates reactions and behaviour resulting from being held hostage was fascinating.

There used to be a used book store in my small college town that was packed wall-to-wall with books. The owner sort of knew me as I was a frequent shopper. One day I walked in and he asked: “You like Stephen King, right?” I was surprised as I don’t think I’d bought any King books there, as his stuff was still so new that it was all readily available at new book stores. But this was just after Thinner was revealed as having been written by King and that Richard Bachman was a pseudonym. Perhaps I’d asked about a copy of that book the last time I’d been in, I can’t recall, but I said I was and he pulled out a first edition of The Running Man and Rage for $5 a piece. I bought them on the spot. And asked him to keep an eye open for the other two early Bachman books. Sadly, I never got early copies of the other two, and had to wait for the collected edition The Bachman Books: Four Early Novels by Stephen King. Still, that copy of Rage is a prize of my collection. And even worse that used book store is long gone. I miss it.

Rick wrote: "There used to be a used book store in my small college town that was packed wall-to-wall with books. The owner sort of knew me as I was a frequent shopper. One day I walked in and he asked: “You li..."

That's great that you have those copies. I also feel your pain about the book store being gone. I recently, about the last 2 years, had a great used book store in my area. I have found so many King books there to add to my collection, and at great prices! However, it closed down two months ago. I still feel the pain. A good used book store is the best!

Rick wrote: "There used to be a used book store in my small college town that was packed wall-to-wall with books. The owner sort of knew me as I was a frequent shopper. One day I walked in and he asked: “You li..."
You are not the only one who misses used book stores. There were so many of them not that many years, fewer and much more far between now.

I was lucky enough to be able to snag a copy of The Bachman Books from my step-mom's library. I thoroughly enjoyed the story and am always so intrigued by the way King writes from the point of view of kids/teens. At the end I found myself drawing comparisons to Apt Pupil, anyone else?

I still have my dog eared copy of The Bachman Books from back in the day, and I thought Rage was the second best of the bunch behind The Long Walk. While there are similarities to Apt Pupil, I think King had more sympathy toward his teenage killer in Rage than he did for the little Nazi loving psycho in Pupil. Thought the movie's ending was a big improvement over the book's.

Rick wrote: "There used to be a used book store in my small college town that was packed wall-to-wall with books. The owner sort of knew me as I was a frequent shopper. One day I walked in and he asked: “You li..."

That’s cool you got those copies.

It seems the are many people doing a chronological reread of King’s books these days. I also started on my journey as there are several novels and short stories that I haven’t read yet. Rage was one of them. I was lucky enough to get my hands on a copy of The Bachman Books: Four Early Novels by Stephen King.

Somehow I loved the beginning of the book but it lost me when (view spoiler)[ Charlie took everyone hostage (hide spoiler)]
Did anyone else experience this? I read in an earlier comment in the discussion that the reaction of his fellow classmates seems to be unrealistic but somehow fitting to the situation they are in. I might be able to understand this if I try really hard but I have a hard time understanding why the police acted in this particular way.

Can anyone help me out?

Kathrin wrote: "It seems the are many people doing a chronological reread of King’s books these days. I also started on my journey as there are several novels and short stories that I haven’t read yet. [book:Rage|..."
I felt the same way that you did. I was really excited when I got my copy of "The Bachman Books". I dove right into "Rage" and was totally on board at the beginning of the book. When the actual plot started to happen the book lost me and became a slog even at its small page count. I just did not care about any of the characters, and I did not find the main character sympathetic at all.